#If you hate disabilities you hate who I am.

[cleoselene]

"What is it about my understanding of the label "Leftist" that prevents me from embracing it?"

I can answer this so fucking easily. It's not policy. It's that they are RAGING FUCKING SEXISTS. Who have spent the last eight years complaining about "identity politics" which is a racist dogwhistle. And now DEI programs that were fought so hard for are disappearing.

American Leftists do not talk the talk NOR do they walk the walk. They just bully. And fall for every piece of Kremlin propaganda tossed at them without question.

You mentioned Black Lives Matter: Do you realize Black people are the literal backbone of the Democratic party? That every time a leftist cried that primaries against Bernie were unfair (while saying nothing about caucus states being wildly undemocratic) they were undermining Black voters who overwhelmingly preferred Hillary and Biden over Bernie?

I used to identify as an extreme leftist. Then I met other extreme leftists. I've watched how many of them (mostly white men) deeply hate women. I've seen several of them make the leap from BernieBro to MAGAt.

What do I have with the term Leftist in this day and age? The fucking behavior of leftists, to me. I'm not asking for love like Phil Ochs claims, I'm asking, AS SOMEONE WHO DEPENDS ON A STABLE FUCNTIONING GOVERNMENT TO SURVIVE AS I AM PEERMANENTLY DISABLED, for Leftists to stop joining the pile-on on Democrats because THEY DO NOT HAVE A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE. Bernie would have been MURDERED in any general election. He's never even passed meaningful legislation that was his own!

And finally, I dislike the term Leftists and the people who associate with it because they do not care about accurate information, which is the fucking topic of this post.

since the internet doesn't get it and apparently never took a political science class or an economics class:

American political liberalism is not the same thing as economic liberalism or neoliberalism

burn that sentence into your brain PLEASE. I learned this in literal Intro to Political Science.

Neoliberalism is a system of unfettered free-trade global capitalism that favors markets controlling prices and basically everything

American political liberalism is defined by a dedication to principles like free speech, civil rights, bodily autonomy. John F. Kennedy put it rather succinctly:

"If by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people — their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties — someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal."" -John F. Kennedy

like i know words have lost ALL meaning and people have no desire to learn but this has been frustrating me for literal years.

Also, I spent all of my formative years hearing conservatives use "liberal" as a pejorative. JFK's quote was responding to that, decades before I was born. The fact that the left uses "liberal (derogatory)" just shows how well Conservative Propaganda has seeped into the culture. I refuse to drop the identifier because the definition has not actually changed. I believe in all those things in the JFK quote. I believe in a state that uses institutions to do what markets cannot. I fully support every socialist program this country has put in place. Because I am a liberal.

If you want to use "liberal" as an insult from the left -- congrats, you are falling for propaganda. If you want to call me a "neoliberal," well, you just sound fucking stupid? I don't believe in unfettered free market global capitalism.

[blatterpussbunnyfromhell]

I finally understand why, as a transgender man, I am so annoyed by the overwhelming presence of trans headcanons for Viktor. I just saw a post describing him as a "trans allegory" and that's it, that is what's been bothering me. People interpret his arc about his body image and modifications to be about being transgender, and good for them! Except, when I see it most of the time, it's done in a way that that downplays or outright erases his disability. And it's usually written by able bodied trans people.

Yet Viktor's main inner conflict couldn't be more explicitly about being disabled to the point where it's killing him. It's not an allegory for being transgender.

It's a representation of what chronic illness and disability can do to your mind when you hate yourself, once you taste one bit of health and recognition. You wanna feel like that all the time and would go to great lengths to do so.

I understand how the "I change my body's nature in order to survive" can relate to being trans, I really do, but as a disabled person, I see it as being explicitly about disability first and foremost.

(Also there's something a bit disturbing in people headcanoning Viktor, who is not especially tall, skinny with nearly shoulder length hair (in s2 at least) as being trans, when there isn't as many trans hc for Jayce, the most "traditionally masculine" of the two. I don't like that. But this paragraph is besides the point of the post.)

I am not attacking anyone btw, just, maybe, asking people to be more mindful of Viktor's disability when writing him. Trans or not.

