Very late reply, but I just want to say I really appreciate how much time you took to answer this in such detail! I kept not having time to answer "properly" but in the end it's worse not to answer at all, so here I am answering at least a little. Thanks for all these recs, and serious kudos to you for being able to recall them just like that on being prompted.
Of these I've only read Tipping the Velvet, Orlando, and actually two other books by Jeanette Winterson but I could always do with more of those. The rest are new to me, so thanks again!
In terms of writing out of your comfort zone, yeah, I'll be the first to agree that if you're writing a marginalized group without being part of it, you need to approach it with some serious...seriousness. At the same time, as regards LGBTQ+ characters specifically, I feel there's less room for screwing it up as badly as e.g. white people screw up on racism. There's no cultural or "objective" prerequisite for someone realizing they have an identity that falls under the LGBTQ+ spectrum, and since it's a spectrum there is no necessary "wrong" way to identify under it (despite what the gatekeepers insist). Offensive stereotypes and dehumanization are the biggest risks, but if you're worried about them, you're already unlikely to be the type of writer who would be prone to these things or unwilling to change them if challenged.
So TL;DR write as much of that as you like! And oh, I always sort of assumed you didn't want to share the work you plan to have published until it is, but if you are I'd be happy to read it. Regardless of the topic.
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Of these I've only read Tipping the Velvet, Orlando, and actually two other books by Jeanette Winterson but I could always do with more of those. The rest are new to me, so thanks again!
In terms of writing out of your comfort zone, yeah, I'll be the first to agree that if you're writing a marginalized group without being part of it, you need to approach it with some serious...seriousness. At the same time, as regards LGBTQ+ characters specifically, I feel there's less room for screwing it up as badly as e.g. white people screw up on racism. There's no cultural or "objective" prerequisite for someone realizing they have an identity that falls under the LGBTQ+ spectrum, and since it's a spectrum there is no necessary "wrong" way to identify under it (despite what the gatekeepers insist). Offensive stereotypes and dehumanization are the biggest risks, but if you're worried about them, you're already unlikely to be the type of writer who would be prone to these things or unwilling to change them if challenged.
So TL;DR write as much of that as you like! And oh, I always sort of assumed you didn't want to share the work you plan to have published until it is, but if you are I'd be happy to read it. Regardless of the topic.