#M's transphobic letter

[thosearentcrimes]

Me for the past week: Damn I really need to focus on writing this paper about revolutionary self-perception in 1789-1794 France. No distractions, just relevant stuff, deadline's coming up.

Instead:

Maria Edgeworth's 1817 novel Harrington contains a vivid evocation of the Gordon Riots, with two unsympathetic characters taken for Papists and finding refuge in the home of the rich Spanish Jew, the father of the young Jewish woman at the centre of the love story.

huh never heard of her I wonder what was up with her

She held critical views on estate management, politics and education, and corresponded with some of the leading literary and economic writers, including Sir Walter Scott and David Ricardo.

that David Ricardo? from economics?

After Honora died in 1780 Maria's father married Honora's sister Elizabeth (then socially disapproved and legally forbidden from 1833 until the Deceased Wife's Sister's Marriage Act 1907)

wait what

The Deceased Wife's Sister's Marriage Act 1907 (7 Edw. 7. c. 47) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, allowing a man to marry his dead wife's sister, which had previously been forbidden.

ok yeah that's pretty much what it says on the tin

The 1907 Act did exactly what it said and no more. It was amended by the Deceased Brother's Widow's Marriage Act 1921 to allow a widow to marry her deceased husband's brother.[36][37] This was a response to First World War deaths to encourage remarriages, reducing war widows' pensions and increasing the birth rate.[37]

the war really did do a lot for gender equality didn't it

anyway what was up with Maria Edgeworth, let's catch up with her

When passing through the village, one of the party wrote, "We found neither mud hovels nor naked peasantry, but snug cottages and smiles all about".[10] A counter view was provided by another visitor who stated that the residents of Edgeworthstown treated Edgeworth with contempt, refusing even to feign politeness.[11]

Ireland moment

Following an anti-Semitic remark in The Absentee, Edgeworth received a letter from an American Jewish woman named Rachel Mordecai in 1815 complaining about Edgeworth's depiction of Jews.[45] In response, Harrington (1817) was written as an apology to the Jewish community.

imagine if Graham Linehan had responded this way to criticism of his transphobic IT crowd episode :)

Rachel Mordecai married widower Aaron Marks Lazarus in 1821, and moved to Wilmington, North Carolina, where she lived for the rest of her life. The Lazaruses had four children together, three daughters and a son, M. E. Lazarus, in a household that also included Mr. Lazarus's seven children from his first marriage.

oh the lady had a son who she named after the author she liked who turned out to be willing to not be anti-semitic, that's nice

Marx Edgeworth Lazarus (February 6, 1822 – 1896) was an American individualist anarchist, Fourierist, and free-thinker.

oh well that sounds nice enough

Lazarus was a practicing doctor of homeopathy

ehhhh

Through his adult life, Lazarus tried to cope with apparent mental and physical disturbances, in particular what seemed to be chronic nocturnal emissions, a condition that at the time was labeled "seminal incontinence" or "spermatorrhea," believed to be detrimental and even fatal to the mind and body. Lazarus sought treatments through homeopathy, hydropathy, and electromagnetic treatments that seemed to bring some temporary relief. He also discussed the condition in his 1852 book Involuntary Seminal Losses: Their Causes, Effects, and Cure," where he suggested that the total sexual abstinence that he had tried to practice might be one of those causes. In 1855, Lazarus shocked some of his fellow Fourierists and free love advocates by marrying a 19 year old woman from Indiana, Mary Laurie (or "Lawrie).[1]

oh... a libertarian...

By the mid-1850s, social movements like Fourierism were in decline, and Lazarus's later life seems to have had less focus. When the Civil War broke out, most members of Lazarus's extended family lived in Southern states and generally supported the Confederate cause. In 1861, Lazarus, was staying with relatives in Columbus, Georgia and joined the local City Light Guard when war broke out, later serving as company physician for the Wilmington, NC Artillery.

on the one hand, obviously very bad to enlist in the Confederate army right, but on the other hand a semen retentionist doing homeopathy to them can't really be classified as "aiding" them can it

After the war, Lazarus continued to practice his areas of medicine and contributed articles and comments to various publications.[5] By his last years, though, he had become a disenchanted recluse known as the "Sand Mountain Hermit" of Jackson County, Alabama.

most normal libertarian

I wonder what those articles and comments are, and what kind of website they're hosted on. Oh.

[olderthannetfic]

I appreciate the approach about being honest if, for instance, you don’t want trans headcanons in an exchange. I have that in my letter less because I totally hate all trans fic — there are some I have really enjoyed— and more because there are so many specific common things in trans fic that I don’t like (PIV, issuefic, any time it feels like the choice of which character to be trans is kind of gender essentialist e.g. “this woman must be AMAB because she has muscles/this man must be AFAB because he’s petite and pretty” or “this character who is a queeny gay man in a way a lot of IRL gay men are is actually a trans woman because obviously you wouldn’t be gender non-conforming unless you’re secretly trans”) that it just seems easier to DNW all of it rather than get particular in a way that might not be clear (especially with the last thing, which is subjective af, and kind of an I-know-it-when-I-see-it thing, and certainly not true of every fic that hcs those particular characters as trans, but it does ruin the fic for me when I do see it) or that might offend people (I’ve been in fandoms where people got super bent out of shape about how it was secretly transphobic of you to like M/M or F/F but dislike PIV). I got really bent out of shape at first about worrying it made me sound transphobic, and a friend had to be like, look, the people who are going to think that are going to think that anyway if you’re honest about your preferences, so you may as well just make it easier

--

Yeah. DNWs are appropriate for any of those "I know it when I see it" or "Be at least this skilled a writer" topics.

You just can't expect your assigned person to be a mind reader or brilliantly talented. It's better to steer them away from things that will end up annoying you when written "wrong".

And yes, people will get mad no matter what. A lot of them are people who desperately want to write their headcanon and not what their recipient actually likes, so they get mad at any request that tells them point blank to respect the recipient's tastes.

[the-undead-doctor-rp]

WELCOME TO THE WELL!!

HOWDY! I'm known as the Plague Doctor, but please, Call me Docty!

This is me 💜

And before you ask, yes, I'm dead. Like, really dead. I've been dead for 700 YEARS!! IM SLOWLY LOOSING MY MARBLES...

but it's FINE. I'm FINEEE.

I am currently living in a well that moves around :3 one moment I'll be in earth, the next I'll be in a dimension full of only the letter M! It's pretty wet.

Some rules~ ✨

💜 no bigots, transphobes, homophobes, racists, etc. Look man, i may be from the black plague times but also. I'm dead. None of us have room to judge each other over stupid shit like that.

💜 no nsfw man-! I'm literally a corpse! But if ya wanna flirt I wouldn't be opposed~ after all who could resist all THIS!

💜 NO TOUCHING THE MASK. I will beat you.