[neuroticboyfriend]

"im tired" "how can you be tired, you just woke up?" "you're tired? you stayed home all day, try working. my feet/knees/etc hurt so bad--."

i have sleep apnea, severe constant chronic pain throughout my body, fever-like traumatic nightmares every single night, can't sleep for more than a few hours at a time, and i have POTS. i am beyond tired. i am exhausted and my sleep is so hellish i wake up feeling worse than i did when i went to bed. i feel better on zero sleep, which happens when im too terrified to sleep due to the nightmares.

i hate when people compare their struggles like it's the same. disability impacts everyone differently but of course the people who traumatized me won't see that.

[tea-cat-arts]

Actually, I hope Jiaoqiu stays blind (at least for a couple years in our time) and just bullies the Xianzhou alliance into inventing disability aids and treating disabled people better

[sapphic-agent]

Why does the ATLA subreddit act like they don't tear Katara apart on a daily just for breathing? If Sokka or Aang had said this no one would have bat an eye I hate it here

[ceasarslegion]

No i dont think its a good thing to make hating children your entire personality but can i please just say that i dont like them and dont want to deal with screaming temper tantrums and meltdowns from other peoples kids (especially, ESPECIALLY when the parents are absolutely useless in dealing with them) without 30,000 people crawling out of the woodwork to assume that i think all kids should die

[krispiecake]

tell me why i can hear another tenants fucking music from my flat. HE DOESNT EVEN LIVE IN MY BUILDING. HE LIVES IN A COMPLETELY SEPARATE BUILDING ON THE SECOND FLOOR AND I CAN HEAR HIS MUSIC FROM MY FLAT. MY FLAT WHICH IS IN A DIFFERENT SEPARATE BUILDING.

[right-there-ride-on]

Gyjo in the fandom

cw: light discussion of ableism

Gyjo… what am I thinking about gyjo…

I like them. I like them a lot, actually. They have paralleled narrative arcs, they complement each other nicely, the romantic subtext is incredibly obvious to the point that even the most homophobic fan you know will admit they understand why people ship it… so why do I also have a problem with it?

There’s a lot of good fanart. Hell, I’ve reblogged plenty. Maybe it’s just something that’s more pronounced in fic.

I’m trying to word this correctly. My issue with gyjo has nothing to do with the text itself. I think my problem is just how people portray it in the fandom.

Maybe it’s because it’s so popular, or maybe it’s the sheer prominence of applying ‘Character A’ and ‘Character B’ dynamics without considerable regard for the characters involved, but I feel gyjo is very prone to flanderization. I believe the intersection with how ableist people are toward Johnny (intentionally or not, subtly or not) and the old tropes these two get shoved into makes it so I have trouble enjoying fics in the fandom.

I’m not saying it’s bad to enjoy certain tropes. I’m not saying headcanons are bad either. What I am saying is that writing is hard, but if you’re going to write fanfiction please have consideration for the characters you’re writing. The arcs of these two are complex and multilayered, which is why I think they have such staying power, but I also think they also provide a good opportunity for us as writers and artists to examine our biases when it comes to the portrayal of certain groups, personality types, mental illnesses, queerness, disability, etc. and maybe come out better people for it.

[infiniteorangethethird]

ok not to turn into an AI tech bro for a moment here but the way some of you view AI as a general concept is starting to get really disturbing to me, esp as someone who studies computer science. There's plenty of reason to despise AI services like ChatGPT and such but it's really starting to feel like some of you will look at anything containing the word AI and go "oh well it's not made by humans even though it could have been so it's EVIL and anyone who uses it is a horrible person and also lazy". Like have we forgotten the point of making tools to make our lives easier or

[kn-1013]

every time i see a version of sal w/o his scars i get a bit sad. not only would that not be the same character, it's also just not appropriate to be drawing that. you're just drawing a non-disabled version of a disabled character, and for what, exactly? is it because you think his scars/facial differences make him ugly? you wish he was a conventionally attractive non-disabled twink? if you're doing that, you and i do not like the same character, and you're probably not paying as much attention to the fact that he's disabled as you should be.

i also just don't see the point in doing that. sal's scars are what makes him who he is as a character. taking them away is not only ableist, it completely takes away what makes him who he is and turns him into a completely different person. his scars make him who he is full stop. leave his scars alone.

