#Spock said trans rights

[unknownvoid]

Me when the government won’t let me trans

[princess-spock]

Pronouns and Gender in the Good Omens Universe

Neil recently said: “Angels aren't humans or mortals. They don't have genders. There isn't a pronoun you can use for them that's wrong, and unless you can speak in the tongue of the angels there's not a pronoun you can use for them that's actually right. Ditto Demons.”

Obviously, no one's going to debate Neil's pronouncements about the series! The thing is, though, that CONSISTENT gendered pronouns are used in the book, and in the series, and by Neil himself when referring to these characters. There's significant gray area here, no matter how you slice it. So...

(Who are we? 

@Princess-Spock: I'm non-binary, specifically genderfluid. My pronouns are they/them for simplicity. My primary gender is agender, and is aroace; I have a wide range of other genders and sexualities. 

@Twilightcitysky: I’m an allosexual, queer, cis woman with a background in healthcare, specifically sexual/reproductive health and mental health.)

Pronouns, ideally, should reflect gender… but what is gender? Gender is something we feel inside our heads. For most people, that matches up with their genitals… But not always!

Genitals do NOT determine gender!

Therefore:

A transwoman is a WOMAN, regardless of what genitals she has.

A transman is a MAN, regardless of what genitals he has.

A non-binary person is non-binary regardless of what genitals they have.

A genderfluid person might sometimes have gender that matches their genitals, but at least part of the time does not. (A gender that varies in intensity rather than going between genders is genderflux, not genderfluid.)

A couple of those terms need to be clarified: 

• Non-binary means not having a “binary gender,” in other words not being one of the 2 most familiar genders, “exclusively male all the time” or “exclusively female all the time.” (Remember, bi = 2.) Non-binary does NOT mean being genderless! A non-binary person could be genderless/agender… or they might have partial gender, mixed genders, fluctuating genders (fluid or flux), xenogender, or non-specific gender.

Note: Not all non-binary people use they/them. Like everyone else, they get to choose their own pronouns. It's never acceptable to assign pronouns of your choosing to them, or to assume that they must be they/them without confirmation. 

• Genderfluid means having a gender that changes periodically; a genderfluid person can have any number (other than 1) or combination of genders. The gender of a genderfluid person might change after a few minutes, or after hours, days, even months. Genderfluidity refers to gender ONLY; it does NOT refer to changes in presentation. 

And what is presentation, aka gender presentation or gender expression? It’s what gender a person chooses to portray with their appearance. This can include choosing whether to wear male or female clothing, shoes and accessories… hair length and style… whether or not makeup is used… whether or not body shaping garments are worn, such as a binder to flatten the breasts, or padding to create curves... and whether or not there is facial hair, whether naturally grown or otherwise. If someone has a presentation that differs from their biological sex, they might be trans, or it could be cosplay, drag, cross-dressing, a costume, being gender non-conforming (GNC), as a sociopolitical statement (eg butch lesbians), or just for fun. 

Presentation does NOT determine gender!

Some people are forced to wear whatever their culture dictates. Or whatever their family will accept. GNC people choose to not wear clothing that conforms to their gender. For some people, presentation is irrelevant, and they just wear whatever is easiest. 

Because there are no elements of presentation that are specifically for any of the non-binary genders, non-binary people are typically left with some form of androgynous or GNC presentation. (@Princess-Spock: it's REALLY tricky to create a look that is neither male nor female, especially for those who, like me, don’t reshape their bodies.) 

If a genderfluid person's gender changes when they aren't near their closet, their presentation might not match their gender, even if they’d prefer it to. Sometimes it's a matter of what they can afford; not everyone has the luxury of having multiple wardrobes. (@Princess-Spock: For those of us who are fortunate to have little or no dysphoria, we might skip customizing our presentation much of the time, just for simplicity.)

And just FYI:

Sexual orientation does NOT determine gender!

Specific to the fandom, there is no connection whatsoever between being asexual and being genderless/agender, or to not possessing genitals. Just because someone belongs in one of those categories does NOT mean or even suggest that they belong in the other categories. It is absolutely positively NOT correct to suggest that angels and demons are asexual simply because they don't have gender and/or genitals. (They might still be ace, of course!)

A few useful terms (these are not complete descriptions by any means):

• Asexual, sometimes abbreviated as ace, is a spectrum of sexual orientations in which a person feels little or no sexual attraction to anyone. Being asexual does NOT necessarily mean being aromantic. Also, being asexual does NOT mean not having sexual feelings, or not having and enjoying sex, although these things are true for those who are sex-averse.

• Aromantic is a spectrum of romantic attractions in which a person feels little or no romantic attraction to anyone. Being aromantic does NOT necessarily mean being asexual. And an aromantic person can still make loving connections, exchange affection like kissing or holding hands, and of course still have sex.

• Aroace refers to people who are both asexual and aromantic.

