This is not Okay

I think most of you know what the YA Crush Tournament is.

If not, you can probably figure out by the title.

I like this tournament, and its counterpart, the YA Heroine Tourney.  They can be fun and interesting and cool, even if you know from the start who's going to win.

But I have a problem with a nomination for this YA Crush Tourney.  I have a very, very big problem with it.

Before I go on, I'd like to add that Zoey has already blogged about this, and has probably phrased things better than anything I'll be capable of.  But this is something I had to speak out about.  This is something everyone needs to see.  This is something that needs to be protested.

Sebastian, from The Mortal Instruments series, has been nominated as a YA Crush.  He has gotten 98 votes.

That is not okay.

Sebastian is an incestuous, murderous rapist.  He tried to rape his sister, Clary.  He's killed numerous people and attempted genocide.  He is a disgusting character, and has all the makings of a complex, horrifying villain; not the makings of a crush.

 Understand me.  I am not saying there's something wrong with his character.  I'm not saying it's wrong for such things to exist in a book.  I'm saying it's wrong for people to consider these romantic.  I'm saying that Sebastian may be a great antagonist and a fascinating character, but he is not, in any universe, a character to swoon over.

This is not me complaining simply because I disagree with people's choices. Do I dislike some of the other characters on that list? Certainly.  I think a fair amount of them are idiotic assholes.  But I'm not going to raise a fuss about them, because while I think they're idiotic assholes, I can see how others might adore them.

I am complaining about Sebastian because putting a rapist as a crush is not okay.

The YA Sisterhood has censored comments due to numerous people's complaints, and those that were let through and not deleted were given the same generic reply.  Contacting them will likely not help.  However, contacting Cassie Clare might.  Cassie Clare wrote a brilliant post about rape culture and the scene in her novel, and I'm fairly certain she would not condone Sebastian being romanticized.  I'm also fairly certain that, at the moment, she is not aware of his presence on this list.

Could you please, please try and contact her?  Or if not that, spread the word, make a complaint, show people that this is not okay?

Please.