everyday I am reminded of why I stopped getting into fandoms

End OTW Racism Link Round-up: Week 2!

Our first (hopefully of many) two-week #EndOTWRacism action is over! Check out our post on next steps and how to stay involved if you haven’t already. 

Just like our first week link round-up, here’s a collection of some of the longer-form discussion/analysis that people shared in week two (we're going with posts on tumblr, dreamwidth, and other sites, as well as twitter threads that are longer than three tweets). These are posts that we think would be helpful to consider as fandom engages in the necessary conversations about these issues.

Note: There has been a plethora of information that’s come out about OTW in the past week, particularly from former and current volunteers, which calls into question the way the organization functions and details the harm they have done to their own volunteers. Much of it does not directly reference our campaign or racism, so we won’t be sharing all of that conversation here, but you can find a round-up of that conversation at the dreamwidth account synonymous.

Tumblr

seepunkrun: I haven’t heard back from the OTW on this yet. In fact, I’m still waiting for a reply to the last letter I sent them on this subject. That’s why I’m glad to see increased transparency included in @end-otw-racism’s list of demands [link]

wondersmith-and-sons: if we're gonna be frank about otw's "anti-racism policies"/hiring of diversity consultants/attempt for social change, i'm gonna say that my good faith in them has run out a while ago and that i genuinely don't think they ever had the intention to follow through on tackling racial abuse, like, ever. [link]

elumish: In response to criticism about EndOTWRacism (part 2): one of the main questions that I see a lot about stuff like this is, how do we write policy to keep there it from backfiring or being used for purges? [link]

princeescaluswords: Activism Isn’t a Raincoat [link]

massharp1971: The right want free speech, but only for themselves [link]

Twitter

tea_deviation: this is even further off topic, but I was doing the math here and it boggles my fucking mind that ao3 is not driving towards being endowment funded? [link]

fiercynonym: i mentioned, as an aside in my thread about how OTW appears to have $2.5 MILLION that they are spending on absolutely nothing, that francesca coppa received a fan studies grant from OTW once, but i want to talk about that specific piece a little more [link]

generalfrings: For all the disingenuous raising of "concerns" at #EndOTWRacism over hypothetical volunteers that would hypothetically handle racists in AO3 (+ the dismissal of the real current harm on poc and black fans), I want to see some response for OTW actually traumatizing real volunteers [link]

_impertinence: #EndOTWRacism the way chinese fans have been sidelined and belittled by the org is so fucking disgusting [link]

hydrochaeris3: ok full disclosure this came about bc i was thinking about why i havent seen people be "pro worker" (or in the otw/ao3's case "pro volunteer") more in response to the endotwracism campaign. bc in most leftist circles ik that ppl would use workers rights arguments to push back on [link]

saathi1013: If it's anything I've learned from contemporary activism it's this: it's never "just" racism. [link]

cyrilapologist: worth considering that end otw racism is also a labor issue [link]

hydrochaeris3: stalking IS bad but i do think it's real funny that so many bnfs are coming out of the woodwork to say smthn about how upsetting it is that this white person got stalked instead of literally anything for #EndOTWRacism for the last two whole weeks [link]

aral_was_here: I'm going to keep the pfp and account name for a bit because I'm feeling pissed about how #EndOTWRacism has been dismissed by so many fans as virtue signaling or as a smokescreen for certain people they see as fandom boogeymen lying in wait to take our porn at a moment's notice. [link]

Dreamwidth

beatrice_otter: Signal boost: "Be more democratic, be more autocratic, OTW", by chestnut_pod (with background & highlights) [link]

wistfuljane: Mythical Dragons & Wild Unicorns: A Decade Later [link]

naye: The Glorious 25th of May - #EndOTWRacism [link]

naye: OTW needs a lot more transforming [link]

Other sites

enk-dash-one at fandom.ink: 1/3 Fellow white people, I encourage you to read this thread first: Then, I'd like to add, speaking exclusively to fellow white people who are worried about this: we are already racist. [link] 

Klaudiasays on TikTok: let's get #EndOTWRacism trending [link]

Stitch for Teen Vogue: As #EndOTWRacism Fights for AO3 Policy Changes, Fandom Racism Bubbles to the Surface [link]

We'd love for folks to keep discussing the issues raised during this action! We organizers are probably going to go quiet for a little while to gather ourselves and work on moving forward, but if you send us posts by submitting to our tumblr, tweeting at us, messaging us on dreamwidth, or emailing us at endotwracism [at] gmail [dot], we will consider linking or posting them. We do reserve the right to only share posts that are in line with the intent of the campaign and that we believe are adding to the conversation.

God ur so self righteous it hurts 😭 all u ever do is sit here and throw around ur hot takes and opinions and then expect ur little gremlins to agree with you, but as soon as its another person who has a hot take or an opinion that opposes you, and a few people defend them whether it be a friend or an anon, they are evil, and this is just fatphobia aside like this is EVERY "moral" take you have its just all hot garbage and you being a hypocrit 💀 half the time its stuff that you have literally no say on anyway.

Are you a vampire? Have you always been afraid of mirrors?

"Moral backbone" my ass you just say whatever you will think would appeal to various minorities so you can look like the good guy who happens to be blunt. Its not even being blunt you arent cool for being a cunt towards everyone and it will never be cool. Stick to talking about shit that relates to you and maybe, just maybe, people wouldn't hate on you so much. It's no wonder half of caratblr can't stand ur ass

I dont think this take is as bad as that one time, or well multiple times you have shat on peoples writing styles or the content they write about just because it doesnt fit your vanilla cis straight woman narrative, now thats awful

Or maybe the times you've vagueposted about some of your closest moots just for them to still be here, defending your ass when all you do is talk shit about them constantly

you think i’m just saying what i think will appeal to various minorities. it’s really telling that you think people have the political beliefs they do just to look good. like do you really believe people have the beliefs they do performatively? do you find it hard to believe that people hold beliefs not out of a desire to look good, but because that’s what they believe???

also because this is weird: since when have i vagueposted about mutuals. when have mutuals defended me???? like what are you actually talking about … i don’t care if half of caratblr can’t stand my ass, if they’re that willing to support anything just because a fic writer did it, i don’t really care what they think. like i say it here all the time, i don’t care what y’all think of me. just unfollow me if you don’t want me on your dash.

the main thing i have to say here though. “half of the time it’s shit you have no say in anyway” like i don’t have to be black to think that anti-blackness is bad. this goes beyond whatever this anon is talking about — the problem with “listen to x voices” is that, while it’s important to put oppressed viewpoints in the forefront of discussions, it’s not a free pass out of critical thought. ppl forget “listen to x voices” started out in academic study. it wasn’t about the ppl you choose to defend or the viewpoints you hold publicly. and it’s not about minority voices saying “x isn’t harmful” taking precedence over established theory to the contrary. i think this is something ANY poc understands acutely and painfully because it’s always the conservative and white supremacist sellouts that get put to the forefront. (this includes diasporic poc more so than non-minority people native to their nation. like how irritating that bts has a voice on violence against asian americans when their experience as native koreans has NOTHING to do with the diasporic asian experience!?)

it also gives people an out. if you believe that only x people should talk or care about x issues, then that lets you just sit back and say “well, i’m not x so i’m not involved”… and more irritatingly, it gives you the perceived right to say “well I’M a minority so my opinion is right !!!!”. being a person of color doesn’t make me an expert on racism and i don’t pretend to be an expert. there are white anti-imperialist scholars who have a better understanding of racist power structures than i do and i’m not arrogant enough to just write that off because they’re white.