How does all this apply to the Good Omens universe? In the book, it says, “angels are sexless unless they really want to make an effort”; Neil has referred to this for the series as well. Canon isn't explicit, but most of us interpret this as, "they don’t have genitals unless they choose to." Lack of GENITALS is then often wrongly seen as lack of GENDER. Neil said, "Neither the angels nor the demons, as far as I’m concerned, are actually gendered as humans are." But, he uses human gender terms; Crowley is genderfluid, angels are non-binary (it seems like he means that they’re genderless, but that's NOT what non-binary means). Confusingly, in a 2018 post, he said:

"The angels and demons in Good Omens aren’t human, they aren’t male (nor are they female). Not that they couldn’t be male etc if they wanted to make that effort. As it says in Good Omens: ‘For those of angel stock or demon breed, size, and shape, and composition, are simply options’."

That sure looks like, YES, they CAN have gender!  

More confusingly, Neil also says that his personal headcanon is NOT canon, canon is only what's in the book and the series... and none of this appears in either place. This makes the gender and thus pronoun issues a tad ambiguous. We agree 100% with Neil that people should embrace their headcanons and allow others to do the same, and so use whatever pronouns they want, and allow others to do the same. Here's how WE see Crowley and Aziraphale's genders and pronouns:

It is absolutely impossible, by definition, for a genderfluid person to be genderless ALL the time. Therefore, if Crowley is genderfluid, he MUST have gender at least part of the time! (And if he can have gender, so can all other angels and demons!) 

When Mrs. Sandwich tells Crowley that he's a good lad, and he responds that he's neither, that's in line with what most genderfluid people would say; having a gender some days but not others is different from BEING that gender. Crowley has chosen a male body (male genitals, hairy chest), facial hair, generally masculine attire, and male pronouns, so it's reasonable to assume that his chosen gender is male most of the time. 

We assume that he was female when he chose to wear female clothing (an abaya) in the crucifixion scene. He may also have been female during his stint as Nanny Ashtoreth, but that might have just been presentation.

During the scene where he's in heaven in S2, he has a non-binary presentation; the tracksuit is androgynous, and the accessories (headband, sparkly gold tie, fingernails, and toenails) are feminine. He might be experiencing a non-binary gender at this time.

(@Princess-Spock: Genderfluidity is very complicated. Even when Crowley "looked" female, he might have been experiencing a variety of different genders; remember, neither genitals nor presentation determine gender! In fact, since Crowley had adopted a female appearance out of necessity, not because that was his true gender at that time, he might even never have actually BEEN female during the time he was "looking" female!)  

What about Aziraphale? He has all the “male stuff” that Crowley does (facial and chest hair, deep voice, etc). He has an unwaveringly masculine presentation; his hair is ALWAYS short throughout history (even when Gabriel’s is long), and his sartorial choices are traditionally and formally male (pocket watch on a chain, French cuffs with cufflinks), with no hint of the modern androgyny of jeans and T-shirts… strong evidence that his chosen gender is male. 

Neil always refers to Aziraphale and Crowley as he/him (he stated that Crowley was presenting female as Nanny Ashtoreth and at the crucifixion, but no pronoun is used either time). The book and the script book always refer to Aziraphale and Crowley as he/him. Aziraphale and Crowley always refer to each other as he/him. Michael and David have always referred to Aziraphale and Crowley as he/him. So, he/him is our personal choice. 

What about the pronouns of other supernatural characters? 

Beelzebub: 

He/him in the book. She/her in the script book. For S1, Neil said, “I don’t think there were any. Probably Zzzzzzir.” They/them for S2 (“but they're always such a little ray of sunshine” in E3). 

Dagon: 

In the book, no pronouns are used, but all male titles; Lord, Master, Under-Duke. He/him in the script book. No pronouns used in the show or by Neil.

Muriel: 

They/them canonically, but referred to by Quelin Sepulveda, the actress who plays Muriel, as she/they. It seems like the gender perception of the actor who embodies a character has to count for something; if Quelin was perceiving Muriel as partly female, that's an intrinsic part of who Muriel IS. We think we should honor that. (Neil has had plenty of opportunity to debate Quelin's usage, but never has.)

(Food for thought: If we accept this sort of "mixed" pronoun usage as valid in the Good Omens universe, it could apply to other angels or demons, not just to Muriel!)

Archangels played by actresses:

In the script book, when Aziraphale speaks to the 4 archangels, it says; “The room of angels in slick suits. There are four of them, male and female.” It doesn't specify WHO is female, though, and ALL the archangels have non-female pronouns elsewhere in the book, so...?

Uriel: 

"He" in the script book, no pronouns otherwise.

Michael:

“He” in the script book. ​​Neil has used "they."

Angels and demons played by male actors: 

All of them are referred to with male pronouns, both within the series and by Neil. However:

Hastur: 

Briefly had a female appearance in the scene where Aziraphale and Crowley are kidnapped, but no pronouns were used at the time. In the script book, the “lady tourist” is referred to as "she" when whacking Crowley… and then is referred to as "her" even AFTER transforming into Hastur with a wig.

Ligur:

In the book, Ligur was intriguingly referred to as “it” while he was dying, but immediately thereafter was referred to as "he." That paragraph appears almost word for word in the script book; it refers to him as "he" instead of "it."

Sandalphon: 

Referred to in the script book as "it." (“Sandalphon grins, pleased with itself. Then it sniffs the air.”)

