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This idea that people cosplaying a character of a different race to them is bad and shouldn’t happen at all has got to stop. People behave as if it takes that opportunity away from others, it doesnt and it never will because cosplayers are not canon representations of a character
There aren’t a finite number of people that can cosplay Beau or Legolas or Storm, anyone can. Acting like that’s how it works creates such an exclusionary environment.
Cosplayers of colour get shit for cosplaying white characters, white people get told not to ‘take characters away’ from poc and inevitably poc who “pass” for white or cosplay outside of their own enthnicity get caught up in nasty, unfounded racefacing accusations.
It’s been happening for years and we just never seem to learn.
Of course it’s bad when a white Yue cosplayer gets more attention and praise than a person of colour cosplaying her which is why we should be focusing on lifting up and highlighting BAME/BIPOC cosplayers instead!
Of course it’s bad when a white Yue cosplayer gets more attention and praise than a person of colour cosplaying her which is why we should be focusing on lifting up and highlighting BAME/BIPOC cosplayers instead!
Segregating and creating rules for people in a community based on their perceived race and more specifically the exact shade of their skin has never been the right way to go about things. It always creates more problems than it solves (which is none).
Groups are a different matter:
If you are cosplaying in a group where there is only one of each character and you as a white person claim a person of colour’s spot, cosplaying a non-white character, obviously this doesn’t apply & you should step aside & let them take your spot
If you are cosplaying in a group where there is only one of each character and you as a white person claim a person of colour’s spot, cosplaying a non-white character, obviously this doesn’t apply & you should step aside & let them take your spot
But cosplay in general is for everyone and acting as if the world is gonna suddenly stop having room for Fenris cosplayers of colour because a bunch of pale af folks cosplayed him already is ridiculous.
An addendum cause this is important
Cosplaying a character of colour that wears religious or culturally significant garments obviously is not okay
You shouldn’t be cosplaying Pocahontas because she’s wearing (innacurate but still) traditional clothing I want to make that v clear
Cosplaying a character of colour that wears religious or culturally significant garments obviously is not okay
You shouldn’t be cosplaying Pocahontas because she’s wearing (innacurate but still) traditional clothing I want to make that v clear
Any racists that have got this far and somehow misunderstood enough that they think this is supporting them can get fucked. This is not the post or the account for you.
This thread is NOT about white people getting to do whatever they want. We’ve had quite enough of that. This is about how communities trying to regulate anything based on race is a really dangerous path.
