Last week they said the doctor is canonically trans. This week they say the doctor is canonically gay. And next week? You’re not gonna believe it but rumor has it they’re gonna say the doctor is canonically black

I am drawing people with different features, which were requested to me, so people can see themselves in art and feel valid and seen. more art in #reqbodyposi hashtag

#reqbodyposi art compilation. there is much more! look in the tag.

Requests here are:

1. A powerchair user

2. A girl with lupus and a rollator

3. No-op transmasc person with psoriasis patches on their forehead + a double chin

4. An autistic transmasc guy

5. A person with prosthetic arm

6. Trans man pre top surgery with acne

7. Someone in emo or scene fashion with an IV (and maybe a leg brace and acne

8. A short fat latina, late-40s ish, greying hair? with a large chest and glasses.

9. Someone who has one eye that droops closed more than the other

10. A midsized girl with broad shoulders and wider hips

I don’t think The Good Place gets enough credit for the diversity of its cast. The main romantic lead is a black man from Senegal who is allowed to be as nerdy as he wants. In fact, his nerdiness is the saving grace of the main character. The character that is often considered to be the pinnacle of beauty on the show is a woman of Indian descent who is not super light skinned. Another character is a Filipino man who, while incredibly stupid, can be incredibly perceptive and offers loving emotional advice and is described as incredibly sexually-desirable. The all-knowing judge on the show, considered to be the most powerful character as of the season three finale, is a black woman. The main character is canonically sexually attracted to both men and women and (while it hasn’t been canonically confirmed yet) is probably at the very least bisexual, if not pansexual. She also regularly talks about how she loved to sleep around and is never slut-shamed for either her sexuality or her fondness for sex. And that’s just in the core cast. There’s also a black female neuroscientist who gets several episode long arcs in both season 3 and (about to be) season 4. Not to mention the supporting cast and guest characters feature several people of color, while the main villains are mostly old, white men.

And all of these characters are actual characters! Even the small parts where a side character may only be in an episode or two results in really developed and fleshed out characterizations. Also, the characterizations don’t fall into the trap of stereotypes to make them more likeable!!

But while all of this diversity is amazing, the show also manages to make it feel organic. There’s no tokenism or show-boating. It’s never a “look, the main love interest is a black man!!!!! We’re so woke!!!!!!!”. It’s genuine diversity built from a place of love and understanding and idk, I just think that the show deserves a lot of credit for taking such an amazing concept and using it to build such a diverse world with such in depth characters. It’s a nice change.

Not to mention it’s a philosophical masterpiece that’s obviously written by philosophy and ethics enthusiasts, and has some deep philosophy jokes that you’ll only get after studying philosophy… which you’ll probably want to do after watching The Good Place.

And all of this stuff is mainly discussed by the aforementioned POC in the show.

There’s a female lead, sure, but instead of being the often annoying “white savior” the show flips that trope around (or throws it out I can’t decide which is more apt) and makes her into the audience surrogate. She’s the “white student” if you will, who is learning how to be a better person from a black man.

Go watch The Good Place dammit. It’s great, AND it’s a philosophical masterpiece.

There are some very self-aware moments about their casting policies, but instead of being preachy, they’re hilarious.  Like this one: 

Hey! I know this is a popular version of the post because of the additional commentary and the funny screencap but please look through the notes to reblog op’s edits and clarifications!! Or at least share this version with the screenshots!

(Also wanted to add that Janet, D'Arcy Carden, is Jewish!)

isn't the g_d character actor also jewish as well as Black? and the the writer or director or something is jewish...

like there's a reason for the philosophy and ethics stuff... this is a very jewish show.

it's obvs not perfect but if you know where they were coming from, some of the stuff they got right makes sense

I am overjoyed to officially announce that Knit One Girl Two, my lighthearted Jewish f/f romance about an indie dyer who falls for the wildlife painter whose art inspired her latest round of sock club, is now for sale in paperback with a gorgeous wraparound cover by Jane Dominguez. Of interest if you are looking for non-tragic Jewish fiction, or romance between Jewish characters of different levels of observance.

Also included in the book are Fearless (another print debut) about a newly-out band mom swept off her feet by the dapper butch music teacher from her daughter’s school while everyone is snowed in together at the All-State hotel, and “Your Name is Love”, a short story from the Mangoverse series about a royal guard who sets up an elaborate scavenger hunt date for her wife, complete with riddles, clues, and lots of emotional warmth.