Metatron:

"He" in the book and season 2.

God:

Neil said: Jesus uses "Father". Aziraphale uses "She" pronouns for God and Crowley uses "They". I don't think the God in the Good Omens TV universe has a gender.

In the book, Aziraphale, Crowley and Metatron refer to God as He. In the script book, Aziraphale refers to God as She, and Crowley refers to God as They and She.

We think the bottom line is: These are FICTIONAL characters inhabiting a universe where there are few canonical rules for pronouns or gender for supernatural beings. This is a perfect vehicle for choice, which has so much importance to the story. You may start out on opposite sides, you may start out as a genderless being, you may start out as a sexless being, but you can choose something different for yourself. The importance of choice in Good Omens is one of the things that makes it great! 

There’s a lot of fic and art that depicts the characters in different ways; everyone should feel comfortable portraying them the way they choose without the worry that someone is going to be upset with them. We’ve both seen a lot of comments to the tune of, “you’re not using the correct pronouns” or “that’s not the correct sexual orientation,” and that’s not good fandom etiquette. Being open-minded and kind to one another as we flesh out this universe for ourselves is just basic courtesy. Neil himself has said that in fandom, any interpretation is valid! The Good Omens fandom is largely a microcosm of the queer community; we need to practice acceptance amongst ourselves, so that we can stand together against those in the wider world who want to tear us down!

Anyone who wants to discuss personal gender issues can feel free to message @Princess-Spock; remember that if you ask anonymously, there's no way to reply to you!

[ephysalis]

My friend and I just finished our rewatch of Star Trek: TOS. What a fun, fun trip it was.

Purely for my own enjoyment, here are the 10 Star Trek: TOS episodes I liked the most. Heavily steeped in my love of retro cheese and B-Movies.

10. Arena

The Kirk vs A Lizard episode. The rocks are very obviously foam, the fight choreography is peak Trek and the lizardman wears a go-go dress lovingly crocheted by meemaw. At the end a bedazzled space twink shows up. A classic for a reason.

9. The Corbomite Maneuver

Structured like so many other Trek eps (ship gets in predicament, Kirk must pull a solution out of his ass in the 11th hour) but with great twist ending that blew my mind. Showcases Kirk's brand of cleverness very well.

8. Turnabout Intruder

The last episode of the series has a fascinating plot: one of Kirk's ex-girlfriends forcibly switches bodies with him. There's a lot of unfortunate gender discourse but if you decide to view the whole thing as a typically 60s trans allegory, it becomes fascinating. Spock recognizes the captain through a mind meld and defends him in court. Good times.

7. The Cloud Minders

The best episode of season 3 imo. Beautiful painted backgrounds and amazing retrofuturist interiors. The story is a really solid metaphor for classist oppression right until you learn the workers actually ARE violent and stupid because of some gas in the mines. Still loved it.

6. Operation: Annihilate!

The crew visits a planet decimated by alien parasites that look like flying rubber pancakes. Spock gets got and it's very tense and dramatic. Good Spirk vibes, plus I love it when my blorbos suffer.

5. The Way to Eden

The Enterprise picks up space hippies trying to find a fabled paradise planet. The costumes and songs are super enjoyable. A shining example of an ep that was probably extremely cringe back when it aired but has aged like a fine, campy wine.

4. The City on the Edge of Forever

Ok this one isn't underrated, everyone knows it's good and they're correct. Kirk and Spock get stuck in the past together and it manages to be incredibly gay despite Kirk literally dating a woman. Excellent story. Spock wears a beanie.

3. The Trouble with Tribbles

Another one where I agree with the general sentiment: it's silly and fun and I will never tire of seeing Shatner buried in furry little potatoes. The Animated Series episode "More Tribbles, More Troubles" is a hilarious sequel.

2. Amok Time

The Spirk episode that started it all, featuring a fascinating look into the mix of uptight decorum and violent heritage that makes Vulcan culture so compelling. I did particularly enjoy the extremely awkward conversation between Kirk and Spock about "Vulcan biology" at the beginning. "It happens to the birds and the bees..."

1. The Devil in the Dark

Shatner's favorite ep and also mine. The acting is on point and seeing Spock yell "JIM!" with obvious concern on his face is just 👌🏻. I love the retro cheesiness of the paper mache caverns and the alien who looks like a lasagna; I love how testy Bones is about having to do first aid on said lasagna; I love the horror-like story structure and overarching message about understanding others. 100/10.

[sleepyleftistdemon]

(CW: mental health issues, gender dysphoria, disassociation, suicidal thoughts (and actual suicides), and maybe more)

I've been thinking about putting up my story for Pride Month. I started typing in this whole thing in someone else's post, but I didn't want to hijack it. (Although it was talking about some of the stuff I am putting here.)

Some background:

I was a military brat growing up. That means that I moved around a lot. That means that I didn't have the same groups of people around me, except for my parents and sister. Therefore, nobody could recognize my issues since most people thought it was just the way I was.

I am on the autism spectrum. That means (for this stuff at least) that I don't really do self-reflection well. Add that to the above point and... yeah.

