#✦ ╱ text. — ❛ not interested in being polite or heterosexual.

[genericpuff]

Hello, I am a huge fan of your work and I’ve been following you for a while! I am a gay Greek student at the History & Mythology department from Aristotle University. I had to do a lot of research and homework regarding certain subjects and one of them was Κρόκος (Krokos/Crocus). Crocus was in fact in love with a nymph named Smilax, but was never, in any valid story, involved with Hermes romantically. Contrary to popular belief, homosexuality was something that was condemned in the majority of most city-states of ancient Greece, especially Athens. In fact, they even had the derogatory term for gay people “kinaidos” (κίναιδος) and they were banned from participating in politics, banned from the Olympics, banned from participating in the war, banned from being priests and in worse cases, they were sentenced to death. :( “Αν τις Αθηναίος εταιρήση, με έξεστω αυτω των εννέα αρχόντων γενέσθαι, μηδέ ιερωσύνην ιερώσασθαι, μηδέ συνδικήσαι τω δήμω, μηδέ αρχήν αρχέτω μηδεμιάν, μήτε ενδημον, μήτε υπερόριον, μήτε κληρωτήν, μήτε χειροτονητήν, μηδέ επικυρήκειαν αποστελλέσθω, μηδέ γνώμην λεγέτω, μηδέ εις τα δημοτελή ιερά εισίτω, μηδέ εν ταις κοιναίς σταφονοφορίες σταφανούσθω, μηδέ εντός των της αγοράς περιρραντηριων πορευέσθω.

Εάν δε ταύτα τις ποιή,καταγνωσθέντως αυτού εταιρείν, θανάτω ζημιούσθω.” Translation: “If an Athenean performs this, he will not be allowed to become member of the 9 lords, he will not be able to become a priest, he will not be able to become an advocate of the people, he will have no authority inside or outside of Athens, he cannot become a war preacher, he will not be able to express his opinion, he will not be allowed to enter the sacred public temples, he will not be able to take walks happening in Agora. If he ignores any of these laws he will be sentenced to death.” - Solon Laws in book 5, chapter 5

Also, the term “Pederastry” actually meant “Mentoship” and it had nothing to do with sexual relationship between a male teacher and a male student. Many of the homosexual depictions regarding historical and mythological figures are created in modern times without any evidence to back it up. For instance, Achilles and Patroclus are often assumed to be lovers in modern media when in all actuality they were just cousins. Patroclus’ father Μενοίτιος (Menoetius) and Achilles’ father Πηλέας (Peleus) were brothers.

Alexander the Great was never in a relationship with his best friend Hephaestion as there’s no evidence to back it up besides him telling him his secrets and mourning his death.

The only historical figure that could be a legit bisexual was Sappho from the island Lesbos (which is why Greece now calls the island “Mytelene” to avoid any association with lesbians, despite it being the name of one of the cities there). She was accused of being a promiscuous woman who was sleeping with many men and that she was a woman-lover due to her poems, but this is still up to debate to this day.

The worst of all is that most pictures involving homosexual activity used as evidence to prove queerness have been modern remakes of an ancient artifacts depicting heterosexuality (or even the rape of women). Eros Kalos is responsible for many of these “queer copies”.

This deeply saddens me as I am a homosexual myself, but I don’t think Ancient Greece deserves credit for being “open-minded” on the subject knowing that they would treat me badly if I was born in my country in that era. I don’t feel comfortable with people trying to prove that it was gay when that’s not true at all. Anyway, I am very happy that artists like you exist and make their own fictional versions of the characters in ways that feel comfortable for us to look at. Stay amazing. <3

Wow, this was a super interesting read !!! Thanks for all the helpful info :3 It's sometimes difficult to discern what "love" between gods and mortals means in the translated texts, as sometimes it can mean romantic/sexual love, and other times it just means godly love, i.e. mortals who were "chosen" by gods to be their patrons (so just having a very strong spiritual connection in the same way the Christian God "loves his children") and I feel like sometimes those two things become conflated a lot in discussion around those stories, but that's why it's always important to listen to other interpretations and translations to try and get the most accurate recounting possible.

Mind you, I am not Greek so take ALL of my opinions on this topic with OLYMPUS-SIZED-MOUNTAINS OF SALT LOL

I actually had no idea about the Alexander the Great x Hephaestion thing, and upon searching it up, it brought up articles about a Netflix production? Would I be wrong in assuming that's what motivated you to clarify on that ? 😆 (or is it just a common sentiment these days? genuinely asking haha I'm not so sharp on my Alexander the Great lore these days 😔🤡)

I absolutely agree that Greece itself isn't exactly a pillar of LGBTQ+ representation or rights (it is, after all, predominantly Orthodox Christian and they just legalized gay marriage in this, the year of our suffering 2024) and it's important not to put on blinders or use our connection to the gods and myths to erase what's going on historically. It's certainly not a magical imperfect wonderland - no culture or country is - and the more people are aware of that, the more they can become aware of ongoing issues and fight for things like equal rights (as they should!) so they can move towards positive change.

I think there's definitely lots to be said about the fandomification of Greek myth as well, where a lot of people take fun in the cute / funny / easy-to-headcanon parts of the myths without recognizing where they come from, why they were written, and who they were written for. It's easy to be a non-Greek person consuming and engaging with all the fun parts of the myths, because we get the privilege of being outsiders looking in who can interpret the myths in our own way free of consequences or the reality of the culture these myths are from. And I say that as someone who's not Greek and absolutely falls into that camp! Some of us use that privilege responsibly, others... not so much. And again, that's something that can happen with any culture (though I can definitely name a handful that have become notorious for how fandomified they've become through pop culture cough Japan cough Korea cough Canada, yes I fucking said Canada-)

That said, as with any culture that becomes more popularized with people outside of it, as much as that can lead to harm and misrepresentation in many ways, it can also lead to a lot of joy and appreciation. I'm glad that so many people have found themselves in the myths and find their hope through them and reclaim their power through them even if they've had a messy history. I see this sort of reclamation thriving in Christian mythology as well, through those who want to reclaim the beauty of many of its stories and messages and express the joy and love and compassion in them, rather than using them for hate and discrimination as they're so commonly and systematically used. In that way I think you can easily have adaptions that aren't historically accurate, but are more reflective of the culture and hopes and dreams of the people who are retelling them in the modern day. I think it's important to keep both in mind.

