#<- park is not a woman to me he's a lesbian. nonbinary lesbian. gender is lesbian. something something. but canon

[greghatecrimes]

alright i'm going to be a brave little toaster because this is my blog and i can write whatever i want forever! hilson, yes. toxic yaoi, yes. I get it! I do! It's great! but also... we as a fandom need to be way more insane about the women in this show. we need to step it up. 2025 should be the year of Being Crazyinsane About House MD Women. join me in the trenches, comrades. it's liberating

[youropinion-iswrong]

ghost trick character's genders

along with some other hcs relating to them! warnings for ghost trick spoilers and mentions of dysphoria, surgery, and pregnancy

everyone's under the cut 👍

sissel: he's a cat he doesn't know what a gender is, BUT. he was a female cat during his ten years living with yomiel (hence why he was named after yomiel's fiance). after thinking he was yomiel for a while he just. kept seeing himself as male afterwards and everyone else did too. this cat accidentally got his gender transed

lynne: a sillygirl. a sunshinegirl. a boyfriendgirl. a deadguygirl. perhaps even a puppygirl. just nonbinary woman works too though. does no sort of physical transition

missile: dog

jowd: trans man, started transitioning in like his early-mid 20s. decided to pause his medical transition to carry his and alma's child despite his dysphoria, he wouldn't do it again but he's never regretted it. now is on t and has top and bottom surgery

alma: trans woman that's also a man but not and doesn't have any gender. oh and a bit multigender. usually not genderfluid though. don't worry about it do you want chicken she's ordering some for her family. started having Gender Weirdness as a high schooler and eventually was peaceful with her gender not making sense to anyone else, because it doesn't need to! fluctuating dysphoria but the body is usually worse than social. has been on and off e throughout the years and has bottom surgery

kamila: a budding sapphic who eventually blooms into a butch lesbian. yes as her gender. also has many xenic girl varieties like her sister and general gender weirdness like her mom

cabanela: yeah i have no idea what's going on here. he simultaneously feels Very Cisgender and Very Transgender to me. idk what he is we just need to acknowledge he kind of sucks more. and that can include him being cis. either way he does drag and this is important to his gender despite not being a woman in any way

pigeon man: trans man, started transitioning within the year he quit his job at the police force. he's only binary in the sense that he doesn't give a shit about finding labels besides "man". on t with no surgeries and doesn't plan on any. everything about his transition in all three timelines is identical to the minute somehow.

yomiel: it's... complicated. he was a trans man who came out in his mid-late teens, and was on t with top surgery when he died. he had a bit of a thing about being a Normal Binary Passing Man, but being dead and unknowable with no human friends and a disconnect from his body for ten years really fucked with that. like all social conventions, he has trouble readjusting to gender in the new timeline, but he's started reconnecting with femininity and exploring more labels. mainly just says he's transmasc, still taking t.

fiansissel: trans woman with extra woman and a side of fries and dip. sorry i don't have more for you girl you have the potential to be so interesting just by being in love with yomiel but that's the *only* thing you had the time to be ingame

other random chars: memry is transfem, emma and the minister are painfully cis but supportive, amelie is a demigirl, park guy is some sort of nonbinary in an insane dollar store soda flavor way, bailey and his 'friend' are both cis but in a hand-wavey "not unpacking that" way

[dear-indies]

hi cat, hi mouse! i hope your day has been lovely! i'm working on a mw queue for my rp, and i need more non binary fc's with resources! could you help me out? <3 thank you so much in advance!

Sara Ramírez (1975) Mexican and some Irish - non-binary, queer and bisexual (they/them) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha (1975) Tamil Sri Lankan, Burgher Sri Lankan / Romani, Irish - is non-binary transfeminine and autistic (they/she).

Ser Anzoategui (1979) Argentinian, Paraguayan - is non-binary (them/him/she).

Andrew Gurza (1984/1985) Jewish - is non-binary (they/them) and has cerebral palsy.

Asia Kate Dillon (1984) Ashkenazi Jewish / Unspecified - non-binary and pansexual (they/them) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Pidgeon Pagonis (1986) Mexican and Greek - is intersex and non-binary (they/them) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Janelle Monáe (1985) African-American - is non-binary (has said "pronouns are free-ass motherfucker—and they/them, her/she.")

Elliot Page (1987) - is trans non-binary (he/they).

Jonathan van Ness (1987) is non-binary (they/she/he) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Poppy Liu (1990) Chinese - is non-binary (she/they) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Olly Alexander (1990) - is non-binary and gay (he/him) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Vico Ortiz (1991) Puerto Rican - non-binary (they/them) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Jacob Tobia (1991) Syrian - is non-binary (they/them).

Alok Vaid-Menon (1991) Malayali and Punjabi from Malaysia and India - is gender non-conforming and transfeminine (singular they) - has spoken up for Palestine!

E.R. Fightmaster (1992) - is non-binary (they/them).

Alex Newell (1992) African-American - is non-binary and gay (he/she/they/all pronouns).

Emma D’Arcy (1992) - is non-binary (they/them) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Theo Germaine (1992) - is non-binary (they/them).

Jesse James Keitel (1993) - is a non-binary trans woman (she/her).

Olive Gray (1994) Zambian / White - is non-binary and queer (they/them) also has ADHD dyspraxia and dyslexia.

Dua Saleh (1994) Tunjur Sudanese - is non-binary (they/xe).

Bilal Baig (1995) Pakistani - non-binary, queer trans-feminine (they/them).

Mason Alexander Park (1995) Spanish and Mexican - is non-binary (they/them).

Emma Corrin (1995) - is non-binary (they/them).

Kehlani (1995) African-American, Blackfoot, Cherokee, Mexican, Filipino, Choctaw, and White - non-binary womxn, lesbian and polyamorous (she/they) - has spoken up for Palestine!

James Majoos (1996) Black South African - is non-binary (they/them).

Aida Osman (1996) Eritrean - is non-binary and queer (she/they).

Quintessa Swindell (1997) African-American / White - is non-binary (they/he) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Blu del Barrio (1997) Argentinian - is non-binary (they/them) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Misha Osherovich (1997) Russian Jewish - is non-binary (they/them).

Celeste O'Connor (1998) Kenyan - is non-binary (they/them) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Ryan Simpkins (1998) - is non-binary (they/she).

Chella Man (1998) Hongkonger and Jewish - is deaf, trans genderqueer and pansexual (he/they) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Sabrina Wu (1998) Chinese - is nonbinary (they/them).

Alin Szewczyk (1999) - is non-binary (they/them).

Pedro Vinícius (1999) Brazilian - is non-binary (she/her).

Sivan Alyra Rose (1999) Chiricahua Apache / Afro-Puerto Rican, Creole - is genderfluid and pansexual (they/them).

Lizeth Selene (1999) Mexican [Black and Unspecified Indigenous] - is genderfluid (they/she).

Zoe Terakes (2000) Greek - is a trans-masc non-binary guy (they/he) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Ari Notartomaso (2001) - is non-binary (they/he) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Lachlan Watson (2001) - is non-binary (they/them).

CG / Queer as Folk (?) African-American - is non-binary (they/them).

Hey anon! I have a masterlist of non-binary faceclaims here too but I've copied them here for ease.

[max--phillips]

You don’t have to answer at all, and pls don’t take this as me being a hater. But could you clarify a little how you use he/they pronouns but also identify as a lesbian? Isn’t it meant to be a woman who is attracted (sexually or otherwise) to women?

OK I am home & now I can give this a thoughtful answer

So, the blanket answer that encompasses a lot of different lesbian experiences is simply that pronouns do not equal gender, gender is wobbly and confusing at best, and there is a rich history of non-binary and butch (or both) lesbians who use a variety of pronouns. Of course each person’s reasoning is going to differ, but that’s the gist, right?

So, personally, I’d say both my gender and my sexuality are best described as “lesbian.” I’m not entirely certain how to explain it any better than that. That said, while it isn’t wrong to define being a lesbian as being a woman who is attracted to other women, it’s also reasonable to define it as a woman who is attracted to people who aren’t men. Granted, that’s pretty vague, and it still might exclude people who aren’t men but identify in such a way they don’t feel comfortable with dating someone who identifies as a lesbian. Like I said, gender is wobbly and confusing.

