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Thank you for reading Your Freudian Slip.
This fic was a deeply personal project for me. When I first toyed with the concept about a year before its completion, I knew that I would have to address some very serious issues with special meaning to me: for example, anxiety, depression, gender identity, assault, and recovery. I also knew from an early date that the plot would enter into legal scenes and make some implications about how the justice system deals with, or doesn’t deal with, the issues like the ones I mentioned. As an American-born author with a largely American experience, of course, my own experience does not necessarily represent a universal vision of how these sorts of issues are being dealt with. But, all the same, I hope my highlighting these problems and experiences still sheds some light on what’s going on here and in other corners of the world.
Another point that I’d like to make is that it was purposeful on my part to write the story mostly from Phil’s perspective. A huge part of giving marginalized characters some agency is also making them the narrative voice. Even though Dan’s character in this particular plotline does suffer some prejudice and marginalization, too, I made the choice to focus on Phil’s past and Phil’s issues more, because they’re important. Not necessarily more important than the homophobia and crisis of sexuality that Dan undergoes, but just as important and probably far less addressed in public arenas.
To answer some other questions you may have, yes, Phil’s character does take hormones at the time that the story takes place. I originally wrote a scene including this fact but later deleted it because the dialogue seemed redundant and contrasted too much with the overall rhythm of the story. Also, Phil does win the custody case against Ray and Phil later considers pressing charges for assault and kidnapping. Those details remain open for a follow-up time stamp or a one-shot sequel. As for Dan, do his parents ever decide to initiate reconciliation with him? That’s up to your interpretation and imagination.
Once again, thank you for reading this fic and showing your support for Your Freudian Slip. Stay happy, stay healthy, and wherever you are, I hope you have a lovely day.