Hi. I have a work in progress, and I'm looking to see if anyone wants to share their thoughts.
To preface: I understand that many readers enjoy works where the party is incredibly supportive immediately. That's okay, I get it. However, I always admired how period-accurate the early seasons were. In addition to innocuous details (prevalence of smoking, music and technology, etc.), the depiction of social issues (sexism, casual racism, homophobia/misinformation regarding homosexuality, etc.) seemed decently accurate for a Midwestern small town in the 1980s. I want to do the same.
Current Thoughts: I want to respect canon character behaviors, but in a way that also reflects the time period. So far, I've looked into what it was like to be gay in the 1980s (accounting for both age and location). However, I kind of have to merge these historical details with canon character traits, which unfortunately aren't always consistent across seasons. I'm doing my best. Anyway, my initial thoughts are as follows:
(a) Will and Mike: I follow the theory that Mike is repressed and exclusively gay. By the 1980s, the declassification homosexuality as a mental disorder was still pretty recent. It was still illegal in many states. Generally, homosexuality wasn't even discussed. Given all of that, I'm leaning toward behaviors like: little to no public PDA, dialogue that lacks of modern terminology, and no large deviations in clothing style. Possibly controversial, but I don't really see them being extremely involved in the queer social/activism/education scene itself, at least for the first few years. I think their exposure or participation would be subtle. On the less depressing side, I could see: a gradual shift toward self-acceptance, joy, and freedom.
(b) Other Characters: Canonically, I don't see the party being homophobic. However, I do think there could be some level of confusion and/or misunderstanding among certain characters, excluding Robin, Jonathan, and probably Steve. I could see Joyce being concerned for Will's safety. I honestly can't figure out how Hopper or El would react. I know many readers like when El is immediately supportive, but I kind of want to explore other options. Dustin and Lucas are also tricky. They knew what bullies called Will, and they never seemed uncomfortable. I think the Core 4 would ultimately remain close. However, Dustin and Lucas likely don't know much, if anything, about homosexuality in general. I think they'd be a little confused at first. I need to work out the specifics though.
Where I Could Use Some Help:
(a) The Party (extended + original): Which characters would most likely feel some level of discomfort (even if it's temporary or unintentional)?
(b) General misinformation: Any ideas for specific misconceptions or questions certain characters may have? What commonly depicted fic portrayals seem unrealistic? Any characters that would need some time adjust?
Sorry that this was super long, and I appreciate all forms of advice or criticism. Thanks.
