#and a lot more inclusive than other pride shit
Text
I’m so mad rainbow capitalism has a grip on me like this controller might be everywhere to YOU!!! But it’s sick as hell to me.
#POINTSSSS MY FLAGS ARE THEREE THEYRE STHERE#also the buttons are trans colored wowah….#I don’t even have a Xbox nor do I like it but this is v visually compelling#and a lot more inclusive than other pride shit#id in alt text#I don’t encourage buying it but like dude the design#ty has something to say
7 notes
·
View notes
Text
6 things i learned in 6 years of being out as nonbinary
1. not all nonbinary gender is derived from male or female.
i used to have a very simplified understanding of the gender spectrum as a triangle with the corners being male, female and agender and you could slide around on the sides or in the middle. gender is much, much bigger than that and learning that was an important lesson for both my own self-discovery as a maverique and my understanding of other people's experiences.
2. a lot of trans & nonbinary people still hold on to gender-related binaries.
somehow i wasn't aware of this until 3-4 years ago (ignorance was bliss!), but gender-related binaries are really common even in spaces that pride themselves in breaking them. male- and female-aligned used to be very common, classifying especially nonbinary people by AGAB still happens constantly, transmasc and transfem are being treated like a binary and people created a men vs non-men binary 2 years ago. we can't escape binaries even in our own communities.
3. there are a lot of people who treat nonbinary as a blank slate to project whatever is convenient to their argument on.
i'm nonbinary until i disagree, suddenly i'm a man. i'm nonbinary until i'm openly asexual, suddenly i'm a cishet female invader. nonbinary is not a single third gender, it's man-life or woman-lite. but actually nonbinary men and women don't exist, because the only way to be nonbinary is to be neither.
4. nearly every single nonbinary term either gets rebinarised or a lot of hate.
transgender used to be a term that mainly described people who we'd now call nonbinary, yet it now has a pretty binary connotation with nonbinary people still being pushed out on a regular basis. genderqueer was an earlier term for nonbinary, but binary people decided it wasn't inclusive enough if it didn't include them. people are trying to turn nonbinary into an ideology that binary people can follow rather than an identity. people hate the word enby because it gives us even the tiniest bit of legitimacy that is given to men and women by default. people lose their shit about labels that describe attraction to nonbinary people because apparently we're not a valid group of people to feel attraction towards.
5. binarism doesn't describe a general antinonbinary sentiment, but specifically bigotry against cultural genders.
we have the terms sexism, ableism, racism, classism, so it would only make sense that bigotry against nonbinary people would be called binarism, right? wrong. binarism is a form of colonial violence that frames the western gender binary as the only real gender system, and punishes cultures that recognise more than two genders. the -ism term for nonbinaryantagonism would be exorsexism.
6. binary people are gonna think you're a cringey weirdo no matter what you do, so you might as well prove them right.
no matter how palatable we try to be, at the end of the day they hate us all.
398 notes
·
View notes
Note
Do you think Raylan is more like Arlo or Frances? Obviously we don't know much about Frances, but just from your personal ideas/headcannons about her, and what we know about Arlo, who do you think Raylan takes after more?
thank you for this ask justie! i need you to know i've been noodling it over and trying to gather up all my thoughts and feelings because i have A LOT and this is such a complicated idea. i've tried to be as coherent and thoughtful as possible, but this is mostly just me rambling and slowly piecing my thoughts together.
going to preface this by saying that because we know so little about Frances' character (canon can't even decide her death date jfc) most of my interpretation of who Frances was is fanon and heavily based on chatter with @sublightsleeper
anyways. he's more like Arlo than Frances.
yes i hate it too but it's true (to me) 😩
since the bulk of the story is told from Raylan's POV, we know who Arlo is from the get-go and understand he's a piece of shit despite Helen's excuses and attempts to get Raylan and Arlo to reconcile. but during Arlo's inclusion in the show, we do get a few hints here and there of what Arlo's like when his mask is on: he's a charmer.
i think in his younger years Arlo was a real looker and knew how to weaponize it. he can be friendly and even generous or kindly when/if it suits him but he's just a snake in the grass. i'd say Raylan gets his charm from Arlo as much as he gets that anger. he learned at Arlo's knee how to hide his real emotions in order to get what he wants. and how to use both flattery + intimidation to manipulate people into behaving in a way that benefits him best. Raylan, I feel, is truly Arlo's son even if he chose the lawmen side of the line rather than the outlaw side.
and i think Raylan inherently knows this and that fuels Raylan's anger all the more.
is Raylan a mirror image of Arlo? no, never. but at their cores, i think they're tragically similar even though Raylan consciously makes choices that ensure he's NOT acting like Arlo. mostly because Raylan's put himself into a situation where he avoided becoming exactly like Arlo. AKA he left Harlan. because i do genuinely believe that if Raylan had stayed in Harlan he would have ended up a mirror of Arlo. he would have ended up just as bitter and miserable and angry, there would be no leash on that anger and he'd have lashed out to those nearest and dearest to him.
i think he would have become what Arlo became: an abused person who abuses others.
as for Frances…
we know from canon that Frances was a good cook. she kept a garden. she taught Raylan how to shoot. that she openly shamed a bunch of thugs for having bad manners. we also know that she was disrespected and Arlo escalated things into violence, but she put aside pride and called for peace instead. that she made the arrangements to end the family feud.
i think she was very used to cleaning up Arlo's messes, both at home and in business, and got very good at being the designated peacemaker.
but i don't think Frances was charming. or charismatic. i don't even like to think she was attractive. but i do think she understood what soft power was and knew how to use it alongside old-fashioned gentility to influence the people around her. and tbh considering she was a poor woman in the rural south that might have realistically felt like her only weapon and defense in life. we know she knew how to shoot, but we never hear that she fought back against Arlo or tried to defend Raylan. in fact, we know she left Raylan alone with Arlo when the abuse got real bad. she might have left, but she always returned.
from her relationship with Arlo, i think we can infer that Frances was an exceptionally kind and gracious and empathetic woman…and that's what made her vulnerable, that's why she stayed with Arlo and how he even managed to charm her into marrying him in the first place.
i believe she had a soft core and that's why i don't think Raylan is most like her.
