Post by EnchantedSoul on Sept 11, 2015 9:54:37 GMT -5
I've been reading up on this movement because it's very close to my heart. I enjoy writing for children and was glad to see a call for more diversity in children's lit. Then I came across this foolish woman and her article about why she doesn't support WNDB. She is dead serious and she has folks who are in agreement. She should come visit CEP. Sorry, I can only link from my phone. Www.pinterest.com/pin/A3dJbQAQQB8ASBCIKLsAAAA/
Why I Do Not Support “The We Need Diverse Books Campaign” MARCH 18, 2015 | RAYCHEL ROSE *Note that these are my personal views. I am in no way trying to be racist, homophobic, or discriminate. I believe that there should be more books about African-americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, and Asians, however this campaign is being led and taught in a way I believe is wrong*
First what is the We Need Diverse Books Campaign?:
(From the WNDB website): We Need Diverse Books is a grassroots organization created to address the lack of diverse, non-majority narratives in children’s literature. We Need Diverse Books is committed to the ideal that embracing diversity will lead to acceptance, empathy, and ultimately equality.
We recognize all diverse experiences, including (but not limited to) LGBTQIA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual), people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities*, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities. Our mission is to promote or amplify diversification efforts and increase visibility for diverse books and authors, with a goal of empowering a wide range of readers in the process.
1. Non-Caucasian people of this group saying that Caucasians need to write about other cultures and races, other than their own culture and skin tone. However, the WNDB campaign members write about their race, sexuality, and culture. So why should we agree with this when they’re not even practicing their own words? They’re telling Caucasians to write about them, when they don’t expect themselves to write about Caucasians.
2. I feel like they’re saying all we have to write about now is characters who aren’t Caucasian, have LGBT friends, and/or have some disability about them. Why is it wrong for me to write about Caucasian characters that are Christians and have straight friends and no disabilities? That’s right, nothing. The WNDB Campaign is making you feel bad for writing about your characters that you cherish. As writers we shouldn’t feel forced about this. Yes, it’s okay to have this (I strongly disagree with LGBT characters though). I have a deaf character in one of my books. But my reason for this post is that, you don’t have to. And the way that WNDB is going about it, is wrong in my belief. They’re shaming, they’re shoving, and they’re pointing fingers, and that is not right.
3. The whole campaign is a matter of: “You’re doing this wrong and I don’t like it, so you have to change.” They’re wanting to control what you read in my sense.
4. There are a large amount of books with LGBT characters that are available to read. Younger and younger children are given books about LGBT characters in order to question their gender and sexuality. I find this very alarming! Easily a child can have access to books at the library where it’s telling them it’s okay to want to be a boy or a girl when they were not made that way. Don’t trust me? I did research. There’s a book called, I am Jazz, about a young boy who wanted to be a girl and how that is completely fine, and it was readily available at my library in the little kid’s section.
5. They’re trying to tell you that you’re identity is in your skin’s color, your sexuality, and your disability. It is not. It’s your identity in Christ that is important. They’re trying to focus on the things that don’t matter. Shouldn’t someone identify themselves not on the outside, but the inside? So we’re teaching them to judge themselves on the outside, not of the heart? Here society is trying to get past judging one’s skin tone and here this campaign is bringing it back. Why I read is not because I want to read about my skin color. It’s about the story.
6. This causes division. Many who talk about the WNDB campaign and who say we need these kind of books, say that when they grew up they couldn’t see themselves in the books they read. What they’re saying is, they couldn’t see their skin color, their sexuality, their culture. They say that they couldn’t find any characters who were like them. I’m sorry but most books I read don’t normally shove a characters skin color on the pages, sometimes it’s not even mentioned. Some people just like to assume that they’re Caucasian. Why can’t the reader use their imagination? Why couldn’t you see yourself in characters, not what’s on the outside, but how the character thought and acted? Is the soul purpose of a book to be about the skin color or sexuality? No. It’s about how they’re handling a situation and their thoughts.
7. The campaign didn’t start because a lack of diversity in books. It started at a popular book event. There was a young adult panel and the event picked all white males to be head of this panel. And the two women started this campaign because they couldn’t stand that the event had picked only white men. There might be alternative motives since one of the founders is a lesbian and writes LGBT fiction. And both are feminists. The other team members are either feminists, women, or non-white males. So it doesn’t seem like they’re trying to diversify themselves in a sense of having Caucasian males and non-feminists. If you’re going to have people on with the same views, race, etc, then you’re not diverse as you say you are. In fact you’re doing the opposite.