by the way, i am a poc. why are ppl arguing? not all white people are racist just as not all black people are going to rob you at night. those presumptions are unfair and to do with race. just as the n word is designed as a rude word for black people, snowflakes etc. is used for white people. being white is the worldwide hype, i get that. but, it’s everyone who has more melanin that wants to be whiter, that is what is contributing towards race discrimination. it makes being white seem superior. you wanting to be white is contributing to the problem. if you aren’t comfortable in your skin colour, you are contributing to the problem. we’re all of the human race. that is the one race that matters. for everyone else: she didn’t set boundaries. she makes fic only for poc. that is fine. the person who wanted to read knew that but it was the obnoxious comment ‘not like white people’ which was atrocious and way out of line. there boundaries were gone there. if someone said that about a poc people would be coming for them left, right and centre but because it’s someone white, they disregard it because it CAN’t be racism. it’s upsetting me even if i’m not white. the whole point of racism is that every race is treated differently based on skin colour. racism won’t stop if we keep making unnecessary comments that insult one race and praise another. people like them are the reason why racism exists. sure, most racism is towards poc but not all. some towards white ppl (sure they didn’t get lynched etc. but the little snide mean girl comments will be pushed away because it’s not of much magnitude as lynching??). it’s more to do with putting an end to all racism. the little comments, the looks towards certain races etc. and you can’t blame white people for their ancestors actions). also, they call the other person ignorant for reading fics based on poc but that wasn’t their issue it was the rude comment based on their race. i’m not tryna argue but because people view white people as what they aspire to look like; it creates this division that white > black, so they can’t be seen as equal. the unjustifiable nature of the dunya is questionable. why are people being so rude to white people as well? is this your way of getting back at what their ancestors did? nothing has to do with the fic being based on the writer’s description of the black oc. it was to do with the rude comment. can you people not read? how would you feel reading a white oc based fic (that you chose to read because you don’t care about the race of the oc - it doesn’t change much about the story) and then the writer dissing black people. not all people who read ‘x reader’ fics are imagining themselves. i, for instance, imagine the character as based in the story because the characteristics of the oc will never be the same as me. i’ve had times where as a poc, they describe blushing, but it doesn’t matter to me because i don’t view the character as myself. hating all white people is discrimination against white people. i have met lots of white people who are not racist and those who are. it doesn’t mean i hope for them all to die. stop being drastic. if one friend betrays you, will you, in turn, betray your other friends? no, that just cause more issues.

I think writing fics specifically for poc is setting a big boundary itself, and I checked out their blog and they have specified that they only write for poc’s and are not comfortable with white & minor people interacting!

Yes presumptions are unfair but i think that should apply to all.

talking to white boys - like, literally talking to them in a conversation - can be possibly the Hardest Shit i have to do on a daily basis

This may be a stupid question, but what does "terf" stand for exactly?

I got from the way it has been used, that it describes people who are disregarding to trans people and overall ignorant towards others.

Is it like an abbreviation? (English isn't my first language, I hope it's okay to ask)

no worries! im actually glad you asked. so the internet has unfortunately skewed the definition of terf to mean “just a transphobe” (which they are but it’s a little more nuanced), and synonomized it with “general bad person” among other things. on the worst end of it though, some people have even equated it with lesbians/women/nonbinary ppl who aren’t attracted to men, and women who speak about misogyny. none of these definitions are accurate, which is why i’m guessing so many people have forgotten or don’t realize that TERF is an acronym, which stands for “Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist.” but even the full acronym is misleading because it implies that trans exclusion could ever be feminist or anything other than bigoted. but they call themselves feminists, which is what separates TERFs from all the other definitions. they see transphobia as a tool to “help” or “protect” (cis) women and AFAB people. they weaponize feminism, misogyny and gender inequality against trans people. they are transphobes, yes, and they are also “bad people” (though that generalization can be dismissive of the harmful effects of potentially good people living in echo chambers and can dissuade people from trying to get out). but at the core, they are transmisogynists. they view trans women as men who are trying to “colonize” (cis) womens spaces and use that ideation as an argument for stripping trans people of their rights, including gender-affirming healthcare and access to other types of healthcare such as abortion and sex-related tools like sex-ed and contraception. the irony in their use of the word “colonization” is that transphobia is a direct product of western imperialism and (british and european) colonialism, and is inherently racist. the idea of gender binary based on sex was popularized by white people and white supremacists. this is also why so many poc have been dehumanized and oppressed by their gender, because they weren’t seen as “real” men and women due to the idea of binary gender being based on whiteness. gender is also subjective to culture and ethnicity, so trying to force a “universal” gender binary on everyone worldwide is indeed colonist, xenophobic and racist. but TERFs gloss over this (whether intentionally or because they just don’t know (hence the existence of non-white TERFs)), because their narrative of gender being binary hinges on them viewing gender and sex through a black and white lens, and them looking like they’re the “good guys”. this is also intersexist (a term for the erasure of, prejudice, and/or general disregard and disapproval of intersex people) because it erases and dehumanizes those whose sex does not conform neatly to popular (and colonized) ideas of binary sex. TERFs’ racism and intersexism can be easily identified when looking at sports segregation (which they are generally in support of). they use skin lightness and euro-centric features to “clock” trans women and harass them out of womens spaces; and aside from the obvious issue of transphobia, TERFs cannot reliably determine someone’s sex or gender by just looking. in fact, the majority of women who TERFs think are trans and then harass are WOC, and oftentimes they’re even cis. but because they have ethnic features, they’re seen as inherently masculine and therefore male. in fact, a black cis woman was disqualified from the olympics for having testosterone that was “too high”, because acceptable testosterone levels were determined by average cis, perisex white and european models. gender and femininity is based in whiteness and this very important — albeit extreme — example demonstrates that.

i didn’t intend to go on a tangent, but “TERF” is a fairly nuanced term and knowing the history of it is important to understanding it. it’s misogynistic, colonialist, intersexist, and racist transphobia. i hope this helps

Is it bad that i am kinda salty with the Keith is poc hc? Like it's a good hc but every time someone tries to criticize how vld treated it's canon poc vs Keith it's always like "But Keith is a poc! He is mixed rep! You can't call this show racist just becuz other characters were shafted cuz otherwise they would have shafted him too!" (Also even the supposed mixed rep was just bad, like oppressed not trusting a race of colonizers is not racism allegory, it's wat white ppl think reverse racism is)

okay reading your first sentence immediately got my guard up but then i realised what you were saying and omg i agree with you so much. because, while in my version of vld, keith is and always will be asian, a lot of people seriously need to understand two important things in regards to criticism of canon, which are:

1) the way he was written and treated in vld canon, keith has always been portrayed as a white character. it is abundantly clear from the way his character developed throughout the story, the weird white saviour thing they had going on, and the way they purposefully left any information on his actual race very vague and unconfirmed (only listing him as human/galra in the handbook), that regardless of fandom hcs, the creators never really saw or treated him as anything other than white. this is why he was constantly favoured over characters like shiro, allura, hunk and lance, who were pushed aside and/or treated like shit.

