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lazybug16 · 2 years

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Books I read/reread in the last 3 months of 2022 and recommend (and yes, all of them are queer)

First rec

Afterlove by Tanya Byrne

Ash, a 16 year old student from Brighton, meets Poppy on a school trip and falls in love with her within a few months, but what happens when Ash is in an accident? Will death keep them apart?

Absolutely loved the concept, very quick read and you instantly fall in love with the two main characters and hope that they'll be together forever, amazing story and very well written 10/10

Date Me, Bryson Keller by Kevin van Whye

Bryson is dared to date a different person each week for three months, and by the end of it he is asked out by Kai (out of rage rather than want) who is a closeted gay guy just trying to survive high school in the closet, but maybe being Bryson's fake boyfriend could change that

An honest delight to read, all the characters seem real and the main two have amazing chemistry (for me they have similar vibes to Nick and Charlie from Heartstopper) 9/10

Here's to Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

Second book to What If It's Us, following Ben and Arthur in the big city again, but this time with boyfriends of their own, so are their feelings towards each other really gone?

I think it was just as good as the first book, if not maybe even better, I found it realistic and very pleasant to read 9/10

Jay's gay agenda by Jason June

Jay is the only out gay/queer in his hometown, but when him and his parents have to move to Seattle, he gets the opportunity to meet other people like him, and maybe he'll be able to cross out things from his Gay Agenda list

Very well written and loaaaaads of drama, but it also had its fluffy moments, I enjoyed it (even though there was quite a lot of miscommunication, it was solved and they vowed to do better) 9/10

Lab Partners by Mora Montgomery

Elliot is in his final year of high school, with his twin sister already in college and feeling the pressure of choosing a career path, he meets his new lab partner, Jordan, who might help him figure out who he is

I loved this book so so much oh my god Elliot is such a sweetheart! There's bullying which wasn't pleasant to read but the revenge and consequences are AMAZING (also had a hunch about Cole and I was right hehe) very easy and quick read 10/10

Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann

Right after breaking up with her girlfriend because she wanted to have sex and Alice didn't, she moves in with her two best friends who are dating. The summer arrives and all she has is her job at the library, where she meets Takumi, her new coworker. Will she be able to open up to him about her being biromantic and asexual?

It's funny cause when I first read this back in 2018 I was studying the exact same thing that she wanted to study, AND I'm asexual, so it was really cool. There's family drama, friendship drama and relationship drama, all three. Very well written 9/10

Some Girls Do by Jennifer Dugan

Morgan gets transferred to a new high school a few months before graduating and meets Ruby, who according to everyone is trouble and should stay away. But you can't choose who you love now can you?

Nice book with good queer rep but god the pageant story line was not pleasant for me sorry, and Ruby's mum can suck ass (also Dylan and Owen are the kind of brothers I need in my life) 8/10

What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

Arthur moves to NYC for the summer, interning at his mums law firm, but when he bumps into Ben at the post office, he might just believe that the universe decided to give him a chance at romance

Very cute story and fun to read, even though they were a bunch of 16/17 year olds haha, but it just felt real to me (also maybe too many Harry Potter references for my taste) 9/10

Queer rep

Afterlove (lesbian characters)

Date Me, Bryson Keller (gay and queer characters)

Here's to us (queer, gay and bisexual characters)

Jay's gay agenda (gay, genderqueer, queer and asexual (mentioned) characters)

Lab Partners (gay, asexual and aromantic characters)

Let's Talk About Love (asexual, biromantic and queer characters)

Some Girls Do (lesbian, queer, gay, pansexual, transgender)

What If It's Us (gay, biromantic and asexual characters)

#books #book recs #queer #lgbtq+#book rec list #mine #queue

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two-sapphics-reading · 8 months

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Review: Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail ☕

Rating: 3.5/5

Ah, enemies-to-lovers. One of my favorite tropes, after friends-to-lovers. Or any sort of lover, really. I'm not picky. I just love love.

LIKES:

Pure fluffy romcom vibes! There are some serious moments, but nothing ever felt overwhelmingly heavy. I could rely on this book for pure escapism

Complicated mother/daughter dynamics. Astrid's character struck that perfect balance of recognizing her mother's flaws and yet still feeling desperate for that approval. The push-and-pull of Astrid's mother's influence over her adult daughter's life was *chef kiss*

Massive shoutout for the snarky, teasing, loveable, supportive friend group! So many scenes of queer girls being there for other queer girls in all the best ways

There was a tarot throughline that I didn't expect at all, but the elements it added were lovely

Talk about STEAMY. I mean

This book is technically a sequel, which I didn't realize until I started reading it, but it totally stands on its own. The narration succinctly summarized any background information that had clearly happened in the first book, so I never felt lost

Bisexual rep!!!

