#Queer Media Monday

[oldtvandcomics]

Happy Queer Media Monday!

Today: Vampire in the Garden (2022)

Very beautiful anime, very underrated.

(Fine and Momo, playing music together.)

Vampire in the Garden is a five-episode Yuri anime on Netflix. It is set in a brutal world where humans and vampires fight a bitter war against one another. One of the anchor points in this fight is music, which humans have outlawed and vampires embrace. Having both lost their girlfriend in the fighting, fourteen year-old soldier-in-training Momo and vampire queen Fine get accidentally thrown together, and decide to run away, looking for an almost mythical place where, according to the promise, vampires and humans make music together.

Vampire in the Garden is a very beautiful, tragic story about hatred and trying to fight it in order to build something good together. While it is a show, it feels a lot like a movie cut into separate episodes for Reasons, so it can be watched as both. The relationship between Momo and Fine is a very beautiful and loving one, and can be read as either a romance or as an older lesbian mentoring a young one. Which is how I chose to see it, and I personally very much value this kind of queer relationship, as we don’t see it often in media.

The series is a closed story, and hasn’t been renewed, so it’s safe to assume that it was always meant to be a limited series. From what I gather in the Tumblr tag, it never gathered a very huge fandom, and the feelings on it are rather mixed. People who are interested in the very deep and serious themes seem to generally like it, while the more fanish group, who wanted to see a clear and explicit romance with a happy ending do not.

You can watch the trailer here, and stream the show on Netflix. I have also written a post about lesbian vampires as a subgenre before, if that’s something you’d like to read.

Queer Media Monday is an action I started to talk about some important and/or interesting parts of our queer heritage, that people, especially young people who are only just beginning to discover the wealth of stories out there, should be aware of. Please feel free to join in on the fun and make your own posts about things you personally find important!

[queermediamonday]

Happy Queer Media Monday!

Today: Bones of Green and Hearts of Gold by K.A. Cook

I must admit that I haven’t really read much aromantic fiction, but I will always remember this short story collection very fondly.

(Two covers for the same book, the first is the old one I remember and is on Goodreads, the second the new one I found on Patreon)

Bones of Green and Hearts of Gold is a short story collection by writer K.A. Cook, @aroworlds here on Tumblr. It contains twenty short stories centring aromantic but not asexual characters in both fantasy and contemporary fiction. Because it is a short story collection, it allows for a variety of protagonists and a variety of experiences with being on the aromantic spectrum. Often, two or three stories revolve around the same character, allowing for glimpses in their lives at various points.

I have reblogged the original post here, with my review at the time. The link to a PDF in the original browser doesn’t work any more, but the Patreon link still stands, and you can get this book for free from there even now. And as I said above, @aroworlds is One Of Us, with a blog focussing on aromantic activism.

Queer Media Monday is an action I started to talk about some important and/or interesting parts of our queer heritage, that people, especially young people who are only just beginning to discover the wealth of stories out there, should be aware of. Please feel free to join in on the fun and make your own posts about things you personally find important!

[oldtvandcomics]

Other sign I found with myself, not necessarily for writing, but for "bigger" projects:

You want to ask someone for permission.

YOU DON'T NEED ANYONE'S PERMISSION, I PROMISE. IT'S PERFECTLY FEASIBLE ALONE, JUST DO IT.

Signs You Should Write The Story

1. You can't stop thinking about it

2. It would be exciting and fun to write

3. It's meaningful to you

WRITE THE STORY

[lurkingshan]

Love in the Big City: A Proposal to Extend the Discourse

Many of us have been anticipating this full length drama adaptation of the beloved novel by Sang Young Park for months, and when you watch the trailer above, you can see why: this is a queer story through and through, written semi-autobiographically by a queer man in South Korea about his own experiences, and then lovingly and determinedly made into a live action drama to bring his story to more people. It's a landmark show in the Korean media landscape; nothing of its kind has been made before. And that is exactly why the show is drawing harsh backlash before it even airs. It's too honest, too heartfelt, too steeped in empathy and understanding for the nuances of the queer experience in a suppressive society, and that scares people who want to continue shoving queer folks back in the closet.

As a result of this backlash, the story, which mirrors the novel by being structured in four parts with a different director and focus story in each set of two episodes, is being released in one giant episode dump to ensure that it all makes it onto air. Sang Young Park himself confirmed that conservative groups in South Korea are trying to prevent this show from being seen, and he is fighting to keep promoting it and will ensure its release on October 21st. It will air on TVING in South Korea and on Viki for the international audience.

