#Queer Teens

[v-tired-queer]

So You're A Queer Kid and You Spot a Fellow Queer In Public: A Very Quick Guide Because I Have Class in an Hour

I just saw (and reblogged) a post talking about how queer kids will all too commonly approach a fellow queer person in public and unfortunately, are putting others--and themselves--in potentially dangerous situations, not to mention just straight (*snorts*) out uncomfortable. So I got to thinking, "Did . . . did anyone teach the baby gays how to interact with fellow queers in public . . . ?" because, lets face it--technology is advancing, and weather you think it's a good or bad thing, that doesn't change the fact that culture changes with it, especially for kids, teens and young adults. Even language changes for them, like it did for us (I do, in fact, use Vine Language, but I have no idea what drip, rizz or cap is, and at this point, I'm too afraid to ask).

So, queer kids: first of all, hi, nice to meet you! I--a demiflux lesbian--know it's exciting to meet or see another queer person in public, outside of the internet, but remember: safety comes first. So, as stated in the title, here's a quick guide to interacting with other queers in public.

Don't: Assume Anything

Seeing a patch on a jacket or dyed hair and a lot of piercings doesn't always indicate that that person is queer. Maybe they're an ally and wearing the patch in solidarity with a loved one, or maybe they just like alt fashion. Of course there's every possibility that this person is queer, but remember that looks =/= sexuality or gender identity. I'm absolutely positive that you've passed by or met a lot more queer people in public than you realize because a lot of us don't "look" queer. For example, I'm fem presenting and wear a lot of floral print dresses, heels and makeup--a lot of people assume I'm straight (which, rude.) So remember, looks won't always tell you if someone is also queer or not.

Don't: Ask

You know that policy that the US military had called Don't Ask, Don't Tell? Basically, it allowed queer people to enter the military but only on a hush-hush agreement--higher ups didn't ask, and you, as a queer person, didn't tell. Unfortunately, being in public spaces, it's kind of like that. The world just isn't as safe as we'd all like it to be, so we have to be careful. That means not asking someone their sexuality or gender identity in public, where others could hear. If the wrong person overhears that conversation, it could trigger a whole host of bad situations for everyone involved.

Not to mention, it can just be plain uncomfortable. Not every queer person wants to be approached about their sexuality or gender identity. Use your discretion. If someone looks like they really don't want to be approached, respect that.

You also want to be careful about accidentally outing someone. If someone is out with another person, but has a pin on their bag, that doesn't always mean that that person knows about the other person's presumed queerness. For example, when I was a young girl, my mom took me into the city, to buy some new clothes. I used to have a pin with the pride flag on it on my bag, but I wasn't out to her yet. Someone flat out announcing my sexuality to mom because of a pin would have outed me way before I was ready to come out to her. So remember to be discreet.

Do: Complement Them

So, you see a person, you've deduced that they're probably queer, just like you--yay! That's a very exciting thing. I still get excited when I see other members of the community out in public. But again, safety comes first. So, how can you low-key let them know that you know? Complement them! But you want to do it in a safe way, too.

See a patch on their jacket? Complement their jacket, not necessarily the patch itself.

A person has a lot of pins on their bag and one or more is representative of who they are as a queer person? Compliment their pins, plural.

There's a person with blue hair that is just giving off That Vibe? Don't ask if they're queer, just smile and complement their hair.

Trust me, we'll know what you're talking about.

Do: Use Code in Social Settings

I. Freaking. LOVE queer codes. Basically, back in the day, there were a couple of ways that someone could discreetly ask another person if they were queer. For example, asking someone--usually a gay man--"Are you a friend of Dorothy?" was a way of asking if they're gay, Dorothy being a reference to the Wizard of Oz, as the actress who played Dorothy, Judy Garland, is widely considered to be a queer icon. I couldn't find any information on her sexuality, but I did find that a lot of queer people related to her back in the day, if not on a sexuality level than on a personal one.

