#example asking if smth is racist

[starlooove]

No it gets me so tight that y’all are like. I don’t wanna say pathetic but the whole “what do we think? Who do we hate? Who are we agreeing with” mentality without critical thought is so fucking annoying. Like I need you to pause and think about ur own emotions and feelings and if ur neutral ur neutral! And that’s not saying don’t ask questions; obviously you should but taking the first answer provided or just agreeing without breaking it down for yourself is kinda fake

[creatingblackcharacters]

obv you don’t speak for all black ppl ever but are there any fandoms that set off immediate red flags for you? like, smth where the creator or content of the work is so rancid that you just. can’t trust nbs who call themselves fans of it? (basically im asking if black ppl have an equivalent of harry potter for trans ppl. if answering this feels too close to batting at a hornet’s nest just ignore me lol)

🤣 I don't speak for all Black people, this is true, but I think I can take the liberty this time and confidently say:

All of them.

So long as there's a fandom with a majority nonblack viewerbase and/or target demographic, there will be rampant antiblackness. You get jaded to the pattern after a while, though it doesn't stop hurting, if that makes sense. I know that's not specifically what you're asking, but... It's just so broad. Something can be terrible, something can be great... The fandom? Predictable.

And excuse my French, but fuck the hornets nest lmao. All anyone can do is be racist to me about it, and they were already gonna do that anyway 🤷🏾‍♀️ (this doesn't mean every Black fan is this comfortable! Fandom can be very dangerous for Black people, so everyone's not going to be as open about it, and do not expect them to be!)

Anywho, here's two lists I've compiled thanks to contributions from people whom I asked for antiblack fan experiences, all anonymized for safety. You will find fandom examples in there. Me personally, I won't touch the AMC Interview With The Vampire fandom with a two hundred foot pole. If it's not getting shared by my peers I don't wanna see it! A show where the lead is a Black man, and it had some of the most overt antiblackness I've seen. I imagine it was worse this season with a Black and Southwest Asian couple, though like I said- I don't see it 🤷🏾‍♀️

Also, sidenote, but the H*P fandom is also and always was unwelcoming to Black people lmao. Far before I knew about the TERF and the antisemitism, I watched an entire fandom of "white progressives who'd fight for justice in D*mbledore's Army" go nuclear meltdown and write whole essays on how ol girl just COULDN'T be a Black person! So much for social justice 🤣

[austim]

we wanted to ask about smth in your dni , we like markiplier he's one of our comfort youtubers / hyperfixations , n we wanted to ask if you'd still be alright with us following , or if you'd rather we don't ?? we also tried to find what he did and we couldn't find anything that he hadn't apologized for ?? sorry if this is annoying we're just really confused and a bit stressed ^^;

I don't want Youtuber stans interacting with me in general because most of the big Youtubers are either racist or have collaborated/befriended racists like Pewdiepie in the past but I don't really know enough about Markiplier to give that much of a shit, he was just an easy example when I wrote up my DNI 2-3 years ago.

[eda-does-things]

INTRO POST:

Hello everone!! My name is Eda :)

I am a nonbinary (They/them) autistic lesbian!!

I love Splatoon, vocaloid, pokemon, cosplay, & general nerdy nonsense!!

I also have a silly goofy Splatoon AU called inkblot. It's a future AU involving the agents, idols, & a couple others that follows their daily lives as adults with jobs and families. Please keep in mind this is an AU & may diverge from cannon! I talk about it often lol please ask me about it

I have been drawing since I was about 3 or 4

I am an ENFP personality type. I'm a lil awkward n clueless but I love making friends! Don't be shy ;)

I am also a Capricorn! (Jan 9 is my birthday lol)

I'm in the U.S. & CST time zone.

My Switch Code is: SW-4938-9780-2878

You're free to add me, but please lmk in advance!

I am currently not ready to take commissions regularly, however, if you want one for whatever reason, feel free to ask me.

Please keep in mind that I am a minor and that I need tone indicators!

Have a nice day :)

Oh, and read this

BYF & DNI:

BYF:

★ I am very high energy and a bit anxious,, but love making friends! If you're a mutual please feel free to DM! (Just say smth like “Hi, my name is (name) and I’m just here to chat! (or whatever reason) as stuff like just “Hi” makes me anxious!)

★ DO NOT CALL ME KID/KIDDO/CHILD/SWEETIE/HONEY/ANY OTHER PET NAMES UNLESS I GIVE THE OK

★I am a (mostly) Splatoon account!

★ I usually reply fast but get distracted easily!