The best thing we can do to fight back against this kind of censorship is to watch the show loudly, to write and make art about it and celebrate it, and to do that for more than just a couple days. Earlier this year, @bengiyo and I started the Love in the Big City book club to read the novel with friends in anticipation of this drama's release. For four weeks we coordinated weekly discussion posts to correspond to each part of the story, and we intend to do the same with the show. Given what's going on with attempts to suppress this story, I want to open up that invitation beyond those of us who are participating in the book club to include anyone who wants to watch and talk about this show, regardless of whether you've read the novel.

So here's the proposal:

Beginning Monday, October 21st when the show drops, we'll each watch the show on whatever cadence we like (personally, I will be watching two episodes at a time with breaks in between, because that is how it was made and intended to be seen)

Regardless of when we each actually watch it, we will post weekly starting on Mondays about each part of the story in turn. So the week of October 21st we will post art and meta and reactions to Part 1 (episodes 1 and 2), and each subsequent week we'll post about the next part (or each set of two episodes).

Ben and I will also write up and post book club discussion questions each Tuesday that will be more about the adaptation to live action and comparisons to the novel. Anyone who has read the book is very welcome to respond to those even if you haven't been in book club with us previously.

My hope with this proposed schedule is that we can keep discussion of the drama alive for a solid month and give it its full due. Tumblr is a crucial part of the fandom ecosystem and I want to do our part to ensure this show isn't buried. This is a complex story with so much nuance, and if we binge and forget about it in a few days, we cannot do it justice. I want to support Sang Young Park and so many others whose stories have been forced under wraps by this kind of oppression, and I would love it if you all would join me.

[daughter-of-sapph0]

tips for redditors joining tumblr

make sure you have a profile picture: otherwise people will think you're a bot. we currently have a bot infestation right now, so many people block on sight unless you look like a human

reblog stuff you like: reblogging is how this site operates. it's sorta like resharing the original post around, and it'll show up on your blog too so people who follow you will see it. sometimes you can add a comment or tags, but it's not necessary

make your experience better: if you're on desktop, download Firefox, ublock origin, shinmigami eyes, and xkit. these make the website usable, block ads, and let you know who you should murder on sight. if you're on moblie... uh, idk...

turn off tumblr live: literally no one uses it, and it probably steals your data. go to blog settings, dashboard preferences, snooze tumblr live. you'll have to do this every week, and we celebrate that on Snooze Tumblr Live Tuesday

we have lots of holidays: we have Out Of Touch Wednesday, Feliz Jueves, Kill A Cop With A Baseball Bat Monday, Get Lost In The Evil Forest Saturday, and Summon The Dark Lord To Bring About The Destruction Of The Earth Wednesday. some of these are real

don't go in the cave: don't go in the cave don't go in the cave don't go in the cave don't go in the cave don't go in the cave don't go in the cave don't go in the cave don't go in the cave

take lots of breaks: mental health is important. discourse is really stupid and dumb, and you can absolutely block whoever you want for any reason. be sure to log off if you feel tired or stressed

you have to be queer and a freak: this is the LGBT sjw website. to be accepted here, you need to act like a homosexual pervert. furries are really popular here. find a group of furries to be horny with. do it now!

most importantly, have fun: I never really used reddit much, but I know that it was like tumblr in that it was one of the social media sites that was most similar to the forums and message boards of yesteryear. as the internet is slowing being killed off by corporations and capitalism, it's important that we make the most of the small space we have left.

[todayontumblr]

Monday, July 3.

Nimona! *spoilers*

*WARNING! Major spoilers for Nimona follow.*

It's colorful, queer, and finally here. Trials and tribulations can make the victories all the sweeter, or so we are told. Only it seems there is some proverbial proof in the pudding: #nimona has finally made its way to Netflix after something of a bumpy ride, to put it lightly—and we are here for it. It's been a long time coming, too, with years and years spent in development hell.

Since its inception in June 2015, the film has survived a mega media merger between The Walt Disney Corporation and 20th Century Fox Animation (and delayed twice); in February 2021, one year before its projected release, Disney announced it was shutting down Blue Sky Studios, and production of the film was canceled entirely; it was then revived by Annapurna and Netflix; experienced several changes in creative leadership and a global pandemic (you may have heard of it) and a studio shutdown just as the film was finally coming together.

Now, the story that started life in ND Stevenson's beloved webcomic finally has made its way into silver screen heaven with its arrival on Netflix these past days. And it seems the dashboard's faultlessly loyal, long-time fandom can't get enough of this wild, wonderful, and life-affirming adaption.