// Mod Finnley here! Hi! So. Welcome to this stupid RP blog I made for fun. This is gonna lean more into the lore and character of my persona, rather than just be me yapping. Just having fun here!

My main blog is @thecluelessdoctor, go check it out! I post alot of art there, and it's less shitposty there. Please go look at it lmao

This will mainly interact with gravity falls blogs, but I'll try to branch out for funsies if my fixations change!

Anyway, Ciao!

Tags;

In the well posts- text posts

🐦‍⬛ questions for the doctor 🐦‍⬛ -asks

🐦‍⬛ 💊- mod symbol

Docty lore- any posts involving docty's backstory, or the backstory of the well.

[piarelei]

HP Trans Fest 2023

Written for the @hptransfest, self-prompted.

the mortifying ordeal of being by Piarelei

Draco/Harry | M | Detailed warnings in notes (Misgendering, Depression) | Trans Male Draco | Trans Male Harry Potter | Trans Female Astoria Greengrass | T4T | Angst and Fluff | Angst with a Happy Ending | Enemies to Friends to Lovers | and they were roommates

The first step is getting away from his mother. The second, surprisingly, is moving in with Potter.

Includes, but is not limited to: Harry's fantastic cooking skills, Christmas in October, friendship, an emerald necklace, too many crêpes and Draco's disastrous attempts at hiding his feelings.

Why I think you should read it:

It's exactly 33,333 words and if that doesn't show you commitment to the bit, idk what does. (last year's submission was 22,222)

Astoria and Draco are besties and it's the best thing I've ever written. Trans solidarity at its finest.

"Thank you for writing this. For including the awful and ugly bits as well as the soft and joyful ones." @basicallyahedgehog

T4T power couple.

I'm trans, everyone in this is trans. It would be transphobic not to read it at this point. Also, follow @magicaltrans

Not to quote @samyistrying but: "the solidarity is threatening to warm my cold, dead heart" gives a good idea of what's happening.

This is a love letter to friendship and a farewell to daughterhood

[shinyshade8026]

can you like recap on all the DDs outside of J, N, S, V, E,

like the ones i haven’t fully asked questions abt 😭

Yuh!!!

W: S's old squad leader. Massive bitch and largely transphobic towards S and S alone. She is manipulative and power-hungry, loving to get what she wants. She is... weirdly obsessed with the idea of taking down S or making them work for her?

L: The pilot of S's old squad and W's right hand. She's not as manipulative as W, and definitely isn't transphobic (They use She/They) She was twisted and broken under W's demands and there is no going back for her.

T: A roaming and adventurous disassembly drone who ends up meeting S and they introduce him to the colony! It falls for Thad and ends up staying there to live. He is assumed to be dead by the 'company', and asked his squad mates to keep that secret for him, but he still talks to them to this day!

X: One of E's old squad mates! Jester's OC

A: One of E's old squad mates! Jester's OC

M/Maddie, O/Ozzie, & C/Callum: A squad of disassembly drones on the other side of the planet! They are in one big poly relationship and affectionately gave each other names with double letters, so they'd match!

[thepowerisyouth]

EDIT-AS-I-GO-ALONG-JUSTIFY-ALL-MY-ACTIONS-POst

First started February 10th, 2024 in the middle of the night of course. Although I am 22 years old so I should really be saying-- "it all began 22 years ago when I was born"

Sometimes I write rants that are way too long, and I dont feel like editing or deleting it in full, I'm just going to call this what it is:

A very long diary entry I can come back to later. Its got some good stuff I wont lie to myself. But its also probably incomprehensible at times so ignore it as anything but a very rough rant for now

I also plan to invite new-to-the-site people to read my blog (no doubt being exposed to the horrors within my own blog and past). I'm talking bout people who have probably never typed in the letter T, U, M, B, L, R in a row ever once, and boy howdy are they in for the time of their fucking life

For anyone who is reading this right now, and is worried that they might find something truly scarring to their good christian sensibilities on this site, then I heavily recommend using tags, and content filters before delving further down in the dnd dungeon of my blog, or especially the higher level dungeons on the rest of the site for the first time, where the algorithm will absolutely assume you are ready for the same things the rest of the demographic here wants to see.

(Its a lotta porn. Okay? I'm talking about different unique genres of drawn, or whatever medium of porn mainly. Thats scary to a new person)

So grandma-- buckle up. Jesus take the wheel. Have faith in me & humanity. Its going to be a ride to get there but I truly believe you are capable of it

The whole philosophy I'm preaching is about expanding horizons in a respectful way, so please do so.

With that in mind, in order to prepare any newbies to this site in an engaging and fun way, I had to poke fun in what might be taken in a bad way at the site. I dont mean that. I love this site. I liken my words of preparation to what you might say before bringing your transphobic family into your home full of very queer friends

If you really wanna get mad at me, please do, I love hearing dissenting opinions.-- "Life is full of contractions" as they say.-- But please do so in truly, humanizing, empathically good faith. On every. Single. Post you see. Not just mine of course. Theres a lot more to be said on methodology of public discourse that is a huge part of my philosophy so this post really delves into this

Last thing for now before this post gets even more nitty-gritty:

This is really important, but only for any person who at any point doesn't understand something I'm talking about, and is discouraged by that fact to continue reading up on this philosophy. Don't let that discourage you. I made a perfect science ACT score way back when, and it was all thanks to (and literally nothing else) the simple, but persistent learning skill which is: ignore everything you dont know for now. If you start to notice it happens more than once on something you don't deem irrelevant, than ask questions, but often times people get bogged down by big words, but really do get the gist of an argument. And thats more than enough understanding for a first read. Learning takes many attempts. People learn different materials at different rates and thats a fact

Disclaimer 1: I think the other things counted as number ones but I'm starting here with the numbering

Disclaimer 2: I'm wrong. A lot. I talk with varying degrees of confidence because all language capable humans in existence do that, but literally quantum mechanics--the core principles of our universe as we understand them today-- teaches us that everything acts with a bit of a standard error. Theres no coincidence in the universe why statistics is a field of study.

My standard error is +/-50% on being 50% correct. My point is dont @ me for using an incorrect degree of confidence, because as a trained financial analyst I can attest they are all fucking wrong all the time just like me. However, none of them are wrong about most of the things they say, they simply draw the wrong conclusions most of the time

However, if you believe that the ideals which I, and others like me, are preaching are true than you should in good-faith contribute to making this philosophy more refined, not just be a toxic asshole on the internet. I think most sensible people are past that by now, come on.

I think the last thing I can think to say on this specific point about being wrong (there will always be more to say later), is that a lot of us are inclined, in this world, to only trust things when we've really tested & read into every possible source. And that's for every right reason in the world. But there is no denying that there is gate keeping to science. Huge barriers to entry. Exponentially balooning costs to scientific study. Not to mention just like.. paywalls on every site nowadays. Everyone.