[saturnniidae]

They should hire a real below the knee amputee to play Hiccup at the universal park. I mean, they won't. But it would be really cool if they did

[starlightswordfight]

UHH REMINDER ALSO SINCE I HAVE BEEN SHARING A LOT MORE NEGATIVE THINGS LATELY that amid literally everything that's been going on, there are still things that you can do to retain control in your life in at least some areas!! not everyone can actively protest right now, not everyone has the means and that is OKAY! do what you can when you can!!

this post is a wall of text of me rambling about things you can do Right Now in your community or to keep yourself happy and motivated and going. it's a long one so it's going under read more. I also talk a lot more in the tags

i also use terms like Current Events a lot so I also apologize for the vagueness in some places!! I do not know if this will get flagged if I get more specific and my account has tried to go down twice now

#1: BONDING WITH YOUR COMMUNITY (WITH PERSONAL SAFETY IN MIND)

getting involved in your local community is a big big big thing I've seen talked about lately and I agree with that entirely!! the #1 best thing I feel like anyone can do right now is either volunteering at local support groups or getting involved in local activism

if you have a local community you can connect with for whatever reason then that's absolutely a good idea for both practical and emotional reasons. it can be for anything really, actually. reach out to friends, reach out to family, keep talking to people if you have the energy! it really does make a difference!

^ related to the above, if you can involve yourself in volunteer work, or mutual aid, or just helping others out in some other way, then absolutely do that! you can start with asking around, or searching up aid or other groups that may need extra help in your area, and go from there!!

I see a lot of people have been saying for months to organize and then absolutely no one ever explains how to organize, and if you don't plan on starting something up Yourself that is how you get involved. you find like minded people and you lend your hands. I just looked up "volunteers needed/mutual aid [insert town here]" and went off of that

and there are a lot of different places people might need assistance for. one example being food banks, pantries, are basically always accepting new donations -- if you have produce, not all of them will accept it due to safety regulations, but a local community garden might! libraries also will exchange more than books, and protecting libraries by showing involvement and interest in them is important now more than ever

local businesses, emergency aid if you have the certification, environmental work and disaster cleanup, assisted living areas, shelters, a lot of other specific areas I can't name right now. if you are physically able to seek out support and give back in turn (and if you aren't able to do one or both of these that's also okay!!) i highly highly recommend it. mutual aid especially goes both ways. do not be afraid to reach out for help, that is what they're there for

speaking of libraries!

#2: KEEP INFORMED

this can refer to a lot of different things, but on a federal and local level it is never ever ever a bad thing to keep up to date with what's going on. anyone trying to do bad things on a government level is relying on you not noticing or staying uninformed in the invent that you do notice. keep track of what's going on in your area and plan accordingly!!

keeping up with the news (and fact checking, always, because journalism isn't always ethically practiced), finding where your local city hall or equivalent is and staying up to date on local legislation, has always been important for safety and especially is right now. know how to determine a reliable source from an unreliable one, and know how to pick apart the difference between fact and misconstrued ideas spoken as fact. I'll probably make a post on that too at some point and link it here when I'm done

it is overwhelming to hear just how much is getting worse so quickly, but it's crucial that you don't allow yourself to become unaware, because that makes you easier to lie to. you do not have to work yourself to burnout or to a breakdown, please take breaks whenever you need to and put your own health first!!

but don't do yourself the disservice of not knowing what's happening around you. I want everyone to be as safe as they can, and to be safe you have to be informed

#3: FIND SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO (AND ALSO KEEP CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE EVEN IF IT'S IN SMALL WAYS)

staying up to date on current events has been overwhelming for me, but it also has helped me to maintain a sense of control in my life. and there are a lot of other ways to do that, too, and also give you sources of happiness and things to still look forward to! I'm listing what works for me but I'm sure there's infinitely more ways to pull that off

taking up or getting back into hobbies or interests is a very effective way to keep joy in your life, and this goes double if you're sort of stuck in your house like I am most days. you should get to do things that make you happy!! you deserve to still have things to look forward to!!!