[ofmdrecaps]

12/17-18/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; Happy birthday Jes Tom!; Galaxy Con Columbus OFMD Panel; Rhys Darby; Taika Waititi; Con O'Neill; Nathan Foad; Vico Ortiz; Samba Schutte; Ruibo Qian; Alex Sherman; Anapela Polata'ivao; Adam Stein; Articles; Fan Spotlight: OFMD Buys Boats; OFMD Advent Calendar; Love Notes;

== Happy Belated Birthday Jes Tom! ==

One of our wonderful writers, Jes Tom, had a birthday on 12/18/2024! Happy belated birthday dear!!

Source: Jes Tom's Bsky

= Cast & Crew Birthdays =

I've been trying to collect cast and crew birthdays that I could find - Birthday Calendar and there's a few more coming up soon!

Dec 28th - David Fane

Dec 30th - Nathan Foad

Jan 1 - Ruibo Qian!

If you happen to know more that aren't on the calendar yet, please feel free to reach out to me! I've been trying to add them as I find them but I'm sure I'm missing many! <3 (I'm happy to credit you of course too!)

== Galaxy Con Columbus ==

Good news! The OFMD panel is now available on Youtube!

Source: Galaxy Con Youtube

= Rhys Darby =

A new Bad Jelly Trailer is out!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Badjelly (@badjellytv)

Source: BadJellyTV

A little quote from Rhys about Bad Jelly!

Source: SphereAnimation

There was an article about Rhys in BMA Magazine with this lovely spread!

Source: BMA Magazine

= Taika Waititi =

Hey! Wonderful news! Taika is going to be Honored with the Norman Lear Achievement at the 2025 Producers Guild Awards. "The Norman Lear Award recognizes a producer or producing team for their extraordinary body of work in television. It has been awarded to individuals whose leadership and creativity have made profound contributions to the television industry" - Producer'sGuild.org Article here

Source: Producers Guild Instagram

= Con O'Neill =

There's a new SAS Rogue Heros Trailer!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Theo Barklem-Biggs (@barklembiggs)

Source: Instagram

= Nathan Foad =

Nathan is sending some love to one of our crew members-- apparently they made this lovely scarf for Nathan's Mom! Who was this!? Let me know! I'd love to credit you!

Source: Nathan Foad's Instagram Stories

= Vico Ortiz =

Vico is working on a new project! Today in Gay is going to be available Monday Through Friday with a daily dose of queer news -- and good queer news! It'll be hosted by several queer icons, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Nay Bever, Vico Ortiz and Bex Taylor-Klaus. "Lauren Klein joined as Executive Producer, Editor, and Composer. Hannah Nobrega is our behind-the-scenes Researcher and Jax Ko, our Co-Producer and Creative Director, has done all of our visual design. Kalie Chebib is our Social Media Manager and our Supervising Producer is Maritza Navarro. Linh Nguyen keeps us all running as our Executive Assistant! We are all proud members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and we’re all here to make your day a little more gay. "

Today In Gay Is Your New Go-To Daily News Podcast Article!

Today in Gay Substack

Source: Vico's Bsky

= Samba Schutte =

Samba received some lovely gifts from our dear crewmate @amuseoffyre! He sent lots of love their way on his Instagram Stories!

More work by Samba -- Parallel Episode 3 is out on Amazon and there's a new Trailer!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Seasick Studios (@seasickstudios_)

Source: Samba's Instagram

= Ruibo Qian =

Just a quick shot of our Pirate Queen <3

Source: Ruibo's Instagram stories

= Alex Sherman =

Alex Sherman is still raising funds for the Experience Camp he has volunteered for in the past! It helps kids who have lost family members get a fun week away to help to process their feelings, and have a great time. Check out the donation page here if you're interested / able to help out!

Source: Alex Shermans Instagram

= Anapela Polata'ivao =

Our Auntie, Anapela Polata'ivao was selected for Story Camp Aotearoa 2025! "Story Camp is a residential feature film development lab that fosters craft, voice and vision with a programme designed to meet the development needs of each writer and project. Over the week, the participating writers and their collaborators workshop their feature film projects with exceptional local and international advisors. Congratulations to the filmmakers whose feature film projects will be developed through Story Camp Aotearoa 2025 ✍ The Factory Anapela Polataivao and Vela Manusaute - Co-Writers"

Source: Script to Screen

= Adam Stein =

Our producer and actor, Adam Stein, was spotlighted by Management LA this past week!