And while I am nonbinary, and therefore don’t identify as a woman, I dont… not identify as a woman? Like, when people talk about “women” as a group I’m like “ya that’s me” but then someone refers to me as A Woman and I’m like “now hang on just one second.” Plus I identify very strongly with the butch lesbian label (strong enough I intend to start T soon !) and there are SO many butches out there who use he/him. She/her doesn’t feel right for me, so I don’t use it. Simple as that ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I realize that this might cause a little more confusion than give answers so if you have any questions or want me to clarify something please let me know :’) I just spent 30 minutes waiting to get out of a parking garage for. Some reason ?? Idk what the holdup was but it’s almost midnight n I’m sleepy so rjghebdjs

[dead-lesbians]

New pinned post, Do not follow is continued below along with other information

Do not follow if you

-Are a TERF/Exclude trans woman from your feminism

-Are Anti hesbians/ nonbinary lesbians

- Are anti BLM and/or ACAB

- Erase cannon queer characters sexualitys

- Watch things like H/talia, Anything by v/vziepop or S/uth Park

- If you are completely uncritical of your interests (obviously you don’t have to be overly thinking everything all the time, but like it isn’t that hard to just recognise issues in something)

-Like eddsworld /j

About Me

My name is Rae or Arson!

I’m a minor

I use He/Him, They/Them or Nya/Nyas/Nyaself pronouns!

I’m nonbinary , Butch, cat gender and Gender punk

I’m a polyamorus arospec lesbian

I’m autistic, I think I have ADHD and I suffer with delusions

I use the words D/ke and Q///er Uncensored

My special interests are Crash Zoom and ASDFMovie

I also like HLVRAI , MLP, Bugsnax, FNAF, LPS, Monster Highs, Adventure time, WTCD and eddsworld

I do post art here sometimes but most of my art is on my Instagram Dead_Lesbians_ or my Twitter of the same name :3

[juleshellstrom]

( erika linder , she/they/he , nonbinary , lesbian ) ━━ Is that THE ICARIAN ? No , that’s just JULES HELLSTROM. Urban legend has it that they were born on OCTOBER , 16TH , 1993 , work as a WILDLIFE OFFICER , and have been living in Gaitlin for 3 YEARS. They might like to think they’re brave , but their biggest fear is BEING UNABLE TO DEFEND THEMSELF. Be careful , you might not make it to halloween. ( ooc info: lauren , 23 , she/they/he  )

one thing: is im very slow and have a disability and it’s rly hard for me to keep up with and concentrate on really long stuff, so keeping interactions just a bit on the shorter side will get our characters much farther with me lmao.

you can find her pinterest HERE, and her playlist HERE.

BASICS; BRIEF ABOUT/FAMILY/SMALL DETAILS

Honestly she might stab someone (if they actually somehow know her name somehow) if they call her Juliet instead of Jules.

She isn’t religious and has honestly never thought about it.

She has a twin brother and he’s honestly like… too much for her to deal with lol. The only man she will ever accept or love. She loves him, but she will most definitely hit his ass when he’s annoying her. lskjdflskjdf

She doesn’t have a close relationship with her parents. There wasn’t really anything wrong with her upbringing (wow, me? making someone’s childhood average?) but they were never like close in the slightest. Her parents didn’t really want to be together, they only were for her and her brother, and the tenseness just radiated constantly. It wasn’t awful, but it obviously wasn’t ideal and even as a kid she’d much rather be playing with bugs in the backyard than hanging out inside. Once they’d grown up, her parents split. She has a more easy going relationship with them now, but she doesn’t feel the need to call.

She has a few tattoos here and there, for sure, but I haven’t picked them out yet.

She has two cats, and a snake. She doesn’t have a dog of her own, because she fosters them instead!

RELATIONSHIPS/SEXUALITY

TLDR below. Her gender is very difficult. It’s a very common lesbian experience to be caught in this weird gender limbo. Not truly cis, but not really trans either. ((((Lesbians in my support groups all joke, “No gender, just d*ke” slkdflskdjf)))) So many of us connect to being a woman and womanhood only through our love for other women. It’s very interesting and very complex, and very hard to explain to someone who doesn’t experience it. But yeah!!!

Butch energy.

TLDR: Jules is (def soft butch) lesbian, and her gender is in a limbo of trans nonbinary.

On that… god, she loves women. Like, how can you not? They are soft, and all of them are complex, and gorgeous in so many ways. 

So, Jules is definitely a stereotypical lesbiab in that she lowkey falls in love (in some way, and not necessarily romantically, just such a deep appreciation) w every lady she meets because, uh? Women? Magical, stunning, brave, phenomenal, spectacular, showstopping.

Because of this, Jules has a very hard time being in relationships. She doesn’t have like issues with it, and isn’t like completely afraid of commitment, it’s just kind of how it is. She loves to meet new women, and learn about them, etc. Butttt it’s not out of the question, if she meets someone super special. Artemis did get stuck on Callisto for awhile.

OCCUPATION

She is a wildlife officer, so you can find her around any local parks (protected water and forests, etc) doing her thing.

Making sure people aren’t abusing the nature or the animals, watching for wounded animals, protecting hunters, etc. All kinds of stuff.

She was never really interested in college, just not into it. She’s not really the scholarly type. She could have gone into zoology or something of that nature, and she thought about it, but it ultimately just wasn’t her thing. She’s happy where she’s at.

She loves archery sports, and hunting for ecosystem protection and sustenance.

PERSONALITY

She’s a little hard to work with. She likes to do things her own way. Unlike most kids with siblings, she didn’t enjoy giving way for her brother. But I mean he was also a dumbass (in her humble sisterly opinion lmao) and she never felt the need to bend to his ideas.

Still, she’s super kind and understanding – uhhhhh at least with women, (she kind of >.> dislikes men-kind, always has but it’s only increased as she’s gotten older and more bitter toward ways of the world, and after an assault that isn’t necessary for intro tbh or who she is), but still.

She is so so so so so soft inside lmao. She presents very tough just kind of naturally, but watch a lady smile at her the right way and her heart will melt smh.

She is definitely not a people pleaser. She does not care. Like, at all.

[disease-danger-darkness-silence]

Last night I rewatched the 1991 Addams Family movie because I really want to write that fic based on the Addams Family renting rooms to college students. I researched the most likely place between what Charles Addams originally envisioned (his hometown of Westfield, New Jersey), and a college town most likely to have a large, diverse college population (Rutgers). So I'm placing 0001 Cemetery Lane as at the western edge of Highland Park, NJ, off of North 4th St., a short hike to the Rutgers campus. I have characters in mind - six, actually, with one being a freshman and thus, the intro POC character.

My issue is that I want a diverse cast of college students. I have some very basic info, but I'm running up against a lack of knowledge. If anyone has any input, on culture or names, that would be neat af.

Here's the cast, aka: my notes from last night.

-------------

Black man, 26 years old - Studying to become a lawyer, is Gomez' favorite bc of this. In grad school, very tired. Justice-oriented, hates shades of gray but kinda has to live with them, has gotten very, very good at fencing. Middle-class family, got some scholarships but mostly has a college fund he relies on. From Baltimore. Bi, cis.

White woman, 23 years old - In a masters program to become a physicians assistant. Pugsley adores her because she takes a lot of Chem classes. Wednesday volunteers to be her "cadaver" at one point. Driven, privileged, learning but kinda shitty sometimes. From Las Vegas. Straight, trans, transitioning but with no plans for bottom surgery at this time.

Native two-spirit? Person (amab), 21 years old - Sociolinguistics undergrad, third year. Speaks Spanish, English, French, and their native language (pick a tribe, do the fucking research, self). Morticia and them have hilarious French conversations which only they and Lurch can fully understand. Wicked sense of humor. "Straight" in that they are attracted to the feminine and people who identify as women, and they have a penis, but because of gender identity, their sexuality is confusing even to them. Location depends on tribe. Which one would be most appropriate? Hmmm. Idk even. Which tribes have the two-spirit gender? Important!