This is an intensely lighthearted, feel-good collection with a common theme of women reconnecting with art, music, etc. from which they had drifted for a variety of reasons including depression and work/”life” getting in the way. (And 5 of the 6 main character women are Jewish, the exception being Lana from Fearless.)

The paperback is $9.99; there is also a $2.99 eBook version that will save you some money from buying the eBooks separately. Here’s a PDF link for that if you prefer to avoid the Big Site. By the way, the print version is large-print (18-pt Corbel on cream paper) in case that information is helpful.

By the way, I highly recommend @mickeycookies, who drew that wonderful picture of Clara and Danielle at the top of this post, if you are in need of a commission. I was blown away when I opened my email.

Please share, if you are a fan! <3

[Image one: Absolutely stunning art of indie yarn dyer Clara Ziegler and Danielle Solomon, the stars of Knit One, Girl Two. Clara, on the left, is a thin young woman wearing a sleeveless pink flannel shirt and bluejeans; Danielle, on the left, is plump, and wearing dangly open-avocado earrings with a swooshy green dress to match. They are leaning against each other, foreheads touching, eyes closed and smiling, arms around each other, and it is heartwarming and pretty and lovely.

Image two: Full book cover for the paperback version of Knit One, Girl Two and Other Stories by Shira Glassman, with cute art of Clara and Danielle kissing on the cover, as well as a tuxedo cat being a little bit of a smug pest with a ball of yarn. End ID.]

<3_<3

THIS ART MADE ME CRY HAPPY TEARS AT HOW CUTE IT IS

I’ve said it before and I will SAY IT AGAIN Knit One, Girl Two changed my life and having the opportunity to own a physical copy??? on MY bookshelf????? dont mind if I do!!!!!!

Aww yay this is so sweet! 💕🧶

I’m gonna bring my copy in to work with me so I can read it on my break and cheer myself up if I’m stressed <3

ig: artqueerhabibi

The Big Questions:  Is there more truth in Shakespeare than the Bible?

Akala, Rapper, Writer, Academic and founder of the Hip-hop Shakespeare Company.

Prof Stanley Wells, the world’s leading Shakespeare scholar.

[X]

So, I’m going to get personal. Quite personal. I don’t normally make a big thing of this but:

I remember spending so much time as a child struggling with the simple act of pouring a glass of pop from a two liter bottle. It wasn’t because I couldn’t lift it. It was because my brain couldn’t, wouldn’t tell me when I actually had the neck of the bottle above the glass. I remember tears of frustration and the determination to complete what is, for most people, a simple task.

I remember the hours I spent performing the simple task of throwing a ball against a wall, over and over and over until I could actually tell where it was in relation to my hands.

I remember despite that always being chosen last for PE. I couldn’t catch a ball unless it was in that predictable pattern. Much of the time, I still can’t. If you toss me something, chances are I will close my hands somewhere it isn’t and it will fall to the floor.

“Butterfingers.” That’s what they called me on the playground. “Butterfingers.” The teasing. The bullying, because to everyone else it was easy. The knowledge there was something wrong with me. We didn’t have a fancy term for it in 70s and 80s Britain.

But there was something wrong with me. Was and is. Most people don’t notice. I don’t ask for any kind of special treatment and I can pour you a bottle of wine as long as I concentrate on the task. I couldn’t keep bar, because I would never be fast enough, but I manage. I manage because I don’t want people to treat me differently. Because “butterfingers” is often better than “disabled.”

I just got finished watching the first episode of the new series of Doctor Who. And yes, perhaps the best line in it was “Does it suit me?”

But for me, the line that made me want to jump out of my seat and squee was “He has dyspraxia.”

Because I have dyspraxia. And it’s not fun. And there are kids even now growing up with that “butterfingers” epithet. “He can’t ride a bike.” (I can, but it took me a bit longer to learn).

I’m 45 years old, and for the first time, I hear the words on TV about a fictional character “He has dyspraxia.”

As I said, this is something I keep quiet. But I’m looking at the character of Ryan Sinclair and going. You know what?

I have dyspraxia.

And Chris Chibnall and Toisin Cole just gave all the kids out there who can’t pour into a glass, who’s brain just won’t make that coordination, who are frustrated to tears by video games…

He just gave us OUR Companion. He gave us our hero.

And yes, I just looked up. Somebody has put a list of Dyspraxic Characters.

Under Potential Dyspraxic Characters there is a list. It’s a short one.

Under Confirmed Dyspraxic Characters it says a very sad “None to report yet.” (which will be fixed, I believe, when the writer of that blog goes through the episode).

I don’t know if Ryan Sinclair is the first explicitly dyspraxic character on TV. But he could be.

