Representation and how it's done is often a touchy topic. I think representation is important, but no one should be forced to write it. Still, when you do write it you should be open to criticisms from the groups you're writing about.
Here's what I'm Saying
Today I read a post where a gay man criticized a book about a gay man. He said that the representation felt like an outdated stereotype. I read that series and while I didn't agree with him, I was willing to listen because I read a series featuring GAY MEN and this was a GAY MAN talking. His perspective about the characters written to represent people about him is extremely valuable to me as a reader because I don't want to support authors who are making minorities uncomfortable with their bad representation.
I am a bisexual, black woman. I have read books with bisexual representation, but almost every time there's something weird or gross about the character. I read a book where a woman was sleeping with a Bi man who gave her an STD because he was also sleeping with men. (A bit heavy handed, no?) I've seen a couple things that portray a bi character dating someone and then cheating on them with someone of the opposite gender of their partner. WLW relationship? The bi girl cheats with a guy. Straight? The bi girl cheats with a girl. ORR they try to convince their partner to enter a non-monogamous relationship lmao.
I'm not saying these things don't happen, because they do. I am saying that it's not all I want to see.
Black people are also, very often, the subject of stereotypes. I would say that outside of romance (and even in it) black people can not escape the stereotype of PAIN and TRAUMA. Every black character either has some atrocious backstory or is traumatized and loses everything in the series. DON'T GET THE WRONG IDEA, it's fine if that's what you have planned for your character but that's all I ever see.
I'm Listening
With those things in mind, I'm always listening to other minorities about representation. If you tell me that something's wrong I will take the time to consider it. The comments on the post I saw were full of
1.) Gay men agreeing with him
2.) People who admitted they were not gay men calling him a "hater".
My thing is this; he criticized the book but he didn't say anything mean or rude about it. He said there was something wrong with the representation and that's something we should all look out for IF we're writing minorities for minorities.
I'm not an author, but I do love writing. I hope that someday people will read my works and fall in love with them. I write all kinds of characters from straight, white male college students to one armed, pansexual, MTF princesses and if a straight white male tells me I should reconsider an inaccurate aspect of their life before releasing my next work I would simply reconsider the inaccurate aspect of their life. It doesn't mean I have to AGREE with them or that I should change my work. It means that I should talk to more straight, white men and get a good idea of how accurate my writing was (because one person's perspective isn't always common), then try to make an edit IF after reviewing the content I decide they were right.
To Conclude
If you're a writer, I want to leave you with a few questions. No judgement for any of your answers.
1.) Why do you create minority characters? Are you trying to appease a political group and show them that you are one of them? Or because you know and love minorities? Or did you just think of the character that way? (I like to say 'that's how they were born')
2.) When creating minority characters, do you think of how the group would feel about the character, their backstory and the things that happen to them? Do you allow that to frame aspects of your story?