Latine man, 28 years old - Engineering, masters program. Prankster, knows enough Spanish that he can vaguely understand the French but not enough to speak in it (parents discouraged speaking it growing up bc of assimilationist cultural expectations). Identity issues because of disconnect from culture? But he can cook Mexican food like no ones business and Lurch allows him in the kitchen, which... Whoa. Grew up poor, didn't get to even apply for college until he was old enough to drink. From San Antonio. Heterosexual, aromantic.

Asian genderfluid person (afab), 27 years old - Music doctorate program. Korean specifically, born in Seoul but moved here after adoption at age 2. Is very Tired. Was adopted by a Korean family after birth fam died, so no real identity issues. Keeps in contact with blood relatives over there. Autistic. Speaks Korean and English fluently, chain-smokes while composing music. Very high-strung about music but not much else. Cannot cook to save their life. Grey-ace, panromantic.

Hawai'ian woman, 19 years old - Journalism undergrad, first year. POV character? From Hawai'i, possibly the big island? Native Hawai'ian, speaks English, Bird (Hawai'ian Pidgin), and ASL, as her mother is Deaf. Culture shock like w h o a. Big dreams, wants to bring light to truth, etc. Converses fluently with Thing via ASL, it helps her with her assignments. Lesbian, cis.

-----------

I'm a white nonbinary person, afab, leaning towards Masc but not enough to want to transition. You may see why I'm having some issues. If anyone has suggestions, questions, or other advice, please comment or PM me.

[lyricdissonance]

odds please! for ask thing

1. How do you define your sexuality?i’m bisexual, i also identify as queer3. At what age did you first suspect that you are sexually attracted to other girls?first started realizing i “like like” girls instead of just “like” at 15 I believe?5. Did you have an “aha I like girls” moment or was it more of a gradual realization?gradual realization, i had a whole lot of female actresses and musicians i really admired and then realized i was also attracted to them. then i kinda brushed that aside for a while, thinking that my celeb crushes didn’t count as real crushes, before i also got crushes on girls i knew irl which made me realize i definitely wasn’t straight7. How did you become comfortable with your sexuality?reading posts by bi bloggers on here helped a whole lot, they made me realize that i didn’t have to fit a narrow definition to be “allowed” to call myself bisexual. and as someone who grew up in a conservative environment, i probably wouldn’t have discovered my sexuality when i did without tumblr since i’d never been told before that it was ok to not be straight, and i thank the internet for showing me there are other ways to live life

9. Who was the first person you came out to? How did they take it?it was by text message to a male friend who was the only other bi person i really knew at the time. he was super supportive and we haven’t talked in a while but i’d love to catch up with him someday11. How out are you?out to friends and two family members, but closeted to most of my family. which means i can be gay on tumblr and twitter but not instagram and facebook. funny how that happens13. Was anyone surprised when you came out or did people seem to already know?a few people have been surprised, but these days when i meet someone new i prefer to casually mention my sexuality rather than do a real “coming out” and i don’t normally get any reaction from that15. How soon after meeting someone do you usually tell them about your sexuality?like the last answer, if i feel like i can trust them i’ll just try to slip it into conversation. i don’t have a timeline for when i do it though, it’s just whenever i feel ok doing it17. Have you ever wished you were completely straight?not so much that as just wishing my sexuality could be not a big deal. i’d love to be out to everyone but i know it would cause problems in a lot of my family relationships19. If you are not a lesbian, about what percentage of the time do you find yourself attracted to other girls?i gave up using percentages a while ago but i’m attracted to men and women about the same amount overall21. How often do you find yourself trying to sneak a peek or stare at a cute girl?only all the time because girls are Too Cute to not do that

23. What is your current relationship status?

single af

25. Do you remember anything about the first time you kissed another girl?i’ve kissed one person and she was nonbinary, we were hanging out in her dorm common room when she went for a kiss on the cheek and i was like “well we might as well do one on the lips too”27. What is your ideal first date?wherever we go i want us to be having fun! i love going out for food or drinks but if we don’t have a connection then it’s just us staring at our plates so there’s always that risk of it being too awkward. i’d love for us to try something new where we can talk and laugh while getting to know each other29. How flirty are you?i’m the certified worst at flirting. i’m trying to be more confident but my idea of flirting right now is staring across the room31 Do you want have children someday?no but i want to volunteer with children someday and do something to help make their lives better33. How often are you asked if you have a boyfriend?not often, i think my family is used to me saying no by now lmao35. Have you ever been on your period the same time as a girlfriend?nope (see above, single af)37. Have you ever been in a long distance relationship?nope39. Has a girl ever dumped you for a guy? Have you?nope and nope41. Have you ever had a crush on a straight girl?oh yes43. Would you ever date a trans woman?absolutely45. Where do you think is the best place to meet a potential lover?

a wendy’s parking lot in upstate new york 

somewhere where you can meet people who have a common interest, like a bookstore or a dance class or an lgbt event. but the romantic in me wants to believe that the love of my life could be found anywhere

47. Have you ever cut your hair super short? If not, would you ever want to?have not but would love to! even if i don’t like it i want to be able to say i tried it49. What is your opinion on septum/bull nose piercings?don’t want one for myself, but i think they’re cute51. How muscular are you?not very53. Have you ever been told that you don’t look gay, or that you’re too pretty to be gay?

hasn’t happened to me

55. Do you wear skirts and dresses? If so, how often?i may not consider myself very feminine but i do love how skirts and dresses look on me. so like once or twice a week on average?57. How much jewelry do you typically wear?i go without it a lot but i like wearing a piece of statement jewelry when i think an outfit needs it59. How often do you wear a bra?almost always when i go out, but home is a No Bra Zone61. Have you ever worn a suit?nope but i’d try it!63. Do you carry a purse?yep, i find it convenient to have all my stuff with me65. Have you ever worn any men’s clothing?because of my body shape finding men’s clothes that fit well is Hard but i’ve worn men’s shirts on occasion67. Have you ever shared clothes with a girlfriend?

no but i like this idea so cute girls who are my size please hmu

69. Who is your favorite LGBT celebrity?my faves include freddie mercury, janelle monae, st. vincent, and lady gaga71. Have you ever watched Will & Grace?nope73. How well do you feel LGBT women are portrayed on television?i’d like for us to survive to the end of the show for one thing. and not be overly sexualized. i’m glad that we’re seeing more positive and happy depictions like on b99 but we could always use more75. Do you watch any LGBT YouTubers?tbh i don’t really follow any youtubers77. Do you have a favorite LGBT themed blog or website?i follow a lot of gay blogs on here, too many to choose a favorite. and i really like autostraddle.com79. Have you read any LGBT themed literature? If so, do you have any recommendations?

i really need to start reading more lgbt lit, but shoutout to the misfits by james howe which was the first time i ever encountered gay characters in literature. i think it’s important that that book showed a gay boy who was unashamed about liking feminine things and had friends who supported him. i know my young mind was opened a little after i read it. and now that i’m looking it up again it turns out the author is gay which makes it even better!

81. Boobs or butts?Certified Boob Lover (tm)83. Ellen or Portia?

probs ellen

85. Have you ever been to a gay bar or a gay club?no but there’s a gay club that’s popular w people at my school that is on my list! 87. Do you have any LGBT relatives?my sister, no others that i know of89. How outdoorsy are you?i’m definitely more outdoorsy than i used to be! i’ve learned to enjoy a bit of hiking, kayaking, and exploring but i still don’t do well with heat and bugs lol91. How many rainbow items do you own?one rainbow rubber bracelet, and a couple of bi pride items93. Have you ever participated in the National Day of Silence?no, as far as i know it was never a big thing at my school? i knew one or two people who did it95. Have you ever attended a PFLAG (Parents & Friends of Lesbians and Gays) meeting?no, i’m kinda curious about what a meeting would be like tho97. Have you ever been part of a softball team?nope99. Do you play any video games?

well i used to be a hardcore nintendogs player back in the day

101. (on a scale of 1-10, how attractive are...) Women who wear glasses?glasses on girls are GR8 - 10/10103. Women who are covered with piercings?kinda neutral on this, i support women getting the piercings they want but "covered with piercings” isn’t really something i look for in a person - 6/10105. Women with short hair?if you have short hair i am guaranteed gay for you - 10/10107. Tall women (i.e. around 1.83 meters/6 feet or taller)?

