I Want To Speak Out Against The Whole Push Towards DEI. I Feel That Ever Since You Made The Push To Make

I want to speak out against the whole push towards DEI. I feel that ever since you made the push to make identity the forefront of a character it has hurt the stories you tell. Captain Sisay's race was never the focus of her character and she was a complete badass! And I fear if you did it over again Gerrard would be trans, black and disabled just because. It also cheapens the stories of world devastation when characters worry more about their gender than Bolas destroying everything.

The reason I started this blog is so we can have frank conversations about things, so please let’s talk about this.

Imagine if every time you turned on the TV or watched a movie, no one looked like you. For some of us, that’s never happened. We see ourselves constantly, so it’s hard to truly understand what not seeing yourself represented in media is like.

I do have a personal window to this experience. While I am white and male, there’s an area where I am the minority - my religion. Jews are just under two and a half percent of the US population. I have had many experiences where I’ve been in situations where everything is geared towards a group I do not belong to, and zero consideration is given that not everyone at that event is part of the majority.

You just feel invisible and like an outsider. It’s not a great feeling. And I just experience it a tiny portion of time, only things that are geared specifically towards something religious. Most minorities have this feeling all the time, whenever they’re outside their personal community.

Now imagine, after years of not seeing yourself ever, you finally see someone that looks like you, but nothing about the character rings remotely true. They don’t sound like you, they don’t act like you, the facts about their day-to-day life are just wrong. It’s clear whoever wrote the character didn’t truly understand the lived experience of the character, so the character feels fake.

You bring up Sisay. Michael Ryan and I didn’t technically create Sisay (she played a small role in the Mirage story), but we did do a lot to flesh out her character as the creators of the Weatherlight Saga. We turned her from a minor character into a major one.

And while I’m proud, in general, of our work on the Weatherlight Saga, I don’t think we did justice to Sisay as a character. Neither Michael nor I have any knowledge of what it’s like to be a black woman. Nor did we ever talk to someone who did.

And if you’re someone like us that has no knowledge of that experience, you probably didn’t notice. But that doesn’t mean it’s a good thing.

Imagine if we made a movie about your life, and we just made everything up. We invented people you never knew, we gave you a job you never had, and we had you say things you’d never say. The movie might even be a good movie, but your response would be, but that’s not my life - that’s not me.

Now imagine we put the movie out, and people that never met you assumed that was what you were like. When people met you for the first time, they assumed things, because, you know, they’d seen the movie.

That’s what misrepresenting people does. It not only makes them feel not seen, it falsely represents them, spreading lies, often stereotypes, making people believe things about them that aren’t true.

Our move towards diversity is just us trying to better reflect the world and the people in it. We’re trying to do to everyone else what a certain portion of people get every day without ever having to think about it.

But why are we “making it the forefront of their character”? We’re not. We’re making it a part of their character. But in a world where you’re not used to ever seeing it, it feels louder than it is. Things that are a natural part of the world that you’re used to feel like the background of the story because you understand the context to it.

If a man kisses his wife before going off to a battle, that’s not a big deal. It’s just a thing a husband might do to his wife when he leaves. It’s not the forefront of his character. It’s just part of his life. But you’ve seen it hundreds of times, so it feels normal.

When someone does something that isn’t your lived experience it pulls focus. It seems like a big deal, but only because it’s new to you. It’s just as mundane a thing to that character as the man kissing his wife is to him.

Even the turn “pushing” implies that it’s unnaturally here, that we’re forcing something that naturally shouldn’t be. But why? That thing exists naturally in the real world, and it doesn’t make the real world any less. Maybe you’re less aware of it, but is making you aware of how others live their life “pushing” something on you?

How you live your life is represented constantly, everywhere. Why isn’t over-representing your experience at the expense of everyone else’s “pushing” it? Why is media only being the experience of those in power the “proper way”?

Having more depth and variety doesn’t lessen stories. It makes them deeper, more rich, more nuanced. In short, it makes them better stories. In my former life, I was a professional writer. I took a lot of writing classes. One of the truism of writing is “speaking truth leads to better stories”.