And I’m willing to speak out to make sure that Chris Chibnall and Toisin Cole know just how much that means. How much it would have meant to me when struggling to learn to ride a bike to see a character with those issues climbing a crane. Being a hero.

THANK you Doctor Who team. From me and from all the “butterfingers” kids out there.

hey asking for a friend but uh. what’s it gonna take for fandom to relearn the difference between “canon” and “word of god”?

★ canon = the text itself; the show/movie/book/comic; the actual up-on-Netflix content; anything a casual fan would reasonably interact with ★ word of god = anything else, i.e. interviews with cast/crew/showrunners; DVD commentaries; comments from the crew on social media or at cons; literally any written or verbal remarks about the text made by writers or showrunners or actors

word of god does not equal canon, and yet i increasingly see fandoms conflating the two and acting like word of god comments from The Powers That Be count as canon and are equivalent to canon footnotes to the text and i’m. NO. listen. it’s not. that’s not what canon means, and word of god comments should not be treated as part of the canon text. this isn’t just me being a pedantic text purist, this has actual negative consequences for shows and fandoms and people’s experience of the stories, i mean:

the canon text has to stand alone. word of god should serve as a trove of fun trivia or behind-the-scenes tidbits about the writing process; it is not supposed to be a substitute for clear, concise, and comprehensive storytelling. a story that doesn’t make sense unless you’ve read 8 different explanatory interviews by the writers is badly written. showrunners who treat interviews as a place to offload all the character development or plot explanations they didn’t bother to include in the actual text are lazy hacks who are bad at their jobs.

word of god can be handy and fun and informative, and for people who are interested in creator comments or interviews there’s no harm in paying attention to that stuff. but it’s not canon. the canon is the text itself. anything else is supplementary to that, and fans are absolutely allowed to disregard anything not in canon if they choose.

and with anything published by a corporation – such as all tv shows ever – there’s likely to be pressure put on writers and actors to say things that the corporation thinks will appeal to the mainstream. or, as OP says, to use offhanded mentions in interviews as a substitute for actual representation, because joe random trump voter needs to be able to say dumbledore isn’t really gay or they might organize a book burning.

the fact that the book burning would be great publicity, and trumpkins have this weird tendency to buy things to destroy as a poorly thought out protest, does not seem to have occurred to mainstream media moguls.

Yeah for big projects it’s often not that they’re “lazy hacks who are bad at their jobs” but frustrated writers trying to do what they can within the limits executives put on them. We’ve seen this for years: the likes of Joss Whedon and Rebecca Sugar have to threaten to quit to get a queer kiss onscreen … but if you’re not on their fame level you often have no leverage at all. (Note I have strong, angry feelings about Joss Whedon now but that doesn’t erase what he did years ago to get that kiss on prime time.)

Don’t make things easier on those executives. Demand better, demand more, and vote with your dollars. Support shows and networks that include canon representation and don’t do this shit. Ignore shows that try and weasel their way out of confirmations, queerbait, and relegate such things to hesitant interviews. There is more media than ever before now, you can be picky, and you should.

New York City! I’m a deaf filmmaker, playwright and performance artist. I am available and looking for opportunities to give workshops or talks in NEW YORK CITY on October while I perform at the New York International Fringe Festival for my show. Please message me or contact me through my website http://www.SabinaEngland.com

Thank you! 🙏🏽😎 Video by SuperSisters (East End of London, UK) about my works

Reblogging again for more exposure. Please feel free to share my website and works with any event organizers or organizations in New York City. Thank you and have a good day. 

Many thanks to Women Cinemakers for featuring me and interviewing me in their new Special, which just came out today. I am on page 164, and I talk about the process of filmmaking and how I made “Deaf Brown Gurl.”

READ THE INTERVIEW HERE

@andreashettle @reallyginnyf

make playable characters disabled you cowards

Where is the fishperson romance for dark-skinned Black women?

I mean, I know why there is such a paucity of these stories (it begins with “miso-” and ends in “-noir”), but I’m interested in delving the ways that it manifests in how we conceptualize and talk about this type of story, or at least examining these types of stories from a Black feminist or womanist lens. I tried broaching it a few times (though with a heavier emphasis on the gothic heroine as protagonist) but the responses have been scant, almost as if people are afraid of looking deeper.

Tagging @elfyourmother, @idreamtofmanderleyagain, @alwaysatrombonist, @undertheteacup for reasons.

Y’know what? Lemme ask a better question: When does Bella Swan or Sookie Stackhouse or Clary Fairchild get to be Black? Or are such characters even possible without being white?

