forum Diversity without accidental discrimination

Started June 12, 2018 by PROcrastinator

tune

Hi all! First time writing a discussion. Just wanted to know how to best make sure my story is diverse without offending anyone. I'm white, so I'm not a part of the groups I'm including, but obviously still want to include as many races and identities as possible. What are things I should stay away from when dealing with this? Are giving the characters names that fit their race a positive contribution or not? Hoping to get some helpful tips for inclusivity without accidentally offending anyone. Thanks!

I'm kind of in the same boat as you are. I'm straight and white, and I'm wanting to write characters who aren't that. One thing that has helped me a lot is googling "How to not write a [insert minority group] character." Generally what comes up is a bunch of blogs or forum posts written by people who do belong to that group that talk about different tropes or stereotypes that they dislike. It'll give you some things to avoid, and some other things to consider.

Also, another thing to consider is to make sure that you're giving them personality because you don't want them to be defined by the fact that they're a minority. When you tell other people about your characters they should get more out of it than just "Oh, he's black" (for example). Otherwise it just looks like you're just putting in all these minorities just for the sake of being diverse. So think about their personalities. What do they like/dislike? Do they have any weird quirks?

If you're able to, I would try to talk to some people that fit in with the groups that you're interested in. If you have a tumblr, that's a great place to start because there's tons of blogs that are dedicated to asking questions about certain minorities, and a lot of them are totally cool with helping out writers.

Are giving the characters names that fit their race a positive contribution or not?

I don't see why it wouldn't be. I mean, if you have a character that's Iranian and you give them an American name… I'm pretty sure that's whitewashing, unless your Iranian character was adopted by a white family or something, it would probably look better if you gave them a Iranian name.

One thing to be careful of though, is make sure to research names. I have a Norwegian character and an Armenian character. I don't know anything about either of those nationalities so I didn't know that the names I chose for them are not very common. So do your research! Don't make the same mistake that I did!

Hi, minority here! Here are a few Do's and Do Not's.

1. DON'T rely on stereotypes. It's lazy and unprofessional. DO explore different personalities just as you would with any other character. POC are first and foremost people.
2. DON'T whitewash. DO your research. Look up different cultures, different names, different practices. Making everyone seem "white" is not the same as giving them personalities. There are cultural and societal differences that need to be taken into consideration when constructing your character.
3. DON'T fetishize. Calling certain skin tones food names (mocha skin, caramel skin, etc), making a big deal over their appearance because they're "exotic", or anything else is just offensive. DO be respectful towards the difference in appearance. Making it a huge deal that they look different or being overly praising towards those differences is both awkward and unnecessary.

I hope I helped some! If you have any specific questions, feel free to shoot them my way.

I'm white and writing a lot of characters of color. This blog has been incredibly helpful to me, and it's helped me make sure I'm not being unintentionally racist in my story. Also, if you're stating a character's race, don't only state it if they aren't white, as it supports the idea that white is the "default."

Hi @writelikeyourerunningoutoftime thanks for your reply! very helpful. In terms of describing minority characters, I want to make sure that the readers know the character isn't white, don't want them to accidentally default to white in their minds, but how would you go about describing differences between the minority groups as well? I don't want to include stereotypes and I definitely don't want to do that weird "skin like chocolate" thing (gross). I want people to be able to tell if my character is native american or Lebanese or Chinese, and I don't want to use stereotypes to describe them. I was hoping using names from their respective cultures would be a clue towards their individual ethnicities, but at what point do descriptions become harmful (I mean obviously they are harmful if they are disrespectful but what about the features that differentiate groups) ? Thanks for the help!

using names and even just pointing out what they look like would prob help
you can explain skin tone with adjectives and not foods (i.e. tan, dark-skinned) and describing hairstyle and texture also might help
also PLEASE give your characters names that fit their cultures! this is rlly important to a character's identity :)
unless a character is mixed-race or adopted, they'll usually have a name that come from their cultures.