I loved the way the author handled what it looks like for someone to come out later in life

DISLIKES:

While I love a good enemies-to-lovers arc, the "lovers" part developed too fast

But, ironically, I felt that the beginning of the novel was too slow. It took me a while to really get into it

The overall concept/setting wasn't for me, simply because I'm not an interior design sort of girlie. And while I may have worked in the scene shop in college, I'm pretty useless when it comes to carpentry. (Now the sections about baking? That I could get behind)

Astrid and Jordan's voices were very similar. It wasn't immediately obvious when the book switched POVs because the narration felt the same throughout

You might like this book if you also like . . .

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni

#book blog #booknerd #books and reading #reading #sapphic #lgbtq #book review

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eremiie · 3 years

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I know I said as much in my reply to your post, but I would put money on anon being an EM, because that has been their latest tactic to try to cancel eremin on twitter. Because god forbid you have reasons you like a queer ship over their stale mf canon ship.

Like. So many queer people realize they're queer THROUGH slash ships? I may be a bi afab, but I will always identify more with mlm ships than straight ones. Because it's a closer experience than my own. I have realized through nonbinary hcs for Armin that I am not exactly cis.

And cishet women? Maybe they see something in a mlm ship that speaks to their soul. Because of WHO those characters are.

Meanwhile, eremin also isn't a ship that draws a lot of fetishization? We were a rare pair for like... ever. Despite the bond the two share and canon scenes of them drawn almost romantically.

ahah it's totally okay, i'm glad i have someone backing me up lol

idk why people go out of their way to do things like that (unless it's a not morally good ship) when people are just enjoying themselves lmao,,, like i understand where the anon was coming from bc bl fetishes and shit like that is a real thing but i'm not the person they're looking for, nor did they word what they were trying to get across well... i'm especially not the person when i only actively ship 2 gay ships and it's not because they happen to be to men lmao, i felt kind of offended that someone would think so lowly of me

but besides that their message came off as cis het people aren't allowed to ship lgbtq+ ships and that i should actively exclude lgbtq+ from what i write and read and like helloooo??? what kind of person would i be to do that ? sounds more lgbtphobic then anything to me

and as a person who genuinely isn't big on shipping / ships, i usually only actively ship ships when i see some real ass chemistry / the ship is canon and i like it enough to actively ship it lol

and yes, i feel like a lot of eremin shippers are pretty tame from what i see and don't really resort to shipping them for the sexual appeal/aspect they hold... i feel like we're in love w the romantic aspect of the ship and the dynamic between them, i actually have a pretty fluffy fic for them in the works (technically its eren x reader + armin but too many cute eremin moments lol)

but yeah i can see why you would think so! i hope not though,,, i like eremika and for people like that going around it gives my babies a bad rep 😭

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sophielovesbooks · 5 years

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Sophie’s Queer YA Rec List

Hi everyone! :) I’m back with another list of book recommendations! Yes, two of the books on here cross-feature on my Dark Academia Rec List, but here, the focus is different.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy my YA LGBTQ+ Rec List!

Her Royal Highness (Rachel Hawkins)

Listen, we’re starting off strong, because this one is an absolute GEM. American girl goes abroad to a fancy boarding school in Scotland. Also, she’s bi, her roommate is the princess of Scotland and the cutest haters-to-lovers situation ensues!! Read if you like fluffier reads, if you’ve ever been on a year abroad, if you’ve ever wanted to go on a year abroad, if you love Scotland or if you’re a girl who likes pretty girls! <3 (Note: This is the sequel to “Royals”, but I didn’t read that one either and you 100% don’t need to in order to understand this one.)

As I Descended (Robin Talley)

Okay, now this one is a lot darker. It’s a queer Macbeth retelling, which is a pretty amazing concept in itself. Also set at a fancy boarding school, but in Virginia. The main girls are a closeted power couple who more or less succumb to the darkness in their strive for even more power. This book is super diverse with Hispanic characters, wlw, mlm and one of the main two girls being disabled (though some people have criticised the way she was written). Read if you want a spooky story, if you love boarding school settings or if you love Shakespeare retellings!

