Anime NYC 2018: LGBTQ+ Representation in Anime Panel

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Anime NYC Logo
The past few years a lot of conventions we’ve been to have been very inclusive when it came to LGBT representation. HIDIVE hosted this panel, one of many on Friday night at Anime NYC. If you’re unfamiliar with HIDIVE it’s a streaming service for anime and they have been sponsors at a few of the conventions I’ve been to this past year. You can catch Simulcasts, dubs and much more on HIDIVE there is a 7-day free trial if you’re interested in checking out the anime they stream.
The panel was 45 minutes but it needed to be longer because there is still so much to say about the representation of LGBTQ in anime. David Wald was the industry guest in this panel, he addressed the lack of representation, projects he’s currently working on and ways to promote representation for future projects. David Wald is a Voice Actor that has worked with many companies like ADV, Sentai Filmworks, Funimation, and many others. Some of the characters he’s voiced Gajeel Redfox from Fairy Tale, Bular from Akame Ga Kill, and Attack on Titans’ Hannes just to name a few, you can check out the rest of the characters this man has voiced throughout his career here.
David Wald
David does more than voice acting, he is also an ADR Director and a Scriptwriter. David has worked on adapting English ADR scripts for Diabolik Lovers: More Blood, Chivalry of a Failed Knight and Hitorijime My Hero. He also has a few titles under his belt as a Director for titles such as Hitorijime My Hero and Tada Never Falls In Love. David is a very talented man and is doing good work in spreading and creating opportunities for more LGBTQ representation in anime.
David mentioned his woes about the lack of representation in current anime when it should be looking more like the reality we live in today. Gay people exist everywhere, I have a hard time believing that there is not one Gay character in some of the new series that are popping up.
David also mentioned the forced gay agenda that mainstream media is pushing on us after one of the audience members asked a question. I agreed with him on that point as well as many others, for the sake of diversity on a show they will bring in a gay character and force what they think will give them cool points and ratings for being inclusive but it makes everything feel so forced on us as viewers. Many of the current shows that are on TV as well as movies do this so often.
The entire panel was great and David spoke about some of his experience as a gay man as well as some behind the tactics he’s used when it comes to having actors work on Yaoi series.
I enjoyed this panel because of how informative David was when getting his point across. I look forward to seeing more positive LGBT representation across all media.
The entertainment business has a long way to go to properly represent LGBT in media and not make it feel forced. I encourage upcoming writers and filmmakers to get their work out now and show the entertainment industry how it’s supposed to be done. We have the internet at our fingertips. LGBT representation shouldn’t be used as cool points for your movies and TV shows, diversity shouldn’t feel forced it should be natural like the world we live in.

David Wald’s Information

Twitter | Wikia | Wikipedia | IMDB | Behind the Voice Actors


References 
Google
Wikipedia
Wikia
IMDB
Behind the Voice Actors

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