The Fifth Harmony fandom, or any fandom really, is made up of subgroups. Some fans favor one member the most, others favor two, and others favor two of them together. Shipping two people in a fandom isn't anything new, but there's a big difference between shipping characters and shipping real people, and Fifth Harmony member Lauren Jauregui took to Twitter to explain why.
Jauregui came out as bisexual late last year, which added fuel to the fire of "Carmen" fans, or fans of Fifth Harmony who desperately want Jauregui and former member Camila Cabello to be a couple. They express this through tweets, captions, and even edited photos of the members sharing intimate moments. Last week, it became too much.
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@talented_kordei no I hate it because it's invasive, scary, delusional, disrespectful to us both and was never real...Ever.
— Lauren Jauregui (@LaurenJauregui) March 23, 2017
"I hate [the ship] because it's invasive, scary, delusional, disrespectful to us both and was never real...Ever," the 20 year old wrote in response to fan's tweet.
When another fan asked Jauregui to clarify, she had more to say.
@brujitaf_Spears because you never quite become ok with people sexualizing you and your friendships for their sick pleasure. That's why.
— Lauren Jauregui (@LaurenJauregui) March 23, 2017
"Because you never quite become ok with people sexualizing you and your friendships for their sick pleasure" she wrote. "That's why."
Some Camren fans were offended by the tweets, insisting that they did it for the love of the story, but Jauregui has a point. She's a real person, and knowing that every move you make with your friends is being sexualized just because you're bisexual is unfair, and part of a bigger issue with the way bisexuality is viewed by society.
"I am a bisexual Cuban-American woman and I am so proud of it," she wrote in her coming out letter for Billboard. "I am proud to be part of a community that only projects love and education and the support of one another."
That was written in the context of the current political climate, but can be applied to most areas of life. Jauregui is proud of her sexuality, but it's private. That's all fans need to know.