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Benjamin Alire Sáenz)

This book is a classic of the queer coming-of-age genre, and it reads like one, too! The style is fairly simple, which may take some getting used to, but the author nailed the narrator’s voice, the story is meaningful, the characters feel complex and real and Ari’s fight to accept himself for who he is will break your heart! Set in the 1980s in El Paso, Texas. The two main boys are both Mexican American. And for reasons I can’t exactly put my finger on, this read like a modern-day Catcher in the Rye! Read this book if you want boys fighting to accept the fact that they love boys and complex family dynamics!

If I Was Your Girl (Meredith Russo)

Can ONLY recommend this one! The main character is a trans girl who goes to live with her dad after a traumatic event. At her new school, all she wants is to blend in, but she ends up suddenly popular for the first time in her life and dating a cute boy! This book was definitely fluffy at times, but still dealt with the darker aspects of being trans in this world (trigger warning for depression, dysphoria, a suicide attempt!) Read if, like me, you’re a cis person looking to get a better idea of what it’s like to be trans or if you’re trans and want to see yourself represented! The author is a trans woman herself and the book ends with a really emotional and thoughtful author’s note (that, yes, made me cry).

You Know Me Well (David Levithan & Nina LaCour)

Out of the books on this list, this one focuses the most on LGBTQ+ themes. It’s literally set in San Francisco during Pride Week, and it’s about a gay girl who is madly in love with another girl, but self-sabotages at every turn, and a gay boy, who is madly in love with his best friend, who fools around with him occasionally but doesn’t love him back. One thing that bothered me a bit was the insta-friendship between the two main characters, but I’m here for the gay-lesbian solidarity, and I thought the wlw romance was so cute! Read for a slightly fluffier dual-perspective book with strong LBGTQ+ and coming-of-age themes and a central friendship!

We Are Okay (Nina LaCour)

Oh God, this one. Read only if you are ready to be emotionally destroyed! The main character grew up with her grandfather, and after losing him, too, she feels completely alone. Set during Christmas break of her first semester of college, which she spends on campus in New York. Alone! Until her friend/lover comes to visit and emotionally reconnect with her. Hauntingly and lyrically written, this book is an absolute beauty that had me in literal tears and made my heart hurt. Can only recommend!

People Like Us (Dana Meele)

This one cross-features on my Dark Academia rec list, because it’s set at yet another elite boarding school (yes, this is my thing) and begins with a murder. The wlw themes in this came as a very pleasant surprise! Read if you’re looking for more of a mystery thriller that still includes wlw, but not as the main focus. Personally, I had certain issues with the plot, but the book was still a very engaging, quick and fun read!

Radio Silence (Alice Oseman)

ONE OF MY FAVOURITE BOOKS OF ALL TIME! The main character is Frances, a biracial, bisexual girl whose main goal in life is getting into Cambridge. Her friends see her as nothing but a study machine, but secretly, Frances is the biggest fangirl and draws fanart for a podcast called “Universe City”. The book is all about her close friendship with Aled, who turns out to be the podcast’s creator, academic pressure and figuring out what actually matters to you in life. I connected strongly with the themes of working so hard toward certain goals and not being seen by your friends for who you really are. Read if you want the most adorable platonic friendship EVER (between a bi girl and a demisexual guy), internet culture being represented accurately, wlw and mlm and an incredibly relatable main character!

Autoboyography (Christina Lauren)

Tanner is bi and was happy and out when his family still lived in California, but is forced back into the closet, basically for safety, when his family moved to Provo, Utah, where there are more Mormons than non-Mormons. His best friend Autumn convinces him to sign up for a very special class with her in their final year of high school, where the idea is that every student writes a novel. This is where Tanner meets Sebastian and falls head-over-heels! The problem? Sebastian is Mormon and not allowed to be with another boy. Even worse? He’s the bishop’s son! Read this one for two adorable boys actually going through something incredibly hard together and breaking your heart in the process! What I loved about this was that religion was shown in its full complexity, the good and the bad, and Sebastian’s struggle was so realistic! Also, this love story was much more high stakes than the usual “I’m sure he doesn’t like me back!” non-issue and it really drew me in!

I Was Born For This (Alice Oseman)

Another Oseman book!! (Spoiler alert: It’s also very good!) Told in dual perspective. The first one is Fereshteh, who tends to go by the English translation of her name: Angel. The biggest source of joy in her life is the popular boy band “The Ark”, and she plans to go to London to finally meet her best online friend in person, then go to an Ark concert together with her. The second perspective is Jimmy, a trans boy and one of the three members of the band. Things definitely don’t go as planned that week in London, Angel and Jimmy actually meet, chaos ensues. Read this if you’re looking for a fandom-based story that just gets internet culture and also has a very diverse set of characters! But be prepared for this to actually become very dark and intensely emotional at times! (The characters, especially Jimmy, were struggling more mental-health-wise than I had expected, and it wasn’t always easy to read, so be safe, everybody!)

