Read on Twitter
I've been thinking a lot about romance and activism. I think there are two types of people who might see what we've done and find it surprising.
1) People who haven't been paying attention to romance for the last 15 years
2) People who have been
1) People who haven't been paying attention to romance for the last 15 years
2) People who have been
This surely isn't the start of it, but I can remember a RWR article that said that authors shouldn't say political things... back in 2016? 2017?
It tapped into a larger firestorm. Wasn't the first time it happened, wasn't the last time it happened.
It tapped into a larger firestorm. Wasn't the first time it happened, wasn't the last time it happened.
Romance has had a long-running argument about whether it is "professional" to talk about politics. Long, LONG running.
We've had people talking for years and years about what it means to say "don't talk about politics" when your existence has been politicized.
We've had people talking for years and years about what it means to say "don't talk about politics" when your existence has been politicized.
We've had years and years of talking about how love is political--how who gets to love openly, and who gets to be seen as worthy of love, and how those people are depicted--become inherently political acts.
Over the course of the last...I dunno how many years it's been...I have seen the tide shift. It's not come all the way in yet. There's still a long road.
At the RWA convention in New York in 2019, I (this is obviously a Courtney thread) talked about the journey toward justice in RWA, and how it's sometimes like starting a trip with petulant three year olds.
There's a recording of this somewhere, but I remember saying that there was always going to be someone kicking the back of the seat and saying, "we have to stop, I forgot my toothbrush" and "MOM, Timmy's the REAL racist."
But I also said that the time for turning back was past, and we were going to get in the car and go.
I think that--despite everything, perhaps BECAUSE of everything--we're on the road.
I think that--despite everything, perhaps BECAUSE of everything--we're on the road.
A pessimist, I think, would note that it has taken us decades just to get moving and our destination is still far away.
But for me, what I take is this: It turns out that decades of work does actually build something.
But for me, what I take is this: It turns out that decades of work does actually build something.
I think Georgia proves that. I think romance proves that. And I think we can keep on proving that.
I feel a lot of hope.
Thank you all for helping with this.
I feel a lot of hope.
Thank you all for helping with this.
If you're not in romance and want a little bit of a refresher, this is a pretty good one. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/apr/04/fifty-shades-of-white-romance-novels-racism-ritas-rwa