I believe that in this year-of-our-lord-mr-krabs 2024 we need to turn back to philosophy to understand all of our problems, more specifically all of our greviences with capitalism. With the important caveat that we do, in fact, have probably thousands or millions or billions more questions answered than our favorite old philosophers. Fuck yes thats exciting! Because that only makes philosophy today work even better. I think it will help us answer trillions more

Disclaimer 3: I also justify myself. A lot. I'm doing it right now. And now. Every word.

This is an edit at the top after reading over disclaimer 3 once: I think I'm defining justification the same way a scientist thinks of evidence. Also context. It really is just all the same thing. I just needed to add that because I wasnt clear about my definition below

I think as time goes on, people will probably justify themselves more, and more, and more, but while also finding ways to better communicate those justifications in a quicker, more efficient way. Like how encryption and decryption science is a super cool and fast growing study. Kinda cool and star trek if you really think about it far enough

The reason I justify justifying myself is that we have, in fact, learned to encrypt and decrypt many things through our own brains and language. If I say a word that someone else knows, than I save time by not having to jump into every possible nook-and-cranny of explaination. This bit of framing about language being an efficiency/encryption/decryption thing will come back a lot in my writings

I read that over, and told myself: "okay bennet I think you lost the point there" so I need to circle back and say that when we speak we are trying--- desperately -- to find a way to decrypt the crazy encryption that is our thoughts. And because trial and error is effective, we often just jump to saying a bunch of things that have worked in the past, in the hope that the listener will respond with the rewarding joy of 2 people in understanding. A puzzle solved, if you will.

For example, if you engage with my post and I perceive that engagement to be positive, than I will probably, uncontrollabley get a rush of dopamine that cocaine only wishes it could give. You know this is true, because you've felt it too

Disclaimer 3a - mistakes are really cool. I finally know why the Japanese have that thing where they highlight mistakes in a piece. Its about making. It. Memorable. I have a great story example on a post here, but I think most people can agree with my position that its easier to remember when you are wrong-- than right.

What that means-- this is super duper uber wuper sluper important. Things that are memorable are part of the decryption key to language. There is a way that we are all figuring out how to communicate where we utilize what some percieve as mistakes to draw in attention, then listener either remembers the key or has to find it, then both move forward, happy having solved the issue of decrypting a bunch of literally just electricity and sound waves coming from a very real human in front of you. How cool is it that we can apply the framework of humans as puzzle solvers to better communicate our crazy thoughts?

To wrap that up-- this doesnt include all forms of language, of course. But I think its a humanist framework for understanding how we can be more effective communicators.

I read over that whole 3a thing and I already had plenty of questions and dissents for myself. Going to just add for now that if we extend our definition of the word mistake, to include ANYTHING that catches the attention more than expected, than yes, this framework makes more sense.

The next time I read that over I thought I could add that people are drawn by knowledge. Something which isnt new to us just isnt interesting. We know this already, but I'm connecting it to this point.

3b - the fact that I bring up humanist arguments for encouraging memory promoting activities brings to mind that it IS HEALTHY FOR US AND HELPS US AVOID NEURODEGENERATIVE DISORDERS

Disclaimer 4: Like most people on this site, most people who arent depressed (I call tired depressed I was told I'm bipolar its what I do), and honestly all leaders, influencers, artists, actors, scientists, innovators, most entrepreneurs---- yatta yatta yatta everyone okay. Bascially, arguments sake, I mean every human being on the planet. I am capable of great, sometimes too great, emotion. If I wasnt Id be dead. If that emotion seems overwhelming, or too much, then please just take a break, or take a step back and try and reframe everything I'm saying as a deperate plea for help from a very young (I was born in 2001), very hungry, person. More on this later

Disclaimer 5: I'm ex mormon. I come from Texas. I use a LOT of religious sounding talk. There is good reason for that and there's good reason I'm giving this it's own disclaimer. Theology & philosophy go hand-in-hand and theres a quadrillion combinations of words I could barf up from the deepest pits of my mind to discuss.

In the interest of keeping the top of this disclaimer an actual one I'm going to stop for now by saying I think I'm correct in using this language so liberally, for now, because it really does work as a way to connect with people who are used to hearing that language. Most #religiouslytraumatized people I know do the same, and Ive yet to find a good reason to stop. But if someone does get triggered from my religious verbiage at all, please let me know. I'm sure theres a way we can work it out that will make both of us feel better. Probably would just be me watching my damn satanist mouth or something

[the-worst-bracket]

Frank Burns propaganda:

Imagine Mike Pence (vice president under Trump for non USians who may be going "why is that name familiar?") + the most incompetent yet certain of his own rightness doctor you've ever dealt with + that one kid in grade school who thought everyone needed to follow every tiny rule to the letter and went running to the teacher to report infractions so much that even the teacher hated him (and his constant whining that no one wanted to play with him without any awareness of why) + lots of incel energy (despite being in no way celibate, despite having a wife at home)

Whiney, mean, stupid, obnoxious, racist, sexist, homophobic, and transphobic even by the standards of his time, would definitely be a Trump republican if M*A*S*H was set today.

.

[hellomynameisbisexual]

TERMS THAT MAY FALL UNDER THE BI+ UMBRELLA

Bisexual: “A person whose primary sexual and affectional orientation is toward people of their same gender and of other genders, or towards people regardless of their gender. Another definition that some people define bisexuality is being attracted to men and women.” - (Source)

Pansexual: “An attraction to all genders without a preference: either not seeing genders or choosing for it to not be a determinant factor.” (Source)

Omnisexual: “An attraction to all genders with a preference to one over the others.” (Source)

MYTHS

CW: Biphobic Stereotypes and Tropes

Myth: Identifying as Bisexual is transphobic.

Reality: Contrary to what some believe, Bisexual does not necessarily limit gender to two binaries, despite the prefix bi- commonly believed to mean two. Various definitions of the term bisexual exist, and labels of identity show up differently for each person. One person may define their sexuality as “being attracted to one and a different gender,” someone else may describe themselves as “having a sexual and romantic attraction to multiple different genders,” and yet another may describe themselves as “being attracted to masculine and feminine energy,” and yet they may all identity under the Bi+ umbrella.

Source: http://bi.org/en/101/bi-umbrella

Myth: All Bi+ people are into threesomes.

Reality: While some Bi+ folks may be interested in being with more than one person at a time, polyamory and bisexuality are two different things and one does not necessarily mean someone identifies as the other. Many Bi+ folks are monogamous, and while polyamorous folks in the Bi+ community exist, they are not the majority.

Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/strictly-casual/201409/are-bisexuals-really-less-monogamous-everyone-else

Myth: Bisexual people cheat more often than non-bisexual people.

Reality: This myth stems from the stereotype that Bi+ folks are “greedy” or other terms that attempt to villainize Bi+ folks as being more likely to commit infidelity. In reality, no data backs this up, and Bi+ folks are just as likely as their monosexual counterparts to remain faithful in relationships.

