#LOUIS IS TRANS AND INTERSEX

[hasturmcfuckface]

Oh, the joys of a self-made man! Michelangelo's David, reborn from stone!

(Character: Louis Zhang, The Carnation Trade)

[holyhomox]

I have love/hate relationship with queer toxic vampires

[acredb]

Happy [pushing it a bit too late] pride month!

[THERE ARE STILL MORE TAGS TO ADD BUT noo rooommmm fml]

extra tags will be added ina reblog

orientation info vvv

left to right:

cube: trans masc

SK1P: enby aroace

cyan and other heroes: gender

flame [and frost if you count their gravestone]: agender

ari: lesbian

timmy: intersex

hat and bow: demigirls

kāro: agender demisexual

sef: enby asexual

charla: enby aroace

louis [or snatcher]: bisexual

elijah: gay man

crate: irrelevant

[lilliaace]

A snippet in queer history, about Miss Major (fondly referred to as "Mama").

Image text:

Sex Workers' Struggles

Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, born in Chicago in 1940

When I first heard Miss Major Griffin-Gracy speak, on a panel of elders at the National LGBTQ Task Force's Creating Change Conference in 2018, her poise and charisma were incredible. It wouldn't be wouldn't be hyperbole to say she stole thr- show. In a wheelchair and flanked by "her girls," she made quite an entrance a few minutes after the panel had officially begun. When Louis and I went to sit down with her for the interview and photo shoot, we had to wait our turn. She was surrounded by peo- ple who just wanted to have a moment with her, sneak in a hug, offer thanks. She was literally awash in love. A Stonewall veteran, world-renowned civil rights advocate, revolution ary social justice luminary, and legendary elder, Miss Major is a leader in the fight for trans justice. Generations of trans women from all over the U.S. call her Mama. She has a refreshing message of resilience and revolution.

Miss Major grew up in Chicago, has lived in New York and San Francisco, and now resides in Little Rock, Arkan- sas. She became politicized in the Clinton Correctional Facility, a maximum-security state prison for men located in Dannemora, New York, just after the 1971 Attica prison uprising. For years she has been an advocate for transand her perspe women in prison, and she recently retired from her posi- tion as the executive director of the Transgender Gender- Variant and Intersex Justice Project, which focuses on disproportionate incarceration of transgender people. She is now working on a new project in Little Rock, the Griffin- Gracy Educational Retreat and Historical Center, or, as she likes to call it, The House of GGs, which their website describes as a "safe and transformative space where mem- bers of the community can heal-physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually-from the trauma arising from generations of transphobia, racism, sexism, poverty, ableism and violence, and nurture them into tomorrow's leaders." The website also identifies the primary focus as "support- ing and nurturing the leadership of Transgender women of color living in the U.S. South." For the community, she identifies as a Black elder transgender woman, but she told me, with a laugh, "To myself and my sons and people who are intimately close to me, I consider myself a man with titties." (She said she always loved them wanted a pair. for myself.") Miss Major affectionately refers to the trans women she works with as her "girls" or "gurls" in a gentle, kind, and respectful way. She loves color and flair-and big entrances. She drives a 1960 Cadillac convertible with a license plate reading TSCUGR, "trans cougar." She is also the subject of an award-winning documentary feature film, MAJOR! by Annalise Ophelian and StormMiguel Florez. As a sex worker in 1969, Miss Major arrived at the Stone- wall at the end of a night of work to check on the safety of her girls. She was there the night of the uprising and has a rarely heard story to tell. She is one of the few remaining survivors of Stonewall, and her perspective on the uprising has too often been ignored.

[astriiformes]

Hey, as someone currently in the US, and in what is a safe state (for now), but looking to move in the next few years, do you have any resources to look at for what areas are safe to be visibly queer in, in Minnesota? I suppose I'm asking about both safe suburbs and cities, but also Exurbs and Rural areas, if you know any of those that are safe. I've got a bunch of intersex conditions, so my transition is fast, but I'm definitely visibly trans, and I'd rather not risk issues with violence or bigotry if I could avoid those. Anyway, any maps, lists, or anything you can share would be super helpful, and I'd really appreciate anything you're willing to share! :3

Yes, for sure! I've talked a little about this same question before here, and you might be interested in searching my Minnesota tag on my blog ("land of eldritch lakes") for a whole collection of various thoughts about the state.

The quick version is that the Twin Cities are definitely the core of the safest area in the state (and I would say that both Minneapolis and Saint Paul are good in that regard), but there's absolutely spillover into some of the suburbs surrounding them. For example I've got queer friends living in Bloomington who have absolutely decked out their house in rainbows and occasionally get some trouble, but also get lots and lots of people telling them they love it, Saint Louis Park is where my top surgeon's office was located, I was once part of a particularly joyful Pride parade in Minnetonka, etc.

