Many of you know me as Harley Galarneau, an independent journalist and queer rights activist based in Southern Alberta. We also have some newcomers who were introduced to me as “Harley he him” or “Harley It”. Harley will do just fine here, don’t worry.

It’s been made clear that—unfortunately, yet unsurprisingly—due to recent events, people are loving to ask questions but not look for the very accessible answers themselves. I don’t particularly feel incline to make it more easy than it already is to know who I am, what I value, and what work I do and why. So instead, I am going to reaffirm my purpose as a journalist for those that already know. That already understand, as a vow of accountability that I will not be swayed by Facebook and X comments degrading my intelligence or an agonizingly ridiculous hour long livestream. Because in simple terms, I don’t write for them. I write for you, my dear readers.

I’m an independent reporter and journalist. I am not contracted or funded by any legacy media outlet or foundation. My work is not affiliated with any university either. I’m just some person with a laptop. This is all purposeful, I have no one in my ear pushing censorship or pre-approved agendas for the maintenance of economic or social reputation. What I write is what I want to write. What I want to share. Who I want to speak with. Who I want to listen to. There are thousands of journalists that will share the voices in demand. In my work, I purposefully seek out the voices that aren’t.

Not only do I acknowledge my bias as a treaty 7 independent writer with a background in social justice and decolonial work, but I purposefully implement it into my writing. I’m not neutral. I pick a side. As a studying historian and anthropologist, I refuse to allow my humanity to be controlled by what traditional publishers and papers obey to appease our oppressors.

My writing will never appease.

Henceforth, legally almost all of my work, independent or affiliated, is under the category of “opinion-based” investigative articles.

I’ve been told it disgraces my credibility as a journalist. Credibility to who? To the corporations and elite that fund and influence our policies, our press, our education for their own colonial gain? I don’t write for them. I write for those who don’t see their voices and stories represented with actual authentic respect and compassion. I write for those who are already on the ground doing the work for their community, who connect with those I interview because of their shared lived experience under colonialism, and because of my privilege as a white writer, can ensure our oppressors actually pay attention. I write for those who sit on the sidelines, hesitant to act, hesitant for possible repercussions, but at their cores know this isn’t right—as evidence that they can actually do something. I write for those who are questioning what they’ve been raised to know. There is a reason I frequently post about my life, my values, and my pursuits on other platforms. You know exactly who I am. Why I do what I do. What I do. I’m not just a name beneath an article, I’m a living human person just like you, with something to share. I’m not an ideology. I’m not a corporation.

I’m a human being doing what humans beings have always done, sharing stories with our communities so we can grow together. All of us.

Maybe that makes me a bad journalist. Maybe it just means I embrace that I’m human. That’s ultimately up for you to interpret, not any institution with a checklist to ensure neutrality yet only shares a specific side of a story. I don’t work in the supposed, the weightless promises, the intentions. I work in the impact.

So here’s my freedom of expression. Here’s my opinion. You don’t have to read my work, or ever see me again, if you wish. You can easily click to exit this tab. You don’t have to walk past me on your way back from class to your dorm. You don’t have to listen to me in an echoing atrium as you grab your dinner at Urban Market. You don’t have to be faced with me while you leave from the Iniskim Gathering Place. You don’t stumble upon me. You only find me if you want to.

My writing is fostered on consent of the people. Not the corporations or an ideology. Not on whether I’m supported or not. Not on whether I demand to be heard in a space not meant for me.

I know what people will call these statements, yet I’ve never understood the concept of virtue signaling. Why are we focused on the intentions of a person, the reasoning and morals of why they do what they do, when the impact is exactly what it is, an impact? An effect. An outcome. A resolution. A conclusion. Intention is the explanation. It’s important to take it into account, yes. Impact is the consequences. It is also important to acknowledge the severity of our reality, intention or not.

Here are my impacts. I gross my friends out when I bite my nails or fidget with my double jointed thumbs. I struggle with white lies when talking with strangers. More often than not, I’m bad at it and get caught, confusing and hurting them in the process. I’m bad at replying to texts. People think I’m ignoring them. I cry when I’m angry. People think I’m not listening to them as a result. I yell. I hurt people, accidentally, subconsciously, purposefully. I make mistakes. I’m human. All I can do is to try to do better tomorrow. Exactly like everyone else. I’m not “better”, but I’m trying. Not in the sense of compared to someone else, but in doing better compared to what I did yesterday and the day before that.

The only virtue to signal, is our shared sense of humanity. Our impact.

My work aims to hold all of us accountable to it.

Substack Portfolio

This writer individually attended five of the seven hour protest against Frances Widdowson’s presence at the University of Lethbridge on February 4th, 2026. There has been a lot of misinformation and white supremacist propaganda published in legacy media since her February presence, and so I feel responsible to present my own findings of the event.

What Did Students Do?

Community Resources

Hundreds of water bottles were passed around students, majority coming from a $1000 self-purchase from a selfless student, before ULSU stepped in and began handing them out themselves. Ear buds were also administered.

Library books on residential schools, MMIWG, truth and reconciliation, the 60’s scoop, and the Indian Act were passed around and placed in front of Widdowson for education. She did not pick any up.

The Power Of Music

I heard guitars, saxophones, flutes, full-on drum sets, and to top it off, the University’s Wind Orchestra came in a complete ensemble with stands and seats, playing the official March - Fiat Lux. Orange shirts and poster material and markers were shared and offered. Instruments were passed across the crowd.

What Was Done To Students?

Injuries & Assaults

Towards Students

Pressed close with one another, though never pushing, shoving, or pulling on each other, the only time I bore witness to physical aggression was from Albert Howard, Widdowson’s husband. Early one, he left his chair from easily 7 meters away, approached fourth year student, Grace Fletcher (she/her), and shoved her roughly to the ground when she turned around. She suffered from a minor concussion and whiplash, and had to leave the scene for medical aid.

Multiple other students reported being elbowed, shoved, or having their hands slapped by Albert Howard. I saw one student get shoved by Howard again, before the police intervened and pushed protestors back. This is all they did.