IMO it's one of those "if we don't find joy in it and use it to spread love to others, that means the bigots get to use it for harm" type things, if that makes sense :'0 But that doesn't mean we should pretend like history never happened, because in doing so, we're doomed to repeat it. We should always do our best to respect where these stories came from, and do more to learn about them when we get the opportunity to do so, because not doing so is how we end up with adaptions and "retellings" that are so far removed from the source material - but still ingrain themselves so seriously without a shred of transparency - that they almost become erasure in and of themselves. As I say a lot here, balance is key, and we should always be making efforts to learn ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡

[squaletta]

♦ What was a mildly annoying thing that has happened to you rp wise?

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐘 𝐀𝐅 𝐌𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐄

Heterophobia: It's a very sensitive topic, but I'll say it like I feel it. Don't get me wrong, let everyone roleplay what they want and how they want, I have nothing against any sexual orientation, but I noticed that heterosexual muses are becoming a minority, or if you roleplay a muse as a heterosexual, they are less interesting, boring, and many times homosexual muses are not interested in interacting with such a muse. Why? It's not all about ships. My muse can also have friends, acquaintances and so on.

Not respecting the backstory of my muse: This happened to me specifically during the roleplay of the muse fem!Tsuna. Simply, my roleplay partner did not accept in their replies that Tsuna is a full-fledged mafia boss capable of leading her family because I rp Tsuna as 26 years old and post-canon. In their answers, they perceived her as incompetent. If we had agreed that way, fine, but it wasn't like that. I texted them about it, but they still continued in this way – in their eyes, my 26 years old Tsuna, who is more like TYL Tsuna, was a 14 years old girl who knew shit about the mafia, despite the fact she was there for over 10 years. So I wrote them a message saying that I can't continue our roleplay because it's not going anywhere.

Genderbents are pure evil: Genderbents are for smut only. Genderbent are transphobic. I heard many bad things about female versions of male canon characters. It is like stigma. Honestly, I don't like it when someone hates any roleplay minority. Why do we need to bring politics and social issues into roleplay? For me, roleplay is a fun and creative activity. No, people who roleplay genderbents are not necessarily evil or transphobic, either. They may have other reasons. Honestly, I've never been satisfied with genderbent portrayals in fanfics, fanarts and etc., that's why I want to bring people a slightly different view of genderbent, that even female versions can be good and have good development like their original versions. They are not just for smut or shipping. They may be just as good as their original versions, but they will be different because being born female and being born male are two different things.

[hymn-of-muse]

Can i have a honkai star rail matchup plz

male matchup plz

Gender: cis female

Pronouns: she/her

Sexuality: heterosexual ally

Zodiac: Capricorn

Appearance: 5’2 African American hourglass body (although I’m more top heavy if you know what i mean) black curly wavy hair blackish brown eyes chubby cheeks wears glasses sometimes (im far sighted so it’s usually when driving in class or at the theater)

Mbti: infj

Enneagram: 2w1

Personality: kind smart funny motherly responsible empathetic anxious emotional moody perfectionist helpful people pleaser caring compassionate nerdy curious protective polite respectful indecisive fearful nervous introvert shy awkward clumsy low self esteem low confidence (more pertaining to my talents or personality then my looks) sassy sarcastic (I’m mainly these things with people i feel comfortable with like friends or family) soft spoken cute (my friends think im cute because i can be pretty innocent plus I’m small physically)

Likes: animals books reading writing fantasy magic sci fi anime music video games friends alone time learning personality quizzes sweets and bread helping being a part of something bigger than myself

Dislikes: spiders loud sounds people who harm others people who don’t take others into consideration (like make insensitive jokes or don’t consider the comfort of others or are mean just cause they can) people i care about not caring for themselves (im a hypocrite on this i take care of everyone else but not me) not being listened to weird holes and patterns math and tests

Love language:

Giving: acts of service gift giving and physical affection (if they’re ok with it)

Receiving: words of affirmation and physical affection (although i can be shy about it)

Extra: i pace a lot i sing when im alone i talk to myself im a picky eater (mainly with textures) i have a cat

man you guys like giving a lot of info /nm

i dont know anything about the personality type stuff that means nothing to me, and i've stated previously that things like zodiac signs are not what im looking for in these forms, i just need some basic information like looks, traits and preferences but im glad you added your likes and dislikes cuz that helps me come up with stuff /lh

Arlan comes to mind. you're both a bit short and your love languages seem to match. he's a pretty animal friendly person considering he looks after asta's puppy, so i can imagine him looking after a cat if one came around.

he'd be a tad more of the confident one in the relationship, he doesnt mind telling you how much he cares about you and doing things for you but he gets a little shy around pda.

he'd probably set up a mutual habit with you of checkin in on each other throughout the day which probably became more frequent after the legion attacked the station.

if he overhears you singing hes going to wait by the doorway until youre done to say anything so he can listen, he'd rather not interrupt you if he can help it.

he'd take note of your favourite foods, textures you like and so on and get you something when he has a break to visit you if he can just so he can check in on you in person and make sure you eat something rather than asking you over text.

if you ever want to share what you write with him he'd be more than happy to read it. he'd get curious and try not to pick it up without your permission but his interest might get the best of him and he could end up taking a peak anyway.

if you did something for him, gave him a personalized or hand made gift or even just gave him a kiss on the cheek in front of people he would melt so fast. bright red and stumbling over his words. he'd probably give up on trying to say anything and just hold your hand in the end.

