Leah wrote:
What has me scratching my head is the sheer intensity of the emotion against slash in B7 by those who find it morally negative. For those who base their belief system on the bible, Jesus said much more about adultery and fornication in general than he ever expressed about homosexuality.
That wouldn't be difficult. Jesus didn't mention homosexuality (or if he did none of the Evangelists bothered to record his words). The NT figure who disapproved of homosexuality was St Paul. There's quite a lively debate in some Christian circles as to whether St Paul's disapproval is binding on everyone else.
Where are the comments of disgust about Avon clearly having an affair with a married woman? He wasn't exactly under the influence of sand. I get the odd feeling that there is no outrage or discomfort over this part of his history because it's heterosexual in nature. Western society's phobia with same-sex encounters still draws a disproportionate reaction.
Two answers to that. As far as Avon is concerned, his relationship with Anna is canonical whether or not one disapproves of it or not. Slash is not canonical, or to avoid rehashing the arguments with which we are all familliar, canonical to quite the same degree - some here see Avon and Blake smouldering with suppressed sexual tension, others (including me) don't. I think that everyone agrees that Avon was having a sexual relationship with Anna whilst she was married. Now if one dislikes slash, one may feel that Avon and Blake have been 'hijacked' as it were. It would be difficult to argue that Chris Boucher hijacked Avon.
As far as the wider issue is concerned I suspect the heat/ light ratio generated by any discussion of changes to the sexual status quo is related to the fact that the matter strikes at the heart of one's personal identity. Mary Midgeley made the point that the debate over womens emancipation caused a reaction that was little short of hysterical because people felt personally threatened by the changes. When they actually happened people adapted to them with a minimum of fuss. I leave the philosophical reader to draw any parallels that may or may not be appropriate !
Stephen.
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