because while Raylan can be tender, he's not soft. he can choose kindness but it's not his first instinct. he'll take a peaceful route but he doesn't feel bad about going to war. he's only empathic when he sees himself in another person (you need to only compare how Raylan treats Loretta VS Roz to see how this plays out). and while he's susceptible to pretty women and wants to be their savior, he's not incapable of saying NO and cutting them off. look at how he emotionally shuts out Ava in the later seasons and early seasons we even see it in his interactions with Helen. Raylan is capable of establishing boundaries and even dividing people into a "good" or "bad" box. and i don't think that's something Frances would have ever done. too much heart to do it.
so, yeah, overall i think Raylan takes more after Arlo when you get right down to it. but i do think some of Frances rubbed off on Raylan.
and even more than that…hm this idea is very difficult to put into words. but i feel like Raylan got some of the worst of Arlo but also some of the best of Frances. and somehow it all evened out in the end.
it made Raylan into a man that will live to make the heroic choice rather than dying the hero's death.
#tooks.txt#thanks again for asking this was such a delicious question i'm very grateful#not calling this meta or an analysis because it's not heavily researched and edited#but it's something fun to think about and consider!#anyways
12 notes
·
View notes
Text
Thinking about Odin and Magpie...
On some brainrot stuff again so I’m gonna ramble about the Arrow siblings.
A long while ago I saved a translation of the nordic runes in panel 1547, seen below;
I can’t recall who did the translation (whether it was from here or Reddit, so if someone knows I’ll add credits to them!) but it reads:
“I woke up this morning and realised that I could not remember the sound of her voice. Her laugh echoes in my head when I try hard enough to imagine it. But it's nothing more than an empty weightless reflection of reality teetering on the cusp of my memory and it only brings me pain to try and remember it. But my fear of forgetting her is much more powerful and so I must remember and end up at the same question of everybody in the universe. What did we do to deserve this. Why me?"
This, written in Odin’s notebook presumably, was shown directly after Moribund Malediction. There is a level of intense melancholy associated with this writing, exploring a sense of longing to remember those who are no longer with us. If Odin did write this, then there are two characters that this reflection piece could be referring to; either Magpie or Odin’s mother. I’m more inclined to believe it’s Odin’s mother in this sense, as it’s been a longer period of time since she’s been around versus Magpie’s disappearance about 2 and a half years prior to the main story.
Tragically, Odin is forgetting his mother.
It doesn’t help that Pedri (later in the story when Odin is unveiling his “tragic backstoryTM”) was shown to be tormenting Odin through the visage of his mother. Being shown so many illusions, and perhaps turning to the herbs he smokes as a way of deterring Pedri, it would make sense if Odin has begun to forget what his mother was actually like when he was younger. It seems like the only good memory or dream he has of her is from when he was born around Gildhaust and she was showing him around.
It would be really sad if Odin was forgetting Magpie too, but from the clearer shots of her in his memories I do doubt it.
Speaking of Magpie, I went back to check out some panels I knew existed (namely panels 1275-1277, which appear just after Ava is trapped in the Gate to Paradise machine.
Looking back on these...it has to be Magpie! The bow, the blue...it just makes sense!
The first image shows Magpie looking rather happy, holding the hand of a featureless figure. This is likely Magpie with her ‘inbisible friend’, as she told Odin when they were younger. The inclusion of a happy sun (I think it is one on the righthand side?) is interesting, given that Aedinfell hasn’t been with a proper sun for a long time.
The second image shows Magpie looking much more upset and crying, standing alongside two other girls of similar (if not exact) stature. This must be her sisters; Crow and Raven. As the youngest of the triplets, she often was given a lot of grief (in Odin’s words), so this drawing seems to exemplify that! It’s possible she was bullied by her sisters, or teased for being the youngest.
The third image is a bit more confusing in my opinion. There’s 6 vertical lines followed by a faceless girl. It doesn’t appear to be Magpie specifically, since the bow is missing, but it could always be her regardless. My first thought (which could be wrong) was that the lines plus the girl equal to seven, like the seven deadly sins that the Hosts are meant to portray. Ava = Wrath, Odin = Pride, Gil = Envy, Maggie = Lust, Erios = Greed(?) and then three others that have yet to be revealed. What if this signifies that Magpie is the last Host we’ll meet pertaining to these sins? Honestly she’s probably not, but it’d be pretty cool.
If anyone has thoughts on that last image I’d love to hear them.
Anyway, I guess the point of these rambles is that I think the Arrow siblings need a big hug and lots of blankets because holy shit this family is traumatised af, and definitely need the additional care and love that they missed out on getting when they were kids.
#ava's demon#avasdemon#odin arrow#magpie arrow#textpost#long post#kat's ramblings#ava's demon theory
48 notes
·
View notes
Text
Yo MOGAI blogs. Did you know that it's literally less effort for everyone involved for you to just make your posts in plain text to begin with instead of forcing other users to expend time and energy making your posts accessible when it literally would cost you zero effort to make them accessible in the first place?
It's 2023. I'm not fucking putting up with ableism. Either start putting your fucking coining posts in plain text yourself, which costs literally zero money and zero effort, or you're getting blocked.
You should not be fucking forcing other people to do free fucking manual labor for you because you do not give two shits about disabled people and care more about making your pride flag posts aesthetically pleasing when you literally know it means excluding people.
Other fucking people should not be responsible for making your posts accessible when you are literally going out of your way on purpose to make them inaccessible.
It literally costs you more time and effort to put your fucking posts in these ~aesthetic~ formats than it would for you to just fucking type them out so that everyone, including fucking disabled people, can actually enjoy the post.
I am no longer fucking asking.
Put image descriptions on your posts. I do not want to hear any of your fucking excuses for not doing so. I don't fucking care if posts being long gives you anxiety. I don't fucking care if you think image descriptions "kill the vibe'.
Fucking make your posts accessible or get blocked. There is no third fucking option at this point. If you are forcing other fucking people to spend their free time doing free fucking labor for you when you are fully capable of not making your posts purposefully inaccessible, you just fucking suck and you do need to hear this and I don't care if you think I'm being mean.
You know what's a lot fucking meaner?
