Thoughts: Sexuality in Slash

[ada_farrow]

Okay, I just got to thinking about a little tick I have about slash fics. I always get a little put-off when an author writes certain characters as gay or, more conveniently, bisexual as if they needed it to serve their slashy ends. The thing is, you don't. The Big Steal by halfdutch and yahtzee63's Making Do are two of my favorite slash stories that don't do this at all. Instead, they serve as great examples of my preferred method for dealing with sexuality of guys who are most likely straight in the cannon and slashing them up. That is, realizing that setting (time and place) play an important factor in attraction between two people. Setting is especially influential in the Lost fandom, where the characters are faced with the trauma of having survived a plane crash and being stranded on an "island of mystery" fully-equipped with a boatload of shady individuals and ambiguous threats. Confronted with that kind of pressure, people can certainly become unbridled and make decisions, for better or for worse, that they wouldn't make in the real world. In addition, they're "in the wild" (wow, two Sawyer quotes yet) where the rules (and taboos) of civilization don't apply. People desperately seeking comfort or release may find it anywhere, even in the arms of someone of their same sex. The emotional connection is the most important element in any relationship, so if two people find that then it doesn't matter what their supposed sexual orientation is.

Any comments to share?

(BTW, I will easily make an exception for Boone. That guy was made to be on the receiving end of things. ~__^)