In my opinion, as someone else mentioned, it's best if race and/or ethinicity are not what defines your character. Otherwise it's a hollow and shallow character, which isn't useful at all when you're trying to create a compelling story.

Unless you somehow include pictures, there's absolutely no way readers will instantly realize that certain character has certain skin color or certain physical traits — unless you describe them. And you should consider that just because someone is from certain country, doesn't mean they're gonna have a very specific trait.

Let's say your character is chinese, as you mentioned. He or she will probably have traits that are typical to the region, mainly regarding the shape of their eyes. But consider that they might be chinese (they were born, raised there and they've lived their whole lives there) but they could be a tall green eyed blonde, to say an example. It's possible and logical. Maybe they were adopted or their family moved there before they were born. Perhaps they even have a typical chinese name, like Zhang Wei, Wang Fang or Wang Xiu Lan.

Or maybe your character is from Argentina and he's black, which is very uncommon in the region, but still possible. Yet they could've been born and raised there for certain reason.

My point is that, in the end, you have to rely on a rather direct approach when describing a character if you want to be clear on your character's appearance and physical traits. Otherwise you're both leaving that to the reader's imagination (which is not bad, but from other comments I suppose you are trying to avoid this); and assuming -and also indirectly spreading the idea- that just because someone comes from certain place or is part of certain culture they automatically will look a specific way. In other words, it's kind of reinforcing stereotypes.

If you wanna describe their cultural background you could do so indirectly by describing your character's family, their traditions, if they speak another language, etc. Or you or your character could explicitly mention it at some point as well.

Hi @writelikeyourerunningoutoftime thanks for your reply! very helpful. In terms of describing minority characters, I want to make sure that the readers know the character isn't white, don't want them to accidentally default to white in their minds, but how would you go about describing differences between the minority groups as well? I don't want to include stereotypes and I definitely don't want to do that weird "skin like chocolate" thing (gross). I want people to be able to tell if my character is native american or Lebanese or Chinese, and I don't want to use stereotypes to describe them. I was hoping using names from their respective cultures would be a clue towards their individual ethnicities, but at what point do descriptions become harmful (I mean obviously they are harmful if they are disrespectful but what about the features that differentiate groups) ? Thanks for the help!

There is nothing harmful about describing differences in appearances. It also isn't heavy-handed to just state where the character is from/what ethnicity they are. Letting the differences naturally bleed into the narrative is the easiest way to achieve what you're talking about. Talking about hair texture, skin tone, nose shape, lip size, accents, names, cultural things, religions, etc. Even if the reader doesn't realize what ethnicity/nationality the character is initially, dropping hints along the way is a good way of getting the point across. It's even fairly natural to have the character mention it in dialogue. There are many ways to go about this, so good luck :D

I'll tell you what I was told by my non-white friend. He said to flesh the character out like you would normally, make them Them- the same you would with all characters. This means not skimping on details or getting lazy, treat them with the same reverence you would your own characters/friends/family/race.
The key here too I think is to make sure you research cultures you don't understand. Like if you want to base a culture on muslims or arabs, read about them. And not just online, read actual non-fiction books. There is too much misinformation online sometimes with biases we may not see. It doesn't have to be completely accurate if its fantasy- many blend different races and cultures to make new ones all the time. The key with that is to make them unique, and put the effort in that shows that you cared enough to follow through.
Ad for stereo-types and my non-white friends agree with this. They exist with reason. The white trash hill billy, the black man everyone thinks is a street thug who's really nice when you get to know him, or the funny black guy, the siesta Mexican laborer (coming from my Hispanic friend he says its because he is lazy, I think its because they work too hard and in the sun which can make a person tired)… The smart Asian. These are terrible examples and not ones that shed a nice light on people. The truth is stereotypes DO hurt us. Why? Because often we don't dig past the surface and find the individual. Its okay to use them because it can be like an archetype or a trope, but go past it and make them a human being.

