I'm not dismissing people who identify primarily with male characters wholesale. I've never suggested any such thing. Love who you love. What Kelsey said in her post is something that I noticed almost immediately when I entered fandom though, the prioritization of male characters to the point that some people will even claim the female protagonist isn't the actual protagonist.

It's not about dismissing anyone, it's identifying a larger cultural pattern.

If anything, part of he problem is the various shipping factions tearing the hell out of one another. It's funny to watch except when it isn't. I've seen conversations turn into shouting matches when the two sides are actually in agreement on an issue but goodness we can't have that can we?

It's not male-oriented fans vs female-oriented fans. the female stans are so marginalized as it is we're just trying to find a way to enter the conversation without being torn down and destroyed ourselves. I know a lot of fans who love male characters primarily, but honor the women within the story. That's what I'm trying to encourage.

And in terms of the "shippers" vs "non-shippers" that's not my war and I don't have a dog in that fight. (EVERYBODY ships somebody IMO. That's a false distinction entirely but some people believe that it exists.)

If folks feel safe discussing these issues here even if we agree to disagree, I think that's a step in the right direction and certainly something I want to encourage

*puts out fresh plate of cookies*