Purposefully and knowingly excluding disabled people from this fucking community because you think making your posts "aesthetic" is more important than leting disabled people having basic fucking access to a space that's supposedly inclusive to everyone -.-
If you refuse to make your original posts in plain fucking text and refuse to add image descriptions to your posts, you are getting blocked, and if enough of you keep doing this shit I'm literally going to make a blog to fucking keep track of which MOGAI coiners actually give a shit about disabled people and which ones to block.
Making your posts purposefully inaccessible is fucking inexcusable and I'm sick and tired of disabled people being the only ones who give a shit about other disabled people.
There is no fucking reason several blogs should have to exist where people are forced to spend their valuable time adding plain text and image descriptions to your posts simply because you value aesthetics more than you do disabled people.
Make your posts accessible before you even hit the post button or fuck off. Stop fucking excluding disabled people and crying "but having image descriptions give me anxiety". Just fucking admit you hate disabled people. And no, you do not get a free fucking pass for this even if you're also disabled. The world does not fucking revolve around you and just because you can fucking see and read with no problem literally does in fact mean you are responsible for making your posts accessible to those who can't.
Stop fucking claiming the MOGAI community is welcoming to everyone when you all purposefully exclude disabled people every time you make a fucking post and then force other disabled people to perform free fucking labor just to try and undo the harm you are purposefully causing.
#MOGAI#Xenogender#ableism#systemic ableism#image descriptions#pride flags#xenogender coining#MOGAI coining#coining blog
13 notes
·
View notes
Note
the more I read abt it the more I think the firing of Victoria Alonso is a bad sign, bc she wasn't just some uninvolved suit she was working on the movies from the beginning and approving all the final visuals, so hearing her as a gay Latina talking about trying to push for better representation and publicly criticizing Disney for funding the Don't Say Gay stuff is a bit chilling, along with reading the articles that she recently conflicted with marvel over refusing to blur out pride flags in the background of the newest antman & how they got mad at her for promoting an Argentinian historical film about a dictatorship in Argentina that the US sponsored during/as part of the Cold War.
feels like her firing wasn't just a lot of the mass cost-cutting going on rn, but also part of an american boy's club culture among others in power over there that was tired of her pushing for lgbt inclusion and doing projects that promoted not just non-American politics but specifically politics that questioned the US' 20th century legacy and its heavy revisionism upheld by America's history books & propagandized media. It's like the marvel brand pushing towards a uniform US-centrism that makes little room for minorities cultures or stories that can encroach against their American corporate politics too directly without being behind a bunch of opaque metaphors or being brushed away to the background or being overwritten by newer stories that do away with opportunities for representation or inclusion of other perspectives.
Ask #2:
I mean, look at the how marvel in paper and cinematic mediums treated the Winter Soldier Cap plotline. It had Steve and Bucky, 2 soldiers who served their country to fight Nazis in WW2 in an integrated transnational unit, both get dragged into the 21st century to find that the Captain America image has been turned into a propaganda tool by the government and the very same government hired and funded the Nazis they fought in WW2, who then turned Bucky into a mindcontrolled slave. That had the potential to have the most direct analogy and critique of the IRL USA, but then what happens in the fallout of that movie and how do the characters and world get affected by this revelation?
Nothing much, there's no lingering distrust in the government that funded this, even among characters who were directly affected. Characters with origins in the same Nazi organization get funny dances and memes or favorable adaptations. Even though Steve dropped the shield and Cap role, this hardly turns into a long term character development of him questioning the country he serves (as an Irish immigrant in the early 20th c who would've been other-ized already) instead Steve goes back to fighting for it under a notion of legacy and symbol and the shield is characterized as so so important to him. Bucky, the one most directly affected by the US hiring the Nazis who enslaved him, just ends up meekly serving the government itself and trying to abide by its criminal laws that deemed him a perpetrator even though reasonable minds, Steve, should be demanding reparations even if there's no hope of that actually happening. There's no reckoning to how both Bucky and Steve being treated as little else than supersoldier weapons by their own government. Instead, newer stories just focus on more ways they can serve it without ever questioning the very core of their inexplicable loyalty to an entity that took part of their exploitation, which could serve as a cathartic progression and consequence of the Winter Soldier plotline and create potential for fresher stories that deal with what if the former Cap characters said "enough of this BS," but instead marvel church's out more of the cap'n murrica: [insert name of IRL war the US has heavily propagandized the shit of and now uses for patriotic media marketing]
that really shows the limitations of what marvel does with their politics, the closest thing they got to accurate historical critique of a real life event (the Western Allies hiring Nazis post-WW2) also gave birth to the most popular take on the characters in both mediums, and yet none of it comes close to actually pushing the status quo in the fictional world or to progressing the characters into something that reflects their stances on the exploitation they underwent by "their own people." The characters involved ironically almost develop amnesia to the bombshells in the Winter Soldier plotline and regress into Generic Murrican Old White Guy #1 and #2 to serve as prop pieces within US-centric status quo stories ad infinitum
Ask #3:
to give a more specific example: marvel's newest Captain America event thing goes by "Cold War" and is about a secret shadow government that controls the entire world (gee, wonder what kind of far rightist repeats that kind of conspiracy theory) and they are also known as... The Revolution (really tossing aside all subtlety there!) and they're conveniently responsible for every bad thing the USA and its allies did for the past 200 years (way to completely render their best Cap story meaningless)
meanwhile, the IRL Cold War had the US fund fascist movements in Africa, Asia & LatAm (literally what the 1985 Argentinian film that marvel's execs got annoyed with is about) and said movements repressed grassroots movements constituted by people at the bottom of the political hierarchies there, not a secretly powerful group known as "The Revolution."
Their newest comics completely turn the "Cold War" on its head to appeal to the reactionary anxieties that America is secretly under attack by some secret shadow group, even when the IRL power dynamic was radically different. The WS stories were the closest they ever got to pulling away from regurgitating decades-old US propaganda, and it also happens to be the most popular and humanizing in fleshing out its characters into with actual emotion and connection. And yet the franchise can't help but revert back to their roots and invalidate that entire story just so they can repeatedly pumping out Murrican stories that'd make McCarthy look up and smile.