★ PLEASE USE TONE INDICATORS

★ I go into a lot of detail with stuff I enjoy and tend to go on tangents/rambles

★ I tend to correct folks sometimes when they say something incorrect about one of my interests so I'm sorry in advance

★ C//ps/P//lice are MAJOR TRIGGERS, so please, censor them!

DNI

*Bold means it's ok if I interact FIRST

★ If you're homophobic, sexist, racist, ableist, etc. Please, leave

★ NSFW ACCOUNTS

★ You're a proshipper, IRL shipper or support them

YOU ARE NOT A PROSHIPPER FOR HAVING SHIPS

Proshipping is when you're fine with ANY ship, as in incest, adult and minor pairs, etc etc. Shipping is ok if it's legal!

You are not an IRL shipper if you just think two people would make a nice couple and do not actively ship them

an example of active shipping is Markiplier x Jacksepticeye

an example of thinking two people would be cute is me thinking it'd be dope if Alice Peralta and Rina Itou got together but I'm not gonna force it or anything

★ Unironically talk about or support Heterophobia (doing so satirically is ok!)

★ Dislike fanfiction/RP

★ Also please leave if you're just here to get after my comfort stuff, please leave.

★ DO NOT INTERACT IF YOU SUPPORT AUTISM SPEAKS YOU ABLEIST

★Your name is Kitty, Sebby, Moss, Dio, or Max

[notmidnight]

d and I talked the entirety of lunch today. I came into her class ready to hear her out. because I was shocked when in 2nd period, she revealed she was republican, but it all felt so satirical everything she said was unreal and it didn’t leave my mind. So 5th period comes, (lunch), I race to her classroom and call her name to see her look up at me and I ask

“Are you really a republican?”

SHE LAUGHS.

while smiling she says, “yes I am.”

“Well like— umm- you don’t owe me an explanation obviously, but why, like can you explain what views you agree with?” (Hoping she isn’t homophobic or racist etc)

She went on a tangent about democrats and how parties divide us and how this is a perfect example lol etc etc I just didn’t want her to be against my rights I asked her how she felt about the election in my state (Texas) I told her how she felt about abortion laws and other trans youth laws etc it was nice and I agreed with some of the things she said she explained herself in a timely manner, going into full detail compared to when she screamed in the heat of the moment saying she isn’t racist YK like she defended herself a lot better (she said the n word 2 years ago on a zoom call and it hasn’t left her reputation) but yea we had a chill moment but I don’t think she’s racist she just did smth racist also like we talked about her personal life and about her sons and that they vape(d) it was unreal as well I forget that she’s her own person with her interesting life I even got her to talk about weed with me for a while she told me a bit about her first time trying it and I told her that I had tried thc last year and shrooms (but not that I currently smoke just acting like my innocent self, but I think she’s knows bc I was super high in her class on Friday ) ☠️ she listened to me with no judgement even smiling when I told her about the mushrooms lmfao she said her sons would come home smelling like weed but her only issue seemed to be the smell like she’s so cool I told her like girl what did you do she said she was obviously upset and said smth like “YOU DO THAT SHIT OUT THERE BUT DONT BRING IT IN HERE” she’s so funny I love her and I see her for who she truly is and I can’t wait to see her and as I walked out to class I told her I enjoyed our conversation and she said me too 😳 she told me to have a good day 🤭 I want her so bad she’s so adorable

[greythroat]

Tumblr user greythroat reveals opinion of Blaze x GreyThroat VIEW NOW

I was gonna send myself an ask to have an excuse to explain my personal opinion on Blaze x GreyThroat but I’m just gonna write it out. I personally can’t see/don’t like them being in a serious relationship, casual flirting and teasing is the most I see it as. I just cannot personally see either wanting to seriously get with the other nor would I want to see it. Especially considering Blaze’s perspective imo. A relationship where your partner has so much baggage about and does not understand a core part of your identity and how you exist sounds draining and tiring. It’s like if I had a friend who was working on racist biases because idk they had family that fought in the Vietnam War or smth, I probably wouldn’t get with them. Like even if you think Blaze would, I’m not feeling that dynamic as a romance. I don’t mind/like a lot of love/hate or even just hate ships like for example Horn x Mandragora but like, no one has ever tried to kill me, but I know how it feels for people close to you to not understand a big part of your identity. Also a lot of Blaze x GreyThroat stuff really mischaracterizes Grey though I don’t think that’s entirely bc of the ship/GreyBlaze-exclusive, part of it is just that being the popular view of Grey and GreyBlaze being her most popular ship.

