28/2/18 - Random Monthly Post - Why I Am An Advocate For LGBT+ Representation

Hello everyone! Today marks the end of my second month on this blog and in order to honour the passing of such time, last month I decided to create a new monthly segment to discuss other random things I have happened across during the month, or answer a question posed to me.

So what is the topic of February's Random Monthly Post?

LGBT+ Representation!

As today is the final day of LGBT+ History Month, I feel that is appropriate to explore my perspective on an "issue" that many have pointed out in my writing;

Most of my significant characters are LGBT+

Of course, there are many many characters that I can name for you right here and now that are not members of the LGBT+ community. However, many of my most memorable characters have been for many reasons, and most of them do not focus on their sexuality.

A lot of my most memorable characters are coincidentally part of the LGBT community as the readerships of such stories have latched onto as much representation as they can get and are lavishing in it. Because there aren't enough works of fiction with characters that are part of the LGBT community outside of the "LGBT Genre" in itself! I write a lot of science fiction and fantasy and in both genres, I have created LGBT+ characters.

In a work of fantasy, the main conflict derives from the foolish mistake made by two love-stricken princes that did not want that meeting to be their last. They therefore toyed with the favour of Fate itself and instead of getting to reunite, they found themsleves split apart until they would finally meet again and consequently die. Instead of that happening, however, they slip into a coma due to magic meddling at the hand of a warlock. However, that decision is what sets the story in motion!

In one of my space opera science fiction pieces, only one of the three protagonists is actually not a member of the LGBT community. Princess Gyanni is asexual and The 'Alien', Atlas is a non-binary pansexual. However, both of these characters are not as iconic as some of my other LGBT characters in a different work of science fiction; The Neon Series.

If you are an active visitor of this blog, I am sure you would be familiar with The Neon Series, it is currently in its third year of development and currently stands as a five piece series, telling the stories of a different character in each book. Each book therefore has a different protagonist, and only one of said protagonists is NOT part of the LGBT+ community. On top of these protagonists, there are also a variety of different characters representing different aspects of such a diverse community of people.

But none of these characters are JUST their sexualities or gender identities! They are all so much more than that. These characters are people in their own right! Just like real people are more than just their sexualities!

I feel that the characters that get a lot of love from my readers happening to be LGBT is a coincidence. This is because I strive to provide my readers with a variety of different PEOPLE interacting within these stories, that have had DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES in their lives. No two people are the same and therefore, no two characters, LGBT+ or not, should be either!

I inted to produce a much longer and eloquent post to conclude Pride Month, so don't fret, this topic will be discussed again.

Thank you for reading!
And remember:
Per Ardua Ad Astra!
- Imogen L. Smiley