#I'm writing a play about homophobia in football at the moment so this is all really at he front of my mind at the moment

[maximumgreenbeans]

Not my stupid little writer brain trying to tell me Colin is going to get outted next episode.

All I'm saying is Rule of 3; Colin's been accidentally found out twice now and thankfully it's ended up fairly well after both, rule of 3 though states they're going to fuck with that. So if they do rule of 3 it (which I'm not saying they will but they literally spent the last 3 season's doing it with Rebecca's yearly truth bomb, so...) there's no other way it can go. Or at least no other way I can think of it going.

Now I fully could be wrong, like I do have a habit of over analysing plot beats (proven time and time again by the discussions I have about the plays I usher for) but the writers are extremely smart so I don't think it's too outrageous to think they'll go down this route.

And yeah, Colin's arc has been really good so far, and in a nice place to leave it but at the same time it feels like there's still more to come, like they haven't quite rounded it off yet. So there's a chance we're building to this.

Anyway yeah, could be spouting absolute bullshit here but writer brain hath gifted me thoughts

[nalathedgehog]

So I just got done gushing about this to my best friend. But I feel like it bears needing repeating.

As of right now the 2024 Olympics in Paris France are currently happening.

It's day one! And me like the absolute nerd I am, am tracking the games.

Now... I do not do sports. More specifically I have no real opinion on sport culture (slight context. I live in Southern California USA). And sports culture as far as I have the privilege of being apart of is only American foot ball. And unfortunately American football sports culture is littered in homophobia, transphobia, racism, literally everything anti-LGBTQIA+.......... or at least that's how it feels as someone who doesn't fit the mold

So that is to say. The Olympics!!

Now I know and understand the original games 3,000+ years ago had like.. murder for not winning or something and everyone was naked. But setting that aside for a moment. The Olympics is still a 3,000 year old tradition of the collection of the best of the best coming together to play games.

They are very intense games! But games all the same.

All this to say I love the Olympics.

There's something that really fucking gets me about it-- like these are practically children. Like they're 17-28ish and like as of writing this I'm 25 so I'm in their age range but they've worked so hard and become so good at this thing that they do that they get to go to this event that has been being held for 3000 years and show off how amazing they are!!!!

LIKE?? THATS SO COOL???

AND I'M SO PROUD OF ALL OF THEM????????

They're all so impressive!!!! And I hope they all know that they're all amazing even if they don't get a metal---

Like, today there was a Football (Soccer) Match and the matches are 2 hours long. And they Egypt and the Dominican Republic teams tied 0 - 0.

Even if you don't now how to play the game. Do you even ***UNDERSTAND*** how amazingly crazy skilled both those teams are to be able to play for two hours and no one score?? And now they need to play again!!

LIKE-- I don't need to know the rules of whatever they're doing to know that is some wicked nasty crazy amazeballs skills.

And then- I get emotional cause like. It's so hard on their bodies to be that amazing. And this maybe the last time they are physically ever able to perform at this amazing level ever again.

Like they could get hurt at the Olympics and never be able to play again!!!

Or they just get older.

But they'll be able to say they played at the Olympics.

And that's so cool. It's so cool that it's another generation of beautiful amazing people playing games that are so old at a tradition that is so old and that the culture of it is that

These people are amazing and they deserve to be showcased for how amazing they are doing the thing that they are amazing for.

WHICH IS LITERALLY PLAYING GAMES!!!

I'm so proud of them;;; all of them. Every single Olypian metaled or not.

And I hope they get to go home and be told they're amazing even if they didn't metal. Cause they're amazing~

[jimothystu]

DRABBLE for suzufield + 13. Hooking a thumb into your lover’s belt loop/pocket as a crowd surrounds you, making sure that you don’t lose them in the people. + “You want to get to them, you go through me.” pls thank you <333

YES OMG. Sorry this took me forever to write, I... kind of forgot about it jksandkjsandsad

Nick Suzuki x Cole Caufield - "You want to get to him, you go through me."

Word count: Idk, longer than a drabble lol Warnings: Implied homophobia. Also this isn't edited so please excuse any errors

Tag list: @staalqvistsparkles @zackcollins @lam-ila @cuttergauth

Previous Suzufield fics

It was supposed to be a fun night. They were supposed to be celebrating the end of the offseason and just enjoy some one-on-one time before things got crazy again. It had started out that way; going out to dinner and having a few drinks with the food. But, as Cole and Nick made their way into the public park to meet up with some of the other guys for a live concert, Nick started to feel like their fun was about to end.

The park was absolutely packed, and by the rank smell he could tell many people were not sober.

