So one of my villains in my novel is a middle-aged, female queen. I'd like to avoid the trope of "an older woman with power run amok," so I decided that she acts out of fear of losing her family and her country. Is this a sexist trope?
Simply put: No, it's not sexist. Just because a female character has weaknesses and fears does not make it sexist. Guys and girls both have emotions, insecurities, strengths, flaws, etc. Yet the internet seems to forget that, they seem to think that creating a female character who cares about people (Especially if that person is a male love interest) makes them weak and anti-feminist. I think what you chose will actually make her a better character, with that trope it just makes her seem bland but with the way you're trying to avoid it, it gives her more personality and makes her seem more human, and more like someone the reader will care about. (Even if she is a villain, you still need to make her seem like she's a person who's trying to do good. No one is evil just for the sake of being evil.) Also just to clarify to the people that say all white males can't have opinions on anything regarding sexism, I am a girl so your argument is invalid.