Here’s the thing, folks. Your sims exist in a world that you have conceptualized and created. If the only people who inhabit this world are some combination of white/cis/thin/abled/hetero, you are telling the real life humans who interact with you who don’t fit those categories that they don’t belong.
Representation is so fucking important. Seeing ourselves reflected in the media we consume shows us that we are valid. That we are worthy.
Someone reaching out to a creator and asking to feel included in the world they’ve shared should be an opportunity for self-reflection and growth. We can all do better. Always. And we should all continue to give each other opportunities to grow as creators and story-tellers and humans.
If you fall into one or more of the categories I listed above, I challenge you, the next time you open your game, to create a character who is different from you. Go out and research their background, their features, their potential lived experiences. Think about who they might be or what their life might be like. Maybe write them a backstory. Maybe get inspired to include them in your story. If you feel uncertain about an aspect of their character or appearance, ask for help or input, but also do not expect marginalized folks to do the work for you. Go out and learn and grow and create.
Tomorrow morning, I’m going to take my own advice. I’ll be sharing the result and would love to wake up and see that other people are doing the same. Would love it if you tag your new sims with #ts4diversitychallenge so I come see.
