Interesting article, which I more or less agree with.

I do think writers need to consider the implications of their stories, and do the appropriate research. One thing I absolutely do not support is any kind of blanket prohibition. For example, a white author can't write a black hero/villain, a straight author can't write a gay character, a white writer can't write about other cultures. Or indeed vice versa for that matter. By that absurd logic, we would dismiss many great writers. Should Oscar Wilde not have written heterosexual romantic comedies just because he was gay? Should Kazuo Ishiguro not have written The Remains of the Day because of his ethnicity? You get the idea. I think the idea that straight actors shouldn't play gay roles or vice versa is absurd for exactly the same reason.