[enochscribbles]

Can I have a honkai star rail matchup please

Gender: cis female

Pronouns: she/her

Sexuality: heterosexual ally

Zodiac: Capricorn

Appearance: 5’2 African American hourglass body (although I’m more top heavy if you know what i mean) black curly wavy hair blackish brown eyes chubby cheeks wears glasses sometimes (im far sighted so it’s usually when driving in class or at the theater)

Mbti: infj

Enneagram: 2w1

Personality: kind smart funny motherly responsible empathetic anxious emotional moody perfectionist helpful people pleaser caring compassionate nerdy curious protective polite respectful indecisive fearful nervous introvert shy awkward clumsy low self esteem low confidence (more pertaining to my talents or personality then my looks) sassy sarcastic (I’m mainly these things with people i feel comfortable with like friends or family) soft spoken cute (my friends think im cute because i can be pretty innocent plus I’m small physically)

Likes: animals books reading writing fantasy magic sci fi anime music video games friends alone time learning personality quizzes sweets and bread helping being a part of something bigger than myself

Dislikes: spiders loud sounds people who harm others people who don’t take others into consideration (like make insensitive jokes or don’t consider the comfort of others or are mean just cause they can) people i care about not caring for themselves (im a hypocrite on this i take care of everyone else but not me) not being listened to weird holes and patterns math and tests (I’m being tested for a math disability and i have test anxiety)

Love language:

Giving: acts of service gift giving and physical affection (if they’re ok with it)

Receiving: words of affirmation and physical affection (although i can be shy about it)

Extra: i pace a lot i sing when im alone i talk to myself im a picky eater (mainly with textures) i have a cat i have minor ehlers danalos (a hyper mobility disorder) but it doesn’t hurt me like it does my sisters i get abdominal migraines which is basically like a migraine but instead of headaches it’s nausea

Thank you

Hello! Thank you for the request. first matchup so I hope this is ok. I’ll assume this is a romantic matchup but it can be read either way (I’m really sorry if it’s not perfect as I’m not as up-to-date with HSR, but I’ve done my best ;w;)

I pretty much listed everything that came to mind for this one, so matchups following this one may not be as long, apologies

I’d match you with Gepard Landau!

Okay, so, first, Gepard is very stubborn, as a deeply loyal person

Protecting others is his top priority, his path is Preservation, so there’s no question of whether he takes other people into consideration or not

And he’s a very kind-hearted person, so I think you’d get along

Despite how it may seem, he’s quite empathetic himself and would definitely appreciate how compassionate you are, having a lot of respect for how you care about and help others

So you'd share how you see a lot of things

Gepard’s also used to a sassy and sarcastic personality from his sister, Serval (who’s also a good platonic match, I think), so conversation with him would be fun and lively especially if Serval joined it

It’s amazing to him how you’re able to create worlds out of text, and your liking books, music and such might spark an interest for him in those things, too (he'd be nice to talk to about whatever media you're into because he pays so much attention and tries to learn about it in his downtime so he can talk about it with you)

He also absolutely understands the feeling of being a part of something bigger than yourself with his role in the Silvermane Guards and the protection of the entire city

And he’d find you really nice to be around, being soft-spoken

You might have a bit of trouble with him putting the safety of others over his own and coming back injured (or getting wounded if you join him in the fray), but really, he’s very reasonable and would make sure everyone, including himself, was safe and healthy

And he would do the same thing right back to you, fussing over whether you’re looking after yourself, of course.

He also finds himself singing or humming Serval’s songs to himself (though he’s a little out of tune) and would find your singing lovely if you wanted to share it with him

As a final note, he’d be really supportive of you and reassure you if you were anxious in any way, not only is he good at boosting morale as a guard but for his friends and partner, he’d be able to genuinely tell you everything that’s amazing about you, and say you’re stronger than you think

(also the Landau siblings’ names are all big cat themed, which leads me to believe,, surprisingly has an affinity with ur cat lol. that’s all)

being a tank is all about love a gepard textpost i feel is relevant

[hellceo]

“I’m not interested in being polite or heterosexual.” — tumblr text posts ( accepting ) / @sgarrigh

" PLEASE. ANYONE INTERESTING RARELY IS EITHER OF THOSE THINGS. " The King of Hell smiles, those eyes gleaming. " Be as impolite and gay as you like, my dear, it makes the world far more fascinating. "

[hello-jumping-in-puddles]

mid-year book freak out tag

tagged by @bloody-wonder, thank you!

1. Best Book You’ve Read So Far in 2023? 

Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente. i dont even know what to say. i want to sit raptly while someone smarter than me explains all the history and symbolism in this book that i missed. haunting.

2. Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far in 2023? 

partially just because i've read few sequels this year, The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik wins. I maintain that Orion is boring as hell after book 1 and I don't care about him but the rest of the book? Delicious. El is so snarky and dark. Ooooh im an evil witch princess im so scary my friends have to hold me back from committing evil (devotes her life to protecting other people) (refuses to live in an enclave because it feels like cheating) (shows up whenever people ask for help even if they suck). also the reveal with the mawmouths was just. such fucking 10/10 writing. the punch of understanding. the way the text gives the reader space to figure it out themself and just go HOLY SHIT.

3. New Release You Haven’t Read Yet, But Want To?

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle. I have it downloaded. I am ready.

4. Most Anticipated Release For Second Half of 2023? 

I have no idea. I just find books when I find them, y'know?

5. Biggest Disappointment?

ironically, the sequel to question 6, The Return of Fitzroy Angursell by Victoria Goddard. after a book which is about a guy whose whole thing is "really good civil servant" this book was just...not what i wanted. it was about a classic singing robin hood style hero who is charming and cool and magical and does adventures and maybe otherwise i would have enjoyed it but how can i read a book set in the world of my favourite bureaucrat Kip and not read about bureaucracy??? only book so far this year i just straight up didnt finish. also, you can only tell the same vague story about how kip made a joke that one time without actually telling the joke before it stops being "backstory" and starts being "the author never actually figured out what the joke was".

