half-sassed:

“Representation” is a term reserved for fictional characters and fictional stories, where the creator has full control over what identities to include and what kinds of stories to tell. Those characters aren’t real; they have no feelings to be hurt or privacy to be disrespected. They can be anything the creator or the consumer wants them to be.

Actual human beings, including historical figures, are not representation. They are people. They don’t owe you relatability, and they don’t exist to give meaning to your life as Someone Like You™. If you relate to someone or look up to them as a personal hero, great! But their life stories and choices aren’t about you and your needs, their lives are about them. You are not entitled to the intimate details of their lives, nor do they owe it to you to be your ideal “representation.” They owe you nothing.

Actual human beings are not fictional characters for your consumption.

Remember that.

(via daydreamydyke-archive)