This is one of those things I feel shouldn’t require an overt declaration, but in light of recent events it feels like silence is passive complicity in the idiotic vitriol being spewed by a few hateful individuals. Authors are often advised to avoid political statements in order to avoid alienating potential readers. There are also a lot of readers out there whining about how politics don’t belong in fiction and that basic inclusion and representation of different identities is part of some kind of woke agenda being thrust upon them.
This is utter bullshit. All art and entertainment is political. Every bit of media we consume makes a statement about identity even if it’s as simple as a default exclusion of women, people of color, LGBTQIA+ characters, or neurodivergent identities. But I’m not here to unpack the history of white male privilege that spans much of our art and entertainment history. I drafted several versions of this post—some of which devolved into long rants about the kind of person who feels a need to shame and regulate other people’s identities—but in the end, I think it’s best to just keep it short and simple.
Allow me to state in no uncertain terms that I am one of those woke authors who believe all human beings should be equally respected regardless of the way they look or love.
If you’re an insecure right-wing snowflake who likes to spew nonsense about the so-called woke mind virus because people are fighting for a basic right to exist without harassment and judgment, here’s an unsubscribe button so you can fuck right off…
To the rest of you, I sincerely thank you for being decent human beings and I hope you’ll all consider yourself welcome in my stories regardless of your identity and beliefs.
-mark