2) the half-galra thing was the literal shittiest metaphor for race and racism. you're absolutely right in linking it to what white people refer to as "reverse racism" because that's exactly it. they even topped it off by having a black woman as the primary perpetrator of said "racism", with her instinctual distrust towards a race of colonisers as a survivor of their genocide, and having to overcome her apparent "bias" because #NotAllGalra

Ur take on a malec beauty and the beast au please

ugh you got me in a difficult position here because on the one hand, i do love the idea of a beauty and the beast malec au. i just think the idea of a socially isolated person who thinks themself/is perceived as monstruous and who has locked away their heart and doesn't believe they could ever be loved fits magnus like a glove. but on the other hand, i don't want to make magnus, a brown character, animalistic, for obvious reasons. and i can't really think of a way to make him monstruous that doesn't fall into animalization/beastification (both racist tropes) or ableist tropes

so i'm thinking... maybe the spell is just that people are repulsed by him/fear him automatically? like it just creates this horrible almost impossible to ignore repulsive/fear/"fight or flight activating" aura around him for absolutely no reason and makes ppl be repulsed and/or hate him. even if it doesn't change his appearance at all. it's not really a changing or shifting spell, more like a spell of hatred

which like.... i know doesn't sound like anything poc/queer people don't already go through but there is a main difference which is that it makes it impossible to find a community. like even other brown and queer people look at him and feel this... huge disgust and even fear and might even hide and so the isolation is absolutely total and it fucking hurts. and besides it is one thing (a very bad thing) to walk around and have to be on constant alert because you never know if someone is going to be violent, and have to deal with occasional comments and disgusted reactions... it's another to consistently have like, children screaming and people cowering 100% of the time without exception, you know? he's basically living the life ppl with social anxiety think they live and he has nowhere to turn to, no one who understands or who's more likely to actually want to talk to him because of his differences. there's no one to lean on. even the people who love him aren't immune to it, even if of course they are not turning their backs on him

so anyway here are my thoughts: this was totally done by camille lol beacuse the whole backstory about being mean to an elderly lady doesn't fit magnus anyway and also i just like sprinkling camille angst where i can. so after magnus finally got himself free of her and her stupid claws she hexxed him back into isolation. both as punishment (a kinda "if you don't want me, then you have no one" logic) and just to make him more vulnerable because again, abusers want you alone and isolated and away from a support network so you are more dependant on them and more likely to buy into their thwarped logic if they can immerse you in it. so she's just trying to manipulate him into getting back with her, because she wants him and most of all his power

and basically you know the drill, if he doesn't find anyone who will love him romantically until the rose withers yada yada he will die. and again she just wants to make the spell so it constantly drives home how alone he is and how he can't find anyone who will love him (except for her), and make it so he's more and more likely to come back to her as time goes by because then the spell will be broken

(sidenote: camille obviously doesn't actually love him, because anyone who does that to someone doesn't love them. but as the one who cast the spell, she can lift it whenever she wants. so all she has to do is kiss him and lift the spell and be like "see, magnus? who else would love you like this, but me? even after all these years?". and honestly if it had come to that magnus would know she was lying because there is no way this is love, none. but anyway it doesn't come to that, that's just what her plan is)

anyway it still doesn't work because magnus is done and he won't get back to her, and he particularly doesn't want to get back with her after, you know, all this trashfire. and he just sets his jaw and is like "fine" and accepts that he will live however long he still has with his friends and people he loves and away from her, basically

and like gosh sidenote but this would have been so painful for his friends. camille very deliberately made it romantic love because she knows magnus has so many fucking people who love him, but him and the immortal squad have found family dynamics, not romantic ones. so there is nothing they can do even though their love for magnus is just... so real and pure and they hate to see him like this, hate to know that right when he finally got rid of her she made sure he still couldn't go out in the world. especially since magnus has always been so damn sociable, loved to be surrounded by people and to meet them and care for them. but here he is, walking as hidden as he can and with his head down avoiding eye contact because he knows the horror is there and some children run away screaming when they see him

and i just picture this desperate little scene with raphael in particular where he's just like.... "i'll try to kiss you. we have to try" and magnus is all, "my boy, you don't even like kissing, and she was very adamant that it had to be romantic" and raphael is almost in tears like "but i do love you, goddamn it! i should be able to undo this spell" and it's so sweet that he's trying and willing to be in this really awkward position where he kisses (yikes) magnus (which is just weird especially since magnus is kind of a father figure to him) because he's just... so desperate to have him free of her, finally, once and for all, you know?

but obviously it doesn't work, not even with dot, who had a kinda fling with him in the past but doesn't really feel Romantic Love™ for him even though she does love him, it's just... not what the spell requires. and it's unfair as hell and there are lots of tears but just the fact that magnus falls asleep surrounded in a teary cuddle pile after some of the absolute worst kisses of his life because his friends/family love him enough to put themselves in such an uncomfortable position in the hopes of making him free, is enough to make him feel a little better. and the fact that they are still there for him and obviously still love him so fiercely even though looking at him now literally evokes fight or flight instincts in them is already more than anything camille could ever give him. if anything, she's proven how loved magnus is

and that helps him get through it that day and is something he tries to hold unto in the worst days, but still, it's hard and it just... sucks. it's tiring to go out in the street and always have people staring at you and to see the horror in their faces and be so isolated and never really know what might happen, if he will be attacked or harrassed or what exactly will happen. so he isolates himself more and more and soon the only people who ever see him or visit him are his friends. and fuck, do they hate seeing him like this

things settle in a weird kind of way. magnus is still living his life and working as a wizard and etc and in a way the spell even helps him have some more credibility because you know, isolated scary person is kinda what ppl expect from wizards. but he avoids having contact at all costs and mostly sends the potions they request and stuff their way, and the only ppl he sees are his friends unless he absolutely can't avoid going outside. and he's fucking miserable. and every once in a while camille will come back to be like "so, magnus, are you ready to stop with this little tantrum of yours and come back to me now? how is the rose doing, by the way?" because god forbid he catches a break

also it turns out that magnus' adoptive streak becomes even stronger because he is 1- extra lonely; and 2- empathizing more than ever with the outcasts. don't get me wrong, he always has, he's a fucking brown, bi trans man for fuck's sake. we all see ourselves in the stray dogs and lonely people one way or another. but now this is turned up to a thousand, so, you know

so he has one (1) extra kind of contact in his life which is basically with stray animals (particularly cats cuz u know, this is magnus) that he finds around in need of help. they can all leave if they want, but a lot of them stay, particularly the black cats, disabled animals, and others that have a particularly hostile environment outside. you know

(not me again with my very specific hcs about deaf pitbulls who fall in love with my faves but LOOK pitbulls are very sweet and caring animals who don't deserve the fame of monsters that they have and if the idea of one being best friend's with magnus and them having a loving and caring relationship doesn't appeal to you then idk what the fuck to tell you)

this of course doesn't help his image cuz this guy is just going there and collecting black cats and snakes and has a huge pitbull around with him at all times but it's not like it can get any worse so magnus doesn't care, and besides, he can't just leave them out to die in the cold and harrassment of middle ages white ppl who think black cats are the worst possible thing but rats carrying deadly diseases are fine (and look, i know rats are also animals that get a lot of shit and persecution, but like, seriously, clean the streets)

and every once in a while there will be a person in need too, like a homeless person in need of a place to stay or some sick person who has been abandoned or something of the sort, so magnus brings them in as well and cares for them as well as he can, but also tries to maintain minimal contact because he's been burned too many times, okay

so like, cue alec! i know in the original BATB belle ended up with the beast to save her father's life but fuck that. i lowkey consider making it "izzy ran away from home so alec comes after her and they both end up staying with magnus" but i think i like it better if it's just alec who decided to leave. like he's done with the abuse both towards him and his sister and he wants to be able to live his life even if he's gonna have to start over in some other village all alone. anywhere but here and all that

and of course alec used to be plenty rich and he has a lot of skills that help him pass by - he's a good archer and hunter, he's a good leader and organizer so he could do wonders for a failing business, he's smart and cunning - but he also has, like, 2 gold coins to his name. maybe some more from stuff he took from home and sold, but still

initially he is living at a tavern and i guess i'm making simon, raphael, and maia tavern owners again! i don't even care anymore, it suits them. rapha is the cook and the three of them run the business and simon also makes musical appearances during dinners every once in a while, and they are living the happy queer polyamorous life of their dreams. we have no choice but to stan