I've also been personally using my interests to try to learn how to do more practical things that might help me and the people I live with; I'm a gardener so I've been working on trying to grow food, starting with sweet peppers. don't know if I'll end up needing that one day (or if my neighbors might, but as the economy completely fucks itself it could get very useful very fast), but having the knowledge and the means helps me feel more in control of what happens in my personal life, and it really has made me feel better and have a source of hope

I really hope that everyone who sees this is doing as well as they're able right now. saying all of this because I don't want to contribute to any ideas of complete hopelessness, if that makes sense. there are things worth getting up in the morning for and every one of you matters and you deserve to be happy. and I love you /p

even if you aren't utilizing your hobbies in that way (again, PERFECTLY fine, do what you need to forever), something like that might be useful for you, too! you can learn new skills or read up on all those things you already wanted to look into but kept putting off, you can carve out a little space in your world for Joy and for Whimsy if you don't have one already! it's good for you!! it's incredible in fact!!

[cluescorner]

Randomized Robins AU - Ages + Worst Trait Exercise:

Steph (25):

Says her worst trait is her murderous rages (she is exaggerating for dramatic/comedic effect, she’s killed 3 people tops and for very good reason)

Thinks her worst trait is her spitefulness (one of the few traits she definitely got from her father + one that prevents her from fixing her relationships and living her best possible life. She’ll refuse to interact with someone she dearly loves after an argument (happens significantly less after Tim’s death) or will say things she knows are hurtful just for the sake of having the last word. This trait will worsen in some ways as the list of people who have wronged her and those she loves grows, but will also ease up as she matures and realizes the harm it’s doing to her relationships with those she loves most.)

Her worst trait really is her spitefulness

Cass (26)

Says her worst trait is her self-righteousness (she believes that her goals are righteous and, as a result, she is righteous. Cass becomes very defensive whenever someone questions the mission and often does not second-guess herself. This is a trait she only develops later in life as she grows closer to Bruce/learns to understand herself more/starts to love herself more. But she knows she isn’t perfect and when somebody she trusts criticizes something she is doing she is willing to listen. She just usually isn’t the one to START the introspection.) 

Thinks her worst trait is her self-righteousness. 

Her worst trait actually is her obsessiveness (she gets it from Bruce and, while not as bad as him, she will easily become preoccupied with her night-life and the mission if someone isn’t there to pull her back. She will do this to the point of self-destruction and it hurts her relationships with the people she loves, especially Steph.)

Tim (24)

Says his worst trait is his spitefulness (he actively rejects the idea of mending his relationships with the older members of the family and this causes him to also lack good relationships with the younger ones)

Thinks his worst trait is his obsessiveness (similar to Cass, if he gets fixated on a task or idea he will neglect everything else in his life in order to dedicate more time to it. Unlike Cass, he will almost never be dragged away from it unless Pierrot snatches control of the body and forces them to take care of themself.)

His worst trait actually is how manipulative he is (the KING of guilt-tripping and using people’s emotions against them. He’ll do whatever he needs to do to get what he wants, he’s not above crocodile tears. And he will do it to whoever he needs (or wants) to with little care for how his actions impact others.)

Pierrot (Insists: “Age doesn’t apply to me! And even if it did, I'd probably be the oldest. Or the youngest! I’d never be a middle child, though.” Mental assessments by the Bats have put him around 21, with a margin of error of 3 years. Pierrot has called this “blatant character assassination by my eternal rival!”)

Says his worst trait is that he is an irredeemable psychopath without any regard for the wellbeing of others (this is a lie and everyone who's important to him understands this). 

Thinks his worst trait is his parasitic nature (he literally would not exist had Tim not suffered the way he did. Plus he is a living reminder of one of the worst things that happened to many of his loved ones. He is a parasite injected into a functional person's body and contributes to his continued suffering. This is also a largely incorrect judgement of himself, caused by his actual worst trait.)

His worst trait actually is his limited sense of self (he doesn’t really know who he is outside of ‘inheritor to the legacy of the Joker (a man he despises yet also views as a father)’ and ‘chip in Tim’s brain that became sentient’. He slowly develops an identity over the course of his life and relationships with other people, but he lacks the foundations of identity that most people have. Pierrot will often almost become a caricature of himself and what others perceive him to be because it's the only person he knows how to be. This causes wild swings in how he behaves and relates to others, sometimes to the detriment of himself and others.)

