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arklayraven · 2 months

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I can't sleep rn while this annoyed/pissed off. So time to remind people OM is canonly a queer game as hell and to tell the queerphobes and transphobes to FUCK OFF. (Seriously, why are you following me if you hate queer and trans people/characters? Get out of here.)

This is a official post by OM devs over the creation of OM and their MC. Read the left section well.

"OM isn't a queer game" many like to say.

The game, writers and characters beg to differ.

From someone kind who felt they knew all about the game and characters well, even tho they played it themselves.

Let's go back to that official post by Solmare about OM and this section specifically.

Hope you read that well, and the person(and many who think/believe this) learns how damn wrong they are.

Also...God don't bring up my Asmo and act like you know all about him. Another thing from that kind person.

Firstly, canonly none of the characters have set labels. But they are all in fact canonly queer. Whether you like to believe/accept this or not. It's fact, was fact from day one.

Asmodeus is the most openly proud queer boy in the series, and gender nonconforming too at that, even if he uses only he/him pronouns(but he's been shown to be fine being called princess, queen, etc. So he's clearly open to all gendered/less pronouns/labels I feel).

He drips of gender fluidity, and going against gender presentation norms(Babe has presented so fem and nonconforming for awhile now. Learn to look at him and appreciate him better). So take note of all of that, and never say again he's not queer, because that's a damn fucking lie.

Also I hate how bi is used as default for queerness as a whole for characters who are interested in more than one gender, and wish for the day people stop using it as so. (Use MSPEC or just queer if you wish to sound more inclusive of all possible labels/identities for a canon queer character with no canon label set.)

Second, back to what I said before, ALL THE CHARACTERS IN OM ARE QUEER. If you ship your MC or yourself with them, know that's a canon queer character you're pairing them/yourself up with. And you can't erase their queerness and identity. Especially if it makes you personally feel bothered or crap.

And before you say anything, dating them, as a straight woman, doesn't automatically make them straight now too. They are still queer, but are dating you, who happen to be a straight woman. (stop being damn queerphobic challenge.)

I'm already tired of this crap, so gonna end this now and fast.

OM is a canon queer game, and was made with a MC who is genderless to be inclusive of ALL PLAYERS. This opened the door quickly for men, nonbinary, etc players to enjoy the game too, and be part of the fandom as well. There's as much men and nonbinary players in the series like women are, but only difference is in the fandom mainly. Many people choose to see which fans or MCs are more accepted in the community, and which ones to show more love/attention too.

If you tried to expand your horizons more, you will surely quickly find people who identify as men, nonbinary, etc in the fandom as well. And learn how we're here, always been here, just greatly drowned out or ignored by a vast majority of people just because of who we are. (Lots of people with dislike for MCs who are men, or just plain damn queerphobia and transphobia in the works.)

The more people try to ignore the clear fact men and nonbinary people play OM too. The more easier it is for them say OM and its characters aren't canonly queer, and they can feel special/happy about playing the game. That they want to believe was just made to cater to women only. But in reality it was made to be catered to all players, no matter their gender identity or lack of, and same for romantic/sexual attraction.

Also another thing I forgot to add to put more facts that OM is a queer game to be inclusive of ALL PLAYERS.

Already, the undateables from day one are canonly queer too. If you need to be reminded and stated that as well.

That's pretty much it on this annoying tiring topic.

Enjoy playing OM, the canonly queer game made for ALL PLAYERS. <3

#;little raven speaks #;raven om calamity

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sandmanfemslashfans · 7 months

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heya I saw your post about the femslash weekend. do you maybe have a list of which characters are allowed?

Hey! Any ship that includes characters from The Sandman, where both characters in the main ship of the fanwork are women, is a ship that we want to celebrate in the event!

Some characters, such as Lucifer, have more flexible gender interpretations in canon. Female interpretations of Lucifer are welcome in the event. Gender is a broad and fluid spectrum, so gender nonconforming traits/pronouns/etc. are welcome for all characters. We want to acknowledge that it’s possible for a character to use pronouns other than “she/her” and to identify as a woman. It’s also possible for characters to simultaneously identify as women and with another/other gender identities. All interpretations are wonderful, and we want the event to be inclusive and have room for differing character interpretations. So long as the fan work in question focuses on femslash, we want it to feel welcome in the event!

Aside from those particulars for the characters in the main ship of the fanwork, any side characters are welcome!

~ Mods Honey and Sunbreak 💖

#asks #ask tag #I hope this answers your question!#yumidelight #sorry this took so long lol #we're trying to be very thoughtful abt phrasing because like i said in the tags to a similar ask #we want characters with flexible gender interpretations to be included but like. not in a way where it seems like we're lumping in #all nb identities with womanhood because we know that's not the case #there can be overlap between womanhood and other genderqueer identities for some people!!#and for other people their genderqueer identities are entirely separate from womanhood #and we want to respect that

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absentcaryatid · 2 months

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Is your Gender Neutral reader insert really written gender neutral?

Some observations from my perspective as an agender reader of K-pop fanfic.

No trait, behavior, or body part is limited to one gender only, but without giving a heads up in the fic notes, many things can be jarring when the person reading your work is expecting it to be generalized for any gender. While avoiding gendered pronouns is a good start, that is not all it takes to make a story truly gender neutral.

While suitable for every reader, gender neutral writing is of particular appeal to people who have a harder time finding representation in reader insert fanfic due to their gender. This includes people who are nonbinary, trans, agender, men, and also gender nonconforming people who find common fic characterizations for their gender do not represent them.

A partial list of things to check before posting your Gender Neutral fic:

Do a word search for "girl" used for the reader. Really. That's the number one tip. I have seen things marked "gender neutral reader" who then have the character get called "good girl" or greeted with "hey girl". Be selective too about words like "dude" or "guys" for the reader, even when used without intent to be gendered. Watch out for "she" and "her" or "he" and "his" occurrences that slip in by accident when writing about the reader. Also, if the love interest is caught kissing "another girl" or "another boy" you have just gendered the reader. Kissing "a girl" or "a boy" avoids that.

Mentions of clothes, jewelry, hair length, and makeup are more ways reader inserts might lean into a gender unintentionally. Skirts or long hair truly can be worn by anyone, but for many readers there will be a gendered cultural association in their mind. I have seen dresses and bras show up out of nowhere in some stories marked Gender Neutral leaving a reader bewildered if not given advance notice. Better to let someone skip the fic after reading disclosures in the contents paragraph upfront than be frustrated halfway through.

Who are your reader's friends and roommates? If they are only one gender, that can feel like the reader has been gendered even if unsaid, especially if they are living in a sorority or fraternity house.

Have you brought up specific body parts? Lots of stories include that, but be thoughtful about how the reader is catalogued in the pre-story notes. For instance, Gender Neutral AFAB (assigned female at birth) is one way to describe a reader insert character but ignores the full range of AFAB bodies. To be more inclusive in a world where people are intersex or transition medically, you can instead simply state the relevant anatomy. Reader has developed breasts. Reader has a penis. Reader has a vagina. Reader has top surgery scars. It is that easy.