anyway alec is staying with them and he becomes friends with i think maia in particular since, you know, she is the one with the most contact with the customers since rapha is in the kitchen and simon is up the stage most of the time. plus they are both the same brand of bastard and they have an easy understanding between them that just works

and look! simon, raphael, and maia are 3 trans, non-christian/non-white (unnecessary addendum: the concept of whiteness didn't exist until around the 17th century, but whiteness as a concept came basically as a substitute for christianity [link to source], so i'm counting the fact that simon is jewish and raphael and maia are not culturally european as equivalent to non-whiteness in this context) people, so it's not like they would ever kick a gay man running from an abusive home out. but you know what they also are? magnus' friends. and after a while of talking to him maia thinks he is trustworthy enough for them to send magnus' way, because magnus needs as many friends as possible. plus, he wouldn't kick a person in need out, so unlike with them magnus can't really push this newcomer away so he'd have more company. plus, the possibility that he might fall in love with magnus and undo the stupid spell is there, i'm just saying! i'm not saying it WILL happen but why not give it a fucking shot?

raphael in particular is of course super protective of magnus and he swears to god that if this guy gives him half a bad look raphael will end him, which earns him some pats on the shoulder for his troubles and "rapha, we don't want magnus to be hurt either"s. maia says that she's been assessing him for quite a while now and she's pretty positive that he won't be terrible to magnus, but if she's wrong, she'll kill him personally too. and rapha trusts maia. how could he not? she's maia

so, they send alec magnus' way. "i'm sorry alec, but we are struggling to make ends meet *hides gigantic gold stash* and the tavern is packed *raphael upstairs stomps at maximum speed to make it seem like their 13 empty rooms upstairs actually have people* and we really need your room to give to this customer *simon in a wig* BUT we have a friend who we're sure will give you shelter if you ask, it's not very far away, and once we have a free room we will let you know". and alec is just like, okay, because he's been staying there for free or considerably less than the usual fee/in exchange for some stuff he hunts for quite a while now, and they are nice, so it's not like he can complain

and they don't tell him about the spell exactly because it is not their story to tell but they do let him know what to expect re: magnus' vibes and say it's a spell. and alec's like ok i guess. alec's very practical, he doesn't really care, and it's not like it's the guy's fault anyway. which is exactly why maia is sending alec there

so they send magnus a heads up ("magnus this guy is HOMELESS and we are SOOOOO packed can you please give him shelter for a little while thx xoxo"). alec arrives there a while later carrying like 3 prime rabbits he has hunted as a thank you gift because he hates being dependant on people but it's not like jobs abound in the middle ages, and he is actually a little embarrassed to go in and ask this guy he doesn't know for shelter but he IS kinda desperate. for now

anyway he is standing there with his 3 rabbits debating whether or not to knock on the door and magnus just opens it magically like "i know you're there, dear, just come in" so alec does and awkwardly presents him the rabbits and shit and is all "thanks for letting me stay, uh. i can help you with food and taking care of the house and stuff" even though, you know, magnus has magic and doesn't need it

(and magnus appreciates it deeply, because it is tiring to do it all magically on his own but most non-magical people don't even consider that)

and like... it is very awkward at first because magnus does NOT trust at all and he mostly just wants to keep away from anyone who can... look at him. but they ARE living together (oh my god they were roommates!! just kidding they each have their own room but you get it) so it's inevitable. but like magnus' insecurity makes him keep to himself for long times and makes things awkward, kinda like how the initial days with the beast and belle the beast was rude and kinda shitty except magnus is not shitty, just... private

and maybe the subject even comes up like "thanks for the meal alec. i'll go eat it in my room" "i mean, you could eat here if you want" "and ruin your appetite? no thank you" and alec is just like "*shrug* it won't ruin my appetite. unless you are my parents, the concept of failure, or some girl wanting me to marry her, i don't think there's a lot the spell can do to make me scared. besides, you literally have a kitten on top of your head right now and you refuse to remove it and are using a spell to keep her from jostling when you move" "her name is Fluffy, and she is sleeping!" "right, my bad" "wait did you say the concept of failure?" "yea"

it's not that the spell doesn't work on alec; it does, just like it works on his friends. but he is willing to go beyond that initial repulsive reaction that he knows is illogical anyway (and alec is the kind of guy who is just like "if my feelings aren't logical, i don't listen to them" which in this case is useful lmao). and the thing is that once you get to know magnus there is nothing about him that is scary, and the feeling just becomes completely ignorable, because humans are nothing if not adaptable. but most people don't want to go through the trouble to try, and magnus himself doesn't want to let himself be vulnerable enough to give them a chance because there IS a great chance that he will be met with some level of aggression, even if it's an unintentional microaggression

and eventually they grow closer and build trust. i think this happens particularly when camille steps in for one of her regularly schedule shoving-it-in-magnus'-face visits and alec is just like. "hey why don't you just use magic to keep her away?" and magnus realizes that he never even THOUGHT of that and like, jesus, how much has he been unconsciously torturing himself? so he does it, and he ends up telling alec about the story of the spell, which might be the first time he's told someone that didn't know him before the spell was cast

(alec: "so she's basically just killing you slowly?" magnus: "don't be silly, alexander. torturing me first is the most important part". and he sounds self deprecating and almost resigned and god alec feels murderous)

ohh but wait bonus: magnus says that she will only undo the spell if he gets back with her, he doesn't mention that it technically can be undone by romantic love or whatever bullshit's going on because he doesn't believe it can happen anyway, so, who cares

anyway! time goes by. fun fact: alec and magnus get along really fucking well. magnus is so so smart and knowledgeable and he shows alec many of his inventions that never got to see the light of day or that were stolen by someone else who wasn't cursed and took all the credit. he also fascinates alec with his magic, but mostly with his personality. there's something just endlessly endearing about this guy who is so fucking proud of his puns and so so nice and gentle to every creature he encounters, be it a kitten or a pitbull, who's letting alec stay with him for no reason other than that alec needs it

and alec is so goddamn appreciative of it because like he IS and we stan! and he's always trying to give back to magnus which is kind of a rarity, but most of all he's also extremely funny beneath the whole no-bullshit attitude, he's caring and fierce and resourceful and strong (so's magnus) and they click so well. they can also talk about their similar experiences with like, abuse and trauma without making it super heavy and they're just,,, so supportive of each other. so like yeah surprise surprise they fall in love

but they don't really say anything because (on magnus' part) that's just fucking ridiculous, he's a monster; and (on alec's part) he will put magnus is a way too uncomfortable position if magnus doesn't like him that way and they will just... be living together. and magnus will feel like he has to compensate to alec somehow and alec doesn't want that. it's just complicated when one of them is dependant on the other, and besides, alec has had very little to offer magnus so far

