As a reader who was drawn very gradually into the wincest category of SPN fanfiction, I'd have to say that wincest 'works' (i.e., is or at least can be depicted plausibly) in fiction for a couple of reasons. The main reason is the isolation factor. The way the brothers were raised and the off-the-grid life they led put them in a position where developing relationships, sexual or otherwise, was never a real possibility. Add to that the close bond between them and the war-mentality comaradarie and the potential for a physical relationship was obvious. The question of whether or not the brothers are 'actually' both gay seems largely irrelevant to me, and in fact is either ignored or glossed over in a lot of fanfiction. Human sexuality is hardly a binary proposition--on you're het, off you're gay. In this case, gender is a factor somewhat further down the scale of importance.
Secondly, the incest taboo has always been presented, to me at least, in terms of a) genetic issues and b) power issues. In the case of a homosexual incestuous pairing, (a) is moot. Incest between consenting adults makes (b) if not completely moot at least a good deal less overtly likely than parent/child incest.
All of the above may be simply my way of justifying an attraction toward depictions of gay relationships, particularly when they are as much about love as sex since I am a bit of a romantic, that I have had pretty much since I was old enough to know about such things. I really wouldn't want it to be canon and I have little interest in PWP. But where the wincest is an integral part of a story about the brothers' lives and/or work, and the story is well-written, I have gradually come to greatly enjoy it without any sense of discomfort. (Witness the fact that when I chose one of my favorite stories for a DVD commentary challenge, it was a story in the 'Open Road' series, which I love.) BTW, for what it's worth, let me just mention that I am in my fifties and hence was raised in a milieu much less tolerant of homosexuality in general. Thank goodness for liberal, non-censorious parents.
Oddly, my feelings about RPS are quite different. I would never condemn anyone else for a passion for RPS--to each his/her own and I have no desire to claim some moral high ground I'm not even sure exists--but I just find myself very uncomfortable personally with that genre on vaguely articulated grounds of embarrassment and privacy violation.
Didn't mean to write a treatise on the subject. It is a source of fascination that I cannot resist speculating and self-examining about from time to time.
Secondly, the incest taboo has always been presented, to me at least, in terms of a) genetic issues and b) power issues. In the case of a homosexual incestuous pairing, (a) is moot. Incest between consenting adults makes (b) if not completely moot at least a good deal less overtly likely than parent/child incest.
All of the above may be simply my way of justifying an attraction toward depictions of gay relationships, particularly when they are as much about love as sex since I am a bit of a romantic, that I have had pretty much since I was old enough to know about such things. I really wouldn't want it to be canon and I have little interest in PWP. But where the wincest is an integral part of a story about the brothers' lives and/or work, and the story is well-written, I have gradually come to greatly enjoy it without any sense of discomfort. (Witness the fact that when I chose one of my favorite stories for a DVD commentary challenge, it was a story in the 'Open Road' series, which I love.) BTW, for what it's worth, let me just mention that I am in my fifties and hence was raised in a milieu much less tolerant of homosexuality in general. Thank goodness for liberal, non-censorious parents.
Oddly, my feelings about RPS are quite different. I would never condemn anyone else for a passion for RPS--to each his/her own and I have no desire to claim some moral high ground I'm not even sure exists--but I just find myself very uncomfortable personally with that genre on vaguely articulated grounds of embarrassment and privacy violation.
Didn't mean to write a treatise on the subject. It is a source of fascination that I cannot resist speculating and self-examining about from time to time.
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