Aisha Dee is calling for more diversity behind-the-scenes of her show The Bold Type.
The 26-year-old Australian actress – who plays Kat Edison on the Freeform series – took to her Instagram on Wednesday night (July 15) to share how she took inspiration from her character to bring to light the show’s lack of diversity behind the camera.
“I’m ready to take a cue from my girl Kat. What would Kat do? She would take a stand and advocate for herself and all other marginalized voices to influence change,” Aisha wrote. “I am ready to push harder and speak louder for what matters to me: The diversity we see in front of the camera needs to be reflected in the diversity of the creative team behind the camera.”
Aisha continued: “It took two seasons to get a single BIPOC in the writers’ room for ‘The Bold Type.’ And even then, the responsibility to speak for the entire Black experience cannot and should not fall on one person. We got to tell a story about a queer Black woman and a lesbian Muslim woman falling in love, but there have never been any queer Black or Muslim writers in the room. In four seasons (48 episodes) we’ve had one Black woman direct two episodes.”
She then went on to criticize the “inconsistent” storylines of queer characters and characters of color.
“The level of care, nuance, and development that has gone into the stories centering white hetero characters is inconsistent with the stories centering queer characters and POC,” Aisha wrote. “I do not believe this is intentional. We cannot bring specificity and honesty to experiences we have not lived. And when there is a lack of representation, the way marginalized characters are treated is even more important because they have the potential to empower or perpetuate damaging stereotypes that have lasting and real effect on people.”
Aisha then addressed the problem she has with her character’s new relationship. In the last episode, Kat, who is an outspoken advocate for various liberal causes, entered into a relationship with a white, conservative, Republican woman who has a completely different set of morals than she does.
“The decision to have Kat enter into a relationship with a privileged conservative women felt confusing and out of character,” Aisha explained. “Despite my personal feelings about the choice, I tried my best to tell the story with honesty, even though the Kat I known and love would never make these choices. It was heartbreaking to watch Kat’s story turn into a redemption story for someone else, some who is complicit in the oppression of so many. Someone who’s politics are actively harmful to her communities.”
Aisha explained her decision to speak out about her show, saying that she’s ready to see change.
“I’m critical because I care, because I’ve seen firsthand the incredible impact of this show, and I believe in its potential to be better,” Aisha wrote. “‘The Bold Type’ has done so much food, but it struggles to understand the intersections man of its characters live in.”
After publishing the post, Aisha‘s co-stars Katie Stevens and Meghann Fahy showed their support by sharing her post on their own Instagram accounts.
The season four finale of The Bold Type airs on Thursday, July 16 on Freeform at 10pm ET.
You can read Aisha Dee‘s entire statement in the post below.
