reading the slightest thing that has to do with pushy or nonconsensual physical contact makes me nauseous an disgusted and I genuinely don’t understand why some people seem to have a fetish for rape or the very least romanticize it, if your are, WHY? I genuinely can’t think of a single reason other than cognitive dissonance about the subject (ps yes I was also assaulted as a child, you’d be surprised that ALOT of women are)
Hi! I don't like rape either but I guess I'm qualified to answer because I've continued with plots regardless of it. I tend to steer clear of plots like those, but I guess cognitive dissonance can be one of them. I started reading BL before I developed a moral character and I guess that's part of the reason why I've come to regard rape as a byproduct of the natural yaoi cliche. I don't like it, but I can't help it if the art style is good and the plot seems interesting.
Another reason might be that I have no other choice. If I could choose NOT to read it and still get the same well-developed plot, I would love to. But I feel like it's the authors who have this nice little story and then boom, nonconsensual sex. I feel like I'd miss out if I stopped reading so I continue. Though recently, I've come to drop stuff like that quickly.
Another reason is that in some aspects, rape furthers the plot. In the most respectful way I can, I have to say that what I read is purely fiction. I know it's not a valid excuse but hear me out. I tend to separate I read versus what happens in real life BECAUSE it doesn't exist. If I were to see a friend of mine in a quote "Yaoi" scenario, I would obviously go to the police and press charges. But for BLs, specifically ones that begins with nonconsensual activity and ends with character development and genuine regret and grievance, I stay with that longer. Or BLs where it's borderline rape but the main character himself doesn't consider it as such (like drunk sex which I consider rape but some don't consider it as such...) then I would continue reading.
In all, those are really my vague reasons and you are free to disagree with them! Once again, I'm not one of those fans who sexualize and romanticise rape to the extremes but I have to say that regretfully, I used to be one of those people. I could go into the psychology of it, but I think there's an argument about literature being used as a way to release pent-up human desires in a safe and unharmful way? But it's up to you if you want to explore that.
I liked it at first, but now it’s just kind of makes me feel gross