*wearing a shirt that says I

109. What does equality mean to you?to me it means i’m treated the same as anyone else and i have all the same opportunites111. Do you eat meat at all?yes113. How do you feel about the terms “woman crush” and “girl crush”?i find them harmful to girls trying to figure out their sexuality bc the implication of a “girl crush” is that all women have crushes on women and that it shouldn’t be taken as serious attraction. that being said i think a not-insignificant amount of women who say stuff like that just haven’t realized yet that they are attracted to women (i was one of them whoops) and i hope we can find ways to talk about the “girl crush” problem that leave room for questioning people to talk about their feelings115. How do you feel when people use the word gay to mean things such as stupid, dumb, boring, or idiotic?i hardly ever hear it anymore but i don’t like it117. What are your views on gender identity and bathroom use?everyone should be able to use the bathroom that they feel safest and most comfortable in, gender neutral bathrooms need to be everywhere, and any lawmakers who want to get in the way of that can fuck outta here119. Have you ever been called a gay slur?nope121. Have you ever been discriminated against because of your sexuality or gender identity? If so, please explain.not like, personally, but the number of people who have said in my presence that they “don’t believe” in bisexuality is Too High123. Americans: How did you feel on June 26, 2015?it was really incredible, i’d been watching as state by state (including my own) had legalized same-sex marriage and suddenly it was all across america. seeing all the love and happiness being poured out on that day was amazing125. Have you ever tried to “pray the gay away”?luckily i’ve never been there, but it breaks my heart to think about people going through that127. What LGBT stereotype do you most disagree with?"bi women are just doing it for male attention” excuse you i’m clearly doing it in the hopes that jenna coleman will fly to the states and elope with me get your facts right129. What advice would you give to a girl who is struggling to figure out her sexuality?

take your time! you don’t have to 100% understand your feelings but please let yourself feel what you feel and remember you are not alone. and i want to be here for questioning girls the same way that other people were there for me when i was questioning so if you need someone to talk to i am always here.

[aion-rsa]

Batwoman: How Housing and Homelessness Shape Ryan’s Heroism

https://ift.tt/3omZdIO

From the very first promo, where we saw Kate Kane give first money and then her gold watch to a young woman panhandling, Batwoman has concerned itself with homelessness and housing. In Ryan Wilder (Javicia Leslie), however, Batwoman has a new protagonist with lived experience of homelessness. Unlike a lot of television shows that use homelessness as a shorthand to demonstrate that a main character is a good or bad person, Batwoman meaningfully incorporates Ryan’s housing struggles into her long-term character arc and how she approaches her time in the cowl.

In that first teaser back before season 1 premiered, the audience was meant to learn both that Kate Kane was incredibly wealthy and that, unlike the jerky anonymous member of the Crows, she actually cared about doing something to change Gotham’s notoriously tough streets, and not just in a “lock ‘em up” kind of way. As the first season unfolded, heiress Kate became more aware of how gentrification and the lack of affordable housing was squeezing low-income Gothamites out of their own city, thanks to her one-time girlfriend, Reagan.

At a press event before the start of season 2, showrunner Caroline Dries shared that incorporating housing policy wasn’t some kind of strategic goal, but she did always see Gotham as a kind of Los Angeles 2.0 – except even bleaker.

“From a creative point of view, I think that happened a little bit subconsciously. Living in LA the homeless population has just exploded in the last seven years or so,” Dries says. “It’s everywhere you look, and it’s such a huge problem, and it feels like there’s really no solution to it.”

For Dries, fiction allowed her a measure of wishful thinking: “When I was offered the opportunity to write Batwoman and to write Kate Kane, it seemed like: Oh, at least maybe there’s some way that I can have control over this seemingly like endless pandemic of homelessness in our city.”

After hearing about Reagan’s grandmother’s housing struggles – and how common they are across Gotham – Kate went on to form Gotham Pride Real Estate, her way of improving her city by day, under her own name. Kate bought and renovated apartment buildings and rented them at reasonable rates as a way to lock in long-term affordable housing. In some cases, Gotham Pride bought buildings in Gotham’s wealthiest neighborhoods and still rented them at very low rents, pushing back against the extreme wealth segregation that the show has hinted at and that is a reality for much of America.

As Dries says, “It was just like a little bit of hopefulness that I was trying to put out into the world.”

Kate also created The Hold Up, an LGBTQ bar that seems to cater specifically to the sapphic set, which is its own form of business activism. Nationwide, lesbian and queer bars for marginalized genders (women, trans people and nonbinary folks) are an endangered species. As we saw when Kate and Sophie got kicked out of Allesandro’s for holding hands, having spaces where queer folks can simply exist safely and openly isn’t a given, so creating one matters. By owning real estate and using it to make safe, affordable spaces for vulnerable populations to live or to gather socially, Kate Kane has leveraged her wealth to help various communities reclaim Gotham so it can belong to everyone, not just the wealthy few.

With Ryan Wilder stepping into the spotlight for the second season, housing takes on more urgency. The premiere showed how squatters from Alice’s Wonderland Gang killed Ryan’s mother in her own apartment. That made Ryan an orphan and forced her out on the street. She’s been living in her van, and as of the end of the second episode, our Batwoman is still marginally housed, meaning that while she can stay in her van, that’s neither a permanent solution nor is it a sufficient one.

How many other superheroes have experienced homelessness in the present tense – and not as part of going undercover or in some kind of training exercise, but because they literally had nowhere else to go? Dries intentionally pivoted to a different kind of Batwoman in a number of ways, and Ryan’s housing status is one of them.

“With Ryan, it was part of the overarching goal that I had in creating a character who is nothing like Kate Kane, and Kate is a billionaire who never will have to worry about being homeless, she can work to help homelessness,” Dries says. “So it just made sense to me that in creating Kate’s foil, more or less, that maybe Ryan came from a more troubled background where she was part of this problem in her city.”

While Kate was an excellent hero for her city, in many ways she was still a privileged one. Ryan’s experiences, including her time navigating what it means to be unhoused, open up a whole host of possibilities for the ways in which her Batwoman could best serve the people who need her most, because she knows their needs acutely. A common critique of Batman is that many of the people he physically brutalizes are in need of mental health services and/or are at the mercy of an unjust criminal legal system and a city with no social safety net that has pushed them toward a life of crime. Just as Kate’s queer Batwoman before her, Ryan’s Batwoman poses the question: What does a radically reimagined Batwoman look like? How can she better serve the people of Gotham with the greatest need, while pushing back against the authoritarianism of the Crows and the demands of the wealthy elites who hire them?

Toward the end of the second episode, “Prior Criminal History,” Luke Fox offers Ryan a warehouse to draw the poisonous bats away and then detonate a bomb to take them out, away from innocent civilians. On the city plans he has access to back in the Bat cave, the warehouse looks abandoned. But Ryan does a double-take and tells him no, they have to find somewhere else – that’s actually a homeless encampment. Luke immediately starts looking for a new locale, and Ryan comes up with the idea to use the Crows Security bus, resulting in a great little set piece.

It may seem like a small moment, but this demonstration of how Ryan’s knowledge and therefore actions as Batwoman would be completely different is spot-on and an absolute game-changer. In every city in America, there’s a complex infrastructure that people who are currently homeless or marginally housed must navigate in order to get through their day to day. Just out of sight from housed people, there are encampments, shelters, and an array of social services all requiring completely different paperwork, hours, and counselors. Ryan would know the safest places to park her van, the hours for the best soup kitchens, where the women-only shelters are, and the places that stay open latest, in case it gets so cold late at night that she has to go in.

Just before she detonates the bomb, Ryan sees a young woman sheltering in a tent nearby. She runs over and shields them both with her cape. Afterwards when the coast is clear, the young woman looks up at Ryan in the batsuit with admiration.

“Batwoman?”

