I imagine that the American bias of fandom is frustrating for fans in other parts of the world, but the truth is that there are a lot of Americans in SG fandom and our national issues are going to have a lot of bearing on fannish issues. As much as fandom skews more liberal than the country does, there are still things that liberal Americans struggle with a lot. Yes, you have different views because you have a different experience. This doesn't invalidate the American experience, nor does it negate the need for people to address problems when the American experience causes a stir in a fandom. (For my part, I'm sorry you have to put up with our fail so much. It's not a lot of fun for us either.)
The color of people's skin is still a big deal here. We're only two generations removed from institutionalized segregation in this country. I honestly never believed that we'd elect a black president in my lifetime (and in fact, the night of the election I sat on my couch trying not to cry like a baby). We have our own ghosts too, not as recent as Germany's, but still deeply pervasive. I actually posted not too long about about our Civil War (http://melyanna.livejournal.com/621581.html) and its lingering effects, if you're curious about that perspective and how that war and its root cause have shaped so much of this country ever since.
And this is a country that instituted Don't Ask, Don't Tell and the Defense of Marriage Act to discriminate against people on the basis of who they sleep with. We have issues that you and your country don't have. Believe me, I wish I lived in a place where this wasn't an issue, but I do, and because it's an issue in America, it's going to be an issue in a group that has a lot of American members. For better or worse, it's going to come up in fandom.
I actually agree with your point that you don't trust the SG people to deal with LGBT issues well. I don't really trust them with anything, which is why I stopped watching. I sort of think you picked a poor place to make that point, though, in havocthecat's post. She wasn't talking about people who don't want to see gay characters on Stargate because they don't trust the show to deal with it well. She was talking about homophobia, which is a real problem here. Your larger point, however true it may or may not be, wasn't really the topic she wanted to discuss. I can understand her frustration, as all too often the point she was trying to make is derailed by people wanting to talk about tangential issues instead of addressing the problematic behavior. (Which is not what I think you were trying to do, by the way. But it does happen.)
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branchandroot
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Date: 2010-07-17 10:03 pm (UTC)The color of people's skin is still a big deal here. We're only two generations removed from institutionalized segregation in this country. I honestly never believed that we'd elect a black president in my lifetime (and in fact, the night of the election I sat on my couch trying not to cry like a baby). We have our own ghosts too, not as recent as Germany's, but still deeply pervasive. I actually posted not too long about about our Civil War (http://melyanna.livejournal.com/621581.html) and its lingering effects, if you're curious about that perspective and how that war and its root cause have shaped so much of this country ever since.
And this is a country that instituted Don't Ask, Don't Tell and the Defense of Marriage Act to discriminate against people on the basis of who they sleep with. We have issues that you and your country don't have. Believe me, I wish I lived in a place where this wasn't an issue, but I do, and because it's an issue in America, it's going to be an issue in a group that has a lot of American members. For better or worse, it's going to come up in fandom.
I actually agree with your point that you don't trust the SG people to deal with LGBT issues well. I don't really trust them with anything, which is why I stopped watching. I sort of think you picked a poor place to make that point, though, in
Aaaaand I'll be getting off my soapbox now.