(no, he has no idea how much his company means to magnus and has brighted his depressed ass life. he is stupid)

sometimes magnus' friends visit and they're always just so happy for him, to see how he's hanging out more and let someone into his life after so long. it earns him a lot of forehead kisses and "i'm so happy to see you like this". and over time he starts to invite them over more as well as just open up back to the people in his life :')

angsty but also kind of fluffy sidenote: i picture that every time they kiss his forehead or cheek or whatever they linger for a little while and then open their eyes slowly and sigh like "i had been hoping that it would work this time. magnus, you know i love you, right?" and magnus is all like "i know just from you saying that, darling. it's just not how the spell works" and aaa

and like to be extra clear im not saying that alec fixes him or romantic love heals him or whatever, just that having let someone in, someone who didn't know him before the spell, and have them completely accept him and realize how much he had been missing out re: touch and human contact helps him realize how much he misses his friends and how pushing them away is stupid when they've never been anything if not supportive of him. they don't care that he's cursed. and obviously magnus was already on the way to that if he even managed to let alec in anyway

anyway! dramatic healing scene. LOOK. usually i'd be all for "they don't change back actually because people don't have to look beautiful to be lovable". like the original BATB disappointed me sooo badly because i had just been hoping that he'd stay the same way and still be loved. but in this case it's not that magnus doesn't look beautiful! it's that the spell has made him be hated by people for no reason other than existing. and breaking the spell is not changing magnus himself, it's changing that hatred. so, yeah. i'm not saying it's a deep metaphor or anything, just, you know daudhasdja it's different from the usual monster thing

and i'm torn here because on the one hand i LOVE the drama of the original BATB where everyone decides to gather to kill the beast and belle saves him and shit, but idk if it fits with the vibe ive been building here. no actually @ me shut the fuck up. you know how i mentioned that they kick camille out with magic finally? i actually had no intentions of following through with this in any way but like of COURSE she would be absolutely pissed out of her mind and want to get back in some way, we already know she's vindictive. so i'm gonna use that. this is what neil gailman meant when he said that writing is just making a rough draft and then writing it again but like it's on purpose this time

anyway! so after they yeet her camille is obviously furious and fuming and it might have finally dawned on her that magnus will NOT fucking cave and she is losing power over him, not gaining it. so she decides to play a last card and get him to almost die so he kind of HAS to take her bid, you know? so she makes up some shit about how magnus has kidnapped the lightwood heir and she's only now hearing about it, and no one else is safe and yada yada. and she has "proof" because alec IS indeed there and again the spell just helps everyone easily agree with her that magnus is That Kind Of Guy or whatever, and middle ages ppl weren't exactly waiting for a good enough reason to grab their pitchforks. and they don't even KNOW about the spell, really. all they know is that he's very powerful, secluded, and they all fear and almost hate him just from one look

so camille makes up some bullshit story about how he made a deal with the devil to become extra powerful, and that the source of his powers is the rose, so they have to get rid of the rose to kill him. (sidenote: i never understood why the hell the rose was never used as a weakness against the beast. like was he keeping it super guarded and safe just for the fucking shits?) so they devise an attack so someone can sneak up and get the rose, and camille makes up some bullshit story about how they have to destroy the rose a specific way so it takes longer and she has time to manipulate magnus before he dies. man, it's easy to be a villain when your target is secluded

anyway! big attack at magnus' house. magnus' friends don't hear about it until it's too late because camille knows exactly who they are and warned them that they were on "the witch's" side. alec is maybe away hunting when it happens? camille obviously has magic in this AU so she can check for that information. maybe she even says that she will be the one responsible for finding the lightwood heir so there is minimal risk of him revealing that she lied lmao

oh no, violence! they battle and yada yada. catarina is probably the first one to realize what is happening because i figure she, madzie, and dot are the ones who live closest to magnus'. they send fire messages and get ragnor, simon, maia, raphael, and meliorn to help. oh yeah, and alec i genuinely forgot trust me to forget about romance in a romance-focused au. but alec is the only one of them without any magical resources and he's far away and on foot, so he's gonna be the last to get there, which camille had been counting on

but alec or no alec, they can keep the attackers at bay because they're all powerful and smart and shit and a lot of them have magic as opposed to the mundanes who don't, but of course that's mostly because they are holding off on attacking and the invasion is mostly a distraction because their PLAN is to use the rose. and camille tells them all to leave once the petal puckering starts so she can "protect them from any lashouts" (have her big villain speech). and it's not like any of magnus' friends is gonna leave to go after them when magnus is dying, bUT they also won't attack camille because she's his only hope. and they won't be able to get to stop the rose plucking in time because that's in another room and while she made it slower than something that the person can use to kill him in a second it's also not slow enough for them to get there on time (maybe there's a spell against magic use near where magnus keeps the rose? just for extra safety, so the ones with magic can't portal there or whatever)

anyway. big villain speech. magnus screams in pain every time a new petal is plucked. his friends are either running to the rose thing desperately or trying to get camille to stop this madness, she's going to kill him for fuck's sake. i don't know which chooses to do what so you can figure that out i guess. and for that extra drama, right when the last petal was going to be plucked, wee woo alec lightwood arrives! and he went straight for the rose because magnus had told him about it and he figured that there was a good chance the attackers might go for it. so he shoots the person's leg or something and gets them away from the rose and yay, day saved! mostly. because now there is only one petal left to fall before magnus dies, so at the very least, his lifespan has been shortened considerably. also, he is still in pain

i'm torn about what happens to camille then. on the one hand, i love killing camille! bonding activities for the whole family. on the other, she kinda is the only one who can save him now. they all know magnus won't want to get back with her, but hey, it's not like camille wants a relationship! she wants magnus to be her asset. a relationship was just the best way to get him to do that she had initially. but magnus doesn't want to cave and be dependant of her, so, you know. but maybe they can try to convince her to stop this fucking madness, god knows how

so okay yeah no camille-killing yet because they don't want to jeopardize magnus' safety, so she just leaves convinced that either way, she wins, and this might be the best possible scenario actually because magnus will have lots of times to think it over and be real desperate and come to her and strike a deal. so, yay her! she just needs to lie to the mundanes that the mission was successful or whatever, and it's not like that's gonna be hard because magnus won't want to be seen there again, so

we are all running to check up on magnus now. he's kinda like, on the ground coughing blood, but he'll live for as long as the last rose doesn't fall. still, they all settle on trying to help him, getting him in bed, tending to his wounds, etc. and thinking about what the fuck they are all going to do now. so you have raphael and maia making magnus soup, simon running his mouth as he throws around ideas on how they can fix this, ragnor, cat, dot, and madzie (who is here now that the danger is over ofc) checking and rechecking magnus' vitals for the billionth time and trying to figure out how much time they have, meliorn using their fae powers to stop his pain. and madzie is all snuggled in bed with magnus holding his hand and asking if he wants her to tell him a bedtime story, and magnus just... feels cared for and loved

alec meanwhile i think would tell what ACTUALLY happened to the person who was doing the rose thing - i actually have thought about it and think it might make sense for it to be luke. just because i love him and it kinda fits the whole "initially sided with shadowhunters, lately became a downworlder" thing. and like luke genuinely believed he was saving a person/people so alec brings him in too and magnus is all "catarina, dear, can you help heal his leg? i would, but i don't think i have enough magic right now" because he is the sweetest man immediately wanting to help the guy who almost killed him. and luke is in awe

(and alec brings him on purpose, too, because he knows that anyone who actually talks to magnus for a little while will see what an amazing person he is. and he hopes that luke, as a mundane, can tell the others that and turn them against camille)

and after that, of course, alec sits down by magnus' side and Does Not Leave. he's just there holding his hand and talking to him and magnus' friends, who are all also kind of. sitting there, trying to snuggle up in a gigantic pile of like 10 ppl to cuddle close to magnus and make sure he feels loved and cared for and that they know he is real. madzie gets special privileges in that sense because she's smaller and also a kid, so she gets to be kinda snuggled up with him. so alec has to be content with holding magnus' hand lmao (which he is, he's just happy that he's alive and okay. and he has a whole plan to get camille to undo the spell, mostly involving getting the mundanes against her and telling her that she is only safe for as long as magnus lives, because once he dies, she will have a bunch of ppl who will hunt her down to the faces of the earth to make her pay for what she did to him. the only reason they didn't do that yet is because she can still save magnus' live, so is she really going to let him die knowing that she will be next?)