"Adam is currently a Consulting Producer on Apple TV+’s THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME. Previous to that, he was an Executive Producer on Max’s TOKYO VICE and OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH. Other recent shows include SEE (Apple TV+, Co-Executive Producer), DESIGNATED SURVIVOR (Netflix, Consulting Producer), THE EXORCIST (Fox, Co-Executive Producer) and UNDER THE DOME (CBS, Supervising Producer). He got his start in television on FX’s DAMAGES, and began his career as a writer doing features for GQ magazine. He has written pilots for Amazon, ABC, AMC Studios, FX and others. Currently, he’s playing Lucky in a production of Waiting for Godot at the @geffenplayhouse through December 21!"

Source: Adam Stein's Instagram

== Articles ==

Many thanks to our friends over at @adoptourcrew for keeping us up to date with every article under the sun featuring our show!

Source: Adopt Our Crew Instagram

== Fan Spotlight ==

= OFMD Buys Boats =

The Tiny Crew Big Raffle team is posting the final numbers for donations to the various non-profits by cast member over the next several days!

Lindsey Cantrell - Inner City Arts - US $865.80, £312.88, €15, CAD$12.45

Megan Vertelle - Sheldrick Wildlife Trust - US $901.95, £105, €215, CAD$20

Such wonderful work crew! Well done!

Source: OFMD Buys Boats Instagram

= OFMD Advent Calendar =

ANNNNND OFMD Advent Calendar is still going strong! Thank you so much to @tillychmo (as well as the fun door images!) for hosting this wonderful even! You can follow along on bluesky on @ofmdadventcalendar.bsky.social!

The 12th door features some very sweet artwork by the fab @intheblanketfort! aka @intheblanketfort.bsky.social!

The 13th Door features beautiful work by @kuuttamo.bsky.social!

The 14th Door features an ADORABLE lego surprise by @politestmenace.bsky.social!

The 15th Door features a super cool OFMD Holiday RPG by @alimasin! aka @alimasin.bsky.social!

== Love Notes ==

Hey there lovelies! Well getting two out in one day didn't work out, so I will try to make sure I'm catching up with 2 days at time as much as I can over the next few days! I have a very important question to ask you-- and that is, have you laughed today? Did you know laughter can reduce anxiety, and stress, stimulate your lungs, heart and muscles? It's actually pretty damn awesome how much a good old fashioned guffaw can make us feel better. Is there something you know for a fact will make you laugh? (For me it's silly cat videos, or Stede boarding the tiny fisherman's boat in the pilot of the hit series OFMD). Maybe it's stand up comedy-- or puns, or dark humor. Whatever it is that tickles your funny bone, I would request that today you go and just partake in some giggles. They can be small, or big, but do something that makes you laugh <3 Below are some things that have given me some giggles in the past. I hope if nothing else they give you a smile. Sending so many hugs lovelies. I'm thinking of you <3

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Яхты Визы Паспорта Бодрум Стамбул (@alsubodrum)

Source: Instagram

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hippo (@hippo_lover_life_)

Source: Instagram

[rwrbmovie]

🗓️ this week

happy met gala monday! it's a huge week for rwrb, here's the dates & times to remember:

- times listed are local to the city the event is at - the links lead to the tag for the event on our blog

May 6, Monday - Met Gala, NYC

Arrivals begin at 5:30pm

Confirmed attendees: Nick, Uma (expected)

May 8, Wednesday - Prime Experience, LA

Screening - 7pm, Panel - 9pm

Attendees: Taylor, Nick, Uma, Ellie, Matthew, Casey, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter

May 9, Thursday - LA Screening, 6:30pm

Special guests, Taylor teased attendance

May 11, Saturday - Glaad Media Awards, NYC

Nominated for 2 awards (Outstanding Film - Streaming or TV, Queer Fan Favorite)

Confirmed attendees: Taylor, Uma, Aneesh

❗️we regularly update the calendar and sidebar of our blog with key dates!

[horreurscopes]

four days ago on monday my (radical queer black) therapist told me they were an adult when 9/11 happened, and not only is the current zionist propaganda being pushed by the united states the exact same playbook, but they said it was "hundreds of times more intense" due to social media. they said it was surreal to experience it again. i said being overwhelmed with feeling makes me feel like i'm making it about me, someone with no ties to the middle east. they said it's the most natural, human thing to experience horror and grief when being made to witnesses a holocaust of innocent people.

three months from turning 30 i thought i knew everything there is to know about the evils of the world, and yet i find myself surprised to realize there was still a last sliver of innocence within me left to lose. history will remember the short-lived american empire as the single most sadistic, brutal, barbaric, monstruous and bloodthirsty sovereign state to ever plague our species, and i can only hope to live long enough to see it burn to the ground. هي فلسطين من النهر إلى البحر

[transformationsproject]

Trans rights are still under attack in the United States. Please visit our website linked below to learn about your state and contact your reps. Here's a thread of today's updates:

Bathroom bills deny access to public restrooms by gender or trans identity. 