As far as other cities go I've heard mixed things about Duluth, but I think it's still generally a safer place to be (I know they elected a nonbinary representative to our state House of Representatives, which is kind of a big deal), and probably one of the safest not in or around the Twin Cities. It's also an absolutely gorgeous area, and they're currently working on resurrecting the rail line that used to go between Duluth and the Cities, so I imagine the increasing interconnectedness will be a good thing for queer folks up there!

I hope some of that is helpful! And if any other folks want to chime in on this post, with their own perspectives, feel free.

[flagwars]

Flag Wars Round 1: Prelims

Welcome to the first round of the Flag Wars! I received so many submissions, and I tried to include almost all of them in the competition. The first round is the preliminaries, where there will be 16 brackets each with 8 or 9 flags. The two most voted flags in each bracket will go on to the next round. Sadly, so many amazing flags will be voted out in the first round. This competition is about which flag has the best design rather than meaning, so please vote for the flag that you think looks the best rather than voting on how meaningful the flag is to you.

Here are the brackets for Round 1:

Round 1:

Group A:

Bracket 1:

Pansexual

Norway

Belarus

Albania

Canada

Lesbian

South Korea

New Zealand

Bracket 2:

Newfoundland

Argentina

Pakistan

Omnisexual

Brittany, France

Indiana

Barbados

Northern Italy

Bracket 3:

Achterhoek, Netherlands

Scotland

Fuente de Oro, Colombia

LGBT Pride

Orlando, Florida

Bhutan

North American Vexillological Association

Washington D.C.

Bracket 4:

Wiphala

Friesland

Abrosexual

Kalmykia, Russia

L'Manberg (Dream SMP)

Latvian Russians

Mozambique

United Kingdom

Group B:

Bracket 5:

New Mexico

Nonbinary

Original Pride

Jamaica

Sweden

Isle of Man

The People's Flag of Milwaukee

Denver, Colorado

Bracket 6:

Maryland

Ruhnu, Estonia

Māori

Assyrian

Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia

Estelada (Catalonian Independence)

Intersex

Aroace

Bracket 7:

South Carolina

Cascadia (Doug Flag)

Yi People

Switzerland

California

Bavaria, Germany

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Pehuenche People

Bracket 8:

Wales

Germany

Qing Dynasty

Arizona

Tokyo

Liechtenstein

MLM

St. Louis, Missouri

Group C:

Bracket 9:

Cuba

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Vatican City

Kiribati

Demigirl

Bohuslän, Sweden

Greenland

European Union

Bracket 10:

Iran

Ikurriña/Basque

Greece

Japan

Progress Pride

United Nations

Kyrgyzstan

Aromantic

American Indian Movement

Bracket 11:

Ryukyu Kingdom

Quebec

Australian Aboriginal

Sapphic

Slovakia

International Federation of Vexillological Associations

Mexico

Nepal

Bracket 12:

Bear

Taiwan

Asexual

Pacific Community

Alaska

Turkmeneli, Iraq

Oz (The Wizard of Oz)

Zheleznogorsk, Russia

Group D:

Bracket 13:

Trans

Chicago, Illinois

Concón, Chile

Morocco

Rejected EU

Okinawa

Racing Flag

Hong Kong

Bracket 14:

Ohio

Black flag of Puerto Rico

Hawaii

Antarctica True South Proposal

Brazil

United States

A-spec

Estonia

Bracket 15:

Laser Kiwi

Seychelles

Sealand

Uzbekistan

Colorado

Kazakhstan

Ukraine

Macau

Wakanda

Bracket 16:

Orca Face (People’s Flag of Seattle)

Philippines

Portland, Oregon

Unlabeled

Salem, Oregon

Mississippi

Bisexual

Turkey

South Africa

[skepticalarrie]

Hi Allie! Not sure if you saw the recent interview with Lady Gaga but she basically talked about why she didn’t shut down rumors of secretly being trans or intersex (not the terminology used at the time by those spreading these rumors). I’ve always thought she was extremely ahead of her time when she just let the rumors happen, and would still consider it very ahead of its time today (as we’ve seen recently with other people being “transvestigated” and such). Anyway, it just made me think of the “rumors” that both Harry and Louis have faced throughout their careers, though not the same.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DAHSet4hz0M/

x. I know this is a bit old news now since it took me forever to answer you. But it definitely got me thinking, too. Mhmmm I'm right there with you, anon.