Against Widdowson’s People

Later on, after seven tiring, throat-destroying, disappointing hours of standing on our feet waiting for Widdowson to leave, protestors grew restless and shoved at Anthony Hall on his way out the Atrium exit when he proceeded to stall and plant his feet from moving. I watched as he staggered slightly, took three whole and supported steps, before proceeding to carefully take a knee and “fall down”, arms outstretched on the concrete, laying there for two minutes before the police had him stand and exit further.

What Was Widdowson There To Do?

In research for this article, I downloaded X after years of avoiding the app, and watched both Widdowson’s one hour long live which captured her POV of the first hour of the protest, and the proceeding four and a half hour long audio recording as the protest commenced.

There is a particular moment in the initial live that directly corporates what students reported of happening right before the protest. Frances was seen standing by the doorways of Iniskim and neighbouring Indigenous Studies classes, peeking into the windows, seemingly waiting for specifically the Indigenous studies to finish their classes and “debate” with her.

Later on in the video, she approaches the OKI sign in front of Iniskim Gathering Place, reads the plaque aloud, which describes the meaning of Blackfoot artist William Singer III’s Saakiaitapiiyopa (We Are Still Living) work, detailing the importance of sweetgrass, the tipi, and circle of life in the creation of Indigenous life, land, and history, and says to the camera, and I quote, “I thought [Iniskim] would be a great kind of area for street epistemology here, in front of the Oki sign…this is a university, and we should be able to criticize that”.

Targeting people generationally traumatized and effected by the very genocide you’ve invaded a safe space to debate in is not an expression of academic freedom. It is an intentional and purposeful hate crime attempt.

Four Months Later…

The Sweetgrass Over Coals Ceremony

On Friday, February 13th, a ‘Sweetgrass Over Coals Ceremony’ was performed by Iniskim’s Blackfoot Elder Ninnaisipistoo (Owl Chief), Dr. Francis First Charger to cleanse the negativity brought to campus by Frances Widdowson, and in preparation for the anniversary celebration of 50 years of Indigenous Studies at the University of Lethbridge.

During the event, both Carly Ironshirt and Leroy Little Bear spoke about the events of February 4th, their anger with the administration’s response, and pride with students’. I encourage you to watch the honourable speeches from the ceremony, available online through City Bridge News.

Ban Notice

Following the ongoing April court proceeding in Calgary for Widdowson and the University of Lethbridge in regards to the cancelling of her 2023 talk, Frances posted on April 20th to X, that she has only now received her a letter from the ULeth administration officially banning her from campus for the physiological safety of its students. The date upon the letter reads February 4th, the day of the protest itself.

Following the evening of that 4th, students were told that a trespass notice was deployed at 5:15PM, in which police then escorted Widdowson and her crew off campus. They were not informed of a ban, nor how her presence would be tolerated the next time she tried to speak at the University, until now.

What good is a ban put in place after seven hours of appeasement? If Widdowson tries to hold another session on our campus three years from now, can we trust the University administration to immediately remove her, or will they take seven hours to draft the violation notice?

Our answer came sooner than warranted.

A Racist Walks Into A Coffee Shop…

On April 25th, Widdowson returned to ULeth for a “Supernanny Franny Coffee Meet With Students” she had vaguely advertised on X weeks before. Thanks to local independent journalist, Samarpit Paul, who contacted Widdowson to narrow down the date and meeting place of her officially banned soon-to-be visit, and proceeded to notify both Campus Security and the Lethbridge Police Service of her arrival, she was arrested on campus for the second time this year and removed from the university.

For a further breakdown of the events leading up to and following this recent attempt by Widdowson, I encourage readers to watch Samarpit’s own report on the matter at @samarpaulitics on both Instagram, Tik Tok, and Youtube.

What’s Next?

After two protests occurring three years apart, the first lasting two hours, and the second seven, an ongoing court case, and the unwavering strength of our students campaigning, advocating, and holding administration accountable for protecting their Indigenous students, ULeth’s humoring of Frances Widdowson’s genocide denialism ended.

For now.

We got here because of each other’s pushback. Each other’s refusal to be compliant with the negligence towards our systemically targeted populations. Widdowson returned this April 25th to an empty SU cafeteria, with minimal reporting or witnessing taken place. How will the administration respond if she breaches UHall again? If she takes to the stage in the Science Commons Atrium? If there are hundreds of justifiably angry and emotional students present? If phones are recording and legacy media outlets are appearing? How will they respond when the gaze of our people is on their choices once more?

How will they decide their next course of action? Whether to protect their students, or to protect their standing, I can say with certainty that I do not yet have faith in the former.

Author’s Positionality

When reporting on politics, there is a standard for an academic and neutral tone and vocabulary. I’ll admit that my tone these past few months has especially been less than plain. Panicked, rather than poised. Angry, rather than moderated.

Much like any parent would be when their children are threatened.

In our global world where Canadian queer and trans children and teenagers are systemically hindered from self-discovery and developments of self-expression and identity, especially with our own province’s recent use of the not-withstanding clause on Bill 9, it is essential to my own humanity that as an adult queer and trans person, I fight for my children. I say “my children” purposefully, as it is clear that the cohort of children our government claims to be “protecting” with these death-sentencing laws on gender affirming care and identity policing do not include those within my community.

A Threat To Trans Kids → A Threat To All Kids

I argue that they don’t protect those within their own communities either, as any form of systemic scapegoating of self-expression, curiosity, or identity development in early childhood or adolescent development has destructive repercussions on their eventual adult mental health and behaviour (Pfeifer & Berkman, 2018).. There is no autonomy in the puppeteering of what is socially acceptable of personal identity (Shi et al., 2024).

Bill 9 affects all children’s ability to develop such, and its first wave of harm is directly aimed for those in my community. It is a blatant statement that not only are trans kids not welcome in every-day life, but that any kid that even slightly deviates from the ordinary, binary, or status-quo is harmful, destructive, and predatory to their peers (Baum, 2025). That they are less than human, and are to be “dealt with” as such. That their rights to appeal such laws, to share their stories, to be themselves, are entirely disregardable (Woturner, 2025).