Thank you to the people who do work crafting stories for those of us who are less often represented. It truly means a lot. If you are a reader, do let authors know how important their choice of making gender neutral stories is to you. The authors you become familiar with who can always be trusted when they label a fic Gender Neutral Reader are precious. Reblog their work to help others find such a treasure.

To anyone who writes stories with a gendered reader and is looking this over out of curiosity, I would like to ask one thing of you. Could you review how you list pairings? Are you specific about who your reader insert is when it comes to gender? So many times Character x "Reader" is used without any other modifier despite excluding plenty of readers. Your followers will already know who you are writing for, but people catching a reblog or discovering through tags want to know the gender of the reader insert without having to skim multiple paragraphs.

If your reader insert is a woman, say that. "Fem Reader" seems used to mean either female or feminine, which can be very different things, so it helps to use the full word for clarity. If the story shows your reader insert is cisgender, say that in advance. There is nothing wrong with catering to any of those audiences, but the lack of disclosure makes sifting through reader insert fanfiction on Tumblr a disheartening process for the rest of us.

#writing advice #gender neutral reader #lament of a reader browsing gender neutral reader insert stories #fic culture

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cypric-rat-hyperfixation · 1 year

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hi i wanted to leave message for you because your pinned post wording scared me for a long time thinking im not allowed here because use mogai + and ace and things. sounded like not allowed? many / and _ make reading hard for some disabled people sorry

Oh hell sorry

No yeah the people who get blocked are people who are against microlabels and aro/ace inclusion.

We here are in favor of microlabels and aspec people and gender nonconformity (including pronouns) and whatnot. Meaning you're fine

#I've got to clean that thing up sometime #I'm just. very busy and low spoons #not sure when I last updated anybody on this but ?#well in the late summer I'd decided to take the year off from school to focus on therapy. so I did #that was until November when I found out my fucking school is closing. like no longer holding classes after this December #well shit woulda been really sexy t know that before i took a medical leave I would've just toughed it #out #because I was set to graduate this May but I fucking digress #so I came back for this semester and will have to take the summer semester and I'll be done #but so I'm back in school now much sooner than I wanted to be and yeah. I'm not successful in the academic setting #I was successful actually in my fast food job setting (before they closed the store and told us NIGHT OF. FINAL NIGHT NEVER OPENING AGAIN 😍)#and yeah it's stressful. started last week and the syllabi are just. so daunting I'm not ready for this I wasn't ready for this #I wanna be back in that shitass kurger 🅱️ing kitchen with my autism babie friend I made while working there that's it ):#anyways time for the real tags #dammit i keep forgetting to make and use an ask tag #not rats but worth sharing

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man-squared · 1 year

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Updated Tag List

[ Title reads “Updated Tag List” ]

This post is a Take Two on my previous tag master list, which can be found here. Tags are loosely grouped into relevant categories. If you don’t see a tag that I have listed, message me. However, any commentary tags will not be included in this post. This list is meant to be a sort of archive of important tags for viewers and will have a list of possibly triggering tags towards the end. I do try to tag triggers, but they could be under something different. Many tags were missed or excluded from this inexhaustive list, message me if you think there is a tag that should be on here (and if possible, where should it go).

Blog Tags

[ Section Title reads “Blog Tags” ]

These are tags specifically related to the man-squared blog.

#man²

#pfps (profile pictures)

#asks

#submissions

#about

#pinned

#blog maintenance

#tags

Queer Tags

[ Section Title reads “Queer Tags” ]

This section is for tags about queer identity in relation to attraction and gender. Queer theory and queer history are not under this section. At the end of this list, there are words considered slurs. They are included here because, to many, they are proper labels for their experiences and identity.

#gender

#sex

#trans

#gender nonconforming

#women

#men

#nonbinary

#genderqueer

#trans women

#trans men

#transfem

#transmascs

#masculine

#feminine

#stud

#multigender

#genderfluid

#two spirit

#cisnt

#intersex

#detrans

#queer

#trans poc

#trans m&ms

#butch

#femme

Most identities can be found by searching for the label. Some labels are shortened to include not just sexual or romantic identities (e.g. #bi for bisexual and biromantic as well as other bi identities). Groups of identities can also be found by searching, such as #sapphic, #vincian, #aplspec, #arospec, #acespec, #aspec, etc.

Slurs: #transvestite , #transsexual , #dyke , #faggot , #tranny

Theory and History Tags

[ Section Titled “Theory and History Tags” ]

This section features any tags about concepts and historical events through different lenses. Essentially, if it doesn’t show up in the queer or specific demographics categories, it is probably here. Some of the concepts might have triggering content. Proceed with caution.

#transmasc history

#transfem history

#trans history

#bioessentialism

#gender essentialism

#queer history #transition

#testosterone

#estrogen

#pronouns

#binding

#hrt

#hormones

#euphoria

#feminism

#racism discussion

#access

#flags

#labels

#exclusion

#inclusion

#hiv

#aids

#protest

#pride

#pride parade

#essentialism

#queerphobia (the types of queerphobia can be found as well, like aphobia and mspecphobia)

#history

#transmisogyny

#transmisandry

#transandrophobia

#transphobia

#cisheteropatriarchy

#patriarchy

#amatonormativity

#intersexism

#antimasculism

#exorsexism

#transmultiphobia

#ableism discussion

#dysphoria

#misogyny

#misandry

Types of Posts Tags

[ Section Titled “Type of Posts Tags’ ]

This section describes any specific type of post. If there are links, videos, positivity, or any other thing, I try to list them here.

#validation

#trans resources

#resources

#advice

#trans kids

#long

#undescribed

#art

#media

#gifs

#pics

#trans pics

#vids

#memes

#joke

#quotes

#comic

#documentary

#safety

#links

#experience

#picrew

#colored text

#zine

#in the making! : posts about recent events that will probably be classified as historical in the future; usually paired with other tags, like queer history

#asl

#access

#photography

#alt text

#nsfw

#news

Specific Demographics Tags

[ Section Titled “Specific Demographics Tags” ]

This section describes tags for different demographics and groups that are not solely queer.

#poc

#black people

#indigenous

#neurodivergent

#disabled

#deaf

#hoh

#kids

#mental conditions

#mental illness / disorders

Location Specific Tags, such as Australia, USA, UK, Jamaica , etc.

Tribe Specific Tags, such as the Māori, the Ojibwe, the Oglala Lakota, etc.

Relationship Tags

[ Section Title reads “Relationship Tags” ]

#sex

#safe sex

#relationships

#family

#love

#marriage

#queerplatonic

#interracial

#kink

#nonsexual kink

#contraception

#birth control

#bodily autonomy

#autonomy

#reproductive health

#attraction

In-exhaustive Content Warning / Trigger List under the cut:

[ Section Title reads “In-exhaustive Content Warning / Trigger List under the cut” ]

Any post tagged #radical (usually in addition to #feminism) is about radical feminism.