6. Biggest Surprise?

The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard. absolutely bizarre book. there is no real plot other than the emperor preparing for retirement. the first three hundred pages the emperor just. goes on vacation?? i was expecting political intrigue but the political intrigue is 90% just "the rich guys dont like it but our guy, Kip the bureaucrat, is the emperors specialist guy and also extremely stubborn so everyone has to go alone with UBI". the biggest conflict is literally just interpersonal miscommunication but good. i was so hooked it was ridiculous. where did the heterosexuality come from i am perplexed

7. Favorite New Author?

i was about to say catherynne m valente but i actually cant claim that because now i looked her up and ive read other work by her! she did The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making and sequels which were extremely delightful also. so this one goes to Victoria Goddard on the basis of i have apparently read a lot of authors i already know this year

8. Newest Favorite Character?

Cliopher (Kip) Mdang my beloved

9. Newest Fictional Crush?

¯\_ (ツ)_/¯

💕Best Ship💕

¯\_ (ツ)_/¯

okay i guess maybe kip + the emperor? or maybe el + liesel because i was surprisingly a big fan of liesel by the end. though maybe thats just me wanted el to be with someone more interesting than orion.

10. Book That Made You Cry?

i can't actually remember if i cried but Driftwood by Marie Brennan was quite haunting and beautiful and bittersweet

11. Book That Made You Happy? 

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson. now, all brandon sandersons are at least 30% power of friendship by weight but i really do appreciate that this one was like "yeah no we're saying that part out loud. people are heros because they love their friends anything else is just set dressing"

12. Favorite Book Adaptation You Saw This Year?

i...dont think ive watched any book adaptations this year

13. Favorite Review You’ve Written This Year?

don't write 'em, so n/a

14. Most Beautiful Cover?

im going to say Deathless tho i think i am biased because the book hypnotised me

15. What Books Do You Need To Read By The End of The Year?

so many. Ancillary Justice. I also really should read Nona the Ninth but book 2 was so...eugh. i ravenously devoured a bunch of Pratchett's last month and i am waiting on several more from the library. apparently theres a new murderbot out soon? i should check that out.

tagging @a-fish-bee, @foxsoulcourt if you want to do this one :)

[storiedhistories]

Tumblr Text Posts Prompts // Accepting

@stygicniron asked: “I’m not interested in being polite or heterosexual.” to Will

"That makes two of us," Will responded without looking up from what he was doing. He was stitching up the last few injuries from training (some of them had needed more attention than others) when his boyfriend had come in and dropped the bombshell. "But I don't think that's news," he added, glancing over at Nico with a grin.

He turned back to his patient, a camper in their second year, child of Demeter, he was pretty sure. "Keep this wrapped up, and come back the day after tomorrow. I'll see how it's healing and change out the dressing, all right?"

Once the camper had left, Will turned his full attention to Nico, leaning against the exam table. "Obviously, the whole heterosexual ship has sailed," he grinned again, "but who are we not being polite to?" Because obviously, he wanted to do what he could to support Nico, but he also liked to know what was happening.

[anime-by-kr]

"Queer Masculinities" by Robert Heasley and "Masculinities" by R.W. Connell

Hey everyone! 🌟

"Queer Masculinities" by Robert Heasley takes a closer look at how some men express their masculinity differently from what society traditionally expects. He talks about Tim and Jon, two college friends who identify as heterosexual but have intimate and sexual interactions with each other. They challenge conventional norms by calling each other 'boyfriend' in public and being physically affectionate. In this way, they queer straight spaces as a political act while exploring their own identities and relationships. The text emphasises how these actions can create a broader understanding of masculinity that isn't confined to rigid stereotypes.

On the other hand, R.W. Connell's 'Masculinities' focuses on the different types of masculinity and how they fit into social structures. Connell discusses how gay masculinity is often marginalised and presents the idea that even some heterosexual men are pushed out of the "circle of legitimacy". He uses terms such as "wimp" and "nerd" to illustrate this exclusion. Connell also talks about the concept of "complicit masculinity", where some men benefit from patriarchal systems without being the most dominant figures. It's interesting to see how he breaks down the complexities and hierarchies within masculinity itself.

Both readings made me think about how society constructs and enforces certain behaviours for men. It's eye-opening to see that there isn't just one way to be a man, and that these rigid definitions can be limiting and damaging. I was particularly struck by the story of Tim and Jon in Heasley's work, because it shows that intimacy and affection between men doesn't necessarily define their sexual orientation, but rather their human connection.

In summary, these readings challenge traditional notions of masculinity and offer a more inclusive perspective. They remind us of the importance of recognising and validating different expressions of identity.

[valeriannnnnn]

i’ve been thinking a lot lately about AI and its use in pornography, specifically in the seemingly gendered approach to it. Broadly speaking, there is a sort of ‘binary’ to the demographics of AI Pornography; men, typically, gravitate towards AI Images while women tend to gravitate more towards AI erotic roleplay (such as Chai and similar platforms which permit 18+ roleplay, unlike CharacterAI, generally speaking). While the gendered differences in consumption of pornography have been discussed and analysed before, I’m particularly interested in the broader implications of the intersection of AI and roleplay within pornography as I feel it differs from the traditional erotica-focused/text-focused pornography that many women gravitate towards, which I feel indicates a broader social pattern.

Particularly, what fascinates me about this is how much of this roleplay isn’t simply action-based (i.e., focused solely on sex) but rather more narrative-based (i.e., a specific dynamic - a mafia husband who’s secretly falling for you, a demon boyfriend courting his angel girlfriend, a prince smitten with a princess, and so on), which speaks to a broader desire for emotional connection.

Simply put, a cursory glance at these bots suggests that the user demographic seeks more than just sex - they seek connection.

Now, on its own this is not inherently surprising nor new - many women tend to prefer to feel ‘desired’ or ‘courted’ by their partners - but rather, I think that the broader social context that we see this interest evolving in is noteworthy. I think it is fundamentally linked to a larger social dynamic of the growing social gaps between men and women.

Over the past several years, particularly since the start of the pandemic, men in many countries have shifted towards more conservative and reactionary viewpoints; men overwhelmingly vote conservatively, many men have become far more outspoken in their misogynistic viewpoints, and many men have overwhelmingly demonstrated themselves to not be a desirable partner - be it due to politics, unequal contributions to domestic labour, disinterest in female sexual pleasure, or a litany of other factors.

