"Diversity" in SFF

[agilebrit]

I've hesitated to weigh in on this "debate."

Yes, I just used scare quotes because all I see is a bunch of people yelling at each other. It's not a debate, it's a fight.

And it's stupid.

The Old Guard has said some dumb things, it's true. But guess what? The people I'm seeing saying those dumb things are not the ones with any actual power in the genre. They're writers--not editors, not publishers, not agents.

The New Guard is frankly scaring me. Because they're the ones with the keys to the pursestrings. And what I'm hearing (maybe not intentionally, but this is the Message I'm getting) is that if you dare to raise your hand and say "but I don't particularly want to read or write Check-Box Message Fic"--they will come after you with torches and pitchforks, because How Dare You not walk in lockstep with the current fashion and Embrace Diversity Wholeheartedly By Writing What We Say!!!11!!

How about this: we all write what we want to write and read what we want to read and let the chips fall where they may, huh? Because at this point, what I'm seeing is that the current gatekeepers of the genre--Every. Last. One. Of them--are falling all over themselves to be "inclusive." So, hey, diversity champions? You've won. Congratulations. I don't care what color, sex, political persuasion, or sexual orientation the people writing my fiction are--I care that they write stories I enjoy. THAT'S IT.

And that's all I've ever cared about. My parents taught me well, it seems. But apparently I can't say that either, because saying that means I'm "privileged." Even though I'm one of those Icky Girls.

So, hey, in your hunt for Diversity, if you'd leave a tiny corner for people like me? A female conservative Christian who enjoys writing male protagonists doing male protagonist things (like blowing shit up instead of navel-gazing about their White Male Guilt) instead of Check-Box Message Fic? That'd be peachy.

Or is there not enough room in the Diversity Tent for that? Because you know what? I'm feeling excluded by both sides. I'm one of the Women Destroying SF With My Girl Cooties--but I'm also conservative and Christian and enjoy writing straight male protags, so I'm not destroying it enough. Or some damn thing, hell if I know anymore.

Actually, I feel more excluded by the Diversity Police than I do by the people hollering about Girl Cooties.

Isn't that backwards?

Comments

[litlover12.livejournal.com]

This particular debate isn't one I'm involved in, but boy, does it sound familiar. I think versions of it are playing out all over the place.

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

I'm watching both sides and want to yell at them all to STFU and ask them if they shouldn't be writing.

[litlover12.livejournal.com]

But that would be WORK. ;-)

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

Hell, I should be writing.

About my straight white male mad scientist billionaire protagonist.

[kensieg.livejournal.com]

I agree with you. There's a great post about this at Sarah Hoyt's blog==According to Hoyt.

[werewolf-hacker.livejournal.com]

Sarah is awesome.

And, you know, maybe I'm just a cranky Old Person, but all of this seems like a tempest in a teapot and just... dumb.

[kensieg.livejournal.com]

of course it is.

[texanfan.livejournal.com]

It is strange to fall into one of those inbetween categories, isn't it? I think there will always be room for us although it may get fairly cramped before all is said and done.

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

It really is. But I will continue to write my angel and demon fiction that no one will publish because they have Christian Cooties ("diversity," my ass, where's the ideological diversity, I ask you) in them--because those are the stories I want to tell, dammit.