Source: https://www.insider.com/myths-about-being-bisexual-2018-8

Myth: Identifying as Bisexual just means the person is questioning/confused.

Reality: About 50% of people who identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual are bi+, and therefore, Bi+ folks make up the majority of the LGBTQIA+ community. This myth may stem from the fact that only around 28% of Bi+ folks are out to their loved ones, and therefore visibility is lower for Bi+ folks.

Source: https://www.minus18.org.au/articles/busting-7-myths-about-being-bisexual/

VIDEOS

Below are a variety of videos that seek to educate folks on Bi+ people and their experiences. Some are TED talks and are very formal and delve deep into academia and studies, while others are casual list videos and informal vlogs. If you have suggestions for videos to add to the list, submit them to rcsgd@sa.ucsb.edu!

Bisexuality and beyond | Tania Israel | TEDxUCLA

Summary: A current professor at UCSB gives a TED talk at UCLA about what bisexuality means to them, what it can mean in a nonbinary world, and discusses how the world views the label of bisexuality in this current binary.

Bisexuality: The Invisible Letter "B" | Misty Gedlinske | TEDxOshkosh

TW: Bi Erasure, Personal Experiences of Biphobia

Summary: Misty Gedlinske, a founder of a community outreach effort connecting local LGBTQ+ individuals and their allies with services, resources, and welcoming organizations named Fond du Lac Pride Alliance, gives a TED talk about bi-erasure and how invisible it can feel to be Bi+, both within and outside of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Performative Bisexuality: Y'all Not Tired? -- Tee Noir

TW: Scene depicting strong biphobic rhetoric are played

Summary: Pan identifying YouTuber Tee Noir dives into how popular media and society as a whole views bisexuality from the point of view of the Male Gaze, delving into Compulsory Bisexuality?: The Challenges of

Modern Sexual Fluidity by Breanne Fahs. She talks about various TV shows and media and how they negatively contribute to stereotypes about Bi+ folks.

Bisexuality Stories Onscreen, Explained -- The Take

TW: Scenes depicting strong biphobic rhetoric and violence by and against Bi+ people played throughout

Summary: This video dives into film and TV shows depicting Bi+ representation, both good and bad. It highlights the erasure of the identity in Hollywood and how oftentimes tropes are perpetuated and established in these mediums.

5 Bisexual People Explain What "Bisexual" Means To Them -- Tinder

Summary: Five different people describe their identities and answer questions regarding what their Bisexuality means to them. It shows how different people can have different definitions of the same identity and yet all still find themselves under the Bi+ umbrella.

21 Challenges Bi+ People Face -- Jackson Bird

TW: Mentions of violence by and against Bi+ folks, hate crimes, suicide, self-harm, drug use, and biphobia.

Summary: Bi and queer-identifying YouTuber Jackson Bird discusses various issues that Bi+ folks are at higher risk of experiencing. They discuss personal experiences as well as bring up many sources and statistics regarding challenges that the Bi+ community uniquely faces.

Bisexuality vs Pansexuality: What’s the difference? -- ADP

Summary: This short animated clip by ADP discusses the differences between Bisexuality and Pansexuality and gives definitions of these identities that many would label themselves, as well as gives an example of how one might approach talking about the labels if they’re unfamiliar with them.

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

BI US FOR US DISCUSSION GROUP

This is a discussion group for all students who identify as Bi+(bisexual, pansexual, fluid, and questioning). We will have facilitated conversation, information about available resources, and a space to heal from biphobia and bisexual erasure. This group is open to all genders.

For those interested in attending this group, please email rcsgd@sa.ucsb.edu

BIALOGUE (3RD WEDNESDAY OF EACH MONTH | 7-8:30PM)

Bialogue is a free, confidential discussion group for people who are bi+ (bisexual, pansexual, omnisexual, fluid, and/or otherwise non-monosexual). All genders welcome, bi+ participants only, please.

Pacific Pride Foundation

608 Anacapa Street, Suite A | Santa Barbara

For more information on meeting times, contact Pacific Pride Foundation’s main office at hello@pacificpridefoundation.org or (805) 936-3636

NATIONAL RESOURCES

Bisexual Resource Center

As the oldest nationally-focused bisexual organization in the U.S., the BRC continues to raise awareness and build bridges within the LGBT and ally communities and fosters bi-supportive social and political space wherever it can.

Originally started in 1985 as the East Coast Bisexual Network, the organization incorporated in 1989 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit and changed its name to the Bisexual Resource Center in the mid-nineties. Since its inception, the Bisexual Resource Center has been creating resources, providing support, and helping to create a stronger sense of community for bi/pan/fluid people across the U.S. and beyond. As one of its first actions, the BRC published the Bisexual Resource Guide from 1990 through 2002 and helped to connect organizations and individuals around the world from Argentina to Zambia.

Bisexual Organizing Project (BOP)

BOP (Bisexual Organizing Project) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit registered in Minnesota that serves the Upper Midwest. We are committed to building the bisexual, pansexual, fluid, queer, and unlabeled (bi+) community through regular events and the yearly national BECAUSE conference. BOP is welcoming and inclusive of everyone, including but not limited to people of all gender identities, sexual orientations, sexes, relationship orientations, ethnicities, abilities, religions, and political affiliations.

Bi.org

Bi.org is a project of the Bi Foundation, also known as The American Institute of Bisexuality (AIB), a 501(c)(3) private foundation that supports and sponsors projects likely to promote bi visibility and improved understanding of bisexuality through education, research, training, and outreach.

Created in 1996 as bisexual.org, this website began with the simple goal of letting bi people know that they are not alone. When we first launched, there were virtually no online resources for the bi community and the few resources that were available were hard to find, highly sexualized, or catered to niche audiences. Since those early years we have grown into a huge global community.

Trevor Project

Founded in 1998 by the creators of the Academy Award®-winning short film TREVOR, The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25.

Contains information on how to support Bi Youth as well as resources for Bi Youth.