"You sure you want to go to this?" he asked Cole, leaning down to speak loud enough so he could be heard.

Cole looked at him with a smile. "Yeah, why?"

"Just... seems a bit crazy is all." Nick shrugged and grabbed onto Cole's belt. The last thing he wanted was to lose him in the crowd of people.

"We can leave if you want," Cole said, smile fading at Nick's facade.

Nick looked around. They were a little ways into the park, as close to the stage as they could get. The space was filling up fast. Andy had texted them saying he, Gally, and Army were to the right near a large tree.

"No, just if you're sure." Nick wanted Cole to have a good time, and he wanted to have a good time, too. Hell, he'd been the one to suggest going to this concert. He just didn't think there would be so many intoxicated college kids who were bumping against them. Normally, he was fine with crowds. Normally, he liked events like this. He didn't know what it was about tonight that was making him so uncomfortable.

He shook the nerves away and smiled slightly. "The guys are over there." He nodded in a general direction.

Cole took Nick's hand and kissed his knuckles. "We can leave whenever you want, okay? Just let me know."

Nick nodded and opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by a scoffed remark that Nick would rather not repeat.

Cole's body tensed. He whirled and stared at the crowd. "Which one of you said that?"

Nick gripped Cole's belt tightly. "Babe, it's not worth it," he said quietly.

A group of burly-looking college kids laughed around them. Nick guessed they were on a sports team. Well, jokes on them, because Nick and Cole played a sport, too.

"Yeah, babe," a blond guy quipped. "We're not worth it."

Cole straightened his shoulders, and Nick could tell he wanted to fight them.

Quickly, Nick pushed Cole behind him, gripping his arm tightly. "You want to go to him, you go through me."

A few of the guys oohed and laughed.

"What? You think you stand a chance?" another guy asked, this one standing taller than Nick. "We play football, bro. You really want to try us?"

"And we play hockey. Actually, in the NHL." Nick relished in the guys' smiles faltering slightly. His previous uncomfortable feelings were replaced with one thing: the need to protect Cole. "I've been in fights on the ice with guys twice your size. I'm my team's captain. I know how to take care of myself and my boyfriend. So unless you want to get into it with an NHL player," he emphasized the words best he could, "I suggest you walk away."

"Please." The blond guy spread his hands to the sides. "There's four of us and two of you."

"Five, actually."

Nick's shoulders sagged in relief upon hearing Gally's voice. A moment later, he and Nick were surrounded by their teammates.

"Take a hike, assholes," Andy snapped.

The group of football players all exchanged glances. They scoffed and sulked off, glancing over their shoulders at the group of Habs.

Nick exhaled slowly. "Thanks."

"You guys okay?" Army asked, frowning at the two of them.

"We're okay," Cole said quietly.

Nick turned and wrapped his arms around Cole's waist. He leaned his chin on his shoulder.

Gally glared after the group of guys. "You two wanna get out of here? I have some beer back at my place. We could just hang out there, play some games or something."

Nick nodded and looked at Cole. "What do you want to do?"

"Other than beat those guys to a pulp?" Cole smiled slightly. "Games and drinks with you guys sounds perfect right about now."

Andy clapped them both on the shoulders. "Let's go, then."

Nick gave his friends a grateful smile. Cole took Nick's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze as they started to make their way out of the park.

"Thanks," Cole muttered after they'd left the din of the crowd.

Nick shrugged. "Just didn't want you getting your pretty face messed up by some jerks."

Cole smiled. "Awe, you think I'm pretty?"

Nick rolled his eyes, but he smiled. "Yes, dear, I do."

Cole grinned and kissed his cheek. "I think you're pretty, too."

"Guys, come on," Gally called, several paces ahead. "The beer will be bad by the time you guys get to my place."

The two shared a laugh. They caught up with their teammates and walked hand-in-hand down the streets of Montreal, the rude comments long forgotten.

[marley-manson]

I love all your MASH posts! Do you have any thoughts to share on the varying ways the characters relate to queerness?

Thank you so much <3

You bet I do! I hope what you’re looking for here is a bunch of sexuality and gender related headcanons, because that’s what I’ve got.

None of these are hard and fast when it comes to like, writing fic or whatever, and there’s obviously room for a ton of different interpretations which is cool, but this is kind of like the default lens I watch the show through lol. Also I prioritize the show’s vibe over strict notions of historical accuracy wrt homophobia, but at the same time based on a couple books I’ve read it’s not necessarily historically inaccurate for a military unit to have a bunch of barely closeted people and for no one to really care lol, from what I’ve read it really varied depending on the unit and COs. It got dicier in the 50s as opposed to the early 40s with some official policy changes and the lavender scare, but probably still not impossible, at least according to anecdotal evidence.