Moreover, as the rate of female college graduates continues to rise - while the male rate declines - and womens’ overall growth in careers, mental health, education, income, and similar categories catches up to - or outright outpaces - mens’ performance, more and more women have seemed to developed a growing awareness that, simply put, being in a relationship with a man frankly does not offer the same benefits as it once did.

In reaction to this, many - though not all, of course - men have reacted negatively, instead doubling down on these behaviours rather than seeking to improve, which, in turn, has resulted in many women de-centering and de-prioritising men.

Concurrent to this, we’ve seen the rapid development and evolution of AI, which almost offers an escape - the ability to instead find fulfillment from an ‘AI Boyfriend’ - who’ll never leave dishes by the sink or ignore your pleasure - which I think contributes to this divide. Fundamentally, if you still desire companionship, at least in the vaguest of senses, you can satisfy it momentarily through the virtual embrace of AI.

Now, this isn’t to blame women for such a pivot - it’s wholly understandable why, given the above reasons, a woman might decide that remaining single isn’t that bad of an option - but I think it nonetheless requires discussion as we stare down the question of what happens when a large portion of the population may not end up in a relationship?

Regardless of what side of the issue an individual falls on, the question nonetheless retains its gravity. Fundamentally, whether or not we view men as wholly or in part at fault for this social trend in women choosing to remain single, we must consider how this affects men.

For example, if we take a group of 100 heterosexual men and estimate that 20% of them will not end up in a relationship, that leaves 20 men effectively isolated - particularly when we look at statistics of male friendships. Now, if we assume that 40% of them are unable to find a partner for ‘self-induced’ reasons - such as holding misogynistic views, for instance - that nonetheless leaves 12 seemingly ‘decent’ men single.

Now I’m not arguing that those 12 individuals are entitled to a relationship nor that they are obligated to be ‘given a chance,’ but rather I think we must ask ourselves: what happens to those overlooked individuals? It’s not sufficient to simply say “sucks to be you” as, ultimately, humans will still desire connection. Moreover, when we look at the systems that target these men - pipelines of radicalisation, such as the Far-Right - we fundamentally need to consider the outcomes of these circumstances.

I’m not positioning myself as a ‘defender of men’ here, but I fundamentally believe that we should not just abandon a segment of the population for no reason other than their gender. While, yes, the onus does ultimately fall on men as a whole to build up spaces and connections to combat this isolation, we nonetheless have to consider, as progressives, what will we do in response to this? Will we simply abandon these individuals, telling them to effectively ‘figure it out’ and leave them to search for communities, many of which implicitly push them out?

Fundamentally, I feel that that is an issue that pervades many progressive spaces; there is this tendency to engage in rhetoric outwardly hostile towards men and then be surprised that men are broadly disinterested in these spaces.

Now, I’m not arguing that we should placate and centre men - much of this rhetoric comes from people and groups who have understandable reasons to be distrustful of men, given the unfortunately too-common experiences of male violence - but we must nonetheless consider how we communicate this. To put it bluntly, we cannot reasonably expect men to happily sit by and be told they are fundamentally evil due to their gender; rather, we should try to find a reconcile our justifiable anger towards patriarchial violence while still offering space to men.

This doesn’t mean that we have to blindly tolerate patriarchial views and attitudes - fundamentally, I believe that everyone, regardless of who they are, should be held accountable and encouraged to grow - but instead we should open ourselves to a more intersectional perspective that considers that we are all victims of patriarchial violence.

Obviously, I’m not trying to equivocate between individual experiences of patriarchial violence and present them as all equal; instead, I’m simply positing that, in our ever-divided society, extending empathy to others is beneficial to reactionary ideology when we can.

In closing, I feel the words of Bell Hooks communicate my point much better than I ever could:

“To create loving men, we must love males. Loving maleness is different from praising and rewarding males for living up to sexist-defined notions of male identity. Caring about men because of what they do for us is not the same as loving males for simply being. When we love maleness, we extend our love whether males are performing or not. Performance is different from simply being. In patriarchal culture males are not allowed simply to be who they are and to glory in their unique identity. Their value is always determined by what they do. In an anti-patriarchal culture males do not have to prove their value and worth. They know from birth that simply being gives them value, the right to be cherished and loved.” - Bell Hooks, “The Will To Change”

[la-chacha-gris]

Things about me/ Cosas sobre mi

This is a guide post for newcomers to clear up any doubts without having to ask me/ Esto es una publicación orientativa para recién llegados salir de dudas sin tener que preguntarme.

1-My name is Maria, you can call me Chacha like in my profile if you want. I'm saying this for anyone who needs a first name/Me llamo María, puedes llamarme Chacha como el perfil si quieres. Lo digo para quien necesite un nombre de pila.

2-I was born in 1990, so I am 34 years old when I write this. I am from Spain (I will not say anything more about my place of origin or residence)/Nací en 1990, por lo que tengo 34 años cuando escribo esto. Soy de España (no concreto más sobre lugar de origen o residencia)

3-I'm heterosexual and I'm out of a stable relationship… But I'm looking for nothing. DMs closed to mutuals only. What could interest me? Intellectual topics from my blog, feedback from it… the first thing for me is to write in it daily. Any other kind of general or personal questions? You can send Ask (anon if you want) and I'll see about answering you. I usually do it in less than 24 hours. Disrespect: blocking/Soy heterosexual y salgo de relación estable… Pero busco nada. DM cerrados a solo mutuals .¿Qué puede interesarme? Temas intelectuales de mi blog, feedback de este… lo primero para mi es escribir en este a diario. ¿Otro tipo de dudas generales o personales? puedes mandar Ask (anon si quieres) y veo lo de responderte. Suelo hacerlo en menos de 24 horas. Faltas de respeto: bloqueo

4-I work as a librarian, organise cultural workshops and teach part of the year. My discretion is due to the topics I deal with here, which I do not want to be related to my professional life. It is not only because of my sexual experimentation (submissive, somewhat masochistic, knives…), my interests in erotic culture or my political position (dissident or left-wing feminism) are also sensitive there. This blog is a liberation from all that/Trabajo de bibliotecaria, organizadora de talleres culturales y doy clases parte del año. Mi discreción es por los temas que trato aquí, que no quiero que se relacionen conmigo en mi vida profesional. No es solo por mi experimentación sexual (sumisa, algo masoquista, cuchillos..), también son delicados allí mis intereses en cultura del erotismo o mi posicionamiento político (feminismo disidente o de izquierdas).Este blog es una liberación de todo eso.