“Oh no, not really,” Ryan says, hesitantly.

“Well,” says the young woman, “you are to me.”

Read more

TV

Batwoman Season 2 Episode 2 Review: Prior Criminal History

By Nicole Hill

Comics

New Batwoman Ryan Wilder Gets Surprise DC Introduction

By Kayti Burt

Just as Kate Kane helped many more people see themselves on screen as heroes, Ryan Wilder is now doing the same thing, in-world, and I suspect, irl. For Black women and queer Black folks, but also for anyone who has experienced homelessness. For the people who have couch-surfed for months on end, lived in their cars, lost their housing through no fault of their own, or who struggle to keep their head above water because of a record – even if it’s one they got unfairly, like Ryan.

Leslie speaks about how with the character of Ryan, the show gets to bring in a firsthand story to show what it’s like to actually live through these experiences, rather than having characters observe or comment on them from afar.

“I think that what’s really dope about what we’re doing this season is you get to see Ryan’s story and how she ends up where she is,” Leslie says. “And a lot of it is just, it’s the system and being lost in the system and not having support in the system. So I do think that that’s another way it’s being addressed.”

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Batwoman has long taken on serious social issues that other superhero shows lack the moral heft to consider, whether that means police corruption, racism within the legal system, American’s broken and inadequate healthcare, or discrimination against LGBTQ people. The show’s diverse cast of characters speak about these issues firsthand, and Ryan Wilder is no exception. Her backstory as someone who has struggled with housing insecurity isn’t a throwaway line but rather a current aspect of her life that sets the tone for who this new Batwoman is, and how the show will be moving forward.

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[dear-indies]

hello hello! i'm looking for some face claims that could fit the vibe of a street graffiti artist? it's quite vague but i got the urge to have this kind of muse but i'm stuck on fcs unfortunately! any ethnicity is good, and preferably female or nonbinary fcs in their 20s please! thank you so much ♥

Lee Joo Young (1992) Korean - in Green Night.

Jenny Zeng (1993) Korean - in Lighter and Princess.

Chelsea Rendon (1993) Latina, possibly Mexican - her role in Vida.

Devery Jacobs (1993) Mohawk - is queer.

Bae Suzy (1994) Korean.

Midori Francis (1994) Japanese / White - is queer.

Jaz Sinclair (1994) African-American / White.

Jasmin Savoy Brown (1994) African-American / White - is queer - has spoken up for Palestine!

Rachel Sennott (1995)

Jessie Mei Li (1995) Hongkonger / English - is a gender non-conforming woman who uses she/they - has spoken up for Palestine!

Sasha Calle (1995) Colombian.

Mason Alexander Park (1995) Mexican and Spanish - is non-binary (they/them).

Sasha Lane (1995) African-American, Māori, White - is gay and has schizoaffective disorder.

Ayo Edebiri (1995) Yoruba Nigerian / Barbadian - is queer.

Kehlani (1995) African-American, Blackfoot, Cherokee, Mexican, Filipino, Choctaw White - is a non-binary womxn, lesbian and polyamorous (she/they) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Ally Beardsley (1996) - is non-binary (they/them) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Florence Pugh (1996) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Tati Gabrielle (1996) African-American 1/4 Korean.

Emma Mackey (1996)

Ruth Codd (1996) - is an amputee.

Myha'la Herrold (1996) Afro Jamaican / White - is queer - has spoken up for Palestine!

Sierra McCormick (1997)

Lizeth Selene (1997) Mexican [Black and Unspecified Indigenous]- is genderfluid and queer (she/they).

Kiana Ledé (1997) African-American, Swedish, Mexican, Cherokee - has spoken up for Palestine!

Piper Curda (1997) Korean / English, Scottish - is apsec - has spoken up for Palestine!

Blu del Barrio (1997) Argentinian - is non-binary (they/them).

Chloé Hayden (1997) - is autistic, has ADHD, and is chronically ill.

Kiara Pichardo (1997) Dominican.

Evan Mock (1997) Bisaya Filipino / White.

Quintessa Swindell (1997) African-American / White - is non-binary (they/he) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Ayesha Madon (1998) Indian.

Julia Dalavia (1998) Brazilian.

MK xyz (1998) African-American / Filipino - is a lesbian and uses she/they.

Maya Hawke (1998)

Andy Blossom (1998) Chinese.

Chella Man (1998) Hongkonger and Jewish - is deaf, trans genderqueer and pansexual (he/they) - especially in Titans role - has spoken up for Palestine!

Zoe Terakes (2000) Greek Australian - is a trans masc non-binary guy (they/he) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Odessa A'zion (2000) Ashkenazi Jewish, English, some Irish, Northern Irish, Welsh, German - has spoken up for Palestine!

Paulina Alexis (2000) Nakoda Sioux.

Ruby Cruz (2000) - is queer.

Beabadoobee (2000) ilonggo Filipino / White.

D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (2001) Ojibwe, Cree, Chinese Guyanese, Afro Guyanese and White.

Hey anon! I just want to make people aware that I don't reply to asks for "women and non-binary" faceclaims because people in the community like to treat non-binary people was "women lite" and It infuriates me to no end, but since you said preferably I'm more than happy to reply and I hope these suggestions help you! <3

[gloryformore]

all the gay asks :~)

thx babe you're my favorite ;)1. describe your idea of a perfect datea picnic in the park in spring or fall, where it's warm but not stifling like the summer heat of the south. snacky foods, we bring our journals and run around taking pictures. maybe we go on a lil walk around the lake but honestly, as long as it's with someone I like (i.e. my gf) I don't really care (also museums!!!! r hella cool)2. whats your “type”femme, kind, passionate, I guess I kinda have a thing for short people??? bc I've never dated anyone taller than me3. do you want kids?yes, if that was something my SO wanted as well (vi wants kids)4. if you do, will you adopt or use some other form of child birth?with vi, I would carry the child(ren) or we would foster/adopt5. describe the cutest date you’ve ever been onlast Wednesday!!!!! vi and I went on a date for our 4 month anniversary and went to this adorable little coffee shop / art bar thing??? and it was warm outside and nice and we sat in big comfy chairs and worked on friendship bracelets and art journaling and it was wonderful6. describe your experience having sex for the first time (were you nervous? or was it easy peasy?)I've never had sex with anyone7. are you a morning time gay or night time gay?night time gay for sure!8. opinion on nap dates?yes please (vi and I are both constantly in need of naps)9. opinion on brown eyes?adorable!!!!!! beautiful!!!! underappreciated!!!10. dog gay or cat gay?BOTH I used to be dog gay but I was catsitting for my neighbor this week and fell in love with her cats???? but considering vi is allergic to cats I'm more likely to be a dog gay11. would you ever date someone who owned rodents or reptiles??????? potentially?????12. whats a turn off you look for before you start officially dating someonepeople who are rude unnecessarily. people who don't CARE about anything, don't seem to have any passions and aren't willing to express their love and excitement. people who don't care about others or themselves very much at all. 13. what is a misconception you had about lgb people before you realized you were one?that all lgb people wish would rather be straight (tbh it's the absolute opposite I love who I'm attracted to and I love being able to embrace myself and having the opportunity to challenge the biases of those around me)14. what is a piece of advice you would give to your younger selfit's okay to embrace femininity in yourself and in other people. it's okay to struggle and change and don't let anyone discourage you from exploring yourself and liking others. it's brave just to be you. you don't have to do anything more than embrace yourself. 15. (if attracted to more than one gender) do you have different “types” for different genders?n/a really? because I'm really just attracted to women and woman-aligned nb people and I kinda have the same type for both??? 16. who is an ex you regret?my first girlfriend (her name is elana) who was very rude about my struggle with mental illness and just generally forced me into boxes I wasn't comfortable with in our relationship17. night club gay or cafe gay?cafe. I hate partying. I love tea and hot chocolate. 18. who is one person you would “go straight” forcole sprouse riverdale era19. video game gay, book gay, or movie gay?book gay (movie gay is close second)20. favourite gay ship (canon or not)mal and molly from the lumberjanes comics and Betty and Veronica from riverdale! and Kelly and yorkie from black mirror: san junipero 21. favourite gay youtubercece (@problemsofabooknerd) is a gay booktuber and she does videos with her gf sometimes and they're absolutely adorable (plus she makes lots of queer recs videos!!!!!! check her out)22. have you ever unknowingly asked out a straight person?nope23. have you ever been in love?yeep24. have you ever been heartbroken?yeep25. how do you determine if you want to be them or be with someoneI think it depends on the qualities I admire in a person? like with my current gf I fell for her because of how energetic and passionate she was (qualities I already have myself) and realized those were things I wanted in an SO (someone who was just as excited about things and hype as I am about music and books and things) and things I wanted to express with her26. favourite lgb musician/bandhalsey? I don't listen to enough lgb musicians it's honestly very sad27. what is a piece of advice you have for young / baby gaysgive yourself time to explore. it's okay if you change, it's okay if you pick new labels or no labels or if your language becomes more nuanced along with your personality. it's okay to do whatever feels most comfortable for you. there's no rush, you have a long time to love ahead of you28. are you out? if so how did you come outmostly, yes. I came out as bi in 7th grade and over time have realized I'm not really attracted to men/man-aligned people so now I identify as a nonbinary lesbian and mostly I come out to people by talking about my gf (I am assumed a gay girl, which is close enough to my identity that I don't feel too uncomfortable if gender is harder to explain to certain people)29. what is the most uncomfortable / strange coming out experience you have I haven't had many weird ones????? except I came out to half of my math class when a guy said he wanted to go balls deep in me and I was like "no thanks I'm gay I have a girlfriend and you are the LAST person I would let near my body"30. what is a piece of advice for people who may not be in a safe place to express their sexualityexpress it however you can. don't suppress your identity, but please be safe. journal using code words. start a blog. find a support group. join a forum. do whatever you need to feel like you aren't destroying yourself by hiding. I promise, your safety is the most important thing. just don't let bigotry convince you that there's something wrong with you. I love you so much and you deserve to love in the way your heart wants.

