Shipping and sexual orientation

[soulofthereaver 45]

Hello there, new poster, brony for a year or so now, nice to meet you all.

 

Anyway, before i get to the main topic of this thread i feel i should give a bit of background/disclaimer. Sorry if it's a bit long-winded, but i feel it's necessary.

 

I come from an central/eastern european country. While the state (and indeed majority) religion is christianity(orthodox), i do not identify myself as christian, but rather i like to keep open to positive messages in all forms of spirituality. Nevertheless, i acknowledge that i am a product of my culture, and its moral values do influence me at least in some amount.

 

Keeping that in mind, i'd like to say that i take the message of love and tolerance that is present in the show (and outside it) to heart, and do not discriminate against anyone based on (among other things) their sexual orientation. Everyone has a right to exist and be happy, and have a chance at love, whatever that may mean for them.

 

As a heterosexual individual, however, i naturally tend to perceive love as something that requires the joining of a male and female principle, a yin and yang if you will. I understand that within homosexual relationships, one partner will tend to be more (psychologically) dominant and protective and will assume the male role if both are female, or vice-versa. Even so, i believe that the dynamic of a graceful, delicate woman's touch as she rests within the strong arms of a protective man, is something that cannot be easily replaced.

 

On that note we come to shipping fanfiction related to MLP. Normally those aren't exactly my cup of tea, as i'm reluctant to think of colourful cartoon horses in a romantic, not to mention sexual way, but occasionally an exceptionally well written one manages to catch my eye, and i have been known to enjoy it.

 

The ones that did manage this, for the most part have been heterosexual (a particularly tender TwiMac comes to mind), though i've read some good F/F ones as well. Nevertheless, i cannot help but feel a little hesitant at these, they always feel... off somehow. I know Equestria seems to have a much higher ratio of female to male ponies, so lesbian relationships are probably much more common. Even so, they manage to feel wrong to me.

 

I'd like to hear what everyone has to say on the subject, whether they agree or disagree, or have a similar, or completely different experience, etc. For curiosity's sake, if talking about what sort of shipping fics (if any) you enjoy, i'd like to know your own sexual orientation as well.

 

P.S. inb4 if you don't like them don't read them: i do like some of them. And if i find a piece of literature difficult to digest that's no reason to turn away from it, quite the contrary. And i hope that debating the topic may be enlightening.

[Dusty Soul 2,611]

Well, I'm heterosexual, and like you actually pretty OK with whatever people want to do.  As for shipping, I'm OK with it, though I can't read the sexual ones as I feel that would ruin it for me. There aren't many male ponies so the majority are going to be lesbian relationships.  

[Silverwisp the Bard 2,353]

As a heterosexual individual, however, i naturally tend to perceive love as something that requires the joining of a male and female principle, a yin and yang if you will. I understand that within homosexual relationships, one partner will tend to be more (psychologically) dominant and protective and will assume the male role if both are female, or vice-versa. Even so, i believe that the dynamic of a graceful, delicate woman's touch as she rests within the strong arms of a protective man, is something that cannot be easily replaced.

Eh, no. Homosexual couples are just as varied as heterosexual ones. Once you look past the mechanical difference, its exactly the same deal (two individuals who care for each other a lot).

[Freewave 1,145]

As people have pointed out there's not many male characters in the show so that makes it hard to ship straight relationships in art or fanfics. Hopefully being lesbian (being attracted to women) is something that guys at least understand from a personal straight perspective (also being attracted to women).

 

Regardless.....

 

I think it's important to note that our fanbase is very accepting of various genders, orientation, and lifestyles and that should be a part of our values. Many of these may seem weird or unorthodox on first view when so much of the world is geared to straights (and yes that will always be ingrained in religion) but that really has been changing in the last decade in entertainment and society and i applaud that.  This community is doing a lot to help change that. Just the fact that guys are able to enjoy and identify with what is geared as female centered show is amazing but then when we also give them relationships outside of the show it really makes it that more real and "human". I don't see how anyone wouldn't want happy ponies in real relationships compared to the total asexual nature of the show and that really is part of the reason shipping works. I really can't see Rainbow Dash as anything but gay and see Lyrabon + OctaviaScratch as anything but "the norm" thanks to this community (or see those characters with other characters). I've even learned to be ok with seeing Braeburn and Big Mac being shipped when i don't swing that way.

 

I can see where that may be frightening to some who come from a traditional /conservative/religious background but part of being human is getting out of your comfort zone and seeing the world from other peoples eyes and experiences  and to a huge degree that's what the creative output of the community is all about. Shipping is just a natural part of seeing that first hand. People (and ponies) are not meant to be alone.

Edited January 25, 2013 by Freewave

[irobern2857 95]

I am heterosexual and as long as you are not constantly flaunting your sexual orientation and making a big deal about it(this goes for both strait and gay couples) then I am fine with you. as for shipping I am not a big fan. Romantic stories are not all that interesting to me. There are a few that I have seen that are truly good. There was a TwiDash one that was not exactly overly romantic but sad as it told the story as a series of flashbacks that lead up to Twi's death.

[soulofthereaver 45]

Freewave, i can definitely see where you're coming from. Reading yours, and everyone else's replies, i'm realizing that basically what makes the idea of a same-sex pairing a bit weird(er) for me is the fact that i tend to perceive these pairings in real life as more sexualized than opposite-sex pairings, a matter of attraction first and feelings second, and vice-versa. This is not always true, i know, but statistically (for humans at least) it is more often the case, as being part of a sexual minority will force you to be more open and direct in a sexual way when looking for a mate, in order to avoid confusion.

 

This perception, justified or not, makes takes me aback as while i'm ok with romantic love, which is even present on the show in its unrequited form (SpiRity), the (primary) sexualization of ponies is something i'd rather not see thank you very much, as for me and many others they stand as a symbol of innocence.

 

It's for this same reason that i go "WTF  MAN?" when confronted with clopper material (nevermind the orientation). I am tolerant of them as people and understand them, but i do not condone the sexual subversion of these innocent characters and the show's message.

 

As for Rainbow Dash, well all we know for sure is that she's a tomboy, and to paraphrase Lauren Faust herself, assuming a person's sexual orientation just based on a few exterior characteristics (the rainbow mane, the attitude) would be doing a disservice to both straight and gay tomboys everywhere. Unless it's explicitly stated at sometime in the show i stand agnostic on Dashie's orientation.

 

 

 

Well that's a bit more of clarity on my stance, and i'm finding the replies very interesting. I'd like to hear more everypony