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'Variety' Sparks Backlash Over Article Calling 'The Queen's Gambit' Star A 'Woman Of Color'
Not all Latinas are women of color or even identify as the same race.
There are Latinas whose heritage is the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, those whose heritage is Asian, African or European and endless combinations of those ancestries.
This is a fact Variety is being reminded of over and over again right now after labeling The Queen's Gambit star Anya Taylor-Joy a "woman of color" following her Golden Globes Win.
Anya Taylor-Joy self identifies as "really White and blonde." The actress identifies her ancestry as Latina of White European heritage.
The publication celebrated her win with an article, which was lovely aside from one very inaccurate paragraph.
"Argentinian Taylor-Joy [is] the first woman of color to win this category since Queen Latifah in 2008 and only the fifth woman of color to win overall since 1982, when the category was introduced. S. Epatha Merkerson, Halle Berry, and Alfre Woodard were other previous winners."
Let's line these five "women of color" winners up and see if we can spot the problem, shall we?
S. Epatha Merkerson, pictured here with Larry King...
...Halle Berry...
...Alfre Woodard...
...Queen Latifah...
...and Queen's Gambit star Anya Taylor-Joy
Anya Taylor-Joy may be based in the UK but the actress is originally from Argentina, a majorith White country along the East coast of South America. Argentina has major European influences, due in large part to multiple waves of colonization, immigration, and settlement from European nations like England, Italy and Germany.
She has never identified as a woman of color. In fact Anya Taylor-Joy proudly explains that yes she is Latina, but Latinas come in White as well as the media favorite "olive" and often-ignored Afro-latina complexions.
Being Latina does not automatically mean you are a woman of color and Anya Taylor-Joy is all too aware of it. She has even told media outlets she is careful about the roles she selects because she is aware her complexion may be used to White-wash Latina stories.
She's not here for it.
"I'm aware of the fact I don't look like a typical Latin person, and that's not fair. I don't want to be someone that you can just sub in for that role when I'm really white and blonde. "
It's the fact Anya herself rejects the notion of being a woman of color that really bugged people about this paragraph. Some felt like Variety was setting the star up for backlash she didn't earn.
Fans spoke up ... loudly.
Now why would you set my girl up like this https://t.co/vxXvz1zfyo https://t.co/gXtdLsZ2b3— Saffron Maeve (@Saffron Maeve) 1614573947.0
variety magazine: “WOMAN OF COLOR WINS GOLDEN GLOBE” Anya Taylor-Joy: “I’m a white Latina....”— Elizabeth | Come on feel the Illinoise (@Elizabeth | Come on feel the Illinoise) 1614580114.0
I am just trying to imagine typing an article where you write out the names Anya Taylor-Joy, Queen Latifah, S. Epat… https://t.co/g7bzqWevD0— Connor Goldsmith (@Connor Goldsmith) 1614576407.0
In case this does numbers just want to stress this I don’t think this is ATJ’s fault lol https://t.co/PnwKmealBd— Connor Goldsmith (@Connor Goldsmith) 1614577192.0
I love her as an actress but This article has her listed as the FIRST WOMAN OF COLOR to win in this category and I… https://t.co/M3AVRfdPR4— Valerie Complex (@Valerie Complex) 1614576831.0
Had no idea Anya Taylor-Joy was Argentine until I saw a headline calling her a “woman of color”- some people don’t… https://t.co/8m5pPoUAqE— ayelen 🇦🇷 #BLM (@ayelen 🇦🇷 #BLM) 1614584200.0
Variety got jokes, but bad ones. What the hell is this? Anya Taylor-Joy is white. Just because she speaks Spanish,… https://t.co/RQQlanf69N— Black Women's Lives Matter. Carolyn Hinds (@Black Women's Lives Matter. Carolyn Hinds) 1614577190.0
I’m a bit late on this but that article calling anya taylor-joy a woman of color is such a slap in the face to actu… https://t.co/CkjBDmm41f— skyla’s vgc partner (@skyla’s vgc partner) 1614616203.0
Anya Taylor-Joy refused to be called WOC and instead identifies as white Latina. Oh boy! https://t.co/WxhIu1YwYm— Lady of the Lake 🌟⚔️✨✨ (@Lady of the Lake 🌟⚔️✨✨) 1614610099.0
the way anya taylor-joy has never referred to herself as a woman of color like she KNOWS SHES WHITE!!! WHO WROTE TH… https://t.co/oRW5aas6q5— jessie mei li stan first, human second (@jessie mei li stan first, human second) 1614576751.0
The paragraph attributing a "woman of color" nod to Taylor-Joy was quickly scrapped online by the publication, in part because her fans and actual people of color were so quick to correct Variety's error.
The updated version of the article has removed the "woman of color" label and refers to her as the first Latina to win that cetegory. It also acknowledges Taylor-Joy self identifies as a White Latina.