These are the ones I’ve read so far, but don’t worry, I’ll update this list soon with many more! Already on my TBR (and in some cases even already on my shelves!) are These Witches Don’t Burn, Let’s Talk About Love (asexual main character!!), Tash Hearts Tolstoy (another asexual main character!) and I Wish You All the Best (non-binary rep!!!)

#queer books #queer ya books #queer book recommendations #lgbtq books #lgbtqplus books #book recommendations #ya books #booklr #her royal highness #as i descended #aristotle and dante discover the secrets of the universe #ari and dante #if i was your girl #you know me well #we are okay #people like us #radio silence #autoboyography #i was born for this

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poetlcs · 5 years

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here’s some wlw books -

Im SICK of u bitches whining about wlw books “not existing” when they do !!!!! and u just haven’t looked !!!! so I’m taking one for the team and making a list of some I liked u can check out. as always there is more so do ur research but @lgbtqreads is a good place to start! ok lets goo

fantasy

girls of paper and fire by natasha ngan - lesbian mc and f/f relationship. Asian inspired fntasy about a girl who gets kidnapped and becomes one of the kings concubines aka a paper girl. tw for sexual assault / rape, death of an animal, sex slavery, war themes and violence

girls made of snow and glass by melissa bashardoust - frozen / snow queen retelling focussing on the relationship between step mother and step daughter. Has villain girls and morally grey stuff, also, an f/f relationship with the main girl!

the abyss surrounds us by emily skrutskie - QUEER !! MORALLY GREY !! ENEMIES TO LOVERS !! PIRATE GIRLS !!!!!!! yes this is an f/f pirate story that is enemies to lovers and features sea monster pets get around it.

labyrinth lost by zoraida cordova - on her death day a bruja called Alex accidentally casts a spell that makes her entire family vanish. Now with the help of a boy called Nova she has to go to Los Lagos to find them. Alex is bi and there is an f/f relationship.

A lake of feathers and moonbeams by dax murray - queer swan lake retelling set in a fantasy world on the brink of war. Has a polyam ship that is f/f/nb !

reign of the fallen by sarah glenn marsh - queer ! necromancers !!! basically a world where it’s necromancers jobs to constantly bring the king back to life. But now someone is purposely trying to stop the resurrections? Mc Odessa is bi and there’s an f/f relationship.

of fire and stars by audrey coulthurst - a princess betrothed to the prince of another country ends up falling for his sister instead. Follows their romance and also a brewing war between their two countries.

unicorn tracks by julia ember - fantasy world where a girl called Mnemba works at a wildlife park housing fantastical creatures like unicorns. When poachers start stealing unicorns, Mnemba and Kara, a researcher from overseas, go to track them down. f/f relationship.

science fiction

the apocalyse of elena mendoza by shaun david hutchinson - about a bi girl called Elena who gains the ability to heal people but everytime she does a random person from somewhere in the world dies. A bit weird and quirky (if you’ve read anything by SDH you know what I mean) main girl is pursuing another girl but no more info bc spoilers !

otherbound by corinne duyvis - Everytime Nolan blinks he becomes privy to the life of Amara, a girl who lives in a fantasy kingdom. Nolan thinks he is imagining things but Amara is real, and bund to protect the princess in her kingdom without knowing her every move is being watched. This is kind of mind bending and weird, but there is an f/f relationship!

dreadnought by april daniels - a trans girl called Danny witnesses the death of the superhero Dreadnought, and as a result inherits his powers. Now with a new body that looks like she always wishes it had, she must track down the villain who killed Dreadnought, before the villain tracks down her. Has an f/f flirtation but it continues into the next book bc SLOW BURN.

contemporary

you know me well by nina lacour and david levithan - pov switches between lesbian and gay mcs. Follows the two main characters over one pride week when they learn they’re both queer one night out. this is short and sweet. f/f and m/m relationships.

queens of geek by jen wilde - follows three friends from Australia who get to attend comic con because Charlie (the mc) is a popular vlogger. Charlie is Chinese-Australian and bisexual and has a crush on a fellow bi vlogger called Alyssa! This is SO cute and fun with some of my personal fav bi rep

under the lights by dahlia adler - set in Hollywood, follows a tv star called Vanessa who finds herself with a crush on another girl and unsure what to do next. The other MC is a hollywood star who has been a typical Bad Boy but is trying to reform. Has an f/f relationship and an m/f platonic relationship.