8. They’re not about equality. Where are the straight females, the anti-feminists, the Christians, the ones who don’t agree with LGBT? They’re nowhere. Because the WNDB campaign doesn’t agree with them. Here they’re trying to say they do care about equality, but only in their views.
9. In their description from above they mention how they recognize religious minorities. Christianity is definitely not in the minority of religion. So they do not support Christians either or any books written or about Christians.
This is instead what I’d like to see in fiction:
A fair representation of literature that has Christian characters, but doesn’t have to be marketed as a ‘Christian’ or ‘faith’ book. Other religions get away with it, as in not having to market their own book to a different publication house just because of their character. Rating labels on books. Seriously I don’t know why this hasn’t become a thing. With books like 50 Shades of Grey on the loose, parents should be warned. I’d also like to have where it mentions there are LGBT characters because I don’t want to become immersed in a book and then there’s that sort of content. A diverse selection of books that represent different races, but not in the way where they’re shoving or pushing or demanding. I don’t want it to center around their skin color, no book really does. So I’d like to see diversity, but without all the issues mentioned above. Write what you want to write about, not what people tell you to write about. *if you disagree with me, then that is fine. These are just my personal views that I wanted to share with you. The comment bar is open for healthy debate or discussion if you so wish, but please no rude comments.*
Why I Do Not Support “The We Need Diverse Books Campaign” MARCH 18, 2015 | RAYCHEL ROSE *Note that these are my personal views. I am in no way trying to be racist, homophobic, or discriminate. ..
Honestly, I think when you start with a disclaimer like this it's your signal that you may need to rethink your position.
Also, this person is an author? Holy typos, batman.
Why I Do Not Support “The We Need Diverse Books Campaign” MARCH 18, 2015 | RAYCHEL ROSE *Note that these are my personal views. I am in no way trying to be racist, homophobic, or discriminate. ..
Honestly, I think when you start with a disclaimer like this it's your signal that you may need to rethink your position.
Also, this person is an author? Holy typos, batman.
She doesn't have to try. It's just who she is: racist, homophobic, and xenophobic.
Why I Do Not Support “The We Need Diverse Books Campaign” MARCH 18, 2015 | RAYCHEL ROSE *Note that these are my personal views. I am in no way trying to be racist, homophobic, or discriminate. I believe that there should be more books about African-americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, and Asians, however this campaign is being led and taught in a way I believe is wrong*
First what is the We Need Diverse Books Campaign?:
(From the WNDB website): We Need Diverse Books is a grassroots organization created to address the lack of diverse, non-majority narratives in children’s literature. We Need Diverse Books is committed to the ideal that embracing diversity will lead to acceptance, empathy, and ultimately equality.
We recognize all diverse experiences, including (but not limited to) LGBTQIA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual), people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities*, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities. Our mission is to promote or amplify diversification efforts and increase visibility for diverse books and authors, with a goal of empowering a wide range of readers in the process.
1. Non-Caucasian people of this group saying that Caucasians need to write about other cultures and races, other than their own culture and skin tone. However, the WNDB campaign members write about their race, sexuality, and culture. So why should we agree with this when they’re not even practicing their own words? They’re telling Caucasians to write about them, when they don’t expect themselves to write about Caucasians.
2. I feel like they’re saying all we have to write about now is characters who aren’t Caucasian, have LGBT friends, and/or have some disability about them. Why is it wrong for me to write about Caucasian characters that are Christians and have straight friends and no disabilities? That’s right, nothing. The WNDB Campaign is making you feel bad for writing about your characters that you cherish. As writers we shouldn’t feel forced about this. Yes, it’s okay to have this (I strongly disagree with LGBT characters though). I have a deaf character in one of my books. But my reason for this post is that, you don’t have to. And the way that WNDB is going about it, is wrong in my belief. They’re shaming, they’re shoving, and they’re pointing fingers, and that is not right.
3. The whole campaign is a matter of: “You’re doing this wrong and I don’t like it, so you have to change.” They’re wanting to control what you read in my sense.
4. There are a large amount of books with LGBT characters that are available to read. Younger and younger children are given books about LGBT characters in order to question their gender and sexuality. I find this very alarming! Easily a child can have access to books at the library where it’s telling them it’s okay to want to be a boy or a girl when they were not made that way. Don’t trust me? I did research. There’s a book called, I am Jazz, about a young boy who wanted to be a girl and how that is completely fine, and it was readily available at my library in the little kid’s section.
