Collected Thoughts

I dislike feminization of male characters in slash. I consider it bad writing, and obvious unconcious Mary-Sueing.
-- I have no idea why anyone would want to read it, let alone write that way on purpose.

I love slash. M/M is kinky fun, plus there is an element of forbidden love or fear of unrequited love both because of both of them being men in a homophobic world, and because of the typical structure of slashable shows. Often they're enemies, one is the boss of the other, they're co-dependent, etc.

But I also love genderbender and mpreg fic. This has nothing to do with a love of het, or a need to de-masculinize the characters. They're two whole separate kinks.

Genderbender fic, both drag and genderchange, play with the idea of gender, of assumed gender roles, of biological gender mandates. With the self-image of the characters, with the interaction with other characters, both social and sexual/romantic. That just fascinates me. Combined with slash, both the sexy "man-on-man action slash", and the romantic "love with impediments slash", and of course featuring the characters I love and care about, and would want to read about regardless, it's just mmmm, good.
--So no, het fic can be good and hot and whatever, but it's just totally different from genderbender fic.

Mpreg. Hmm. Why do I love mpreg? A small, very small, part of it might be the genderbender aspect, since often being pregnant will make the male character examine his feelings and understanding of gender. But I don't think "pregnant" is the natural female state of being. I have never been pregnant, and don't know what it's like, so it'd be a totally new and mind-blowing experience for me too.
I find the idea of another life, another person, growing inside you, changing you, causing pain and discomfort, but also awakening powerful nurturing instincts very scary and fascinating.
I like reading mpreg stories because they tend to focus on this, not so much the soppy elements of teeny-tiny baby socks or the chauvanist feeling of finally being a real woman.
So part of it is I want to know everything about how pregnancy changes a person, their self-image, their body, their relationship to their significant other. How they deal with the fear and discomfort and mood swings. How it also bring joy and happiness, and their partner gives them love and courage. I know there are tons of books out there that deal with this from a female (natural) perspective, but I don't want that. I want it from my perspective, the perspective of a person who is just a person, not a cardboard cut-out that fits in the genderrole, or someone whose life ambition it has been to become a mother.
The other part of it is just romantic. I think it would be wonderful for two people who love each other and are in a commmited relationship to have a child together. Adoption stories work equally well for me in that respect.

Wow, that turned into quite a rant ^_^
Anyway, if you don't like genderbender or mpreg fics that's just hunky-dory with me. I just didn't want you to puzzle over the why do some people like that abysmal stuff?! anymore.