Check Your Fiction for the Following

A Checklist for Prejudices in Your Work

Want to be more inclusive and diverse in your fiction? Here are a few points to consider. If you find examples of these “-isms” in your author’s voice, then you might want to take a look inside and try a re-write (and a re-think about where they might be coming from).

A caveat—These can be great shorthand for villains and bad antagonists but constantly using them that way can start to take away some of the power in your characters, especially when they are used as hammers. More subtle uses can create more real characters that are more human than “Bond villains.”

[  ]  Racial prejudices: Negative feelings, stereotypes, attitudes, or beliefs towards a people due to their ethnic or racial makeup.

[  ]  Gender Prejudice or Sexism: Stereotypes or attitudes held based on someone’s gender or perceived gender.

[  ]  Religious Prejudice: Holding negative views or attitudes towards an individual due to their religion or lack thereof.

[  ]  Ageism: Prejudice against an individual due to their age, spanning from believing people are “too old” for some situations or “too young” for others.

[  ]  Classism: Holding prejudicial views or attitudes towards individuals from a lower socioeconomic status. These views can easily manifest into discrimination, impacting access to essential social services, like education, employment, and healthcare.

[  ] Homophobia and Transphobia: Prejudiced views against members of the LGBTQ+ community based on their sexuality and gender identity.

[  ]  Xenophobia: Prejudice held against foreigners, in particular refugees or immigrants from low-income countries. Xenophobia and racism may have similarities; however, xenophobia focuses more on nationality, culture, and origin, though race does contribute.

Source: https://www.cultureally.com/blog/racism-vs-prejudice