They increase danger without making anyone any safer and have even prompted attacks on cis and trans people alike. Many national health and anti-sexual assault organizations oppose these bills.

Tennessee crossfiled bathroom bills HB0571 and SB0468 yesterday.

Tennessee filed a bathroom bill SB0472 yesterday.

Michigan introduced bathroom bill HB4024 yesterday and sent it to the  House Education And Workforce Committee.

Missouri introduced bathroom bill SB632 back on Monday.

Utah had a hearing for bill HB0269 today. The results are as yet unknown.

Mississippi passed bill HB188 through its committee yesterday and sent it to the House floor.

Nebraska LB89 has a hearing scheduled on 2/7 at 1:30pm in Room 1507.

Arizona passed bill SB1003 through its committee yesterday and sent it to the Senate floor.

Healthcare bills go against professional and scientific consensus that gender-affirming care saves lives. Denying access will cause harm.

Providers are faced with criminal charges, parents are threatened with child abuse charges, and intersex children are typically exempted.

Georgia introduced health care bill SB39 yesterday and sent it to the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee. This bill places restrictions on insurance and gender-affirming care.

Missouri sent bills HB1038 and HB1016 to the House Emerging Issues committee yesterday.

Kansas passed bill SB63 through the Senate yesterday and introduced it in the House.

Montana passed bill SB164 through its committee yesterday and sent it to the Senate floor.

Educational Censorship and Student Suppression bills force schools to misgender or deadname students, ban instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity, and make schools alert parents if they suspect a child is trans.

They remove life-saving affirmation and support for trans youth. 

Texas filed educational censorship bill SB983 yesterday.

Missouri introduced educational censorship bill HB1085 yesterday. This bill makes it a felony for teachers to support a child's social transition.

Ohio sent bill SB1 to the Senate Higher Education Committee yesterday.

Arizona passed bill SB1002 through its committee yesterday and sent it to the Senate floor.

Trans Erasure bills create legal definitions of terms like “sex” designed to exclude or erase trans identity and insert them into various laws. This can have many different effects, depending on what laws are affected.

They can force a male or female designation based on sex assigned at birth.

Some target anti-discrimination statutes, legally empowering trans discrimination. 

Missouri introduced trans erasure bill HB1053 back on Tuesday.

New Hampshire HB148 has a hearing scheduled on 2/19 at 9:45am in Legislative Office Building 206-208 in the House Judiciary Committee.

Digital Censorship Bills describe any legislation that potentially targets Queer and Trans media/material for removal. 

They typically do this by using vague and broad definitions of "Obscene" or "Harmful to Minors" and then banning such content from being accessible to minors, which often either removes the material entirely or requires age verification methods in order to view. 

This includes online censorship bills, library book bans, and other such legislation.

Iowa passed bill HF62 through its subcommittee yesterday and sent it to the House Judiciary Committee.

Wyoming passed bill HB0043 through its second reading on the House floor yesterday and sent it on to its third. 

Most sports bills force schools to designate teams by sex assigned at birth. 

They are often one-sided and ban trans girls from playing on teams consistent with their gender identity.

Some egregious bills even force invasive genital examinations on student athletes.

New Mexico introduced sports bill HB185 back on Tuesday and sent it to the House Consumer & Public Affairs Committee.

Washington sent sports bill HB1699 to the House Education Committee yesterday.

Maryland introduced sports bill SB588 back on Monday and sent it to the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee.

Michigan introduced sports bill HB4031 back on Tuesday and sent it to the House Education And Workforce Committee.

It's not too late to stop these and other hateful anti-trans bills from passing into law. YOU can go to http://transformationsproject.org/ to learn more and contact your representatives!

[mariacallous]

A Republican state lawmaker in Michigan said gay marriage should be “illegal again,” an inflammatory remark that prompted swift rebuke from Democrats.

State Rep. Josh Schriver (R) made the controversial statement on X on Monday, just weeks after the GOP’s strong showing in Michigan during the November election, where they wrested back control of the statehouse.

“Make gay marriage illegal again. This is not remotely controversial, nor extreme,” Schriver wrote. “America only ‘accepted’ gay marriage after it was thrusted into her by a perverted Supreme Court ruling.”

He pointed to old remarks from then-Sen. Barack Obama, saying the former president was once “more conservative on marriage than many Republicans today.” Obama first endorsed marriage equality in 2012 — the first U.S. president to do so — and later said he believed the Constitution guaranteed the right to marriage for all same-sex couples.

The Supreme Court agreed in a 5-4 ruling in 2015, a historic victory for queer Americans.

