smallnico:

smallnico:

diverse representation matters a lot to me not just because i want to see characters like me be normalized, but also because i want people in media majority demographics to learn that they actually can relate to characters and people who aren’t exactly like them.

this is one of the reasons tokenism grates on me so much. it’s not good representation – i appreciate that the content creators making token characters are at least trying, but when a character is reduced to nothing but what differs them from the established “norm”, anyone from that demographic is going to feel reduced, and anyone from outside the demographic who is unfamiliar with that demographic is just gonna think on some level that “oh that’s all _______ people are like, huh? cool. can’t relate”.

don’t be afraid to make your media minority characters actual people! help familiarize majority demographics with the idea that other people are just regular people too.