[benjaminhunter]

T, U, V

under the cut for length!! ty for asking !!!

T - Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending?

fast and hard headcanons, huh.. you’ll notice how my vocaloid hcs are short because i have so much of them but i don’t want to list them all.

(voca) 

all vocaloids know sign language

rin & len kagamine are both genderfluid and most vocaloids/utaus are pan, no one is straight (god forbid);

lui hibiki has aphonia and ring suzune is Deaf

v flower is agender and refers to themself with they pronouns and gendered terms like “Im fuckboy??” or “im just some country girl”

v3 & v4 flower are selective mute

fukase has a skin picking disorder

miku append solid has an eating disorder  (just a heads up i don’t want to treat this as a cute headcanon like an accessory or a fashion statement, its literally headcanons because i project myself on characters i love the most ! ok !)

miki is an alien, can float, makes funny beeping noises when excited

ia is an alien, can float

piko has prosthetic legs

gakupo is a gay trans man

sachiko is a trans woman

all len units are big narcissists and want to date each other somehow

yuzuki yukari is a lesbian

yuzukari on is good at video games, yuzukari lin is not

anon and kanon both are flirty jerks and woo all the girls (especially rana)

OTOMACHI UNA LOVES DRAGONS

cocorobo eats dirt. she straight up sucks dirt

(dr) 

komaru wears socks in bed (and during sex hfsdhskdfjsds); 

touko smacked mitarai in the face once; 

shsl impostor is nonbinary; AI nanami isn’t a different person from dr3 nanami but in fact nanami reincarnated;

when tenko held hands with a girl for the first time she had to lie down for twenty minutes and broke down crying in Gay Joy 

(lok) 

kuvira has a swarm of beauty spots on her stomach and hearing the name beifong associated with her makes her skin crawl; 

kuvira fell in unrequited love with korra and probably will always be in love with her, always there for her if she needs a hand, mako-style

lin was married to another woman and is a widow now

bolin and opal’s kid is an airbender

when katara dies, bumi didn’t make it in time to see her one last time and he has to live with that guilt for a while and disappears in the spirit world for like. two years; and then asami and korra go look for him because Bumi Is Their Friend? and a sweetheart

rohan is gay

(aa)

phoenix is bi, maya is bi, edgeworth is gay, mia is bi, athena is pan, apollo is bi, trucy is gay, klavier is pan, ema doesn’t care, rayfa is Fucking Gay My Dudes, nahyuta transcends gender and is bi, simon is gay

kristoph isn’t all black. he’s terrible and murdered people but my hc is he didn’t physically / mentally abuse his brother like so many think he did

hc that manfred von karma is mentally ill (ocd ?) and while that doesnt excuse his actions, its one of the reasons he put his children through so much abuse

i ship cy/ke/squill in a weird way, in the way that they adore each other, they require physical touch (like athena needs to rub her head against simon’s shoulder) and could sometimes kiss yeah,and they sometimes speak in unison and if asked, they’d probably marry each other, but they aren’t in love?.. they don’t.. have romantic love? platonic love only. if that makes sense

rayfa is smitten with trucy and maya.

wow lana and angel are still dating after all these years

lana and simon are buddies. aura and lana… hooked up also

(plvsaa) 

layton and phoenix flirted. it’s canon. it happened

darklaw’s scar on her right hand comes from when she dragged espella away from the belltower the night of the Great Fire; 

rouge & foxy are dating, rouge & barnham are cousins, darklaw is related to aura & simon blackquill,

espella and maya dated in the past, 

espella is a lesbian, rouge is bi, barnham is bi, eve is bi (leaning more towards girls)

darklaw has avpd and is psychotic

espella is Not Neurotypical (ptsd / psychotic) + suicidal (!she has all my Mental Illnesses because i said so) and this one headcanon i’ll fight for it in your local supermarket parking lot

(zero escape)

diana, phi and sigma all live in a big apartment after ztd; its strange because they’re technically all related to each other but they’re all the same age so sometimes they get really drunk and then diana is like “fuck im supposed to be the mom” and then passes out

diana and sigma don’t get together asap because theres a lot of dancing around and phi watches them with a quirked eyebrow over the breakfast table because they both are So Straight it’s annoying

eventually sigma builds Luna and the four of them live together and it’s actually a Lot Easier to live with such a positive presence who’s here to comfort them

SIGMA PINCHES DIANA’S CHEEKS EVERYDAY AND HE SQUISHES PHI’S CHEEKS WHEN SHE LOSES AT MARIO KART, DIANA PINCHES PHI’S CHEEKS AND LUNA WILL PINCH SIGMA’S CHEEKS. THERES A LOT OF CHEEK PINCHING

phi drags luna to a bar once and tries to get her drunk or just see if a GOLEM can dysfunction with alcohol but mostly its just phi downing shots of vodka while boys and girls come to flirt with luna

carlos explains to akane he’s dating someone, akane is overjoyed and want to meet them, and almost drops to the floor when she sees carlos is dating her brother aoi   (junpei laughing in the distance)

sean jOINS A CIRCUS

mira actually kills eric. sorry eric. She then goes to follow sean around while he’s following the circus. they adopt gab

eric isn’t actually dead but he’s away from mira because them being married is an horrible idea. What The Fuck Was Kotaro Uchikoshi Thinking

tenmyouji is Cool Grandpa and quark is good at soccer (???)

alice and clover are dating

U - Three favorite characters from three different fandoms, and why they’re your favorites.

lin beifong, because she’s lin beifong, thats why. touko fukawa because shes so strong, you know. v flower because… i really love flower’s voice and design and to this day they help me figure my gender out

V - Which character do you relate to most?

kuvira. has ambition but crippled with visions of grandeur and recklessness, full of regrets and bitterness and knowing she betrayed someone, all the while burying deep abandonment issues inside of her. damn.

[biofunmy]

The Joy of Queer Parties: ‘We Breathe, We Dip, We Flex’

On a recent night on the dance floor at Elsewhere Bar in Brooklyn, the air was heavy with sweat, joy and sorrow. I’d seen someone bury their face in their hands, shoulders shaking with silent sobs, and then, in what felt like seconds later, drop to the floor, behind bouncing, hands blurry with the tight micro-choreography of vogue.

