thornfield13713:

“Anders is shit at intersectionality.”

…so is everyone in this game. Not that that’s really a defence, but let’s look at everyone else here.

Merrill: says the plight of Kirkwall’s mages is ‘not her fight’ despite being a mage living in Kirkwall and the fact that the Templars victimise elven mages even more than they do human ones and are shown to abduct children from the alienage of which Merrill can become acting Keeper. She outright admits that she ‘barely looks at’ the alienage elves either, if it’s suggested she help them after her clan cast her out/are killed, although that line only unlocks if she is about to improve and start taking a more active part in their struggles.

Fenris: Is outright anti-mage, despite how often mage issues and slavery overlap. Like…he gets approval for trying to rescue Feynriel from slavers, but then disapproves if you don’t then turn around and send Feynriel to live as basically a slave in the Circle. He doesn’t get very involved with elven issues either, despite talking about knowing more about elven oppression than Merrill.

Varric: Just plain doesn’t get involved with any issues at all unless dragged in by Hawke and is a chronic fence-sitter.

Isabela: Also claims not to take sides, and while she shows a slight inclination towards pro-mage ideas, she never mentions elven oppression that I can remember. She’s anti-slavery, but also willing to let a slaver, Castillon, go free if it means she gets her ship. Basically uninvolved unless dragged in by Hawke – even her slave-freeing was a response to a situation in which she was already involved.

Aveline: Is pretty awful about both elves and mages. She outright says she’s willing to support Meredith in Act 3, turns mages over to the Templars and admits to it in party banter, does not force her guardsmen to investigate crimes against elves, as shown in the ‘Magistrate’s Orders’ quest and her dismissing accusations of one of her guardsmen raping an elven woman as ‘rumours’ despite it having been formally reported at the end of Act 2.

Sebastian: Is appalling about mage issues, and hardly talks about elves at all. Also tries to force Andrastian beliefs on Merrill far more than Anders ever does in his party banter. Assuming each dialogue only happens once, he has three banters of basically forcing Andrastian beliefs on Merrill to Anders’ one.

This is not an anti post for any of these characters! I love them all! Well, ok, I don’t like Seb very much, but that really isn’t the point. The point is that calling out Anders specifically for this issue is to single him out among the cast. Do I wish they’d all sort their shit out? Of course I do. But that applies to everyone on this list, and I don’t see why this one character is singled out for criticism when it applies, to varying degrees, to all of his companions.