In topic: "Homestuck Feels like it has a Discomfort With Achillean Romance and Characters."

Sunday, August 31st, 2025, 2:14 PMabout 5 hours ago

I would argue that Dirk is a very conventional depiction of a gay man. His experiences are VERY in line with the self loathing a gay man feels when he suppresses himself for the sake of other people's happiness.


I live in a very conservative part of the world that only just legalised gay marriage and still hasn't legalised gay adoption. Dirk's issues with homosexuality are not that he has an issue with people being gay, but rather that he has an issue with the fact HE is gay. He never externalizes that issue to other men.


It's a very relatable experience and I'd go as far as to say any gay man who grows up with a desire for community but stuck in a part of the world disconnected from the safety net of vocal pride can understand that isolation; it isn't unconventional. I recognised parts of my own identity from when I was like, 10. I didn't experience outward homophobia, I experienced a LOT of internalised misery.


And I'm going to be real, I do not think Hussie ever really researched any of this to write out these depictions. I think it was all accidental or retroactive based on the fan space discussing these things.


I similarly don't think having Dirk be transphobic towards Roxy makes any sense, the guy was willing to let Roxy walk all over him and his identity for the simple fact he believes Roxy is better than him, he grew up beyond the social ideals of the former world and can accept aliens exist and even accept that Callie and Caliborn share a body. I do not for one minute buy the transphobia, it's another aspect tacked on because he needs more "villainous behavior credit."

Dandy