I’ve noticed a trend lately in my reading. I don’t get to read a lot anymore so when I do get to put my grubby fingers on a book, I am uber excited. I want a more diverse cast of characters. I really, really do. But what I don’t want is for every gay supporting character to be a hot chocolate mess. Look, not every gay person is a slut, whore, has mommy/daddy issues and is generally all fucked up. Occasionally, a straight person is this way as well. And if you’re not straight or gay, then the chances of you being cra-cra increases exponentially. But I digress.
Trending in books, especially the contemporary romances I read are totally jacked up gay dude sidekicks. Like it’s a thing. Not to even begin to touch the cliche-ness of including such a character, it’s lazy.
Not that every fucked up gay supporting character is too much, but rather there just aren’t enough to populate all the books. See, there are reasonably well-rounded gay people in this world. But for some reason they don’t get written about. It’s either the flamer, the regretter, or the dude who will drown in liquid flames before he burns out completely– in the books, but not paralleled in real life. A few sprinkled here and there in novels wouldn’t be amiss. I bet it would track demographics. But all the books I’m reading that has a gay character is totally fucked up. Statistically, I know this can’t be true. I have gay friends and they range the gamut. Still, disparate per capita of fucked up gay dudes is noticeable. Almost as noticeable as all the god damn female virgins running around.
And yes, I did a post of how much I HATE the use of the virginity trope in romance. Not just because it places a premium on female virginity that is so steeped in patriarchal beliefs I hesitated to even acknowledge it in this post. But I did. Anyway, I digress. Ummm, yeah cause, taking the easy, lazy, shitty way out pisses me off and makes me feel bad for an entire segment of our population. Virgins and fucked up gay dudes alike.
I want three dimensional characters. People who are a little fucked, got some shit together, are real good at one or two things, and in general, are just regular normal messed up people. Not these super fucked up gay dudes who must have all of the problems because they like the butt sexx.
Seriously? Grow up. Meet some diverse people. Include them in your writing. Stop with the two dimensional cardboard caricatures. My reading needs have matured. Fictional characters need to as well. Give me depth. Give me the spectrum of who we are as people, persons and how we relate to the world around us.
Until then, if you have a really messed up gay dude character and he/she is messed up because they are gay or from sex or dicks and vaginas, I’m gonna have to pass.
