I want to say this respectfully because this isn’t coming from a place of hate or opposition to representation at all. This is coming from someone who is heterodemisexual (part of LGBTQIA+) and deeply values representation and inclusivity in reading spaces. (Adding on, I am neither white nor form any white dominant country)

That being said, sometimes I feel like inclusivity within the Pagebound community isn’t always extended equally to straight readers.

I’ve noticed that when straight readers ask specifically for heterosexual romance recommendations or say they mainly enjoy heterosexual stories, the responses can sometimes feel subtly judgmental, with comments about needing to “diversify” their taste. While encouraging diverse reading is great, I don’t think anyone should feel judged for the stories they connect with. Just like queer readers shouldn’t have to justify wanting queer stories, straight readers shouldn’t have to justify enjoying heterosexual romance either.

I also don’t think the recent sponsored quest deserved this much backlash. Yes, it may not have had much representation, but it was still just one sponsored quest in an app that already does a lot for diverse representation overall. A quest isn’t automatically bad just because someone can’t personally relate to it — if it doesn’t represent you, it may represent someone else.

So my question is: is this what equality and inclusivity are supposed to look like, or should it go both ways? I’d genuinely like to hear other perspectives because I want to understand how everyone thinks about this.

Why do you love reading?

WRONG ANSWERS ONLY

For Me: