#Burn For Me

[fated-mates]

An episode for the old school romance readers in the audience, we're talking about kidnapping this week! A trope that either absolutely works for readers (aka us) or absolutely doesn't, we talk about why that is, how the original romances of the 80s and 90s installed these buttons and how we still see the bones of old school kidnapping in delicious romances of today. That, and Jen reminds Sarah of books she wrote one time.

[all-about-books-baby]

Self care

[brutalandbraty]

No Flame Burns Forever by Alex Stoddard

[dustjacketmusings]

Lmao get it Nevada.

I love that it's established that high end magic users have a thriving fanfiction base

[sebeth]

If the clouds split open and an archangel descended onto the street in all his heavenly glory and tried to make Rogan see reason, he would fail miserably and have to pack up flaming sword and go back to heaven in shame. - Nevada Baylor, Burn For Me by Ilona Andrews

[bruciemilf]

Batman isn’t a mask; It’s a leash. In this essay I will—

[brittanybwrites]

Second time reading Ilona Andrews this month, feeling very proud rn

[stargirl230]

you’re my hero!

bnha doomed yuri was not on my 2024 bingo card

(no reposts; reblogs appreciated)

[endusviolence]

Rowling isn't denying holocaust. She just pointed out that burning of transgender health books is a lie as that form of cosmetic surgery didn't exist. But of course you knew that already, didn't you?

I was thinking I'd probably see one of you! You're wrong :) Let's review the history a bit, shall we?

In this case, what we're talking about is the Institut für Sexualwissenschaft, or in English, The Institute of Sexology. This Institute was founded and headed by a gay Jewish sexologist named Magnus Hirschfeld. It was founded in July of 1919 as the first sexology research clinic in the world, and was run as a private, non-profit clinic. Hirschfeld and the researchers who worked there would give out consultations, medical advice, and even treatments for free to their poorer clientele, as well as give thousands of lectures and build a unique library full of books on gender, sexuality, and eroticism. Of course, being a gay man, Hirschfeld focused a lot on the gay community and proving that homosexuality was natural and could not be "cured".

Hirschfeld was unique in his time because he believed that nobody's gender was either one or the other. Rather, he contended that everyone is a mixture of both male and female, with every individual having their own unique mix of traits.

This leads into the Institute's work with transgender patients. Hirschfeld was actually the one to coin the term "transsexual" in 1923, though this word didn't become popular phrasing until 30 years later when Harry Benjamin began expanding his research (I'll just be shortening it to trans for this brief overview.) For the Institute, their revolutionary work with gay men eventually began to attract other members of the LGBTA+, including of course trans people.

Contrary to what Anon says, sex reassignment surgery was first tested in 1912. It'd already being used on humans throughout Europe during the 1920's by the time a doctor at the Institute named Ludwig Levy-Lenz began performing it on patients in 1931. Hirschfeld was at first opposed, but he came around quickly because it lowered the rate of suicide among their trans patients. Not only was reassignment performed at the Institute, but both facial feminization and facial masculization surgery were also done.

The Institute employed some of these patients, gave them therapy to help with other issues, even gave some of the mentioned surgeries for free to this who could not afford it! They spoke out on their behalf to the public, even getting Berlin police to help them create "transvestite passes" to allow people to dress however they wanted without the threat of being arrested. They worked together to fight the law, including trying to strike down Paragraph 175, which made it illegal to be homosexual. The picture below is from their holiday party, Magnus Hirschfeld being the gentleman on the right with the fabulous mustache. Many of the other people in this photo are transgender.

[Image ID: A black and white photo of a group of people. Some are smiling at the camera, others have serious expressions. Either way, they all seem to be happy. On the right side, an older gentleman in glasses- Magnus Hirschfeld- is sitting. He has short hair and a bushy mustache. He is resting one hand on the shoulder of the person in front of him. His other hand is being held by a person to his left. Another person to his right is holding his shoulder.]

There was always push back against the Institute, especially from conservatives who saw all of this as a bad thing. But conservatism can't stop progress without destroying it. They weren't willing to go that far for a good while. It all ended in March of 1933, when a new Chancellor was elected. The Nazis did not like homosexuals for several reasons. Chief among them, we break the boundaries of "normal" society. Shortly after the election, on May 6th, the book burnings began. The Jewish, gay, and obviously liberal Magnus Hirschfeld and his library of boundary-breaking literature was one of the very first targets. Thankfully, Hirschfeld was spared by virtue of being in Paris at the time (he would die in 1935, before the Nazis were able to invade France). His library wasn't so lucky.

This famous picture of the book burnings was taken after the Institute of Sexology had been raided. That's their books. Literature on so much about sexuality, eroticism, and gender, yes including their new work on trans people. This is the trans community's Alexandria. We're incredibly lucky that enough of it survived for Harry Benjamin and everyone who came after him was able to build on the Institute's work.

[Image ID: A black and white photo of the May Nazi book burning of the Institute of Sexology's library. A soldier, back facing the camera, is throwing a stack of books into the fire. In the background of the right side, a crowd is watching.]

As the Holocaust went on, the homosexuals of Germany became a targeted group. This did include transgender people, no matter what you say. To deny this reality is Holocaust denial. JK Rowling and everyone else who tries to pretend like this isn't reality is participating in that evil. You're agreeing with the Nazis.

But of course, you knew that already, didn't you?

Edit: Added image IDs. I apologize to those using screen readers for forgetting them. Please reblog this version instead.

[sidcrosbrainworms]

today’s ao3 experience

[all-about-books-baby]

Reading Update!!

I have finished 3 books so far this year, which I’m fairly impressed with given everything I do on a daily basis.

1. The Heart Principle: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

2. Burn For Me: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3. Fix Her Up: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Clear least favorite was Fix Her Up. It wasn’t especially bad or anything, it was just pretty fine in comparison to the other two.

I’m currently in the middle of three books right now:

1. Pride and Prejudice (Reread)

2. House of Flame and Shadow

3. A Song of Wraiths and Ruin (Reread)

I read and LOVED A Song of Wraiths and Ruin back when it first came out, but got so busy with grad school that I never got a chance to read the sequel, so I’m rereading as reminder.

Pride and Prejudice is great! I want to read more classics this year, but I don’t want it to be stressful so I’m taking my time. Loving it way more than I did the first time when I read it for class.

Definitely think I should’ve read A Court of Silver Flames before starting House of Flame and Shadow, but we are in it now!

[ineed-to-sleep]

Collection of bg3 sketches I've been nibbling at over the month. teehee

[pooptoucher4000]

i kno bill canonically loves pain i just wanted to draw him making a funny face

[sobbdeep]

Some of you aren’t carrying a constant yearning for love that completely consumes you & that must be nice.

[dustjacketmusings]

Mmm yeah I'm not immune to a blatant romance hero introduction