Unpopular? Opinion: I hate when something uses diversity as a pitch.

jjsupremacy:

Yo, im not a diversity-hater. 

My own novel is “diverse” filled with queer people of color, but you should never use “diversity” as a selling-point because then it doesnt feel authentic. It feels like its there just to hook people in and not because its an intrinsic part of the world or storytelling.

Everybody in my first novel is japanese, because its anime-inspired. Many of the chracters are queer or trans [or both] because I just like writing those kinds of characters. but when I have a trailer Im going to focus on the plot, on the lore, on the artwork [IF WE CAN EVER AFFORD IT C’: ], etc.

Because when you use diversity as a selling point it feels insincere. 

Give them the plot. Give them the characters. Give them the world. Give them your WORK and let them discover the “diversity” for themselves. 

ATLA didnt brag about how diverse the show was– it just gave you a show inspired by all kinds of asian and Inuit culture that featured people of color, disabled characters, and well-written female heroes as a natural part of the story. 

I never once went “omg atla is so progressive its got a blind girl uwu” 

i went “HOOOOLY SHIT, TOPH IS BADASS.” 

And that’s what you want. 

If people are only interested in your show because it meets a diversity checklist, then you’ve done a poor job as a writer. : And thats not me trying to trash it, thats just my honest opinion. If you’ve done a good job then you could have every single character be a trans woman of color without needing to go “WE’RE TRANS-INCLUSIVE!!” once; and all people will care about is how much they love their favorite characters.

Let your work speak for itself.