so alec takes his hand and tells magnus that they will fix this, he promises, and give a little kiss on magnus' hand. just a little peck, no deep intentions, but magnus gasps a little because he feels something, and his eyes water a little bit because he's so touch starved and tired and hurt and alec kissed his hand and he can feel this kind of ache inside him, somehow a good ache, but he just can't explain it. and so alec notices his watery eyes and he very tenderly wipes his tears away and tells him that they're all on his side, will always be, and kisses him on the forehead. and this kiss? this kiss is full of adoration and love and purpose, and magnus gasps and the wounds that hadn't been healed suddenly mend together, and the petals that had fallen go back to the rose before it disappears in a beautiful flash of light, and suddenly magnus' magic is back full force and he just looks at himself for a second, and everyone erupts into joy because holy shit, the spell is broken

and alec is so confused because again! he didn't kNOW about the whole true love's kiss thing or he would have asked magnus to let him kiss him as soon as he learnt about his feelings, because even if magnus didn't feel the same way, alec could undo the spell. and he's like "why the hell didn't you tell me?? we could have fixed this months ago" and magnus is like "i didn't think it would make a difference. wait, you're in love with me? have been for months?" and alec is like "first of all, yes. second of all, i have nothing else to say, i just said 'first of all' because i was so indignant"

and magnus laughs and jumps on him and kisses him on the mouth this time and they are both smiling and laughing into it and so so happy. and raphael is kind of just peppering kisses on maia's face too, like, "you were right, he undid the spell, thank you" and maia was never sure that this would happen but she will take the credit actually please and thank you

and they all live happily ever after and kill camille together the end i guess. god this post was so long i'm so sorry

My Problems with Fandom

It’s been a while since I’ve kinda just let out my thoughts and feelings on this stale hell site. It’s just now more than ever I’m having the weirdest realizations while I’m participating in any Fanbase. This topic may piss ppl off. But to that, I say fuck it, I’m gonna do it.

Around 2 years ago I took a backseat to actively participating in fandom. So I’d be more of an onlooker rather than someone who contributed. Just reblogging stuff rather than making my own content. Usually in fandom, things are said in the heat of the moment, with little thought and more emotions. Taking a step back I started to realize that while that’s fine in and of itself, You’re entitled to what you like and what’s interesting to you, but I’ve realized that people kinda settle for the bare minimum. Especially now that representation for marginalized groups is becoming the norm. Which is great, but there are still problems that plague us as a community.

I just finished watching Unicorn of War’s video on RWBY, and they delved into the absolutely garbage writing that surrounded The White Fang subplot. I highly recommend you watch the video, it’s about the bad representation of minority oppression and how it relates to RWBY as a whole. While this post doesn’t stem from that in particular. what did was though is how UoW confessed that they were guilty of completely ignoring how harmful the writing was for pocs, as well as downright silencing and downplaying poc that had a problem with the writing. Unicorn of War is not racist, the fact that they realized the type of systemic racism they’ve been inadvertently spreading is so harmful is a a step in the right direction. Here is where the problem lies. UoW said that they were a perpetrator of this because they were to focused on the representation the show did give the fans. They said that they lumped all of the genuine criticism of the problems with homophobes and bigots because they didn’t want to hear any of the criticism at all. RWBY has some pretty shit representation in ever field. UoW said that they were settling for the stuff they did get because they get so little, and their whiteness blinded them to listening and trying to understand why so man poc had an issue with the show.

Basically what I’m trying to say is that, a lot of the time In Fandom, ppl would rather settle for what they do have and what caters to them, rather than criticize a product of its faults and ask for more.

I’ve been scared to talk about She-Ra because the fandom is pretty scary. I liked the show. To me it wasn’t anything special. But it was a fine show, and I can’t wait for what the crew does next. But here’s where a lot of the issues come from for me. There are some problems both w/ the show, and the representation. Catra and Adora have been queercoded up until the very end where it does get revealed that they are in fact lesbians. Which is great and all but at the end of the day. They kiss at the very end of the last episode, nothing was explicit before then. But the thing is that Catra is an abusive manipulative person, that kinda just gets a pat on the back, and all is forgiven when she realizes she’s alone(both in the fandom and the show). I mean glimmer got more hate than Catra. The point I’m trying to make is that I’ve seen way to many ppl ignore the fact that they side stepped the development of Catra and Adora, and kinda get mad at the ppl that criticize that we could have gotten better rep. For a lot of the fans, at least from what I’ve seen, yall are okay with the problems the show has as long as you get some form of rep. Which is valid, but when that complacency spills over into silencing ppl with criticisms. This usually happens when someone has had another experience with the show where the thing that represents them isnt done as well. it rubs me the wrong way. Someone could see Catra’s behavior, liken her to a toxic person they knew, criticize how the show kinda ignores that. I can bet that some ppl would tell this person that they’re wrong, because she ended up where she did at the end.

This brings me to my last example, during my watch of Infinity Train, I started getting a little bit more involved in the fandom; reblogging, commenting. During the show I noticed a small amount (larger than I would have liked) making passive aggressive remarks toward Grace (the only black girl and protagonist of the season). They were all in regard to her having a redmeption arc. At first I was kinda in denial. Like most ppl are immediately after suffering an injustice, cuz despite her being an awful person at first. She gets better. And there are so little black women that are protagonists. I felt represented. But then I’d see ppl demeaning her in order to make her friend Simon (basically the antagonist) more sympathetic. Mind you he’s white. And after the show ended I had a weird encounter. There were many posts about how enthralling it was that Grace, a black women, telling Simon, a white man, that his problems were his own, and she doesn’t have to be the one to fix them. Most of the ppl that made these posts were woc. The show isn’t about race, but the fact that the character is black resonated with a lot of ppl.

Under ever single one of these posts, I saw multiple people, getting weirdly angry at them. Like “this has nothing to do with race, why are you bringing it up here.” Which I guess is fair, but no one says it as much to ppl when the post is about sexuality. So getting fed up, I responded to one of these ppl explaining how odd it is that the characters that get really popular are always of the same archetype. White Sad Boys, it’s the same with ships. Instead of critiquing the show or anything I wanted to call attention to subconscious biases in fandom. The person accuses me of calling them racist, tells me that race isn’t an issue in fandom, and tried to gaslight me into thinking that what I was talking about doesnt apply to how ppl choose who their favorite character is.

This issue here isn’t about the race, or the actual content in the show. It was about the person telling me that the empowerment I and other woc experienced while watching infinity train s3, doesn’t exist and we shouldn’t criticize ppl putting her down in order to uplift the antagonist.

Which leads back to the point I’m trying to make. So many ppl in fandom settle for whats there instead of trying to make things more representative of everyone. Representation can always get better, we just have to stop fighting ppl that give constructive criticism to the things we like.

And I’m completely guilty of this too, that’s why I took a step back. I don’t like silencing ppl when they try to criticize something that resonates with me. So I try to sit back and let them tell me what can be done better based on their experiences. I’m still struggling. I’m pretty sure I was ultra defensive with the person telling me that race doesn’t matter.

This happens a lot more with white ppl than it does with people of color. And this isn’t a dig on any white person at all. It’s just that white have a vastly different experience than a poc. A white LGBT person is going to have a completely different experience than a black lgbt person. Just like a cishet white person is going to have from a poc cishet person. And since we have different experiences, there are aspects of my life you won’t understand and vice versa. An abuse survivor is going to be more equip to tell us what works better than other things in a story that tackles those subjects. You see what I mean.

I just want everyone to take a step back and consider the criticism that is being made. And try to understand why this person may see it that way.

