wincenworks:enaronia:medievalpoc:consulting-author:medievalpoc:via Saladin Ahmed“Stars with R-

wincenworks:enaronia:medievalpoc:consulting-author:medievalpoc:via Saladin Ahmed“Stars with R- and ends in -ism” Rism? I just googled that an apparently it’s the name of a French organization that keeps track of musical numbers from around the world.I have a serious issue with this, because I’ve been actively accused of being racist and homophobic for some of my writing. Let me give you the example, one of my writing projects takes place in the late 1800’s (1888 to be specific) in Philadelphia and in an alternate steampunk-ish history-has-been-altered reality. Does that mean I have to radically change the belief systems and social attitudes in that time period? Hell no. Now, granted, the issue was more about homophobia than anything,  (I argued flatly that Philadelphia had the largest free black population at that time period, so logically there is no real reason for my main characters to not interact with them, and there are plenty of times where they do) but I didn’t have any LGBT-whatever-letter-of-the-alphabet-has-been-added-to-the-acronym-today characters in it. Well, unless my characters have to go into the seedy homosexual underworld, there wouldn’t be, and I’m not writing a story that revolves around sexuality so none of my main characters are queer. Hell, it was illegal to be gay up until the late nineteen-seventies. That gives you an idea.So fucking what if people want to write about the kings of Europe in a fantastical manner? Apparently, that’s racist now. I hope this guy realizes that there are probably people out there who do write stories as told from the perspectives of people of color during said time periods (PS. I’m having an unbelievably hard time finding information about people of color in Europe during the middle ages. The best I got was Muslims who converted to Christianity and the adventures of the Europeans into Africa, so I’m not going to argue anything flat out at this juncture. I’m also not going to argue I know anything about this, so kindly don’t call me an idiot. I have the humility to know I don’t know everything. Realistically? They were probably slaves, unless you’re going for the ‘Magical Negro’ trope. No, that’s not me being racist, that is the legit name of the trope. Look it up.) but let people write what they want for God’s sake.People like this make me angry, because I feel it gives new writers the idea that if they write something with an all white, straight, cis (I fucking hate cis terminology but I have to bring it up) cast that no one is going to want to read it. I have a very colorful array of characters (pardon the pun) but that’s because I’m comfortable writing characters of different sexualities and racial backgrounds. Some people aren’t. It’s not because they’re racist.But alas. One story, in late-Victorian Era Philadelphia has an entire cast of white, straight, cis characters. Apparently, I am a racist and a homophobe now. *slow clap*Seriously though. Fuck you.Just. wow. wow.You had the time and energy to go on this rant about how much your feelings are hurt by being “actively accused” of racism (wtf?), but you did NOT have time to click the source blog’s link for this and notice that it’s full of OVER 4,500 POSTS AND TWO YEARS’ WORTH OF RESEARCH into exactly the thing you claim you can’t find any information on but feel 100% COMFORTABLE ASSUMING that they were “PROBABLY SLAVES”???You disgust me. You know what? Being accused of having been less than inclusive in your writing doesn’t necessarily say much about YOU, but this^^^^? This kind of response says pretty much all I need to know, which is basically another for the pile of creators who seem to think valid criticisms from marginalized people amount to oppressing YOU.People are becoming more vocally critical of media that contributes to the overrepresentation of white characters, abled characters, straight characters and so on, and in turn questioning the dominant culture in the U.S. (and to a certain extent, in what we think of as “the west”). If you see oppressed or marginalized people who want to see themselves in books, films, games, shows, and art of all kinds as some kind of attack on you or your identity, you should REALLY be re-thinking your values and what you base your sense of identity on. Because if what you value and enjoy is contingent on exclusion and marginalization, that’s just plain messed up. And maybe you should get over your derision for any word that ends in -ism, because guess what? Some of us have to live under those -isms every day, rather than having the luxury of googling them.P.S. “It was illegal to be gay” for the barest moment of the history of the entire world, in relatively few geographical areas of that same entire world. Do you think it was “illegal to be gay” in North America in 1400 B.C.E.? In Medieval China? The “seedy homosexual world”???? Yeah, that doesn’t reflect your bigoted views AT ALL.This is why we need to support creativity that shows an actual understanding of just how big and diverse History really is, and just how massive “anything you can imagine” is. I’m tired of being disappointed, I’m tired of being insulted, and I’m sick and tired unto DEATH of “barbarians and savages”, “but everyone was slaves”, and “but that’s not Historically Accurate!!!” I’m tired of these “altered realities” that SOMEHOW don’t have room for me or people like me.Stop blaming history for your lack of imagination and limited worldview, and OWN UP to your own creative choices, which apparently suck.In other words, how about, no, fuck YOU.“…unless you’re going for the ‘Magical Negro’ trope. No, that’s not me being racist, that is the legit name of the trope.”It’s the name describing a racist trope.Also, you said both that you do and that you don’t include PoC characters.“…alternate steampunk-ish history-has-been-altered reality. Does that mean I have to radically change the belief systems and social attitudes in that time period?”It… literally does.“Hell, it was illegal to be gay up until the late nineteen-seventies.”Shockingly, outlawing the existence of some people doesn’t actually make them stop existing.Steampunk in particular is pretty much the worst thing ever to try to claim historical accuracy in order to maintain personal prejudices.The claim that homosexuality would only exist in the “underworld” because it’s “illegal” is doubly baffling to me me because it implies that Oscar Wilde never existed.Similarly, Steampunk fans are always in favour of making radical changes to the belief systems and social attitudes!Everyone always dresses in humble but dignified brown and grey instead of the delightfully garish colours the Victorians flaunted. (Keep in mind those fashion plates have faded)When people die in Steampunk stories they don’t have a family photo shoot and pose the corpse as though they’re still alive.Steampunk characters almost never talk about having a seance to talk to the ghosts of their parents, children, siblings, etc.  Seriously when I seached for Steampunk seance Google asked if I meant scene.I have never once heard of Steampunk fiction incorporating forced hysterectomies as a form of psychological treatment.It’s almost like Steampunk is a romanticisation of the Victorian Era rather than any sort of vaguely faithful recreation of it, and like people have good reason to be offended if you feel they’re unwelcome in your idea of what is “correct” romanticism (except under duress of the setting of course). -- source link

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