The "is this queer enough?" promo thread

[SagaHolmgaard]

We're at the end of pride month, and there's been some promo threads for lgbt+ stories by lgbit+ creators.

... I haven't self-promo'd in those, out of this constant minor feeling that my story, just isn't "lgbt+" enough. My comic doesn't focus on the orientation of its characters, and it's not a driving force of any plot point. But I'm an asexual grayromantic creator and I'm writing the sorts of stories and relationships that I want to read about.

My two main characters are, to me, in a queerplatonic relationship. I guess the reason i don't feel like the story is lgbt+ enough is that I genuinely don't mind of people interpret them as being just friends, or even as in a het relationship. Everyone is entitled to their own interpretation!

Did anyone else experience the same thing as me? Or am I alone? Either way, I think it would be nice to have a self promo thread for us lgbt+ creators that worried their stories weren't "queer enough" for the other promor threads.

Here's my comic! It's a heartfelt fantasy story about sticking together through hardships and being better than you were yesterday!

Reclaim | Tapas

((Also I'm sorry if this is a bit venty and turns out to be absolutely unnecessary because i was alone in this feeling ))

[Drewbie]

Many of my characters are LGBTQ+ but it isn't a driving part of my story at all and rarely gets mentioned since they are usually fighting for their lives. I posted mine in the other thread anyway because Advertisement however, I did have this feeling when posting it!

God's Vessel | Tapas

[thedude3445]

I think you should promote these in LGBTQ+ circles just the same as any other story!

[BlunderingAlbatross]

I have a similar feel. A few significant characters in my novel (including the protagonist) are LGBT+ but because the story isn't about issues surrounding that I don't feel like it's enough to make it a LGBT+ story

Not that anyone else can tell either way yet, I only have two episodes up.

The End of All Things | Tapas

[SagaHolmgaard]

Hah, thanks for the confidence boost! I still think this is a nice discussion to have though, since others might experience the same thing

[darthmongoose]

Yeah, I get you. I have LBGTQ+ as a secondary genre on my comic, because like... there are loads of queer characters, and later there will be a f/f relationship, but like... yeah so far, nothing obviously "gay" has happened. Sarin is gay and has a crush on Rekki in the prologue, which hopefully comes across in her behaviour, but isn't outright stated. Subo is bisexual and actually Viv the barkeep is nonbinary, but their pronouns or being trans just... don't come up in this conversation about Subo shirking his duties and stuff.

Errant | Tapas

So yeah, it's a really queer comic made by a lesbian, it's just... not ABOUT being LGBTQIA+, it's about knights and responsibility and power and stuff. So I feel like "agh man... nobody's going to actually feature this in a pride collection until that F/F relationship gets underway are they?"

[DasIstWunderblyat]

None of queer issues are a focal point of my novel, as it is a fantasy-mystery-drama which plot revolves around unveiling the truth behind vague clues left by the dead. The romance is downplayed (because I have to admit I am romance-repulsed myself), the relationships are more toxic than some waste water from illegal gold mines, the characters and theme revolving it are also problematic you would cancel them if they had a Twitter.

The queer relationships in the story are not yet in, but soon it will start in the upcoming chapter. If you need some more convincing information, the main character is bisexual (although I prefer to not mention it, because his sexuality isn't his personality)

Karana | Tapas

Small thought

In this age of shameless insincere pandering for social brownie point and full-blown capitalistic cash-grabbing, I am especially wary of those things that plaster sexualities and such (gender, ethnicity, race, religion, neurodivergence, body type) like a decorative stickers in my face. I particularly have trust issue of any piece of media that puts on those labels like it was a five star review or a proof of award, even when the people creating it are from the group they represent because it's possible to sell out your own people.

[shrikha56]

Hi I am the writer of a webtoon called peek a boo.The story is about five friends who get involved into a murder case which leads to more drama and chaos .We just came out with a new poster .I will put an edited copy so if you like the artstyle you can check it out

PEEK - A - BOO

[nostalgicroxas]

I def relate where it feels like either I'm not included on the LBGT spectrum, or that people who don't care to label everything, can't be included because they don't label things. It's a complicated emotion and feeling. The same for my characters in that their sexualities aren't defined as anything specific in the novel, or like 99% of my writing, so the readers have to figure it out for themselves. But that's cause, even if love is a large part of the story, I don't feel like "this is what I identify as!" should be the important thing when it's not the important thing to the characters. Or when it's not how the story is structured.
https://tapas.io/series/Nearly-There-Nicely
Especially with some of my other stories I've finished, where, even if sexuality was a larger thing, it's very rare if any of my characters will straight out label themselves as something. As an example, the MCs in Kaitei Niou are obviously not straight, but they have more issues than sexuality when dealing with mer-men and magic.
https://tapas.io/series/Kaitei-Niou

[blingoxxide]

https://tapas.io/series/Bling-oXXide-Presents--GL-

[UrMom]

Hah I feel that. For most of my comic's lifespan I haven't really advertised it as queer, maybe bringing up gender and sexuality when the topic arises, but it never felt like a real queer/LGBT+ comic. Calling it such felt especially weird since all the other slice-of-life and drama queer works tended to have more focus on romance or LGBT+ issues, while mine focuses more on mental health and trauma. There is small discussion on sexuality and gender, but not enough for it to be a major thing, and they're not talked about in the blunt way they're usually brought up in more queer focused works.