Killing The Child, Stopping The Adult

It isn’t about protecting children, because policies that claim social exile and scapegoat any child that is curious about their self-expression or identity preferences are a threat to all children. We human beings are creatures of constant change and differences, and those discoveries during early development are crucial in our evolutionary survival and quality of life (Perry et al., 2019). Children and adolescents, more so than at any other stage, need the freedom to learn and try dozens and dozens of combinations of their sense of identity (Pfeifer & Berkman, 2018). A bill that takes away that universal childhood necessity is a bill that protects no one (Baum, 2025). Our governance concerns itself first with the children, because it knows that’s where self-thought starts (Matchim & Matchim, 2025). It knows that’s where it can impact later development the most.

It knows that by forcing trans kids into hiding, into outings within their abusive and unsupportive households, and into depression and suicide from lack of gender-affirming care, that it can get rid of trans adults. Not because they can ideologically beat “it” out of them, but because it knows they can kill them before they reach adulthood. Before they can take justice into their own hands. Before they can fight back.

So, it’s up to us to fight back.

Our Defense: Radical Resurgence & Refusal VS. Neoliberal Imaginaries

Within my journalism, I investigate a variety of gender justice imaginaries and their responding approaches to systemic oppression. It would be hypocritical if I didn’t emphasize the importance of radical resurgence and refusal in defense of trans rights and security.

In contrast to JusticeTrans’ 2024 report fighting against anti-trans movements, whose recommendations I find utilizing neoliberal and white feminist approaches to resistance, and are therefore not sustainably beneficial for restoring the rights of our children. Letter campaigns and petitions are absolutely crucial in combating unjust laws and policies, as the guide states, however what it fails to mention is how such measures are short-term measures in a political hellscape that publicly and without consequence purposefully break the very human rights legislation and charters, despite such having too been intended for long-term benefit and protection. I argue that JusticeTrans’ conclusions on how to fight back against anti-trans public upheaval are then both surface level and their approaches no longer sustainable, and the lack of recommendations outside of those that follow institution expectations of what’s appropriate for the public to do, are not enough to protect in the way they aim. It does not list the complexities of protest and civil disobedience, does not encourage anything outside of the same legality that abuses us now.

While I acknowledge that they are a NGO organization and are therefore funded by said legality and government, I combat that a group that censors itself for the better graces from their abuser in the name of resistance against said abuser is not truly effective, and furthermore limits the true, intersectional movement it claims to be a part of.

Hence the importance of radical resurgence and refusal. The now depleting, but previously legalized rights trans and queer people have had in both the US and Canada were achieved through illegal action. What a law states, as Danielle Smith’s government and the entire colonial governance of Canada have shown throughout history, is not inherently what is just or right. The United States law enforcement arresting, raping, and killing butches in the 50s and 60s for not wearing two items of women’s clothing was not just. They responded with riots, with fighting tooth and nail, and by protecting one another regardless of if it was legal. Fighting was necessary because it was illegal. I believe the same applies today. The Alberta government not only passing legislation that will kill kids, but bypassing any legal opposition to it by using the not-withstanding clause, is not just. We must respond like our elders did. By refusing.

No With A Period, Not A Comma

The 2025 report on Bill 9 and the Fairness In Sports Act by Anderson and Campbell et al. calls on continuing SOGI-inclusion regardless of these laws, and by enacting praxis of resistance refusal, we protect our children and birth opportunities to total reconstruction, abolition, and the cultivation of ideas of governance and approaches to trans kids that are unhindered by colonial systemic boundaries of restriction and suppression.

I often think back to Audre Lorde’s 1990 essay, The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House. We cannot fight back against anti-trans movements through what they deem acceptable in retaliation. What stops them from repeating their patterns of implementing human rights charters and freedoms only to only apply them to the few of their choosing? They will never choose us. Anderson and Campbell et al. compel schools to continue their GSA programs and discussion of LGBTQ history despite its absence from regulated curriculum. They encourage gender-neutral bathrooms and pronouns to be normalized in the school socialization. When we say “No.” with a period rather than “No,” with a comma, and utilize radical refusal and resurgence methods to protect trans rights, we actually alter the reality in which the government believes only they can manipulate.

Systemic Violence Vs Revolutionaries’ Survival

The visibility of resistances often beam on those working within the institutions that harm them, in representation and governmentally funded programs. While these are absolutely important, they are but a scratch in the necessary actions of a resistance. As the failures of the Charter’s effectiveness represent, reform is not enough. We must choose abolition. The foundation, ground work, movement supporting and sustainable production of resistance comes from the protestors, those labeled by the oppressors as “terrorists”, the revolutionaries, the co-conspirators, and those that understand that “violence” within abolition is not violence, but survival. As we watch the disaster effects of Bill 9 take place in these upcoming months, we must not switch channels to those that are slightly less oppressive because a trans legislator happens to be on the team. We must get our information from outside the television, and from outside the institution.

We must become our own means of communication and community.

References

• Baum, S. (2025, December 11). Alberta Lawmakers pass law to restrict trans Youths’ “Right to Life”—For now. Erin In The Morning.

Erin In The Morning

Alberta Lawmakers Pass Law to Restrict Trans Youths’ “Right to Life”—For Now

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7 months ago · 297 likes · 28 comments · s. baum

• Bill 9: Protecting Alberta’s Children Statutes Amendment Act. (2025, December). https://www.assembly.ab.ca/assembly-business/bills/bill?billinfoid=12098&from=bills

• Egale. (2025, November 18). Alberta relaunches unprecedented attack on trans rights - now using the notwithstanding clause - Egale Canada. Egale Canada. https://egale.ca/egale-in-action/alberta-bill9-nov18/

• JusticeTrans. (2024). Understanding & fighting back against the anti-trans movement in Canada : a guide for trans communities & our allies. https://umontreal.scholaris.ca/items/2d4a15b2-bd3c-4a4a-9375-9a81c30481aa

• Lee, J. Y., & Rosenthal, S. M. (2022). Gender-Affirming Care of Transgender and Gender-Diverse Youth: Current Concepts. Annual Review of Medicine, 74(1), 107–116. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-med-043021-032007

• Matchim, M., & Matchim, M. (2025, December 11). LGBT YouthLine statement on the adoption of Anti-Trans policies in Alberta - YouthLine. YouthLine -. https://www.youthline.ca/lgbt-youthline-statement-on-the-adoption-of-anti-trans-policies-in-alberta/