Republicans have embraced culture wars targeting queer Americans in recent years, particularly trans people. The party has pushed through laws blocking young trans kids from gender-affirming health care, barring them from school sports teams and cheered efforts to limit access to public bathrooms.

Michigan Democrats quickly excoriated Schriver.

“Please explain how dissolving my marriage, or that of the hundreds of thousands of other same-sex couples living in America, provides a benefit to your constituents or anyone else,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D), who is married to a woman, wrote on X. “You’re not interested in helping Michiganders. You want only to hurt those you hate. Shame on you.”

Fellow state Rep. Jason Morgan (D), who is gay, said his colleague’s remarks were both “controversial and extreme, along with anti-family.”

Schriver has courted controversy in the past. In February, he was stripped of his office staff and committee assignments in the Michigan statehouse after sharing conspiracy theories linked to the “great replacement.” The false notion relies on racist tropes and claims white Christians are being intentionally replaced by immigrants.

At the time he said he was opposed to racism, but defended his social media posts and said he found it “strange” that there was an “agenda to demoralize and reduce the white portion of our population,” according to The Detroit News.

[oldtvandcomics]

Happy Queer Media Monday!

Today: I Dream In Another Language (2017)

I watched this movie a few weeks ago, and it STUCK.

(Don Evaristo and Don Isauro just before their first interview to record Zikril together.)

I Dream in Another Language is a Mexican magic realism movie about the death of a culture. It documents the efforts of a linguist trying to save the (fictional) language Zikril, spoken only by three old indigenous people. When one of them dies, the studies come to a halt, as the other two, Don Evaristo and Don Isauro, have not spoken to each other in over fifty years and categorically refuse to have anything to do with each other. As he looks further into this, the linguist discovers that the real reason for this feud is their past relationship and an awful lot of internalized homophobia.

Zkril is an artificial language, created specially for this movie out of respect for the people who still speak the endangered and disappearing languages today. The fact that it has seemingly magic powers, and that its speakers appear to be living on after their death, clearly puts the story into the magic realism genre.

This is NOT a happy movie. The internalized homophobia part is no joke, and the main theme of course is the loss of a language, and the culture that comes with it. 

But it damn sure is leaving an emotional impact.

I strongly suggest that everyone who is even vaguely interested in this subject read up about languages and language conservation. The Wikipedia page of this movie is as a good place to start as any, since there are related articles linked in the references list. I also would like to thank @celluloidrainbow for bringing this film to my attention.

Queer Media Monday is an action I started to talk about some important and/or interesting parts of our queer heritage, that people, especially young people who are only just beginning to discover the wealth of stories out there, should be aware of. Please feel free to join in on the fun and make your own posts about things you personally find important!

[queermediamonday]

Happy Queer Media Monday!

Today: Zorro the Gay Blade (1981)

Guys, this movie is A Lot. Still needs to be talked about at some point….

(Ramón de Vega in one of his colourful Zorro costumes)

Zorro the Gay Blade is a 1981 comedy movie made with the intention of poking fun at the swashbuckling genre. The story starts like most Zorro sequels, with Don Diego’s son (also called Diego) returning home after his father’s death, only to find injustice running rampant. Discovering that his late father was once the legendary outlaw Zorro, he takes up his mantle and his fight for justice…

… only that in this version, he immediately hurts his ankle and is no longer able to continue being Zorro. Luckily his estranged brother, Ramón arrives at that very moment, and it is he who continues being Zorro, with a gay twist on the character.

This movie is a lot. I’m not sure of. I could actually recommend it.

Firstly, I must say that it is genuinely well-made. The world they’re creating is believable, and a lot of the jokes stick the landing. Also, introducing the idea of queerness into such a traditionally masculine universe really allows them to question the fundaments of the genre. That having been said…

Good gay representation it is not.

Ramón is a joke character, with close to no personality beyond “being gay”, a thing this movie associates with being effeminate. Despite being the titular character, it is his straight brother who is the protagonist and who gets to ride into the sunset with a love interest. The gay jokes are all based on (now) outdated stereotypes, and the movie is very clearly aimed at a straight main audience, instead of being by and for queer people.

I don’t know if I can recommend actually watching this movie, but still it is an important glimpse in the past and the way queer men were depicted forty years ago. It is also interesting to compare it with queer action movies today. 

Queer Media Monday is an action I started to talk about some important and/or interesting parts of our queer heritage, that people, especially young people who are only just beginning to discover the wealth of stories out there, should be aware of. Please feel free to join in on the fun and make your own posts about things you personally find important!

