This is discussion archived from a time before the current discussion method was installed.
Obsidian: I think this needs to be clarified or something. A character who is a fully drawn, multi-faceted character who just happens to have two minority characteristics (such as a black woman or a lesbian) should not be considered a token. I would, for example, not consider Willow or Martha Jones a token character, as they were not added just to have a minority character in the cast, but are fully realized characters with their own interests and with flaws.
"Probably the most notable and obvious example is Uhura from Star Trek, who was black and female (and was the only character with either of these characteristics)."
Looney Toons: Not entirely true, although close enough to it to be uncomfortable. In the "salt monster" episode — the first one to be broadcast, as I recall — the salt monster disguises itself as a tall, handsome black crewman, who trades a few words in Swahili with Uhura. Uhura is not surprised by another black crew member, just by the fact that she doesn't know that one.
- Obsidian: There was also Doctor Richard Daystrom from 'The Ultimate Computer', and also Commodore Stone, one of Kirk's commanding officers in 'Court Martial', both of whom were black men.
Silent Hunter: It should be pointed out that, in fact, women are actually the majority on this planet...
BT The P: But they are a minority on TV and in other media, and are therefore subject to token inclusion when the cast is mostly man!folk based.
Trouser Wearing Barbarian: Yeah, but a lot of entries on this page still include female characters as a "Token Minority" when the cast isn't male-dominated.
Jack-of-Some-Trades: "Minority" doesn't mean that there are actually less of them. Blacks probably outnumbered whites in areas of the pre-Civil War South, that doesn't mean that they weren't a minority. Indians definitely outnumbered the British in colonial India. If the individual is perceived as having less influence because of some inherent or permanently acquired quality, they're probably a minority.
Solandra: I actually have a classmate who calls herself "Token Everything"; she's female, black, Muslim, and a lesbian, all in one package. Just wanted to say this here to restrain myself from adding a Real Life example to the main article. So...yeah, you can go and read something else now. Frank75: Feel free to start a new Troper Tales page.
Ozymandias: Can we please, please, please include a note that just because a character is, say, black and female they are not by default a twofer token minority? This trope is for things like a Five-Man Band where it's four white men and a black woman, not for things like that absurd The Practice "example". This goes for the main Token Minority page too...I saw someone say Chakotay was a Token Minority because he was the only Native American, which is not a Token Minority if the rest of the cast consists of a female commander, Korean Ensign, black security chief, etc. So, in short, should we have something saying that just because someone's of one or more minority groups it doesn't mean they're a token minority?
Frank75: I think we should make a reference to series where most of the main cast belongs to a minority - like The L Word, or a series about a group of black women. New trope?
Ta: I'm pulling this:
"You heard correctly — and, amazingly, their relationship is handled in an astoundingly realistic and graceful way. Thad's family have come to accept Patrick in a way that they initially cannot accept the straight, female Meredith as a match for son Everett. The 'strangeness' of their relationship is pointed out by Meredith at a family dinner; both men are extremely hurt and surprised that she would think of them as such an oddity."
...because: 1) ...Or So I Heard means I actually have seen the movie, thanks. 2) Seems like a pointless Justifying Edit with little relevance (regardless of a troper's personal mileage, it's still a good example of the trope.) 3) I think it was handled incredibly badly, like the entire rest of the movie, and I figured just removing this would be better than adding an edit below it detailing everything wrong with that hideous failure of a film. Apologies if I'm not justified here.
Trouser Wearing Barbarian: Could Samuel R. Delaney be considered a Real Life example of this trope? He's one of the few notable black science fiction writers, and he's also one of the few openly gay ones.
Shrikesnest: Is it just me, or are there a lot of lesbian Jewish characters on TV? I wonder why that is...
That first quote bugs me, it doesn't add up quite right either way: Is she saying 6 Women? Is she saying 8 people total? 2+2+1+1+1 is 7 either way. Obviously it's not the point of the quote in this context to make numeric sense but...
