stumbling-while-balancing:

Y’all, I’m back and about to be really controversial but I think what upsets me most about this fandom is how Keith’s emotions and struggles are handled verses how the rest of the character’s emotions and struggles are handled.

There’s such a lack of empathy for the things that Keith goes through, it’s unreal. If what happened to Keith had happened to any other character- pushing themselves away from the team, the team not speaking up against them leaving after they didn’t need them anymore, being excluded from the rest of the Season only to show up and display self-sacrificial, suicidal tendencies? You know how crazy the fandom would be if any other character had done that? Especially Lance?

But because it’s Keith, not only have I not seen very few (almost none) posts worrying about his mental state, I have seen multiple posts disregarding his mental state. Keith’s perfectly good with leaving the team to join the BOM guys! Leaving the first family he has had since he was in the Garrison is absolutely the emotionally healthy thing to do! It didn’t hurt at all that no one really tried to talk him out of it once they had Shiro back!

Shiro at least hugging Keith and letting him know he would be there for him which was the only nice thing, next to the group hug. But the above picture proves that Keith didn’t want to leave and probably thinks they don’t care.

And please, please don’t get me started on posts where they call him leaving selfish, because how. HOW?! By making sure none of the rest of the team had to give up their Lions? By making himself more tactically useful by joining the BOM? Just how?

Then you get to the posts talking about how Keith sacrificing himself is just him following the BOM way, which, while true, completely ignores the emotions that Keith must have been going through. For Keith to have been willing to sacrifice himself, that intrinsically means that he believes his sacrifice brings greater worth to the team then him being alive. It means that he feels like the team will be just fine without him. It means that he has a very small perception of his personal worth. It means that he only values himself (and believes himself valued) for what he can contribute to the mission.

I’m going to piss a lot of people off with this, (and I’m genuinely not trying to upset you, but it has to be said) but what really kills me is that Klance, the shining mega ship of this fandom, the one that loves angst when it comes to Lance, is… completely ignoring Keith’s emotional state. I have seen 1000% more posts about Lance’s air show and how Lance must feel with Keith gone then I have posts even hinting at Keith’s emotional state. Even posts bashing him for leaving because it hurts Klance. This is worrying, because fandom? They think that Keith gets fandom focus because he’s part of a mega ship. But really, 90% of Klance focus is on Lance.

I’m not trying to be mean, Klance shippers, because besides how some of you act I have nothing against your ship. Though it’s not my OTP, I even consume your content sometimes, because Klance can be really cute and a lot of you are really talented. But sometimes I think a good majority of the Klance fandom actually hates Keith. Not only have I seen Klance fans post anti-Keith things now and in the past, a lot of you seem unable to bring yourself to care when Keith is going through an emotionally dark time, whereas Lance would have you all in tears. Maybe I’m wrong, and maybe as y’all have time to think about this Season you guys will surprise me and actually start focusing as equally on Keith’s emotions and struggles as you do on Lance’s? I hope so, but I’m only hesitantly optimistic.

So fandom, please don’t think that Keith being part of a mega ship means he’s handled with care in this fandom. Please don’t ignore his struggles, ones you would feel empathy for if they happened to any other character. Please don’t look at this character and write off his emotions.

Because for the people that identify with him, it hurts.