List of Bi+ and LGBT YouTubers

This list of notable LGBT YouTubers includes YouTubers who publicly identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or otherwise part of the LGBT community.This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. Watch their content to support Bi+ content creators. :)

INFOGRAPHICS

[batmansymbol]

hi riley! read this recently and would love to get ur perspective on this as a YA author https://tinyletter.com/misshelved/letters/did-twitter-break-ya-misshelved-6

hi anon! yeah, i read this the day it was posted. thoughts/supplementary essay below.

firstly, i'd put a big "I AGREE" stamp across this essay. i think it's well-cited and thoughtful, and i agree with pretty much everything in it. i especially appreciate it for introducing me to the terms "context collapse" and "morally motivated networked harassment" - seeing internet sociology studied and labeled is ... odd, but useful.

i left twitter in 2017, but i keep an eye on things, which seem similar now to the way they were four years ago. the essay describes the never-ending scrutiny, the need to seem perfect, and the pressure on writers to out themselves. all of that is spot-on. twitter is an outing machine. there is so much harassment and anger on the platform that in serious conversations, good-faith engagement becomes something that must be earned, rather than something that's expected. and in order to earn good faith, strangers expect you to offer up an all-access pass to who you are. otherwise, things might take a swift left turn into verbal abuse.

obviously twitter is a cesspit of harassment from racist, homophobic, and transphobic people, but i think the most painful harassment comes from within the community. i, and most people i know, wouldn't give a single minuscule little fuck if ben shapiro's entire army of ghouls came after us and told us we were destroying the sacred values of Old America or whatever. but the community at large does care about issues of racial justice and queer liberation and economic justice. which is why it's painful to see this supposed "community" eating its own over and over again.

how cruel can we be to people and pretend that we are their friends? that's the emotional crux of the essay to me. what we're doing to ourselves - people who do share our values and want to achieve the same goals - because this one platform is built on rewarding the quickest, most brutal, and most public response.

god forbid you don't have your identity figured out. god forbid you have an invisible disability, or are writing a story about something sensitive you've personally experienced but had an off-consensus reaction to. on twitter, if you are not a paragon of absolute and immediate clarity, you may as well be lower than dirt morally, because you're unable to do what the platform requires of you: air every private corner of your identity, up to and including your trauma, to justify not only your everyday actions and opinions but also your art.

(this is all honestly incompatible with interesting art, but i'll get to that in a bit.)

it doesn't take a genius to see how troubling this environment is when combined with twitter as a marketing tool. i remember that around the time of my debut, i'd tweet out threads of private, painful, personal stuff, which felt terrible to recount, but i'd watch the like count increase with this sense of catholic, confessional satisfaction. all of this was tied to the idea of my potential salability as a writer.

i was around 21 at the time. i felt a lot of pressure as a debut. i wanted people to like me and think i was exceptionally mature and confident. i wanted to do my job and build buzz for my book. i saw that all these publishing professionals and authors spent day in, day out angry and exhausted on twitter. every few days, a new person fifteen years older than me would say, "i can't take this anymore, i'm so fucking tired of this, i'm logging off for a while." i thought, well, this must be how online activism feels: like running on a sprained ankle.

i can still remember book after book after book that inspired blow-ups, big explanations, and simmering resentment: carve the mark (whose author was forced to admit that she suffered chronic pain after relentless criticism of that element), the black witch (a book explicitly about unlearning racism that was criticized for depicting ... racism), ramona blue (a book about a bi girl who thinks she's a lesbian but winds up in an m/f relationship, because she's still discovering her identity) ... etc

each book, each incident, followed the same pattern. firestorms of anger, a decision of where to place blame, the desperate need for a single consensus opinion in the community. i think a lot of people on book twitter see these as bugs inherent to the platform, but really, in twitter's eyes, they're features. the angrier and more upset twitter's userbase is, the more reliant they are on the platform.

i wound up leaving around the time i realized that not only was twitter making me anxious - NOT being on twitter was beginning to make me anxious, because of vaguely dread-infused tweets all around like "i'm seeing an awful lot of people who are staying silent about X. ... why are so many people who are so loud about X so silent about Y?" etc.

that shit is beyond poisonous. people will not always be logged on. the absence of someone's agreement does not mean disagreement. actually, someone's absence is not inherently meaningful, because it is the internet and silence is everyone's default position; internet silence in all likelihood means that that person is out in the universe doing other things.

this is already a ridiculously long response, so i'll try to wrap up. firstly, i think that progressive writers and readers have GOT to stop thinking that a correct consensus opinion can exist on every piece of fiction, and on every issue in general, and that if someone diverges from that consensus, they're incorrectly progressive.

secondly, i think that progressive writers and readers have got to uncouple the idea of a "book with good politics" from a good book, because 1) there are books about morally grimy, despicable subjects that help us process the landscape of human behavior, and

2) if, in your fiction, there is only one set of allowed responses for your protagonist, you will write the same person over and over and over again. you see this a lot in religious fiction. the person is not a human being but an expression of the creator's moral alignment. (not entirely surprising that this similarity to religious correctness might crop up with the current state of the movement. i read this piece around the time i left twitter and it shook me really, really deeply.)

i understand that in YA, there's a sensation of immense pressure because people want to model good politics and correct behavior for kids. this is a noble idea - and maybe twitter is great for people who want to be role models. but i've become more and more staunchly against the idea of artist as role model. the role of the writer is not to be emulated but to write fiction. and the role of fiction is not to read like something delivered from a soapbox, or to display some scrubbed-clean universe where each wrong is immediately identified as a wrong, and where total morality is always glowing in the backdrop. it's to put something human on paper, and as human beings, we might aspire to total morality, but we fall short again and again. honestly, that's what being on twitter showed me more clearly than anything.

[comfort-character-letters]

Hello! This is a project created and ran by @thewholesomebean, where we write letters from your comfort characters! Below you will find a list of (current) fandoms we write for and some of our rules.

Rules

No NSFW. Nobody writing for this account will accept any requests containing it and they will be deleted.

Some writers may be open to writing about more sensitive topics, but it is entirely possible that we may not feel comfortable doing them.

Please be respectful of everyone working with this project. We all have our own lives and that means requests will take time.

Proshippers, pedophiles, racists, homophobes, and transphobes are not allowed here. If anyone interacts with this blog and applies to any of these, they will be blocked.

Fandoms

Amphibia

The Owl House

MCU

Harry Potter

Sherlock (BBC)

Patrick Melrose

The Big Bang Theory

How I Met Your Mother

Karen M McManus’ books

The Hunger Games

The 5th Wave

- Mod Zephyr

[paradisetemporarilymisplaced]

Book recs: Similar to but less sad than TSOA

Hello everyone! @lordeteams requested some book recommendations that are not as sad as The Song of Achilles so here we go. I read a lot of books and since 2019 I've kept a running list of what I've read so honestly I'll take any excuse to subject people to my interests🤗 List is below the cut, not in any particular order (except from the first entry which is my current favorite), and includes NA, YA, and adult fiction. If you're curious about the distinction I'll refer you to this (sadly, now-deleted) tweet from Maggie Stiefvater:

One Last Stop (Casey McQuiston, NA): This one is brand new and instantly became a favorite. F/F romance in which August Landry, newly transplanted to Brooklyn, meets Jane Su on her morning commute. Turns out, Jane is stuck on the train and has been since the 70s, but has no memory of how it happened or of her old life. Part romance, part time-travel mystery, but entirely a love letter to queer communities everywhere. Found family trope abounds with August's roommates and coworkers, which include drag queens, people of every flavor of queer, and a real life psychic, all of whom are ready and willing to help solve the mystery of why Jane is on the train and how to fix it. In the process, August learns things about her own family, as well as events in American queer history that few people remember today. I really cannot express enough how much I love this book. Please read it.