#transphobia

#transandrophobia

#transmisogyny

#transmisandry

#intersexism

#antimasculism

#exorsexism

#ableist discussion

#sanism discussion

#discussion of beastility / zoo-feel-ia

#amatonormativity

#bigotry

#antiblackness

#oppression

#lateral oppression

#lateral aggression

#queerphobia

#aphobia

#acephobia

#homophobia

#arophobia

#mspecphobia

#police

#prison

#power based violence

#medical abuse

#murder

#death

#suicide

#lynch

#abuse

#sexual assault

#violence

#assault

#rape

#genocide

#eating disorders

#harassment

#peaking

#grooming

#domestic abuse

#conversion therapy

#dysphoria

#misgendering

#kink at pride

#kink

#nsfw

#sex

#patriarchy

#misogyny

#sexism

#religion

#abortion

#parents

#pregnancy

#alcohol

#smoking

#genitals

#surgery

#blood

#needles

#food

#arson

#fire

#hospital

#guns

#slurs

Any animals in posts are tagged with their name (usually just overall species) but there is also an animal tag.

[ Last Edited: November 21, 2022. ]

#tags #blog maintenance #man² #long #about

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ask-pride-color-schemes · 3 years

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Clearing up some things about the “”official”“ gay man pride flag:

[Image: A flag with 7 stripes. The first three go from dark blue-green to light blue-green. The center is white. The bottom three stripes go from light to dark blue. It was designed to mirror the lesbian flag]

[Original post about it here] [Deviantart original posting with updated description here] [ @archivalflags more detailed post about it here]

Mod Hermy of the Pride-Flags Deviantart here: I just found out during my hiatus from this blog that there’s been a lot of discourse surrounding this flag that I helped make.

APPARENTLY some truscum/transmed took this flag and reuploaded it (that got 8.2k notes vs the 9 notes my original post has), wording it in a way that made people think it was made by them (and also "official"). Also, it seems like it's been co-opted by truscum and transphobes to exclude trans and nonbinary gay men.

I am beyond pissed off at this, especially since I don’t remember anyone telling me it was stolen.

To be very clear:

I never want any of my flags being used to exclude part of the LGBTQAI+/MOGAI community. I am fully supportive of all aspec identities, “MOGAI” genders (including xenogenders, kingenders, neurogenders and neurorientations) pronoun noncomforming gays and lesbians (or anyone, really), GNC trans people, people who use the SAM, low/non-dysphoric trans people, and anyone else who may get excluded.

Basically, any identity (that’s not centered around harming people or animals) is amazing and valid.

Also this was never meant to be a finalized design (especially since I’m nonbinary and bi), it was simply a suggestion since the anon that asked me about a gay man flag suggested one that was too similar to the butch lesbian flag. They never followed up on it so I posted it on Deviantart for opinions but didn’t get much interaction there. I saw it around a few times but didn’t realize it took off like that and was being credited to a truscum, no less.

I’m not quite sure what to do regarding damage control around the exclusionists that are using my flag, but I started by working with several gay men in a pride, and my personal server to come up with meanings for each stripe (based on @gayflagblog ‘s flag) that explicitly include GNC, nonbinary, trans, ace/arospec, split-attraction, and pronoun nonconforming gay men (also made it prettier).

[Image: The same flag as above but with meanings superimposed over each stripe: [Community] [Inclusion] [She/her and pronoun noncomforming gays] [GNC, nonbinary, and trans men] [Ace/arospec and split-attraction gays] [Love and attraction] [Diversity]]

Here’s a better version made by @gayflagblog to deal with the problems with my proposal/suggestion:

[Images: Two flags made to look similar to the first flag but with bolder colors. The blue stripes are slightly more purple and the green stripes are slightly more green. The first flag has seven stripes and the second is a simplified 5-stripe version]

And [Here] are some more gay man/MLM flags (including PNC and SAM gays) made by other people that I’ve been collecting (gallery is incomplete though, please send any missing flags/sources to me).

#lgbt #pride flags #gay man #gay men #mlm #gay flag #lgbtqai #lgbta #Hermy #i honestly don't care if you don't credit my flags #they're flags not personal art #but dont take credit for it ffs #also BIG THANKS to everyone who helps me with the stripe meanings #it really eased my anxiety about this

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swanlake1998 · 3 years

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Article: For transgender dancers, progress can't come fast enough

Date: March 8, 2020

By: Avichai Scher

Sean Dorsey was tired of being the only transgender dancer in the room. So he took the bold step of starting his own company, the San Francisco-based Sean Dorsey Dance, and become the first openly trans director of a full-time dance company. It was a milestone for transgender and gender-nonconforming dancers and choreographers, and Dorsey hoped it would lead to a more inclusive dance world.

The company is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, yet Dorsey remains the only openly trans artistic director of a full-time dance company in the country.

“We’ve definitely made progress since I started, when there was really no context for institutional or social support of trans dancers,” Dorsey said. “But there’s still a major lack of representation across the dance world.”

Dance, especially older forms such as ballet and modern dance, is mostly structured around strict gender lines. While the growing acceptance of transgender people in the United States has extended somewhat into the art form, trans dancers are often forced to choose between being their authentic selves and career opportunities.

Issues start in training

Dorsey’s choreography often deals with trans issues, and he is committed to being an advocate in the dance world for transgender people. But even in his own company, Dorsey is the only trans performer.

“In San Francisco, at least, I don’t have the luxury of holding an audition for trans dancers,” he said. “There just aren’t very many at the professional level.”

Dorsey said this is largely because barriers for trans and gender-nonconforming dancers start at a young age — as most training programs are gender-specific.

Jayna Ledford, 19, made headlines when she came out as transgender in an Instagram post in 2018. She was studying at the Kirov Ballet Academy at the time, a traditional ballet program in Washington, D.C. It was the first time a dancer at an acclaimed ballet school had publicly come out as trans.

Classes at Kirov, like most ballet conservatories, are generally separated by sex assigned at birth, and when students are combined, teachers offer different steps for men and women. Ledford, however, found ways to get the training that matched her gender identity, including dancing on her toes in special pointe shoes, which is done almost exclusively by women and requires unique training.

“I wanted to do what the females were doing,” she said. “I’d do it on the side and not pay attention to what the guys were doing. I’d also stay after class and practice pointe technique with my female friends.”

She hadn’t had the training other females at the school had, but she was hoping to transfer from the men’s program to the women’s.

“I knew I had a lot of catching up to do in terms of pointe work,” she said. “But just being in the room with the females, that’s what I wanted.”

The Kirov Academy told Ledford she could not join the women’s program unless she physically transitioned. Ledford was not ready for that, so she left the school. She was disappointed but now says she understands the academy’s position. The school confirmed Ledford’s account but declined to comment.

Maxfield Haynes, 22, who is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, said the large, prestigious ballet school where they trained was not supportive of someone presenting as male wearing pointe shoes.

It wasn’t until Haynes enrolled at Tisch School of the Arts at New York University that they were able to explore the more feminine aspects of ballet technique. Ledford also found higher education to be more supportive than a conservatory. She now studies at Montclair State University and practices pointe technique daily.

Lack of professional opportunities

After NYU, Haynes chose to dance with Complexions Contemporary Ballet partially because the company is explicitly supportive of gender fluidity, and even had a specific role for Haynes that is gender-nonconforming. In the David Bowie tribute piece, “Stardust,” Haynes dons pointe shoes and was partnered with male dancers.

“It was everything I could have dreamed of,” Haynes said of the role. “As nonbinary, I like to get to show all aspects of gender. I don’t think about dancing like a man or a woman, just myself.”

