One way to change the world is to act as if it’s already changed.
While I am still on the fence about the new Doctor Who spinoff, Class, showrunner Patrick Ness said something that made me smile:
“Ness added: “Kind of astounded that having a gay lead on Class has been such big news. One day it won’t be, one day soon.
“BECAUSE IT’S NOT A BIG DEAL. One way to change the world is to act as if it’s already changed. That’s how I roll, that’s how Class rolls”
I hope he is right. After the events over the weekend, I fear that day may be further away than we want it to be.
This approach to writing is one that I adopted many years ago, and it is one I wan to see many other writers take up. While a story about the struggle can be entertaining, after a while, they really do start feeling like the same story over and over again.
When I was a kid, I looked up to characters like Frank N Furter from Rocky Horror because he was the only genderqueer LGBT character I had ever seen. The world amazed me because no one cared about Frank's gender or sexuality. Everyone was delightfully bisexual. No one was judged for they gender expression.
Today, there are more role models for kids, but there can always be more. When we create or experience a world without prejudice or that is already beyond it like the original Star Trek, it gives us not only something to aspire to, but an escape from the hate and abuse present in the world.
Hooray for class. You earned my support.