• Perry, D. G., Pauletti, R. E., & Cooper, P. J. (2019). Gender identity in childhood: A review of the literature. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 43(4), 289–304. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165025418811129

• Pfeifer, J. H., & Berkman, E. T. (2018). The Development of Self and Identity in Adolescence: Neural Evidence and Implications for A Value-Based Choice Perspective on Motivated Behavior. Child Development Perspectives, 12(3), 158–164. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12279

• Shi, Z., Qu, Y., Wang, Q., & Li, Y. (2024). Parental psychological control and emotional well-being among emerging adults: The moderating role of parent-oriented self-construals. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 48(3), 261–268. https://doi.org/10.1177/01650254241233545

• The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house. (n.d.). The Anarchist Library. https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/audre-lorde-the-master-s-tools-will-never-dismantle-the-master-s-house

• View of children’s rights at the crossroads. (2025). https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/jcie/index.php/JCIE/article/view/29785/21522

• Woturner. (2025, November 21). Advocacy Canada Statement on Alberta Bill 9. Advocacy Canada. https://advocacy-canada.lgbt/advocacy-canada-statement-on-alberta-bill-9/

Ever since coming to accept my queer identity, I have found that being queer often coincides with social defiance. That to be and live as I am, to exist safely in my identity, I have to step into danger and risk my safety. My queerness is not inherently defiant, rather the post-colonial Western world that isolates and violently assimilates otherness and deviations of the binary makes my existence one of defiance. In this article, I ask that regardless of choice in the matter, can defiance be beneficial to the formation of person identity, as a motivation for self-discovery and autonomy, outside of it also being a stipulation necessary in an environment that legislatively debates your right for existence?

Analysis Format

Merging The Fictional With Real Studies

My medium for this article is two bridging stories about queer identity, before acceptance of the defiance, and after acceptance of the defiance. My intention is to demonstrate how defiance and the fear of the unknown are integral to connecting and fostering an identity that enriches who we are, through a fictional characterization of Declan Kelly, a queer person in the late 1700s undergoing internal conflicts on gender identity and sexuality.

Fictional Geographical Impacts & Real Reasonings

The location of the story is purposefully not listed, though it is described as near a harbour and a large body of water. While Yi-Fu Tuan (2001) described geography’s contributions to identity as subjective to each place and space, I would also argue that as a social and biological behaviour humans on every continent and culture have experienced for millennia, the necessity of defiance in the acceptance of queer identity is not dependent on geography. It is rather the degree of defiance that varies place through place, not whether it itself is crucial. To demonstrate this, the sources I use to analyze my argument also cover a variety of cultural locations, including Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkey, and Australia. I acknowledge that these four articles are only resources that cover four countries of queer people and are not an analysis of the entire scope of queerness in the world. However, it is my intention to illustrate that the research in these studies still provide evidence of the application of defiance on person identity, even if within a smaller scale.

Fictional Time Period Impacts & Real Reasonings

Moreover, while the short story takes place in the late 1700s, and these articles were collected in the 21^st century, historical queer identity defiance has shaped our grasps of present Queer expression and practice, and as such the comparison with Declan’s internal struggle with self-acceptance in the 18^th century and the impacted waves of present queer defiance and identity as companying evidence are valid.

The Necessity of Defiance

Glacial

May 24th, 1784

The moment the cobbled path hits the balls of their feet, the pair are off. A startled shout and a thud vibrating off the tavern doors. Unbothered by the frigid wind from the nearby harbour, they leap in their race to the next bubbling and blue-tinted day.

Declan Kelly has yet to slow with the light jogging behind him. The gnawing sensation in his stomach returns as Florence Rees fades from the peripheral view. The urge to race off deep into the abyss, cast away the ties he has fought so carefully to bind — perhaps even lunge into the channel and emerge himself into those aching remains of water. To discover a whole new kind of life. One which bares a suffering that is natural.

The heavy breathing of his companion is the line that reels him back.

They reach the stairs to Florence’s building with the crack of an unsteady staircase, shoulders colliding with one another until the click of rusting keys signals their arrival. Their feet dragging against the floorboards, hands clasped over their mouths to quiet the laughter.

A covered window and single bedframe disturb the humid shadows. No fire has been lit, yet the heat remains. Florence steps towards the curtains, ready to gaze out openly at the crescent moon over the rooftops. The crawling shifts beneath his veins, and Declan grabs his cheek, pulling the other’s forehead to his own.

The steps of this particular dance are one less practiced, one reaching out for the other too soon or too late in rhythm. The curtain remains closed. Declan pulls away before he can meet Florence’s eyes.

Declan never meets Florence’s eyes.

“Good night, Declan.”

“Good evening, Rees.”

The word is on the tip of his tongue, known so well and so distinctly. The curves and dips of ink it takes, and the exact amount of pressure to write. His heart races against the pull of ice.

Declan will have it doused.

Without another word, he departs from the room, the skin of his knuckles turning white as he retraces his steps outside into that crisp air.

The wind strikes at his face, no longer gentle its sways of music. The world is loud and frigid. Only as Declan returns to the comfort of his solitude, the wood of his fireplace long since used, does he feel relief.

The Necessity of Defiance: How Does Social Disobedience Strengthen Queer Identity?

Autonomy is integral to developing a strong sense of identity, as only you can determine your personal sense of self. For many queer people, especially those with even more pre-existing limitations on what they can and not do, such as queer youth, defiance is a crucial method to changing said bigoted limitations against identity and expression. For queer and transgender youth in Australia, defiance leads to social change, and social change leads to more acceptance to discovering who you are. It gives you not only the right, but the means and ability to do so. In a study reviewing the impact of an online queer site for the country’s queer youth, researchers B. Hanckel and A. Morris (2014) consider the transition of deviance that allows such a platform to support queer identities, “People seek more autonomy and consider the reflexivity of their actions in a bid to take an active stance towards the conditions of their existence. These actions are political and personal at once and intrinsically tied to their identities”. The cultivation of person identities that defy their social ones, can alter the normalcy and acceptances of social identities both within and outside the binary, which then can do the same for what is accepted of person identities.

