Diversity in Fanfiction
Representation and Diversity in Fanfiction
Why are there so many fanfictions where Harry Potter is Indian, Captain Kirk is gay, and Link is transgender?
Diversity has become an increasingly present topic while discussing media, and for good reason, too. Looking at just literature alone, the 2023 Diversity Baseline Survey conducted by Lee & Low Books revealed that the publishing industry was primarily made up of young, white, straight, abled people. While many diverse stories are being made, the dominant voice in the industry is a very limited one. Consequently, much of media created over the last 60+ years is oriented for a straight, white, abled audience.
Fanfiction can create diverse narratives out of white, heteronormative, ableist media. Representation matters; audiences want to see themselves portrayed accurately, compassionately, and respectfully in a story. Let's look at some ways in which fanfiction authors are creating representation!
Mary Sues & Other Self-Inserts
Click to go home!References
www.leeandlow.com/about/diversity-baseline-survey/dbs3/.
Floegel, D. (2020). “Write the story you want to read”: world-queering through slash fanfiction creation. [Queering through slash fanfiction creation] Journal of Documentation, 76(4), 785-805. https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-11-2019-0217
Rosenblatt, Betsy, and Rebecca Tushnet. “Transformative Works: Young Women’s Voices on Fandom and Fair Use.” eGirls, eCitizens: Putting Technology, Theory and Policy into Dialogue with Girls’ and Young Women’s Voices, edited by Jane Bailey and Valerie Steeves, University of Ottawa Press, 2015, pp. 385–410. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt15nmj7f.19. Accessed 11 Dec. 2024.