I stg if anyone crawls onto this post to imply that I’m homophobic because I don’t like ONE gay ship/think they would be a bad couple SLIT. I have experienced individually targeted homophobia irl for being same sex attracted, if you don’t like my opinion just move on.

[fuck-yeah-writing]

Pinned post!

🧃🍄✨

Introduction to me: My name is Ash. My pronouns are he/they/ey/it. (Full set to ey is ey/em/eir/eirs/emself) I'm an aroace trans guy. I'm autistic, I have adhd + other mental issues. I have chronic pain + fatigue + other chronic problems. I'm very pro-palestine. I really like nature and will accept nature facts. I'm 15.

Boundaries: I'm open to any questions about my sexuality, gender, disorders, physical problems, etc (other questions are welcome too, these are just the ones i mentioned above that ppl might not know if I'm okay with them asking abt). You can DM me if you want as long as you're nice, use tone tags when they're needed, and aren't creepy. Asks (anon available) are welcome and highly encouraged. Constructive criticism is okay, random hate is not. If you're gonna screen shot and repost my posts (for example a lot of ppl do that with Pinterest) make sure to give me credit (this can just be making sure my URL is visible). Thank you!

This blog is Hostile Towards: Zionists, terfs, other transphobes, homophobes, ableists, racists, Evangelists, "not all men" ppl, pro-trump shitheads, just bigots in general, anything diet culture-y, etc.

Blog content warnings: swearing, caps, etc will be common and most likely not have tws. I made a list of things I do and don't tw (you can request me to add tws if you need them tho and I'll add them). Whump, other angst, and trauma will be discussed (with tws).

Tag guide:

In the tags I usually put a tone tag (or add one in the post itself). I made a post on tone tags and what they are if your confused.

AHH; post about a hyper fixation/special interest of mine

Gonna graffiti this somewhere; something activism-y

Horrible lists; lists I made.

Me???; personal post

Rebob; reblog

Screaming crying throwing up; (not common) post abt or that includes something romantic.

Shaking their jar rn; post about whump

Writing prompt?; writing prompt lol.

Wrote while tired; smth from a wip of mine that I wrote while I was tired and am prolly sharing for laughs.

✨; original post

[narrie]

i def got confronted with racism very early on and i realized this more as i became older and traveled

can you elaborate on that? I’d love to hear more about your experience, but only if you’re comfortable!

one incident that i was retelling just the other day to a friend was when i was in prob 6th grade i was taking the bus with my black friend after school and we were lich rally just minding our own business, not being annoying kids or anything (not that it would've justified anything either), and when we exited the bus a man who was prob in his late 20s/early 30s got out behind us and said smth like "go back to ur fucking country" which is just an insane thing to say in general but to literal CHILDREN bro i was born and raised in germany, at that point i hadn't even been to afg in my life! that's smth that i've heard a tonnnn and i'm only 26, like lmao idt this is germany-specific tho obvs, like incidents like this def happen in LOADSSSSS of other countries, but in germany it's more the general vibe that i haven't really gotten in other countries, like i'm very much aware of my ethnicity when i'm in germany bc of how i'm being treated or being spoken to or even looked at - and it's sm worse when i'm with my parents for example who don't speak german fluently or without an accent the way i do which omfg if i had a $ for every time a white german has told me that i speak german so well like BROOOOOO . there's just a lot of everyday racism from ppl who would prob say smth like "i'm the least racist person!!!!" lmao i got sooooo many comments about my skin tone when i was little from white germans omfg shit like "i only get that tan when i go on holiday" and that was supposed to be a compliment 😀 i was talking about this with my sister too who recently moved abroad and she said one thing that's been really standing out to her is that in the 5 months she's lived in cph now not a single person has asked her where she's "originally from" which u get all the timeeeeeeee in germany :) like they just do not see u as germans lmao

[catsnraincoats-archive]

hey uh people with adhd can't control their hyperfixiations please don't think it's an excuse :( I can't help that I do that, but I don't support or condone what these bad people are doing

I have ADHD king <3 I am aware <3 Do what you can to Stop having the hyperfixation if its shit <3 It can happen

[shanhelingmoving]

laundry list of grievances of cdrama and/or danmei fandom

lets start with the obvious. the sheer amount of babying going on with characters, especially male characters. no theyre grown adults they arent your baby or your cinnamon roll or your son or smth. there's literally such a history of infantilizing chinese people to dehumanize them and yet all of you keep feeding into that.

