A lot of people have already stated everything that I would have wanted to more concretely than I ever could (stormqueen [here and here], eshusplayground and damelola to name a few) but I’d like to contemplate on how that deleted tweet has affected me and why.

As a queer woman, I’m offended by Ginnifer’s tweet and yes, it hurt. That reply would never have been tweeted about any of the foremost hetero pairings on the show. I don’t care if she didn’t mean it; that isn’t the issue here. As fallonash has already stated, the author (or in this case, the tweeter) is dead. Relying on her intent limits our understanding of exactly what is at stake here, what has been belittled (the ship, which so many of us cherish and find comfort in, especially when there is so little LGBTQ representation out there in the real world) and the underlying issues that feed such dismissals of f/f pairings (heterosexism, lesbophobia, etc). By delving deeper into the text and gleaning more meaning from it, I can put forward such concerns as…how her words imply that making out for f/f pairings is only reserved for cable, the realm of “adult” viewing. That it isn’t for families to see. That most, if not all instances of it are equated to porn or soft porn. These only propagate a tired and altogether false stereotype.

So sure, as a queer lady, I’m offended. I crave positive LGBTQ representation on TV and other media because if those stories are being told, then surely I exist, that I’m a part of a bigger narrative that includes the whole of humanity. As in a speech by Jennifer Beals tackling such shows as the L Word and positive representation in the media, a sense of belonging is a huge issue and many benefit from creating fictions that propagate the politics of division. That tweet was divisive, not inclusive.

I’m sure Ginnifer’s a wonderful person and I’m in no way, shape or form attacking her. I do think the tweet, meant to be amusing more than anything else, opens up a can of worms. heartsways has put it so succinctly…I’m quite sick of homosexuality being the butt of other people’s jokes. What I’ve been through hasn’t been the least bit funny and a comment that was thrown in such an off-hand manner from a position of privilege is bound to hurt someone.

I’m probably putting far too much into this show than it’s willing to put out and in all the ways that matter, portions of its fandom are smarter than the show actually is. But I’ve always been prepared to have my heart broken, either by the writing, the actors or the fans themselves and sadly, that heartbreak has inevitably started.

That said, I’m going to drown myself in Swan Queen fic now.