In moments like this I think about the last line of the artist Sable Elyse Smith’s 2016 essay titled “Ecstatic Resilience.” It reads: “by taking a breath … by breathing … the club is a sanctuary for queer liberation.”

For many, in big cities and beyond, the club can exist as a rare space where we feel free from the responsibility of representation and the pressures of monetization. In 2019, the optics of gay liberation are paradoxical. Rainbow logos are everywhere: store windows, shopping bags, TV commercials, ride share applications, social media ads and Instagram hashtags.

The onslaught is relentless. Queerness has never been more visible, more trending and more in demand and yet, our lives and our livelihood feel extremely tenuous and fragile. Many queer communities are still struggling for basic rights and recognition.

The party itself is a breath, an essential timeout from the hyper-vigilance and chaos of being black and brown queer bodies who exist beyond the scope of majoritarian and normative expectations. Gay clubs and safe spaces have always offered a place for experiences and road-testing new looks, identity expressions, desires and orientations. And even though landmark and legacy gay bars and clubs are slowly disappearing all over America, the club lives on, in parties, on apps, and through spontaneous encounters.

Right now, there is an abundance of gay parties in New York City — Papi Juice, Yalla, Hot Rabbit, THEMbot, Bubble T, Homotown, Teaze, Femmepremacy, Truuu Party, Hot ’N Spicy and Set it Off — serving every intersection and identity expression. A friend calls it “getting a rinse.” Rinsing off the tragedy and drenching ourselves in a new, invigorating sensation or perspective.

This year is the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, a landmark moment in the gay civil rights movement, and that lends a heightened lens on all that has changed for L.G.B.T.Q.A.I.+. in this country and all that has not.

On June 10, after an exuberant weekend of Pride parties and celebrations across the boroughs, people gathered in the rain to demonstrate for an investigation into the death of Layleen Polanco Xtravaganza, a 27-year-old woman found dead in her cell on Rikers Island earlier this month. She belonged to one of the most iconic communities in the black drag ball scene, the House of Xtravaganza. And tragically, heartbreakingly, her death was not singular. According to Human Rights Campaign, a leading L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. advocacy group, three black trans women have been killed in the United States, this month alone

In “We Are Everywhere: Protest Power and Pride in the History of Queer Liberation,” a new book of gay history, the authors Matthew Reimer and Leighton Brown write that in New York, at least, L.G.B.T.Q.A.I.+. bars have always functioned as “the central institution of queer life, serving as a social center and a crucible for politics” as far back as they can tell.

After the end of Prohibition in the 1930s, that legacy was cemented, as gay bars, social clubs and nightclubs emerged where queer people led gay renaissances around the boroughs.

But those newly forming spaces were, and many of the ones that still exist are, dominated by white-bodied cisgender men and cater to their experiences and comfort levels. Discriminatory dress codes and practices of so-called double carding — asking for two forms of identification — were rampant, as was charging people of color more for entry than white-bodied people in an effort to discourage them.

And if they made it inside, intimidation, harassment and threat of police raids loomed large. Bartenders could refuse service to gay customers, and anyone inside accused of “disorderly” or “immoral” conduct, like same-gender flirting, kissing or dancing, could be arrested. It was illegal for two men to dance together in New York until 1971.

The first season of “Pose,” a show about the ballroom scene — and so much more — set in the late 1980s, included a window into this experience in a heartbreaking scene in which Blanca, played exquisitely by MJ Rodriguez, endures transmisogynistic harassment for trying to integrate a downtown gay bar. That scene was filmed at Julius, a real bar in New York and one of the older sites of gay activism and patronage in the city.

The contemporary black ballroom scene has its origins in white exclusion. In Out Magazine, Mikelle Street traced it back to a camp beauty pageant in 1967, when Crystal Labeija, one of the scene’s most popular drag queens, placed third runner-up.

As she left the stage, she delivered a searing speech about racial discrimination in ballroom scene, an address so iconic that it has reverberated through time, and was recently referred to on an episode of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” After that, Ms. Labeija and a friend began throwing black-only balls, creating an inheritance that is treasured and celebrated to this day.

Gerard H. Gaskin, a Trinidadian photographer who documented the contemporary ballroom scene, captured intimate images of gay gatherings that breathe and perspire on the page.

In an interview with AfroPunk, Mr. Gaskin said these gatherings are not limited to New York. “This happens at night in small halls in cities all over the country,” he said. “These photographs show us different views of these spaces as they are reflected in the eyes of house and ball members who perform what they wish these cities could be.”

At the Lesbian Herstory Archives in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, a hand-drawn map shows where black lesbians met in Harlem, defunct places with promising names like Zambezie Bar, the Zodiac Club, Mahogany and Tubby’s.

Several names are on the map, too, suggesting homes were nexuses for gatherings. Shawn Smith-Cruz, an archivist at Lesbian Herstory Archives, told me that in those days “the very act of attending and being in the space was the penultimate goal.”

The club is not bound to a specific place. It can’t be. Time, gentrification and predatory business practices have kept the club on the move, and not bound to a single venue or neighborhood. Spaces are queered by the bodies that congregate there and the politics that they bring en masse.

The Bklyn Boihood collective hosts events and gatherings that center queer and trans people of color. Despite the popularity and demand for Boihood parties, the ability to erect the club is extremely vulnerable and tenuous: organizers burn out, or a neighborhood gentrifies and spaces are forced to close. The parties that existed 10, five, even a few months ago in New York aren’t happening anymore, according to Ryann Holmes, one of Boihood’s founders.

That is what happened a few years ago with the Starlite Lounge in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, the oldest black-owned gay bar in New York.

Mx. Holmes is also one of the organizers of a monthly summer party called Joy, which they started three years ago with a good friend, Maria Garcia, a D.J. who goes by Rimarkable, as both a memorial and a wake for the people killed at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Fla.

The event was intended to be a one-off. The organizers named the gathering Joy for what they hoped it would provide for people in mourning. They estimated 50 or so people would come. More than 200 showed up.

“People had gone through so much. The energy was through the roof,” Rimarkable recalled. She also felt it was important to hold daytime events, in a nod to the afternoon parties, called tea dances, that have been a staple of gay culture for several decades. And the parties are often intergenerational, with queer youth and elders alike sharing space.

But Joy faces the same threat as its forebears, as the number of black-owned spaces dwindles, and the venues that remain aren’t always eager to host large gatherings of black people on a regular basis. Mx. Holmes is working toward buying a venue to liberate themselves from that problem.

The club can also be a site for shaping cultural change within communities. “We can’t just say this is a safe space,” Mx. Holmes said. “We have to actually make it safe for people to come and enjoy themselves.”

That includes educating security staff on how to interact with nonbinary bodies and what to do when a person’s name may not match what is on government-issued identification. The parties center nonwhite bodies, as the desire for proximity to queerness and blackness has intensified over the last few years, and they both honor the need and desire to protect the sanctimony of spaces. Some party organizers offer cab fare to partygoers who may feel safer avoiding public transportation late at night.

The club also functions as a living archive, from the music that is played to the people who show up to celebrate each other and be celebrated. I saw a recent set by Rimarkable that only included house tracks and classic disco songs — an ode to the black origins of house music, born on the South Side of Chicago, and techno, with roots in Detroit. “This music is also our legacy,” Rimarkable said.

The gay bars that existed when I was a younger adult in New York didn’t feel welcoming to me, and when I went, I was often one of few people of color, and never felt desire or desired. Angela Dimayuga, a chef and rising star on the New York food scene, felt the same way.

“I’ve been here 13 years, and I’ve never gone to gay bars,” Ms. Dimayuga said. “They all felt divey and not for me.”

When Ms. Dimayuga was hired by the Standard Group as its creative director of food and culture in May, she took over the event coordination and hired Candace Williams to work alongside her as the programming and night life director.

The two of them wanted to create a feeling for a space that they felt was lacking in downtown Manhattan, and they transformed the bar in the bottom of the East Village Standard into a gay bar named No Bar.

