As much as I disagree with the authors point (or lack of) I can't help but feel some shame for my fellow opposers.

There is no need to attack the author for being transgender, for being a feminist or name calling for any reason in general. Isn't it better to debate our point of view through constructive criticism and counterpoints than to act like a bigoted, frothy mouthed hive mind?

There are some good points to be made but show some civility while doing so.

Lets be completely honest here. The gender and ethnicity of the main character has little to no impact on the narrative here. If Tess were the main character; had a son who died in the beginning and Joel died later on it would still be very much the same story. The same is true for their race. By simply identifying these as problems you are feeding the flames of sexism and racism. This isn't a game about "male power fantasies" and to look at it that way is insulting to the intelligence of those who enjoy the experience and also those who crafted it.