Quoted for agreement. It's fantasy, and the author has the right to do whatever he/she wants with the world. It doesn't make it an anacronism to include homosexual characters or racism/classism/descrimination of other kinds. We all draw inspiration from our world, be it current political trends, genocide, war, or social movements.
I have classism in my books and in some parts there's sexism, but the world is mine and addresses the issues that are prevelent in it. In some "noble" (for lack of a better word) families the inheritance passes through the men, but in those same families the women retain their family name when they marry and it's the men who change theirs. I think it's a fresh take on some of these issues
This is what I'm talking about, yeah. I feel like people think readers want to see Xena riding a giant dinosaur through town and then killing all the men and blah blah (I'm bored already). It's silly.
But, when I read fantasy novels from the 80's, for example, I see so many areas where writers were pushing forward in terms of gender (for example). The Dragonlance series comes to mind. While it wasn't perfect by any stretch, I think of Kitiara. Female warrior. Had some lovers. But love wasn't her entire focus. She was badass. And evil. And rode dragons. And nowhere in the books did we get precious little moments like:
(GASP), a WOMAN riding a dragon, carrying a sword! ooooooo, that's so strange! And progressive!
I remember disliking her right away (she was the villain!) but respecting her as a threat all the same. Especially when she offed a certain character that I was just beginning to like.
I think a fresh take (as stated above) is a great approach. How can I make this slightly different? Sure, some people don't like romance in fantasies. Maybe they're sick of the chosen couple trope. For me, I have a married couple. Arranged marriage, but let's forgo the BS, "Omg, this is so bad that I'm in a marriage like this. WAHH WAHH." How about they act like people who grew up in this society and who simply must make it work? And respect one another. And, above all, learn to work together. Then later, how do they both obtain their goals and still maintain a working marriage?
I start off where these people are already married. He's back from war. What now? Well, we do our duties. The marriage is on the back burner. Our real goals speak to our deepest wants/desires and those, my friend, are not wrapped up in, "Aww, does he wuv me?" but rather in issues that impact entire kingdoms and countries. (Epic fantasy, yo!)