also usually in tandem with that - the excessive horniness/oversexualisation of characters. it's genuinely like some of you haven't found a chinese person attractive before and suddenly need to prove that you're not racist because you're attracted to them, leading to the horniest tags on content. i promise i don't need to see that. doubly worse if its done in the same breath as calling them a baby.

the white lens that's applied to these works. whether its comparing cultivators to nobles/ aristocracy or calling cdrama characters elves because of what? historical clothing choices? long hair? sorry to break it to you tolkien didn't invent that. also the misinterpretation of culture and cultural norms and/or deciding to strip away context for your own (usually very white) interpretation. notable examples: modern aus where they've clearly never spoken to a chinese person in their life or the take where jin guangyao an honourary girlboss or saying huaisang is gnc

the forcing of gender roles onto mlm (calling one of them 'the woman/wife') and by extension forcing them into 'tops' or 'bottoms' based on that...like the more `feminized' one is the `bottom:.. and refusing to criticize the source material when it does that and continuing to feed into it

ive mentioned this before but the way theres literally such awful takes on censorship. yes there's something to say about how cdramas being censored means the most egregious fetishy stuff can't make it in, but saying stuff 'censorship fixed it' just shows you've forgotten Why censorship is there. in addition to that, the amount of jokes on 'can't believe this made it past censorship haha' why are you making light of homophobia.

a point brought up by an anon: "being convinced that criticism towards the heteronormativity/hypersexulisation in danmei is a "western" take, therefore it can't be criticised because its chinese media and somehow it makes the issues okay" I want to further comment on this with like...people saying that you're racist for criticizing authors like mxtx or priest because you're `refusing to engage with an asian author's text' please for the love of god give us more credit give asian people more credit it's so incredibly rude to say that asian people don't criticize awful parts of these works.

in addition to that, whenever the texts are criticized in general the defence of 'people are allowed to write unpleasant things/characters' is constantly brought up. however. when these characters are meant to be the main pairing/love interest that the reader is supposed to root for can it truly be said that they're just 'exploring the dynamic'. like pls this is clearly a genre that fetishizes mlm in particular already

when white people designate me (or my friends) as the Token Person Of Colour and like ask permission to do things. hello i (nor any other person) am not able to tell you if you can call an easian man 'a baby' i cannot decide that for you. furthermore i cannot decide that on behalf of every single chinese person

this post. fuck you.

fine i'll elaborate why is there 1k notes why would u rb a self-flagellating 1.5k word essay comparing white people and racism to bronies lol

in conclusion i hate it here and you all should pay me. thank you.

[naslostcontrol]

I've seen enough posts here from so called Muslims or people whose, let's say ancestors, are from muslim countries, who say that tog fic writers tend to not mention Islam when writing/speaking/etc about Yusuf (which I agree with). And THEN these same people mention just one thing that bothers them: fic writers tend to make Yusuf's family accepting (maybe my filters on AO3 are broken, because usually I see the opposite, but well, who knows, not to mention how hard it is to find smth that is not mature rated and has more than 5000 words, but that's another topic). And what bothers me the most is that these people then ADD "send asks to me so I can say how homophobic all Muslims are".

So, I am writing this as muslim not straight person from accepting family:

1.  Someone's experience is not universal, stop generalizing. There are accepting or homophobic families everywhere in this freaking world.

2. If those posts are not written by someone who actually LIVES in Tunisia, for example, then sorry not sorry, that opinions mean not so much

3. The most important: only people (lbr white people who are racist but don't want to be called like that, because it makes them less popular) who WANT to see answers like that would ask anything from these OPs, which is quite telling.

4. In most modern AUs that I saw Yusuf's family is living in Europe, so why can't they be accepting (because it seems like European background solves the problem)? My family lives in homophobic not muslim country and is accepting, I know other examples too (and no, my mom is not into yoga or other bs that I saw here, she is average muslim woman who regularly goes to mosque), so why it should be so impossible for a fictional muslim family living in Europe to be accepting?

5. Also if we are talking about fiction here: tog is literally about immortal people, how more unrealistic can one thing be? And among everything only Yusuf's background should be "realistic" = homophobic?

