Back in February I posted a blog on here about Toxic Masculinity. This month’s post picks up on an equally pernicious problem both in the real world and on the written page, that of racism. We’re told that to have any of our main characters be a person of colour is to limit our book sales. Even worse is the crime of portraying a person of colour on the book cover thus condemning it to a life on the shelf.
I have many friends who are either Black, South Asian or East asian(Oriental) and I am constantly angered by the insidious, everyday racism that they have to live with. For Gay men and women the treatment is worse. Two thirds of gay BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) men in the UK believe that racism is a bigger problem for them than homophobia.
What really winds me up is the all pervasive racism coming from within the gay community itself. Here, 80% of black gay men say that they’ve experienced racism within the community. If you don’t believe me, watch a black guy go up to the bar in a gay pub or club and see how long it takes him to get served compared to the white guys around him. Those very men and women who have grown up with bigotry, misunderstanding and marginalisation all their lives seem happy to inflict if on others every day.
The m/m community is little better .Whether readers or writers, all claim to be allies, to be inclusive and to be open to diversity. Everyday racism is rampant in our community and in case you have any doubts, please understand that unless your alliance includes those of other skin tones, you are no ally of mine. Some time ago I published a seasonal short story called Diary Dates. In the story young Andrew Chin arrives from Singapore to continue his studies in London. Andrew cares for an older business man and they fall in love. Central to my story is a core principle of Confucian philosophy, the idea of Filial Duty, or Xiáo. Many young Chinese still adhere to this respect for their elders.
Imagine my shock when the first editor to read the manuscript suggested that it would make no difference to the story if I replaced young Andrew with a “well mannered white boy”! I’m sure that this editor meant no offence, but I was offended and stood my ground. We who are such advocates of the bright rainbow flag, are subscribing to a very limited colour palette if we do not include every shade of human skin around us.
Racism is not an easy subject to talk about because as soon as the word itself is mentioned, people become defensive or even aggressive about it. We have many causes to fight but to me every one of them is the same battle. It is the fight against ignorance. Racism is ignorance. Homophobia is ignorance. Body shaming is ignorance.
There can be no defense against ignorance and the only excuse for it is arrogant laziness. BAME people in this country make up a vast and diverse group, but BAME and LGBTQ+ together form a much maligned community. More than one third of LGBTQ+ youth who identify as BAME have experienced physical abuse because of their sexuality. It is also worth noting that 65% of homeless people are members of racial minorities.
There is another side to the ignorance around gay BAME characters both real and fictional. Gay men of colour often find that others, especially other gay men make stereotypical assumptions about their masculinity based on their ethnicity. We all know that black men are all big and strong with huge penises aren’t they? Of course we also know that all ‘Gaysian’ men are all hairless, effeminate twinks with small penises who only ‘bottom’ in bed! Aaaaargh!
Surely the most ignorant of people might begin to see why everyday racism, homophobia and attacks on perceived masculinity all add up to a toxic mix. Too many of my friends have to live with this constant stress when they shouldn’t have to. For many, the cross is carried with admirable stoicism, but for others it leads to depression, unhappiness and even suicide.
Wake up world. We’re all in this together people. All colours, genders and faiths. How can we have racism when there is only one race? One human race.
As for the literary aspect of BAME, we need so many more writers, story characters and readers to showcase diversity not shun it. There have been some wonderful gay black writers of which my personal favourite is the awesome James Baldwin. Sadly there are very few gay asian authors but I do urge you to read the poetry of vietnamese poet Ocean Vuong.
T.J. Masters is the pen name of author Tim O’Rahilly
Diary Dates is available to download from DreamspinnerPress
Of course you are absolutely right. A close friend of mine lives with the problem that “obviously” a small man from Indonesia must be a bottom…well, no, ne musn’t. So…stereotypical assumptions much?
I want to point out that there is one problem, you haven’t mentioned, though. It’s fear. The fear of not doing it right. I’m not a writer. I’m a reader. But I have been flabbergasted by the online hate and criticizm to white authors who dared to write a black character – despite sensitivity readers. There was always one hate group (yes, I call them that) who pointed out how “wrong” the character was. The black sensitivity readers got slashed in the discussion, too. So I defintely understand, why authors shy away from writing other ethnicities than their own.
So let’s hope more writers will come forward with all kind of ethnic backgrounds. I’m looking forward to reading and learning.
Many thanks for taking the time to reply Sunne. You are right of course my friend and I don’t believe that any writer should write anything they don’t know. This is why we need more ethnic minority writers writing what they know best. Txx
Great post, Tim. Then again, aren’t they always?
I have many, many thoughts on this subject, which I’m not going to get into here and now other than to say that I fully agree that all of us are part of one glorious and diverse human race and that I live for the day when the fast majority of people will recognise all that connects us rather than focus on the minor details that (only) appear to separate us.
I totally agree and appreciate the attention you draw to this issue. And I’ll add that I’ve learned discrimination can also be so subtle that even people who “don’t intend to be racist” don’t see what they’ve done and to them it seems innocent and innocuous to those who don’t understand it’s insipid effect on the abused, culturally and individually. However I will counter with another comment – I think authors write all the time about things they don’t know. It’s impossible not to, starting with gender, crime, professions, and going on from there. So please I don’t believe you can only write about your own race. The good writers do their research, write with understanding, sensitivity and respect for their characters. Yes, sometimes it’s a miss, but we must learn from our mistakes, look for the good intentions, and educate.
The problem is exacerbated when publishers refuse to put BAME (using your term) on their covers or in their book and when they get busted for being shady talk about hiring ‘sensitivity readers.” You don’t need a sensitivity reader unless you’ve A) not done your research or B) you’re a down-low bigot and the publishing house has to make sure that doesn’t come out.
Along with characters of color that should be written, there are readers and writers of color out there who are entering inside the lgbtq literary world (m/m included) and they need all the space they would like to create books about their lives from their points of view.