Opportunities to dance roles that are gender-nonconforming are rare in the concert dance world, even if dancers are becoming more open about being gender-nonconforming in their offstage lives. And those who want to physically transition face a stark choice, as none of the major dance companies in the U.S. currently have openly transgender dancers on their rosters.

Alby Sabrina Pretto recently made the difficult choice to begin physically transitioning with hormone replacement therapy at the expense of her performing career. She was a dancer with Les Ballet Trockadero de Monte Carlo, an all-male comedy troupe, for eight years. While she got to dance in pointe shoes, the style of the company is rooted in the comedy of men portraying women, which ultimately wasn’t how Pretto identified.

“There were moments I wanted to do things like a ballerina would and be ethereal and pretty,” Pretto said. “To dance like a woman.”

She knew that physically transitioning would mean she could not continue with the company.

“I wanted to have a career, and that slowed down my decision to transition,” Pretto said. “I waited until I felt like I had done what I wanted to do there.”

Liz Harler, general manager of Les Ballet Trockadero, said in a statement that transitioning does not disqualify dancers from the company.

“Dancers who expressed interest in transitioning to female have been told that their job would not be in jeopardy, though none have chosen to do so while continuing with the Trocks’ rigorous dancing and touring schedule,” Harler said.

Both Ledford and Pretto hope for the day when they can attend an audition and be hired without having to explain their gender identity.

Ledford said. “I’ll audition as any other woman. If I get in, then I’ll sit down and talk with them.”

Ledford is “optimistic” that this can happen in the next few years, but Pretto isn’t so sure.

“I am not naive, I know I cannot just audition for a major ballet company and join the female corps de ballet,” Pretto said. “But I would love for that to happen for me. It’s the ultimate dream.”

Her skepticism is partly based on the experience of her former Trockadero colleague, Chase Johnsey, who is gender fluid. He made headlines in 2018 when he was cast in a female ensemble role in the English National Ballet’s production of “Sleeping Beauty,” though it was not on pointe, and the heavy costume concealed his body. No additional female roles came his way afterward.

The question of who gets opportunities as a dancer often comes down to the taste of directors and producers and what they imagine their audiences want to see, not just ability.

Pretto danced a couple of character roles recently with Eglevsky Ballet, a growing ballet ensemble on Long Island, New York. The director, Maurice Brandon Curry, said he would consider Pretto for a female ensemble role next year, because her pointe work is “excellent,” though he wonders how some in the audience will react.

“Casting Alby in a female role would not be about passing as female, but I’d be lying if I didn’t acknowledge my concern about an audience member who was offended,” Curry said. “But art is not prejudice; it’s about inclusivity and open minds. If someone is not willing to have that experience, they don’t have a legitimate place in our audiences.”

Signs of change

Dorsey said that even having discussions about gender identity in dance is progress from when he started, and he’s encouraged by changes he’s seen: Most theaters either already have gender-neutral restrooms or create them for his company’s visit; trans and gender-nonconforming students attend his workshops in various cities and share with him their efforts to be accepted in their dance communities; the San Francisco Ballet persuaded him to lead a training session on gender identity in dance; and he was on the cover of Dance Magazine.

Ledford was recently a “Gaynor Girl,” a spokesperson for the popular pointe shoe brand Gaynor Minded. Pretto said she worked up the courage to use the ladies' locker room at one of New York’s busiest studios, Steps on Broadway, and no one seemed to mind.

Still, the art form has not yet caught up to reflect the audience, Dorsey said. His company has worked in over 30 cities in the U.S. and abroad, and he is usually the first trans choreographer a theater has presented. But he said the response from audiences is almost always positive.

“Dance audiences are ready and hungry for trans voices,” he said. “It's our dance institutions that are still catching up.”

#article #ballet #an article from last year but still important #sean dorsey #jayna ledford #maxfield haynes #alby sabrina pretto

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kingstylesdaily · 3 years

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Why Conservatives Are So Threatened by Harry Styles in a Dress

Unlike in previous generations, men in skirts and dresses aren’t intended as a joke, to shock, or to titillate — it’s meant to be sexy

There’s a TikTok video of a young man with tousled dark hair wearing eyeliner and a sweatshirt, throwing a smoldering gaze to the camera as Ariana Grande’s “Positions” plays; the camera then cuts to the boy in a full-blown French maid costume — white cap, dainty gloves, apron, and all. In another video, a girl with short hair and a nose ring rests between the legs of her boyfriend in a French maid costume, his hairy legs peeking out beneath frilly white lace, which transitions into them switching positions and outfits. Both of these videos have a combined more than 12 million views.

A decade ago, when social media was in its infancy (and when this author was around the age of the kids featured in these homemade videos), the image of a young, masculine-presenting person in a dress would’ve been seen as a punchline in itself, like a gag from a Seann William Scott vehicle. With the French maid trend on TikTok, however, the effect is quite different. The subversion of gender tropes is the point, but it’s not intended to be shocking or even mildly amusing: It’s intended to be sexy.

One wonders what conservatives would make of the TikTok French maid trend in light of the uproar over last month’s Vogue cover shoot featuring Harry Styles, who appeared in a lace-trimmed dress and tuxedo jacket designed by Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele. Almost immediately, professional right-wing trolls started frothing at the mouth. On Twitter, Candace Owens issued a call for society to “bring back manly men” and Ben Shapiro (who previously went viral for expressing his consternation about the female sexual empowerment anthem “WAP”) tweeted, “Anyone who pretends that it is not a referendum on masculinity for men to don floofy dresses is treating you as a full-on idiot.” In response to the furor, on Wednesday Styles reemerged on the cover of Variety in a pleat hem suit eating a banana, posting the photo on Instagram with the caption, “Bring back manly men.” In the story he says: “To not wear [something] because it’s females’ clothing, you shut out a whole world of great clothes. And I think what’s exciting about right now is you can wear what you like. It doesn’t have to be X or Y. Those lines are becoming more and more blurred.”

Given that Styles has long publicly embraced gender fluidity, and that the Vogue cover marked the first time a male celebrity had appeared solo on the cover of that publication, the photo shoot was clearly intended as a nod to that milestone. There’s also a long and storied history of rockers like Kurt Cobain and David Bowie donning dresses, with the latter looking ethereal in paisley on the cover of the single for “The Man Who Sold the World.” The Styles Vogue shoot appears to be an homage to those musicians (indeed, in the accompanying profile, Styles explicitly calls out Bowie and the similarly androgynous Prince as influences), not as a provocation. But right-wing commentators immediately interpreted it as such, precisely because it was framed as such a non-issue. Like the TikTok maid videos, the point of the cover wasn’t to shock or to titillate. The goal of the shoot wasn’t any different than that featuring a female model in a similar garment: to show a gorgeous person in a gorgeous dress, looking gorgeous. What really incensed conservative commenters like Owens and Shapiro was precisely how mundane the image was supposed to be.