6. Next, Nicky's background can be just as homophobic (and in most fics it is), so why that is not discussed?

7. And, finally, out of all things that are problematic about Yusuf's characterization not only in fics but also in the original comics, that's what they decided to criticize? Sure, great choice

[creatingblackcharacters]

not really a question, but just asking for reassurance...

i want to write & draw more black characters, but i feel like no matter what i do, im doing it wrong.

dont include any black characters at all? im being racist by not even attempting to have any black rep.

dont acknowledge racial differences & treat black characters equally to white characters? im not acknowledging black experiences & am culturally whitewashing the character even if the hair, skintone, & facial features are accurately portrayed.

try to incorporate black experiences & culture into the character's story to acknowledge how black people have unique experiences compared to other races? im speaking over black people about things i have no personal experience with & i cannot accurately portray the full nuance.

it feels like no matter what i do someone calls me racist or insensitive or smth even though i try my absolute best & take tons of advice from black creators such as yourself :(

Okay, I want you to sit up and listen to me. I'm not being mean to you or denying your feelings, but I'm being direct:

None of the things you said were inherently invalid critiques. They may not apply to your work (idk what your work is, I haven't seen it) but they have applied and they often do apply to many creations that try to include Black characters. For example, colorblindness is something that you want to avoid- that's not a Black character with intent. And there are certain narratives that would better be reserved for Black authors, else cause discomfort amongst Black readers.

That being said, you have a choice here. If you want to not draw Black characters at this moment, bc it's causing you stress, you can do that. Accept what that means, though! The reality is that white characters are easy, they don't cause this much stress because Whiteness is considered the default. But for Black characters, and everyone else- yeah, these are things you have to learn.

But if you want to continue to create Black characters, that means you'll have to keep all those things in mind! It's a constant process! It is harder for you, if you're not Black. But if I wanted to create, for example, a Chinese character with intent, then that means recognizing that I don't know everything about that culture, there's certain things that aren't my place to touch as a non-Chinese author, and that it's not a one and done thing for me to accomplish. I have to be willing to put in the constant effort to be respectful. Anything worth doing is worth doing well. I mentioned it in my last ask, but ask yourself why you're really doing this. If you genuinely believe in diverse art, and you want to do well in creating your Black characters, then... Keep up your practice. Take a pause if you need to, but then get back to practicing. It'll show. You'll get better, and you will be okay.

Also, I'm not sure how you're getting this feedback- are you posting your work and people are saying this to you? I assume this isn't coming from friends? Is there art you want to submit for me to better see what you're talking about?

[kaasknot]

tagged by @trillgutterbug ty!!

name: kaasknot, short for kaa's knot. yes i am a freak—but let it be known i picked this name well before a/b/o existed. call me kaa

star sign: JIF natural crunchy peanut butter is best, but i'll accept skippy as a substitute if, for example, there is a salmonella recall,

height: 5'10.5". the half inch is very important to me.

time: is an artificial construct of industrialization and i wish it didn't exist

birthday: labor day

favorite bands/artists: i hate these questions. currently listening to duke ellington, johnny cash, lord huron, indila, and a variety of movie soundtracks. honorable mention to batushka, ethel cain, and four fists.

last movie: buster keaton's Go West, which is heart-warming and absurd beyond belief. with a surprise helping of shockingly racist! but at least that was short-lived, and not entirely unexpected for a movie made in 1925. do watch if you want to see a lonely man befriend an outcast cow, that same man run through the streets of los angeles wearing a devil gimp suit, and can turn off your brain for approximately 1 minute during the organ grinder sequence.

last show: last one i remember clearly was Bridgerton, but that absolutely wasn't the last show i watched. star trek, probably

when did i create this blog: 2012, riding the wave of loki thirst

what i post: mostly reblogs, specializing in memes, shitposts, and whatever fixation du jour i happen to be snorting. currently, that's buster keaton, with flourishes of star trek, supernatural, and band of brothers. burned out on star wars and marvel, you probs won't see any of either for a while

last thing i googled: jake shimabukuro's ukulele cover of "while my guitar gently weeps"

other blogs: ehhh they exist but i don't actually use them. everything i post online goes on this blog

do i get asks?: occasionally. i don't usually know how to answer them, so i ignore them and feel awkward about it

following: smth like 400 blogs, most of which are inactive

average hours of sleep: 7.5 if my cat cooperates

instruments: singing, whistling, very rudimentary piano, even more rudimentary ukulele

what i’m wearing: clothes

dream job: i simply do not dream of labor.