Sorry I didn't respond to this for a while, I wanted to make sure I had the time to sit down and read and appreciate what you had to say. And as far as I'm aware of Marvel stuff, I can safely say, unfortunately, I think you're right. Right on the money.
I don't think her firing was cutting costs or anything of the sort. If they could fire anyone... it seems very targeted to fire her, and it, sadly, doesn't surprise me 🙃
I hate it here.
Anyway, thank you for taking the time to write all this down because yes--you're so right, and I don't actually have much of anything to add because you explained it so well. You're being critical, and it's good. Recognizing what is happening is the first step to changing what is happening.
It's beyond shitty that huge corporations like Marvel can't be representative and diverse and kill so, so much of the actually interesting parts of their content in favor of saving face for more conservative views and people.
10 notes
·
View notes
Text
discourse stuff under the cut wahtever
im like...really fascinated by this subset of users on this site (and twitter + tiktok w/e i dont go to those for this) that really really inclusive in lgbt spaces to the point where theyll endorse things (bar shit like, zoophilia pedophilia etc- which is good you should not endorse that) blindly, without doing research and just listening to an echo chamber of mutuals and telephone games 20 opinions down the line that their spaces wind up being so so radically exclusionary towards other subsets of lgbt people (trans women/transfeminine people, lesbians, people of color ESPECIALLY black people and black transgender people) and they dont seem to realize this because they pride themselves on beong so inclusive that theres no way that they could be bad. i feel like this is a microcosm of people adopting beliefs that they do not fully comprehend but online lgbt spaces are so insular that people like...do not realize a lot of the shit that they think are problems do not exist in real life. i genuinely do not care to play oppression olympics and i dont inherently believe microlabels n such are invalid but i think if any of the groups i mentioned above are hostile towards or AFRAID TO BE IN SPACES WITH YOU, you need to re-evaluate the way you treat others and your priorities. "tr.nsunity" as a word in itself sounds like such a beautiful concept but a lot of people who use that shit are inadvertently way more exclusionary than the hypothetical "b.eddals" they claim are swarming the site
#cosmo.txt#transmisogyny#antiblackness#ask to tag#idk i tend to look at tags related to this shit bc#i like staying informed as to whats going on on here#i dont really like using 'echo chamber' it makes me sound conservative but thats what it is#none of the shit you people are talking about happens irl#also dont ask to turn rbs on lol im not going to
3 notes
·
View notes
Text
okay I just got back from a trip to the US and I have thoughts:
why is the water level in the toilet bowl so high?? I accidentally dipped my hand in twice during my two weeks there and believe me it was twice too many!!
christ your groceries are expensive compared to here?? maybe it's because I exclusively go to aldi/lidl (which are cheap here) and I hadn't worked out what the equivalent in the states is but like, hannaford and trader joe's seemed a lot more expensive (based on my rough estimations of exchange rates and sales tax)
oh yeah the sales tax not being included on the price of the thing is strange to me also but I kinda knew that was a thing already
I occasionally see memes about like US public toilet cubicles being poorly constructed, with gaps, etc, and living in the UK I did kinda relate to them, but actually going over there I can confirm that the US gaps are bigger and the amount of panel you have is significantly less. like I can maybe squeeze my head under a uk toilet cubicle but I could fairly easily completely shimmy under a US one
okay this one is probably because of the state we were in and I'm sure it's not universal but like, the amount of pride flags I saw flying?? the amount of progressive pride flags?? the amount of "trans people are welcome here" signs and "we respect trans people" posters?? Active trans specific inclusion in *government buildings* right there for everyone to see, and not a single one (that I saw) defaced or torn down? in the uk you're lucky to get trans positive stickers on streetlamps (and even then a lot of them get defaced/torn off soon after going up) and specific LGBTQIA+ businesses might fly flags or put up posters, but in the US, even in the small towns we visited, a bunch of private houses and not specifically queer businesses had pride flags and posters up (again I'm sure this is different in other states but coming from the uk it was a breath of fresh air). oh and also we went to a farmers market in a tiny town and someone running one of the stalls was like "how's it going guys?" and then was immediately like "ah wait is it okay that I say guys? I don't want to misgender anyone" and like, that has never happened to me in the uk and I struggle to even imagine it happening outside of specifically queer settings
oven pizzas!! honestly the oven pizzas we had while there were better than 99% of UK pizzas (I'm including UK oven pizzas, restaurant pizzas, and takeout pizzas), idk what goes in them that's different to the uk but they were So Good
vanilla ben and jerrys??????? we get some B&J flavours in the uk but they're generally expensive compared to other ice cream and there might be 1-3 flavours to choose from in stores that stock it. we saw a whole freezer dedicated to B&J ice cream, in the entire aisle dedicated just to ice cream. anyway, I thought B&J only did fancy flavours so seeing the plain vanilla there was cool
also my lactose intolerance seemed to go on holiday during the trip?? like is american dairy just different? I had cheesecake and ice cream and incredibly cheesey pizzas and cheese toasties and had like 0 ill side effects. As soon as I got back to the uk I went "well I must be cured" and drank a yoghurt drink and Let Me Tell You That Was A Mistake
cars are B I G. we got off the plane and went to the car rental place and all the trucks and vans and stuff were just completely towering over me. It's like someone took a uk truck and expanded it to like 1.5x size. I felt kinda like I was a child again just with the height difference
gas stations!! we stopped off at gas stations and I was expecting like a lil selection of packaged sandwiches and bottled drinks but like, there were salads and sushi and wraps and sandwiches and then an entire hot food counter doing pizzas and hot wraps and there were pastries and several different types of filter coffee and teas and then An Entire Beer Cave?? (side note: alcoholic arizona ice tea?? holy shit??). apparently gas stations are some of the best places to buy booze, which I was not expecting?
I had a super great time while there and everyone was so friendly ^_^ but if someone could tell me why the toilet bowls are like that I'd appreciate it D:
3 notes
·
View notes
Note
hey sex witch! I have a question - I work at a university and recently got appointed to be part of our LGBTQ+ Steering Group, which basically advises the uni on their queer policy etc. I'm very excited, but also given what academia is like (particularly british ivy league esque academia) wanting to do a good job - given your line of work, are there any resources you'd recommend on making HE safe and inclusive for queer youth, particularly trans youth? also happy birthday :D
hi anon,
not sure if by my "line of work" you're referring to whatever the fuck I'm doing here on the internet or my actual bill-paying day job working with queer students in higher education, but either way I'm very glad you reached out and I'm glad to share my experiences!