The Gen Z-ers who make up Styles’ fan base display demonstrably more progressive attitudes toward gender expression than previous generations: they are more likely to know someone who uses gender-neutral pronouns or rejects the binary, or to self-identify as nonbinary themselves. This attitude is reflected in the masculine-presenting men elevated by zoomers: male e-boys on TikTok regularly don nail polish and eyeliner, and Timothée Chalamet, with his razor-sharp cheekbones, porcelain skin, and Victorian ghost child features, is one of the most prominent sex symbols. While none of this is to say that the binary has completely collapsed, and transgender, and gender nonconforming teens still suffer from depression at higher rates than their cisgender counterparts, it is to say that when it comes to gender roles, the ground is rapidly changing beneath our feet. But rather than embracing a more flexible and inclusive approach toward masculinity, conservatives like Shapiro and Owens must perform outrage — if not just to preserve their more traditionalist audiences, but to preserve the patriarchal status quo that ensures they will have such audiences to begin with. Their followers, with their feverish fantasies about drag queen story hours indoctrinating their children and kombucha turning their teens queer, are so terrified of the perceived boundaries that surround gender and sexuality crumbling that they are primed to see boogeymen in every closet and in every corner, and Shapiro and Owens are all-too-happy to capitalize on such fears.

In truth, there is nothing remotely threatening to anyone about Harry Styles in a dress. But in order to maintain their grip on institutional power, Shapiro and Owens must at least feign that there is — even if the truth is that Harry Styles in a dress is more super-duper hot than anything else.

via rollingstone.com

#kingstylesdaily #Harry Styles #hs: article #rolling stone #December 2020

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alternativegenderdysphoria · 3 years

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BYF

Mods:

Mod Zee is an adult white cis genderqueer pansexual woman who uses it/its pronouns, please check its pronouns.page for other names, pronouns, and nouns. Mod Zee is also ADHD, autistic, and has brain fog so please use clear language and tone indicators when addressing it to avoid confusion.

{currently looking for more mods!}

So what's this blog about, exactly?

I (mod Zee), as a dysphoric cis person and nonbinary desister, realized there wasn't a lot of care for us. Transphobes use us as leverage in their arguments, trans people don't want us because they only see us brought up as a "gotcha" as to why they shouldn't exist, and the medical community largely doesn't recognize us as existing. I wanted to create a space for trans-supportive dysphoric cis people, desisters, and detransitioners to talk about their experiences and learn to manage their dysphoria.

In addition to cis dysphoric people, these tips might be useful for trans people as well. I don't want to limit any of these posts to "only use this if you're cis" or make trans people feel uncomfortable using these tips, especially since many of them are modified versions of tips that I learned from the trans people I follow.

DNI:

TERFs/transphobes/enbyphobes, homophobes/biphobes, obvious bigots (racists, antisemites, ableists, etc), pedos/maps/nomaps, DD/LG and its variants (nonsexual agre and system littles are fine), transmed discourse blogs, more may be added as I get new interactions from nasty people.

Allowed to follow/reblog but not reply/comment on reblogs/talk in tags:

Transmeds, anti-MOGAI, pan/ply/omni/aro/ace exclusionists, anti-neopronouns, anti-pronoun nonconformity, against multisexual people iding as femmes/butches. Please do not apply to be a mod if you are any of these, either.

Tagging System

#amab tips is for people who were assigned male at birth and have dysphoria. #afab tips for people who were assigned female at birth and have dysphoria. #tips for all is for anyone with gender dysphoria. I'm aware that these tags are not very intersex-inclusive but I'm unsure how to fix it, please dm or send an ask if you have an idea! #positvity is for encouraging/supportive posts. #not a tip is for anything that doesn't fit into the above categories. I'm also very willing to tag triggers, just send an ask or message.

#byf #before you follow

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leptrois · 4 years

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Differences (and non-differences) between gender neutral and neutrois

Neutrois is more limited to gender identity, however some people used it as a descriptor of their sex characteristics tied to medically transitioning, as you can see in terms of MtN (male to neutrois) and FtN (female to neutrois), as well as non-binary and gender-neutral.

According to @neutrois (in neutrois.com), neutrois has no definition, except there lists hyponyms as supposed definitions, including neutral gender, null gender, neither male or female, genderless and agender.

Gender neutrality or gender neutral is synonymous to epicene or epicenity, gender-inclusive and unisex, specially when talking about language and pronouns. It's often used akin to or interchangeably with androgynous, agender, genderless, genderqueer, gender-free, ungendered, degendering, gender-fluid and non-binary, specially in fashion.

Just as my teacher says "current(ly) but not correct(ly)", the public use is not always technically right. Many people may feel offended or even dysphoric for seeing their gender identity used as a gender expression term, specially nonbinary specific ones.

Unrelated to the grammatical gender (neuter or neutral gender), neutral-gender or gender neutral identity is also a gender neutrality.

Many androgynes will describe their gender as unrelated to androgyny, just as multiple neutrois individuals do not associate with gender neutrality. However androgyne is received as a lingender or gender androgyny, just as neutrois is taken as a ningender.

Many times neutrois is incompletely described as having no gender or a specifically monolexic word for agender. Other times people explain it's different as in having a gendered feeling. Gender neutral neutrois people (whose gender is neutral, comgender or at least not exactly genderless) might feel unrepresented. But many people can't distinguish their own experiences from being gendered or nongendered, finding neutrois a useful term for that. And gender nullity or nultrois not always correlate for agender neutrois folx.

The meaning @neopronouns gave in eir post is not exactly incorrect. This graph exemplifies how many people see neutral as sitting in between male and female genders, but that happens with almost all nonbinary identities in a linear spectrum. Various gender neutrals fall outside these spectrums, some see it as a monolithic abinarity.

Neuter means neither (ne=not, uter=either) anyways. But many neutrois and gender neutral folks see themselves as none, all, both or both and neither.

Contrasting with genderpositive and gendernegative, genderneutral could be an ambivalence of the two, like being demiagendered, when your gender is present and not present simultaneously, not essentially a genderflux state. But genderpositive neutrois and gendernegative neutrois exist, just as gendernull neutrois and genderneutral neutrois.

But there's also neutral demigenders and saturated genders, being neutrois the central of the neutral spectrum, the balancement of all genders, and genderneutrality an abinary gender. The conception of neolingual Portuguese negative and positive (let's imagine like it's "negativx" and "positivx" in English) and their gender negativity & positive gender and gender positivity & positive gender bring neutre as a gender ambiguity, indifference or equilibrium, represented through zero (0).

Neuter sex and neuter gender/"n" are also used as a third or other gender options beyond "m"/male/man/masculine and "f"/female/woman/feminine options in formularies and documents, so that there will be even binary intersex, altersex, gender nonconforming and trans folks using it.

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ex-terfs · 5 years

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I’m curious about how you were introduced to trans exclusionary ideology, and when you realized how toxic it truly is. I’m genuinely curious.

Hello! Sorry for the hiatus.So this is my story & long rant post.I've been among TERFs/Radfems (AKA the Conservative side of "feminism") since 2015. In mid-2016 — with the dangers of having Trump as President — I started getting critical of everything going on in the community, deleted older posts, & stopped reblogging "trans-critical" stuff. In 2017 — after seeing TERFs celebrating that the 'Everyday Feminism' site was facing a financial crisis & after paying more attention at what our "enemies" were trying to say — I unfollowed all the bullies, & eventually started to despise seeing "trans-critical" stuff. Their hatred towards the "big scary Libfems" is what made me rethink my priorities.

