"[W]e do need more incidental diversity, but it’s often seen as The One True Path to doing diversity..."

“

[W]e do need more incidental diversity, but it’s often seen as The One True Path to doing diversity right. Review after review praises books for their understated approach to diversity, saying how it’s not an “issue,” the diverse characters “just are,” and how wonderful it is that barely any comment was made about a certain character being queer/Black/a wheelchair user. Sometimes, books only hint at a character’s identity, or indicate it via a throwaway mention or two.

That approach works for some stories. It especially suits fantasy or science fiction settings where authors can build a world from scratch. In real life, though, marginalized people are affected … when [that isn’t] acknowledged in realistic fiction, I notice. When the absence of those elements is praised, I notice especially.

And I wonder — perhaps uncharitably — are diverse characters only OK as long as they’re not too diverse?

”

- “Diverse characters: Corinne Duyvis on the decline of ‘issue’ books” by author Corinne Duyvis (Otherbound) at the Guardian

(via corinneduyvis)

I get very suspicious when creators go on and fucking on about how a character ‘just happens to be’ female or lgbtq or Poc or whatever.

Usually, it’s meant in good faith but sometimes it’s code for “I put no effort into this character whatsoever.”