LGBT Folks - What Was the First Time You Wrote Somebody Like You

[Swamp]

(in terms of sexuality, obviously)
For Pride month, I wanted to hear people's stories about finding their pride in writing.

I grew up in a time and place where I didn't feel comfortable writing gay stuff at all. In middle school, I started writing gay guys, but it was all kinda... no actual romance implied stuff, and I didn't have the guts to write F/F. The first time I wrote a bi female character, it felt like a big, scary secret, and actually helped me come out to a friend for the first time. I was probably 14ish?

It took me even longer for my writing to have a lesbian character or explore weird relationships with gender*, but I think that writing helped me come to terms with myself, and start to play with the idea that liking girls could be interesting, acceptable, and happy.

And it makes me even more happy to know teens today probably hide what they're reading less and are bolder in their writing.

*okay, that's not true. I wrote endless Genderless Entities and gender disguise plots, but I barely knew trans people existed, and I certainly had never heard of nonbinary

[elyss]

The second main character of my story has my sexuality. I liked the idea of a sexual and non-sexual person falling in love. In a way, it was kinda to tell myself that it's possible.

[punkarsenic]

i had this OC as a tiny sprog called Flare Inferno who was basically a great big dyke, but i gave her this milquetoast beard (as in boyfriend, not facial hair) bc i wasnt Feeling My True Self Yet. but she was so damn butch

when i had, there was a smattering of different queer OCs who didnt stick

[Cricketreadscomics]

i do not remember

[silverraven0]

The first novella (it's only 20.000 words) I ever put up on the internet Is about a gay mermaid.

And I think I wrote about a bl fanfic before that.

I only ever do it on hiding thought, so no one around me know about that at all. XD

[vothnthorvaldson]

I starting making stories with lgbt characters around 7 or 8, but actually writing them down took longer.

I don't remember exactly which one I wrote first, but I still have a few manuscripts from stories I wrote around 14 or 15, with lgbt themes, although not all were focused on that aspect. In these, I had about every kind of lgbt people I knew existed (though, it was the early to mid 1990, no internet, I had way less understanding about these things that teenagers would have now. I actually had no idea what I was myself, although I knew for sure I was fitting SOMEWHERE in lgbt ).

I also got expelled from the cafeteria of my middle school for some erotic gay drawing. The person who expelled me was extremely amused though. I was really lucky on that aspect as I grew up. I got more 'this is so inappropriate, hahahaha!' than actual scolding.

[KRWright]

I think I was around 14 years old when I started writing about queer characters in fanfiction mostly. By the time I got to 16, I was making original content. I remember I kept it really secret but then was massively outed by a family member who found it and tried to publically shame me. For a long time after that, I kind of stopped writing (or at least posting online or keeping physical copies) and left it well alone. Then Star Trek: Into Darkness came out, and I started to get into the fandom there again. I read some amazing fanworks and started to contribute my own.

During that phase, I actually started writing Freedom's Pyre's original draft. I used it to work through a lot of trauma. The initial draft was an absolute mess. About 5 years ago, I started posting my original queer content online, and the rest is history.

I don't hide what my content is about now. I'm pretty open that I write predominently queer or M/M content and refuse to be shamed about it.

[HollowEve]

I created an OC named Rowan who I would put in any situation I could think of and she became my proxy. When I thought I might be gay, I gave her a girlfriend named Tristan. (I love giving girls more boy-ish names. I blame Fruits Basket for that.)

But when I learned that there was more than just gay, straight and bi, I started looking further and discovered that I'm asexual. I couldn't say goodbye to Tristan, so Rowan's still gay, but they're a little less lovey-dovey.

I tend to get sad because there's not a whole lot of literature about Ace characters, and the one's that I can find just seem to tack it on, like it's an afterthought.

So, I created Amanda, who's story starts here if anyone's interested.

[Rasp]

I never write anyone like me oh there are gaggles of gay characters in my stories but the only character exactly like me.... is well... me. On rare occasion I'll put myself in the story but that's not really a character its just me. Like any good author surrogate I stay out of the story though. Merely an observer to events not an active participant after all thing will go the way I want them to regardless of my avatar taking any real action.

[Drewbie]

Honestly I think a little bit of me is sprinkled into all my characters. I love connecting to them and this way it helps me a bit.

[Kura]

Subconsciously since I started writing when I was maybe 10? Looking back at old stuff and realizing that kinda blew my mind. I'd just kind of innocently throw it in there with that just being how they were, no explanations, sexualization, or even explorations, it was just there mater of factly and that was that.

I think even before that though it was a thing even before I started writing because all my teddy bears and toys would be the same. I remember legitimately getting mad at adults when they would call my bear Cuddles a girl, so I would get mad an argue with them as a dumb as 5 year old "Cuddles is a BOY he just likes wearing dresses!!"

[indagold]

I think its always been in my work, never imagined characters as sexual or romantic though I think sex repulsion was to blame since it cause I got over that eventually and changed how I wrote characters. Although It is hard though making romantic relationships in stories cause I just see them as friendships. Eh who needs couples anyway, no one makes stories of friends who kiss and cuddle.

I did make a character of mine asexual when I came out but it really did reflect that sort of socially awkward trapped in the closet aspect. Kinda a generic soft uwu pure in every way asexual you see on every site. It wasn't blatant or was the identity made apparent just felt it was just too stereotypical for my tastes. I think it was just a reflection on myself how easily I bought into the culture around stuff like that.

Now I wanna make characters who aren't asexual who are in unconventional relationships people are quick to slap the asexual label on because I feel it needs more exposure.

[Drewbie]

I- I also got started writing fanfics... pokemon... Wattpad was truly an interesting place

[erma]

wattpad and fanfiction.net... quite the experience :')

[kiplothedungeoneer]

I never wrote anything for her, but didi was some science nerd lesbian who’s only distinguishing features from me where a bob instead of short hair and glasses! I was so obviously gay lol.

[alliascompany]

The first character I made who was the same sexuality as me was a female spy who was "seduce proof". They'd sent her on a mission whenever they were dealing suave womanizing villians XD.

I didn't know asexuality had a name when I created her, but I was starting to realize, I didn't fawn over guys like my sisters and friends. And after giving it a lot of thought, I knew I didn't like girls either.

After found out that yeah it has a name, I came up with Codex who is cryptologist... That works at a spy agency XD. Guess I just find that idea funny.

[dawgofdawgness]

All of the characters that I’ve ever created are lesbians. Including the male ones. They’re all lesbians.

[Drewbie]

I literally STRUGGLE to write cishet characters.

[Maps]

I wrote a lot of characters based off qualities of myself, but when I created my character Saive so many years ago, he was based off me. Saive is definitely asexual and very confident about it without realizing it. It was how I felt for so long. I used to go on ace forums to try to understand my sexuality but realized maybe I was Demi. Regardless, writing my characters have made me research a lot into my own sexuality. Something I’m still not sure of to this day. And something I’m not really searching to understand anymore, if I’m being honest.

[NickRowler]

I created a character in high school called Sky. His mother passed away and he was abandon by his father, who he taught committed suicide. He was raised in a society where taboos on presenting one's body and everyone were covered up except for their hands and faces. One day his father returned and Sky was shocked. His father was also shocked and said, "I don't have a son, I have two daughters." Sky then realized that despite being raised as a boy, they were born female. He went into a deep depression. His father then approached him and said, "I don't care if you are a boy or girl, you are my child and I still love you."

I guess it played heavily into me thinking about identify during a time where I had a hard time coming to terms with it.