dream trip: i don't go places unless i have good reason. family obligations, to see friends, and/or to go to a convention are usually why i travel

nationality: american

favorite songs: idek i'm just gonna name songs i've played a lot in the last few days. "have you checked your butthole" by tom cardy, jakub józef orliński singing "vedrò con mio diletto" (basically on repeat), "hell's comin' with me" by poor man's poison

last book i’ve read: last book i actually finished was Camera Man, by dana stevens. it was a biography of buster keaton. currently i'm in the middle of reading Buster Keaton: A Filmmaker's Life by james curtis, Keaton by rudi blesh, and Buster Keaton's Sherlock Jr., ed. andrew horton, an essay collection analyzing one of his movies (i know i have a condition, it's terminal). other books i'm reading are Madam: The Biography of Polly Adler by debby applegate (1920s prostitution), Rank Ladies: Gender and Cultural Hierarchy in American Vaudeville by m. alison kibler (what it says on the tin), The Myth of Prison Rape: Sexual Culture in American Prisons by mark fleisher and jessie krienert (basically saying that rape exists, but not using the definitions of civilian society; extremely interesting read), and The Ukulele Handbook by gavin pretor-pinney and tom hodgkinson. i am actually reading all of them, but it's going pretty slowly.

top 3 fictional universes i’d like to live in: star trek for sure. i read a lot of crapsack world scifi, tho, so that's it.

lowkey tagging @spokir @countessofbiscuit @kweh-not-wark @cabezadeperro @even-subtext-is-canon @nottonyharrison

[cherrybombfangirlwrites]

happy late STS! i was looking at yr "fractured stars falling" WIP intro and was curious about how u chose yr characters identity markers? like gender, sexuality, race etc. curious about other people's process since it's smth i think ab for my own work as well

Happy STS!

Hope you don't mind I'm answering this a week later, it took a really long time to come up with an answer and how to best answer it because representation in media is a topic that should be handled with care and is not to be taken lightly.

I honestly didn't know how to answer this question at first, but I tried to the best of my ability.

(DISCLAIMER: I'm not doing any of this for brownie points. I'm not some savior to the communities that I am NOT a part of, and that was never my intention.

Also note: I am just one human. I am not perfect, and I am not an expert on anything, nor is my experience like everyone else's.)

~

When I started out writing my stories, I was only writing characters with identities that I have, like asexual, aromantic, autistic, and adhd. I desperately wanted good representation for these parts of me that rarely got any rep at all (and the rep my communities and i do get is usually really bad). The rep I do get is usually written by a person who clearly isn't in that community, was only doing it for brownie points, and doesn't care if they got it all wrong and even told a harmful message about that identity through the character.

(Getting a little personal for a sec to give context, tw for toxic religion: I was raised in a church with a very toxic and bigoted mindset that's racist, homophobic/lgbtq+phobic, ableist, and misogynistic, and very controlling. I didn't know much outside of what the church told us about people who were people of color, queer, or disabled, and my little bubble inside the church because they keep it's members socially isolated. With help from the internet, I learned the truth and started to discover other identities out there, along with my own.)

I wanted rep of characters that weren't; background characters, side characters that were only there to support the main character, were extremely stereotyped by the creators, killed off, only revealed to be or have that identity off screen behind the scenes or AFTER the media has long since finished- and just in general written very badly and carelessly.

I wanted characters that looked like me who were the main characters, got a happy ending, written well, and were explicitly and unapologetically themselves with interesting and passionately written stories.

~

As time went on, I found that other people in marginalized communities that I wasn't a part of also wanted what I did- good representation of their identities written by someone who cares that they get good representation. And I realized that I wanted them to get the same thing that I was giving myself.

So I started changing the characters up, giving their personalities layers with other identities, letting different perspectives intersect.

That's the reason I DO it. No here's how:

There are two ways I go about this.

I ask myself- Is there an identity I am missing in this cast of characters that a person from that group would want to see here? (i.e. I didn't have any trans characters or characters with OCD until I realized that the trans and OCD communities might want to see a main character like them in my stories)

Or I ask- Is there an identity that would help tell the story further and reinforce the theme of the story?

(and don't be afraid to let different identities overlap, they do that a lot in real life!)

Let me elaborate on the second question: Based on the collective experience of a group and sometimes their history, some stories and character arcs are best told through a character with a certain identity, and therefore perspective.

A good example of this is with Percy Jackson: When Rick Riordan announced that he and Disney were working on a show adaptation of the books, a conversation about who should be cast for Percy, Annabeth, and the other main characters immediately started in the fandom- specifically for Annabeth.

If you're not familiar, there was (and still is on the official casting) a TON on debate among the fans on whether or not one of the main characters- specifically Annabeth- should be a person of color. A lot of people, especially people of color, said that one of the main characters should be POC because the first series was a story about the system being broken and people trying to fix it in different ways and this story and it's theme would be told best with the perspective of a person of color. This is even more true with Annabeth's arc of how people don't take her seriously.