Many parts of their ideology had peculiarly attracted my attention back in 2015. As a GNC person who celebrates gender nonconformity, their gender abolition theories seemed very interesting (& I later found out how bigoted they are towards GNC men & GNC people with different identities/pronouns). When I was a sex-repulsed person, their porn-critical & sex-negative theories also seemed very interesting to me (I later found out how bigoted they are towards sex-repulsed people — upholding heteronormativity & saying things like "Haha, nobody loves you", "If you're a man/bisexual/lesbian, you must perform oral sex on your gf"; but still, I'm NO longer in the sex-negative/SWERF community). People sending them death threats was also one of the reasons why I had joined their movement.

It always begins like this. Step 1: you begin exploring anti-kink/anti-porn stuff; Step 2: you begin exploring anti-"MOGAI" stuff; Final step: you turn into a transphobe. That's how I got into this mess.

Second-wave theories originally had a critical focus on the social construction of gender & sexuality, monogamy, submission/masochism, natalism, the family structure, the fear of nonconformity, emotional/economic dependency, religion, & violence.As a feminist, yeah, I still agree with most of these analyses. I love reading academic books. But there was something different about terf/radfem tumblr. & this is all I've noticed over the years.

TERFs treat their word like holy truth.

TERFs use Right-wing "sources" to back up their transphobic & sex-negative arguments (& often associate themselves with conservative groups).

TERFs claim that all men are "biologically/physically the same".

TERFs contradict themselves all the time: claim that sex-repulsed AroAces are "usual straights", mock people who just want to remain single, & at the same time still say that if you don't want to have sex with men, then "you're a lesbian"; they say that people don't owe you sex, & at the same time say it's "not okay" for men to sexually reject a woman for "bad reasons".

TERFs claim that lesbians who are anti-TERF or who don't believe in the "born-this-way" theory are "fake lesbians".

TERFs are against the idea of removing your secondary sexual characteristics; & if an AMAB person doesn't like their "secondary sexual characteristics", then they must be a "delusional fetishist" (srsly I identify as a woman, but I still wish I could remove my uterus & have a breast reduction surgery; & it's not for sexist reasons! Shocking, I know!).

TERFs claim that men can't be raped/abused by women (not all TERFs believe this, but I still see them quietly following the ones who do).

TERFs have definitely never read a book with a different perspective/purpose, yet they will act like total experts on any subject (TERFs act like they're experts on Postmodernism & Queer Theory, but they have no idea what these theories are actually about. These theories are both very complex & don't have only one definition! Shocking, I know!).

TERFs will assume you're a trans woman if you don't disclose you're actually AFAB (& they could still have doubts).

TERFs are very manipulative & use brainwashing tactics. If you're AFAB & anti-TERF, they will say it's because of your "internalized misogyny" & will try to guilt-trip you. Because how dare someone has a different opinion! If you're AFAB & proudly calls yourself 'genderfluid' or 'non-binary', TERFs will get offended.

TERFs claim that asexuality only exists "because of the prevalence of porn" (Aces & sex-repulsed people would still be here even if porn didn't exist! Shocking, I know!).

TERFs claim that men who call themselves 'feminist' are "all predators".

TERFs would rather include transphobic men in their spaces than "those evil libfems" (those women are enemies).

TERFs claim that radical feminism is the "only true feminism", & that all second-wave feminists were "radfems".

TERFs claim that GNC men are "fetishizing" femininity (but according to TERF logic, masculine men are not fetishizing masculinity).

TERFs are extremely bigoted towards sex workers, polyamorous people, people who don't want commitment, people who are sexually experimenting or who are promiscuous (which is also one of the reasons why I left the sex-negative community; their views on sex/lust/love are similar to the Christian conservative perspective).

I can definitely assure you I still very well remember most of their URLs & blog content. There are many TERFs who hide behind aesthetic blogs, & use subtle TERF language & comforting rhetoric — which you might not even notice if you don't know much about their specific type of language & tactics (e.g. complaining about the "neoliberal postmodern identities" & about people "erasing females"). This type of TERF also may follow a bunch of (trans-inclusive) anti-'MOGAI' & anti-kink blogs. If you're trans-inclusive & TERFs follow you, it's likely because your blog content doesn't make them uncomfortable.

Their blatant transphobia is absurd & paranoiac, & they don't hide it. Anyone who disagrees with them gets called a "handmaiden", "lesbophobe", "male", "genderist", "liberal", "libfem", "special snowflake" (I no longer consider myself a radical leftist, but I don't consider myself a centrist either). TERFs call trans women as a group "fetishists", "delusional", "mentally ill", "sociopaths", "narcissists", "pedophiles", "necrophiles", "incels", "genderfucks" + slurs like "tr*nny", "troon", "tr0n", "transes". They say that the trans movement is "coercing children to transition" & "forcing lesbians to have sex with penis". It's pure fear-mongering. Their views on trans men are also contradictory — there are times they claim that trans men are "straight girls who are trans just bc they read fanfiction & watch gay porn", & there are times they claim that trans men are "brainwashed butch lesbians" (Pick a side!).

I live in a very religious Latin American country. The majority of the population here is not educated on gender/sexuality issues. I got the chance of educating myself better only after I've learned English. And then some terfs had the gall to say "academic fields such as Gender & LGBT Studies & philosophy are oppressive & pretentious". In a country like mine with a dark history of military dictatorships, censorship & anti-intellectualism, being leftist means protecting the social sciences in education & freedom of the press.

So yes, I left the terf community bc unlike them, I think for myself & I hate bullying (i was in fact heavily bullied for years in school, & only bullying victims know how it truly feels like). My terf blog is now inactive; I had 1000+ followers. I'm a very quiet person irl & online; I was never vocal about my real opinions bc I don't like getting into heated discussions & I didn't want to be featured on that gross radfem-gossip blog.I was very transphobic back then. & now it's quite possible terfs will say to me "You were never one of us". I followed & liked their blogs, just like they followed mine. I was loyal & obedient. Now not anymore.

#Ask #transphobia

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collegeessayguy · 4 years

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Special Thanks to Charlotte West for writing this post.

As if it wasn’t hard enough to find a college that’s the right fit for your academic and personal interests, you might have additional questions about finding an inclusive campus if you identify as LGBTQ+. You might be wondering about everything from housing options to whether or not you should come out in your personal statement.

A good place to begin is by checking out Campus Pride, a non-profit working to create safer college environments for LGBTQ+ students. They publish the Campus Pride Index, a national list of LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities. They also run the HBCU LGBTQ Clearinghouse, which reviews LGBTQ-inclusive policies, programs, and practices at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The Trans Policy Clearinghouse landing page has a list of resources where you can find which women’s colleges welcome transgender students. You can also see which schools provide options to live in gender-inclusive housing, schools that allow students to change their name and gender on campus records, those that cover transition-related medical expenses under student health insurance, and women’s colleges that welcome transgender students.

Campus Pride also maintains a Shame List, which identifies the “absolute worst campuses for LGBTQ youth” in the United States. The colleges and universities on the Shame List openly discriminate against LGBTQ+ youth or have a track record of anti-LGBTQ+ actions, programs, and practices.

