Ladylike Homoerotic Fiction, an essay by Val Kovalin

Not to sound like the most pompous graduate student on earth, or anything. But, here at ObsidianBookshelf.com, I've noticed a type of homoerotic fiction that I call Ladylike, and it is not my favorite thing. (See my favorite things in my Reviewer Policy page.)

Ladylike Homoerotic Fiction (LHF) emphasizes romance over sex. Nothing wrong with that. Except that when LHF contains sex scenes, they are veiled in coy euphemisms. Sex organs become "him" or "himself."  Ordinary parts of male anatomy such as the prostate gland get names like "the sweet spot."

Actually, I can forgive this because sex scenes are incredibly hard to write.  But aside from the flowery sex scenes, LHF feels false to me. Most men aren't really that emotionally overwrought and preoccupied with their feelings. 

People aren't really that way once they grow up. LHF reads like a schoolgirl crush. (Emphasis on girl.  Which is fine except that we're writing about men.)  An  Amazon reviewer summed up this type of fiction perfectly: romance-and-angst.

LHF men fall instantly in love.  They love each other so much from their first five minutes together that real life never intrudes in the form of personality conflicts, power struggles, jealousy, temptation, or doubt.  (This is what I mean when I gripe that two lovers in a story are "too instantly compatible.")

LHF men cuddle and wash each other's hair. They spend too much time gazing into each other's eyes. They enjoy analyzing their relationship endlessly.  They get jealous and cry. Then they make up, and whisper sweet nothings to each other.

But these are MEN we're talking about here.  Men are sexual animals. Men love to f***, and are going to call it that. They are far more likely to shout profanity while getting it on with each other than to shampoo each other's hair or to discuss their first impressions of each other.

Not all men are that lusty and physical, and a lot of women are! But, in general, men tend to be more sexual and women tend to be more emotional. Therefore, I find the male lovers in LHF to be unrealistic.  They remind me of very young lesbians, and that is just not my preference.  This may be one reason why some gay men dislike homoerotic fiction written by women. (See Why Do Some Men Condemn Gay Romances Written by Women?)

It's possible to write hot, realistic sex scenes.  It's even more difficult but still conceivable to write romantic, yet masculine, scenes. (Jordan Castillo Price manages to do both in Psycop – Partners!)

On the other hand, what I call LHF has now become a sub-genre of homoerotic fiction. Puzzled, I've scrolled through pages of glowing reviews on Amazon of books I would categorize as LHF.   I may not be among them, but there are legions of fans who can't get enough of that romance-and-angst.  Who would have guessed?

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