radio silence by alice oseman - about a called called Frances who is obsessed with this podcast called Universe City and randomly meets its creator leading to them becoming best friends. Frances is bi!

fearless by shira glassman - short story about two mums who meet at their kids music recital and are attracted to eachother. This was so short and cute

the nelody of you and me by m. hollis - two girls who work at a bookstore together start to develop feelings. I think the MCs are lesbian and pan from memory. This is so sweet and fluffy too.

historical fiction

the seven husbands of evelyn hugo by taylor jenkins reid - about a movie star called Evelyn Hugo who was big in the 50/60s but is now retired. She hasn’t done an interview in decades but all of a sudden requests Monique, an inexperienced journalist, write a tell all about her life. Follows Evelyn’s story & why she has seven husbands, but also features the most beautiful epic f/f love story ever. Evelyn is Cuban and bi. Not as hetero as the title suggests !!!

mystery

far from you by tess sharpe - everyone told Sophie her best friend and secret girlfriend Mina died at a drug deal gone wrong, but Sophie’s sure she was murdered. Now that Sophie is out of rehab, she’s determined to expose the truth behind Mina’s death once and for all. ‘

Some more I haven’t read but Reviewers I Trust liked

Everything Leads To You & We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

Style by Chelsea M. Cameron (and all CMC’s work)

Soft on Soft by Em Ali

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

How to Make a Wish by Ashley Herring Blake

Not Your Sidekick by C.B Lee

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

The Colour Purple by Alice Walker

Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore

Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden

Ash by Malinda Lo

A&B by J.C Lillis

and those are just SOME I have read and liked and only a tiny tiny portion of what is out there. Yeah it can def be harder to find f/f books in your typical library than like an hetero m/f one but they are Out There !!!!!!! If you want more recs you can follow me on twitter or goodreads or my book blog if u would like. thank u, next !

#books #booklr #book recommendation #f/f books #queer books #lgbtq #lgbt books #ya books #book #watch this get no notes bc yall love whining about things but detest putting in The Work

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erinptah · 5 years

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Super Drags review (tl;dr Show Good)

The post where I do my best to spread the Good News, that there exists a saucy gay drag-queen magical-girl animated comedy and everyone should watch it.

Okay, not everyone -- I'll give some caveats at the end -- but definitely a heck of a lot more people than Netflix has bothered to advertise it to.

Look at this! Why did nobody tell me about this??

What is Super Drags?

Fast facts:

It's a 1-season, 5-episode adult animated comedy series, released in November 2018

Here's the official page, with a free-to-view trailer

It packs more explicit, unashamed queerness into those 5 episodes than any other cartoon I can think of

The only possible competitor would be if you took the whole 5000-episode run of Steven Universe and pared it down to a supercut of Just The Gay Parts

This in spite of being produced in Brazil, which (in my broad understanding, as a total non-authority on the subject) is more oppressively, dangerously homophobic than the US

The original is in Portuguese

There is an English dub, fabulously voiced by contestants from RuPaul's Drag Race

It's wrapped in "for adults only!" warnings, not because the content is any less child-friendly than (say) your Bojacks Horsemen or your Ricks and Mortys, but because Brazilian authorities tried to get it shut down on the grounds of this much gay being Harmful For Children

It was (heartbreakingly) not renewed for a second season

Here's a promo video, in which the main characters (Portuguese, with subtitles) play Drag Race judges for Shangela, who ends up voicing Scarlet in English.

And here's a beautiful flashy music video of the big musical number! (Also Portuguese, no subtitles, but the melody and the visuals stand on their own.)

Plot and worldbuilding stuff!

The elevator pitch is "What if Charlie's Angels, but also drag queens, with superpowers, because magical-girl transformations?"

In this universe, all LGBTQ people have magical energy. The Big Bad is an evil magical-drag-queen nemesis who tries to drain our energy for her own purposes. It's like if Ursula from The Little Mermaid was a first-season Sailor Moon villain.

...sidenote, in case you were worried, the representation isn't "cis gay men and nobody else." There's a butch lesbian in the recurring cast, a genderfluid person (in that specific word!) as a one-off love interest, and all the ensemble scenes are wonderful collages of different races, body types, and gender presentations.

Our heroes also fight non-magical everyday homophobes, who get written with scathing realism.