[hergan416]

First of all, thanks for the reassurance! It was very interesting to read your version of it. Ironically, I got interested in omo before my body decided to just sometimes pee without my permission, so I never really made the connection??? I guess?? About the blorbos, I think you'd have great fun with Reigen, as he's the kind of pathetic (wet cat) man to put into omo situation (and half the fandom headcanons him as trans). For fandoms you are in, consider: Sanji.

Fair enough!

For me it was like, something crossed my dash and I was like "turned on by a full bladder? No way that's a thing? That's totally me!" Like. Ages after my first incident like that.

I had no idea.

Blorbos, what show is Reigen from? I think I've seen that name before but I don't know anything about them.

Sanji -- transmasc Sanji makes a kind of sense that I literally never thought of before and like holy shit. Or possibly intersex with even more family medical trauma than canon has - although I'm not sure if my ability to write that well and not come off fetishicticly, just because of the nature of smut one shots? But huh, didn't think about that.

I do generally enjoy amab Sanji though, so while I like him for the idea of wetting scenarios in general, he was not who I thought of for this right away.

Honestly I could probably put Sanji in almost the same scenarios I keep wanting to put Louis in and he would humiliate more. He has this sense of pride that would be super fun to crush. Zosan isn't my top ship for Sanji, but having Zoro around for it would be especially humiliating I think, and if he were struggling with anything like this Zoro would be the last person he would try to open up to, so I think that would be kind of perfect to force him to deal with. Also because Zoro actually will not blab to the rest of the crew, even if it embarrasses Sanji personally to no end to know that Zoro knows about his fetish.

Hm..

[tsflangel]

Trans people in history 🏳️‍⚧️🌟 Chevalier D’Eon has been recognised by modern historians as trans, but there are also reports that indicate they might’ve been intersex as well. Regardless, they were a remarkable queer person in history. D’Eon was raised as a girl until about age 6 or 7, and then continued on as a boy as a condition of their father, Louis d’Éon de Beaumont, being able to inherit from his in-laws. Questions about Chevalier’s gender existed long before she started dressing as a woman in public. After being sent to England in 1762, rumours circulated about her true gender, and betting on whether she was male or female even made it to the London Stock Exchange. D’Eon tried to return home to France, from where she had been exiled by some unfortunate diplomatic intrigues. King Louis XVI allowed her to return under the bizarre condition that d’Eon dress as a woman. When the King offered money for a new wardrobe of female clothing, Chevalier readily accepted. Reportedly, d’Eon had no trouble at all complying with the terms of the arrangement. Later, when she returned back to England and was not under the constraints of Louis XVI’s directive, Chevalier continued to live and dress as a woman for 33 years, until her death in 1810. The controversy surrounding the Chevalier d’Eon excited imaginations for decades after her death. Her name became associated with trans people generally when English physician Henry Havelock Ellis coined the phrase “eonism” to refer to trans people. #trans #lgbthistory #lgbthistorymonth #lgbtqia #transgender #transpride #transrights #transrightsarehumanrights #lgbt #lgbtq🌈 #lgbtq #lgbtpride #lgbtcommunity #dragqueen #drag #dragrace https://www.instagram.com/p/CpilYKLOhHb/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[ahopefulbromantic]

Tysm for the reply, and such a detailed one with the links at that!!! It was fascinating to read!

I also have some thoughts:

Jesus combining Mary and thus becoming a hermaphrodite makes me think about Adam. The word for a male man ("ish") isn't used in the Bible until the creation of Eve, before that Adam is called just Adam - a human. This leads many to believe that he was created as intersex, either containing both sexes at once or none. And since the Church gives the title of The New Adam to Jesus and The New Eve to Mary, and since Jesus is to reverse Adam's sin and bring humanity back to its natural state from the original paradise, this image makes sense. If Adam was "split into" himself and Eve (he wasn't exactly and also it was God's idea not a result of sin but let's go with that for now) and lost the paradise afterwards, Jesus was "combined with" Mary, became the original perfect human, and regained the paradise.

The claim that 'wherever there's Jesus there's also Mary and vice versa' also seems in tune with the mariology of St Louis de Montfort (see: "True Devotion to Mary"), which is widely accepted by the Catholic Church even today - although to claim He's intersex because of that would be too far-fetched.

I have a whole argument and a half about how the crucifixion bears a lot of resemblance to the childbirth (like eg. the birth canal thing, frequently appearing phrase "of His wound the Church was born", John's Gospel using the Greek word kolpos when refering to both Jesus and His Father that could be translated either as a heart/breast or as a womb/female reproductive organs, Jesus kinda breastfeeding His children but with blood instead of milk, and because of it being very often likened to a pelican mother who medieval scholars believed to do the same, and so on).

