one more thing

Elves. Or dwarves. Or pretty much any race that's defining characteristic will be: its race. Because you know what that is? That's racism. Saying, oh he/she behaves this way because he/she is an elf is racist. It's making an assumption about them based upon their race.

But woah, woah, woah, you say they really are a different race. They're fundamentally biologically different.

And if you say that then you're talking bullshit. Because they're made up! They're not biologically different. They can't be. They're fictional! And what's more, they behave just like people, except, I don't know, they love trees and are all employed as trackers. WTF? But because of the itty-bitty little fact of their non-reality, these characters of other races automatically lend themselves towards representing the "other". And there is no more maligned race in this world than the "other". Perpetuating that by defining a character by their race (be they elvish, martian, whatever) is racist.

Now I'm not against other races per se, but if you're going to use them, treat them like a diverse social group, which they surely would be. Unless you have giant ant people with hive mind or something. Then it's OK.

Wait... no... no it's not. Because what possible metaphor could giant, hive-mind ant people be but for the uniformity of the other? So don't use them either. They're on the goddamn list.