Moreover, even in countries where the extent of defiance of social norms and the status quo can invite more violence and risk, such as Kazakhstan, M. Levitanus, a queer scholar, activist and psychotherapist from the region amplifies that identity, especially queer, is what we make it to be. In her academic comparative analysis of Hannah Arendt and Judith Butler’s conceptions on the agency of identity and the divergence of the status quo (2022), she utilizes queer resistance within Kazakhstan as her evidence of the dependency of said deviance for the production of autonomy, unviolated senses of identity, and the safety to express them. Explicitly stating that “Queer lives remain shaped by that which they fail to reproduce. To turn this around, queer lives shape what gets reproduced: in the very failure to reproduce the norms through how they inhabit them, queer lives produce different effects.” An identity that forms outside the heteronormative or unconventional norms inherently fails to fulfill said norms, and as such their existence is also consequently defiant. As Levitanus emphasizes, said identities then have the capacity to change the norms. The actions of the few can inspire the many. Defiance of the conventional and colonial projections of sexuality and gender can aspire connection and community amongst those that share it. Despite Kazakhstan having a higher severity of legislative and social threat towards queerness, defiance is still necessary to form self-autonomy and identity.

Another study by M. Levitanus with P. Kislitsyna (2023), discusses how identities that differ from the status quo are nurtured by the space and choice to advocate for them, and that the foundation of such a space depends on disrupting the status quo that would have it smothered in the first place. Interviewing queer people in Kazakhstan and Russia about their experiences coming out and attempting to live authentically as themselves, a 30-year-old out Kazakh gay man described his connection between existing, seeing others exist defiantly and its impact on his courage to do so as well, and the change doing so would also have on others like him, “[My partner and I] were once walking down the street and saw two guys walking and holding hands… this is what we want. We want normalisation. And just like that, step by step, thanks to guys like that, there is change”. By wanting to express his person identity, and hence deviating from what is socially accepted, he can grow and evolve his sense of self, and the ways he views himself because of it. Self acceptance is a pillar of queer identity that stands upon a foundation of necessary defiance. Despite the legislative, social, and institutional barriers to prevent that construction, that development is still possible. It is enabled by deviance.

The Necessity Of Acceptance

Hearth

August 3rd, 1787

The warmth flees from Declan’s bones as they trek hesitantly across the creaking floor. Glancing back at a sleeping Florence and Anurag, the former rolls off his stomach and encircles his arms around Florence. The large dent beside them fading.

The sight breaks something within them. Molted with an iron fist, yet the heat returns from the space between their ribs and lungs and cradles the barriers between their nerves and flesh. Florence kisses Anurag’s head in return.

This is dangerous.

How can they do it? How can they both be so authentically themselves Unapologetically? Choosing to be as happy as they can, despite everything the world throws at them. At us? One to the next, they each have separate lives and experiences, opportunities and omens and hardships. How can they meet at the same point? How can they have the courage to be… human?

Tears swell within their eyes, slipping down their cheeks far faster than they can stop them. Declan can’t fight nature.

Human.

The gown remains hung on the outer shelf of their dresser, ready to be collected by their sister come later morning. The glint in her eyes when she had first handed it to them, the soft smile that prodded at her premature wrinkles.

Human.

Anurag’s laughter from many years ago, when they could take joy in tickling his newly exposed sides after aiding in his un-wrapping of coarse cloth. Florence’s firm eyes, swirls of deep oak that refused to fall, not yet. Always present, always fixed on the heavens. A new beginning. A chance.

Human.

I pulsed through their veins, a distorted sensation coursing though me. I feel faded, somehow? My grip remains strong, my haze over their thoughts prominent. How can such heat grow behind my leaking ears? I arch my neck instinctively. Oh, and who might you be?

The floorboards shift loudly as Declan bends their knees onto the thick mattress, shakingly laying down and intertwining their hand with the two others. The response is immediate, a grin forming on Florence’s face as he laces his fingers with theirs, Anurag’s snoring matching the rhythms in their chests.

You are wanted.

They yearn to echo the mantra. Though Florence has already dipped his head back against Anurag’s shoulder.

There is still time.

They have time.

Declan did not fall back asleep, but this was enough.

Wanting for herself was enough.

The Necessity Of Acceptance: How Does Community Strengthen Queer Identity?

Declan’s internal journey of navigating communities, gender and sexual identities, and person identities that are violently prosecuted by those in power and systems that dictate social norms, is one that requires both the defiance of society, but also the defiance of her own fear and self-hatred that keeps her from accepting who she is. Defiance doesn’t merely form the identity, it maintains it. It motivates its existence to continue, and to not only accept who you are, but to love and take care of it. The defiance and self-acceptance of her friends and partners, Florence and Anurag, are the reminder that being defiant and nurturing her identity after discovery is a life she can choose. To amplify, I feel a Turkish study by C. Lo and S. Hu et. al. (2021), which examines the methodologies that queer university students utilized during efforts for self-acceptance, encapsulates the significance of defiance and self-acceptance in the preservation of person identity, and the transformation of social identity, best. Self-discovery and autonomy cannot be achieved if not actively chosen, and “[By] thinking deeply and with intentional efforts, [you] can distinguish between what is and what ought to be”. Only you can determine who your person identity is, and for queer people, that understanding and acceptance often collides with enacting what is and what “ought to be” by societal standards. If person identity is established by our own ideas and conclusions, then thinking for yourself is inherently defiant to what your social identity demands of you too. As such, if queerness is consequently defiant by heteronormative and colonial norms, then defiance can be our tool to nurture and protect that very sense of identity.

Note: The short stories Glacial and Hearth are the complete ownership of the writer, Harley Galarneau. If you would like to read more of his work, consider becoming a paid or founding subscriber, and be the first eyes on the upcoming novel that inspired this alternative telling.

References

Burke, P. J., & Stets, J. E. (2009). Identity Theory. Oxford University Press, 112-129.