Also obviously since this is based on mountains of gay jokes it’s not going to completely fit every moment in every episode, but ykw, the implications are still a lot more consistent than you’d probably expect lol.

So anyway. This got long so it’s under a cut.

Hawkeye:

Bi, has known it for a long time, and is perfectly secure and comfortable with it. I like to think he favours men a little over women, like a kinsey 4.5. No real reason, but it’s my headcanon so there.

Was somewhat into the gay scene back in the states, has had lots of anonymous sex and short term flings and maybe couple longer term male partners.

Carlye knows he's bi though he was probably monogamous while he was with her (I say this because their first scene together reads so strongly to me like he's trying to imply he's with BJ now to save face after learning she's married lmao).

On the slightly effeminate side but doesn't play it up much (I'm differentiating this from the onslaught of combatative jokes, I'm talking mannerisms and speech patterns), though he's happy to lean into queeny stereotypes a little to piss people off. Very nearly canonically a bottom lol, though I can see him occasionally switching, and very nearly canonically into tall, broad guys with a sense of humour, full lips, a nice ass, and a big dick based on the shoe size jokes.

I think his dad knows and is relatively cool about it too. I don't see it causing a lot of drama in his life, I think he's one of the lucky ones, which contributes to his relative lack of fear.

Though that said one headcanon I have is that some kind of close call with nearly getting caught or accused and discharged happened between season 7+8, which is why he tones it down so much in late Mash.

Hm what else... I just posted about this lol but after the war I can see him getting more politically engaged and casually joining the gay communist scene.

Trapper:

Also bi and knows it, more careful and discrete about it (back in the states) what with presumably being from a pretty catholic family and being married. My logic is if the jokes are Hawkeye's bi evidence, then Trapper with almost the same amount and as a totally game participant has the same evidence, but he does have a more conscious of consequences vibe to me.

I’m torn on whether Trapper was somewhat into the gay scene stateside, or if his experience was mainly just anonymous sex while cruising. I could see an argument for the latter being more realistic and plausible, BUT I’m kind of enamoured with the idea of Trapper being just as out, in the old school ‘part of a community’ sense, as Hawkeye. It could even be a fun nod to their original book backstory where they’d coincidentally met once at a football game - except they vaguely recognize each other from the Boston bar scene lol. Maybe they fucked in a bathroom stall once.

Either way I like to think he and Hawkeye started hooking up almost immediately, then became friends, then caught feelings, and Hawkeye was the first guy Trapper ever had romantic feelings for. It doesn't perfectly fit every moment - eg if you take their exchange at the end of George (what secrets do you have in your past?) as a gay reference, which I mean considering the context it's impossible not to, that implies Trapper doesn't officially know, but it ain't about the exacting details, it's about the Vibes.

Henry:

Mildly bi swinger. He's still cheating on his wife and vice versa because they're supposed to only fuck other people as a couple. Maybe doesn't really think of himself as bi bc it’s group sex, at least at first. I'm pretty sure someone was deliberately implying some of this lol, c'mon I saw Dear Dad 3, and he gets some of the most eyebrow raising gay jokes and moments.

(One of my favourite jokes: Henry makes a PA announcement about a meeting at 0700 hours. “Is that AD or BC?” "I don't know, I never could tell with Henry." Note that AC/DC was contemporary slang for bi.)

Also has a crush on Klinger, obviously.

Klinger:

Bi and nonbinary, initially repressed about both. Comes to terms with being bi partway through the show since he's clearly hooking up with Radar by season 4, so. I like to think he had sex with Trapper at some point in season 3 too, and idgaf about Laverne here. Maybe he figures it doesn’t count if it’s with dudes. Comes to terms with his gender much later, post-canon. Would probably consider himself a transvestite, historically speaking.

Like the way he still wears his pink housecoat, complete with a bow sometimes, even after dropping the section 8 attempts? The fur coat too? In one of the most recent episodes I rewatched, in season 10, he had a bra in his footlocker, and in a season 9 episode he had pink heels stashed in one of the file cabinets, uncommented on. Soon Lee wants to see him in a dress. It all fits.

I think after he gets back to the states he opens a dress shop, slowly and organically starts acquiring a discrete trans and drag queen clientele since he's very skilled at altering women's clothes to fit a masculine build, makes some friends, gets invited to some events, and starts fully embracing his femininity.