Because I wasn't diagnosed with autism, my parents thought I was weird, weak, and an idiot. Oh they didn't say anything like that, but you could tell that's what they thought. I heard "You're old enough to know better" so many times. But I never caused major issues, so they thought that I would always do what they said.

When I was in single digits (1970s), every time I took a bath I would spend time trying to shove my p*nis back into my body. It didn't belong. So I was already experiencing gender dysphoria even back then.

I was miserable and without a reason I could recognize (not having heard of trans people). "Fortunately" while still in single digits, I found a character on a TV show that knew how to handle negative emotions. The show was "Star Trek", the character was Mr. Spock, and the method was repression.

So I was okay for a while.

In 10th grade, repression turned into (undiagnosed) depression, something else that nobody (including me) recognized. I thought it was perfectly normal to think about suicide when I had homework to do.

(I even remember the assignment that was the last straw. It was to write a romantic scene for English class. I wrote a note on it, telling the teacher I never wanted to see it again. She thought it was about how bad it was. I didn't tell her that it triggered me.)

After high school, I joined the military. It wasn't because I wanted to or anything like that. My parents wanted me to join and, with my depression, I really didn't care what I did.

After serving 4 years, I went to college. I was struggling a bit, so I went to get tested for ADHD at the student health center. (I had read up on it, including how a lot of people with ADHD were mistakenly diagnosed with depression. Ironic, really, because...)

I was diagnosed with disthymia, a chronic, low-grade depression. I got medication (Zoloft) and tried therapy. Since I was repressing and didn't realize it, I got nothing out of therapy, but the Zoloft worked enough for me to function.

Imagine, if you will, a wooden boat with a figurehead (me) on the bow. (Is that the right word? If not, deal with it.) Before the Zoloft, the boat builders put the figurehead almost completely underwater. I would come up for air, but it was difficult. After the Zoloft, it was like the workers moved the figurehead right at the waterline. I would have good and bad times, but they were all still under a cloud of depression.

Speaking of imagining things, do you remember the tiny alien controlling/riding in the robot in the movie "Men In Black"? Another thing that I did (and since I don't know when I started, so I'm just gonna put it here) was I pictured something similar like that for me. Except instead of picturing myself as an alien, I pictured myself as a small piece of dimmed light "no bigger than a flake of dandruff". (And I put those words in quotes because that is the exact wording I used.)

That, BTW, is called disassociation.

I the 2000s I got married to a woman that my parents hated. My parents disowned me because I wouldn't divorce her, thinking it would shock me enough to do what they wanted. Instead I disowned them right back by changing my last name and didn't attempt to contact them again.

My dad died in 2010. I wasn't allowed to go to the funeral. It wasn't until years later that I found out that he probably killed himself due to having early onset dementia.

After that, my mom got into more regular contact with me. She lived until her suicide in 2016. (She had bipolar disorder and I learned later that she had attempted suicide earlier. And that both of my parents cheated on each other during their marriage.) My ex-wife (yes, we did divorce but not because of my parents; she was hooked on opiods and had Borderline Personality Disorder) died the same year.

(I tried to get her (ex-wife) help, but she didn't want to change. After being left at work since she had the car AND finding her passed out on the toilet with drugs she got less than 2 hours before she was supposed to come get me, I had had enough.)

Anyway, that gave me a date where I felt I could commit suicide. I would be able to live a day longer than either of my parents (who I said saw me as weak), thus proving that I am stronger than they were while still not having to deal with my depression forever.

You know what saved me? One of the posts I read here on Tumblr a while back. The original post said that like women who buy fake p*nises, men can buy fake breasts. A reply to that post said that many men who bought those turned out to be trans.

I really didn't think that I was trans. I ordered fake breasts from Amazon and tried them out. They seemed great, but they weren't an actual part of me.

I wrestled with the thought that I might be trans. I asked myself if I was a woman if I'd still want to die. (The answer, BTW, was no.)

It wasn't until 2 months later that I went to a nail salon and got my nails painted that I experienced gender euphoria. Using the figurehead imagery from above, it was like the figurehead was at the top of the bow, riding proudly on the ship. Instead of seeing myself as smaller than the flake of dandruff, I pictured myself as a gingerbread woman inside the shell of a gingerbread man (keep this in mind).

It also reminded me of the single digits me in the bathtub, miserable without the words to say why. Repression sucks.

Since I am a veteran (and since it's cheaper than health insurance), I get my healthcare from the VA. I talked it over with the psychologist (or psychiatrist - whichever one can prescribe medicine). It took a while (mainly to get me comfortable with it) to see an endocrinologist. (Well, first I had to see a therapist to answer questions to make sure I was a good fit. When I brought up the gingerbread visual, she said that many trans people use the gingerbread imagery to help describe what they're feeling.)

So in May of 2024 (last month from when I posted this), I finally started on HRT. And while my depression is starting to creep back in (HRT doesn't work overnight), I realize that I am finally on the right path for me and my happiness.

(Of course, with all of the new transphobic laws and such coming into effect, this is also a stressful path. But it's the only way for me to go.)

I do hope this helps people, whether to know they aren't alone (for people still in their egg) or to help the transphobic people out there to see that trans people are just people, trying their best to get through life as painlessly as possible.

