Diversity in stories
I’ve often talked about this type of thing before, but I’ll use it in the context of Tales of Six Gun & Sorcery.
Diversity is important, from showcasing people of different ethnic backgrounds, people of colour, men and women, and even sexuality and transgender individuals (or people who have neither a sexuality nor follow a gender binary).
When I revisited rewriting Black Mask & Pale Rider, I put the focus on adding in more diversity. Neither Shani nor Pania had been given an exact ethnic background, though Shani’s was just ambiguous enough for a reader to believe she was white. I didn’t want that. I wanted Shani to be known right away that she had Mohawk or First Nation ancestry. To that end, I made sure it would be known Pania was Irish. And while I never came right out and said that Pania was a lesbian, there was enough evidence which makes that cannon. Spoiler, Pania is a lesbian.
Adding in Shani’s sister Wren, and then adding in Abisayo and making it known she was Yoruba made it a rather unique and diverse group. Four women, from three different backgrounds (four, technically if you count Shani and Wren as Mohawk and French, but it’s just easier to say Metis, which is a recognized Aboriginal group in Canada and the United States).
Now, keep in mind, these are all elves. All four of the main characters are elves, which I know I’ve received the usual flack about. Elves are not strictly European folklore. Elves have appeared in many different cultures across the world. They are mentioned in several First Nation/Native American folklore, especially in Mohawk, Iroquois, Ojibwa and Mi’kmaq. It’s very possible that Cree, Dakota, and the hundreds of other tribes that lived across North America all had similar narratives about elves.
Placing cultural diversity, and even sexual diversity, into a fantasy based story isn’t something that’s bad. A black woman will identify with Abisayo, and she might identify with Pania if she’s a lesbian. A Native American person can identify with Shani and Wren, whether that be because of their heritage, or because of their sexuality, or because they are caring, kind, loyal, and so on.
Adding diversity isn’t quota filling. Adding diversity is making a richer, colourful, and unique story.