[total-drama-wlw]

welcome to total drama wlw week! (introduction/pinned)

the purpose of this event week and blog is to celebrate and shine some light on an overlooked part of this fandom, and give some love to wlw creators who are often unappreciated for their work. as well as promoting wlw ships that aren’t always given a lot of love!

EVENT DETAILS & RULES:

drawings, fanfics, animations, edits, posts of headcanons, pinterest boards, socmed AUs, etc. are all allowed!

you can make as many posts as you want!!

you don't have to post every day!

tag #tdWLWweek24 on any social media posts

this is a tumblr based event, so post your works on tumblr, but feel free to participate/spread the word on twitter, tiktok or whichever social media you prefer to promote your work as well.

the prompts are guidelines more than rules, but do try to follow them (especially for art & fanfic)

you can choose one of the prompts given on each day, or if you’re feeling creative, try to combine them both!

it doesn’t need to be ship content! you can write an analysis of your favourite girl character through a queer lens, you can draw her wearing the colours of the bisexual flag, you can write a oneshot of two lesbians being best friends, etc.

for ship content, please make WLW/sapphic ships the MAIN FOCUS, not sidelined or briefly mentioned alongside straight or mlm pairings. fics/art that centre non-sapphic pairings will not be reposted.

celebrating other queer identities in this event is of course fine (trans, non binary, aspec, etc) but the centre of the event is wlw/sapphic identities so be sure to make that the highlight.

you do not have to be wlw yourself to participate, but of course always listen and make room for wlw creators & do your best to represent wlw stories with guidance from your wlw mutuals & friends <3

if you follow all these rules, you will be reposted/reblogged by us!

the rules listed are not to limit people in their creativity but just to ensure this remains a wlw/sapphic centred event, in order to highlight & celebrate wlw specifically. 

PROMPTS & DATES:

DAY 1: thursday, 24th october - campfire / historical au

DAY 2: friday, 25th october - sunlight / butch character

DAY 3: saturday, 26th october - put a spin on a myth, ‘canon’ literary story, or fairytale that includes your pairing of choice (the tale be from any culture or country of origin!)

DAY 4: sunday, 27th october - rollercoaster / superhero au

DAY 5: monday, 28th october - robbery / proposal

DAY 6: tuesday, 29th october - double date / horror au

DAY 7: wednesday, 30th october - free prompt / rarepair

BONUS: thursday, 31st October - write something for HALLOWEEN!

EXTRA INFORMATION:

this is a blog I started as a response to a lack of appreciation + overall content being made for wlw/sapphic fans of the show! many wlw creators have been making content for ages and not getting a lot of appreciation, and (like many other fandoms) it seems that our pairings and stories aren't given as much of a spotlight or appreciation as heterosexual or gay ones.

I also thought it would be fun! There's no pressure to make lengthy 20 chapter fics or portfolio-ready fanart for this event (though you are perfectly at liberty to do so), you can also make pinterest boards, share headcanons, create socmed AUs, or whatever creative outlet you choose, to celebrate the wlw characters and pairings YOU love.

once this event week is over this blog will remain active, reblogging any posts that are late or just sharing more wlw headcanons, content and rarepairs.

[queeranarchism]

Reading your posts, and I see you talk about, you know, creating mutual aid networks, or affinity groups. It interested me especially when you talked about relationship anarchy and building such a queer community in resistance to capitalism and exploring open love. How... how does one create such a group/community? Everything sounds great, but what are the practical steps? Especially for someone living in a rather middle big Sweden city.

If you live in a middle-big city, there's a good chance that an anarchist community and/or a radical queer community already exists and that there's a good deal of overlap between the two. Especially anarchist trans people seem like soooo abundant in the trans community. (Because they state screws us over so much.)

Anyway, communities tend to form around a space, like an anarchist cafe or a queer club house or a non-permanent space like a recurring event. When looking for an existing community I tend to frequent those spaces. When I see queer anarchists at protests I try to make friends, invite them to the spaces I know and ask what spaces they're recommend.

This takes one skill you'll need to practice: walking up to strangers and having that awkward first conversation with someone you don't know. This is an essential skill in any form of community building and the only way to learn it is to throw yourself in and to experience that being very awkward for a bit is not the end of the world. Where spaces are lacking, I try to create them. Creating a space sounds hard and if you want a permanent autonomous space then yes, it is hard. But creating a non-permanent space doesn't take a huge amount of work.

It's basically a matter of finding a venue that's okay with you hosting an event and then spreading the message "There's a queer/trans/anarchist/whatever hang out here every first monday of the month." and then just consistently show up there so there's always at least one person to warmly greet new people. (which again takes the 'talking to strangers' skill). The start of building a community can be as simple as that.

