On the subject of homophobia in Equestra, an opinion blog · 1:30am Jun 17th, 2023
I thought about giving this blog a joking title, but decided to play it straight because this is something I very much want to talk about seriously. I've talked about it in bits and pieces here and there, you can find me talking about it in comments or forums if you scour forums for comments from me (and if you do, maybe find a better hobby?), but I wanted to put it out there in some big centralized place. So here we have it, is there homophobia in Equestria?
Anyone who's read even a few of the pony side stories of WWB is aware that I write homophobia in Equestria, but it constantly comes up as to why I do that. Isn't this the land of friends and harmony? Why would they care? But like... why do you think they don't...? Like, put aside your own headcanons for a minute. Put aside your desire for a socially progressive land where the ponies just don't care about silly things like racism and homophobia. And let's actually start with that first one.
Because these horses? Racist. Not all of them, obviously, and not on the nationalist level (except like the ones who are? I'm not sure I have to actually make this argument when the show blatantly went the racism path multiple times). But just like casual racism is used all the time. And many of you are thinking, okay, but the school dude who I don't care enough about to look up the name of (Neighsay, I think?) was the bad guy. And yeah, I'm not talking about him. The ponies (especially Rarity) routinely use terms like "mule" in a derogatory way, at times cutting away to a token mule here to say they're not offended because like racism is super okay as long as you have one (1) mule here to say this is okay they're not offended, and then never show the mule again holy fuck there are mules in this society and we never acknowledge that what kind of second class citizen shit is this???
To point at some specific episodes, we have the Zecora one, where a whole rural town just assumed a zebra was evil just because they... actually, is that even explained slightly? I haven't seen the episode in years, but man, I do not remember a single sane reason why they might have thought Zecora was bad, not even a little misunderstanding. We also have the first episode with Braeburn where ponies don't give a shit about the fact that buffulo have been there first and were already doing their thing and good fucking fuck the show legit said that ummm maybe the natives should have compromised with the settlers invading their land, like holy shit?
But Krickis, those are early episodes and they got better, and yeah! They did! Not perfectly (there are some references to ponies being elitist about their own tribes here and there as well), but largely the show did improve in this regard. But we can take one of two approaches here: These things happened and we should acknowledge them, or we can cherry-pick what details we want to use for fanfic. And boy howdy do I ever agree with that second option but people sure don't like it when you do that to introduce homophobia!
So is that it? We should just accept homophobia in Equestria because people are free to disregard the details that suggest there is no homophobia? Pfft no, what details? Please, what fucking details? We have the following to suggest that Equestria is accepting of queer horses:
- Lyrabon getting married, as well as their relationship in general
- Appledash being suggested
- Scootaloo's aunts
- Just like, vibes, man...
Let's look at that list in reverse, because I pointed out the obvious first but that's what I have the most to say about. The vibes may seem like they're accepting to you, but as established, we have several examples of racism. So no, fuck the vibes. Then Scoot's aunts, we all agree they're gay, yeah? Like it's done with a degree of plausible deniability, but we do agree that they're gay, right? I'm gonna assume that yes we all agree they're gay and everyone is cool with that! Which is great!
But... there is that deniability. "But Krickis, you can't expect a show like MLP, which is designed to be inoffensive and sell toys, to actually take a stance!" And like hahahaha I do not, at all, ever expect anything from this show. But still, that's what we're shown. A couple that never references being a couple, doesn't kiss, doesn't nuzzle, doesn't even hug (and before anyone comes in with any nonsense about how you can't kiss in MLP, they show straight couples doing all that stuff). But wait, that's one couple, they're certainly not the basis for how gay ponies act in general and wow we're really close to the heart of this matter!
We have an Appledash suggestion but since it's very very easy to not accept it as canon, and sweet Baphomet so many people do not accept it as canon. I don't care I, do not care at all, do not start shipping wars in my comments. But I'm listing it because if I don't someone else will post it as the checkmate to my whole stance. It's there, it's negligible, it might not even be canon, I don't give a shit it doesn't prove anything either way.