Hanckel, B., & Morris, A. (2014). Finding community and contesting heteronormativity: queer young people’s engagement in an Australian online community. Journal of Youth Studies, 17(7), 872–886. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2013.878792

Levitanus, M. (2022). Agency and resistance amongst queer people in Kazakhstan. Central Asian Survey, 41(3), 498–515. https://doi.org/10.1080/02634937.2021.2008874

Levitanus, M., & Kislitsyna, P. (2023). ‘Why wave the flag?’: (in)visible queer activism in authoritarian Kazakhstan and Russia. Central Asian Survey, 43(1), 12–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/02634937.2023.2234955

Lo, C. O., Hu, S., Sungur, H., & Lin, C. (2021). Giftedness, Gender Identities, and Self-Acceptance: A Retrospective Study on LGBTQ+ postsecondary students. Gifted Child Quarterly, 66(3), 171–187. https://doi.org/10.1177/00169862211029681

Tuan, Y. (2001). Space and Place: The Perspective of Experience. University of Minnesota Press, 149-224.

Video Format (Via Youtube)

Written Article Format (Via Substack) below…

Disclaimer & Content Warning

In this article, I discuss the importance of consent, unconventional and unsafe romances, erotica, and fictional rape and sexual assault scenes in “dark romance” literature. Please read at your own discretion. While it is absolutely necessary for these kinds of discussions to take place, please take care of your wellbeing when doing so. There are resources at the end for survivors and those who continued on and would benefit from further supports.

Additionally, there is nothing morally wrong with reading, writing, or enjoying dark romance and/or erotic horror. Yes, there are complexities to the ethics of the media we consume, but that is tied with our response to it and the world around us, not the initial consumption itself. Dark Romance and Erotic Horror are both forms of literary escapism and reclamation of power for those who have experienced sexual assault and domestic abuse, and the following critique of the genres’ marketing and labeling has nothing to do with, nor should be used to dismiss or invalidate their experiences, creation, preferences, or affiliation with either genre.

Introduction

A rose appearing out of nowhere.

A twig snapping behind you.

A waitress witnessing something she really shouldn’t have.

When you hear of “Dark Romance”, you might think to such scenes of imbalanced power dynamics, bodice rippers, bloody obsession, and a thriller chase through the woods. Relevant case studies in media today like Lights Out by Navessa Allen, Haunting Adeline by H.D Carlton, and Credence by Penelope Douglas remain primaries in book recommendations for the genre. In all literature we consume, it’s adamantly clear how crucial language is, and furthermore, the names we call for them. Why bring this up now? Because our “Dark Romance” falls more accurately with Erotic Horror, and the lack of distinction between the two genres looms a large threat powered by misogyny and rape culture, known as the romanticization of assault.

Qualifications

I am a published horror author, a book editor, a storytelling historian, and a pursuing student in Women & Gender Studies. I read dark romance and horror alike, and study the way that sexuality and consent shapes storytelling narratives. These are my opinions, founded in historical and feminist teachings and literary resources.

You are free to disagree, to dislike this post, and be entitled to your beliefs. Scrolling is free, thank you for reading.

My Definitions

Before we dive in, let’s understand the differences between Romance and Dark Romance, and Horror and Erotic Horror.

Romance: A story that shows humanity’s reaction to being put in a normal or best possible situation, with specifics on how they react to intimacy, vulnerability, and love. Can be philosophically charged as social commentary, or motivated by entertainment/enjoyment escapism.

Dark Romance: A story that shows humanity’s reaction to being put in a bad or worst possible situation, with specifics in to how they react to intimacy, vulnerability, and love. Can be philosophically charged as social commentary, a healing/reclamation on power, consent, and autonomy, or an entertainment/enjoyment escapism.

Romance is a normal or best case situation, with a safe and consensual conventional relationship. Dark romance is a worst case situation, with an unsafe but still consensual, unconventional relationship.

Horror: A story that shows humanity’s reaction to being put in the world possible situation. Can be philosophically charged as a social commentary, a healing/reclamation of power, or a motivated by slasher/gore shock factor thrill.

Erotic Horror: A story that shows humanity’s reaction to being put in the worst possible situation, in specifics to loss of autonomy, loss of consent, extreme possession, and extreme obsession. Can be philosophically charged as social commentary, a healing/reclamation of power from trauma, or slasher/gore shock factor thrill.

Horror is a worst case situation. Erotic horror is a worst case situation with an unsafe and unconsensual, extremely unconventional relationship.

Notice the similarities between Dark Romance and Horror, all the while the difference between Dark Romance and Erotic Horror? That’s because historical dark romance, emerging from gothic literature of the 18th century, is actually a subgenre of both romance and horror, rather than only the former.

Gothic Literature & The Historical Timeline Of The Dark Romance Genre

1700s-1900s: The Genesis of Gothic Literature & Romanticism

With the rise of gothic literature and the romanticism era, stories that dissect unconventional relationships, ethics, morality, mortality, and humanity’s role within nature and love come into popularity — dark themes and settings, the development of science fiction, otherness, and battles of love, revenge, independence, soul, and sin. The origins of the gothic genre commenced with literary works like The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, and Weathering Heights by Emily Brontë. Additional books that were critical to this time period, and the cultivation of the romanticism movement and storytelling that focused on human emotion include Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, Dracula by Bram Stoker, The Count De Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas, Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and many other fine classical works.

1970s-1990s: The Era Of Bodice Rippers & Modern Gothic Literature

Continuing the gothic legacy and redefining how monsters are perceived, we have the late 1900s. Unconventional relationships are one again brought to the forefront of literary media, and now the topic of a woman’s sexuality and escapism have emerged in the form of bodice rippers. Sin, mortality, and lust are key themes within the genre’s literature. Many of which are written by women in abusive relationships and marriages, that wish to feel romance within their lives, projecting into a fictional universe. The lines between explicit consent and a woman’s desires are further blurred. Critical media from this time included bodice rippers, Anne Rice’s Interview With A Vampire, and the Phantom of the Opera’s Broadway Debut.

2000s-Present: The Era of Vampires That Sparkle, Modern Dark Romance, & Popularized Erotic Horror

Sexuality, mortality, reverse harem, and the explicit become mainstream. From reimagining’s of monsters under a romantic lens, werewolves, vampires, and demons — the “conventionally evil” is depicted to symbolize sensuality, sin, morality, forbidden affection, and inclusive otherness. The unconventional is taken to a more direct and violent level, and bodice rippers are intensified into a modern light, utilizing further the gothic intersections of danger and romance. Now, however, with an explicit and modern take. Stalkers, captors, killers, mafia leaders, and fantastical creatures with animalistic biology or reproductive systems, dance the lines of power dynamics, dominance and obedience, predator and prey, trust and intimacy, consent and desire, and sexuality and purity. While still ever-changing, key stories within the movements’ vast spectrum of intensity include Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James, Twisted Love by Ana Huang, and Haunting Adeline by H.D Carlton.