A couple of images of female pelican being a symbol of Christ for anyone interested (fun fact! our parish priest has one garment adorned with the same image and it's my favorite piece of priestly clothing ever, I'm hyped whenever he wears it) :

Yay, St Wilgefortis mentioned! I love her and her legend, sometimes you ask Jesus for a way out and He gives you a beard. Although I only encountered versions of the story where she was female with a beard and some male features, not intersex, and her shoe falling off during the crucifixion, not some weird joke (also what's the joke cause I don't get it and you got me curious?).

As a side note, there are many other saints who defy our modern understanding of gender, the medieval times were very cool for that. Just to name my favorite few there are e.g. St Euphrosyne/Smaragd (a girl who wanted to stay virgin for Christ so she ran away from marriage to a male monastery where she did a Mulan on everyone for practically her whole life and the best things is, they found out eventually and they didn't kick her out cause "hey, you'll always be brother Smaragd for us, you're cool") and St Francis (yes that St Francis of Assisi, who when asking for a blessing to establish an order was said to tell the pope: "I am the Bride of Christ and this is the way He wants me to bear His children").

Those two below are both Euphrosyne!

And though it's interesting to see it done to His human form, depicting the Son as a woman isn't actually that recent. It dates back to the Old Testament and Lady Wisdom, a personification of God's wisdom from the Book of Proverbs, whom at least Catholic doctrine believes to be Word/the Son/Jesus, giving Jesus the title of Wisdom Incarnate. She was consistently depicted as a young, very beautiful woman.

While the understanding of concepts of sexual orientation and gender back then were very different to what we believe today so people most likely didn't identify as gay or trans, it's true that the Church was the most welcoming place (and still is apart from its highly conservative members, fight me) for everyone who was different, weird, or socially unacceptable. Yes you have to follow the morality and commandments of course, but the weirdness is never the issue. Heck, the Hebrew word for "saint" (kadosh) literally means "different/weird"! It seems they may have understood the assignment far better back then than we do today.

Hi! I saw a post where you mentioned intersex Jesus being a part of medieval European alchemy and I'd love to learn more about that. Could you elaborate or maybe provide links to some articles? I know some saint mystics talked about Jesus being our Mother, and the holy wound in His side was often likened to a birth canal, especially in medieval times. Is it connected to that in any way?

I'd love to elaborate! (This is going to be a long post so buckle up lol)

I will be using the word "hermaphrodite" instead of "intersex" because that is the word that primary sources from medieval Europe and contemporary medieval scholars use when talking about this subject

The best scholarly article I've found is "The Jesus Hermaphrodite: Science and Sex Difference in Premodern Europe" by Leah DeVun. It talks about how the image of the hermaphrodite was used in a metaphorical way by alchemists to show the combining/transforming of two different metals. They believed that certain metals/elements were gendered, so combining male and female "traits" would make something of a completely new sex; similar to the way they perceived hermaphrodites as both but also neither sex.

The article then goes on to talk about two medieval texts: Aurora consurgens and the Book of the Holy Trinity. Aurora consurgens is an alchemic text and has the image below in it. The hermaphrodite is holding a rabbit and bat, both of which were thought to be hermaphroditic species where both males and females gave birth, to emphasize their dual sexuality as well as the conflicting male and female attributes of alchemy.

The Book of the Holy Trinity transitioned from the traditional alchemic hermaphrodite, like seen above, into the religious sphere by arguing that Jesus and Mary were two sides of the same coin. The author of the text says, "one can never see the mother of God without also seeing that God eternally hides and intermingles [his mother] within him. God was and is eternally his own mother and his own father, human and divine, his divinity and his humanity intermingled within. And he depends on that which he wishes to be hidden most of all within himself, the divine and the human, the feminine and the masculine." This makes Jesus/Mary a hermaphrodite.

As a bit of a fun side note to your ask, the author of the Book of the Holy Trinity gives a few more supporting points to his argument and then turns to say that as Christ contains Mary, He also contains the Antichrist which the Book illustrates like this:

The idea of the hermaphrodite Christ really took off after that and boosted the cult of Saint Wilgefortis, saint of monsters. Images of the hermaphrodite Wilgefortis were often indistinguishable from images of Christ because they were both depicted on a cross but where they both have beards, Wilgefortis only has one shoe on: a playful medieval illusion to female sex organs. Images of Saint Wilgefortis below (some images from the 1800s, some from the 1400s). You can read more about Wilegfortis in Bearded Woman, Female Christ: Gendered Transformations in the Legends and Cult of Saint Wilgefortis by Lewis Wallace.