I think it’s less of a question of these characters being possible, but these characters being accepted by non black audiences, and hell even black audiences is heavily in question.

The feedback I get when I write black women who aren’t #strong black women makes it pretty clear that people want black women in the media they consume to fit into an archetype they are comfortable with. I have literally been told I am degrading the race because sometimes I write black women who share a number of traits with me.

And this is unfortunate, because there clearly is at least somewhat of a market for all the facets of our Humanity as black women, as illustrated by a romance novelists like Alyssa Cole and the like. I had really hoped that Sleepy Hollow was going to give us this in Abbie Mills, but we all see where that went.

A lot of these characters are supposed to be relatable to the average reader, and the average reader or viewer is of course assumed to be a white person, and a whole lot of white people have not been socialized at all to be able to relate to black women.

And further, black women are not aspirational, so why pin your wish fulfilment on a black female character?

Gonna respond to this and the following by @elfyourmother (go to bed!) since they share a theme of wish fulfillment.

maybe part of it is also that fantastic romances even more so than regular ones are just so nakedly about wish fulfillment, and that’s not something we’re ever allowed to have as black women. we’re not supposed to have wishes or dreams of our own, just facilitate other people’s. sometimes as literal magical negroes, if we’re about fantasy.

The point about such characters being relatable and aspirational, and how often dark-skinned Black women stand in stark contrast to that, is an interesting one.

Now I wonder how putting dark-skinned Black women at the center of these stories change their meaning. How does the story change when the main character is a dark-skinned Black woman and not some pale, willowy white girl?

Reblogging for Just Getting Up Tumblr

Writing x Characters When You Aren’t x, A Masterlist

x: a variable used to represent something unknown.

We’ve seen an influx of questions about how to write stories based around characters of color, disability, non-binary, etc. when the author does not fall into these categories. Rather than have these posts take over the site, we’ve decided to compile a list of resources to help our fellow writers become more educated about writing what they do not immediately know. However, this list is not the end-all-be-all of knowledge; one should always try to learn from someone with first hand experience in any topic. The world is constantly growing and changing, and because of that, there will always be more to learn. The admins at Plotline Hotline want to help writers form respectful, informed, and realistic characters that broaden the narrow range we see in literature today. 

*Be wary that some of the topics listed below contain sensitive material. Reader discretion is advised.* 

As always, the links I found to be especially apt will be in bold. Topics are listed alphabetically, excepting the “other” section.

Culture

Appropriate Cultural Appropriation

What is Cultural Appropriation? [1,2,3]

Cultural Appropriation Is, In Fact, Indefensible

Voice Appropriation & Writing About Other Cultures

Diversity, Appropriation, and Writing the Other [List]

Disability

Writing Disibilities [1,2,3,4,5]

Guides to Writing Deaf or Hard of Hearding People

National Association of the Deaf - Resources [List]

World Federation of the Deaf

Using a Prosthetic Device

Prostehtic Limbs (Character Guide)

How NOT to Write Disabled Characters

A Guide to Disibility Rights Law (United States)

Timeline of Disibility Rights in the United States

Social Security Disability: List of Impairments, Medical Conditions, and Problems [List] (United States)

How to Write Disabled Characters: An Opinion Piece

Artificial Eye Resources [List][Various]

Adapting to the Loss of an Eye

Misconceptions and Myths About Blindness

Blind Characters: A Process of Awareness

Writing Blind Characters [List]

Types of Learning Disabilities [List]

Diversity

A Guide to Spotting and Growing Past Stereotypes

How to Prepare to Write a Diverse Book

The Diversity of Writing

Why Diversity Matters for Everyone

Writing a Driverse Book [1,2,3,4,5]

Diversity, Political Correctness and The Power of Language

Diversity Book List [List][Books]

Basic Tips To Write Subcultures & Minority Religions Better 

Basic Tips to Avoid Tokenism

Gender

GLAAD Media Reference Guide - Transgender

Creating Well-Written Trans Characters

A Few Things Writers Need To Know About Sexuality & Gender Expression

Trans (Character Guide & Bio Building)

A Non-Binary Person’s Guide to Invented Pronouns

Gender Neutral Writing [List]

Keeping a Trans* Person a Person  

Suggestions for Reducing Gendered Terms in Language [Photo]

How to Review a Trans Book as a Cis Person

Writing Characters of Different Genders [List]

Understanding Gender

Gender Spectrum Resources [List]

Gender History

Illness 

Writing Chronic Illness [1,2]

