“Is [x] offensive?”
I’ve mentioned this before but--please, please try to be specific when describing your narrative setup because otherwise the answer will simply be I don’t know (to some extent the answer will always be “I don’t know,” but more so if there simply isn’t enough information to make some kind of judgment call). Instead of simply saying “I have an [insert identity] character who [insert reason you suspect they might be offensive] ,” please try being more descriptive. Tell me about this character, your world building, your cast of other characters, why you suspect offensive content, what other research into this you’ve done, etc. If you’re comfortable, don’t ask anonymously so I can get an understanding of who you are, where you’re coming from, what research you’ve already done, and what you’ve already written about your project (if you’ve written about it on your blog).
Once again, do NOT just describe your character/setup in one line and say “I don’t want to offend anyone please tell me if this is offensive.” I do NOT want to be your first research stop, because in the end that often means I do the research for you wrapped up in a nice post and you take that as the end of the discussion. I want to look and what you’ve done, what you’ve written, what you’ve researched and I want to add my knowledge to the fray.
My answer still might be “I don’t know,” even after you’ve added all that extra work, but I’m more willing to work through it together if I know you’re willing to go to lengths to ensure you write accurate and respectful portrayals. At the very least, we both learn in the process.
(If you’ve already submitted this kind of vague question, this is one of the rare instances where I’ll allow a resubmission so you can add more details. Without more details, many of the questions in my inbox will simply stay unanswered because replying “I don’t know without more info” is a waste of both my time and yours.)
