There’s been some chat lately about shippers and I have some things to say. This has never been a fandom that has embraced shipping, despite it being something that has been part of fandom since forever (both in character and rl shipping). I personally couldn’t

Care less if someone ships or not. I do and the only thing I would ask is that I’m left alone to do that. Without being told I’m ‘delusional’ (the usual insult) or that I can’t tell fact from the show (actually can - SC are SC and JC are JC and never the twain shall meet).

I don’t tag either Sam or Caitríona in my shippery tweets, I don’t try and demand that they ‘come clean’ like some do. I don’t believe in fake marriages or hidden children. What I do believe in is two people who have a deep and intimate relationship which is wonderful to see.

There is clearly an assumption that all shippers hate Caitríona’s husband or the women Sam is linked with. Not so. For the most part, and certainly it’s true for the shippers I know and love, we just ignore them. That, imo, is more respectful of them than

The hoards of people who descend on the SM accounts of any woman Sam is linked to and either act like they are their biggest fan (seriously? You never heard of this person until literally now) or send them rude and insulting messages. Fandom history tells me that by far the

Majority of this behaviour is NOT done by shippers. The only thing most of these people are ‘fans’ of is their Sam-adjacentness.

T is another matter entirely. A private citizen, with zero social media presence. We only see him when at events with Caitríona. That’s clearly how

They have chosen things to be. Good for them. However....did you know that we would never have known what this man’s name even was were it not for the data mining and digging around of the main prominent Anti? He and Caitríona have clearly been friends since well before

Outlander started (pictures etc prove this) and as previously stated, no SM. So unlike Donal or Karolina or whoever else...how do we know his name? Because a troll dug until they found it. Then spent many many

Years claiming to have a ‘Tony source’ who would give them little tidbits of info. About him, probably members of his family. Does that sound like something a close friend of a clearly private man would do? No me neither. As well as her ‘tony souce’

The same anti has claimed ‘sources’ for most women Sam‘s been linked too. An obscure blogger linked to a new fandom suddenly has all these people falling over themselves to tell sam and Caitríona’s deepest secrets to them? Okay Jan.

They also recently posted emails received from the property agent of the villa Sam was staying in in Hawaii. I assume they emailed said agent to find out when/if/how long sam was planning to stay there. When Sam released his statement about online bullying

Etc, they went private, changed their blog name and deleted the posts - except nothing is ever truly gone and I’ve seen these posts on Instagram. Totally the actions of an innocent person right? But this is someone who has always yelled about how much they support Sam

and Caitríona and how awful shippers are...and yet they do that?

Doesn’t sound very supportive to me.

All of this has been in the name of TRUTH and ‘making shippers cry’. What an admirable thing to strive for......

Also did you know that an anti once wrote a huge blog post detailing (with pictures!) how shippers were like nazis and non shippers and SC were like the Jews? Did you know that anti blogs reblogged this and found it HILARIOUS? It was truly one

Of the most offensive things I’ve ever read but please, let me hear more about how awful shippers are....

*sidebar* if any of Purv’s minions, or Purv herself, is lurking here...just fuck off. I couldn’t give a shit. I’m still laughing about the time you put my name on a list of evil shippers you were going to send to Mackenzie... still baffled as to what you thought she’d do...

All of this is to say - shippers are not the worst, despite what people have been told or led to believe. Have shippers crossed lines? Yes they fucking have and when it gets to that point there is no shipper or anti anymore just people with zero respect for those they claim to

Be fans off. So I only ask that not all shippers are judged by the actions of a few, just as I wouldnt judge anyone who doesn’t ship by the actions of one anti troll. I’m not trying to claim any sort of superiority over anyone because I’ve been in the fandom a long time

But just wanted to put a few things out there that people may not know. And that’s just the tip of the tip of the iceburg. People on both sides have been busy little bees and care more for being right than anything else. and have clearly forgotten

in doing all this that there are two actual humans capable of being hurt by their actions. But again that is the minority. And most of us shippers just want to squee over hearteyes or mirroring or Sam acting like

No other humans except Caitríona exist .

Shippers love them both - something you can’t always say for some other factions of this fandom. The shippers I know are some of the smartest, funniest and most creative people. After six years I think we deserve to have this fandom

Stop acting like we are the enemy cos we aren’t. Seriously.

And that has been your rambling Saturday afternoon rant, you are welcome.