There was also the green carnations, started by Oscar Wilde, as a subtle cue to fellow queer men that you yourself were a queer man. For women, you could give another woman violets as a representation of sapphic love and desire. Though, to be honest, I'm not sure how well known this one was, especially after the fall of using floriography, or the Victorian language of flowers (which can also be used to express negative feelings for someone, too, just so you know--don't like someone? Send 'em a bouquet. They probably won't get it, but you will).

Queer code still exists and is used to this day! For example, sometimes a sapphic person will ask someone if they listen to Girl In Red, which is a modern way to discreetly ask if someone is also sapphic.

Queer code should really only be used in a social setting. If you're at a café, and you spot someone who is fem presenting, and they seem open to conversation and you want to actually meet fellow queer people, you can ask if they listen to Girl In Red. But remember to read the room, and the person. Not a place where conversation can be had? Then probably not the appropriate place to be using queer code.

Long Story Short

While spotting a fellow queer out in the wild is a very exciting thing, remember that safety and comfort for everyone involved comes first. You never want to accidentally out someone, or put you and them in an unsafe situation. Use common sense and manners.

Happy socializing! 🏳️‍🌈🩷🏳️‍⚧️

[cyberr-v0id]

My little cousin is questing their sexuality because of a ‘fictional skeleton’ that she presumably has a crush on

[deep-fried-byleth]

very much irks me to see queer kiddos feeling pressured into having the One True Label to define their whole existence upon when they’re not even fully finished growing. this pressure that exists in far too many online spaces (and even bleeds into some real life ones too!) is just making people feel like they must follow xyz rules rather than be liberated in the knowledge and acceptance of their queerness. queerness should be community, not a prison.

[tfcg-strawberrykit]

Hello everyone.

I'm making this post for tfcg because I would like to take at least a little bit off the owners plate.

We are in desperate need of help, mostly we are looking for authors to write some articles.

The articles are a weekly thing so willing writers should be aware of this, being active is a big thing with this newspaper as this is an important project.

The Flying Colors Gazette is also looking for editors and artists/photographers.

I am currently the main artist of tfcg, and to be honest, it's a lot to try and manage. It's going to also get harder for me once school starts as I am a part of the band in my school.

I am also starting my sophomore year, so everything will get overwhelming

Absolutely anything would help us right now as our team is in a bit of a tight situation with a lack of authors.

If you show any interest at all, please feel free to fill out our application form

[thequeereview]

Exclusive Interview: filmmaker Jen Markowitz lets LGBTQ+ youth speak for themselves in Summer Qamp "I wanted it to be for them & about them"

Jen Markowitz’s uplifting debut feature documentary, Summer Qamp, sees the Toronto-based filmmaker spend a week at the LGBTQIA+ CAMP fYrefly in rural Alberta, Canada, refreshingly and powerfully allowing their queer and trans teenage subjects to speak for themselves unhurried and uninterrupted. For many of the campers it is the first time that they are surrounded by people like themsleves and one…

[babykittenteach]

No Context Reasons You Should Watch Dead Boy Detectives

[the-geeky-fangirl]

yes i know heartstopper is "cringe" and yes I know you think it's not that deep but you've endured years of cringe oversexualized shows about high schoolers where the gays are delegated to sub plots I'm sure a few hours of queer people being safe and happy and loved won't kill you so please shut the fuck up

[your-queer-dad]

Hey you. Yes you. You have been through enough, you hear me? You. Have. Been. Through. Enough.

The world has treated you shittily, you go through enough, don't do that do yourself too. Be decent to yourself, kiddo. We've only got one of you and it's the best one we have :]

I love you, I'm proud of you, go make yourself a beverage of your choice and be a little more decent to yourself today <3

- dad x

[wahlpaper]

Review of Two Boys Kissing

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

CW: Discussion of Death, Discussion of Suicide, Discussion of Homophobia, Discussion of Transphobia, Underage Drug Use, Drug Use, Violence, Racism, Homophobia, Unhelpful Cops, Serious Injury, Discussion of AIDS (both physically and socially), Swearing, Slurs, Described Hook-Up, Negative Body Image Thoughts, Fainting, Suicide, Suicide Attempt, Mob Mentality

5/5

When I put Two Boys Kissing on my TBR list way back in 2020, I never expected the book to be as intense as it is. I think I put it off so long because I thought it would be kind of boring. I was way off! I have never read a David Levithan book before, which is surprising considering that he is Jewish and gay. I have seen some of the movie adaptions of his books, but I had no basis for what his writing would be like. I was blown away by this book. I am so glad that I finally read it.