In a while, the people in that community will start to care about it and at that point you might want to talk about sharing the monday greeter shifts so you no longer have to always show up for the space to exist. Another step you might want to take is to build communication channels to announce events, like a website and social media channels. Discord is quite useful as an in-group channel to allow people to chat after the events, plan new events, etc.

The big, difficult, but super valuable step that will make your space a permanent space. I wouldn't recommend trying that alone and I don't have a lot of experience with that, so I'm going to leave that step to someone else.

[nausikaaa]

Six Sentence Sunday Monday

thanks for tagging me @youarenevertooold @confused-bi-queer @orange-peony @prettygoododds @that-disabled-princess @thewholelemon @artsyunderstudy @bookish-bogwitch @ileadacharmedlife @run-for-chamo-miles @roomwithanopenfire and @j-nipper-95. phew, that's a lot of people!

okay, yes, it's technically tuesday, but i wanted to share and didn't get time to write anything yesterday, but sat down and got out 1600 words tonight, yay!

here's a new POV for my wip, Helenus. ramble under the cut about him because he's very overlooked in most media avoid the Trojan war, and i am incapable of shutting the hell up about my interests once i get going.

but i'll pop the six sentences here for convenience's sake. they're from a flashback to when Astyanax, the main character, was born.

Astyanax came into the world just as the day’s fighting wound to a close, and apparently Andromache pushed aside the midwives and even my mother, and insisted on getting up and taking their son to meet his father, fresh off the battlefield, herself. I saw her shuffle to the gates as they opened, clutching the tiny baby to her chest, half dressed and looking exhausted, but glowing with joy nonetheless. I turned away as Hector cried out and rushed to embrace them both. All the soldiers cheered at the sight, their morale momentarily buoyed by the arrival of the little prince.

Hector actually named him Scamandrius, but all the people swiftly took to calling him Astyanax, lord of the city. They saw him as a symbol of the future, and placed all their hopes in him.

so for those who don't know, and there's no shame in that because it would appear most fans of the Iliad somehow don't, even though he's in the damn thing, Helenus was the twin brother of Cassandra, the Trojan princess and prophetess who was cursed by Apollo to see the future but never be believed after she rejected his advances. as well as being a competent soldier, Helenus was a priest of Apollo who also had the gift of prophecy, but not the curse. sources disagree on whether Cassandra taught him, or if Apollo gave him the gift, but if it was the latter, that begs the question: did Apollo make Helenus the same offer he made Cassandra? and did he accept it?

that's something i explore in depth, relationships with gods are rarely simple or healthy. Apollo has a bit of a micromanagement problem, and once he starts to grow bored with Helenus, his idea of a reward for all his years of dedication is to manipulate him into setting himself up for Apollo's idea of his perfect life, with no regard for the people his plan hurts along the way or Helenus's own wants.

and so, by the end of the story, he is actually married to both Andromache, his brother Hector's widow, and Deidamia, Achilles's widow, and rules over Epirus, a city in the far north of Greece. how does he feel about this, the destruction of his family and home, and death of his foster son Pyrrhus, that led him there? Apollo doesn't think to ask. he declares his work done and promptly loses interest, and Helenus just has to try his best to make it work, doing right by his wives and turning Epirus into a second Troy.

i love the way it's put by Aeneas in Virgil, "you have before your eyes an image of the river Xanthus and a Troy made by your own hands, more fortunate, I pray, than the Troy that was... We shall in some future age unite our cities and the people of Hesperia and Epirus, for we are kith and kin, the same Dardanus is our founder and the same destiny attends us. We shall make them both one Troy in spirit." Hesperia is that probably insignificant little place which would eventually come to be known as Rome. don't worry about it. they'll totally be friends. Rome definitely won't wreck Epirus in the Pyrrhic War in a thousand years or so.

also, fun fact, Alexander the Great's mother Olympias was from Epirus, and claimed to be descended from Andromache, Helen of Troy, and either Achilles or Helenus, depending on the source. sure, Olympias.

oh, and tags, i guess for wednesday at this rate! i hope you all have a lovely rest the week! @forabeatofadrum @artsyunderstudy @hushed-chorus @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @cutestkilla @alexalexinii @martsonmars @meanjeansjeans @harrie-leithillustration @spoonerwrites @ic3-que3n @larkral @blackberrysummerblog @shrekgogurt @comesitintheclover @raenestee @noblecorgi @shemakesmeforget @ileadacharmedlife @supercutedinosaurs @carryonmylovelies @otherpeoplesheartachept-2 @otherworldsivelivedin and @jasonfunderberkerthefrogexists