There’s another famous quote: “When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.” You’re used to being over-represented, so being a little less over-represented feels like something has been taken from you. But really it hasn’t. Having a better sense of the rest of the world comes with a lot of benefits.

I’ll use food as an example. Let’s say all you were ever exposed to was the food of your heritage. Yeah, that food is really good, but sometimes isn’t it nice to eat foods of other nationalities? Isn’t your life better that you have a choice? Isn’t your exposure and access to the food of other nationalities a positive in your life?

Exposure to variety is a positive. It allows you to learn about things you didn’t know, experience things things you’ve never experienced, and get a better sense of understanding of your friends and neighbors.

Our actions are not to harm anyone, and if you think that’s what we’re doing, please take a minute to actually absorb what I’m saying. You’ve spent your whole life metaphorically eating one type of food, and we’re just trying to show you how much you’ve missed out on.

And while this might not impact you directly, we’re making a whole bunch of people felt seen. We’re bringing joy. Think of it this way. We make a lot of cards. Not every card is for you. But if it makes someone else happy, if they get to include it in a deck, and it makes Magic better for them, how is it harming you that we include it? You have so many cards that you can play.

To this poster or people that share their viewpoint, the narrative that a gain for someone else is an attack on you is just not true. As I just pointed out above, you play a game all about personal choice, about players getting to choose how they play and enjoy the game. Why should life be any different than Magic?

Thanks for reading.

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magic the gathering

More Posts from Whiskysauers and Others

whiskysauers

2 months ago

What If… || ClonexOCWeek2025

Rex & Mae || Wolffe & Perdita || Tech & Marina

Author’s Note: Hi friends! For day 6 of @clonexocweek I thought I’d better convey some of the things I associate with my OC’s and their copy/paste men… so I had fun with a little social media aesthetic prompt! Below you will find one for each character, as well as a little glance at how I see each couple as a unit visually speaking. So for “what if…” it’s “what if they were a color (for example). Anywho, this was a prompt more to show how I see these characters and help people feel as connected to them as I do. Reminder this all exists within my friend @leenathegreengirl ‘s AU! All art of my oc's is by her!

Pairings: Captain Rex x OC Mae Killough | Commander Wolffe x OC Perdita Halle | Tech x OC Marina

Masterlist

Animal

Lion: Rex is fierce, he is a bold protector and he is powerful. He works best by leading others. But at his core, he truly is a wonderful soldier.

Red Fox: Foxes are typically known for and associated with resourcefulness, cunningness and cleverness. They often have a shy but playful disposition. Mae has had to rely on herself for so long, that her ability to adapt to survive through her intelligence makes her more aligned with a Fox than just the similar color of their hair/fur…

Place

Mountainous Body of Water: Usually bodies of water near mountains are carved out by glacier activity. Strong erosions over time that create a pristine and enriching space. Rex has seen many things through his life, but he is resilient.

Misty Mountains: Mae has a tumultuous past and her homeworld replicates that of our world’s climates like Scotland or Ireland. The lack of sunlight mixing with the peaks to some would seem depressing, but to others the calm they bring is aligned with her more subdued nature of being - which I’d say is a less flashy kind of beauty.

Plant

Succulent: Succulents are desert plants, that learn to survive on little resources. They tend to weather lots of mistreatment and still maintain their ability to persevere. Rex has been through much in his life, and he continues to keep fighting the good fight.

English Ivy: This vine plant grows very quickly, can grow virtually anywhere and is known to help remove toxins from the spaces they occupy. Mae is quick to adapt, keep her morals aligned despite her upbringing with a crime family, and she left upon her first chance at freedom.

Character

Li Shang: He is a leader. He’s a strong warrior. He tends to be more reserved, maintaining what he can on his own. Initially he is by the book and has to learn to adapt. That sounds an awful lot like Rex to me… we will gloss over Li Shang’s initial sexism though…

Anna: The Princess can be quite awkward. She is also optimistic, caring and free-spirited. I honestly do see more of Anna’s tendency to be a bit clumsy aligning well with Mae. Early on I do think that Mae was a bit sheltered from real life, kept away from some of her siblings and that aligns a lot with Anna’s growth from willing to marry the first man she met to being Queen of the kingdom. (With a handsome blond near her side!)