I'm a very firm believer that your best resources are always going to be the students you're advocating for - they know what they need better than anyone else. a lot of my programming work (planning programs and events, not with computers) has been directly based on conversations with the students on campus and local teens interested in attending my university.
I hope your steering committee has an opportunity to meet with some student reps - and if there isn't one already planned, reaching out to any existing pride-centric groups on campus could be a great start. obviously no students can speak for the entire demographic, but you have to begin learning somewhere. if there aren't already plans for that sort of consultation, I'd recommend agitating for it with your fellow committee members. super ditto if there's any office or other formal establishment to advocate for LGBTQ students; speaking from experience, they Know Shit about student life that the administration couldn't begin to imagine.
but whether those options turn out to be feasible or not, the best resource I can recommend is the Consortium of Higher Education's Suggested Best Practices for Supporting Trans Student. I will acknowledge up front that it's American-based, so there may be cultural differences that don't translate perfectly for every instance, but it's a really thorough guide that covers everything from housing and records to counseling and health centers, as well as the much-discussed locker rooms and public bathrooms. it's a real quick read, and I think potentially quite useful for comparing/contrasting where your uni is already at in terms of equity for trans students.
this guide by NACE is Much Longer but fittingly also goes into much more detail and covers cool stuff like offering support in career services, something that I personally know causes anxiety for a LOT of trans students
20 notes
·
View notes
Note
Opinion on the pink stripe in the rainbow pride flag? Is it acephobic or not in your opinion?
(For those who don't know, the original pride flag had a pink stripe that meant sex.)
I feel like I'm about to open Pandora's box answering this ask, but I've never let a not-hate/spam ask go unanswered before and I'm not gonna start now so here we go.
Short answer: No.
Long answer:
I can see how it can come across as acephobic, and when I first found out about it, my gut-reaction was a yes. But I think that was moreso my sex-repulsion and sick-of-everything-meaning-sex speaking. The truth is, all sexual orientations revolve around just that: sex. Gay people want to have sex with the same gender. Bisexuals want to have sex with people of multiple genders. And asexuals? We don't want sex with any genders. (I know, identities and labels get more complicated than that. I'm speaking in general terms.)
So, in a way, it still is inclusive of us. Acephobes like to give us shit for how much we talk about sex when we're not supposed to even like sex, but there's a hint of truth to that. I feel like I’ve talked about sex more on this blog than I have in my entire 30+ years of living- and this blog is less than a year old. We really do talk about sex a lot, even if it’s only to vent about its pervasiveness.
Not to mention, a big chunk of LGBT+ is made up of SEXual minorities and is partly about SEXual orientations. Categories which aSEXual falls under.
It's also important to note that some of the other letters have an ongoing history of being persecuted for the gender(s) they have sex with. So it's a pretty big thing for them and this is one of those cases where we need to make sure our dislike for sex doesn't bleed into unintentional homophobia. A stripe for this reason alone wouldn't erase the fact aces exist and are a part of the community. It's just highlighting a very important issue.
So, I don't think it's acephobic. But I do understand being sick of sex popping up everywhere, to the point where it's even in flag meanings. And I understand being sick of allos going "haha SEX!1!" to everything. I get tired of it myself at times.
20 notes
·
View notes
Note
As someone who has followed this fandom for a VERY LONG TIME (2013), I’m appalled to see what is happening with these hate messages. I have followed many people from this fandom and unfortunately not all of them are good people. I’m so sorry this is happening to you and anyone else is the Rivamika fandom and the fandom in general that is going through this and I have a few words…
FIRST OF ALL- Multishipping IS.NOT.BAD! I cannot stress this enough, Never feel guilty for liking who you like together. We’ve all been there bouncing between ships, do what you want! I’ve been all around ships here and they’re all filled with incredible content and people. Don’t let things like this stop you.
Secondly - Don’t take shit from anyone, period. It doesn’t matter who they are. Well known, respected, or veteran so on so forth. It doesn’t matter at all you do not deserve disrespect from anyone.
Third - I love you, WE love you. You’re simply incredible for being here and posting almost everyday fills me with so much unfathomable joy it’s unbelievable. Nothing makes me happier than seeing people doing what they love and you are a prime example of that. I cannot thank you enough for all the content you post and landing in the this fandom. Not just the Rivamika fandom, in general I’m so happy you’re here!
I 100% will think of more things later on, however, my final thoughts for now will be that you can do whatever you want. You are not less in this fandom just because you like other ships, and if someone has a problem with that, screw them, there are people that support you and love you, let the others cry you a river and take pride in building that bridge and walking all over it. I sound very aggressive here and I do apologize because I am not like this at all but truly, I love everyone here so much. You deserve the world.
I love you lots and if you ever need anything by all means you can shoot me a message, I’m always around. :)) have a wonderful day and keep doing what you love! ❤️
Ash! This brought a literal uncontrollable smile on my face this morning. You are so sweet for sending this; you have been such an encouraging human from the start and I am so thankful for how much of a supportive person you've been in the fandom, not just to me but I'm sure with so many fandom folks in the past 9 years :') Every fandom needs a person like you... Thank you! I hope you know you deserve the world too.
You do not sound aggressive at all -- these are such solid truths that I hope every person in our fandom stands for and by. I literally don't even have to add anything to what you've said! You really said it all.
Lastly, I freaking LOVE you and seriously wish I could actually hug you rn lol! Thank you for enjoying my presence here. Often times I feel like I'm overbearing in the tags and stuff LOL but I promise it's all out of excitement, and trying to keep up excitement and positivity and inclusivity and creativity and inspiration alive for Rivamika. So that is encouraging to hear and I'm really thankful ;-;
I've said this a lot to different people who have checked in but one negative interaction in the fandom does NOT and will not take away from the 95% incredible, thoughtful, encouraging, supportive and inspiring interactions I have with Rivamika fandom on a daily basis. There are so many gems, like you!! And that makes this community so freakin worth it. You're the best, Ash!! I hope the universe returns this love to you in a fun way today <3
#rivamika#rivamika fam#rivamika family#this is what I'm freakin talking about!!!!#this is what fandom should be about
9 notes
·
View notes
Text
I’m looking over my old post where I finally got around to Thomas the Gem and Friends au, and I really need to clean that up a little better. I’ll put the cast list and short blurbs here, then separate the chapters as their own posts, and make character bios and tidbits as it’s own post too. Less clutter, more creativity! Things have not been so great again, even at my hometown, but it’s somewhat manageable, and I’m no longer flipping my lid as much. Things have been...quieter. Phew.