Red, White, and Royal Blue (Casey McQuiston, NA): Odds are, if you've heard of Casey McQuiston, it was because of her first book (this one). M/M romance about Alex, son of the first female US President, and Henry, prince of England. Enemies to friends to lovers, featuring queer self-discovery, coming out, PR/corporate closeting (hello, larries!) and just a delight. This is a very different queer story from OLS - OLS is a romance, but more plot-heavy and the romance isn't the entire focus. In RWRB, the romance is the plot and it reads like fanfiction which is very fun.

The Raven Cycle (series, Maggie Stiefvater, YA): This series is a character-driven, coming-of-age, found family story about a bunch of weird-ass teenagers (affectionate), magic, prophecy, and Welsh kings. This is the rare story in which every single main character plays a critical role in the plot and grows and changes with the story. You will fall in love with all of them and their relationships with one another. Plus, the worldbuilding is incredible and has such an intricate mythology that you'll want to reread just to get the details. Followed by the Dreamer Trilogy, of which two books have been published, but I've only read the first one so far.

All for the Game (series, Nora Sakavic, YA): This is the series that got me back into reading for fun five years ago and as such it holds a special place in my heart. The plot is wacky and convoluted - college athletics, a made-up sport, a kid on the run from his mob boss father - but don't let that discourage you. Hella found family. (Are you seeing a pattern?) I will warn you, this deals with some pretty heavy stuff, including torture, abuse, addiction, sexual violence, and more. Here's a comprehensive list of trigger warnings, with detailed descriptions at the bottom. It's intense, but the friendships and romances make it worth the read imo.

Grishaverse (series, Leigh Bardugo, YA): This is actually three series: the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the Six of Crows duology, and the King of Scars duology (which I haven't yet read). If you've seen Shadow and Bone, the S&B trilogy covers the Alina storyline, while SOC covers Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Nina, and Matthias. S&B is a chosen one/coming of age story, while SOC is found family committing heists. It's great.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Benjamin Alire Saenz, YA): Coming of age M/M romance. Set in the 1980s in El Paso, it describes the friends to lovers journey of Ari and Dante over several years, as well as Ari's journey of self-discovery. It is the most beautiful book and one of my comfort reads. There's some themes of homophobia and violence, but with a happy ending.

Carry On (Rainbow Rowell, YA): This is basically Harry Potter fanfiction, but better because (a) it doesn't take itself too seriously and (b) the author is not a violent transphobe. Seriously, this book is so fun. It's a twist on the chosen one trope because Simon, said Chosen One, is just spectacularly bad at what he is supposedly destined to be. Plus you have an enemies to lovers storyline, which is my personal favorite trope. Followed by Wayward Son, which is literally a road trip AU, and Any Way the Wind Blows, which will be released next month.

The Queen's Thief (series, Megan Whalen Turner, YA): Fantasy series centered on Eugenides, who is very proud of being a great thief but also wants to be famous, two goals which are not really compatible. This series is interesting because every novel is told from a different character's point of view in an increasingly zoomed-out lens such that you're seeing how Eugenides' influence grows over time and space. The setting is vaguely based on the ancient Mediterranean region, but with a mythology all its own.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (Taylor Jenkins Reid, adult): This is a frame story in which aged Hollywood star Evelyn Hugo, famously tight-lipped about her personal life, hand selects a young journalist, Monique Grant, to finally tell her story. Evelyn tells Monique all about her life - how she became an actress in the mid-twentieth century, how she got involved (and uninvolved) with all seven of her former husbands, and who was the true love of her life. There are some sad moments for sure, as it's a retrospective on the very long and very full life of an actress at what she knows is the end of hers. But it's such a good story and worth the bittersweet tones.

This Is How You Lose the Time War (Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone, adult): Sci-fi novel told by Red and Blue's letters to one another across time and space. They are on opposing sides of the Time War and as they perform their respective missions, they leave letters for the other to find. Their letters start out as "I'm coming for you, you better run" but then eventually turn to friendship and then love. Ultimate enemies to lovers. It's a short novel but you'll read it again and again to pick up more details. It's so good.

The House in the Cerulean Sea (TJ Klune, NA): This book feels like a warm hug. Linus Baker is essentially a child protective services worker, overseeing the orphanages housing magical children. He is then assigned to the most remote orphanage in the system, in which six dangerous children reside, to determine whether any or all of these children are capable of bringing about the end of the world. Once more, with feeling: FOUND FAMILY. Also nice because it's a metaphor for queerness that also features canon queer characters.

[just-antithings]

so i wanted to see just how bad antis' dnis can be for screen readers, so i turned that function on on my phone and let it read an anti's dni to me and holy shit, i couldn't understand most of what was being said. like i knew these dnis weren't accessible, but to actually experience it really put into perspective just how bad they can be. the way the dni was written was like "you're homoph*bic (o), tr*nsph*bic (a, o), f*bf*m (e, e), pr*-sh*pper (o, i)" (the words in quotes say "you're homophobic, transphobic, febfem, pro-shipper") and for some of them, like the febfem and pro-shipper, it would just say individual letters with the asterisks in between. it was also really hard to look at, with all the asterisks and parentheses. i don't understand why people censor their dnis so much, especially like this. i can't imagine how awful the ones that put a bunch of slashes or use symbols like @ and $ to stand in for letters are

and yet they have the nerve to talk about ableism

[clueingforbeggs]

Things I didn't think through:

A while back I installed an extension called ReplaceR, which replaces certain words with other words. I installed it so I could change instances of 'his/her' and 's/he' into 'their' and 'they'.

At the time I didn't think about the fact that some people might list their actual individual pronouns as 'his/her' I was just fed up of articles being like 'something-something his/her something.' when 'their' is a word. This actually is another thing I didn't think through, but don't worry, his/her conflicts with s/he and all instances of it became 'hitheyr' which is actually kinda funny. It lets me know when an article might have been written by a transphobe and sounds like 'hi there.' AND reveals when someone's pronouns are actually his/her.

Recently, I decided I'm also getting annoyed by Americans writing British characters using American terms and so, I thought 'This word won't mess anything up.' I took words from a list of words different in US english and British english and added them to the list.

(this does have the side effect of changing things American characters say, but that doesn't bother me as much, though I'm sure it probably would bother an American).

But on to the thing I didn't think through.

Despite knowing what happened with 'hi there', one of the words I added was 'mom' to change to 'mum'.

There are a lot of words that have the letters 'm' 'o' and 'm' in that order.

This not only made my fanfiction reading experience worse, but it also made reading quite a few other things confusing.