Season

Summer: Summer is warm. It’s bright. It is the peak of likelihood. It’s when we are closest to the sun. The days are longer. Rex has a lot of light to him so often forgotten by his struggles. He was born to be absorbing the suns rays with a drink in his hand.

Autumn: A brisk chill in the air leads to the heartiness that goes on in one’s home in fall. I always have seen Mae as a large pot of soup with a fireplace as the leaves outside begin to fall.

Hobby

Surfing: One of the first times Rex directly interacted with Mae was on one of her rare days off. She grew up in a large mansion by the sea, but the kind of cold, rocky shorelines were not build for surfing. When she moved to Pabu, her appreciation for the calm that life by the water increased, and the locals showed her how to appreciate them in a harmonizing way. When she taught Rex, he found the physicality enjoyable, and the relaxation it provided through bonding with the doctor to be the kind of reprieve he needed. With time, her favorite hobby, became a pastime of his as well

Color

Blue: 501 Blue does go so well to describe Rex. Loyalty, honor, stability, and calm describe him so well, but at this point the shade is so closely associated with the captain, I’d be remiss not the say Blue.

Forest Green: While Mae frequently dons soft blue, I think green fits her much more. Green is a nurturing color, associated with nature, and one’s ability to adapt. It’s a color that subconsciously relaxes. Her home being a safe haven for many is more attuned to this shade.

Crystal/Stone/Gem

Sea Glass: Given the narrative connections run so deep here, I won’t elaborate as I already have in “Something About You”, but Rex is much alike the kind of beauty that comes from transformation through hardship.

Pearls: Mae used an alias while she initially was working for the Republic Aid Relief - another translation or meaning of her name - Pearl. Pearls are associated with luxury but also new beginnings. There’s a Devine feminine energy of something that comes from the sea and has the subdued brilliance of pearls.

Food

Pot Roast: Rex just seems like the kind of man who wants to come home to a hearty, slow cooked meal that’s rich and warms the soul

Waffles: They are sweet, and they are compartmentalized. Mae, while a kind person, has her quirks. She likes to sort things out on her own.

Together, they are both a mix of very striking differences on the outside, but the kind of people they are - the kind that would give you clothes off their back or work so hard to help those in need since it’s the right thing to do - make Mae and Rex one of my favorite couples to write for. She isn’t a gun wielding badass, but she’s a spitfire. She’s bold when she needs to be. She’s refreshingly honest. The two have a similar mind of putting others first, themselves second. Finding someone like that, helps you maintain a love in which you care for the other person’s needs in a beautiful and calm light. Mae brings Rex stability. He brings her security. With that comes smiles into cups of caf and the jovial times of those who began as friends first. His appreciation for her endearing sweetness and respect for her strength hopefully will allow these two to survive virtually whatever throws their way. I see their dynamic to be one that is timeless, and soft.

Read their stories here:

Key: Flashback ★

Animal

Wolf: I mean. I don’t feel the need to explain this one…

Arctic Fox: solidarity creatures, raised in harsh climates that still - despite all odds - are loving and playful. Monogamous, and maintaining loyalty to one mating partner for life, they are willing to cross the tundra for the one they love. Perdita’s time with the Jedi created a solidarity which she has to learn to overcome, but the loyalty she feels towards Wolffe is finally bringing out the more playful and inquisitive side of her that shows there’s so much more to life than the Jedi Order she may have been neglecting…

Place

Open spaces under a night sky: Wolffe has a stillness about him. Don’t assume it makes him weak, but he has a nature that seems just on the outskirts of things. The stillness of night is something that he often feels connected to. Especially given his life almost ended in an escape pod, adrift amongst the stars. The ability to feel the ground below, seeing them from a distance, is where he feels the most at peace.

Caves: Growing up under the Quarzite surface, in the intricate system of caves, Perdita has many aspects associated with her people. Some may find the hollowed out spaces to be eerie, vacant, but with them comes security and a sense of protection.

Plant

Pine trees: Woody, strong and also… comforting. Pines have many associations of tradition and the warmth that accompanies celebrations of the winter. Wolffe has a traditional undertone to him that feels aligned with the strength and comfort of a pine.

