White Poet’s DEI Poetry Experiment Expose Blows Up Publishing Industry Bias
One white male poet demonstrates ideology, not skill, was behind publishing success after testing nonsensical submissions under various racial or LGBTQ+ personas.
Published September 2, 2025

One white male poet’s experiment shows ideology, not excellence, was driving publishing standards after he submitted nonsensical and often vulgar work under various racial and gender-queer identities.

Canadian poet Aaron Barry, who also happens to be a young white male, performed an experiment testing the reception of his work by adapting his identity as an author to the stated desires of the publishers. Barry, who overwhelmingly found publishers asking for submissions from people belonging to disenfranchised groups, set out on a two-year experiment testing his white male submissions against his submissions by a gender-fluid member of the Nigerian diaspora.

In a Substack post authored under the name Jasper Ceylon/Aaron Barry, Barry details his plan to “pick up the proverbial torch” and test the limits of the poetry industry. Barry wrote:

“Some of these pieces read seriously, with minor tip-offs (e.g., “Decolonizing a stray” [The Bitchin’ Kitsch]); others contain glaring parodic elements or nonsense phrasings (e.g., “yah jah gah hah” [Tofu Ink Arts Press]; “w/stern man @ foundation” [Arteidolia]), but, fundamentally, these pieces all had one thing in common: They were trash.”

After seeing such overwhelming publishing success he concluded his various identities, not the quality of his work, was behind that success. Barry, demonstrated what has long been the case, which is that voices that lack DEI points, are not wanted. (RELATED: Wisconsin Congressman Saves 11 Year-Old Boy in Crash on Interstate)

This preference is not new and has been noticed by many in the publishing and literary world. Highly prolific and decorated American writer, Joyce Carol Oates previously voiced similar concerns.

Barry’s experiment is a critique of the publishing industry as much as it is a commentary on how deeply DEI objectives have become a kind of currency in some circles. It’s about power—who gets to speak, and why. By proving that his words were judged differently depending on the identity of the name attached, he challenged his audience to ask whether the values of this industry are truly serving art. (RELATED: Wisconsin Bill Would Hold Doctors Accountable for Minor Transition Procedures)