I know they aren't all that similar, but I just got back from the 12th Annual Xena Convention, and you know.... that fandom is TOTALLY WILD and alive, six years after the final episode aired.

I was very struck at the Xena convention at how unabashed that fandom is in its love, compared to this one. So many people are so reluctant to claim their fangirl natures here (very much including me at first), and I've been most drawn to those who do, who embrace the whole warm wet pervy porny romantical heart of the Brian/Justin fandom.

I am not saying there aren't issues, wank, whatever, and ummm... really bad fic and a lack of critical thinking and a few people who need one, a clue, and two, a sense of humor, BUT... I would say that the bad stuff happens less here than in most online communities I've been involved in over the years, and the percentage of smart and funny women is higher than any other group I've ever been involved with. So, I kinda like it here.

But, and this relates to the Xena fandom as well as this one....

If every single person with a Brian/Justin journal on LJ, and all the present and past members of this fandom, died today, then in a few weeks, some woman who just rented the DVDs would post timidly on her LJ, "Has anyone seen Queer as Folk?" and the fandom would be reborn. A fandom is about its stories and its characters, not the fans. If the stories and characters are strong enough to survive, the fandom will survive.