Also, I’ve been having a lot of trouble deciding gem types for some characters, Like Edward and Percy. Would you guys be cool with giving me suggestions? I would really appreciate the help. Same goes for any characters I still haven’t even listed yet, there are so stinking many characters in Thomas how can I remember them all hheehuuuuuuu
[fn: Bold is for characters who are completed and ready for the story. Italics is for characters whom are still in the process of editing.]
Thomas - Kyanite 5.1 - With a sparkle in his eye, Kyanite is always trying to prove his capability and uniqueness, tackling more things than he can handle at once. He can easily get impatient and even fancies teasing others. It seems he’s caught between wanting to be liked by others and wanting to get even with them when they’re rude. Will he ever become mature? [fn: his plot arch is very similar to Phos during the beginning, except spoiler, he actually likes the scholar job and he's good at it. he also probably writes nasty opinions about them in his little notebook fngnfngnghnggnh the little shit]
Percy - unknown green gem (there are literally too many choices help) A gem who always seems to have his small head in the clouds, [] is a gem who likes to busy himself with small odd jobs, to be useful. He seems so harmless and naive, yet glimpses of a more insightful and aggressive lad seem to slip out on rare occasions, and he can fight beasts well, just like the others. Perhaps this is why he and Kyanite seem to get along so well? They both are very childlike indeed.
Lady - Gold unknown mohs level because she's made of flexible liquid gold material - Despite her small size, Lady Gold is the wise and patient leader of the gems, and she does everything she can to keep them all safe. She cares so much for them all, and the air about her is friendly and elegant, yet faintly sad. Her ability to change shape with the flexible gold inclusions she has is revered by all, as she is capable of reaching out for everyone’s hand at once, should they call out for help. What danger is she keeping them from? Things seem rather peaceful...
Edward - undecided gem (possible Turquoise, but I am leaning towards a deeper blue, help out our best boy)
Gordon - Blue Diamond 10 - A proper, no-nonsense gem, Blue Diamond is the second-in-command under his Lady, and works tirelessly to keep the gems’ home in perfect order. The work is hard, and he is all the harder, having since grown from his pompous days into a regal maturity, and is now a strict leader in his own right with an icy piercing gaze. He is one of the strongest and most handsome around and is part of the “Top 3 Cuts”, with Verde and Red. He is the strongest of them all, and is unfazed by any stressful situation. It is not clear if he truly holds an unfeeling distance towards the other gems, or if he simply has trouble opening himself up...he seems to exude both demeanors at once. Despite this, even he has admirers, which comes with the territory of being at peak physique. His reserved and mannered elegance, even when pushed to anger, makes him seem attractive no matter what. His response to the adoration is currently unknown, as he is a master of pokerface. [fn: he still carries some huffy pride, and has spent a while being Henry’s protector, but has to learn how to be more chill around everyone. Unlike Bortz, whom some of his arcs are based off of, he does prove more collected about certain matters all on his own.]
James - Red Zircon 9.5 - Find a mirror, and you will find Red Zircon admiring himself in it long before you’ve even arrived. He is one of the strongest and most handsome around and is part of the “Top 3 Cuts”, with Dia and Verde. He will not hesitate to chat with you, mostly about himself and his accomplishments, along with flaunting his coiffe and pure red leg pattern, which he designed himself after getting surgery. There truly is no other gem like him, and he won’t let you forget it! Underneath the suffocating vanity and cattiness when crossed, there is a proud heart that will fight off all sorts of trouble for his loved ones. To say nothing of how he fondly puts on a show for his adoring fans, and he really does have them! His Zircon and Painite(black and red) marbled body is a work of art and his natural flirtatious charm can leave an unprepared gem desperate for breath.
Henry - Verdelite 7.5 Often found basking in the glow of the forest, Verdelite is one of the strongest and most handsome around and is part of the “Top 3 Cuts”, with Red and Dia. He wasn’t always this strong, however, and is only so because of a special surgery he underwent to be fused with green diamond. So he now has a much sturdier body, but still retains a wariness of dangerous situations. He would hate to be weak again. But on a good day, he’s doting towards the other gems and his beloved plants. There is a subtle sensuality to him and his doe eyes that makes some gems fawn over him easily, and it doesn’t help that he recognizes this and keeps playing coy about it. [fn: he will kinda echo White Diamond’s arc a bit, with not wanting to be in Gordon’s shadow and whatnot, but he diverges in other ways so it’s not copypasta]
Toby - Dravite 7
Harold - white gem (oh! help our other best boy get a gem type)
Bertie - bright red gem
Duck - Duftite Emerald 7.8
Diesel - Hematite Rose 6.5 or Voltaite?
Donald and Douglas - Almondine 7.2
Mavis - something black and yellow
Daisy - Despujolsite
Boco - Duftite Alpha
Scotsman - dark green gem
Oliver - GreenDemantoid 6.8
Toad - dark grey gem
Bill and Ben - orange yellow gems (omg the chaos beans need your help decide a gem for them)
Rusty - Andesine or Zincite, is one of the gems on the winter cleanup crew, tasked with managing weather damage and cleaning off snow and ice
Bulgy - red and yellow gem Derreck - dark green and yellow gem
Duncan - yellow gem Stepney - mustardy yellow gem
Proteus - Pale Yellow Spodumene 6.7 the very first gem after Lady...and the first to um...hm
Glynn - Red Garnet mohs? The second, and the one who lasted the longest
Elizabeth - dark red gem
Duke - Amber Chalcedony 7
Skarloey - Unheated red orange Sapphire "HeatSaph" 6.3
Rheneas - Unheated red orange Sapphire "RedSaph" 6.3
Bertram - Brown Onyx 6.5
Smudger - Dark Green Natural Chrysoprase 6.6
"Freddy" - Moonstone 6.3
Falcon - Lapis Lazuli
Stewart - Malachite
Ferguson - Labradorite
#ttte#my writings#choo choo groop#oh boy here we go again#I am so proud of my ideas for the top 3#is it obvious that these stinkers are my favourites? lol-o#I have drawn them again too and cannot wait to post them#YOU WILL UNDERSTAND WHY THEY'RE DESCRIBED AS HOT DON'T YOU WORRY
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
Everytime I hang out with my local queer community it truly is a breath of fresh air bc folks? A lot of the shit we discourse about online doesn’t matter in the real world.