Hi @writelikeyourerunningoutoftime thanks for your reply! very helpful. In terms of describing minority characters, I want to make sure that the readers know the character isn't white, don't want them to accidentally default to white in their minds, but how would you go about describing differences between the minority groups as well? I don't want to include stereotypes and I definitely don't want to do that weird "skin like chocolate" thing (gross). I want people to be able to tell if my character is native american or Lebanese or Chinese, and I don't want to use stereotypes to describe them. I was hoping using names from their respective cultures would be a clue towards their individual ethnicities, but at what point do descriptions become harmful (I mean obviously they are harmful if they are disrespectful but what about the features that differentiate groups) ? Thanks for the help!

There is nothing harmful about describing differences in appearances. It also isn't heavy-handed to just state where the character is from/what ethnicity they are. Letting the differences naturally bleed into the narrative is the easiest way to achieve what you're talking about. Talking about hair texture, skin tone, nose shape, lip size, accents, names, cultural things, religions, etc. Even if the reader doesn't realize what ethnicity/nationality the character is initially, dropping hints along the way is a good way of getting the point across. It's even fairly natural to have the character mention it in dialogue. There are many ways to go about this, so good luck :D

This is a great approach and the best. I would listen to her because she is saying what I was trying to say about my friends advice. This is that making them THEM thing, not skipping on the details and fleshing out a human being.

I would also suggest just getting out and talking with different people, make some new friends. You don't need to tell them what you are doing, even better don't mention it, and observe them being humans. And most important make friends!!!

Yo! Biromantic, cis, white girl. Just a few tips for writing LGBT+ characters.
Representation is important, so if you are including characters for that purpose, then try to look into the sexuality, gender etc. that you are wanting to include, so:

• Don't make their whole personality based on stereotypes around their sexuality. Asexuals are not all quiet and many flirt, pansexuals can be introverts, gay men are not all super feminine, and lesbians are not all butch.
• Not every form of a sexuality is the same. I'm focusing more on Asexuals in this, sorry, it's just an easier example. So, I said I'm Biromantic. That means I'm both asexual (not sexually attracted to people), and bisexual (open to a romantic relationship with both males and females). There's more that you can go into aswell, such as I'm a flexible asexual, where I would have sex if my partner wanted to because I'm not repulsed by it, unlike repulsed asexuals. This goes for most sexualities, cause it's a big spectrum, so don't misrepresent. Develop your characters.
• If your character is a minority, make it clear. State it at least once. Make it canon, unlike some authors who do it after the story or movie is created (Gamora (asexual) - alluded to by directors after 2nd movie (guardians of the galaxy), Dumbledore (gay) and Charlie Weasley (asexual) - confirmed/alluded to after movies and books by J.K Rowling (harry potter).
• If you're not apart of that minority, talk to people who are, like this. If you have any questions, ask. It's better to do that then to misrepresent and upset people.

You are gonna be a great writer, and researching these things while making yourself and others more aware of things is great for both you and your work. You're doing awesome and I wish you the best of luck with your writing.

@Twitchy Thanks so much for your help! Ive always found it frustrating that authors and creators give their characters very fleshed out sexualities and identities but keep them outside the book? Like this is a big part of your character and their backstory and you aren't including it?? That being said, since I'm straight and cisgender, its great to get more information on all types of sexualities and identities. It's nice to know that there are so many kinds of people out there to represent, and who need representation. Also good to know that even within identities there is a spectrum such as the flexible and repulsed asexuals. I'm just worried that as a straight, white, cis person, is my controlling the narrative strange for anyone in these groups? Like I'm obviously trying to give positive representation, but is it welcome for me to represent them? Thanks!

I saw up there that someone mentioned something about not giving POC white names, but there are circumstances where this is acceptable. If your story is set in America, for example, a lot of immigrants give their children white names, especially ones from East Asia. I'm Chinese, and I have a Chinese surname, but an American first name (which I'd rather not disclose). Other cultures, though, still tend to stick to more traditional names.