About a hundred years later, “The Lamentation around the remains of Christ,” below, was made depicting Jesus with breasts and feminine curves. Not much is known about it and Christ's hermaphroditic traits weren't even discovered until it was restored in the 21st century. Because of how recent this discovery is, not much scholarly work has been published on it, but I did find this: "The androgyny of Christ" by H. Valdes‑Socin. It is now at the Museum of Notre-Dame à la Rose Hospital in Lessines, Belgium.

And you're absolutely right about Christ's stab wound being like a birth canal! I think the article Mysticism and queer readings of Christ’s Side Wound in the Prayer Book of Bonne of Luxembourg by  Dr. Maeve K. Doyle does a good job of explaining it. Dr. Doyle says, "The image of the side wound, ... grants feminine bodily attributes to Christ, destabilizing assumptions about his gender. In mystical images and texts, Christ’s capacity to transcend the gender binary, like his capacity to transcend the binary of life and death, underscores his divinity." Dr. Doyle then goes on to talk about how images of the stab wound looking like a birth canal would also be comforting to medieval women, trans people, and homosexuals on both sides. Now I'm not Christian but I think it's really amazing that such a simple image can elicited so much comfort and joy in so many groups of people who were not able to fully be themselves in the era they lived in. It was a reminder that even Christ was like them, their feelings were valid (to an extent), and that Jesus loved them anyway. Medieval Jesus stab wounds below for people interested.

----

Just for fun here are some more cool things!

A medieval wooden architectural relief with a person with a beard, phallus, and breasts

Potta di Modena Metope/The Hermaphrodite (left) and detail from the Southern Archivolt (right) of the Modena Cathedral Modena, Italy, c. 1099-1319, Marble reliefs

The Potta di Modena Metope (left) is damaged because people in the 1500s thought it was too sexual/offensive so they vandalized it

More journal articles:

Bearded Women in Early Modern England by Mark Albert Johnston

The Third Sex: The Idea of the Hermaphrodite in Twelfth-Century Europe by Cary J. Nederman

Transvestites in the Middle Ages by Vern L. Bullough

[taxicabmetric]

Just thought I’d drop this here: if you are a young trans person who is houseless, in foster care, in detention, in an abusive situation, or otherwise in need of support, or if you would like to support trans youth this holiday season, check out @transanta on instagram or email transanta2020@gmail.com for more information. This a project led by trans people that matches youth in need with people willing to donate supplies and gifts 

[somethingpositive4positivepeople]

SPFPP Episode 190: Identity Validation is Suicide Prevention - Stigma in Blackness

The intersection of overlapping identities intensifies the impacts of traumatic events. The impact of stigma on a white cis-gendered male has a significantly DIFFERENT impact than it would say an intersex black trans woman. You put one member of these overlapping identities in the same situation, and you have completely different possibilities for outcomes with minimal overlap. Mental health impacts COULD be the same, but statistics show the risk of violence for existing is something the former has minimal chances of experiencing. Today we can an inside look of the intersex, trans experience with my primary health care provider, simply because she’s given me my STI & HIV tests since 2019, Leigh.

[lilliaace]

A snippet in queer history, about Miss Major (fondly referred to as "Mama").

Image text:

Sex Workers' Struggles

Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, born in Chicago in 1940

When I first heard Miss Major Griffin-Gracy speak, on a panel of elders at the National LGBTQ Task Force's Creating Change Conference in 2018, her poise and charisma were incredible. It wouldn't be wouldn't be hyperbole to say she stole thr- show. In a wheelchair and flanked by "her girls," she made quite an entrance a few minutes after the panel had officially begun. When Louis and I went to sit down with her for the interview and photo shoot, we had to wait our turn. She was surrounded by peo- ple who just wanted to have a moment with her, sneak in a hug, offer thanks. She was literally awash in love. A Stonewall veteran, world-renowned civil rights advocate, revolution ary social justice luminary, and legendary elder, Miss Major is a leader in the fight for trans justice. Generations of trans women from all over the U.S. call her Mama. She has a refreshing message of resilience and revolution.