[a-most-beloved-fool]

And what would happen if they made Captain Kirk a woman and paired him with Spock (who they kept as a man)? I think they would be capable of doing that (they've already given Spock enough girlfriends and paired him with Chapel?!), how do you think the public would take it? Would they be very upset? I think there would be a part of the public that would make a fuss, some because they made him a woman, others because they made them "conventional" to pair them (this idea intrigues me a lot since the rumor of a female Jack Sparrow)

(You sent this first as a reply on the 'Kirk and Spock should be Weird about each other' post, so I'm replying to it in that light)

I mean, either way they'd be weird about each other.

I think I personally wouldn't be a big fan of the choice to genderswap, simply because just Changing People's Characteristics tends to fall flat unless the authors put a lot of work into making sure it doesn't. I already don't trust Paramount to make old beloved characters queer, and I probably trust their ability to effectively change the gender even less.

Probably, if Paramount tried, it would come off as... very fake-feminist? Like the kind of plastic feminism that gets us female characters whose job is to Be Hot And Badass and utterly ignores like. making them human and compelling. It would be kinda tasteless. If they truly put in the effort, I'm certain something like that could be very good, but... I really, really don't trust them with that.

I also do think it would be sad to change it just to make them not-queer. It does feel pretty damn homophobic to me, frankly, to say 'these characters are together romantically Just Because they're a man and a woman' when they wouldn't let them be together as two men. If they were going to make one of them a woman, without letting the male versions be together, I'd rather the man and woman not get into a relationship, either. Give us a close man/woman friendship that doesn't turn romantic, for once!

That said, I do think it's possible to do it well, and include a romance. For example, if someone came at it from the light of either Spock or Kirk being trans, and showing the struggle between transness and sexuality, that could be very compelling. (In fact, I might have read a fic or two with plots like that.) though again idk if i trust paramount to handle an explicitly trans storyline

But, frankly, if they keep recycling their damn characters and beating them into the ground, i am going to have to fistfight an executive or something. I kind of just want them to let Kirk and Spock go. Let them be free. Make new things, I'm begging you.

As for the public? Yeah, they'd be pissed. There's no way to avoid it. I think you're right that a lot of people would be mad about the genderchange - some because they're sexist, and some because they find it insulting that they can't just. make new and original roles for female actors and are instead recycling things. There would also be people hopeful and optimistic about it, though.

And if they went through with the romance between the two, some homophobes would still manage to be homophobic about it, and a LOT of queer folks will be insulted that they didn't have the guts to give them the romance when they both were men.

I just think they should focus on new characters. Finish SNW and then let Kirk and Spock rest. Maybe give them a few shoutouts and cameos, but don't make any more series focusing on them.

uhhh this is long and i think i said everything i wanted to and i hope i worded it well, but it might be a bit repetitive. if you've got any other questions, ask away, but here's my general opinion on the matter.

[frecklenog]

after spending an evening listening to jessie gender tell me about starfield, capitalism, gender, selfhood, and ursula k leguin, i had. some Thoughts about another science fiction series; one you're probably at least somewhat familiar with if you follow this blog or watch ms gender's videos.

to start off; hey. this is partially based on my own experiences, my understanding of them, and how that lens can be applied to star trek. it's also very much inspired by the work of jessie earl, whose channel i can't recommend enough. she's funny, intelligent, kind, and an incredibly gifted writer, and she's a gift to both the star trek, trans, and "video essay youtuber" communities. show her some love!

that said, i want to start by looking at star trek. we all know the vulcans, don't we? pointy ears, green blood — spock's dad's side of the family. gifted with telepathic abilities, vulcans are practitioners of the mind meld, also called things like a mind link, probe, touch, or fusion, which is exactly what it sounds like. it allows two (or more, on occasion) sentient life forms to exchange thoughts as though they were one being.

of course, this kind of thing is common in media. steven universe has gem fusions, which should be examined from a plural viewpoint in their own right. x-man charles xavier almost routinely delves into the minds of others. but rarely does it have any lasting impact on the characters. even star trek itself falls into this, with doctor leonard mccoy not getting nearly enough screentime in the voyage home to show off what must have been the intensely strange experience of carrying spock's katra within him. (maybe that's addressed in a novelization or comic that i'm just unaware of, but regardless, i haven't seen it, and i think that's a travesty. (and if you know of a book where that gets touched on oh my god give me the fucking link now-))

there are instances of star trek mind melds having lasting effects, as discovery shows part of sarek's katra being permanently linked to michael burnham, though that could be considered an extenuating circumstance, what with her being on death's doorstep at the time of the meld. which most trek fans probably already know, and is honestly more fantastical than i care to bother reading with a plural lens. however, star trek is a fandom with nearly sixty years of history, including hundreds of books and comics from various authors and publishers. these stories are plentiful, bizzare, and sometimes outright terribly written. i don't blame anyone for not having read them all — to do so seems like a terrifying task.

but the one i want to look at right now is a particular run of the star trek: the next generation comic, published in 2000 by wildstorm comics.