Be sure to also check out an institution’s website and to reach out to college reps if you can’t find answers to your questions. “Perhaps the most helpful question is the direct one,” says Wes Waggoner, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management at Southern Methodist University (SMU). “Ask: ‘What resources and opportunities does this university have that particularly support LGBTQ+ students?’” Waggoner also suggests asking the admissions office to put you in touch with a current student who identifies as LGBTQ+ to ask about life on campus. SMU, for instance, has a resource center and a student senator dedicated to representing LGBTQ students.

Andrew Moe, Associate Dean of Admissions at Swarthmore, agrees. “While students should view an institution’s website and publications to ensure LGBTQ+ students and community are represented and celebrated, they should also ask tough questions,” says Moe. “That’s our job–to answer questions of prospective students and families, so use us as a resource.”

5 TIPS FOR STUDENTS WHO IDENTIFY AS LGBTQ+ WHEN APPLYING TO COLLEGE

The details matter. Check whether university representatives include their pronouns in their email signatures. “If you do a campus visit, look for posters advertising organizations and events oriented towards LGBTQ+ students,” says Kaelie Lund, assistant dean of admissions at Carleton College. “If the school has an office dedicated to supporting queer students, see if it is student-run or if paid staff members oversee that office. That can give you additional insight into how the school you are interested in supports queer students,” she says.

Thoroughly dig through the university’s website, starting with its anti-discrimination statement. “Find out: Does the school’s nondiscrimination policy include sexual orientation and gender identity?” asks Wagonner. “This is a good first check. Does the campus have an active LGBTQ+ student group? Does that group sponsor events for LGBTQ+ students? Is there an LGBTQ+ resource center on campus?”

Ask about housing options and living-learning communities for LGBTQ+ students. Some universities have gender-neutral, gender-inclusive, or all-gender residence halls. University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) has trans-inclusive housing for transgender and gender-nonconforming students. UC Berkeley offers a living-learning community called Unity House welcoming students who identify as LGBTQ+. Residents also take an academic seminar together organized by the Gender Studies Department. Many other universities offer similar options.

Look for scholarships specific to LGBTQ+ students. Campus Pride has a national database of scholarships for LGBTQ+ students. The Point Foundation offers scholarships for community college and university students who identify as LGBTQ+. If your parents are unwilling to support you because of your sexual orientation or gender expression, talk to the financial aid office about what options are available. “I recommend students open a dialogue with admissions and financial aid officers to ensure they know their options if family members are less than supportive,” Moe says.

Whether or not you write about your sexual orientation or gender expression in your college essay is a highly personal decision. You might not be ready to share something so personal, and that’s OK. It can also be a powerful experience to use your personal statement as an opportunity to process and reflect. As is the case for all students, the most helpful essays are ones in which you communicate what is important to you (yup, your values!) and how they will contribute to a campus community. “Students should not feel like they have to talk about their sexual orientation or gender identity in the main essay,” says Waggoner, “but it can be powerful if done well.”

Looking to learn how to come out in your college essay (and whether or not you should)? Check out my blog post here.

#appblr #studyblr #LGBTQ+#college #college admissions #go to college

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aion-rsa · 4 years

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How Lovecraft Country Silences Yahima

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This Lovecraft Country review contains spoilers.

Lovecraft Country is a rapturously violent dramatic horror series where pain and death are par for the course. And while the show delights in depicting wickedness, the violence always feels purposeful. Even with that in mind, however, last week’s episode, “A History of Violence,” makes the disappointing choice to unceremoniously kill Yahima, an indigenous, gender-variant character.

After an Indiana Jones-esque journey through a booby-trapped tunnel Tic, Leti, and Montrose enter Titus Braithwhite’s underwater vault, a room full of the remains of indigenous people —made apparent by their regalia— and a corpse holding Titus’ pages from the Book of Adam. When Montrose attempts to grasp the pages, the corpse reanimates. The camera lingers on the naked figure, and Montrose asks “what are you?” The recently-reanimated individual introduces themselves as Yahima, “Woman—and man, two-spirit. Neither. Both. All”

Yahima is an Arawak, the indigenous ancestors of modern-day Taino people. They’re from Guyana —”the land of many waters”— a country in the Carribean region of South America. They are Two-Spirit, which is an exclusive Indigenous-American umbrella term —like LGBTQ— for a unique gender identity that encompasses gay, lesbian, nonbinary, intersex, transgender, and other queer or gender-nonconforming identities. (Two-spirit as a term was coined in 1990, so Yahima would not use it as an identifier.) Physically, Yahima presents as intersex, a person who is born with a combination of male and female biological traits. They may also read as trans. As such they represent both the native community and the gender-variant one.

European colonization and Christian indoctrination reconceptualized the definitions and functions of gender and sex in indigenous communities in the Americas and around the world. Still, many native tribes recognize a Third Gender, while some acknowledge as many as five genders or more. The Navajo, for example, have four distinct genders. More traditional tribes reject the term Two-Spirit as it reinforces the binary of “male” and “female” which is thought to be a Western construct. Gender and sex are complex concepts, but the Two-Spirit identity and the spiritual/gender identities it encompasses, is rich with native cultural significance.

The inclusion of an indigenous character and an intersex character in a high profile show is momentous because those identities are grossly underrepresented. It should be noted that the actress portraying Yahima, Monique Candelaria, is a cisgender woman, who uses she/her pronouns, and describes herself as ”ethnically mixed with Spanish, French, Aztec and Apache Indian.” Characters who occupy very specific cultural identities should be played by performers who share those identities, especially when there are so few opportunities for gender-nonconforming roles. But the inclusion itself is creditable.

Tic is magically able to understand Yahima —who speaks Lokono, an Arawak language— and we learn Yahima’s story through Tic’s interpretation, instead of directly from Yahima through use of subtitles. We learn that Titus Braithwhite came to their land looking for people to translate the Book of Adam. Yahima recognized the symbols from the caves of Alomun Kundi, and with no reason to distrust Titus, agreed to decipher the pages. When they saw Titus for what he was, they refused to continue their translation. Titus murdered their entire family, then imprisoned them in a grave. Yahima used the pages to protect themself.

Yahima tells Tic,“You are not guilty of your forefather’s sins, But I do not know your spirit. I will not help you.” So Montrose grabs for the scroll, again, this time triggering the vault to flood. Montrose and Leti make way toward the elevator, but Tic pauses to save Yahima, even amidst Yahima’s refusal to help decipher the pages. As the elevator ascends, Yahima attempts to speak, but instead unleashes a piercing scream. They are made into a siren, so they cannot speak if they escape Titus’ vault, which effectively silences them. Later, after Montrose has failed to sabotage Tic by losing the scroll, he takes away Tic’s only chance to decipher the pages by slitting Yahima’s throat. This is an egregious act of violence on an indigenous, gender-variant person by a Black, queer-coded man.

