#and PLEASE read batgirl 2000 before yelling about how erasing disability is good actually bc racism

[sour-teeth]

I’m pretty sure most fans who are super gung-ho about “Dick Grayson is Romani and POC and you are Racist if you disagree” have never actually read the source material for it (Nightwing 96) because it is VERY bad. Like, irredeemably bad in terms of stereotyping and racism. 

When BoP came out, SO MANY people were defending Cassandra Cain’s disability getting erased because “her character is racist!!!!1!” but no one mentions how Dick being Romani is racist. And honestly, Dick getting characterized as Romani is WAY worse because:

1. Cass has always been Asian and Dick being Romani was retconned literal decades after his character had been established.

2. Cass started out as a racist trope, but if you pick up (almost) any issue of Batgirl 2000 you’ll see that she was developed well beyond that. Dick was made Romani in a way that was racist, and idk if anything productive/progressive/even interesting has come about from him being Romani.

3. Kelley Puckett (one of Cass’ creators) said in an interview that he made Cass half Asian because he has a half Asian daughter and he wanted her to see herself in a character. That’s at least SOMETHING, because Devin Grayson probably went “let’s make Dick Romani because… racism.”

(Also, just so we're clear, Cass having a disability is not inherently racist, but saying that it IS is ableist.)

And I get that not everyone in fandom reads comics - which is fine - but it really sucks to see fans care way more about a male character who was white for most of his existence (and whose characterization as a POC is VERY racist (AND who is still functionally white)) than about a female character who has ALWAYS been POC (who also gets ripped to shreds when her CANONICAL DISABILITY gets erased).

Like, with regards to "Dick Grayson is Romani" I’m willing to cut some slack to fans who are younger and/or POC, but damn if that still doesn’t leave a bad taste in my mouth.