the run is called perchance to dream — a lovely, flourishing name for a comic where half of the plot could be it's very own jessie gender video for how much sexual weirdness goes on (but i'll leave that to the professionals). the part we're going to focus on is that the b-plot of the run surrounds captain jean luc picard, captain of the uss enterprise-d. the comic is set after the events of the star trek: the next generation season 3 premiere, best of both worlds: part 2. in that episode, the captain had been disconnected from the borg hivemind (after being assimilated in part 1), and he returned to duty as usual at the end of the episode (though he does choose to go on leave in the following episode). it's also set after another episode from later on in season 3, — episode 23, sarek, wherein picard preformed a mind meld with sarek in order to allow the aging ambassador better emotional control, as it was being ravaged by his bendii syndrome — essentially, vulcan dementia.

the a-plot of the run isn't really important to us, i'm afraid — although it reveals to us in the second issue that worf accidentally killed a kid on another soccer team as a child. suffice to say, one of the abilities of the aliens the crew has to play diplomacy with is that they can prod into people's traumas through their nightmares. they have a lot going on. it's a comic book from 2000, what did you expect?

and, speaking of things that are easily dated, the third issue of the run brings us to the second part of today's topic.

image id: a comic book page. beginning at the top, a narration box reads: "chief medical officer's log, stardate 48503.8. lieutenant commander data, doctor selar, and i have gone through the damiano [alien] records regarding the chova. while no direct way to combat the weapon was ever developed we have discovered that certain people were immune to the chova's effects and could destroy the weapon." doctor beverly crusher is beside the narration box, depicted from the shoulders up, facing slightly to the right and saying "there has to be another way." a vulcan -- doctor selar -- is viewed from the waist up, holding a padd in her right hand and facing to the right of the page. she is saying "we have been over the records six times a piece, doctor. if there is anything to find, it is likely that we would have found it by now." data, an android designed to appear as a human with pale yellow plastic skin, is holding a book slightly behind doctor selar. his mouth is slightly open as he speaks. "i believe doctor selar is correct. this is the only course of action open to us under the circumstances." to the right of this panel is another shot of beverly from the shoulders up, this time facing to the left. her expression is stern as she says "i know, i know, it's just-- it could kill him." in the next panel. beverly is shown from the back, and captain jean-luc picard enters, saying "you sent for me, doctor?" beverly responds, "yes, jean-luc. please sit down." below this, the left panel takes most of the remaining page. this time we see captain picard from the back, while beverly faces the reader head-on, speaking first. "we've gone through the records chief du're [irrelevant one-off character from the a-plot] provided. it turns out that there was one group of people who were immune to the chova when it was first used. mpd's." jean-luc repeats "mpd's?" curiously. to the right, data is shown from the shoulders up, saying; "mpd stands for multiple personality disorder. mpd can come about through psycholo--" but beverly interrupts him; "not now, data." end id.

ah, multiple personality disorder. a term that hasn't been clinically used since 1994. these days, we call this dissociative identity disorder (did), but it's one dissociative disorder of many, which is what beverly is talking about. for whatever reason, people with this sort of dissociative plurality seem to be immune to the specific trauma nightmares induced by these aliens. (finally, some good news.)

okay, neat! so, dissociative disorders and plurality have been canonically addressed in star trek. let's see how it goes!

image id also available unbroken in alt text. image id pt 1: beginning in the top left corner, beverly is shown from the shoulders up, facing the right side of the page as she speaks. "the point is the people who are afflicted with more than one personality would destroy the chova before it could affect them. the chova was only built for one personality. mpds would literally overwhelm it." in the next panel, to the right, picard is shown from the chest up, partially obstructed by speech bubbles. facing right, he asks; "how does this help us?" beverly is also in this right panel, although from behind, and nearly completely obfuscated by speech bubbles. she answers; "well, mpd was never a common occurance, and it's almost unheard of these days.there've only been two cases reported in the federation in the last two hundred years -- and damiano [the alien planet] hasn't seen a case in the last fifty."beverly continues. "however, we do have someone on the enterprise who has the makings of a classic mpd. i'd like your permission to ask this person to volunteer to undergo a mind-meld with doctor selar in order to bring the submerged personalities to the fore."

this particular line, i take umbrage with, as dissociative disorders are a lot more common than people might think, and star trek has shown us a future as tumultuous as our own present for decades. there would absolutely be people experiencing some level of multiplicity in everyday life both within the federation and without. but, again, this was written in the 90s, i think? i don't know how long it takes a team of professionals to make a comic book. but, i digress.