Bottom line: Some stories are more impactful and meaningful when told from a certain identity and therefore perspective.

With the character of Annabeth now being a black girl for instance, given that the writers of the TV show will get this right- Annabeth's arc and the story arc of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series will be that much more impactful.

~

So, an example of this in my writing is Tris Lakewater. If you need a refresher on her character, she's a black, plus sized, trans woman.

The book General Cinderella has very strong themes of the system being broken, people in power manipulating those under them, how you break out of that cycle and try to fix the system, changing your mindset and perspective when it's wrong, and starting the path to change in society.

When I started changing up my characters' identities to diversify the cast, I wasn't sure how I was going to change Tris's character. She was a skinny girl with blonde hair that was very flat (basic white girl much lol)- I knew I had to make some changes to her identity and flesh out her character, I just wasn't sure how.

Then I was researching LGBTQ+ history because I knew very little about it. I learned about the Stonewall riots, and how activism and the push for LGBTQ rights in the United States largely started with black trans women- we wouldn't have a pride month and gay rights without them starting what they did.

With this in mind, I realized that with the themes General Cinderella had (and it being the first book in the series), the story might be told best from the perspective of a black trans woman.

I added in the plus sized identity to her character because it felt right, and I thought that plus sized people would like to see a badass Cinderella type character that looks like them and doesn't have to change their appearance at all.

With Tris now being a black, plus sized, trans woman, I hope people from all three communities or who are in all three can find comfort and strength in her character and relate to her.

(I am trying to keep her from falling into the stereotypes, and making her a fleshed out and 3D character that does make mistakes and has flaws but learns from and tries to fix them. Doing a ton of research and listening to black, plus sized, and trans voices so they feel represented.)

~

So to wrap up, when giving your characters identities that you are not a part of, especially marginalized and often silenced ones, keep in mind that you will probably have bias to watch out for and unlearn. And that's ok, as long as you're willing to learn, own up to mistakes, and change your mindset. Listen to marginalized voices, do as much research as you can, make the characters fleshed out and 3D, avoid killing them off, make sure their identity is explicitly shown- and remember that it's not about you, it's about the people you're trying to bring good representation to.

If you're writing a character in a community you are a part of, feel free to just write from your experience- it's just as valid and important as anyone else's. And no one else is a better expert on your experience in that area than you, and there is no shame in indulging with the character you need in your life.

Hope this helped, and thanks for the question @thepixiediaries !

[deathgod-ben]

guess these anons aren't in the same fandom im in lmao bc i constantly see racism just like,, "casually" existing all the time in stuff like fics especially. esp w the characters of color are never allowed to have their own stories? like diego and ben are only ever there to be supporting characters that take care of klaus, and allison is only ever there to be a supporting character taking care of vanya and its just,,, really gross? and like, whether ppl do it intentionally or not, if your ranking allison diego and ben at the bottom of your list, that's still smth you should be asking yourself about and being critical of. and god don't even talk to me abt lila, patch, and raymond getting ignored constantly. if u don't wanna start discourse feel free to delete this btw but i just wanted to say i totally agree

NO LIKE FR 100% AGREE

I think a lot of people have one image of racism, like the one we often see in movements like Black lives matter, Stop Asian hate and so on. Which is a correct image, but they're so many other different racism too.

How Ben, Diego and Allison are written as supporting characters for their white siblings is a perfect example. THEY ARE SO MUCH MORE. I dont even read so much tua fanfic because of this reason.

I'll forever be made for what this fandom did to Lila. We have this badass southasian woman, but the fans tore her apart. Like, isnt characters like hers that is usually loved by the fandom? Oh no, wait, she isnt white so ofc we gonna hate on her.

Like, not saying the characters of color are perfect and innocent, because they are humans too. They make mistakes, they have flaws. But fans do be making them the worst character to ever exist every time one of them do something bad, especially if it's against one of the white characters.

Yes, this is 100% meant to Vanya and Klaus fans. Like, do people remember Vanya fans eating up Allison for rumoring her at the age of 5???? (idk maybe not five BUT SHE WAS A KID THEN and their dad made her do it) but when Vanya killed Pogo and cut Allison throat, suddenly Vanya is this innocent missunderstood sweet baby. Or how Klaus fans were ignoring how Klaus never let Ben talk to his own siblings and comparing him to their abusive dad, but suddenly when Ben said or did something against Klaus, he was a monster. (yes we talking about fandom racism but I hope people see some parallel to real life how children of color, especially black children are forced into adulthood earlier meanwhile white people always get turned into some misunderstood young person even though they're 30 years old)

Like characters of color can never be a complex character, the same way white characters can, and it's so freaking annoying and racist.

