On representation in writing: you’re white/cis/straight/abled/etc but you want to do a good job

sciencemyfiction:

Step 1: You’re going to need a diversity consultant. A sensitivity reader. You will have to pay this person if you’re publishing your work anywhere for money. Yes. Get used to the idea. 

Step 2: your main character can’t be white/cis/straight/abled if you’re serious about this. If you’re not serious about it, stop lying to yourself (and everyone else) about your intent. 

Step 3: Congrats, your protagonist represents at least one minority group. Now, you need to fill your world with lots of people who also represent that minority group. And other minority groups. 

Step 4: This means it’s time to start doing the most difficult research you’ve done in a long time: you need to silently listen to the experiences of those of us who are not white/cis/straight/abled /etc. You need to read up on what it’s like to deal with these prejudices. You need to learn about the harm that colonialism, imperialism, racism, xenophobia, religious intolerance (specifically: christian religious intolerance for other religions), homophobia, biphobia, conversion therapy & ableism brings to us. 

This step should, once you start, be a never-ending process. But you can make projects while you’re doing this step. Just be aware of the importance here. 

Step 5: Start writing your thing. Maybe now that you’re actually thinking about it, you don’t really want to write about how the brave humans are gonna go colonize other planets. Maybe you kinda get this uncomfortable feeling because you now feel how ugly the idea of entitlement to resources truly is, and it makes you feel…gross. That’s not bad, and you need to not shy away from it. 

This is the wound: the wound made by systematic and extensive injustice. This is the wound of classism and ableism, of violence and apathy. You cannot ignore this wound, and you cannot cover it with a cloth and keep walking.

You need to learn medicine, and drain the pus. 

You need to clean the wound, and dress it. 

You need to work on healing this enormous wound, and it is not going to be easy, and you cannot expect people to be impressed by how hard you’re working on it because everybody carries this wound, and is burdened by this wound. This is not you going above and beyond: this is you doing the duty you should always strive to do, and feel content because you know you are trying to do the right thing.

That’s how you improve the representation in your own writing, as someone who is white or cis or abled or straight or christian or rich/middle class. There’s no other effective way. That’s what you have to do.