image id pt 2: picard responds; "permission granted, as long as it remains on a volunteer basis. who is the officer in question?" below, the leftmost panel is larger than the right. beverly crusher is shown in profile, facing right, with doctor selar and data behind her from the chest and shoulders up. picard is on the right of the page, slightly smaller, but also in profile, facing right to contrast beverly as he listens to her speak. "it's someone who's been exposed to an especially intense vulcan mind-meld, who lived another life for thirty-five subjective years— and who had a second personality grafted onto his own for a brief period by the borg. the next panel takes the entire width of the page, and much of the height. picard is shown in the middle, standing in a purple void. around him are three other male characters shown in bust. from left to right, they are; kamin, a humanoid man bearing great resemblance to an older imagining of jean-luc picard, wearing a plain blue shirt. sarek, a vulcan with grey hair, a turquoise shirt, and a green stone amulet on a large gold chain around his neck. he is cast in shadow and his eyes are not visible. locutus, an ashen version of jean-luc picard, with about a third of his face obscured by black metal exoplating and implants that surround his right eye. tubes come off of his face and neck, trailing behind him, and a red light made to shine at his point of focus shines from the side of his head. there are several yellow narration boxes, which read as follows. "sarek of vulcan. picard mind-melded with the legendary ambassador in order to lend him strength for an important negotiation — an act that almost cost picard his sanity." "kamin of kataan. a probe sent out by kataan before their sun went nova allowed picard to live most of kamin's adult life as a way to remember his people."

oh, yeah. did... did i not mention that that happened?

basically, he was targeted by a device that beamed him into the world's most immersive vr game — kind of like the one from rick and morty? if you watched that? if you didn't, sorry for bringing it up, and if you did, ditto. but it forced picard to live out an entire life as though he'd been abducted by aliens and placed in a sims game. though, ultimately, the plot intricacies of the inner light are beside my point.

image id pt 3: "locutus of borg. quite simply, the greatest nightmare of picard's entire life. the subversion of his intellect, his will, his very self to the collective of the borg." "all three are part of him, but they do not dominate. if picard does as doctor crusher suggests, he will subsume himself in order to let the others come to the fore. for sarek, for kamin, he would be willing." "but locutus--?" the next panel takes a little more than half of the remainder of the page. a narration box in the upper left reads; "then he thinks of his first officer, counselor, chief of security, chief engineer, and all the others who have fallen victim to this vicious weapon." the rest of the panel shows two sleeping figures, both humanoid, in what is presumably sickbay. the last panel takes the remainder. a narration box in the upper left reads; "and jean-luc picard makes the only decision he is capable of making." captain picard is shown from the shoulders up, facing slightly to the left and saying; "what do i need to do?" below his speech bubble is another yellow text box, which reads "to be concluded..."

...which is how issue 3 leaves us.

fortunately, we can pick up in issue 4 with ease, since these comics are over twenty years old. i'm going to do my best to limit my use of comic pages, juuuuust in case, but once we reach the sixth page, with the credits...

image id: a two-page spread. beginning in the uppermost left corner, narration boxes read; "welcome to the mind of jean-luc picard." "'locutus' was a personality superimposed upon picard when he was taken by the borg, meant to serve as the spokesperson for that cybernetic race's ruthless assimilation of what they described as the 'authority-driven culture' of the federation." "ambassador sarek of vulcan suffered from bendii syndrome. in order to keep the effects of this devastating illness from endangering his final mission, sarek entered into a deep mind-meld with picard in order to give the ambassador emotional control and stability." "kamin was a prominent member of the community of ressik on the long-dead world of kataan. a probe sent by the kataan people allowed picard to live kamin's life for several subjective decades, although less than half an hour passed in reality." "all of these personalities have made up a part of jean-luc picard, but he remained dominant." "until now." "this is the mind of jean-luc picard." the left page is mostly taken up by a large illustration of locutus, drawn in far more detail than before. trailing off to the right are two tubes or wires, as well as a speech bubble that reads "resistance is futile." also on this page are the details of the comic title, run, issue number, writers/artists, and copyright. taking up most of the right half of the right page is sarek of vulcan, drawn in less detail than locutus, but easily recognizable. his hair is a lighter grey, he is wearing white and cream robes and an amber amulet on a thick gold ring around his neck, and he is holding up his right hand in a vulcan salute/ta'al. depicted below sarek is kamin, drawn from the shoulders up, wearing a plain white shirt with a collar. below kamin is captain picard, also shown from the shoulders up, in his starfleet uniform, and surrounded by four lights, with two on either side of him. (there is also further copyright information beside him in fine print.)

...i'm pretty sure that this analysis falls under the "commentary" part of fair use. right?

but, regardless, this is kind of a huge thing to drop in a comic that virtually no one has bothered to read. i mean, especially when, amidst the clashing of picard's plurality with the a-plot, we get this panel;

image id: a single comic panel. kamin is shown from behind, speaking to locutus and sarek within a noneuclidean space with four circular white lights shining in the distance. "what is going on?" kamin asks. "we have been subdued for too long. but now we shall dominate, as we were meant to." locutus replies. sarek interrupts. "your logic is flawed, locutus. we are all merely aspects of jean-luc picard's mind." "you may be sarek of vulcan, but we are of the borg."

sarek is able to acknowledge himself, kamin, and locutus as "aspects" of captain picard, despite picard rarely if ever sensing them or their influence. picard is being, not just implied, but explicitly stated to have a latent form of plurality, and perchance to dream depicts it in a way that strikes true to members of my own system, at times, with certain alters first making themselves known in the front already well aware of who they are, and having existed without the my knowledge due to dissociative barriers that only came down later in life.