5. They’re trying to tell you that you’re identity is in your skin’s color, your sexuality, and your disability. It is not. It’s your identity in Christ that is important.
I stopped reading here.
I regret that I can't make this eye-rolling smiley take up the entire page, because that is how I am feeling about this.
Post by EnchantedSoul on Sept 11, 2015 10:20:41 GMT -5
I'm still trying to figure out how she feels she is being told what to write. Encouraging people with varying abilities/experiences/identities to write about them, so that children can hopefully identify, is far from dictating content.
OMG she's also a terrible writer. She has very little grasp on the rules of grammar (even the easy ones!), no compelling style of argument beyond "I has feels," and she's repetitive as fuck. Plus she quite obviously doesn't understand the idea behind the "We need diverse books" movement. Forcing Caucasians to write about non-Caucasians? Not the idea, ya homophobic racist shitbag.
I'm still trying to figure out how she feels she is being told what to write. Encouraging people with varying abilities/experiences/identities to write about them, so that children can hopefully identify, is far from dictating content.
That part killed me. Apparently for us to have diverse books, white Christians need to be writing from a minority point of view* as opposed to, you knew, seeking out, encouraging and publishing authors from diverse backgrounds. I guess in her mind only white Christians can and should be writing.
*because that wouldn't backfire horribly or anything.
I'm still trying to figure out how she feels she is being told what to write. Encouraging people with varying abilities/experiences/identities to write about them, so that children can hopefully identify, is far from dictating content.
That part killed me. Apparently for us to have diverse books, white Christians need to be writing from a minority point of view* as opposed to, you knew, seeking out, encouraging and publishing authors from diverse backgrounds. I guess in her mind only white Christians can and should be writing.
*because that wouldn't backfire horribly or anything.
Can you imagine what a difference it would make if every reader actively sought out books written by a variety of minority authors every year? I mean, it's so easy to just pick up whatever is getting the latest buzz, but we all know that it's a lot easier to get buzz if you're in a position of privilege to begin with.
Maybe this will be my main reading goal for next year: hit a specific % of books written by underrepresented authors, then create buzz about the excellent ones.
"There are a large amount of books with LGBT characters that are available to read."
I'd like to know what her definition of "large" is, because I would say that this is false. Granted I haven't looked into books for teens but as far a toddlers and young children there are very few LGBT books. I'm screwed when my kids start to read on their own because I often change the word 'dad' to 'mama' so that a story has two moms.
"There are a large amount of books with LGBT characters that are available to read."
I'd like to know what her definition of "large" is, because I would say that this is false. Granted I haven't looked into books for teens but as far a toddlers and young children there are very few LGBT books. I'm screwed when my kids start to read on their own because I often change the word 'dad' to 'mama' so that a story has two moms.
She probably saw 2 books that had gay characters in them and that is too many for her bigoted perspective.
eta - I just searched Amazon. There are, exactly, three books that come up when I search for "my two moms" that are children's books. I'm sure that is a diverse selection in her opinion. Remember opinions are like assholes - everyone has one and they all stink. <3
"There are a large amount of books with LGBT characters that are available to read."
I'd like to know what her definition of "large" is, because I would say that this is false. Granted I haven't looked into books for teens but as far a toddlers and young children there are very few LGBT books. I'm screwed when my kids start to read on their own because I often change the word 'dad' to 'mama' so that a story has two moms.
Why I Do Not Support “The We Need Diverse Books Campaign” MARCH 18, 2015 | RAYCHEL ROSE *Note that these are my personal views. I am in no way trying to be racist, homophobic, or discriminate. ..
Honestly, I think when you start with a disclaimer like this it's your signal that you may need to rethink your position.
Also, this person is an author? Holy typos, batman.
These were legitimately my first two thoughts. One of her first sentences isn't even a sentence, I don't think.
"There are a large amount of books with LGBT characters that are available to read."
I'd like to know what her definition of "large" is, because I would say that this is false. Granted I haven't looked into books for teens but as far a toddlers and young children there are very few LGBT books. I'm screwed when my kids start to read on their own because I often change the word 'dad' to 'mama' so that a story has two moms.
She probably saw that Old Harold is gay, in the Captain Underpants series. Clearly that's sufficient.
What? Is this in the newest volume? We have ordered it and my son can't wait for it to come.
Post by orriskitten on Sept 11, 2015 15:34:38 GMT -5
How dare we encourage our children to question the roles they were clearly born in to! These shenanigans with Jazz need to stop or else my precious will be scarred!!
And I bet she thinks Jesus was white, too. Like the good Christian she is, inside and out.