On cultural appropriation

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/mar/28/writers-in-culture-war-over-rules-of-the-imagination?fbclid=IwAR33iPa2kazAqeKE1FtlzPC2uOOBIHzLWd7W_ZIsHdLtwwlUr8nW1pYqrPs

This really bothers me and I have to nail my colours to mast. There are many, whose voices haven't been heard of and who have been deemed as quite, dumb, passive receiving vessels for the wisdom of their "superiors." That is what has sustained narratives around how we see the past that are increasingly being challenged. I, therefore, want to break barriers so unheard voices get platforms as fast as we can. But writers shouldn't be constrained by identity alone or stick to "what they know." Imagination has no borders. We are often best when we step into the unknown. My identity goes way beyond "box" of race, religion & nation I broke out of, and I am always curious about what lies around the corner. I, a walking advertisement for cultural appropriation, love writing about that which wasn't part my inheritance. The food I cook, the way I dress, the languages I speak (and am learning) the music I listen to, virtually everything that defines me is by way of cultural appropriation. If I do all of those things badly that is down to my ability or lack of. But everyone should be able to do that. Writers should write on what ever takes their fancy and be judged on quality.