The moment I knew the show wasn't pulling any punches was in the first episode, where a newscaster complains about being Silenced by the Law of Political Correctness, then chirps "however, we have a special guest who is thankfully above the law!"

According to the reviews I've found from Brazilian viewers, it's also pitch-perfect when it comes to local queer culture, community dynamics, slang and speech patterns, even memes. All of which flies right over my head, so here's a post (with no-context spoilers) about one viewer's favorite details.

The handful of reaction posts on Tumblr have a dramatic split between "Brazilian viewers fiercely defending the show as culturally-accurate, uplifting, and brave in a terrifying political moment" and "American viewers complaining that the show is problematic because it's a comedy about drag queens with no perfect role models and lots of sex jokes."

As the Super Drags tell their nemesis (and this is also in the first episode): "How dare you try to turn the LGBTQXYZ community against each other? We do enough of that on our own!"

In between missions, our girls work sitcom retail jobs and deal with other everyday problems. All of which are written in amazingly nuanced and thoughtful ways for a show that also features "defeating an orgy monster with a lip-sync battle."

Detailed character stuff!

Our heroes are Color Coded For Your Convenience!

The Super Drags themselves go by "she" in-uniform, and a lot of the time when out of it. Like the Sailor Starlights, only more so. I'll roll with that.

In blue: Safira Cyan, or Ralph by day, an excitable college-age kid who's built like a football player and squees like a fangirl. (She's an anime fan in the original, and for some reason all the otaku references were replaced in the dub, but you can see them in the subtitles.)

Ralph lives with her younger sister (they play video games together!) and their dad, comes out to them mid-series, and is very shippable with another young guy who starts out reciting the homophobic beliefs he was raised with but whose heart clearly isn't in it.

Safira's weapon is a classic magical-girl wand that casts protective force-fields. Which are shaped like condoms. Because of course.

In yellow: Lemon Chiffon, aka Patrick, the oldest of the group and generally the smartest/most strategic. In most cases, the other two treat her as the de facto team leader -- unless she pushes it too far.

By day she's a single guy with thick thighs and thinning hair, who has some body-image insecurities on the dating scene. And this show has Things To Say about unrealistic beauty standards within the community...not to mention, about masc guys who look down on anyone too flaming or femme because straight people disapprove.

Lemon's weapon is a fluffy boa that can be used as a whip or a lasso, especially when there's a bondage joke to be made.

In red: Scarlet Carmesim, also Donizete, the loudest and most aggressive teammate with the most cutting insults, who refuses to suppress that attitude in an attempt to appease racists. (But will give it a shot when trying not to get fired.)

Donny still lives in her religious/homophobic mom's apartment, and I'm pretty sure it's because neither of them can afford to move out. Her rock-solid sense of fierce self-confidence is the reason it doesn't bring her down.

Scarlet's weapon is a fan that she uses to throw shade. Yeah, you knew that was coming.

The Charlie to these angels is Champagne, who runs operations from a cool magitech compound and breaks the fourth wall at the end to petition for viewers' support in getting a second season.

...we let her down, folks :(

So here's a thing. The show never draws a sharp line between "people who become drag queens because it's a way they're driven to express themselves as gay men" and "people who become drag queens because they were trans women all along." That's consistent with how South American LGBT+ culture works. (Again: best of my knowledge, not personally an authority on this, etc etc.)

Many of the characters, including Champagne, never describe themselves in ways that translate to one of our sharply-defined Anglo-USian identity categories. And I'm not going to try to impose any English labels on them here.

But I can say (in contrast to Safira, Lemon, and Scarlet), Champagne never switches out of her "drag" name/voice/presentation, not even in the most candid off-duty scenes, and still has the same bustline when naked in the tub. Make of that what you will.

You Should Watch This Show

If you have a Netflix subscription, watch Super Drags!

If you ever do a Netflix free trial month in the future, make a note to yourself to watch Super Drags!

It's one of their original productions, so there's no risk of missing your chance because the license expired. But it's absolutely not getting the promotion it deserves. Which means potentially interested viewers won't find it, which means Netflix will think there's no interest, which means they'll keep not promoting it...etc etc etc.

No idea if there's any chance of getting it un-canceled, but maybe we can at least convince them to release it on DVD.

And the sheer gutsiness it took for a group of Brazilian creators to produce this show in the first place -- that deserves to be rewarded with your attention.

In spite of various anti-discrimination laws that sound good on paper, the country has serious problems with homophobia, transphobia, and anti-LGBT violence (warning, article has a violent image which is only partly blurred).