Most spaces accommodate queer people but aren’t designated that way. They are made queer by the bodies that congregate within them, en masse. With No Bar, Ms. Dimayuga was determined to put her queer community first.

The tension between activism and capitalism has inspired the creation of a Queer March, by a coalition determined to reclaim pride in the spirit of Stonewall with a march that exists beyond the scope of commercial floats and heavy police presence that define the traditional NYC Pride March.

“With more of a presence in society comes more of a need to exert our sociopolitical power,” Raquel Willis, the executive editor of Out magazine, wrote in a recent article. No matter what commercial trends tell us, being out and open is still a privilege and a luxury. And we will always need safe spaces.

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[tune-collective]

10 K-Pop Videos for LGBTQ Pride Month

10 K-Pop Videos for LGBTQ Pride Month

Despite the vibrant K-pop industry, South Korea isn’t the bastion of pride anthems that it’s colorful songs and music videos may suggest. The country’s military recently sentenced a captain to prison for sleeping with other servicemen, and over half of South Korea’s population thought homosexuality was “unacceptable” in 2014, according to a Pew survey.

A product of its environment, K-pop has a long way to go to be inclusive: There aren’t any openly gay singers currently, and LGBTQIA-positive songs are rare. But occasionally there are a few that have featured diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, either lyrically or visually.

Here are a handful of songs and performances that have featured LGBT representation in South Korea’s music industry:

“One More Day” by Sistar & Giorgio Moroder (2016)

Fittingly epic for a collab with one of pop’s most iconic producers, Sistar’s “One More Day” celebrates lesbian love while at the same time exploring sexual harassment. It’s edgy, it’s dark, and the most overt same-sex love story K-pop’s had in more than a decade (see below). The girl group recently broke up, but hopefully the impact of “One More Day” will have a lasting effect on the K-pop industry and open up a larger conversation about sexuality and representation.   

“Animal” by Jo Kwon (2012)

Bondage aesthetics, vogueing and heels that would make Lady Gaga jealous, Jo Kwon brought it in this iconic performance of “Animal” back in 2012, which also featured a pre-BTS J-Hope. It wasn’t a one-time thing for Jo, who has often gone for flamboyance when onstage. Earlier this year, he performed Mother Monster’s LGBT anthem “Born This Way” and highlighted the song’s equality-evoking lyrics multiple times on Instagram.

“History” by Turbo feat. Harisu (2001)

The last song by Turbo until the iconic act reunited in 2015 also happened to be the first song in Korea to feature a transgender singer. Harisu had a lengthy career, and “History” was her start. She challenged gender stereotypes in the industry and became a trans icon in a country where there are a handful of publicly LGBTQ celebrities.

“Party (XXO)” by GLAM (2012)

GLAM, a now-defunct girl group from the same company as BTS, never really blew up, but their debut song “Party (XXO),” written by BTS’ Rap Monster, is one of the most forward-thinking songs out of a K-pop girl group in the past decade. Lyrics like “Can I kiss ya, baby girl?” and “Are you a boy? Girl? I don’t care. Passion is key” have made “Party (XXO)” one of the few songs that are explicit about sexuality and same-sex love.

“I Won’t Love” By Baek Ji Young (2006)

One of Korea’s most popular divas — Baek is known both for her soaring ballads and dance tracks — highlighted a queer couple in the music video for “I Won’t Love” back in the mid-2000s. The video shows a pair of high school girlfriends exploring their innocent, burgeoning romance. It’s one of the few K-pop videos to explicitly show a same-sex relationship and even features a kiss between the pair.

“Not Alone” by Park Jungmin (2011)

This orchestral pop-rock song by the former SS501 member has a meaningful message aimed at anyone who is different. The video doesn’t shy away from depicting a variety of people who go through hardships, ranging from the disabled to drag queens primping. The video ends as they all come together for a massive party, cheering themselves, and Park, on.

“Don’t Look at Me Like That” by Song Ji Eun (2014)

The Secret member’s ode to equality isn’t explicit, but her agency told Korean media upon its release that the lyrics (“We’re just in love, that’s all/ Don’t hate on us, however you’re viewing us/ We’re just a little different/ Just leave us alone”) reflect all non-traditional romances, particularly LGBTQ and biracial relationships, both of which are generally taboo in Korean culture.

“Love & Girls” by Girls’ Generation (2013)

Representation truly matters, and when the biggest girl group in Korea, and arguably Asia, dropped a music video that was LGBTQ-inclusive, it was a big moment. The video for their Japanese song “Love & Girls” featured drag queens among a crowd of women of all ages, and was a step in the right direction to include visibly nonbinary people into the mainstream of Korea’s music industry.

“Please Don’t” by K.Will (2012)

The music video for K.Will’s heart-wrenching ballad seems pretty typical, until a last-minute plot twist turns “Please Don’t” into a subtle nod at the difficulties gay men face in Korea, where double lives are rampant among the LGBTQ community.

“My Number” by Cheetah (2015)

Rapper Cheetah had everyone screaming “yas queen” when she dropped her music video for “My Number.” The song was about Cheetah being an empowered woman coming into her own after rising to fame, but the video gloried in the bodies of the drag queens and females acting as backup dancers, which looked a whole lot like the sort of videos that have made Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai the gay icon she is.

This article originally appeared on Billboard.

http://tunecollective.com/2017/06/16/10-k-pop-videos-lgbtq-pride-month/

[dear-indies]

Hello! I was wondering if you could please recommend two faceclaims for me! One is nonbinary who is very serious and no nonsense. The second is a woman who is a single mother who had a rough past but is trying to put it behind her. Both are in their late 20s to mid 30s. I don't have any race or ethnicity in mind for either of them. Thank you!

Non-binary character:

Jayr Tinaco (1991) Filipino - is non-binary (he/they).

Vico Ortiz (1991) Puerto Rican - is non-binary, pansexual and polyamorous (they/them) - esp in OFMD - has spoken up for Palestine!

Emma D'Arcy (1992) - is non-binary (they/them) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Eliot Sumner (1990) - has said that they "they did not believe in gender labels and did not identify with a particular gender" (they/them) - also lost their taste of spell after a brain injury which I didn't know until now so I'm making a note!

E.R. Fightmaster (1992) - is non-binary (they/them).

Bobbi Salvör Menuez (1993) - is non-binary (they/them) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Olive Gray (1994) Zambian / English - is non-binary (they/them).

Dua Saleh (1994) Sundanese - is non-binary (they/xe) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Mason Alexander Park (1995) Mexican and Spanish - is non-binary (they/them) - esp in The Sandman.

Kehlani (1995) Filipino, African-American, Blackfoot, Cherokee, Choctaw, Mexican, White - is a non-binary womxn and a lesbian (she/they) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Single mum character:

Aiysha Hart (1988) Saudi Arabian and White - has spoken up for Palestine!

Gia Mantegna (1990)

Adelaide Kane (1990)

Joana Ribeiro (1992) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Ayça Ayşin Turan (1992) Turkish.

Jessica Henwick (1992) Chinese Singaporean / White.

Kutsuna Shiori (1992) Japanese.

Kiana Madeira (1992) Black Canadian, Unspecified First Nations, White.

Kaya Scodelario (1992)

Lily Sullivan (1993)

Luciane Buchanan (1993) Tongan and White.

Olivia Cooke (1993)

Adèle Exarchopoulos (1993)

Maia Mitchell (1993) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Margaret Qualley (1994)

Camila Mendes (1994) Brazilian [Portuguese, Unspecified Indigenous, likely Italian and other].

Muskkaan Jaferi (1994) Indian.

Han So Hee (1994) Korean.

Natasha Liu Bordizzo (1994) Chinese / White.

Ambika Mod (1995) Indian - esp in One Day.

Aslıhan Malbora (1995) Turkish.

Rachel Sennott (1995)

Emma Mackey (1996)

Ruth Codd (1996) - is an amputee.

Josefine Frida Pettersen (1996)

Myha'la Herrold (1996) Afro Jamaican / White - has spoken up for Palestine!

Chase Sui Wonders (1996) Tahitian, Chinese, Japanese / White.

Hope this helps you out, anon!