(Redacted) Russian Purple Variation: So, keep with me… but a certain substance often used recreationally for health benefits definitely aligns with the more odd aspects of the Jedi, and their tendency to prioritize meditation and connecting to the force… as for the Russian purple variation of this plant… it is grown in HARSH climates, just like the environment Perdita came from.

Character

The Winter Soldier: Left under mind control at the hand of a regime that saw him as a tool not a person? Check. A badass with a cybernetic element? Check. Associations with Wolf (later the White Wolf)? Need I say more?

Daenerys: Both Perdita and Daenerys were the victims of situation, where their power was often wielding without their consent or against them. They are both inquisitive, but also have a vengeful streak. The more Perdita becomes distant from the Jedi, the more she is willing to see how wrong they are. But, unlike Daenerys she learns to confront it and accept it. Calm, levelheaded and regal these women both have a grace about them.

Season

Winter: Both Wolffe and Perdita have a coldness about them that radiates with winter. Perdita, from repressing emotion so long, and Wolffe with his regrets and rigid soldier tendencies.

Hobby

Music: With time, I see Wolffe appreciating music. Perhaps a quiet melody played only for himself, but the dedication to learn an instrument seems like something he’d do in private.

Strategy Games: At the temple, Perdita often excelled with logical games that related on strategy. I think this ability to shift things around her through intuition is something she continues to enjoy

Color

Grey : His color during the war, and he still feels the pull to associate with it now, Wolffe enjoys the tranquility associated with the color. Although, now with the addition of Perdita to his life, he prefers the mixing of a misty teal and grey, as the colors harmonize in a serenity he enjoys.

Dark Green/Teal: A color of communication and sophistication, Perdita is open and gentle in nature.

Crystal/Stone/Gem

Dalmatian Jasper: Grounding and loyal. This stone is said to bring about renewal. A visual representation of the darkness Wolffe is still trying to process.

Clear Quartz: A crystal for purifying and cleansing other stones. Translucent and strong.

Food

Coffee: Black. No frills. Chugged while scalding. On Pabu I think he’d get WAY too into espresso and making good espresso.

Tacos: Not sure why but I love the thoughts of a Perdita that is safe, and just pounding some street tacos on Pabu.

There is so much strength, determination and above all… trust. They fight hard for one another. Are likely unhealthily attached to one another. They defied all odds - a Jedi Survivor and a Deserter Clone. There is not a thing these two would not do to keep the other safe. And in that, something beautiful emerged. A tension which lead to a fierce love and respect. Like a dog guarding its home almost, Wolffe would not stop at anything to keep her safe. Despite everything their love is so rich its intensity goes without words. Both transformed by the harshness they endured , picture them like Coal, so impressed upon it eventually turns to diamond. Not to mention the lovely symmetry in which they exist. Reflections of one another in so many ways, and yet a strong contrast of light and darkness. And… despite all the jokes he really does see this former Jedi as his “Princess”, worthy of love and admiration.

Read their stories here:

Key: Flashback ★

Animal

Silver Foxes (Brown): Fast, intelligent, resourceful. Silver Foxes specifically have associations with being hunter for sport and worn by royalty. They tend to be more antisocial creatures, but once they grow to trust, they are very friendly. Fierce hunters and adaptable creatures, Tech is intelligent and good at problem solving.

Sea Turtle: Having long lives and being an integral role in the marine ecosystem, turtles are resilant. From hatching, to a life of solidarity, they are always finding ways to adapt and survive. Graceful and strong. Marina has faced hardships but she continues to survive.

Place

Misty Ocean Cliffside: Tech seems the type to appreciate the softeness of an overcast down overlooking the water. No harshness of the sun, but taking in the splendor of the strength of the ocean.

Oceanside: In a more generalized sense, Marina is very connected to the ocean. Her work, her livihood, even her name are tied to a connection with the ocean. She particularly enjoys diving to view reefs.

Plant

Mint: fresh, clean, and cool. Mint is a plant with beneficially properties and a plesant taste/aroma that is mild. Tech radiates practicality and keeping a calm head about most things.