[myspacepoet]

DNI

vriska kinnies/apologists/likers/fans/irls/synpaths/fictives/introjects/das please dni for your sake and mine, you make me very uncomfortable.

basic dni criteria (racists/bigots/lgbtphobes/terfs/rightoids/“maps”/proships)

if you send people death threats/tell people to kys or interact with/support people who do

barok apologists

if you “headcanon” kristoph gavin as racist/sexist/transphobic/homophobic. leave.

if you think queer is a slur

if youre cis and use he/him for eridan ampora or j. egbert

cykesquill/narumayo/ryuususa/trupollo/nahyupollo/gavincest shippers. get out.

d/s/m/p likers, dr/eam stans, mcyt watchers, and rpf readers of all kinds. i dont want you here.

i might add more to this list later

[image description: A Gif of red, flaming letters that say “DSMP FANS DNI” in all caps /End ID]

[void-galaxy-shenanigans]

Pick A Letter & Send An Ask

So...we have a lot of stories (some barely begun, some well in the works, one finished). I want to write something but need help getting inspired. So, if y'all would like to help us out...pick a title or letter, and send us an ask with a question or suggestion. I'll give you titles & keywords up top here, then at the bottom of the post you'll find a full description if you want to know more. I'm willing to post scenes, quotes, etc. if you ask nicely.

Thank you in advance!

