Politics for a Tuesday

[pauraque_bk]

The best evidence suggests that LJ is much more liberal than the general population. My own election poll, primarily answered by fandom people, went even more overwhelmingly for Kerry. (I also asked only US citizens to participate; if I'd opened it up to everyone, I'm sure we'd've seen even more Kerry votes.)

Based on these polls, LJ fandom resembles a strongly Democratic-voting city, like Philadelphia or Washington, DC. That gels with my subjective experience of what the political views of online fans are like -- we're a big bunch of liberals. It feels much like my real life, and I live in Berkeley.

There are conservatives in fandom, of course, and they seem to be well aware they're in the minority, as the success of therightfangirl should attest.

So, my question of the day is: Why is online fandom so liberal? When this comes up, I usually hear variations on two different answers:


1. The internet as a whole is liberal.
We've already seen that LJ is liberal, and it seems to make sense that the internet would be, because so many internet users are sub/urban (or at least were in 1998). Then again, many users are also financially successful, which could indicate greater conservatism.

And there are online services that more accurately reflect the politics of the general population than LJ. AOL polls, for example, usually seem close(r) to national polls. I'm also reminded of that online newspaper poll on gay marriage some months back that we all encouraged each other to go vote in. It was a pretty even split. (But are conservatives better at organizing? Well, that's another topic.)

If there are any fandom oldbies listening, what were politics like before fandom got online?


2. It's the slash, baby.
Can this possibly be a major factor? Do conservatives really go looking for fanfic online, notice slash, and take their business elsewhere? Surely there are enough het and gen fandom outlets to make this a non-issue, except for the most savagely anti-gay individuals. (Ooh, has anyone polled the politics at the Sugar Quill?)

Or maybe it's the other way around. Are liberals attracted to fandom in greater numbers because of the gay-friendly atmosphere?


Responses from conservatives would be especially welcome.

Comments

[buongiornodaisy.livejournal.com]

I don't think there is a good answer to this question, except for maybe the tired and true assumption that the internet is liberal as a whole. The large and vocal presence of liberals might also scare off conservatives more than slash fic, as any reasonable person who knows anything about fandom knows it isn't all about slash. It's a fear of rejection that may turn conservatives away from fandom. Considering that most of the conservatives here support gay rights and the like, I'd say that's definitely a case. How many conservatives are willing to admit that they're against gay marriage and abortion? (I'll admit it, but, I'll also admit I expect a flame war when I say that) I guess conservatives don't want to deal with the drama and also don't want to hobknob with a group of people who hate everything they stand for.

[cleverthylacine]

Not all conservatives oppose gay marriage. In favour, you'll find Andrew Sullivan, Jonathan Rauch, and me.

Not all conservatives are anti-choice. Arlen Specter isn't. I'm not.

Part of the problem is that it's not the position that makes a person liberal or conservative, but the reasoning behind it.

[buongiornodaisy.livejournal.com]

I think I've already discussed that fact, which is why I said consetvatives who ARE against gay marriage and who ARE pro-life (what's up with "anti-choice", anyway? how would pro-choice folks feel if I called them "anti-life"?) are less likely to be active or open in fandom because there are so many conservatives who aren't pro-life or against gay marriage.

[cleverthylacine]

I refuse to use the term 'pro-life' for people whose main concern is whether or not fetuses are carried to term, not how they live after they are born and not whether people who have already been born are killed by the state (or whether women are killed by illegal abortions).

You can call me whatever you like.

Unless you are also anti-euthanasia (as I am), anti-death penalty (as I am not), and anti-war, you are anti-choice or anti-abortion, but the only people I'll call 'pro-life' are people who are anti-killing anyone for any reason.

[buongiornodaisy.livejournal.com]

Anti-abortion is probably a better phrase to use than anti-choice, otherwise we might as well forget all these nice terms and go back to the old days when we were calling each other big fat poopieheads.

[cleverthylacine]

But they are anti-choice: at least anti that particular choice. They don't think you should have a choice about carrying the fetus if you are pregnant. That's different from being anti-life; people who don't want to outlaw abortion aren't anti-pregnancy or anti-babies or anti-other people's lives, they're anti-forcing women to carry fetuses that they don't want to carry or that they have good reason to believe are carrying birth defects.

I see what you are trying to say, but I'm not sure I totally agree; anti-abortion is probably more accurate though.

As Penn and Teller said on Bull$hit, "everyone's pro life and everyone's pro choice--the argument is about abortion."

[pauraque]

Unless you are also anti-euthanasia (as I am), anti-death penalty (as I am not), and anti-war, you are anti-choice or anti-abortion, but the only people I'll call 'pro-life' are people who are anti-killing anyone for any reason.

Which is precisely why I do refer to myself as 'pro-life'.

[cleverthylacine]

Well, at least you're consistent.

I have to say this doesn't surprise me.