In the episode we see Titus’ literal history of violence in both his public trophies of conquest on display at the museum, and his private collection of stolen legacy locked away in his vault. The episode speaks to the lasting harm of colonialism and the specific violence visited upon the indigenous communities whose land, resources, people, and cultures were systematically stripped from them. Through Yahima, that violence could be confronted in a way that empowers indigenous and/or gender-variant viewers, the way Black viewers are empowered when Tic collapses a house on a group of racist white men. Yahima has survived for centuries, and may well be able to survive this. But unless and until that possibility is realized, we have to sit with the gratuitous murder of a potentially groudbreaking native, gender-variant character.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Gender nonconforming people —and intersex, trans, androgynous, two-spirit people— are some of the most vulnerable of the population, especially if they are BIPOC. Depictions of gender variant people in entertainment media often otherizes them, and their stories frequently comprise of violence, and end in death. Introducing Yahima only to immediately kill them off in a brutal, callous way perpetuates this tired and harmful trope and normalizes violence against these groups. It also deprives underrepresented people the ability to be reflected, and respected, in the stories they consume.

Lovecraft Country gives its Black characters the tools to fight their demons and their oppressors, and it works so well because it punches up. Black characters visiting the same violence on other marginalized folks that their oppressors visit on them is not empowerment. “For the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.” — Audre Lorde

The post How Lovecraft Country Silences Yahima appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3hhitUt

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

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joie-university-rp · 4 years

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Dear CASSIDY PILLSBURY-SCHUESTER,

It is with great pleasure we invite you admission to Joie University! Welcome to the Thunderclap family!

Congratulations, BREAD! Please be sure to check the New Members’ Checklist and send in your character’s account within 24 hours from now. We cannot wait to see all that you will bring to this roleplay! We love you already!

OOC INFORMATION:

Name/Alias; pronouns: Rye Bread

Age, Timezone: 26, EST

Activity, a short explanation: I’m a bread and I have no excuses

Ships: /chemistry, /forced for plot only

Anti-Ships: /incest, /forced

Preferred photo for Character’s ID (please give a link): https://media.them.us/photos/59fdad0c4fd386000be35a37/master/w_2560%2Cc_limit/AsosxGlaad_03_preview.jpeg

Anything else: I’m a bread and I’m a mess

IC INFORMATION:

Full Name (First, Middle, Last): Cassidy Neal Pillsbury-Schuester

FC: Tommy Dorfman (skating claim; Jason Brown)

Age/Year at University: 19, Freshman

Birthdate: October 1, 2000

Hometown: LITTLETON, CO

Gender/Pronouns: A-Gender, they/them

Sexuality: Pansexual

Major(s): Sports Science

Minor(s): American Sign Language

Housing request: Beiste Dormitory

Extracurriculars: LGBT+ Association

Greek Life Affiliation: Alpha Xi Lambda

CHARACTER PROFILE:

[At least] 3 Headcanons for your character:

Cass was born Cody Neal Pillsbury Schuester. The Nea is after Neal Schon from Will’s favorite band Journey.

From a young age, Cass struggled with gender identity but wouldn’t say it was a defining part of their childhood, it often made them feel like a recluse because they could not connect with binary boys in class but, with their mother being who she was, they attended a support group for children and young people who were gender nonconforming.

At first, they resisted, not wanting to attend the group because they thought it was “…silly because only people like mama need therapy.“ They soon understood it was to help them understand what they were feeling and give them the tools and language to express it. The group ended up being a very positive experience and they were able to make friends with people who understood them like no other. They also supported them in choosing the name “Cass”.

As a child, Cass always had a lot of energy though they didn’t know how to direct it. Emma and Will tried getting them into acting classes, dance lessons, and show choir but Cass always managed to get in trouble; saying things like how lame it was because it was what their parents did, or because Schuy and the others didn’t like to do it. Next, they tried putting them in sports but nothing seemed to stick, instead, they’d often escape practice and be found climbing trees, much to Emma’s disgust as they would trail mud and leaves back into the house quite frequently.

Cass frequently would tag along behind their older siblings though they weren’t the best at art so they didn’t always connect well with them; getting bored quickly. They did enjoy baking though if only to eat the treats at the end. In their obsession with constantly wanting to be around the others, Cass begged for ice skating lessons after Schuy and Austin or Ariel had them to prepare for an upcoming classmates’ birthday party at the local rink (Will and Emma did not want their children to be the only ones unable to at least stay upright on the ice for a full afternoon). Eventually, Will and Emma gave in and sent them to lessons. Cass had taken to the ice like a fish to water and the rest was history.

On the ice, Cass is jovial, passionate, and artistic but off ice they are much more reserved, compassionate, and conscientious.

Turning 18 meant they were finally able to compete in the senior Grand Prix circuit but their parents wanted them to focus on finishing High School. The Senior circuit meant more than just traveling around the country, it meant being on the world stage.

Cass thought their parents would be excited for them to continue their dreams of being a medal-winning pro skater but they frowned at the idea of them trying to complete school on the road in between training and competing. Their distaste was so strong Cass agreed to only compete in national-level events and finish High School on campus at home in Colorado.

By the time graduation rolled around Cass felt underprepared for the senior competitive circuit so when they were offered an opportunity to train at Broadmoor Skating Club (a world-famous elite figure skating club) by their coach they jumped at the chance to take part.

Cass took a year off between High School and College to complete the year-long program at Broadmoor. Turning 18 and transferring to Broadmoor was when Cass found the confidence to legally changed their name.

The skating world is surprisingly closeted and binary so they are stuck in the men’s competition and is always addressed by their “legal” gender. Sometimes it hits Cass hard and is very painful but, most days, their mind is entirely on the skating so it doesn’t manage to penetrate the tough shell they have developed. Thankfully now that Cass is their legal name the skating community is forced to recognize it which helps.

Will and Emma were pushing Cass to continue into post-secondary education after their year at Broadmore so they decided to placate them by applying to colleges where there were professional level skating clubs that they were interested in. Eventually, after talking to skating clubs, coaches and choreographers they chose Shaker Figure Skating Club and Joie University.

Cass didn’t know what to study when they arrived at Joie, they knew they wanted to study ASL because there is a very big gap in support services in ice sports so they had considered a future in inclusive coaching or advocacy for minorities in ice sports.

STUDENT CENSUS SURVEY:

(Please answer the following questions IN CHARACTER. Responses can be as long or short as you see fit!)

What made you want to attend Joie University? Joie is located near a skating club that has produced Olympic level figure skaters and that was one of the biggest deciding factors for me in choosing a college.

What are at least 3 positive or neutral and at least 3 negative traits that you believe you possess? I like to think I am compassionate and empathetic, sincere, and respectful, an idealist, an individualist, a nemophilist, and indecisive but can be stubborn once committed.

Which of your traits do you value most? I would have to say my individuality. It’s such a powerful thing that I used to be so scared of because being different was terrifying, but now I really value it because it’s my niche on the ice; my style in my programs is so different to many skaters and I feel a sense of pride in that. The ice was the first place I felt pride in myself and now finally that’s beginning to spread to the rest of my life, for the first time I’m learning to be happy with who I am.

How can that trait benefit the University (or its student body) as a whole? Gosh, I couldn’t imagine how I’d affect the whole university but I suppose I could support others in being themselves and striving for their dreams.

What do you hope to gain from your experience at JU? People say normal is overrated but when you stand out for reasons beyond your control you crave a little normality. I thrive on the ice, but I hope Joie will teach me how to thrive on solid ground too.

What is a quote or song lyric that describes you?

No matter where you are in the world the rink is home -Jason Brown

#Accepted

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