#be sensitive

Their struggle is not your fashion statement. And if we want their lives to be better and for their coming out to be treated as a natural thing and with sensitivity, we have to take it seriously. Not as some means to look cool. These are PEOPLE. Not characters. Stop playing.

If you’re worried about causing offense, then you have two real options:

Avoid the thing

Put out your feelers for sensitivity readers or talk to people in that minority group, aka: Do your research

If the lore you intend to use is known for its racial issues, then it would be best to avoid. You don’t want to pick up something you know is an issue. If you are uncertain, talk to others. Do your research. 

There is a huge benefit to creating your own world, freeing it of a lot of baggage, but just because you create an alternate Earth doesn’t mean you will be freed from all of these issues, either. 

An important thing to keep in mind is this: just because writing inclusively is difficult doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. It just means that you need to make sure and get it right. Here a few resources to get you started:

Writing the Other

Writing with Color

Diverse Writing

How to Authentically Write Diversity

Social Anxiety Disorder is: -Being shocked when people want to willingly be friends with you -Shocking yourself everyday when you remember that someone is willingly dating you -Being surprised when someone compliments you, and it's not sarcasm -Feeling proud of the little things, like talking to a cashier -Wanting to compliment everyone around you so they feel happy, just in case they are socially anxious -Crying because of people's offhanded comments and then not telling them because you don't want to be treated differently -Being scared of those open spaces where people can see you very clearly and judge you -Fear of being alone in the big wide world -Anxiety when someone says "hey want to go to this new place and meet these new people" -Blurting out the first thing that comes to mind, making it often extremely weird

Social Anxiety is: -NOT An excuse to get out of socialising -NOT Laziness -NOT Stupid -NOT Simple Shyness -NOT For Attention -NOT a Phase -NOT the same for each person -NOT just mental (Panic attacks can affect you physically) -NOT always constant (they can have good days) -NOT a fear of going outside (it's the fear of being judge, crying because you're sensitive, its the fear of people hurting you)