Okay okay now we're on the big one: Lyrabon. As a quick detour, Octascratch doesn't count because their one major on-screen interaction can too easily be read as roommates, there's no substance to their argument. But Lyrabon got married, and if gay ponies can get married there is no more homophobia, just like in America 
But like, what do we have? We have the wedding article thing in the newspaper, and a few scenes of them circa season five being an obvious couple. An obvious couple that even when alone only refer to each other as best friends. These bitches so far in the closet that they can't even directly acknowledge their relationship in private until the marriage. And yeah, this was because Hasbro has never cared to make a stance, I know that. But yo, this is what we have! And it's shit!
Let's pivot a bit, and get all the non-leftists in the audience foaming at the mouth by talking about another thing: Equestria is a heteronormative society. Look, there's the Hearts and Hooves day special where the CMC try to get Cheerilee a boyfriend and they never once stop to consider that she might want a girlfriend. We can interpret this in one of three ways. One, the CMC think Cheerilee is probably straight because that's treated as the default (which is the textbook definition of what heteronormativity is). Two, she's told them she's straight and like... why...? Or three, the CMC don't even know what being gay is because they haven't been exposed to this before and/or have been sheltered from it (which is a sign of heteronormativity). So... yeah, there's that. And while this is by far the most egregious example, there are lots of examples in the show in which heterosexual couples are portrayed as normal and expected while queer couples are portrayed as haha there aren't queer couples being portrayed in this show! I just wrote about all the non-examples above!
Then there's capitalism. Now hold on, I'm not going to get too deep on this one (buck also fuck capitalism while I'm here), I'm actually only saying that your proposed "social utopia Equestria" is very similar to the world we live in but a little nicer! And if it's similar to the world we live in, then gee, maybe there are other similarities? And the show is capitalism in its very roots; it is designed to sell toys. But the structure of society is largely a capitalistic one where bits make things happen. We're shown this rather plainly several times, there are maybe better social structures for helping ponies out than there are in modern day US, but they still function in a capitalism. It's like, maybe it's a capitalist utopia where there's just enough socialism to move things along, but tbh that's debatable. Not the point of this blog though, just saying this is a society largely based on Hasbro's corporate idealism.
So that's it? There's homophobia in Equestria because a) we know that the ponies can be bigoted casually in other ways, b) Equestria seems to be a capitalistic heteronormative society that closely mirrors our own in many ways, and c) There's not much if any clear indication of gay ponies being accepted? Gee Krickis, that almost sounds like there are multiple interpretations that can be valid and wouldn't you know it that is 100% what I think! This is not a blog designed to tell you that homophobia in Equestria is real, this is a blog designed to tell you sweet fuck stop complaining when other people have different headcanons from you and stop imposing your own headcanons (because the idea that there is no homophobia in Equestria is firmly a headcanon) as if they're canon.
There's one last thing I want to talk about, which I haven't gotten onto yet because this one is personal. But it's also important. I'm a queer writer. I'm a polyamorous transgender demigirl and a lesbian. This permeates everything I do, especially in regards to my creative outlets. And, well, Who We Become is mine. I share the world here and there with like-minded people at my discretion, but this is my story. Not a story about me, but about things that are important to me. Many of these stories are autobiographical to an extent, or are based on people I've known. Don't write about that bigotry shit? Bitch, I'm from Florida. Do you know what Florida is like to trans people right now? It's deplorable is what it is. Don't write about my fucking life? This is flavor to some of you, this is reality to me. And I will express my reality in any way that I decide to when I'm the author.
Because we need stories like this. I've been approached by so many people who felt seen in my works. I've helped people realize they are trans from my stories, I've given people hope with the knowledge that someone out there gets it. And this medium, MLP, is the way I chose to portray these stories because of what it means to me, and partly it works for other people because of what it means to them. So this is not me sobbing, begging you to stop being mean when you say I'm writing the world wrong. I don't care, really. People can walk away feeling like something I wrote was an excellent story but unfortunately marred by a bunch of queer nonsense if they want. This isn't for them. It's for the people who get it.
