Our workforce and our entire economy are strongest when we embrace diversity to its fullest, and that means opening doors of opportunity to everyone and recognizing that the American Dream excludes no one.
Thomas PerezRead
I looked out into the audience, saw dozens of faces I knew well - LGBTQ folks, mostly - all avid comics readers and superhero fans and DC supporters, and it just hit me: Why was this so impossible? Why in the world can we not do a better job of representation of not just humanity, but also our own loyal audience?
Interpretation
This quote highlights the need for better representation of diverse communities in media, particularly in comics.
Gail Simone's quote emphasizes the disconnect between the diverse audiences who engage with superhero comics and the portrayal of those identities within the stories. She questions why there is a difficulty in representing the multiplicity of human experiences, especially for the LGBTQ community, in a genre that should celebrate all forms of humanity and the supporters of such narratives.
In practice
In a panel discussion about comic books, this quote can be used to highlight the importance of inclusivity in storytelling.
Our workforce and our entire economy are strongest when we embrace diversity to its fullest, and that means opening doors of opportunity to everyone and recognizing that the American Dream excludes no one.
Our country is not perfect but our country embraces its diversity. You can be different in this country. I have traveled around the world. I've been in countries where people are not allowed to be different.
We're supposed to be bringing out-of-the-box thinking and innovation, and you cannot do that unless you've got diversity... It's everything from gender to ethnicity to geographic diversity.
Diversity is not one in the room. Diversity is not two in the room. Diversity is not three in the room. True diversity is half the room.
You have to have more people who don't look like you in the writers room. I try to have some people who don't look like me in my writers room. I think it's important to have a group of voices, of people who can dissent.
I've come to realize that, basically all my bosses and supervisors throughout my career have been male. And I've had great experiences, but it's made me appreciate the importance of diversity and inclusion.
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