The Fantasy V.S The Reality

No matter the amount of erotic horror books published under the genre “dark romance”, and no matter how publicly agreed that term for that type of story is, the withdrawal of consent is not romance. By allowing it to exist under such terminology, we uplift the notion that rape culture already projects into our lives, which is that without communication and safewords in place, no doesn’t mean no.

Reading dark romance books and enjoying the content doesn’t mean that you will enact such violence in real life, just like playing violent video games doesn’t mean that you will seek to hurt people in real life either, but there is a reason we call these videos games for what they are, fictional violence. So let’s call the fictional disregard for consent for what it is too. It’s horror, not romance.

Fear can be sexy, with consent and communication. There, again, is a reason that proper BDSM and kink etiquette around consensual non-consent or fearplay exists. It’s not immoral or romanticizing assault, as long as it acknowledges safewords, check-ins, and that the scene is just a scene, and can stop at any time — as long as it is planned out before hand, and there is a mutual bond of trust fostered on intense communication and intimacy. Fictional stories marketed as “Dark Romance”, yet include scenes with a disregard of consent with the intended love interest, don’t have any of that. The characters aren’t discussing their boundaries or hard no’s. They aren’t establishing exits or safety measures. For us, it is fictional, but in the character’s world, it is real and not pre-discussed or communicated. That makes it a horror, not a romance. The reason fear in the real world can be hot is because we know we have the power and autonomy to stop if we so desire, but can still choose to continue. There is no choice or autonomy in “Dark Romance” fiction. It continues regardless of the protagonist’s say. That makes it horror, not romance.

Genre Classifications

Disclaimer

The following books are categorized on whether a sexual assault, rape, or unconsented sexual intimacy took place between the love interest and protagonist, regardless of if on page or not, and how the writing handles their relationship after the fact. If it occurs, and especially if it treated as romantic, it is Erotic Horror. If it does not occur, and the relationship is unconventional, unsafe, but still consensual at the end of the day, it is Dark Romance.

Additionally, if consent is given, but it is unclear, dubious, or the protagonist is written to be wanting to continue despite their lack of verbal consent, I analyze whether the love interest would have stopped if the MC had not only insisted, but even slightly stated or hinted at stopping. If they would not have, it is Erotic Horror. If they would have, while much more gray, it is Dark Romance.

If the relationship is twisted, dark, unsafe, insane, possessive, and batshit crazy, but still always consensual, it is a Dark Romance. The moment it is not consensual, it is Erotic Horror.

If planning to read, please review these books’ ratings and warnings first, regardless of the section I’ve listed it under, as they are all dark, regardless of if consensual. Additionally, many of books under the Dark Romance section do have explicit or described rape or assault scenes, though it is with the MC and other characters, not the love interest. Being listed under the Dark Romance section does not indicate a lack of rape entirely within the story, only a confirmed consent between the MC and the love interest. Reader discretion is heavily advised.

Popular DR Books That Are Indeed Dark Romance (DR)

• Lights Out By Navessa Allen

• The Risk by S.T. Abby

• Twisted Love by Ana Huang

• Insatiable by Leigh Rivers

• Nocticadia by Keri Lake

• Her Soul to Take by Harley Laroux

• Phantasma by Kaylie Smith

• Leather & Lark by Brynne Weaver

Popular “DR” Books That Are Actually Erotic Horror

• Haunting Adeline by H.D Carlton

• Credence by Penelope Douglas

• God of Malice by Rina Kent

• Cruel King by Rina Kent

• The Sweetest Oblivion by Danielle Lori

• The Ritual by Shantel Tessier

• From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

• Den of Vipers by K.A. Knight

• Keeping Her Under by Miranda Grant

Conclusion

Yes, the dark romance genre has a history of fictional relationships with no care for consent, fostered by authors who sought a fictional sense of their perceived romance outside of their abusive relationships and marriages (e.g., bodice rippers). That was their way of having conversations about violence and love. They couldn’t have public conversations about what consent was and its importance, whether they wanted to or not. They couldn’t speak on choice, autonomy, or communication.

We can.

We can have discussions revolving around the language we utilize within literature. We can converse on the intersections and boundaries of romance and horror. We can establish standards of consent and how we define our genres. We have the power and voice to speak on these matters. We have the voice they didn’t. Whether they would have agreed with us now, we have the choice to change how we discuss Dark Romance.

It’s always the question of choice that allows us to make these distinctions. Without choice, there is only unconsented and untrusted control. That’s a real life horror, so why shouldn’t it be considered one in fiction too?

Supports

I stumbled upon NO MORE when researching for sexual assault supports that could benefit readers from every country, not just my own in Canada. They provide outreach and resources for domestic abuse and rape survivors in over 200 countries across Europe, Oceania, The Americas, Asia, and Africa.

You deserve to feel safe again. You’re not alone.

You can contact the directory here:
For Those In Africa
For Those In Asia
For Those In Europe
For Those In Oceania
For Those In The Americas
For All Countries

References

Aria, N. (2023). The Evolution of Dark Romance: A historical perspective. Neda Aria. https://www.nedaaria.info/post/the-evolution-of-dark-romance-a-historical-perspective

Babaoğlu, C. (2025). The evolution of dark romance and how its meaning changed. https://typelish.com/b/the-evolution-of-dark-romance-and-how-its-meaning-changed-116729#google_vignette

Drrwpuser. (2025). A dark romance history lesson. Dark Romance Reads. https://darkromancereads.com/a-dark-romance-history-lesson/

Gothic Literature | Encyclopedia.com. (n.d.). https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/gothic-literature

NO MORE. (2024). NO MORE Global Directory • NOMORE Global Directory. NOMORE Global Directory. https://nomoredirectory.org/

You can read the original here to support the magazine it resides in, Rising Dawn Literary Magazine, and I financially.

