Anti- fujoshi shut the fuck up challenge
"Fujoshi means rotten girl!!"
Yes, fujoshi means rotten girl, but its not why you think it is. The term was originally used as a misogynistic term by cis!!straight!! men to insult women, saying they were "unfit for marriage". This term was then reclaimed by japanese women and the LGBTQ+ community. The gender neutral /non binary term is fujin, and the male term is fudanshi. The meaning of this term has been
"Fujoshis are fetishizing gay relationships!”
Fetish is a non-sexual object, action or non-genital body part that causes sexual arousal. Getting off on fictional gay sexual relationships is not fetishization because sex is inherently sexual, therefore, it can’t be fetishized. And I’ve never seen anyone getting off on sfw gay romance, everyone just enjoys it like they enjoy any other fictional romantic relationships.
“But fujoshis treat mlm like objects made for their consumption!”
Fictional mlm, like any other fictional characters, are objects made for consumption, while real mlm are human beings who should be treated with respect and most fujoshis see that difference. Those who don’t are usually very young girls who don’t know better and who should be educated, not harassed.
“Yaoi is harmful because it’s full of unsafe sexual practices and unhealthy relationship dynamics!”
So is bara manga (made by mlm for mlm). So are stories on nifty.org (made by mlm for mlm). So is gay porn (often made by mlm for mlm). They are all supposed to be hot and entertaining, not to represent actual gay sex or to be a sex education. Enjoying imaginary unsafe sex and imaginary unhealthy relationships is not harmful for anyone as long as they don’t try it in real life.
“Yaoi is dehumanizing gay characters and reducing them to sex objects!”
Yaoi manga and slash fanfics are often focused not on sex, but on characters’ feelings, aspirations and inner world - on things that humanize gay characters instead of dehumanizing them. Portrayal of these feelings and aspirations may seem alienating to some mlm but what’s alienating to one may be relatable for another - after all, fudanshis exist along with
fujoshis.
“Women consuming yaoi are just like men consuming lesbian porn!”
Yaoi is a niche subculture that will never have the same impact on society as multi million dollar industry like lesbian porn and, as I mentioned, yaoi is often focused on feelings while lesbian porn (and porn in general) is focused on sex and often contains nothing but sex. That’s why yaoi and lesbian porn are not on the same level and neither are their fans.
“Anyway, I’m not fujoshis’ masturbation material! Stop jerking off to me and my sexuality!”
Are you lines on paper? Are you pixels on screen? Do these fujoshi you complain about even know you? If all the answers are “no” then no fujoshi is jerking off to you as a person. The world does not revolve around you and characters who share a sexuality with you are not you.