"most romances shelved in the romance section are almost exclusively heterosexual, vanilla, etc. whereas "non-traditional romances" are shelved as erotica--or, as you say, in another category altogether, such as LGBTQ or African American"
There's definitely BDSM in some erotic romances, and erotic romance is a sub-genre of romance, and distinct from "erotica." Sylvia Day, one of the founders of Passionate Ink, the erotic romance chapter of the RWA, has described the differences between erotic romance and erotica here (http://www.passionateink.org/faq/).
"I, too, think that kink/fetish is more likely to be found in erotica and its derivatives than anywhere. Which seems logical, but I think it also perpetuates the idea that people with kinks can't have relationships or lives that don't revolve around said kink."
Some romances don't actually have any sex scenes, so in that case perhaps one just doesn't know what kind(s) of sex the protagonists prefer? I suppose it would depend on the extent to which it affected their behaviour in the scenes portrayed outside the bedroom.
no subject
There's definitely BDSM in some erotic romances, and erotic romance is a sub-genre of romance, and distinct from "erotica." Sylvia Day, one of the founders of Passionate Ink, the erotic romance chapter of the RWA, has described the differences between erotic romance and erotica here (http://www.passionateink.org/faq/).
"I, too, think that kink/fetish is more likely to be found in erotica and its derivatives than anywhere. Which seems logical, but I think it also perpetuates the idea that people with kinks can't have relationships or lives that don't revolve around said kink."
Some romances don't actually have any sex scenes, so in that case perhaps one just doesn't know what kind(s) of sex the protagonists prefer? I suppose it would depend on the extent to which it affected their behaviour in the scenes portrayed outside the bedroom.
Laura