Wow, that is... Fascinating and tangled and messed-up in all sorts of ways. Going and reading some of the apology letter:
Amina came alive. I could hear her ‘voice’ and that voice and personality were clear and strong. Amina was funny and smart and equal parts infuriating and flirtatious. She struggled with her religious beliefs and sexuality, wondered about living in America as an Arab; she wanted to find a way to balance her religion and her sexuality, her desire to be both a patriotic American and a patriotic Arab. Amina was clever and fun and had a story and a voice and I started writing it, almost as though she were dictating to me. Some of her details were mine, some were those of a dozen other friends borrowed liberally, others were purely ‘her’ from the get go.
Wow, that does sound multiple-spectrum-y, also the later parts where he tried to stop writing her but couldn't. Bizarre situation. Handled extremely terribly if he/they/? were doing things in such a way that put people in danger or mislead people. But it is interesting, I will have to read more about this when I have the time, see what more people are saying.
I have still been wondering about the issues of cultural appropriation and multiplicity that were brought up earlier. It does seem like a tangle there, too. I don't feel like I have answers there yet, except to try to be aware that whatever privileges the front body has do have an influence on things, still watching and trying to learn.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2011-06-13 07:05 pm (UTC)Amina came alive. I could hear her ‘voice’ and that voice and personality were clear and strong. Amina was funny and smart and equal parts infuriating and flirtatious. She struggled with her religious beliefs and sexuality, wondered about living in America as an Arab; she wanted to find a way to balance her religion and her sexuality, her desire to be both a patriotic American and a patriotic Arab. Amina was clever and fun and had a story and a voice and I started writing it, almost as though she were dictating to me. Some of her details were mine, some were those of a dozen other friends borrowed liberally, others were purely ‘her’ from the get go.
Wow, that does sound multiple-spectrum-y, also the later parts where he tried to stop writing her but couldn't. Bizarre situation. Handled extremely terribly if he/they/? were doing things in such a way that put people in danger or mislead people. But it is interesting, I will have to read more about this when I have the time, see what more people are saying.
I have still been wondering about the issues of cultural appropriation and multiplicity that were brought up earlier. It does seem like a tangle there, too. I don't feel like I have answers there yet, except to try to be aware that whatever privileges the front body has do have an influence on things, still watching and trying to learn.