Pan/bi people had lesbian flags, plus several variations of lesbian flag were there. There was kink flags, ace flags, aroace flags, toothpaste gay flags. No one looked at me weird for having neo pronouns on my name tag. No one thought it was weird to see an afab drag queen. We had kink booths set aside a bit away from the family friendly booths (our town has two separate pride events, and one is more family focused than the other) and little toddlers went up to give money to drag queens during their performances.
And I live in the type of small Texan town to have a confederate statue outside the courthouse! (There was a whole booth dedicated to trying to take that damn thing down). Still, still! It was so inclusive, safe, and welcoming. And they didn’t give a shit about who was the most woke among them.
#mine#i know exclusionists were there but y’all. they were powerless#i love my community. my small town. my queer family#and they could not be divided by stupid shit like label gatekeeping#signed. a multigender pan lesbian
5 notes
·
View notes
Text
Okay, I just got back from my two day trip and LET ME TELL YOU, I'm not lying when I say that shit was fucking AMAZING!
(Small note, this is mostly about the LGBTQ rep there. There was a lot of awesome POC rep, too, but I don't feel qualified to talk about that.)
So, first, we went to the Minnesota zoo (pretty awesome ngl) and saw lots of cool animals and scenery (shit was expensive tho lmao).
Then I got to go to Barnes and nobles (fucking score) got some Adam silvera books and left for the science museum.
And when I tell you this museum was one of the best places I've ever been in, I MEAN IT.
Because HOLY SHIT, it was so welcoming and inclusive, and that's not even going into detail right now. (Images and positive rant under cut)
OKAY! I'll do my best to describe the pictures a bit. Let me go on this positive rant about the museum and it's LGBTQ inclusivity because OH MY GOD.
So, we explored the first floor exhibitions a bit before going off to the omni theater (think movie theater but with a big ass screen that's curved to give the illusion you're in the place it shows on screen, hella headache inducing but fun. Don't recommend it for those with light, sound, or just general sensitivity issues. If I wasn't sensory seeking, it'd be hell.) And the ads go on the screen (ads for the museum, not other companies) and this comes up!
It's hard to read, but I figured a visual may help.
The header at the top says, "Pride in STEM" the paragraph below states as following, "We celebrate the scientists creating a world that's inclusive instead of exclusive, diverse instead of uniform, and powered by the communities they hold. Together, we can make a better place for science itself. Learn more at 500queerscientists.com" and FUCK, if I didn't already love the museum enough.
We go through all the exhibits and floors, all extremely awesome and educational, very hands-on (lots of hand sanitizer too) the dinosaur section was awesome, I loved sportsology (I don't even like sports), the human body section was fascinating, seeing the natural life in Minnesota was so cool, the musical stairs were so fucking fun, the tugboat was amazing, and there's so much more I loved.
And then the giftshop. God damn I loved that gift shop. (What's that one meme? The tumblr post. The one with the three dragons, idk.) And I start to look through, and there's an LGBTQ section!!! It's small, but it's so much more than any other gift shop I've seen.
(Picture from far away, couldn't get too close because my mom) (also, no more images in this post from here on, just so you know)
I ended up getting some awesome enamel pins and a small magnet and cheap button pin. And in the pin display, there was a whole lgbtq section for pins!! I got this trans dopamine test tube pin (pray to God my mom didn't see, I had to get brave and ask the person myself, lmao) unfortunately I didn't get a picture of the pin display, but it was so fucking awesome to see.
The staff were all so nice, SO FUCKING NICE YOU HAVE NO IDEA.
but this one lady at the register for the gift shop, I swear, she's amazing. I walked up with my pins to pay, and she looks at me, and I see her protect trans kids pin and her she/her pronoun pin, and I don't think I've ever felt more safe and secure in my life. And she looks at my pins (either my aroace pin on my bag or my new trans pin, no idea) and says to me, "you're just like me, I don't see a lot of people like us here." In such a sweet voice, I swear to God I MELTED right then and there (not actually, but in my head I'm screaming with pure happiness) and she smiles at me the whole time, and I'm just so fucking happy!
And on my way out, this person almost walks into me, and they say, "Sorry there, son." And, OH. MY. GOD. SON!!!! They looked at me, this 5'4, not passing at all, long hair, fem faced, me, and called me son!!! It could have so easily been some mistake (probably was), but, God, it feels so damn nice to be called son by a stranger! The gender euphoria is real rn.
I genuinely love that museum so much. It fills me with life.
So, if you're ever in St. Paul MN and looking for a good museum I highly encourage you to go there. It's amazing and I love it.
#queer#science museum of Minnesota#long post#trans positivity#images#elliots real life#elliot writes sappy shit#elliots adventures#elliot rambles#old draft but needs 2 be posted
0 notes
Note
The Scarlet Letter: Has your muse struggled to shape their identity apart from harmful societal labels? Did they ever choose to “go with the flow” and conform to these labels, or did they fight back?
Pride and Prejudice: Has your muse ever allowed their pride to get in their way? Have they ever been too proud to accept or pursue something they secretly wanted?
Moby Dick: Has your muse ever desired revenge? Has your muse ever taken a quest for vengeance too far? How did it turn out in the end?
Dracula: What is your muse’s opinion on the morbid and the macabre? Do they feel a fascination / connection to these things, or an aversion? Tell us why.
The Scarlet Letter:
More or less. You see, in total society as a concept is something that Marik and Mariku had to grasp before really going out into the world. Their only society before that was the tombkeepers, so really... even if the number of members isn't known, might be a few clans or really just one, who knows and thus that could be a number reaching from 20 to really 300 people.