Miss Major grew up in Chicago, has lived in New York and San Francisco, and now resides in Little Rock, Arkan- sas. She became politicized in the Clinton Correctional Facility, a maximum-security state prison for men located in Dannemora, New York, just after the 1971 Attica prison uprising. For years she has been an advocate for transand her perspe women in prison, and she recently retired from her posi- tion as the executive director of the Transgender Gender- Variant and Intersex Justice Project, which focuses on disproportionate incarceration of transgender people. She is now working on a new project in Little Rock, the Griffin- Gracy Educational Retreat and Historical Center, or, as she likes to call it, The House of GGs, which their website describes as a "safe and transformative space where mem- bers of the community can heal-physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually-from the trauma arising from generations of transphobia, racism, sexism, poverty, ableism and violence, and nurture them into tomorrow's leaders." The website also identifies the primary focus as "support- ing and nurturing the leadership of Transgender women of color living in the U.S. South." For the community, she identifies as a Black elder transgender woman, but she told me, with a laugh, "To myself and my sons and people who are intimately close to me, I consider myself a man with titties." (She said she always loved them wanted a pair. for myself.") Miss Major affectionately refers to the trans women she works with as her "girls" or "gurls" in a gentle, kind, and respectful way. She loves color and flair-and big entrances. She drives a 1960 Cadillac convertible with a license plate reading TSCUGR, "trans cougar." She is also the subject of an award-winning documentary feature film, MAJOR! by Annalise Ophelian and StormMiguel Florez. As a sex worker in 1969, Miss Major arrived at the Stone- wall at the end of a night of work to check on the safety of her girls. She was there the night of the uprising and has a rarely heard story to tell. She is one of the few remaining survivors of Stonewall, and her perspective on the uprising has too often been ignored.

[hasturmcfuckface]

Yayy!! Thanks for your response!!! Here's quick* timeline of his backstory + arc, only vaguely referencing major plot points so as to not spoil the story (below the cut because it's a bit longer than I expected):

Louis Zhang

Born as [Redacted] Zhang on July 26th, 1894 in Sacramento, California

Not born in a hospital, assigned female at birth due to ambiguous genitalia. Had a relatively average childhood aside from frequent incidents involving him dressing in boy's clothing or doing "boyish" things (typical things associated with trans kids). Developed a fixation on flight after the launching of the Wright plane in 1903.

Late puberty came with development of both masculine and feminine secondary sex characteristics, which Louis was extremely conflicted about because of societal expectations vs his own gender euphoria. At age 17 (1913), Louis comes to the conclusion that he was simply meant to be both a man and a pilot, and runs away to pursue both.

Along the way he encounters an older transgender woman, Missy LeBlanc, from New Orleans, headed to Boston for a similar fresh start. She is the one who gives him the name Louis (specifically the French pronunciation, Lou-ee). They become close friends during their travels until they're forced to split apart when they reach Massachusetts.

Louis apprentices under a mechanic for a year and begins to study engineering on his own, though the grief from leaving his mother clouds his memory of this period. In 1914, at age 18, he uses his knowledge to admit himself into Curtiss School of Aviation in New York.

Louis graduated in 1915 (it only took a few months to be a pilot back then) and enlisted in the brand-new American Air Force, with plans to join the Lafayette Escadrille in France and be trained for reconnaissance in WWI. It was also during this time he met one of his closest friends and eventual lover (also the other protagonist in the novel) Cassidy Archer. Louis left for France in 1916.

During a reconnaissance mission in 1918, Louis was shot down over enemy lines and severely burned on the left side of his body. Even after the war ended and his wounds were treated, he was dishonorably discharged on the basis of deception--despite being extremely capable, the army medic deemed him female, and "unfit" to have been in war in the first place due to "abnormalities."

Stranded in Germany with no money and no community, Louis remembered information his old friend Missy had shared with him about a doctor, Magnus Hirschfeld* (a real individual) who was pioneering the study of sexology in Berlin. *I haven't done extensive research into his treatment of intersex people, however from what I have seen so far it appears to be positive especially for the time. Here, Louis learns about his body, gender identity, and homosexuality. He undergoes top surgery and, after recovering, works for a few years to save up for his return to America

Louis returns in 1921, after prohibition has already started, and manages to reunite with Cassidy. This is where the novel begins.

Louis gets involved in rum running and, through it, uncovers NYC's queer underbelly. He begins to sink too deep though, becoming an alcoholic, resorting to crime/other risk-taking behavior including sex, and feeling like an outsider within his own scene because of his dissociation from years of army/wartime/medical trauma. His mental health begins to decline, finally breaking because of a story event involving his friend Cassidy. His remainder of self-preservation and pride crumbles out of financial desperation; he becomes a street prostitute from 1924-1926.**

**Louis was someone previously who, while he never looked down on sex workers, was incredibly adverse to anything he perceived as exploitation, a principal that he was forced to let go of as the army essentially used his skills and threw him away. What he is doing is never portrayed as wrong, but it is portrayed as being harmful to him because he's not someone who would let others use his body in this way. It was also even more dangerous for him because of transphobia, intersexism, and anti-Chinese racism.