So yeah. This blog post is a bit of a mess because I'm stream of conciousing the whole thing. To the person whose reaction catapulted this, you must realize you were the catalyst for it by the timing. But you are one in a long line of people, and you are far from the most egregious. A straw that broke the camel's back, if you will. I don't particularly mind your comments on the story, even if I do think you were misguided in making them. I am not naming names, if you know you know, I don't care. I'm only typing this paragraph so that anyone who might think otherwise realizes there is no ill will meant between me and the person who set this all off.
Ultimately this is simply me airing out thoughts, and if it's anything more than that, it's this one statement expressed in longform: Do not tell queer that they are coping with an unforgiving life in the wrong way because it somehow doesn't jive with your fucking headcanon.
Edit: Just a quick addendum to point out that while I was focused on getting my point out there, one thing I absolutely do not want to do is make it sound like I think people have to write this, or that it's somehow wrong to write about an Equestria that is non-heteronormative and/or without queerphobia. Different people need different kinds of stories, and that means stories without focusing on these issues or presenting them as nonexistent are perfectly fine and just as important as stories that tackle them directly!
Preach, sister.
I honestly believe that people are already at a point where taking any point of view is a direct attack on another no matter how small, you don't know someone gay you must be homophobic, you don't have a black, Asian, Latino etc friend, you must be racist, so it's a shame that instead of moving forward and finding a reason to unite everything causes conflict.
Lol amused that comments are getting down voted but no one really wants to come forward and say outright that I'm wrong
Your salt only fuels me, so keep it up!
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Fine, I’ll say you’re wrong.
Their “friendship” ray is a rainbow that curves around their opponents, changing how they think. That ain’t straight
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Ye gods you've cracked the code!! Oh how wrong I've been...
Right. I'm sure the value of sharing and friendship was taught to the children of slave-holders, and some of them went on to become slave-holders themselves. The fact that they understand how to be good friends to other white people doesn't mean they're great people in every aspect.
I've met plenty of people who are very nice up-front to me as a generic white guy and then have some rather not so nice views on certain specific groups of people. I don't think it's unreasonable at all to write a version of Equestria where ponies can be like that as well.
Of course, I'm also been one of your editors on some of your writing, so maybe I'm biased.
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Excellent points, to be sure! I'm sure this issue will always be grating to some folks, but I'm glad that my stories have reached people who truly get what I'm going for and hold them in high regard
I think this blog post is VERY well thought out. Probably because you gave these issues a lot of thought before you even started writing the blog post.
And btw, I, as someone who has written a lot of different stories about LGBT characters in Equestria and in the Equestria Girls world, both 'standard or standard-enough canon' versions of those worlds and some rather AU versions...
well...
I agree that it's ok to write about these worlds (and about LGBT issues within them) from a lot of different headcanon perspectives.
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it's because she lived in the Everfree Forest. You know, the big cursed forest filled with monsters and evil magic? Ponies tend to be scared of everything relating to that place, and for a pony (or zebra, but most ponies don't know the difference if there really even is one. Zebras could just be Earth Ponies with cool coats for all we know) to live there willingly. I can see why ponies would think that's sus.
I really appreciate that you go out of your way to write about the struggles people like us face every day. As good as escapism into luxury gay pony communism land is, it's also cathartic and helpful to read about characters dealing with the same things I do.
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That's probably a fair take on why they'd be afraid of Zecora, but the fact that they're willing to steamroll Twilight into not explaining things still rubs me the wrong way. But yeah I can see why they'd be afraid of anything and everything from the forest. I really would need to watch the episode again to decide a more firm stance on this.
And I'm glad you appreciate the stories. As I mentioned in my angry little rant here, while I'm happy to get any readers who enjoy my work to any degree, when I write able queer stuff, I'm usually writing for a queer audience. And the queer audience never wonders why on this stuff, I don't think (though like, I'm not interviewing every detector to find out if they're straight lmao).
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I missed replying to this, apologies. I have no idea what was going on or why. I appreciate your words here, and yeah ultimately that's what I feel on this. I'm happy to read and even sometimes write stuff where queerness is not an issue at all, that no one bats an eye at it. I'm far from trying to get people to think these ponies are bigoted, despite my arguments. My arguments are purely to show that there is grounds for this interpretation and wow do I ever get tired of hearing otherwise lmao