User blog:Ami670/So You Want to Make an LGBT+ Character

Hey, it's me Jake. In spite of like all that vandalism shit, it did hit me like a truck that the world isn't so bright and wonderful. I mean, I always knew that but I have been immersed in a positive environment lately that when something like that happened, it boggled my mind. But, at the same time, that can change and the world can be a better place with change through education!

So I've taken the time to make this guideline on making diverse/LGBT Sonic characters if you choose to do so! Feel free to read and take some notes for the future! As a trans man and a bisexual, representation is very important to me. We all want to see ourselves in the characters that we immerse ourselves in, and LGBT folk deserve that.

This will update whenever the time is right.

So without further a do, let's get to crackin'.

So You Want to Make an LGBT Character... Here are some fine tips to keep in mind
This will update whenever I feel there's something important to add!
 * Don't mention/say their dead names
 * When making a trans character, there's the whole dead naming situation and some people wanting to know their dead name. I mean this in the nicest way, but a trans person's dead name is none of your business. You do not need to know their dead name for any reason.
 * Unfortunately, my dead name is still floating around here and I haven't had much time to fix them all.
 * LGBT characters aren't just LGBT... they are so much more.
 * Yes, being LGBT is part of their identity for sure, but it is not their only trait! Some people are very bold and brave for being comfortable with their identity, and they are absolutely valid. But, when writing such a character, do not make that their most prominent trait.
 * I'll use Melissa as an example. If I were to introduce her to you, I wouldn't say "Hi, this is Melissa and she is trans." I would say something like "Hi, this is Melissa and she is a fun-loving teenager who loves music and possesses a rather powerful ability." There is so much to your character, but it is absolutely valid to make them very proud of their identity! You can do that, just don't make it the main focus. Y'know?
 * Alongside this, you don't have to be LGBT to write an LGBT character. However, if you are not LGBT, you shouldn't write about their journey about discovering themselves because it is not your story to tell, if that makes any sense. Like, thoroughly. I am trans, as I have mentioned before, and while I am trans, I am not a trans woman and I am not qualified to write about trans women's experiences. However, since I am trans, I can incorporate my aspects into writing Melissa. I even mentioned about her discovering herself in her history, but I didn't really delve into her history.
 * Melissa is also a lesbian, and it is not my place to write about her discovery of realizing she's a lesbian. I can talk about it, I can say she likes girls or people who align with feminity strongly.
 * The thing about slurs....
 * You should never use slurs to describe your characters; you should never use slurs in general.
 * But, a lot of you guys may see people reclaim certain slurs for themselves. You won't see that here because it's banned on the wiki, but on social media you might see people reclaiming slurs.
 * Always slash/censor slurs. They can be traumatic to people.
 * Believe it or not... "h/m/sexual" and "qu//r" are slurs. They have been used as slurs to discriminate and harrass many LGBT folk. Some people may be comfortable using them, but one's experiences do not overly define how the community feels about a certain issue.
 * Going on with the last thing in italics
 * As I have said, one's experiences do not define all experiences. It's important to always ask for multiple sources on issues that you are not sure of to find a general consensus.
 * Always ask if you are unsure if something seems off or if you have a question. I will be more than willing to answer any questions, but don't go just to me because I only know so much. I am trans and bi, so it's probably not best to ask me about in depth questions about lesbians because I am not a lesbian.
 * Recognize that there are nonbinary genders.
 * Please don't brush this off as a joke, but there are more than two genders. Gender is a spectrum; it is not as simple as most people think it is.
 * Pronouns are a thing! "He/his," "she/her," and "they/them" are widely used pronouns but there are more out there. But not all binary gendered people use the pronouns that corrolate to their gender.
 * Pronouns ≠ Gender.
 * I know, I know, this is going to be mind boggling for a lot of you people. To be honest, as progressive as I am, there are things that still boggle my mind.
 * You don't have to agree with any of this quite frankly, because I can't force you to agree on things, but you have to respect it please. A lot of us are struggling to come to terms with our identity and things that make sense to us won't make sense to you. And that's okay. Just be respectful and considerate, please.

More things
I don't expect you guys to make all your characters LGBT, a healthy mix and dose of diversity is very good! And if you have read this and have done of the things on what not to do, don't feel really bad about it. We all make mistakes; it's just important to learn from your mistakes, correct them and move on! As I said above, you don't have to agree with my views. That's not the focus here. I just ask of you to respect us and leave us to exist in peace. Please and thank you.

I love you guys all so much, even if I don't talk much around here. Sonic Fanon is like a second family to me, and I just only wanted to share you guys some tips in case you all wanted to utilize them in the future.

Thank you all for reading, and I hope you learned a thing or two!

- Jake <3