I've become more comfortable with labeling my comic as queer after thinking about how maybe having a comic like mine under the tag might give other people like me, who have no interest in romance or stories where being LGBT+ was the focus, something else to read. Also I was thinking that maybe it would encourage more hurt/comfort or dark queer content creators to be comfortable with sharing their work under the tag as well, since it tends to be saturated in fluff, melodrama and romance. (No offense to creators of these types of stories, or people who enjoy consuming them! These stories are totally fine, I just like my dark stuff.)

Anyways! I won't post my comic here since I've promoted it in the other queer stories thread (I think), just wanted to pop in to say that I can empathize with how you feel. Lol

[Aims]

I feel like that every time i come across on of those...
My series is still pretty recent so the only LGBT character in it is the protagonist, he's bi. But the story isn't really about that and so far there's only one scene that hints at his sexuality... I'm have more LGBT character that will apear later, but the series won't be about their sexuality and gender identity either. Is just a series about kids trying to be kids even though destiny keeps getting in the way.

Little Sparks | Tapas

[Freemints30]

I feel you. Mine's is pretty much strongly focused on mystery and the adventure of a couple of kids. All of whom with the exception of one are on the romantic ace spectrum(and that one is aro-ace). That fact I know will only come up in a few conversation and only really hinted at. Really one right now is bi-romatic ace and that will only be obvious veeeeeery late making it as of now a completely unobivious fact. Especially when I know, thou I'm aro-ace, alot of people on the romantic asexual spectrum feel invalid and feel they don't belong there(especially hetero-romantic aces). So I want to make something that showcases them as valid. However I dislike advertising stuff like that in my tags and descriptions especially when as of now it doesn't applies. Feels cynical and pandering.

Frequency overload | Tapas

[Iris-Grimoire]

Absolutely get you, though I also insist to post on these threads anyway. LGBT+ is more than just the harrowing or identity experiences, it's their lives in general! And some experiences are universal, but change depending on that identity.

With my own example, most of Splitting Image's cast is also GSRM, and while the story is still adventure and facing ostracism first, the particularities in it only happen because the characters are who they are - even in a mostly progressive fantasy world.
Mortimer faced some erasure even before the Dark Lord business because people thought he was faking being bi, and it added to his feeling of being lesser; Veriesin is accepted as pan but demisexuality isn't understood (psychology hasn't progressed enough yet), so she struggles a lot with not feeling like everyone else towards relationships; Beryl is not only seen as an innocent and magic-less person, but also ace, and that just adds up to to her inner problems of trying to know what she's even good at.
Spinelthorn and Fangs are the most straightfoward - they're gay, Spinel has a crush on Vertice, Fangs doesn't seem to want a serious relationship with anyone - but even that is still used in the story in some way.

Splitting Image | Tapas

[Maxedrox]

The next chapter is going to be out at the end of the week and it will be the first chapter that will hint on character sexuality if you didn't notice anything until the actual chapters.

The First Arc will be focused on questions and answers about the main plot, setting up the main characters and the main plot.
The Second Arc will be focused on the consequences around the main plot, the start of the romance, the drama and the persecution

Alpha Edrox: Cosmic Treasures | Tapas

[SagaHolmgaard]

Just wanted to say that it's super inspiring and validating to read about all of you guys' experiences with this! It's really important too with stories that include LGBT+ characters without it being a big theme in the story, so thanks for sharing your works!

[spadedigsbutts]

I feel this very hard! Both of my comics have almost entirely queer principle casts but since the stories aren’t focused on that I rarely put it as one of the genres. Even though there will be queer things in them, I always worry about Not making things “textual” enough since I’m focused on the story but also don’t want to distract

A Hollow | Tapas

Frog>Prince | Tapas

[NickRowler]

Crow's Worth | Tapas

I do feel you while I have LGBT+ characters in my main comic, my story isn't necessarily a queer story. My main character is bisexual but the story isn't really about his struggle with his sexuality, it's not about him coming out or any of that stuff. He's just a character who just so happens to be bi. I am also worried about some very sensitive people taking a magnifying glass to some of the queer characters and making assumptions about my opinion on groups of people. Like just because Tabutu is a mess and gay does not mean I think all gay men are like that.

The Robot Zombie Space Pirate | Tapas

Which might go into why I been sort of scared to promote this series because of people might hyper focus on the gay character dying while ignoring that the person who killed him was also gay.

[soepickid]

Heres a link to mine has gay characters but so far very little romance

https://tapas.io/series/Hes-Hear-Hes-Superqueer-Boyxboy-Superhero

[spadesart]

My comic is a scifi-fantasy/adventure about vampires trying to become human again. It's not romance-oriented but will have a romantic subplot later. It's very slow burn for now. Most of the cast is LGBT+ in some form, and the cover character is a gay trans man!

https://tapas.io/series/SPIRE

(side note, I can't get the url preview card to show up anymore, specifically for my comic, anyone know of a fix for that?)