zeegoeshere

Look, Rosie, I get that you just honestly want to explain. But several elements of this carefully worded comment are offensive -- they don't "come across as" such or "could be seen that way." They are offensive at face value because they repeat racially discriminatory assumptions.

I'm not a person of colour; I'm among the whitest girls you'll ever have seen, and I live in a country with an overwhelmingly Caucasian population. If I see something and speak up, it's not because I'm "oversensitive" or "angry" or any other word that gets thrown at PoC in such debates: I speak up because it's so blatant that even I spot suspicious phrases with ease, without even trying.

1. The fact that you don't think there is any race problem in Bandom does not, alas, prevent that from being the case. I assume you're a girl, which does make it likely you can immediately recognise sexism (mostly because it's really hard not to notice that hand on your boobs, or hear that joke about stupid sluts). But you're not a PoC; you have little experience in understanding structural racism, which is embedded in everything -- out in the world, in here: in fandom.

2. "But if it's something little, like using "cliche" lingo or stereotypical themes concerning a race that members of the race don't like... Well, that's not grounds, imo, for people to get really upset."

a) Are you sure you're not pointing at a highly theoretical reaction that hasn't actually happened? Have you really seen more than one lone piece of fiction being criticised because of this, and this alone? Your vague wording, at least, hints at you drawing attention away from the actual issue.

b) There is no way to make this not sound harsh, apologies in advance: You have no right to decide what may or may not, what can or cannot upset other people. Not the same thing, but how would you like to see your justified anger and hurt dismissed after said hand on your boobs, said stupid slut joke one male colleague told the rest of a bunch of colleagues, all of them looking at you pointedly and grinning?