Maybe the creators could've gotten a second season if they made this one softer, less sexually-explicit, more restrained...but honestly? I bet that wouldn't have helped.

Consider Danger & Eggs, an Amazon original cartoon. It was made in the US, thoroughly child-friendly, and restricts its LGBT+ representation to things like "characters go to a Pride celebration...where nobody ever names or describes the quality they're proud of."

And it didn't get renewed past the first season either.

(Note: it had a trans woman showrunner and a queer-heavy creative staff, so I blame all that restraint on executive meddling, not the creators themselves. The showrunner even liked the tweet of my review that complains about it.)

So there's something very satisfying about how Super Drags went all-out, balls-to-the-wall (sometimes literally), all the rep explicit and unapologetic, packing every 25-minute episode with all kinds of queer content that would be censored or muted elsewhere -- but here it's exaggerated and celebrated and just keeps coming.

(...as do jokes like that, and I'm not sorry.)

Okay, there are a few legitimate reasons to not watch this show

Some caveats.

None of these things are Objectively Bad Problems that the show itself should be shamed for...but maybe they're genuinely not your cup of tea.

It does have actual Adult Content beyond "the existence of gay people." This show loves to swing barely-clothed cartoon genitalia in your face. There is, as mentioned, an orgy monster. If that kind of humor is going to bother you too much to appreciate the rest of the show, give it a pass.

I wasn't kidding about how realistic the homophobes are. Opening of the first episode has a guy trying to murder a busload of people while shouting slurs at them. If that level of hatred on-screen is gonna crush your soul, even in a show about sparkly queens flying to the rescue with dick-shaped magical weapons, don't push yourself.

Any fiction with this much crossdressing and gender-transgressing is going to hit some trans viewers in a bad way. Because trans people are such a broad group, with so many different experiences, that Every Possible Trope Involved pushes somebody's buttons. (See also: "some trans readers complain about a storyline that turns out to be drawn from a trans writer's actual life experience".) If this show goes does gender things that turn out to be personally distressing for you...or even just distressing for this specific time in your life...don't feel obligated to keep watching.

It has aggressively-sassy queer characters making jokes and calling each other things that are affectionate in-context, but would not be okay coming from straight/cis people. If you can't wrap your head around that, go watch something else.

Other Than That, Go Watch This Show

For all its big heart, big ambitions, and big gay energy, Super Drags is tiny enough that I've binged the whole show 2 times in the past 2 weeks. Thankfully, it's highly re-watchable -- lots of fun background gags and subtle foreshadowing that you don't catch on the first round.

(Pausing one last time to appreciate that a show with elements like "the high-tech robot assistant is called D.I.L.D.O." can be subtle at all, let alone be this good at it.)

I've also paged through all the fanart on Tumblr and Deviantart, looked up the single fanfic on the AO3, and started brainstorming plans to request it in Yuletide next year. Someone, please, come join me in (the English-language side of) the itty-bitty fandom for this ridiculous, glittery, over-the-top, fabulous series.

#Super Drags #lgbtq #recommendations #recs

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imbringingexyback · 5 years

Text

Trans ask-thingy

I should have really seen this coming when I made @a-chilleus do all the questions earlier :’)

1. what is your gender? nonbinary, transmasc. I would say male but the lack of fucks I give about having a dick makes me question it

2. what are your pronouns? He/him or they/them. He/him mainly as its easier for people to use

3. what is your gender presentation like? In a word. Gay. I love dungarees but also mostly wear super skinny jeans & floral/very jazzy shirts. I love rainbows & stripey tops as well as crop tops & cut-off vests. I don’t really wear any jewellery other than my ear piercings, ‘the one ring’ from LOTR that my Dad made & the flag bracelets I made (Trans, ace & gay)

4. what is your Gender Euphoria Outfit? Not sure really but a t-shirt/shirt that is loose enough to hide my hips & not feel uncomfortable but fitted enough to show off my frame. Probably black skinny jeans & one of my many floral shirts with my glittery gold brogues

5. what makes you feel validated? Being called the right pronouns, people seeing my as male/non-binary without any doubt about my identity (e.g. my housemate treating me just like she does her other male friends automatically because she forgets people see me as ‘female’, or people saying they could never see me as female). Also, people not being surprised by my femininity when inhabiting queer spaces as I’m just a camp guy

6. top five favorite parts of your body (n why you love them)? I like my hair as it was really blond but I like it now it’s dyed red & its still soft & fluffy. I like my freckles because they constantly multiply & are cute af. I like my eyes because they’re electric blue & so detailed with flecks of greyer blue. I like my collarbones as I like fiddling with them. Finally, I like my neck because although I want a deeper voice & stuff my neck looks cool in pictures sometimes.