And oh, watch how the fandom forgets Patch and Raymond the second we enter season 3 (it did forget Patch) but forever remember Vanya's country wifey (I honestly forget her name)

[astralwaifu]

May I have an MHA/BNHA matchup? :0 if ur matchups are closed by the time u see this, or u just don't feel like writing one, you can ignore!

I'm an INFP/J (last time I took an MBTI test I was equal on this...idek 😬) and my zodiacs are sun Leo, moon Aquarius, rising Capricorn

I'm introverted and quiet irl, but I get told I'm rude and have an attitude around ppl I don't like lol (mostly just a-holes like homophobes and racists), but I'm friendly around nice people :) Most of the time I have a pessimistic mindset but that changes a lot.

I also have ADHD and possibly PTSD

My kins are Aizawa, Deku, and Tokoyami. (Or Todoroki, Jirou, and Bakugou, too.)

My hobbies/passions are drawing, music, making stories (in my head cuz I forget to write everyday lol). I also like gaming, watching Youtube or Twitch streamers, and eating 🌮🎂🍕 I'm also a huge nerd and love to research pointless topics lmao (and I like research mental health :>)

I dislike really toxic people (like ab*sers or hateful people), talkative people (ppl who can strike up convos and keep them going are fine, but ppl who can't stand silence and always have to talk about something all day just annoy me :l), loud noises and alcohol cuz they're triggers for me. (I also hate the cold, idk if that's relevent tho lol)

My fashion sense is pretty much anything alt! Mainly goth, punk, kawaii, scene, and a lil emo (+kidcore and hippie 💖) I don't have a main fave so any of those are fine to me

Random facts about myself? I grew up around metal/death rock (and punk rock...pretty much every genre of rock lolol) so any types of heavy, energetic music genres are always my faves.

I used to be a brony-creepypasta fan and I still kinda am deep inside lmao, so my partner better get used to me talking about Cupcakes and Rainbow Factory...😂😬

I've been tryna regain my childhood for months now 😔 sad fact lmfao

Aaanddd I'm a geography freak :) I love learning about different countries and unique languages

Last fact! I admire alt ppl so much lol, for example everytime I see a fellow goth by baby bat ass just wants to be besties with them but I'm too shy and awkward to talk to them 😭

Again, if u don't feel like writing or ur matchups are already closed, feel free to ignore! I hope you have an amazing day 😊

I honestly didn’t know I had such cool moots 😭 Literally where have you been my entire life people?

I match you up with:

Kyouka Jirou!

Hc:

- When she saw you she instantly fell in love. On the moment she knew you were perfect in every little way, with every quirk of your personality and action. Even if you come off as rude for most people, she has literal stars in her eyes as she watches you. Will also defend you to the end of the world (it’s not your fault M*neta is being a scum again)

- Was and still is nervous around you, always blushing like crazy and fidgeting with her ears. At first, she brushed off the feelings she had, hoping they would fade away. Wrong. The moment you hit her with a geography fact, she was done, lost the war and now had the word ‘love’ tattooed all over her brain.

- How did she confess to you, you may ask… She. Wrote. You. A. Song. And sang it to you. Just imagine what happened in her heart when she found out you were just as down bad for her as she was. (Kyouka started that day to write more songs about you and by now she has enough material for an album)

- You are almost always in eachother’s presence, even if you are not really interacting. It’s just being in the same room that is comforting.

- You also go on shopping dates together and basically go through every alt shop you find, buying endless accessories and clothes, sometimes even matching things. You know the lego half heart necklace thing? You both have one of those, and never take them off (except for bath ofc)

- She help you throughout every ptsd attack. When smth triggers you, she is fast to get you out of that place and comfort you in small ways. Jirou knows that is better to not suffocate you right now, but still stays with you until you feel better. She doesn’t want you to ever feel sad or depressed again, and be sure that Kyouka makes it her goal to bring a little light in your life. In return, you always comfort and praise her when insecurity hits, reminding her of how much love you have for her, and how you’ll never let the thing you have go.

- You listen to music together, obviously, but also watch a lot of videos on youtube. When either of you comes over to the other’s dorm you do this and it’s honestly so cute (and domestic?) and i want it to.

- 10/10, easily the best gf there is.