@PROcrastinator Mate, you are more than welcome. You are a writer, and so you should be able to write about anything, just try to do it well.
When I read books or watch movies, I don't think I've ever taken into account the sexuality or gender, or even the race, of the person writing it. I will know their name, when reading, and if I want to know more about them after then I will, but that's after. I think who you are doesn't make it strange. J.K Rowling's MC is male. George RR Martin has multiple female MCs. If gender doesn't matter, then why should anything else?
I've come out to most of the people I know within the last few days, so I just wanted to add something if you plan to write an LGBTQA+ Character, and if coming out is something that happens in the story.
It's scary. It's super scary. Not the fight or flight type of afraid but…
Imagine if you was in a family where everybody in it was a Baker. They only cooked cakes and buns, and sweet things, and you like cooking those sweet foods, but you also like cooking savoury foods, so you want to be a chef. You think, you could just be a baker, cause you'd be cooking sweet foods anyway, but you know you like cooking savoury foods and no matter what, you will always want to and without letting yourself cook those foods you're stopping yourself from being who you are, and from cooking savoury foods, and it might effect how you cook sweet foods because you'll never know what would make you happier. You want to tell your family because you don't want them to be upset or confused if you cook a pastry, and you don't want to waste any food because they don't want it in the house, but you do, so you're afraid you'd have to leave. You love your family, and you want to show them both your savoury and your sweet foods, but you're afraid that they won't love you as much, or they'll question every food you look at, thinking what if she wants to cook that. You're afraid of change, and you're afraid of not knowing what will happen. But you want to. That's what coming out is like in the worst analogy ever haha.
Once you do it, it feels great. Especially if they are accepting because you've let them see you and they love you anyway. It gets easier the more you do it too. I told a friend that I wasn't too close to, who didn't know anyone I do now. Then I told my mates. Then I told my Mum who told my Nan. All were great.
Finally, something that sucks. Being outed. This has been the most stressful three days I've had in a while. Monday I told two mates, both bi, that I'm Bi. Now when you tell people, you prepare yourself, put up walls, ready yourself. It takes a good half an hour. Or it takes seconds like ripping off a plaster. But either way, you do it. One of my mates told another without me knowing. She randomly said it while at a meal out with two other mates who didn't know, and the one mate who didn't tell. I wanted to leave, and cry and hide because I was so happy, then so scared in seconds. I don't know what would have happened if they weren't accepting, but it was terrifying. I wasn't angry. My mate was furious, but I wasn't. I was hurt, so sad, scared and numb for most of the day. Then I got home and burst out crying. My Mum came home, and I told her because I was scared of her finding out any other way.
This is an insight to coming out and being outed, I really hope it helps with writing, and don't worry, I'm so happy now, and everything will be alright.

@Twitchy So sorry to hear about your experience being outed! Glad you are alright now. Especially glad that everyone was accepting! Thanks for sharing your story. Getting personal accounts is so valuable for trying to write things I'm not personally involved in, so I really appreciate it. I also actually really liked you analogy, haven't ever heard it put that way, but it makes a lot of sense. (Funny how writers can make anything relate back to their point lol). Hope you have smooth sailing from here on out!

I know the feeling of being outed. It sucks. And getting outed by someone else is more common than other people think.
My advice for writing an LGBTQ character, don't make their sexuality/gender their main thing. While yes, a characters coming out and/or being outed can be a way to set up a story, don't make it the character's whole story arc. Writing about characters who you might not relate to can be difficult, but it is definitely possible. I hope this helped. :)
(Another piece of advice, if you have no idea how to write a character who you don't relate to, ask someone who can relate to that character! If you have a Tumblr, that would be a great place to start. Or you can ask somebody you know.)

Hey! Pansexual girl here, and I just had a quick word to say about representation :)

• A lot of writers include rep in the form of LGBT couples and stuff, and while that's great, make sure your LGBT characters and couples have their own personalities, character traits and interesting relationships - ie. don't just make them Emily and Ada, the lesbian couple. make them Emily and Ada, the cute couple who bake every Friday and who have a joint hatred of The Apprentice.
• also, don't feel forced to put characters into a relationship to prove the fact they're LGBT. if you can have straight single people, then please have single LGBT people as well!
  Hope this helps, and the advice on this thread is super helpful!