TLDR; We need to stop silencing marginalized ppl just because they criticize things we relate to, especially when it pertains to their experiences. It’s settling for the bare minimum when we deserve better. Just because we’ve got a gay character doesnt mean the show is perfect. It happens way more than we think. Especially now more than ever.

Sorry this is so long, and full of typos. I just needed to rant.

hopefully this gets sent through, but i just wanna rant rq. sometimes it gets even hard for me as a black girl to even post awareness post on my instagram stories or twitter. at first i used to spam my shit but that was only because i was so desensitized to trauma porn. whenever i go on social media platforms now i can barely watch through videos of ppl bringing awareness (to bipoc and poc videos/photos) like i would like it bc i wanna boost the algorithm but like other than that i cant bare to watch or read it. and i’ve been hearing a lot of bipoc and poc creators on tiktok are getting tagged in really graphic and trusmatizing post by white “allies/liberals” who say that they should speak on it which is totally insensitive and tone deaf. everyday it feels like these awareness post, esp the ones by white ppl feels more like a trend and not from the kindness of their heart. and no this isn’t hate towards white ppl, it’s just some criticism since a lot of them who claim they support, black, indeginous ppls and other poc fail to realize that what they do/say and or post could be harmful. if any allies are reading this please think before you post videos of ppl getting k*lled, beaten or assulted in anyway (and even memes, or “funny tweets”). listen to the ppl who are apart of the groups/communities impacted to effectively and efficiently be there for them without causing unintentional harm.

*again...this is not hate towards white people in any way shape or form. this is just the reality of the things that take place when it comes to activism, from a black persons perspective*

i definitely think that white allies/liberals/progressives can and do at times, do more harm than good. and while some of them may have the right intentions, it’s hard to speak for all of them bc some may and do actually have the motives of seeing people outraged and upset and devastated. it’s like some of them crave a revolution if that makes any sense. and from my perspective, being a black girl as well, all of it has come to the head of being pandering. like stop pushing and cramming all of this pain and injustice that has been directed at the black community, my community, down my throat to make sure everyone knows you’re not racist or ignorant. like i’m living in a black body, and i’m constantly watching the news and am on social media. i’m very aware of what’s going on...so stop forcing it onto me like i need anymore of my being to be invaded with this shit. and i think this speaks largely to human nature to some extent. like people tend to offer help or support to someone, saying “whatever you need”. then when you tell them what you need...they try to find other ways to help you, the way they want, not even going with what you specifically stated that you needed. and it’s the same way with so many “activists” or “allies. i’m sorry to say it, but a prime example would be Demi Lovato. just saying. there’s so much more i could say on the matter but i definitely understand and agree with what you’re saying girlie❤️

the issues with miruko are multiple. these people don’t hate her just because she’s an ambiguously brown woman character, just like the racists calling cops on black people don’t hate them because they’re black. it’s that brownness and blackness are viewed as inherently more suspect and inherently more violable; that is, white people have far less tolerance for a brown/black person doing something they dislike, and surmise that any mistake the brown/black person makes should be subject to the worst punishment available regardless of proportionality.

ask one of the white people filmed calling the cops, and they won’t say “i called because he’s black.” they say “i called because this man was threatening my dog and i felt unsafe.” likewise, no one hated finn star wars because he was black. it was always because his character was too boring or he acted like such-and-such to rey or he made a mistake but that defines him forever. of course no one’s going to say they hate miruko because she’s brown!! why would you rely on any racist to admit they’re racist in the most obvious terms???

but look at the way they treat lighter skinned characters (characters who, to white people, can be imagined as white) and you’ll see that none of them, regardless of how they treated shigaraki, merited a whole entire self-insert murder fanart. this person was so upset that miruko is being shipped with the man she degraded, while excusing ships like afoshig (AFO CANONICALLY BRAINWASHED SHIGARAKI) and shigadeku (which straight-up implies that shigaraki is a predator who would creep on high schoolers).

there is no consistency. miruko’s attitude toward shigaraki becomes a valid reason to “punish” her, beyond how any light-skinned character has been punished. it’s entirely possible that they wouldn’t care about her if she didn’t “go against” shigaraki, because poc can be tolerated as long as they’re in agreement with white ppl’s favored darling. respect for characters of color as long as they never have conflict with your faves or act in ways you dislike is not the grand favor you think it is. read this post.

finally. guess what? even if there’s internal consistency to this, even if everyone started drawing ‘judith beheads afo’ art tomorrow, anyone who genuinely cares about being anti-racist would stop and think “is it right for me, a white person, to put more art into the world where a brown character/person is being brutalized for my enjoyment?” and their answer would be “no.”

do you have any advice for ppl in majority white fandoms trying to...just enjoy it??? im in a few and normally everything is fine but recently when somebody points out something like whitewashing a character they get shut down and he rest of her popular blogs/ppl just, ignore it. they act like it's not a important conversation or try to stray away. and it's INFURIATING bc these ppl have had week long discourse abt whether a character had CHEST HAIR!!! part 1

but for some reason they can't talk abt how valid accusations of whitewashing may be? this paired with the fact that I recently found out the author has been called out for writing a book that was super racist towards asians and biracial ppl and NOBODY had ever mentioned it before AND that none of the popular bloggers said anything abt blm all through june bc "their blogs were safe spaces" and they didn't talk abt "political stuff" on there. part 2 im SO sorry this was such a long ask but I've just seen how well u manage to handle things like his in the pjo fandom with the help of other fans of color and i just was wondering if u could give any advice bc i... Have No Idea how to handle this. part 3, the end

it’s frustrating and it’s infuriating and at times it makes me want to rip my hair out. I know what you mean and it burns me up inside seeing the same people who reblog a cute little blm graphic focus for weeks at a time on discourse about insignificant details completely ignore actual legitimate issues.

I think the best advice I could give you is to become friends with your block and unfollow buttons. Sometimes, the coolest, funniest, smartest bloggers on your dash could be the same ones refusing to acknowledge issues or actively contributing to them. It sucks, but taking them off your dash is the first step to actively improving your online experience. Even if it’s a relatively small transgression on their part, it usually points to a bigger issue and you’ll probably be reminded of it every time you see them on your dash. It will suck and you will feel mean but at the end of the day it is YOUR dash and you shouldn’t feel stressed whenever you log on. Make boundaries and stick to them.

Another bit of advice I’d give (that was also echoed by most of black pjo discord when I asked if they had anything to add lol) is to find your people. Follow bloggers of color, form connections with like minded people. Not only does this help with feeling isolated, it also gives you a good place to vent because they probably go through the same thing. One good way to do this is to form discord groups (for example: black fandom discord, poc fandom discord, lgbt fandom discord, etc.).

and don’t feel like you have to hold yourself back! If you want to speak up or call someone/something out, do it. I rant on here all the time and so many things that I think are just me things tend to resonate and spread, and eventually they start to actually sink in to the overall fandom. A few years ago, people didn’t blink twice at white washed art, but it’s a lot better now that people have spoken up on it. HOWEVER, do not feel like you have to speak on everything and be a spokesperson because that is exhausting. but if you feel like you have something to say, say it.

I’m not going to lie to you though. Sometimes the negativity is so pervasive that you have to leave. I recently took like a break from tumblr and genuinely considered not coming back or just restarting my blog. I came back and decided to stay after doing a mass unfollow, but were it not for the people I interact with and enjoy seeing on my dash, I would’ve been long gone. If you unfollow and you block and you do everything you can and your dash still feels like a punch in the face, think about cutting your losses. take a break from tumblr and see how it feels. gauge whether you actually enjoy being online or if it’s become something that drains you now.

most important of all never ever ever let someone who is not affected by racism/sexism/homophobia/colorism/etc gaslight you or tell you you’re being overdramatic. ever. it is almost always to preserve their own comfort rather than to actually help you. trust your gut!! more often than not, it’s right.