5-I like stockings and lingerie, I don't collect and use them more for the expense and possibility of using them. I post photos of that and other things I like, collecting them through tags. It's true that some are sexier than those in a lingerie catalogue, but I'm sometimes naughty, combining that hobby with my own for graphic and literary eroticism. I'm not in any closet, I speak freely about my desires and sexuality so as to hide any of that/Me gustan las medias y la lencería, no colecciono y uso más por gasto y posibilidad de usarlas. Pongo fotos de eso y otras cosas de mi gusto haciendo colección por medio de las tags. Es verdad que algunas son más sexy que de catalogo de lencería, pero soy traviesa a veces juntando esa afición con la mía al erotismo gráfico y literario. No estoy en armario/closet alguno, hablo libremente de mis apetencias y sexualidad como para ocultar nada de eso.

6-My recurrence with zebras or their name is a private joke, which makes me identify here with the image of Sasha Grey has to do with the brave attitude of continually reinventing herself and being a free woman who speaks of power and desire without fear or joining a movement (general political or feminist in particular) and I often publish about her (beyond her career in adult films). For more information there are specific texts written by me/Mi recurrencia con las cebras o su nombre es un chiste de lore privado, que me haga identificar aquí con la imagen de Sasha Grey tiene que ver con la actitud valiente de reinventarse continuamente y ser mujer libre que habla de poder y deseo sin temer ni sumarse a movimiento (político general o feminista en particular) y a menudo publico sobre ella (más allá de su carrera en cine para adultos). Para más información hay textos concretos escritos por mi.

7-The main goals of my blog (for now) are twofold: to keep an intimate personal diary here (which helps me organize my ideas about myself and my things) and to write about something I call Esoteric Pornoculture (which has nothing to do with magic or studying porn, there are specific texts to explain that). Apart from this and stockings, or photos, art and what I find sexy or feel like sharing to tell you something, I can write articles about other things, like cinema or feminism. This blog defines me and some posts talk (are related) to others and bubble up like ideas that come to me/Los objetivos principales de mi blog (por ahora) son dos: llevar aquí un diario personal íntimo (que me ayuda a ordenar ideas sobre mi, y mis cosas) y escribir sobre algo que llamo Pornocultura Esotérica (que no tiene que ver con magia ni estudiar el porno, hay textos específicos para explicar eso). Aparte de esto y las medias, o fotos, arte y lo que encuentro sexy o me da compartirlo para comentaros algo, puedo hacer artículos de otras cosas, como cine o feminismo. En este blog se me define y unos posts hablan (se relacionan) con otros y bullen como ideas que me vienen.

For the sake of convenience, I will link this post so that it does not get lost and you can give it as under construction, as my own blog. Thanks for reading. I am not an ogre even though I express myself here directly and sharply, I have good friends here, talk to me without fear. The quickest way is to comment on posts. Kisses.

Por utilidad, enlazaré este post para que no se pierda y podeís darlo como en construcción, como mi propio blog. Gracias por leer. No soy una ogra aunque me exprese aquí directa y tajante, tengo buenos amigos aquí, habladme sin miedo. El modo más rápido son los comentarios a posts. Besos.

[rikkiwildfire]

In an infinite universe full of untold wonders not often limited to a strict binary or singular, static state of being, what compels some individuals to restrict their experience of endless possibilities to a lifetime of vanilla, unseasoned cabbage water, or a single sexual partner with a specific combination of genitals and wardrobe?

Now a widely adopted lifestyle, what many now refer to as "heterosexuality" started on the forums of Something Awful. On March 15th of 2001, user ToastedLabia created a thread detailing a traumatic brain injury that left them only attracted to members of the opposite sex. In a display of solidarity, other users vowed to limit their own interests and behaviors for 30 days. In March of 2002, the second annual "Heterosexual Awareness Challenge" not only saw more participants, but over $150,000 in donations to the It Can't Get Much Worse Project, a nonprofit created in memory of ToastedLabia, who passed away the previous winter after a bread truck fell on them.

But then MySpace arrived in the fall of 2003, and "heterosexuality" soon spread like wildfire.

By March 2004, thousands of people identified as heterosexual. By the end of the 2010s, it was millions.

Now, most heterosexuals aren't even aware their choice was once a rare affliction resulting from severe brain damage. Worse, many go so far as to claim their lifestyle is not a choice, but rather some natural state of being that has always existed. They game political systems and entire governments to limit the rights and private lives of regular, healthy people. They indoctrinate school children into believing a fabricated history. And they even go so far as to rewrite ancient religious texts to uphold their delusions.

But to what end?

Some studies claim the modern heterosexual is a passing fad, the result of shifting cultural norms, population demographics, and political and economic unrest. Others hint at artificially inflated numbers promoted by the alt-right and other openly fascist movements. But their goal remains the same: in the grand buffet of life, everyone must be fine with the bologna with mayo on stale white bread they have at home.

[jacksonianmusings]

So I am super late with this week's blog after a harrowing experience with university finance, but this also means I have had some time to continue my thinking on Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler and an essay by Hoda Zaki called, "Utopia, Dystopia, and Ideology in the Science Fiction of Octavia Butler"

I will be starting with some annotations of Zaki's article

Intro

Despite Butler's own denial, she is a part of "the post-1970 feminist and utopian SF trend" (Zaki 239).

Butler's writings point to the short coming of similar works by white women.

Utopia.

Feminist philosophy

-Essentialist: The female anatomy is the most important factor in determining the difference.

-Materialist: focuses on the social and historic manifestations of gender to explain misogyny

Butler believes that violence, the need to 'other' groups, and the inability to change are flaws inherent to human biology in her novel Rites. (Men are particularly prone to violence)

Butler's novels portray the world of human politics either as practically nonexistent or as an unbalanced relationship of the dominated and the dominator

-She explores the concept of a more collectivist political system with the Oankali, who come together as one to make their decisions. This collectivity is a common trait of feminist utopian SF.

