Yw!
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Idk if it’s just me who finds it kind of offensive when (even in a featured story!!!) if u choose a m/f li and I choose female and they still use he/him/his pronouns (Ik pronouns ≠ gender but yk) and then say iTs LgBt iNcLuSiVe and put it in the lgbt+ section where it is on the shelf and they only added a female li to get more reads bc not as many stories r in the lgbt section so they think it’s more chance of being on the shelf idk if I’m just being too picky tho💀
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I’m going to paste part of an r/Episode post here (beachulgi)
“Basically, many LGBT authors including myself have had their stories reported and been told their stories don’t fit the genre. My story, that is strictly about the complex relationship between two women and was primarily written by a lesbian for other fellow wlw readers was told that it didn’t match the genre. Recently, an LGBT author who wrote a story based around a biromantic demisexual character was also reported and told it didn’t match the genre. Same for another LGBT author whose story with a bisexual female MC and had a female LI branch had her story told it didn’t match the genre.”
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I think the entire thing is inappropriate bc in a way, no story fits the genre. Souley bc LGBT+ is not a genre, they still have a plot besides the mc being LGBT+, therefore, I think the genre is rather stupid.
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Exactly. This metric the Episode team is using is pretty flawed
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Anyone here read Playing Detective? It appears to be a “choose the gender of your LI” kind of story and I don’t want to start it if that’s the case. It’s under the LGBTQ sub-genre.
Since its “choose LI gender,” I don’t think it should be there
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yeah I think that stories that have a gender customizable option DONT count as LGBT, unless there’s another form of rep. Otherwise don’t hog the section
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I agree, but I haven’t read it, so I can’t confirm. Do you know?
No, I haven’t read it. Does the cover display a pose between male+female or female+female?
It’s promoted as a female MC with male LI and the option for LGBT
Yeah, I don’t think that’s allowed…
I’ve read the first episode. The female LI very much talks and acts like a straight guy. Its obvious the female LI was originally written as a male LI. Just changed the gender, spot directing, name, and the pronouns.
Also, going by Episode’s guidelines for the LGBT genre, it’s not like they mention sexuality or theor identity is central to a character’s narrative whatsoever.
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Doesn’t sound like it belongs then.
I spoke with Episode. They told me (and I voiced my strong opinion against this) that as long as there is the option for a featured character to be part of the LGBTQ+ community; then it is permitted in the genre.
Basically, all choose your LI’s gender stories are welcome.
I chose the male LI, so I got a 100% straight branch. That’s not acceptable to be classed as LGBTQ, in my opinion. I must say that I was disappointed. I was hoping for something better.
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What…?!
That’s kinda unfair… it means that basically any story with M/F LI can be in there- and that would mean a lot of stories 
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That sounds really disappointing. Like with the M/F stories the LGBTQ+ (read: wlw) element is often an afterthought - or barely a thought, which is different from a story meant to have LGBTQ+ characters and dynamics from the get go
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It was the exact opposite for my story. I knew I wanted a female LI but added a male one so more people would read it. 
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Agreed. To me, this goes against what they specified in their guidelines. I have professionally shared my viewpoints with them.
As much as I respect choose your LI’s gender stories, I don’t see how they fit here.
Agreed. I feel like the guidelines for the genre specify that the featured character would identify in one way or another with the LGBTQ+ community. This should, in my opinion, be a given, not an option.
I have sent them my opinion.
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