Louis is able to improve his mental health and financial situation after reuniting with Missy, who now owns a queer-safe speakeasy called The Monarch in Harlem. She gives him a spare room to sleep in, and the consistent community and work (despite how he resents it) serve to help him truly heal. This compounds when he and Cassidy mend their friendship and mutually fall in love, at which point Cassidy learns about his past and accepts him, recounting similar stories of medical abuse for his homosexuality as a teenager (won't get into this here because spoilers).

The sexual, platonic, and romantic aspects of Louis and Cassidy's relationship help Louis along the road to loving himself and his body for what it *is* rather than what it can do for others or how others view it as being "wrong".

So yeah!! That's only 3/4ths of the way through, but it accounts for everything I wanted to mention. And yes this is just the basis of his story because it's a lot more intertwined with cassidy and other plot elements and. 😭 i'm sorry for how long it is but if you or anyone else wants to read it and share ur thoughts on him i would really appreciate it :D lmk if there's anything specifically about him that rubs you the wrong way, or anything you like but could be improved on

Hello! I'm currently writing a novel featuring an intersex protagonist in the 1920s gay scene of NYC, but I'm worried about accidental fetishization-- I want to be particularly sensitive towards this as sex (and specifically prostitution) are important to his narrative arc. Is it possible I could receive critique on him from you or other intersex ppl if I were to share a bare-bones summary of his backstory and arc? I plan on fully hiring a sensitivity reader later on but i'm only on like. chapter 1 so I want to make sure I'm not baking really big mistakes into his story before it's too difficult to change it. your blog is so cool btw i'm learning so much :D

Wow, that sounds super interesting!! I know I am just one person, but I am totally open towards offering criticism and feedback. If it helps at all, I regularly beta read fanfiction, fiction, and nonfiction for people so it's something I do have experience in. And it's great that you're considerate of the need for sensitivity teams. I don't know of anyone else who would be able to provide feedback, but if anyone else is interested feel free to comment on this post.

[larryatendoftheday]

My Favorite Fics of 2022

I relied on fics to help me get through a really difficult year. I read and loved so many stories, but these are the ones that I absolutely cherished.

Thank you to every author in this fandom for writing and sharing your work. And thank you to everyone who recommends fics and connects readers with these great stories. I don't know where I'd be without you all. I hope this post helps someone find a fic you haven't given a chance, yet!

Open Up Your Honey Pot by daffodilsforlou @polaroidlouis E | 5k | ABO

This is one of the hottest fics I read this year. Frat boy alpha Louis absolutely worships his intersex omega boyfriend Harry. Gentle dom Harry teasing service top Louis is absolutely gold and so well written. There’s just so much love (and slick). I have read and re-read this, but it doesn’t get old.

The School of Extraordinary Lovers by @stylinsoncity M | 191k | Vampire/Witch

I absolutely loved sinking into the world of this story with magical creatures, curses, and beautiful music. (Definitely check out the playlist.) Louis and Harry are brought back together after years apart, and their past slowly starts to make sense to the readers as well as both of them. This author blew me away with how well they communicated longing, jealousy, and pining, and how satisfying the story really was. Be warned, there is some violence.

Our Lives, Non-Fiction by @indiaalphawhiskey E | 113k | Enemies to lovers

This fic absolutely blew me away with palpable sexual tension between authors Marcel and Louis, who got off on the wrong foot. When Marcel realizes he needs to experience sex to be able to write it better and Louis agrees to help…it only gets better. The commentary throughout about romance and fanfiction was so well-done and added such richness. With amazing writing, storyline, and smut, it’s no wonder this is a modern classic in the fandom.

Beautiful War by @itsmotivatingcara M | 103k | Clairvoyant

This is a thriller romance, with a detailed mystery, high stakes, and amazing burning tension between Larry. Clairvoyant Louis survived the unthinkable when he escaped a serial killer, but now the signature murders are continuing. FBI agent Harry is on the case and suspicious of Louis and his gift. This story moves you from fear to lust with ease, and I hope it earns its spot as another fandom classic. Warning for lots of violence and blood in this one.

come my love be one with the sea by CuckooTrooke @larrydoinglaundry M | 6k | Mermaid/Pirate

Get ready to fall in love with this charming and absolutely hilarious fic. Mermaid Harry saves a pirate ship captain named Louis. Cue misunderstandings, banter, sass, and really soft, lovely, feelings. This fic makes me feel so good every time I read it.

Darling Can't You See by @tommokat M | 12k | Royalty

Prince Harry has a reputation that precedes him, but when Louis is hired to be the royal cat caretaker, he learns that reputation may be a little bit misleading. This is fantastically funny and sweet, with the bonus of a love story between Louis and the many many cats. It also has some of the hottest dirty talk and smut I've read in a long while. A real pleasure to read.