Margaret:

I kinda like the repressed lesbian take. Her attraction to men always feels so forced and performative, like she's trying so hard to fit a role. I can also see her as bi, but I vote lesbian. I think she fucked women in college, including Lorraine, and has told herself it was just an immature phase since. Also repressed butch. Someday she finally gets that crewcut.

Radar:

Repressed gay or bi with some internalized homophobia, but chills out about it eventually. I mean come on, that scene where he gets offended when changing in front of Hawkeye? His typical noooo stoooop reactions to the gay jokes in general? Klinger was his plausible deniability dude where he could be like 'it's not gay bc i think of him as a girl.' They break it off somewhere in season 5.

Father Mulcahy:

Gay but a catholic priest, so off limits. Knows he's gay but doesn't act on it. Chill with all the gay vibes around the 4077 in accordance with his fairly live and let live attitude, regardless of whether that actually makes much sense for him as a Catholic. Whatever, there’s always exceptions to common rules and maybe he’s one of them.

Frank:

Repressed bi, but not all that repressed. Like he knows it, but denies it in his head in a way that doesn't even convince himself, like reciting a rote platitude. Internalized homophobia up to here. Would absolutely still date a guy if anyone likeable ever expressed genuine interest because he's that desperate for approval and easily malleable.

BJ:

I tend to favour the repressed gay or bi take. I see the reasoning, it makes sense to me, and it’s a fun way to watch the show. It fits what I percieve as his initial awkwardness with Hawkeye’s gay jokes in his first few seasons, including occasional no homo style defensiveness, or bringing up his own masculinity, etc. Also the way he doesn’t seem to notice that Hawkeye is blatantly hitting on him at the airport bar. The gay read in particular fits the way his fixation on his family is explicitly framed as a coping mechanism too.

I really enjoy thinking that BJ knows Hawkeye is into men and specifically into him by like, around season 7/8. Maybe not a sudden realizaton, but a sort of gradual understanding. It adds a certain je ne sais quoi to their late series interactions, and feels oddly appropriate.

I like to think he realizes he’s not straight in whichever way and is in love with Hawkeye about a year or two after going home lol, amid a crumbling marriage. But I don’t endgame ship them, so I think this revelation comes too late, Hawkeye has already moved on, and he goes back to San Francisco and either saves his marriage or finds himself a nice boyfriend.

Charles:

Gay, aware but possibly refuses to act on it due to internalized homophobia and ~respectability~, or if he does, he’s very discrete and careful. On the hunt for a suitable lavender marriage.

Potter:

He’s the token straight to me, sorry.

Random related thoughts:

I think Hawkeye and Trapper and Henry and Klinger fostered the carefree anything goes atmosphere of the 4077 just by being the way they are and being chill.

I like to think there was a gay poker night once a month. Zale accidentally crashed it in Pay Day. Klinger goes even though he doesn't consider himself anything but a straight man at first, but he's always down for a poker game and he points out that he fits in just fine.

Whenever new lgbt people arrive at the 4077 they go to either Hawkeye or Klinger first since they’re so loud, and early on Klinger might point them in Hawkeye’s direction, and Hawkeye tells them where the Seoul + Tokyo bars are and invites them to the poker game.

I think Hawkeye's subplot in Of Moose and Men was coded homophobia. Textually it was the officer being offended that Hawkeye is insubordinate, but come on, "I don't want that man touching me," followed by a sex joke about Hawkeye giving him a sedative in the ass? Followed by dude continually being disturbed by him? They really made "goof off" sound like a slur lol. Rally Round the Flagg Boys also had a milder version of this with communist substituted. Idk if it’s intentional in either case, but the vibes were there.

Margaret found out that Hawkeye’s bi at some point not long after they slept together. I could see him coming out to her during one of their heart to hearts, honestly, maybe even by accident. Maybe it helps her come to terms with her own sexuality too.

By season 4 Hawkeye and Klinger are both aware of each others’ sexualities and sort of bond over being the only 2 somewhat out guys left in the main cast. The way they start hanging out more, for a while Hawkeye’s gay jokes come out more in scenes with Klinger than in scenes with BJ, and just in general their mid-show interactions tend to have that ‘the two out cousins at the family reunion’ solidarity vibe.

I think Hawkeye thinks BJ is straight throughout the whole run of the show, but also knows BJ is sort of using him as a platonic wife replacement. Actually I think Hawkeye encouraged it early on while lowkey trying to seduce him, eventually had to be like ‘damn guess he’s straight after all,’ but by now it’s too late to reverse course and so he’s stuck pining in this weird pseudo romantic friendship.

Aaaand okay I have to stop at some point so I’m sure I have more but let’s call it good.

