To Engage Is To Build (and an excuse to share cool arts)

The absolutely pervasive mentality that unwanted criticism or critique shouldn't be given and should be ignored is why fans of color don't stay in fan spaces.

And I am not going to mince words here:

A lot of you are racist. A lot of your fan works are racist.

That might have been difficult to hear. And if it was, you should probably reflect on why that was.

"Fandom etiquette" has created a space where fans of color either bite our tongues and eventually leave or say something, get dogged on, and then eventually leave.

If I say "I am uncomfortable with fandom's tendency to write trans men as feminine and submissive" I do not mean "I think every person who writes feminine submissive trans men should be chased with pitchforks". I don't even mean "any cis-person who writes feminine or submissive trans men should be chased with pitchforks". I mean "I would like writers to seriously think about why this is so common, why they write that, and if it fairly and genuinely engages with what it means to be a trans man, or if they just think it's hot when submissive people have vaginas and didn't want to write omegaverse of m/f".

Similarly, when people say "fandom is systemically less interested in black characters, less willing to give flat black characters rich fanon than flat white characters, and less interested in black characters in ships", the response is not to explain why you, personally, just happen to like popular white guy in that fanon. Your job is to look at yourself and ask if you tend to "just happen to be more interested" in the popular white guy across fandoms, be honest, and start unpacking that. Sometimes it's easier to love the flat character who's already getting 10,000 fics with headcanons and art and meta.

If somebody says "I wish there were more gluten free options at the potluck. I hate always showing up and not finding anything I can eat*", they are not asking you to throw your cake in the trash and weep. They do not want to hear your long speech about how actually this is your grandmother's recipe, and you've tried it with rice flour actually, but it just didn't work. You think about what you can do, and you listen to how they feel.

Increased accessibility benefits EVERYONE!

Here are some ways YOU can advocate for increased accessibility:

Online:

Use alt-text to describe any images

Record events

Have closed captioning

Share content warnings

Avoid flashing lights or imagery

At Work:

Invest in meaningful Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Initiatives

Provide more PAID time off

Avoid ableist language (like 'lame' or 'crazy')

Provide remote working options

UNIONIZE!

For In-Person Events:

Communicate ANY walking distance (in distance, not minutes!)

Include information about public transit

Provide gender neutral bathrooms

Avoid heavy perfumes or scents

Hire sign language interpreters

[ID: an ink sketch in a lined paper notebook depicting Hollow, an nb person wearing a binder and cargo shorts, a backpack, a tote bag, and a purse, with short hair and large hollow sockets instead of eyes, is climbing up stairs with a cane. In big letters around them, text reads:

SOME OF US // DON’T GET //TO TRAVEL LIGHT

There is a box with a text key. This reads:

*1. Cannot leave the house without it // 2. Needed in some contexts

additional text reads near their respective items:

Backpack w/art supplies, fan, first aid kit, laptop (optional) (2)

Purse w/money, ID, medical information, medication, pads for period (necessary) (1)

Tote bag w/emergency meds, holds collapsible cane, first aid kit^2, sweatshirt (for temp intolerance indoors), water bottle, pads, phone charger (1)

(Pointing at cargo shorts) Pocket w/phone (easily accessible in case of emergency) // Pockets w/keys (because I forget where they are if I can’t feel them) (1)

Additional text below:

*Not pictured: lunchbox w/electrolyte drink and lunch for work (2)

*Umbrella (2) End ID.]

Chronic pain