Weres Wanna Know: Why aren't we done with this trope yet?

I read a book recently in which a human falls in love with a shifter. I read a lot of books like that actually, but something about this one bothered me. At the end, the human gains magical powers. Now they're both supernatural and can live Happily Ever After, right? But why did the author think the human needed to change? It's unnecessary, and honestly kind of offensive.

SFF in general is allegorical, whether the author intends it or not. PNR in particular is about people overcoming their differences to find love. But PNR has a long history of undermining its own message. How many times have we seen the heroine (because it's usually the heroine) get turned into a vampire (or a werewolf or whatever) just like the hero before she gets her HEA? 

I've never seen an interracial romance where the heroine has to change her skin color to be with her boyfriend. Maybe she moves to another country or quits her job, but she doesn't abandon her identity. How is giving up her humanity any different? If we accept it’s allegory, it’s not different at all. In an era that champions diversity, why are we still sending a message that what she was is not enough?

Have I lost you? Here's an example. (Warning: I'm about to spoil a four year old animated film.) In the movie Hotel Transylvania 2, Dracula's daughter Mavis is married to a human. Their son is at the age when his fangs should have come in and Dracula starts to worry that his grandson might be human. Mavis is fine with that. She loves humans. She even married one. And just when Drac learns to accept that his grandson is not exactly like him, the boy gets his fangs after all. Watching the movie I'm thinking, "What a great message for my mixed race child!" Aaand then they ruined it.

(And here's a spoiler for a series that ended six years ago.) In the books, Sookie Stackhouse rejected this convention, which is ultimately why she didn't end up with Eric. He assumed that if she stayed with him she would eventually be turned. When she didn't want to become a vampire, he left her behind. Sookie wound up marrying the man who had always accepted her just as she was. She's a role model for her genre really. But it's frustrating that she's the only example I can think of.

I've noticed a shift in recent years to include clear consent in PNR. With its emphasis on Alpha Males, it was not always good about that in the past. And I would expect the genre to embrace diversity as well, but I'm not sure I'm seeing that yet. I mean, here was a 2018 release that felt the need to give the heroine magic. Even if you're not offended, it feels outdated.

When are we going to be done with this trope?

Which genre tropes or conventions are you tired of?

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