diversity has been such a keyword in the rpc for a while but as a person of color in this community, it means nothing to me anymore. it's tokenism. it's not diversity. people play fcs of color but only ones they deem palpable, acceptable. the rpc hype up fcs like zendaya & avan & koreans fcs because those fcs are more conveniently aligned with european standards of beauty. the rpc has a habit of gatekeeping what kind of diversity is allowed. everything is watered down & white-washed. - PT.1
( con’td ) lets take turkish fcs for example. they've been rising in popularity in the rpc for a while. islam is currently the LARGEST religion practiced in turkey. it's like christianity here in the united states where most people who practice religion practice that one. yes, there are other religions practiced in the region and yes, not everyone is obligated to be religious or believe in it but in all my time seeing people play muses with turkish fcs, none of them have ever been muslim. as a muslim, that's so disheartening! it's so rare for a predominantly muslim country to get any positive attention anywhere in the world let alone online. when i first noticed turkish fcs taking off i was genuinely excited about the idea of more muslim muses potentially getting to see the day of light. but no, islam isn't palpable. it's hard to whitewash. instead people use turkish fcs as a replacement for white fcs because ~diversity~. it's the same all across the board. if i bring in a muse with a zendaya fc or zoe kravitz fc, i'm more likely to get more plots because they are palpable ( aka mixed ). but if bring in someone like kirby howell-baptiste ( who is beautiful af btw ), the amount of plots i can obtain decrease drastically. i know because i've used these face claims. do you know how exhausting it is to be a black girl who just wants to play a black girl but can't because i think i'll be ignored? i've tried to play muslim muses multiple times throughout the years but it's never stuck because i'd ultimately be made to feel awkward about it to the point of having to drop the character. i know i'm part of the problem. in my quest to fit into this community i've continuously played by their rules to ensure i wasn't left out or sidelined but i'm tired of feeling like i have to do that. and i'm tired of seeing people who think they've fixed this community's issues with race, gender, sexual orientation, ableism, etc just because they have one character that's not cis, white, straight or all of the above. don't think your job is done just because you have one or two muses that don't fit into those categories. that's not diversity, that's tokenism. don't use those muses as tokens to defend yourself from being called racist, ableist, transphobic, etc! there's more work to be done! don't be performative rpc, BE PROACTIVE! PLEASE! I'M BEGGING! it's not enough to say your rp is inclusive. suggest fcs of color! suggest trans fcs! suggest non-binary fcs! it's not enough to just suggest diverse fcs for your group, make sure you play muses who are diverse too! and for goodness sake when someone applies to a group your in with a character of color that's not the token character of colors the rpc praises or they apply for a trans muse or just a muse that's not cis, white, & straight PLOT WITH THEM! SHOWER THE MUN IN LOVE! MAKE THAT MUN FEEL LIKE A BELOVED MEMBER OF YOUR GROUP! at the end of the day THAT'S what encourages more diversity in this community. if you make people who play diverse characters feel like their muses are loved and cared for and actively sought after, people will start to play more! we have to encourage change rather then just simply expect it to happen and this is a note to myself as well cause for too long i've just been waiting for the rpc to get better but i have to do my part too! FIN
i couldn’t agree with you more and THANK YOU for taking ur own time and energy to send this through to me when i know you must be so fucking exhausted ! you’re so right and absolutely thank you for bringing this to attention ! i don’t have anything to add bc . . i genuinely think you have said it all , very well and very succinctly and i applaud you . THANK YOU! everybody , please read this and actually take it in . it’s not enough anymore to just have a poc as a fc . you need to write with actual colour . you need to acknowledge that they are a poc . it is so strongly aligned and part of the living experience with every person of colour that its not enough to just use any fc anymore . write with colour , write with colour , write with fucking colour , instead of just using a poc as fc for a character u’d originally have as white ! thats NOT being diverse or inclusive ! thank u so much for speaking out !Â
