Annie wrote:

Exactly. It is an insult and I certainly took it that way.<

I took it as an honest opinion. And yes, I'm aware that as an unmarried mother I fall in the "immoral" category. So what? I can respect the opinions of Kathryn and Ellynne, even though I'm obviously not sharing them :-) It would be something else if they'd try to expell all "sinners" form the lyst or something like that, but nobody has been suggesting that.

It's true that opinions sometimes get stated as facts ("slash *is* wrong" instead of "to me slash feels wrong") but that is something both sides are guilty of. The two - IMO - most controversial statements in this debate came from the pro-slash side and were both presented as facts rather than opinions. (I mean the assertions that One must have sex to behave in a natural way, and that Fans long to bear their idol's children and need to compensate for that by making/looking at obscene drawings of said idol.)

Calling slash "character assassination" is also more likely to be perceived

as an insult than an opening to a discussion.<

But to me slash really feels like character assassination. It *hurts* to see my beloved characters being twisted in that way. I'm sorry if this upsets you, but it is the way I feel about it. (For the record: I have no moral objections to same sex relationships. Nor do I want to censor anyone or stop people writing slash.)

I believe you were the one who said that slash isn't going to disappear because some persons don't like it's existance, so those persons will simply have to lump it. Very true, and the same principle applies here. People aren't going to stop voicing their objections to slash. If you don't like what they're saying, well - you'll have to lump it :-)

And then folks wonder why lists like Freedom City have to exist and why

there can't be open discussion among fans about slash.<

I thought we were in the middle of one.

Personally, I don't give a flying flip if someone else doesn't like

slash, whatever their reasons.<

Which doesn't seem to provide much scope for discussion :-)

It's not like anyone is forcing you to read said "character assassination"

against your will. If you don't like it, don't read it. Problem solved.<

True, but the topic is a bit difficult to avoid on the lyst, right now.

Marian