Marine Alage: A part of the reef ecosystem, sea alage is very unique in terms of the genetic structture and physical makeup. They do not act as normal 'plants', not having a vasualar system or structure. In a similar way, Marina is very unique both physically and socially.

Character

Milo Thatch: loyal, well intending... and awkward. Milo is very intelligent and respectful of people regardless of background. Plus, we are not blind... Milo girlies are now Tech girlies.

Elizabeth "Lizzie" Bennet: Name me a more independant, intelligent and witty woman. I'll wait. But in all seriousness, Elizabeth has much that she has to grow and learn with time - same as Marina needs to learn to allow herself to be cared for once again.

Season

Summer: A time for long days filled with many activities. Warmth and outdoor time. Summer is often associated with both a productive time and a time to unwind. Tech and Marina spend an awful lot of time around the ocean, so summer just feels like a fitting season for them both. The only differnce I see - Marina is a mid day swim, and Tech is a relaxing summer evening after a long day.

Hobby

Diving: What kind of Marina biologist doesn't enjoy diving and exploring? Marina's work is also her enjoyment, and with time becomes something she shares with him. The physicality of it, paired with the curiousity is the perfect blend of fun and educational for both these lovely scientists.

Color

Orange: Orange is a color of confidence and warmth. Often seen in nature and connected to creativity. Orange was the first color Tech 'chose' to identify with himself after Order 66 and the Batch repainted their armor.

Navy Blue: A color associated with dependability and calm. A color Marina has decorating her skin in the intricate lines of her tattoos.

Cyrstals, Stones, Gems

Ammonoidea fossil: Tech and Marina both share a love of research, and I do feel that fossils would hold interest for both. Aquatic based ones would provide a look at the past that they both find intriguing.

Food

Fish and Risotto: Something about the light filling nature of a nice grilled, citrus fish and risotto feels like a meal Tech would enjoy. It's got a practical comfort to it.

Salad: Healthy, fresh and limitless options for filling. Marina feels like the kind to actually enjoy a nice salad with homemade dressing.

Tech and Marina are the definition of a well oiled machine. Practical, sensible, and speaking a similar language without actually needing to speak at all. Academically minded people who genuinely care for the other's interest, they spend so much quality time in deep discussions on life, theories and hypotheticals. These two will never grow bored of each other. A story both of loss, and rebirth, they learn to move in a unified song and dance through life that contradicts everything people previously assumed about them. Marina brings out a lightness in him he never knew was there. Tech shows her that it's okay to be taken care of. Not to mention... a hidden spiciness brimming below the surface. Their love is one that says "I already did that dear-", since their strong atunement towards each other's needs is so strong, it often outweighs their own.

Read their story here:

1. "Someone New" | 10k (SFW) | Part of "Between Hearts and Ruin" Event

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legacygirlingreen’s oc legacygirlingreen’s writing legacygirlingreen cloneocweek2025 captain rex x oc oc mae

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whiskysauers

6 months ago

Many have written about how Karlach throws Astarion, well… Don't worry, no Astarions were harmed! But I can't say the same about Gortash…

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baldur's gate 3 astarion karlach

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whiskysauers

2 months ago

WHAT THE FUUUUUUCK ME ME ME ME ME ME

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cute cute animals stoat

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whiskysauers

1 month ago

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rain world

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whiskysauers

5 months ago

what if there was a snabbit. just consider it

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rabbit snail that's a buny snabbit

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whiskysauers

5 months ago

Star Wars fans are so homophobic meanwhile Star Trek fans are finding new and interesting ways for these characters to fuck nasty

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star trek trekposting star trek vs star wars

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whiskysauers

3 months ago

Baldur's Gate, but they're all ensigns on a Galaxy-class starship

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baldur's gate 3 bg3 star trek

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whiskysauers

6 months ago

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star trek lower decks

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whiskysauers

5 months ago

The ocean on Kamino is the womb that gave her birth

(Commission)

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star wars the bad batch tbb omega

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whiskysauers

3 months ago

hey kids did you know that computers didn't used to automatically connect to the internet. it used to make this screaming noise. we should have listened.

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