~Lucca (he/him; protector, soother)

~~~

Our original stories:

((There will be descriptions &/or blurbs below))

A) Dawn Of Red Death

(keywords: LGBT, queer werewolves, vampires, magic)

B) ¿Don’t You Wanna Be The Villain?

(keywords: morality, questioning government & society, nonbinary main characters, "villain" with good morals (but questionable methods))

C) The Hidden Villain

(keywords: amnesia, enemies to lovers)

D) Nightstalker Fae’s Dream

(keywords: fae/faerie, sorcerer, gay lovers, immortal main characters, trickster, disguised)

E) Rising Into Heaven

(keywords: demon child MC, archangel MCs, adopted family)

F) When Destiny Falls

(keywords: forced villain, corrupt government, intentional child ab*se set up by government)

G) The Hero Who Can’t Speak

(keywords: semi-nonverbal/selective mute main character (hero), ableism, transgender (f2m) MC)

H) But We Could Be Immortal, Darling

(keywords: planned m*rder, prince + poor person, consent & respect, falling in love, betrayal)

I) Exposed To The Naïve, Never To The Clever

(keywords: fae, vampire, ancient beings, magic, theatre, hiding)

J) Banished To Freedom

(keywords: alternate dimensions, escaping ab*se/trauma, two main characters in one (it's complicated), magic, sentient planet, transphobic family, transgender MC(s))

K) The Runaways

(keywords: multiplicity system MC(s); magic; 'church vs cult' war; religious ab*se/trauma; first person POV)

L) Saving Hawthorne

(keywords: werewolf/lycanthrope + vampire hybrid; Gen Z fearless bean; injured "monster"; comfort; protecting one another; vampire vs werewolf clash)

M) Eclipse For Your Soul

(keywords: monster parent, normal child; adopted family; nonbinary main characters; first person POV)

N) Lightwing’s Journey

(keywords: ab*sive father; prophecy; first major project; escaping trauma)

O) The Final Symptom

(keywords: complete; depression & unalive; symptoms of depression; short story; nonbinary MCs/narrators; first person POV)

P) Hidden Healers Shatter

(keywords: multiplicity system main character(s), ab*sive childhood, first person POV)

Q) Correrina’s Guest

(keywords: alien main character; queer main cast; interplanetary travel; first person POV)

R) The Moment Death Became Rebirth

(keywords: faked death, new name, nonbinary main characters, closeted queer, self discovery)

~~

You can ask questions if you have any, &/or give us clues & ideas of scenes, character arcs, etc. you'd be interested to see based on what you know. Anything goes right now - we need ideas.

----

Descriptions:

(quotation marks indicates a blurb we already wrote; no quotations means we wrote it on the spot)

A) Dawn Of Red Death

“Witches, fae, werewolves, vampires and the like are in an all-out war with nonmagical folk (typical humans). The government sees profit in recreating the genes of their abilities and selling them to the nonmagical public, and exploiting the living magical community as pets or servants; the magical community doesn’t want to be cloned or enslaved. Normal everyday folk are scared of their power and potential and want them either locked up or dead; of course, magic folk prefer freedom. Many innocents have died and tensions are running high. Personal stakes are high. Cal saves Davide’s life, and Davide is thrust into a world he had no intentions of mingling with; but after some time spent talking to Cal and Nathan he finds something deep within himself and comes to the decision that the nonmagical folk shouldn’t win this war due to the dire consequences in place for the magical community. So it’s up to our gang of unlikely heroes to end the war for good.”

B) ¿Don’t You Wanna Be The Villain?

“The label “villain” is stuck on someone with questionable methods, but who fights for a good cause. The government is corrupt and greedy, and keeps sending unwilling soldiers to fight White Hawk for them. But White Hawk somehow keeps setting everyone they send free and sending them home...until they send a child to do their dirty work for them.”

C) The Hidden Villain

A crew of heroes has been battling their villain for a long time. During one of their fights, the villain hits the ground a little hard...and with total amnesia, doesn't remember who they are or why they're fighting. The heroes take care of the villain as they recover, & because he likes being taken care of he doesn’t tell them when he starts to remember things (past the point before he became a villain). The heroes find out more than they bargained for as he begins to trust them; that leaves them with a decision of what to do when he does remember, if he doesn’t immediately harm them.

D) Nightstalker Fae’s Dream

Inspired by a tune we heard: “Liar is my instrument, but humans strum their sweet guitar”

A particular type of fae called a Nightstalker gets lost in the human realm after escaping his abusers in the fae realm. Fae hunters are everywhere and Harley is in danger. After a couple years, he meets a sorcerer who doesn't want him dead and has no clue he's fae...and he falls in love. But eventually Azure finds out that Harley is fae, and he despises being lied to. Harley doesn't have much time to figure out if Azure fell too, and to win him back, before fear turns Azure's heart cold.

E) Rising Into Heaven

Tre is a little kid who just happens to be a demon. He escapes Hell by freeing an angel, but if he goes back he'll be in danger. Will the angels let him live, or will they refuse to trust a demon?

F) When Destiny Falls

The DESTINY team chooses a new infant to become the next villain as their current one gets older. But as he grows up, Phoenyx keeps responding differently than they expect, even into adulthood resisting the call of villainy. Meanwhile an academy trains five "heroes" to become egotistical warriors, with the expectation that they will eventually have to fight Phoenyx. When destiny (& the government) calls, will you bend to its will, or will you write your own story & let destiny fall?

G) The Hero Who Can’t Speak

A hero who never speaks intrigues his fans. Most are convinced he's mute or deaf, because no one has heard him speak and he seem to know how to read lips and knows some sign language. It's all speculation...until he finally speaks.

H) But We Could Be Immortal, Darling

“Three low-life thieves makes a plan: one of them (whomever is deemed likeable) woo the crown prince Willow, bide their time, marry him, and when he becomes king, kill him (puts one of them on the throne to pardon all of the others’ crimes). But their pet gets chosen instead - a shy undiscovered queer who wants nothing to do with their plan. They assume he’s afraid enough to cooperate, but while he dates and tries to woo the prince he ends up falling in love. Will their love win, or will Robyn’s fear?”

I) Exposed To The Naïve, Never To The Clever

“An ancient fae, Napoléon, has safely hidden in various theatre crews for a century, moving on as soon as suspicions about his age arise. Everyone he's been exposed to has been naïve & easily convinced that his magic was simply a theatre trick….that is, until an ancient vampire from the same generation, Romulus, joins Napoléon's new theatre. Napoléon has only been exposed to the naïve, and unless they can convince Romulus to keep a secret they might be in real danger for once. These traumatized ancient beings may be each other's end….or each other's eternal love.”

J) Banished To Freedom

- A mafia is experimenting with alternate dimensions; they’re open about this in one dimension & quiet about it in another. Corbyn is from Fade Dimension where they’re open about it. Chance is from Rune Dimension where they’re quiet.

- Banishing Corbyn to Rune Dimension basically blends Corbyn & Chance into one person? one ish person who has memories & emotions from both dimensions, responds to both names, etc.; this can’t be undone once it’s done & leaves them as /essentially/ (sort of) the same person even though they’re different

“Corbyn is tired of living in his universe where everyone is cruel to him…so he takes a huge risk that his father wasn't lying about sending him away and that the magicless universe will be a safe place to hide.

Chance finally got away from his abusers, only to be found again. He'll need a miracle to survive…or a little magic.”

K) The Runaways

Forrest is finally free; he's escaped the cult's grasp and gone on the run. He takes a risk to go into a quiet house to hide....and discovers the Still System. Forrest breaks down crying and unintentionally trips their host Benjamin into front, who decides to not let him fall back into cult hands.

L) Saving Hawthorne

Hawthorne stumbled across the right place to be injured, entirely on accident. Fearless Gen Z rebel Ever rescues the injured monster from crawling up the staircase again and hushes his sobs, not realizing this will launch him into the midst of a war between vampires & lycanthropes. Hawthorne runs away as soon as he can, but Ever has already been noticed. This puts them in danger, which draws Hawthorne back to save his new friend.

M) Eclipse For Your Soul

Samandrael eats souls and drives any human who views its true form mad...until one traumatized little kid doesn't go mad. Samandrael performs his first act of selfless benevolence, and destroys Eclipse's abusive father. He adopts the kid and brings him home. No one understands why this monster would rescue a child and assumes fae kidnapped him. But they simply found someone worth saving.

N) Lightwing’s Journey

((We began this at five years old & it's an ongoing piece. It was originally inspired by Warrior Cats, but became its own thing at some point & continues to expand as a universe and a story.))

Robin is miserable living with his father...so he launches an escape plan. After several failed attempts, he finally escapes his father's territory and slinks into hiding as the elusive Lightwing. It's there that he finds out his father's sinister plan for the other packs...and sets out to dismantle it as the prophecy foretold.

"One kit to wander the lands, see them all, and understand. One kit, light as a feather, to unite the lands and fight together! The darkness is coming, strong and swift, to blind them all and create a rift. One kit to rule all packs, unite them again, and destroy the dark one’s plans. One kit to bring them together, for light as a feather shall fly forever!"

O) The Final Symptom

“Some people find out the hard way that some illnesses are deadly. ~Aiden

An attempt to reframe su*c*de as a symptom of depression, rather than a failure. Not because losing someone to su*c*de isn't tragic, but instead because (from the perspective of someone who has depression) we wanted to show from our perspective that su*c*de is about losing the war to depression no matter how many battles you win, instead of a display of selfishness & lack of care about those around you. One of the symptoms of depression is that it makes you feel like a burden on your loved ones…a burden you feel the need to remove so they can be happy. So here is our understanding: The Final Symptom. ~Nico”

P) Hidden Healers Shatter

This is our understanding of becoming a system. The basic idea is, you're someone who wants to heal &/or realizes you need to heal in a household of people who refuse to, or don't realize they need to, heal...so you hide, and you stay multiple (viewed as "shattering") to survive.

Q) Correrina’s Guest

[unnamed MC alien]'s grandfather sold him to a much older, creepy man who doesn't respect anyone. [unnamed MC] ran to Earth hoping to escape his "husband", but Hayden ends up finding him anyway and kidnapping the person he fell in love with on Earth. So [MC] launches a rescue mission...and reconnects with the family he was forced to abandon in his search for safety.

R) The Moment Death Became Rebirth

Grey Morrison is tired of his boring, pampered CEO life. So he fakes his death to escape his job, his life, and his wife. What he finds on the other side as Trace Vera was more than he bargained for...and everything he desperately needed.

[aro-culture-is]

Hello! This is not a submission. I just want to ask how did you come out to your family? I want to come out but, I'm afraid, especially that they even know that aro people exist.

Hi! I haven’t come out to my parents as aro, and my siblings are all bi (prompting them to spot my extremely obvious “i’m queer!” vibes and ask), so tbh I don’t think my story would help at all.

The best I can say is this general coming out advice:

Float the topic first! When gay rights come up, is the response positive? What about trans people? M-spec individuals, like bi people? Is it possible to float the idea of asexuality?

If any of those prompt a negative, reaction, don’t come out unless you’re ready to establish boundaries and deal with the fallout. My rule of thumb is to yeet homophobic individuals from my life/care (fuck them), keep an eye on transphobic individuals (can’t afford to yeet them, but also my ability to remain closeted/stealth changes dramatically with how long they’ve known me), talk the ears off of m-spec “critical” ppl about how m-spec attraction is statistically common and has been observed for a very long time (makes them Big Mad and usually prompts them to either yeet themselves out or shut up and sometimes change their attitude), and handle acephobia on an individual, personality/relationship related plan.

If you think you’re getting good enough vibes to go for it... uh, well. insert plankton “I didn’t think I’d get this far” here.

I guess as far as coming out goes, do it in whatever way feels safest/most comfortable to you with regards to who you’re coming out to. If that’s verbally, by letter, in person, over text, via serious “we need to talk”, via joking, however. Come prepared to explain what aromantic means, what the difference between aromanticism and asexuality is, and prepared to carefully and politely shut down “you’ll find the one eventually!” style comments. know that they are likely just trying to help, and Do Not Know that they are causing harm with those statements. Try to remember, they probably don’t know of tumblr-style discourse.

have a backup plan based on the worst likely outcome. make plans with a friend to hang out via video-call or in an outdoor, 6 ft apart setting afterwards if needed to let yourself come down from it. make a list of healthy coping mechanisms (boxed breathing, 5-4-3-2-1 grounding, animal crossing distractions, journalling, etc) and put it in your pockets. even if you have a good reaction or expect a good reaction, it’s good to let yourself destress. remind yourself that crying is okay, and any feelings you have are allowed and okay as long as you don’t harm others.

I hope this helps!