Mariku was never the person to abide to a given rule and I fear Marik lost every concept of it after being forced into living with certain rules... so I think they both are rather going the way of 'Fuck society' than listening to any labels they come across.
Of course nowadays Mariku is trying to be somewhat adaptable, but he's never going to just take a certain direction from society.
Pride and Prejudice:
I think there are a many forces fighting in this being but I am not sure if pride is one of them.
He'd be to prideful to give up for one. And not give up fighting, but pursuing a goal. There are some forces that you can't tackle with aggression and fighting and above all I think he has learned that strategizing, wearing his "enemy" down and then grabbing at the chance he has is a great move to get his way.
He has shown that in BC and he continues to show it in my writing, I hope. I think he does have a certain pride in himself, but it is a modest amount and not at the forefront of his problems. He has gone through too much shit to really have a sense of pride, shit that would have broken a proud person apart at the seams. If anything he has lost any sense of elevation or even modesty towards himself very early on. What he does practice though is showing others that he is a force to be reckoned with.
Moby Dick:
He has and it has turned to shit. XD
Source material perfectly reviewed, thank you. X'DD
Revenge is definitely still an important thing to him, but he goes about it smarter now. When he still housed in Marik's body, he forgot a very important part and that is to cover his own bases for survival. To have a backup plan if you want to call it that.
He went all out and lost everything.
Work smarter, not harder, kids. X'D
Dracula:
If I had to answer this truthfully, I think he does harbor some superficial curiosity. Not for the gain of knowledge so much, as he really needs to work with it. The morbid and macabre are really two things that make people uncomfortable or even afraid, so there is a general view that every human has that really draws the limits on inclusion to those things.
And while those things might somewhat differ from one person to another, there is a certain group of things for every person to be included here. Finding out what those things are and use them is a bit of his specialty. Hence how he build his shadow games and punishments in BC.
I don't think that he has a connection or aversion to these things, apart from being one of them - as a shadow creature - he personally views those things more as... tools to wield.
The unprepared mind is easier to take in, once it is distracted or surprised and that doesn't have to mean it is a positive.
As soon as you crack that code, you are in and a lot of these things are morbid sights or macabre thoughts.
Thanks for your ask, rainy, I have been rambling horribly again, but I hope you know the fine lines that I am walking in these questions X'D... they are EXTREMELY narrow. XD
1 note
·
View note
Text
The thing is, conservatives aren't technically incorrect when they claim that politicians and corporate media pander to minorities or put in buzz words to try and appeal to the socially progressive. You can definitely see that in, for example, a politician making a statement for Martin Luther King Day, but not doing anything to enact policies to further racial justice. Or, every time Disney hypes up its "first gay character" just to have it be a throwaway line from an unnamed man or a background kiss that's on the screen for under 2 seconds. Or during Pride month when big businesses change their social media logos to rainbow, but don't even have LGBTQ anti-discrimination policies on the book. Corporations and some politicians definitely see minorities and progressives as a population to be marketed towards and not as people to who deserve to have meaningful stories told about them or have rights that need to be protected.
But what conservatives don't seem to get is 1) that not every attempt at diversity and inclusion is superficial, 2) Plenty of leftists/liberals/ progressives will criticize corporations and politicians when their words are empty, and 3) conservatives are absolutely susceptible to the same pandering.
1) I feel like this point is obvious, but satisfying the "woke mob" isn't the only reason to write diverse characters. It's been said before, but sometimes people just exist! Sometimes those people are in the writer's room or director's chair! If the story being told reflects the real world, shouldn't the characters be like some of the people who exist in the real world? Why would all Starfleet captains be white? Why would there only be male jedi? You're telling me that none of the knights of Camelot, a fictional land, could be into eachother romantically?* Come on. Not everyone is a white, cishet male. Sorry to break it to you.
Also, stories can be made more rich and interesting when you have diverse characters and creators! Not that I really love Marvel, but a major reason why the costuming and set design of Black Panther was beautiful was because they drew on different cultures in Africa, as opposed to only the European styles in a lot of movies. We got to see styles and buildings in whole new ways, and it was gorgeous. Another Marvel example, but in Agents of Shield, they wrote a really twisty and interesting storyline that directly drew on an actor's mixed ethnic background (the actor has said in interviews how she used to be told she was 'too Asian' or 'too white' for parts and she finally didn't have to pretend to be one way or the other). Having different kinds of people creating art allows there to be more cultures to draw stories from, more experiences that can be authentically shown, and often just better art.
*From my knowledge, Camelot is based on Wales and gay Welsh people aren't a new phenomenon
2) Go look up critiques of "Rainbow Capitalism." You certainly can find them all over tumblr during June. Go look at people making fun of the FBI for tweeting out stuff in support of MLK Jr. given their outright hate of him during his lifetime. We know it's bull shit.
3) Conservatives get pandered to. Every time a politician invokes "family values", but doesn't support policies to actually better support families. Every time a politician claims to love the military and respect veterans, but supports making cuts to the VA. Look at the sheer number politicians who pose in their ads with hunting rifles! They don't really all hunt regularly. How many times have politicians misquoted the bible? Attempted to appear more religious than they really are to appease a Christian base? Hell, go look at the whole Starbucks coffee cup "controversy" from a few years ago. Did the politicians really think Starbuck's having a plain red cup during December was somehow newsworthy? It wasn't an attempt to drum up anger in a conservative base? If a big store tells everyone "Merry Christmas" but they don't allow all their Christian employees to take off the 24th and 25th, how is that not pandering?
I know I am writing this on Tumblr and so I'm preaching to the choir. The vast majority of people here aren't conservative and I'm pretty sure no conservatives follow me. It just frustrates me like hell when I see conservatives online or in person talking about "pandering to appease the woke mob" and they aren't technically incorrect, but they are so very wrong. I just needed to yell into the void. Because, come on!
1 note
·
View note
Last Seen Blogs
grimfurbybitch
Azalea Worm
squoonsquoon
Hello Friend, Feeling Down?
theoiprayers
Prayers to the Theoi
isovietnam
ISO Việt Nam
deadlightx
Sean Hadgkiss