Hey Sol, if you feel as though I’m starting drama on your blog I totally understand if you dont answer this ask. The last thing I want to do is bring hate or further ignorance towards you. I think you are an amazing queen ✨ who has no problem of speaking out about what bothers you as a women of color. BUT TO THE ANONS THAT ARE REALLY GETTING MAD OVER A JOKE😠.

I am a darkskin black women and everyone seems to laugh it up when women of my skin complexion and race gets disrepected on media platforms and in casual conversation. I have heard men and women bash my community of women in order to uplift other women. Men (especially in my community) do it all the time in order to send praise to women of different races. And I don’t see any of those women saying it’s not right...y’all hop on the wagon. Y’all talk about how we need to run a comb through our hair, we need to brighten our skin, “wash with bleach”, “that’s why your men want me” or “leave you for me”. REALLY?!?! Or let’s not forget how many ppl steal fashion from my community and other communities alike because they want to be trendy. But when my community did it, it was ghetto.🙄 Yes nipples are something that you can’t change, but neither are the features I listed. Really look at yourself and think when I was sitting there laughing at the racist and inappropriate jokes made against someone else about something the couldn’t change...I wonder how they felt. ALWAYS LAUGHING AT SOMEONE ELSE BUT WHEN IT PERTAINS TO YOU...🥴 “that’s not funny.” STFU!

firstly. this isn’t drama and i dont care what it starts (mainly because i will stop it most of the time before it starts). this is your experience and if you wanna talk about it and rant then you are 100% welcome to, you wont bring me hate or further ignorance, that is all completely down to the actual people sending the hate and ignorance!!

secondly ! thIS THIS THIS! i literally don't even need to say more. this is real racism and discrimination and this is what poc, especially black women, have to face every day of their lives. this is why i cannot and will not ever take a couple of white people getting mad over a pink nipple comment seriously. because this is the kind of shit poc people have to face every day. this is what we live through.

also im ??? so fucking disgusted by anyone who would treat you let along say this to your face? and the fact that you had to sit and laugh with them? i will lidorally :| commit murder for you :| just give me their names ????? like im just,, appalled truly. i hope you know that you are so so beautiful and that your natural hair is gorgeous and you do not ever need to feel shame for your hair or skin colour because you are a work of art, a true masterpiece and i hope you only ever see yourself in the mirror and feel like the queen you are :(

Hi, I just wanted to say that, while I agree ppl should never be sent death threats and suicidal encouragements (even less over a harmless ship), I think it's important to acknolewdge racism against white ppl ain't "real racism" and drawing white characters as poc is just a way of feeling represented by a character they love (as well as lgbt for example). Just think which one causes real harm at the end of the day

Hi, thanks for your ask! I disagree with you on the racism part there. I’ll explain why. White is a race. Racism is the discrimination of a person due to their race/colour of skin. If a poc told a white person they hated them because they are white, that’s racist. They’re discriminating against a white person because of their race.

That’s why I believe racism towards a white person is real. You can’t disregard a white person due to the colour of their skin (that’s racist in itself).

And I understand the representation thing, but I still don’t think you should completely change a character’s race. I can’t explain why, but it doesn’t feel right to me. But I’m not upset about that, it just doesn’t feel right. There’s nothing bad about it, it isn’t harmful, but it just doesn’t feel right if that makes sense. Just like if somebody were to draw Charles as a white man, I feel like that isn’t okay because Charles is black, not white. Just like how Kieran is white and not black. Of course poc should definitely be represented more in media, but the way to go around that shouldn’t be to disregard white characters and make them black. The way to go around that is for companies to start bringing in more characters that are poc

I’m not upset at poourii for representing a character as a poc. I’m upset because their motive for doing that is because they hate white people, and if I remember correctly, white is a race and therefore it’s possible to be racist towards them.

But thank you for your ask and have a nice day ^^

Some ppl in the fandom wanna pretend there isn't racism when a big part of sc fics have to turn James into an shittier person so lames could break up and everyone read it with gusto and not a problem whatsoever

EXACTLY! The issue here is that people think you’re only being racist if you’re calling someone racial slurs and anything else can be chalked up to disliking the character, which is flat out not true.

James is someone who is canonically a very kind, compassionate and respectful person and half of these fics have him being a terrible or outright abusive boyfriend. That’s not going into the number of times some people have vilified him for touching or kissing lena his girlfriend on the show and insisting that he’s forcing himself on her or that she’s repulsed by him. Like do people not realise that there is a racist historical basis when it comes to painting moc and especially black men as aggressors who prey on the docile white women that would never look at them twice under any other circumstances? That is absolutely racist and anti-black.

Then there are things like people actively celebrating when he got shot which is all kinds of disgusting but was once again excused by saying “it’s just because we hate the character” as though that in any way shape or form justifies being happy or wishing death on a character of colour and especially in such a violent way. And then it happened all over again with william & people wanting eve to kill him.

And what absolutely blows my mind is the fact that James has quite literally done nothing to warrant this level of rabid hatred directed towards him. His only “crime” was dating lena, and every other argument trying to prove he’s a bad person just doesn’t hold water. People say that he was rude and distrustful of her at the start, which sure was true, but like. So was literally every other character in that room including alex. And then they all got over it and started accepting lena was a good person (s5 notwithstanding), and GC were on good terms for most of s3a before they started dating (rushed development or not) so where tf are people getting these ideas from.

You are allowed to dislike characters and ships, you’re allowed to criticise terrible writing choices and rushed development, you’re allowed to call out actors for being homophobic/sexist/transphobic etc. No one is arguing that you can’t or that everyone needs to ship something just because it has a poc in it. What you absolutely cannot do under any circumstances is resort to racist and anti-black rhetoric to express your anger or frustration at these things. And if a poc is telling you that they are uncomfortable with what you’ve said or that they find it racist, the answer isn’t to pull out every excuse under the sun and be like “IM not racist i just hate the character” or “what about xyz!!” the right thing to do is to listen and acknowledge the issues in what was said. The show is racist enough and has gone out of its way to sideline and undermine these characters, the least people can do is not contribute towards that and make it worse.

To the last anon: a lot of poc think that Asians (predominantly East) are white-adjacent and that justifies anti Asian racism. I’ve seen ppl refer to Asians as “schrodingers whites”. Also, there’s pretty rampant antiblackness in a lot of Asian communities, a lot of Asian countries are colorist. A lot of Asian countries know the horrors of abusive communist regimes and idealize nations where the majority is white and “democratic”. It goes deep but it’s no excuse to perpetuate anti Asian racism

Tbh I don’t think anything justifies racism towards anybody. When I was growing up, there was a whole bunch of racist Black and Latino folks towards Asian people but would that justify me to be racist back or even to the entire group? No. And not only that, why is it whenever Asian people talk about racism that comes from others, why is it always flipped back on us as if people can’t just be racist to us as it is but instead, it always has to be “oh because Asian countries are like this” or “Asian cultures are like that” or “Asian communities do that.” Like bitch shut the fuck up

Why is there always a justification even if you say there isn’t? You’re lying. Like why do you always have to pull something from under the rug on us instead of addressing the issue as it currently is right now at this moment in time without interference or without some bullshit excuse? I’m tired of that shit.

I don’t want to hear your bullshit excuse. We are talking about the coronavirus racism that affects Asian people (particularly East/Southeast Asian and passers) and that’s the end of it. No more, no less. We are not talking about anybody else at this moment. I’m sorry but I fucking hate people like you where your racism or self-hate is so subtle.

Angry Asian Guy