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[eliyes]

Authors Say Agents Try to “Straighten” Gay Characters in YA -- includes an account of an agent telling authors to make straight or entirely remove a viewpoint character who is gay. Note that this is an agent, not a publisher. There's a list of What You Can Do, for publishers, agents, writers, readers and reviewers. I would like to see more gay and/or non-white and/or other "minority" leads and major characters in all types of fantasy and science fiction, and fiction in general.

I am a white person who grew up in a predominantly white community, reading sci-fi and fantasy, and romances, and mysteries, and none of the things I read except comic books (which have their own problems) really reflected a diverse world.

(I think Claudia in the babysitters club was meant to be Japanese? But it wasn't really dealt with, that I recall -- I'm pretty sure I remember reading at least one book where she didn't know how to use chopsticks, for example; her cultural heritage was not present.)

Interesting update! So, a company of literary agent-type stuff (I'm not sure what to call them -- help, anyone?) read the above article and reacted like most of us, i.e. "I can't believe someone did that to them! That's terrible, and they are absolutely right about the need for more diversity in YA fiction."

And then they found out the authors meant were talking about them.

Here is their response. To summarise: Rachel Manija Brown and Sherwood Smith are misrepresenting the conversations that happened betweeen them and this agent (the company gives their side of the story), which is exploitive of the issue (and the agent!) -- however, the issue of greater diversity and more glbt characters in YA fiction is important and we should discuss it and do stuff about it (so long as our discussion is based on honesty).

Comments

[kalloway]

Iirc, it was a bit, with Claudia's grandmother Mimi, but Mimi died fairly early in the series. There may also have been some stuff with Janine at one point, as far as the 'smart Asian' stereotype goes.

At least one book did deal with racist comments about Jessi and Mallory's friendship, too.

But no, definitely not much compared to what there could have been.

[taichara]

*hugs Solar Queen books*

I boggle forever at those and their publishing dates, I swear.

[poisonivory.livejournal.com]

Claudia is Japanese-American. I'm not sure what you mean by "dealt with" - the fact that she's Japanese-American is mentioned in every single book, as is a physical description of her, and her last name is Kishi. She and her grandmother have a tradition of "special tea," using a tea set Mimi brought with her from Japan, and even though Mimi dies early in the series the tradition is mentioned regularly. Her mother's name is Rioko and her aunt's name is Miyoshi. And Claudia mentions at one point that she knows her parents would like her to date a Japanese guy.

But she's a second-generation American, and both of her parents came to America when they were really young. At one point in the series she dates a guy who is really into Asian girls and "Oriental culture," and she totally takes him down and asks why if he doesn't sit around wearing lederhosen or whatever, she needs to be eating sushi every night. I think the series actually struck a really good balance with giving Claudia a Japanese background without making it something that was harped upon.

There was also Jessi, of course, and her race was much more of a plot point. It's mentioned, again, in every single book, as is the fact that there aren't many black families in Stoneybrook and that the Ramseys faced a lot of racism when they moved to Stoneybrook. (I'm not sure why Stoneybrook had no problem with the Kishis, but whatever.) There are a few minor characters who have issues with her friendship with Mallory, and one racist family won't let Jessi (or Claudia) sit for their kids.

I absolutely agree that the BSC should have been more diverse, but it was more diverse than just Claudia, and I definitely don't think the problem was the portrayal of Claudia's heritage.

[eliyes.livejournal.com]

The Animorphs series was a little better, but I'm not sure I would call that YA fiction. It's more like kid's fiction, to me.

:/

[eliyes.livejournal.com]

Yeah! That was a hella diverse cast, ethnically.

[taichara]

And handled with great astuteness if I do say so myself.

[eliyes.livejournal.com]

I bow to your expertise (you've seen the list of the entirely of the BSC books I've read).

[eliyes.livejournal.com]

And also I love the cat. XD

[taichara]

The cat is awesome <3

[krillia.livejournal.com]

(I cannot tell a lie: I initially read the YA as Young Avengers and had a tiny bit of freak-out)

On-topic, I can't really say a lot since I only read two YA series, and one was the Saddle Club. I found them repetitive and boring. I'm not surprised, though. We live in a world where publishers pressure female authors to use initials because boys shy away from reading stuff by the opposite gender and if I recall from writing class, it's "common knowledge" that if you want your alien race to be sympathetic you have to make sure it's symmetrical and bipedal because apparently humans aren't good at sympathizing with things not like us.

[eliyes.livejournal.com]

(Ack! Sorry! *hugs* I didn't even realise it might be read that way. I trust context cleared things up?)

Well, Diane Duane's Young Wizards YA series has plenty of non-bipedal, non-humanoid, and not-always-symmetrical people. (Many of them also show up in her Star Trek novels, but while the ST books she writes are safe for young readers, they aren't specifically marketed a such, that I know of.) And the Magic Shape-Shifting Aliens in Animorphs are hexapeds, technically, what with four legs and two arms. Both series had a degree of popularity. And dolphins. Occasionally.

[krillia.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know it's possible. But in writing classes they like telling writers that in order for the audience to be able to identify with a character, they must recognize them as self not only on an emotional level, but a physical one. Not sure who decided that, though, since I can think of a nice, long list of non-humanoid characters I'm attached to. Not sure about non- bilateral symmetric characters, though. I tried to make my OWN sympathetic, but that was sort of the point.

[eliyes.livejournal.com]

*tamps down her unexpected inner Bucky, who wants to swear a lot about bilateral symmetry and having a prosthetic arm*

I was raised by Trekkies. I believe anything that is a thinking, somewhat compassionate being can be sympathized with by an audience.

[krillia.livejournal.com]

There is not a single decent fanfic about that arm. It is extremely sad. /random

I'm sure they are. I'm not quoting what I believe, but what I've been told by multiple writing teachers.

[kermitdef.livejournal.com]

Makes me wonder if that's why Dumbledore is never actually said to be gay in the books, and scenes with his pal only imply they are really good friends without actually proving anything, and that's why Rowling had to say he was gay in an interview or whatever well after the fact.