Date of First Publication: May 15th, 2025

Humanity creates magic through art, storytelling, and connections made with the land and those around us. Despite this inherent expression, a popular saying amongst theatre critics plagues the minds of every performer and every technician before pride can even be felt for their efforts, “A performance without an audience is only a rehearsal”. The significance behind this phrase is emphasized throughout modern teachings of all arts, its common interpretation being that “Art cannot be art, if there is no one there to interpret it”. Yet, human society is built on storytelling, and as such one can never escape the existence of art. The notion that art is determined only by an audience, completely discredits the pre-existing interpretation of the creator(s), and furthermore cultivates a culture of consumer entitlement and advocates for the capitalization of the arts.

The public confuses the ability to perform with the choice to perform, and while all art is open to interpretation by nature, as everyone will have a unique and personal perspective, such does not endorse undermining the integrity of art when reviewing it. It is the very same as asking “If a tree falls, and no one is around to hear it, does it really make a noise?” Yes, the tree made a noise, and yes, the artist(s) decides the true meaning, because even if there is no one around to witness something, it still happens. It still exists, just as life exists outside of our own perception, and art exists outside of our own entitlement.

Art is a craft, an expression of humanity, a pillar of storytelling, a tapestry of history, and a beacon for hope in suffering. Yet, presently, it is a skill used for profit. Within academia, it is regarded as a dying, dead-end, and starving field to pursue, where typically those graced with nepotism, pre-existing connections, or white privilege can succeed. The notion of the American Dream is a lie, and with it brings the death of concepts of media literacy, intellectualism, and creation for creation’s sake. The death of knowledge for knowledge’s sake.

It is this post-colonial, late-stage capitalist Western world we live in, that rips away the integrity of artists and the significance of art; all in favour of clickbait entertainment, consumerism, and the engorgement of human entitlement. Songwriters and artists that cannot release albums back-to-back are soon forgotten. Those that can muster the strength to do so, a quantity of work our bodies are never meant to sustain, are never truly appreciated for the art they create, and rather for the limited-timed entertainment they bring. Ninety-thousand-word manuscripts are adapted to tv shows with only eight episodes, in which every scene is either cut or squished together so that the producers can make more money for lower quality films. The shows are cancelled after the first season, if consumers don’t immediately become obsessed with them, and the showrunners only make fifteen million dollars instead of one billion dollars. Literary publishing houses promote story selling over storytelling. Art classes are cut from elementary school curriculums due to budget wars. Theatre productions cost hundreds of dollars to see. Concerts costing even more. Generative AI steals from artists, writers, and creatives so corporations don’t have to pay their artists.

Through such, consumerism has taken over the production and distribution of art. This indoctrination turns the viewer greedy and entitled, and while the message of an artwork can certainly be interpreted entirely outside of the creator’s intentions, claiming that the consumer determines the message invokes a social authority over artists. If viewers don’t get that instant dopamine hit, then your art is worth nothing to society, and therefore is a waste of time. The audience, a role that exists so the creator may share their art, have become executioners. Instead of performing on a stage, artists dance on a stool above the gallows. One move that the viewer doesn’t like, and the floor is dropped beneath their feet. It doesn’t matter that the audience can leave at any time if they so desire. It doesn’t matter that art is subjective. Anything too long, too deep, or too intellectual is hung. Anything too abstract, too real, or too uncomfortable is guillotined. It’s irresponsible to give this kind of totalitarian power to a culture undeserving of the gift it is given; that abuses its own, all the while causing its own bored and lifeless death.

Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of the 2013 non-fiction work, Braiding Sweetgrass, encapsulates this frustration perfectly in her later chapter, “Defeating the Wendigo”. The Wendigo is a widely known creature among various Indigenous’ folklore, in which a human so consumed by their greed becomes a mindless cannibalistic monster, their hunger never satisfied. The sharing of this story serves to ward people from overconsumption and entitlement, as what you devour will turn back to devour you. At first encounter, Kimmerer’s character barely escapes the claws of the Wendigo, before handing it a naturally drugged tea, which he gulps down within seconds. Her teapot is shattered by the creature, who grows angry when his cup empties. These events hold a mirror to the modernized nature of audience-turned executioners, who ingest and ingest without satisfaction, nor appreciation for what’s shared with them. Much like the decline in media literacy and intellectualism in Western society, the Wendigo faces horrible ailments from the amount of tea he’s swallowed. Rather than seek revenge upon this monster, she uses her knowledge of creation to care for him, applying it as a craft, not a skill. She heals the Wendigo by forcing him to taste true art through her Willow and Strawberry tea. It is this display of raw humanity that snaps him out of his blood lustful haze, “You can’t know reciprocity until you know the gift. He is helpless before [it’s] power. His head falls back, leaving the cup still full” (pg. 379). The significance of the Wendigo restraining himself from overconsuming and allowing himself to bask in real creation and real knowledge, irrevocably ties to how real art heals people. As Kimmerer explicitly states, it presents the message that even this consumeristic world can turn around, if we stop and acknowledge what is around.

Our society has been so starved for sustenance, that we’ve forgotten what it truly tastes like. A performance without an audience is still a performance. A story that no one reads is still a story. While the viewer can interpret art however they please, the first and true meaning will always belong to the creator(s). You cannot fill a colosseum, watch art come to life upon a stage, and then claim to understand its foundations when you can barely acknowledge that the very seating is built by an artist as well. It is their creations that allow audiences to exist and to feel. After all, art cannot be interpreted if it is not created by someone with a dream to share.

References

Godin, S., Hagy, J., & MacLeod, H. (2010). Linchpin: Are you indispensable? http://ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BB08635710

Kimmerer, R. W. (2013). Braiding Sweetgrass. Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants. Milkweed Editions.

Kleon, A. (2012). Steal like an artist : 10 things nobody told you about being creative. http://ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BB11324286

Lorde, A. (1977). Poetry Is Not A Luxury. https://makinglearning.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/poetry-is-not-a-luxury-audre-lorde.pdf

Lorde, A. (1984). The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle The Master’s House. In Sister Outsider: Essays and speeches. http://ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BA01234259

Shields, C. V., & Arendt, H. (1951). The Origins of Totalitarianism. The Western Political Quarterly, 4(3), 501. https://doi.org/10.2307/442863