Butler's conception of this utopian ideal of the Oankanli is conservative because the aliens are monogamous and do not interact with human genitals for sexual pleasure.

2.Dystopia

Dystopias and Utopias are not opposites

-Utopian Pessimism: "dystopian elements in a text are depicted as occuring in, or caused by, specific historical forces." (244) Progressive

-Dystopia Pessimism: "dystopia is inevitable because its origins are... metaphysical" (244). Anti-utopian, conservative

Dystopias offer utopian hope by attempting to convince readers to change their society's way.

Butler is pessimistic and conservative because her dystopia is unavoidable. This stance is possibly due to the "increasing conservatism of the contemporary social and political order" (245) which is an attitude that has found its place especially in the African American community.

3.Ideology

Feminist utopias usually have:

"Cooperative society which emphasizes the organic nature of its times and the overriding importance of the common good" (245)

"Ascriptive and non-democratic" leadership

"disparate human natures resulting from biological differences" (246) Men more violent and women more nurturing. This concept stems from the historic exclusion of women from politics due to their inherent differences. Butler particularly leans on this concept in her works.

Butler then pushes back against the confines of the feminist utopia which claims to speak for all women, but doesn't push to imagine these non white women in their narratives.

I found Zaki's article to be really interesting as they put forth a lot of ideas that I am not sure I would have formulated as my own. One idea that immediately sticks out is the framing of Butler as conservative. In PotS the main character, Lauren Olamina cross-dresses as a man to better her survival on the road, but notes that she doesn't like being referred to as a man (Please forgive that I can't find the quote rn). Could this be read as Butler's "conservative" leanings? Maybe. The relationships in this novel are heterosexual, but does that speak to conservatism or simply the limit of Butler's natural scope? In Parable of the Talents, there is a queer relationship that is found out about after Earthseed's small community was overrun by the Crusader's; one woman of the couple was tortured to death. I need to refresh my thoughts on that novel as well because my head wants to combine the ideas to have a more holistic discussion on Butler's ideology.

By Zaki standard's PotS also exhibits its conservative nature in being a dystopia that is inevitable. Instead of engaging solely with the bettering of Earth, Lauren reaches for the stars for an answer to their salvation. By the end of her story, the group has entered a space of uncertainty and scorched earth, the same that Lauren (and many others) left miles behind.

Something that my mind has continually drifted to while reading Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower is the concept of chaos.

I have always rationalized a lot of religious urges as a need to understand and categorize the world around oneself; particularly, throughout history, religion has often explained much a natural phenomenon that would later be understood by science. In this novel, there is much to the world that must be understood and Lauren's community continues to hold on to previous religious ideals that no longer serve them. Lauren sees this and creates her own god out of the concept of change, or rather she appoints change as a lifestyle, mantra, belief system as a way to rationalize the ever-changing world. In a world of chaos, Lauren decides to anchor herself to the chaos itself. Something so cool about that. Even though the whole book is spent preparing you to be disappointed by the harsh truths of reality, I still found myself so sad that the group didn't make it to Bankole's mystical farm.

[iiroiiros]

“I’m not interested in being polite or heterosexual.” ( for Yuliya! )

tumbly texts

"Oh, really? Me too, heck yeah!" And the mage holds out her hand for a high-five.

[thisistheworldofgays]

spoilers b-low im SERIOUS. if you have beaten the rooftops area you can read until the red text warning you of endgame spoilers, but seriously dont spoil it for yourself! The ending is one that is absolutely best left unspoiled.

Obviously, I don't feel this was the intended canon.

That being said, I think Simon reads as a repressed / unknowingly gay character.

The only scene we really have to go off is the cutscene before Carcass, where Simon talks to Sophie. His word choice has always been interesting to me and the whole scene feels rather familiar as a queer person. Sophie starts by calling him "cute", which Simon doesn't really react to, quite politely and kindly affirming and mentioning that Sophie was treated poorly in school first and foremost. But, he does go on to confess his feelings to her, and says he's always found her attractive, but that he doesn't love her- quickly stating if the 2 of them tried, he could. He also doesn't seem certain of his own feelings or confident in his statements, which, yes, can be due to and probably is intended to be written as his anxiety around the subject.

Simon's focus on his feelings toward Sophie are explicitly stated by him to be aesthetic and based in his empathy for her. It reads to me that as a 19 y/o, natural loner, Simon is mistaking his feelings of friendship and closeness to Sophie as romantic. Naturally, as someone who has never been attracted to women nor had many friends, he's assuming that if he feels passionate towards a woman in his life, or feels close at all, the natural step is to get in a relationship with her. He even recognizes he's not in love with her, but assumes it will come after the relationship.

While I dont think Simon was intended in any way to be a gay character, I do feel like it's a bit difficult to read this scene any other way than a young queer man trying to navigate attraction- you could also interpret it as aro or even repressed trans narratives, or as autism (naturally like most video game characters i feel like simon comes off as rather autistic) but personally, having known a few queer men and myself being one, this scene feels very familiar to the confusion of feeling left out and confused by your attraction, or rather your lack of attraction towards women.

THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS ENDGAME SPOILERS

I also find it more interesting due to the fact that this is Simon's mental idea of Sophie. Simon's already confessed to her and been rejected in the real world, before the accident. In the book, Simon has himself say that he does not love her, something that did not happen in the real world. And of course, Book Sophie's reaction is to politely turn him down, tell him she see's him as a friend and then change the subject to escape, and kill herself.

Of course, Carcass itself is interesting to show up here as well. Carcass seems to very obviously manifest from Simon's frustrations with his newly paraplegic body after being struck by the car. He blames Carcass for Sophie's suicide. Neglecting to kill Carcass, and choosing to run away instead will cause Simon's guilt around Sophie's death to worsen. Killing Carcass, the embodiment of his internalized ableism allows him to move on...

but Sophie isn't dead in the real world. In fact, neglecting to kill Carcass will result in one of the endings where Simon kills Sophie in the real world. Which raises the question of what Sophie's suicide and Carcass's boss fight could mean in regards to a gay (or otherwise queer) reading of Simon.