Dick (17) 

Says his worst trait is his clinginess (he is a very extraverted person who likes to be around others, which mixed with his fear of abandonment after his parents died means that if he goes a few days without seeing/talking to a friend he will get very anxious.)

Thinks his worst trait is his anger issues (he gets ticked off very easily and will explode on people. He’s kind at his core and is usually very nice, but he has a temper that can escalate significantly. Spoiler (and later Twist) help him channel this anger into something positive.)

His worst trait actually is his anger issues.

Barbara (18)

Says her worst trait is her disability (internalized ableism, she thinks of herself as less valuable than the other Bats because she cannot be out there in the capes like they can. She will grow out of this as she matures and as she learns how invaluable her support for the team is.)  

Thinks her worst trait is her disability 

Her worst trait actually is her overly-independent nature (In an attempt to overcompensate for everything she can no longer do, she has resolved to do literally everything that she possibly can without any help from others. This results in many instances where she either takes on too much and winds up not being able to fully realize any of her tasks or where she makes her life and the lives of others significantly harder by refusing help when offered/not asking for it when she needs it.)

Damian (16)

Says his worst trait is his perfectionism (he is overly critical of both himself and others, taking any flaw or problem and amplifying it to an absurd degree. This is due in part to his life with the LoA (where even a brief misstep could lead to death), in part to how others treated him initially as Spoiler (any flaw was fixated on and used as a reason to either mistrust him or portray him as unworthy of the mantle), and in part due to the fact that he is Bruce’s son (the only person with worse perfectionism problems than Damian). Gradually, Damian has improved in this regard but it’s still a massive barrier to both his own happiness and his relationships with others.)

Thinks his worst trait is his perfectionism 

His worst trait actually is his perfectionism

Duke (16)

Says his worst trait is his definitely-real secret evil side (says this as a ‘my dad is a villain so who knows??’ joke)

Thinks his worst trait is his impulsivity in his words (Sometimes he will crack a joke or say a remark without thinking it through, leading to a LOT of hurt feelings and drama. He’ll say something without thinking it through and wind up seeming insensitive. This isn’t done because of malice, rather because Duke is someone who’s quick to act and speak. But while the mantle of Insight and his awakening powers have helped him with his actions, they do not always help with his loose tongue. As such, Duke gains an unfair reputation in the media as an instigator and will accidentally cause family drama through what he says.)

His worst trait actually is his impulsivity in his words

Jason (14)

Says his worst trait is his bad manners (he grew up on the streets and has no idea how rich-people society works, which he’s pretty insecure about considering he’s now the youngest kid of Bruce freaking Wayne). 

Thinks his worst trait is his reactiveness (Jason never got the privilege of planning ahead for various events in his life, so he instead needed to rely on being swift and harsh in how he could react to situations. It’s saved his life on multiple occasions and helps significantly in his role as Spoiler, but it can also lead to extreme overreactions (accidentally causing kidnapping scare after Jason ran away following a fight with Dick) and a struggle to plan things out ahead of time. As he grows more secure in his place in the family and in life, this trait will lessen but never fully dissipate.)

His worst trait actually is his reactiveness

[swagging-back-to]

call me crazy but i wish we saw even more of katniss grieving prim.

i dont think ive finished the second Mockingjay book, but in the movie esp it feels like 'the sister i sacrificed EVERYTHING to save was blown up and burnt to a crisp in front of me. im kinda sad, ig. im way more excited to get knocked up and have that baby tho!!!!!!!!!!!!'

[aeternalight]

I do always feel some sense of uncanny valley/unreality when looking at AI, but specifically with Hekate, I feel major repulsion and disgust when seeing AI art of her. She seems pissed looking at that stuff like cutting corners? not putting hard work into your art? that pisses her off a lot. She cares about dedication and discipline a lot, and AI art is just stealing other people's works to make bullshit, regardless of how much it "looks like her". She'd prefer to see young artists put sweat, blood and tears into their craft, than for people to make something soulless and disgusting, trying to "depict" her.

Seriously, if you want to devote yourself to Hekate, stop with that shit.

[kismetconstellations]

@sockdooe, Opinions on this?