You mean you don't think there are disabled, poor, non anglophone, non traditionally religions writers who are also women or POC or queer?
Ow! Where did I say that? Absolutely there are people who aren't straight, cis, white males who are also disabled, poor, non anglophone, non traditionally religions writers. My point is that I see so many people phrasing the diversity in publishing issue as solely an ethnicity issue, or solely ethnicity+QUILTBAG issues, that I think we need to speak up to ensure the other diversities, such as my own disability, aren't forgotten. And even if that wasn't the intention in Tempest's suggestion to avoid straight, cis, white male writers for a year, I think it risks reinforcing the ethnicity+QUILTBAG only perception, and I think that's something that is a legitimate target for discussion.
Disabled people are roughly 20% of the world's population (using the UK's inclusionary definition of disability), yet our representation in published writing, especially in the existence of published fiction writing that addresses the widespread and open discrimination we face is minuscule. I genuinely don't think we can afford to exclude a single disabled voice if they can make it through the publishing labyrinth and out the other side into print, and I find the idea of excluding some of those voices in the name of diversity just bizarre. And similarly for other critically under-represented areas of diversity. I can only address this point from the position of being straight, cis, white and male, because that's what I am, but I am also a diverse voice and I think that gives me the right to say 'Hang on a minute...'
As for missing non-neurotypical, it's not really possible for me to miss it, amongst other disabilities I'm also non-neurotypical. While not everyone within the non-neurotypical camp considers neurodiversity a disability, I do (just not a disability that needs fixing). It's also one of the disabilities I've faced discrimination around, so important for me to ensure it's a voice that's heard. Fair point on non-college educated, I'd actually come back to update that list to include Traveller/Gypsy as that's a white ethnicity that faces open hostility and discrimination in the UK, and I should probably have included fat/plus-sized, but part of the point I'm trying to make is that in campaigning for representation of diverse voices we need to presume and encourage inclusivity for every diversity, and every intersectionality, and remind people to always consider that. It's probably impossible to list every diverse group when there's always going to be one you've forgotten or weren't aware of - orphans, street kids, immigrants to name a few more - so let's think of lists as a start, not a limit.
no subject
Ow! Where did I say that? Absolutely there are people who aren't straight, cis, white males who are also disabled, poor, non anglophone, non traditionally religions writers. My point is that I see so many people phrasing the diversity in publishing issue as solely an ethnicity issue, or solely ethnicity+QUILTBAG issues, that I think we need to speak up to ensure the other diversities, such as my own disability, aren't forgotten. And even if that wasn't the intention in Tempest's suggestion to avoid straight, cis, white male writers for a year, I think it risks reinforcing the ethnicity+QUILTBAG only perception, and I think that's something that is a legitimate target for discussion.
Disabled people are roughly 20% of the world's population (using the UK's inclusionary definition of disability), yet our representation in published writing, especially in the existence of published fiction writing that addresses the widespread and open discrimination we face is minuscule. I genuinely don't think we can afford to exclude a single disabled voice if they can make it through the publishing labyrinth and out the other side into print, and I find the idea of excluding some of those voices in the name of diversity just bizarre. And similarly for other critically under-represented areas of diversity. I can only address this point from the position of being straight, cis, white and male, because that's what I am, but I am also a diverse voice and I think that gives me the right to say 'Hang on a minute...'
As for missing non-neurotypical, it's not really possible for me to miss it, amongst other disabilities I'm also non-neurotypical. While not everyone within the non-neurotypical camp considers neurodiversity a disability, I do (just not a disability that needs fixing). It's also one of the disabilities I've faced discrimination around, so important for me to ensure it's a voice that's heard. Fair point on non-college educated, I'd actually come back to update that list to include Traveller/Gypsy as that's a white ethnicity that faces open hostility and discrimination in the UK, and I should probably have included fat/plus-sized, but part of the point I'm trying to make is that in campaigning for representation of diverse voices we need to presume and encourage inclusivity for every diversity, and every intersectionality, and remind people to always consider that. It's probably impossible to list every diverse group when there's always going to be one you've forgotten or weren't aware of - orphans, street kids, immigrants to name a few more - so let's think of lists as a start, not a limit.