7. favorite trans meme/bit of trans humor? I also like the very common trans names like @a-chilleus said. Me & my housemate have a joke where I loudly (& in a panicked tone) go “where is my dick?!!!” & act like i’m frantically looking for it because it makes us laugh. I just like most trans memes because they’re relatable and cis people don’t get them

8. how did you pick your name? Can’t really remember other than it being between Elliot & Robin & then me realising I really didn’t like Elliot cause its close to my deadname. I don’t really like Robin either so now I need to find a new one

9. what does your name mean? apparently it means ‘fame-bright’ & is of French & German origin

10. do you have any trans pride merch? I like it being called ‘merch’ like we’re a band! I have a trans-flag woven bracelet I made, a trans flag, a number of gender-related t-shirts including the Stonewall one & ‘Gender does not define a dragon’ & a fuck tonne of pronoun badges & pin/enamel badges

11. recent happy trans moment? Meeting Esme (@a-chilleus) & talking trans stuff with them whilst on camp & then just like hinting to our friends Gareth &Lizzy that I was a raging tran by showing them pictures where I have a trans flag around me & being in the men’s changing-room with them. Like honestly that was so freeing cause we got to educate our (very accepting) cis friends on some memes & hard shit & I got to overshare so much 😉

12. favorite trans headcanon? Trans Peter Parker. It makes so much sense to me & I’d love the representation.

13. favorite canon trans character? Non-binary Aziraphale & Crowley (Good Omens) is fully cannon as they’re angels & I’m still in love with it! Jake in Tales of the City is an awesome trans character too & I love him

14. favorite trans blog(s)/trans blogger(s)? definitely @a-chilleus because they have the same interests as me, @born2jasper because Jasper is my best buddy at uni & when he does blog it’s cool shit

15. favorite trans celebrity? Oh my. Fox Fisher does amazing work for trans activism & they’re a cutie. Elliot Fletcher I’ve been a fan of since he was regularly on a trans youtube channel & now hes been in TV shows & repping the trans community. Laverne Cox of course. Indya Moore for their no-shit attitude.

16. song that gives you Big Trans Feels? Wrabel- The Village, is literally about being trans & having no-one in your family accept you but it being “something wrong with the village” rather than it being about you being wrong. It was written after Trump did all the shit things to trans people. Literally the line “it’s a lie though, burying disciples, one page of the bible isn’t worth a life” makes me cry cause of all the trans people who feel like there is no light at the end of the tunnel for them. The music video left me sad but it’s an amazing song

17. something you wish you could tell your younger self? You’re not broken, & your friends have your back & will accept and love for who you are, not who you pretend to be. Society is gonna fuck you up but you’re stronger than you think

18. what would your Ideal Fashion Look be?

i mean i’m living my idea fashion look tbh

19. (how) does your gender relate to your sexuality? Just makes me gayer but I’m still ace so…

20. do you have a comfort item? Blankets mostly at uni cause I snuggle under them/with them cause that helps my sensory overload calm down. Big comfy jumpers are good for when I feel like hiding my body

21. what makes you feel euphoric? When strangers call me ‘he’, when dogs like me, when I’m accepted into a new group as ‘one of the lads’. When I look more masc face-wise (if that makes sense)

22. what genre of media would you love to see more trans characters in? all genre’s tbh as there is a lack in every genre. But definitely fantasy & action. I’d love to see a bad guy get slapped with a packer to distract them because the trans hero had nothing else to throw :’)

23. claim something as trans culture. Walking around going ‘masc masc masc’ or ‘lads lads lads’ is trans culture

24. give some love to your trans friends/mutuals (alt: give some love to the trans community in general) I’ve tagged the ones I know mostly but to every trans person who sees this. YOU’VE DOING SO GREAT, YOU LOOK GREAT, YOU’RE VOICE IS WONDERFUL. YOU ARE SIMPLY KILLING IT!!

25. what’s your favorite part of being trans? Tbh the memes are pretty solid. But honestly, it’s the community you find in each other when you need It, it’s the joy of finding out someone else you know is trans, it’s the celebration of the little &big things together. I especially enjoy knowing there are people that get why I have to triple check that I’m flat before going anywhere, the cis friends who will go into men’s bathrooms with me to scope them out & just the re-defined masculinity & femininity.

#ask tag #took a while #Thank you my idiot friend

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