[dippydots]

Session II

Tw for homophobia, minor language and alcohol

"Jack, would you like to go next?" Jack was silent. He then stood up and went to the kitchen. He returned with a bottle of whiskey. Jack unwrapped his bandages and took a swig of whiskey. He slammed the bottle onto the table, a bit of the golden-brown liquid splashing onto it. He took a deep sigh. "Where do I begin?" he said, in a somber tone. "Start small, ease your way through it," Adam suggested. Jack nodded. "It all started the moment I was born. If you couldn't tell, I'm albino. My birth parents didn't like that, so not too long after I was born I was dumped at an orphanage. Gratefully, a month or two later I was adopted by my family. I was the baby of the family for a good few years, but then I became an older brother of three little ones."

"So you're the oldest of four?" Adam asked. Jack sipped his drink. "Wrong. I'm in the middle of seven." Dorian did a spit-take. "Seven?!" Jack nodded. "Yup," he said, popping the P. Dorian blinked a few times as Jack continued. "As the middle child, I felt as if I didn't get much attention, so I did chores some days, played pranks on others. I didn't feel like I had a place in the family, which was far from the truth, but I tried to make my own place in the family. I never felt like I belonged. It was no different at school. I was bullied often, for being albino, adopted, Asian, you name it. I wasn't the big guy I am today, I was an extremely shrimpy little boy, like Frankenstein over here." Victor's head shot up. "Hey!" he exclaimed, "I'm not that shrimpy!" Jack laughed a little. "Regardless, I was bullied for a number of reasons. It was always that way until up to high school." Jack sighed deeply and paused. "That's when I met him." Erik tilted his head to the side, confused. "Him?" he repeated. Jack nodded. "Kyle Carpenter. I met him in year ten. I was, well to put this lightly, smitten with him." Adam furrowed his eyebrows. "Smitten?" Jack nodded. Adam made an 'oh' expression and continued to write notes. "You're g-?" Victor started, but he was cut off. "Yes. Moving on, I had a huge crush on this guy. He was a sporty popular kid, I was a scrawny nerd in need of attention. He was nice to me, he was hot, he had prowess in sports, and I liked that a damn lot. And eventually, we began a secret relationship that lasted for about a year and a half. I felt really happy and wanted for once. Loved, even. But it all changed one day."

Jack paused again, drinking the whiskey. Henry readjusted himself in his seat. "Then what happened?" he asked quietly, although he had a slight feeling of what it was. "Well, in year eleven, we had a big pep rally. Carpenter was one of the main football players, and so he was up on the stage. And he asked for his friends to bring me up on the stage." Jack's voice became a little shaky. He took a quick swig of whiskey. "Long story short, he solely outed me as queer in front of the whole school, as well as calling me the f-word. Now you may be thinking, 'Oh, he dropped the f bomb, that's not too bad' but no. No, h-he called me the 'other' f-word." It took a moment for the room to process what he meant. "Oh my God," Victor said under his breath. He genuinely looked shocked. Jack nodded. "I went home for the rest of the day, I was too ashamed of myself. I ran up to my room and tried to block out everything. My mum was home that day, and she came upstairs and asked me what was wrong. I told her everything, including my queerness. She pitied me, and told me that she still loved me and that she would support me. But I didn't feel anything. I don't exactly know why.

"I became the school laughing stock.. No one knew he was just like me, so he never got any flack for it, aside from getting suspended from school for a day or two. But for the rest of the school year, I was bullied much more than I already had been. But I still didn't feel anything, it was as if all the emotion in me was sucked right out. Even when I got transferred to a different school the next year, I didn't feel anything. That's how it's been for all these years, until I came here." The room was silent. Dorian looked to the side sheepishly. Adam noticed fresh, little, circular stains on the rug by Jack's feet. Jack sat down beside Erik, finishing the last of his whiskey. Erik timidly reached out his hand and placed it on Jack's arm and squeezed it reassuringly. With his other hand he patted Erik's hand. Adam cleared his throat a little. "Jack, I-," he began, but then stopped. He sighed. "I'm so sorry." Jack laid back a little on the couch. "It's fine. Besides, I'm with Erik now." Adam smiled. "Well I'm grateful nonetheless that you shared with us ab- wait what?" Everyone's eyes (with the exception of Dorian) were locked on Jack and Erik. "You guys are a thing?" Edward asked with a confused look on his face. Jack was silent as he held the empty bottle. "Well," he plainly stated. He took one last look around the room and then stood up and bolted upstairs. Erik instantly stood up. "BABE!" he screamed as he ran after him. "I, uh, guess that con-concludes tonight's session. See you guys tomorrow."