The Warmth of Your Body by zanni_scaramouche @zanniscaramouche M | 46k | ABO wolves

I could not put this addictive fic down. Omega Harry is in line to become the next pack Luna, promised to Niall, when unexpected violence and challenges arrive. A mysterious alpha, Louis, shows up just in time to save Harry’s life. Harry navigates his duties and expectations while staying true to himself. This fic does end on a cliff hanger. I am still hoping for part two, but I highly recommend reading the part that is written. P.S. I just learned that part two is written and coming soon!!

your head in your hands as you color me blue by docklands @hershelsue G | 2k | Historical

“Gorgeous historical gender thing” was my bookmark note. This is a short but sweet story about trans Harry’s unique relationship with the painter in the window across from his Paris apartment. I encourage you to read the second part, too.

Lies & Liability by 4ureyesonly28 @evilovesyou M | 34k | Regency + ABO

Omega Harry is tired of suitors, and alpha Louis doesn’t care to court omegas, so they form a mutually convenient fake relationship in this historical fic packed with great tropes. There is enemies to friends to lovers. There is protective Louis. There is dueling, danger, and excitement. It was an amazingly fun romp that I highly recommend, even if regency romance isn’t normally your thing.

Full Moon Dreaming by jarcaranda_bloom @jacaranda-bloom E | 43k | Soulmates

In this magical realism fic, full moon dreams reveal your soulmate, but Louis has given up hope of getting his. When Harry moves in next door to Louis in a coastal town, they don’t get off to a great start. There’s a great cast of 1D characters, a fantastic enemies to lovers arc, and some very steamy smut. The allusions to the movie Moonstruck are the icing on the cake.

Remember Me Before You by @kingsofeverything E | 293k | Friends to lovers

I was absolutely beside myself waiting for each new installment of this fic. This is a New Girl AU with the 1D guys. Harry is Jess, and Louis is Nick. Their friends to lovers, push and pull relationship was iconic in the show, but this story fleshes it out and takes it to a new level. You can also enjoy the hilarious group comedy element you know and love from the sitcom.

In Motion by orphan_account E | 6k | PWP

Smut. Specifically Louis edges Harry for a long time in creative ways. Absolutely fabulous.

Introduction to Dynamics by @juliusschmidt E | 29k | Non-traditional ABO

Confident omega Louis becomes friends with sheltered beta Harry in college. Except, there’s a little more there, and maybe Harry isn’t a beta after all? This is funny, sweet, and sexy with lots of “sex education” talks and oblivious idiots in love.

Last time I did an annual favorites list, I included one of my own fics, so... Grow as We Go by me @larryatendoftheday T | 7k | Breakup/Makeup

Six years into their relationship, Harry and Louis hit a breaking point. Louis is tired of shoving the ring box into the back of his underwear drawer, so he throws out an ultimatum. Or a fic about growing up and choosing each other.

[yourdailyqueer]

Queer Olympians

So the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics are coming up which shows the best athletes from around the world compete to win gold in their specialist sport. There are more queer Olympic athletes than you think. More listed here.

Those who I have posted include:

Callan Chythlook-Sifsof - Lesbian (snowboarding)

Caster Semenya - Lesbian & Intersex (athletics)

Edel Therese Høiseth - Lesbian (speed skating)

Laurel Hubbard - Trans woman (weightlifting)

Sandra Forgues - Trans woman (canoeist)

Francine Niyonsaba - Intersex (athletics)

Maartje Paumen - Lesbian (field hockey)

Emanuel Andrade - Gay (show jumping)

Linda Villumsen - Lesbian (road cycling)

Andreas Krieger - Trans man (shot put)

Inika McPherson - Lesbian (high jump)

Linda Bresonik - Bisexual (soccer)

Brian Orser - Gay (figure skating)

Karen Hultzer - Lesbian (archery)

Loui Sand - Trans man (handball)

Imke Duplitzer - Lesbian (fencing)

Douglas Souza - Gay (volleyball)

Nicola Adams - Bisexual Lesbian (boxing)

Jackie Silva - Lesbian (volleyball)

Amini Fonua - Gay (swimming)

Ali Krieger - Bisexual (soccer)

Tom Daley - Gay (diving)

Paralympians

Laurie Williams - Lesbian (wheelchair basketball)

Cindy Ouellet - Queer (wheelchair basketball)

Robyn Love - Lesbian (wheelchair basketball)

Sir Lee Pearson - Gay (dressage)

Claire Harvey - Lesbian (athletics)

Theresa Goh - Queer (swimming)