Sophie is connected to Simon through school. However, Simon has been out of school for some time by the time of the game taking place, as he has been in the hospital or at home following his injury. Carcass may also represent a feeling of obligation to heterosexuality, the anxiety he had around viewing Sophie as a constant potential romantic interest when he did not feel that way, or repression of things he started to come to terms with when spending more time alone while he was in the hospital and going to therapy. These are a lot harder to make a case for, but I find it good food for thought.

Either way, Sophie makes a prompt exiting of the narrative in Simon's book after she rejects him, in a way that doesn't happen in the real world. Simon was already rejected by Sophie but she clearly did not cut him off, as she comes to visit him postgame. In Simon's mind, the mental idea of Sophie who materializes in a place where only his stressors materialize, dies and grants him passage further into himself when she does, due to / because of her passing.

happy pride month simon, you dont know youre gay yet but youll figure it out

[moonshrouded]

character tags.

✦ ╱ canon div. — ❛ hell’s empty，the devils are all here.

✦ ╱ hc. — ❛ we’re all going to die，i intend to deserve it.

✦ ╱ aes. — ❛ not yet corpses，still we rot.

✦ ╱ musings. — ❛ a heart full of midnight thoughts.

✦ ╱ ic. — ❛ i’m meaner than my demons.

✦ ╱ character study. — ❛ hollow is our chest.

✦ ╱ visage. — ❛ darkness lives in me.

✦ ╱ tartarus. — ❛ the gang goes to hell.

✦ ╱ behavior. — ❛ business in the front，knife in the back.

✦ ╱ meta. — ❛ destruction is a form of creation.

✦ ╱ text. — ❛ not interested in being polite or heterosexual.

✦ ╱ crack. — ❛ in memory of when i gave a shit.

✦ ╱ solomon. — ❛ tba.

✦ ╱ risa. — ❛ tba.

[heliza24]

Reading your analysis on the nature of Marcus and Simon relationship made me think of the kiss scene at the rowing competition and Marcus’ text to Simon in episode 5.

I think Marcus kissed Simon in front of everyone but especially Wilhelm on purpose. At first, I thought he was being clueless but now I’m not too sure. He knew Simon was still hurting over Wilhelm, saw them interact during the competition and probably thought he should send the message that Simon is “taken”. And Marcus’ actions here are the opposite of taking things slow. There was no consent when he pulled Simon to kiss him. And the way he said that we’ll get them next year like he’s decided that they’ll be in a long term relationship was so off putting. Do you think Marcus intentionally kissed Simon in front of Wille?

Also, near the beginning of episode 5, Marcus texted Simon if he could stay over at his place since he couldn’t the night before. I was confused on why Marcus would still push for this since in the previous episode at the ball, he saw Simon and Wilhelm come out of hiding. He must’ve known that something happened between those two because he looked sad in the next scene. It couldn’t be more obvious to Marcus that Simon is not interested. So why keep pushing for him to stay over? Desperation? And hypothetically, if Simon did agree to sleep over, was Marcus not gonna bring up his suspicions about him and Wilhelm at all? Why act like nothing happened? He seems to be the type that pretends everything is fine and only bring up the issue when they are having a disagreement. Which is what basically happened during their final conversation. What did you think Marcus’ motive was when he texted Simon?

Hi anon! I do agree with you that there is a degree of willful ignorance and possession in Marcus kissing Simon like that and still inviting him to spend the night after seeing him with Wilhelm at the ball. I also think you're right that he has a pattern of pushing down frustration that results in him snapping at Simon when they finally do break up.

I don't necessarily think that Marcus was consciously sitting at home scheming about how to best ambush Simon or get back at Wilhelm; as @bluedalahorse said to me on the phone last night (to my great delight) "he is simply not that deep". But it all seems like part of a kind of unconscious pattern for him.

This is inspired by @bluedalahorse's excellent post on heterosexuality as a political label in Young Royals, but the way that Marcus approaches relationships feels... very heteronormative? Ok, hang with me here. I know he's dating another man. But the way he approaches the steps of a relationship feels very in line with heterotemporality and the relationship escalator. Marcus is very insistent that if he and Simon sleep together right away, it means the relationship isn't as real. This is different than saying "I'm personally not comfortable having sex right away"; he's framing it in a moral way. This reminds me of old straight dating maxims, like waiting to have sex until the third date, because otherwise the woman is a slut and the man is just using her for sex. All the other steps that Marcus rolls out in the relationship (kissing Simon in public, going on a date with Simon in public at the ball, asking Simon to spend the night finally) feel like they are on a pre-ordained timeline, with each step indicating a growing commitment to being Serious Boyfriends. It doesn't matter that Simon hasn't signed up for this timeline. Marcus isn't going to deviate from it.

Contrast that with Wilhelm and Simon, whose relationship is full of ebbs and flows. They never do things the traditional order, partially because they can't because of the royal family, but also partially because they don't need to. Their physical connection holds its own unspeakable magic, and it doesn't have anything to do with proving the state of their relationship.

(I think it will be interesting to see if Simon's official introduction into the royal family in season 3 puts some of this to the test. I wouldn't be surprised if the royal family pushes Wilhelm and Simon to make their relationship conform to a heteronormative timeline now that they are public. I can see that being very frustrating for both of them. But that's another meta for another time!)

I do have one last Marcus thought, which is not necessarily directly connected to your thoughts, anon, but I wanted to include here in case I don't end up writing about him again. In my last post about Marcus I talked about the subtle classism that Marcus exhibits in his breakup with Simon, but I should also probably have been talking about the impact that race has in that scene. I don't think we can discount that Marcus is white and Simon is the Latino son of immigrants when we look for explanations for the sudden venom in Marcus's voice. If there is a subtle class power imbalance in their relationship then there is also probably a subtle racial power imbalance at work as well. And I think that informs Marcus's words in that scene.

Ok, those are my thoughts for now! As always I appreciate the ask. I love talking character analysis with you all.