Very well said Zulie. It’s all kind of ridiculous right? The people who are often the most outspoken about these rules are usually the same ones worried about it the most internally; concerned about their own authenticity and it being challenged.
While I’m about one toe past the starting line in the writing world (maybe just a shoelace), I’ll say this resonates across many creative endeavors. I’ve always felt that the ones who are doing the judging or parading these “rules of who is real” are the ones who are the most worried — the ones who are real, if that’s even a thing, aren’t saying anything at all; they’re out there doing the work.