Two Boys Kissing centers around two gay teen boys that are trying to set the record for longest kiss. They have to remain standing and their lips have to remain touching. These boys, their family and friends, and the town they're in go through a lot during the time it takes them to kiss. Told in Greek-chorus style by the ghosts of the queer people who died from AIDS, we get a glimpse of some pivotal days in the characters' lives. We experience some heartwarming and some devastating moments. As the ghosts are talking to us, we are a part of the story.

As I mentioned above, I didn't expect Two Boys Kissing to be so intense. This really is the fault of the blurb, so I hope I have provided a more transparent one here. This is the kind of book to make the audience cry while trying to uplift the readers. As the collective of ghosts telling the story have intentions, preferences, and a personality, the story is told in an order that makes sense. It's told with a steady pace and poetically. However, it does not shy away from the hard stuff. Pain and suffering are explored thoroughly. One character is dealing with a violent father and an enveloping depression. Another is throwing himself into helping his friends kiss after he was attacked. A third is dealing with his emotions towards his bullies. The book covers topics like suicide, AIDS, transphobia, homophobia, systematic oppression, and more. I had to take breaks while reading, and it's okay if you do too. Always read with self care in mind.

Although the record for longest kiss has since been broken by a man/woman couple, Levithan was inspired by real events. There were two college boys that broke the record at a longer time than the two in this novel. It had never been broken/set by a same-gender pair before. Levithan wanted to write a multigenerational story for a queer audience. Anyone can read the story, but it's a conversation between the queer people of the past and the queer people of the future about the queer people of the present (or 2012, when the book was being written). I'm writing this a decade later, but it's still so important to have gay and queer representation. Some things have changed for the better, but there are new bad things too. Unfortunately, it's clear that it's not completely safe yet for the queer community to just exist. We must continue the work to make it safer for future generations. As Two Boys Kissing shows, representation can go a long way.

The next time you have the emotional energy to read a heavy book, consider Levithan's Two Boys Kissing. It's well written and has aged beautifully in the 10 years since it was published. Read carefully, but please give it a go!

[imleotyler]

My vintage motorcycle 🏍️

[itboytrends]

This could be us but you playing

[rozenphox]

tall people problems

[bixels]

The Ryoko Kui interview's reception is such a disaster over a pretty normal (yet still flawed) interview between a non-Japanese fan and Japanese artistic. This is discourse for discourse's sake, and it's no surprise that almost every Twitter user I've looked at who's using this interview to parade Kui around as a goated mangaka standing strong against Western ideology is anti-trans.

Like, I do think the interview was kinda wonky with its focus on fandom culture, which Kui clearly didn't have much interest in. But sometimes that happens. Sometimes interactions between two people, especially a fan and a creator, two people who view and interact with a piece of media in completely opposite perspectives, don't click. Does this really need to get blown up into a "West vs. East culture war" issue.

Anyways, Kui saying "I don't consider my audience's interpretations when writing. I leave it to their imaginations, but I have my own read on things too" is the healthiest, most normal thing an artist/writer who wants a non-parasocial audience could say. Artists and writers use this line all the time. If Kui didn't enjoy autistic Laius or Farcille headcanons, she would have probably voiced/signalled her discomfort, like she did on the topic of Senshi fanservice. Overall, Kui handled the interview really well. Props to her to sticking to her guns and keeping a healthy disconnect from the fandom. While I think the interviewer could've/should've been more tactful and restrained, the flaws in their questions is not a symptom of the woke mind virus trying to wriggle its way into the pure Japanese psyche. It's the sign of an over-eager fan who sees a piece of fiction differently than its creator.

[inter-st]

I'm still remember the first time that I saw this scene, I remember my honest reaction was literally:

It was at this moment when I knew I fucked up for me.

[weaverofink]

I don’t know how to explain it but the instant i saw that post i got intense kon energy from it. at least he’s trying