The Spoon Theory - Also pertains to disibility

About HIV/AIDS

Sexually Transmitted Diseases [List]

Sexually Transmitted Infections

Sex and Gender Differences in Health [Study]

All Chronic Illness Topics [List]

Coping with Chronic Illness

All Cancer Types

A Day in the Life of a Home Health Aide/Health Coach

Fiction Books With Chronically Ill Main Characters- Not Cancer [List][Books]

Neurotype (Including Mental Health)

Writing an Autistic Character When You Don’t Have Autism

Depression Resources [List]

What to Consider When Writing Mental Illness

Stanford Psychiatric Patient Care

Inpatient Psychiatric Questions and Tips

Don’t Call Me Crazy [Documentary]

(Avoid) Romanticizing Mental Illness [1,2]

A Day in the Life of a Mental Hospital Patient

State-run vs. Private Mental Hospitals

Mental Disorders

Mental Hospital Non-Fiction [List][Books]

National Institute of Mental Health - Mental Health Information [List]

Writing Autistic

What Causes PTSD?

Remember, Remember: The Basics of Writing Amnesia

ADHD Basic Information

What is a Learning Disability?

What is Neurotypical?

Race

Writing Race: A Checklist for Authors

Transracial Writing for the Sincere

Is my character “black enough”

White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack

Challenge, Counter, Controvert: Subverting Expectations

Writing With Color: Blogs - Recs - Resources [List]

Writing People of Color (If you happen to be a person of another color)

7 Offensive Mistakes Well-Intentioned Writers Make

Description Guide - Words for Skin Tone

Religion

Religion in Novels: Terrific or Taboo?

How to Write a Fantasy Novel that Sells: The Religion

Writing About Faith And Religion

From Aladdin to Homeland: How Hollywood Can Reinforce Racial and Religious Stereotypes 

Sexuality

Understanding Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity [List]

Writing Gay Characters [1,2,3]

American Civil Liberties Union - LGBT+ Rights

LGBT+ Rights by Country or Territory

History of Gay Rights

Gay Rights Movement

LGBT+ Culture

Gay Myths and Stereotypes

LGBT+ Studies Web Sites [List]

LGBTQ Youth Issues

LGBTData.com

Overview of Gay and Lesbian Parenting, Adoption and Foster Care (United States)

Other

How Doctors’ Offices—and Queer Culture—Are Failing Autistic LGBTQ People

Five Traps and Tips for Character Development

Developing Realistic Characters

I hope that this list will provide topics a writer may not initially think to research when writing. If there are any resources that you think would be fitting for this list, please let us know! We want to have as many helpful sources as possible to maximize learning opportunities. 

Stay educated,

xx Sarah

Representation matters

Description: Making Representation Obvious

Sometimes you have to code characters, either because the terms they use to describe themselves don’t exist (like secondary world fantasy), or because they haven’t found the words themselves yet (undiagnosed illnesses and disabilities). But if at all possible, you should make it clear who these people are and own that you’re putting them in the story.

Even if you actively can say that somebody is part of a certain group, you still have to make sure you’re not -washing them in the narrative. Be it whitewashing, straightwashing, abledwashing, or any sort of situation where you say one thing, but the story itself doesn’t reflect that.

Here are some things to consider that will help you make it obvious that…

This character is PoC

Describe:

This character is LGBTQA+

Describe:

This character is disabled

Describe:

This character is mentally/chronically ill

Describe:

And so on. These lists are not meant to be exhaustive at all, but they are meant to get you thinking about how you need to go about describing representation.

One thing to note: you can go about establishing representation in one of two ways. Either have the characters noting their differences, or them nothing others’ differences. Neil Gaiman’s Anansi Boys describes white skin when it appears, because within the narrator’s world, black skin is the norm. But others note their own differences. It’s all about their character.

Either one requires a lot of careful thought and sensitivity readers, but both are valid* options for owning** representation.

Followers, feel free to add more!

*Do be aware that some groups are chronically under-represented when it comes to the actual word of their identity. Bisexual people hardly have characters say the word as their identity. Autistic people also hardly have characters say the word as their identity. Be very careful of not having characters talk about themselves if the group is prone to being coded but not explicitly represented

**You have to actually own it and say they’re that when people put all the clues you left together

Thanks for reading! If you liked this content, please consider supporting me on patreon. It’ll get you access to a bunch of cool stuff!

America Vol 1 #1  (2017) // Marvel Comics

“Fear not, mi gente…”

Story: Gabby Rivera, art:  Joe Quinones 

Get her comics comics here

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