unfortunately, because this is a star trek media, locutus ends up assimilating kamin in the headspace and forcing himself into the front. however, as he does it, he says something that does, to an extent, resonate with the experience of being one among many, for better or worse.

image id: a single comic panel. locutus is shown facing the viewer, and his chin and the top of his head are cut off by the borders of the panel. his light breaks the plane of the panel to simulate the effect that it is shining into the "camera." locutus's mouth is open as he speaks; "for too long you have suppressed us, picard. but you are of the borg."

plurality is a defense mechanism by the brain to protect against trauma. it is, from what i have seen, more common among those who are already neurodivergent, which already presents in a myriad of ways. mixing the ugly truth of trauma with the raw reality of mental illness caused by it can result in certain alters feeling as though they are being suppressed by not being allowed to front and live their own life, depending on how the system functions. admittedly it is more common in fictional depictions of dissociative disorders for these alters to simply live their own lives in secret anyway, as is the case in the marvel tv series moon knight with marc spector, steven grant, and jake lockley (along with the other possible members of their system who may or may not be present depending on the canon, but those are the main three). but, in reality — or at least my experience — this more often translates to alters making themselves social media accounts, or using services like tupperbox or pluralkit on discord, or finding other ways to more discretely express themselves, such as icon changes or status updates.

but, getting back to star trek, this is ultimately a one-off comic. so captain picard saves the day with his secret alters, ends the mind meld with doctor selar, and goes back to living his life as a singlet, ready for the people of the future to be able to easily comprehend without having to read a very specific comic run from 2000.

...right?

image id: part of a comic page. each panel takes up roughly one quarter of the page each. in the first panel, counselor deanna troi is seen standing, having just entered captain picard's ready room. picard is shown from the back, sitting at his desk. "counselor! good to see you up and about." he greets her. "it's good to be up and about." she responds. "playing some old tunes?" [picard had been playing the ressikan flute prior to her entry.] picard responds. "mmm. i wanted to make sure that i still remembered how." in the next panel, we look over counselor troi's shoulder and across the desk at captain picard. "were you worried that you wouldn't?" she wonders. "actually, yes," picard answers. "after what happened..." the third panel shows picard facing the viewer head-on from the shoulders up. he continues, "i suppose i knew intellectually how close to the surface locutus, sarek, and kamin were. but i never really thought about it. they were — memories, experiences. no different from any other. but they're much more than that." the fourth panel shows counselor troi, facing slightly to the right as she speaks. "not much more. all three of them are part of you. but the important word is you. the fragmentation was artificially induced." picard asks; "was it?"

ultimately, yes, this is a one-off comic run that isn't very well known, and i only read because i took a personal interest in the subject matter. i knew going in that it wasn't going to fundamentally change the entire fandom's understanding of captain picard, or make the star trek fandom an instant haven for systems everywhere. but, still, captain picard has his doubts, and that truly touched me when i first read it as someone who was actively reckoning with the fact that past traumas that had impacted me more than i realized.

the comic goes on for a while longer, but the last thing it has to say on the subject of plurality is this.

image id: a single comic panel. counselor troi is seated in one of the chairs in captain picard's ready room, facing him from across his desk. she is on the left, facing partially right, and he is on the right, in profile facing left. the dialogue reads as follows. picard wonders, "was it [the dissociative fragmentation of his identity] truly a creation of the mind-meld, or was it simply breaking a dam that was already cracked?" riker interrupts over the comm. "riker to picard." "go ahead, number one," picard tells him. "it's time to beam down to damiano for the ceremony, sir." "thank you, commander."

and that's it. picard asks a question, then gets called away and never tells us his answer.

i think, at least subconsciously, that might be part of why i held star trek: picard to such a high standard.

to be clear, i hadn't read this comic when the first season of picard was coming out. but i was starting to grapple with my plurality, and i used fictional media as a means to do that (as is still evidenced by things like my system simon tag). the first season of the show was centered around both picard's relationship with both his legacy and his history with the borg collective. as mentioned in perchance to dream, captain picard had previously been assimilated by the borg collective — a cybernetic hivemind from the delta quadrant that absorbed cultures and species into itself, effectively wiping out the cultural histories of entire planets, at times, in their quest to become the "perfect" life form through a combination of genetic engineering and mechanical augmentation. and, as this happened, i came to know a young man named hugh who took form within my mind. a fictional introject, or fictive, of the character of the same name from season 5, episode 23, i, borg. with his help, i grew to further understand my own plurality, and saw the potential for our stories to be told in the wake of reclamations from the borg collective. the reclamation project became a hyperfixation, and—

and then came the jurati collective.

my own system bears no connection to the jurati collective, but it is a wonder, and can be examined through a plural lens as an allegory for our own experiences as dissociatives. many consciousnesses, all working together as one towards a common goal, and willingly. after all, what is a system if not a hive within one body?

and then came picard's third season, completely ignoring her, along with all the unique perspectives that stories surrounding her might have offered in favor of what felt like a final next generation movie.

ignoring me, it felt like.

is that silly? probably. but, try as i might, i am human, and so i have a propensity for illogic — no matter how much my autistic brain craves structure and definitive explanations in order to understand the world.

i'll be honest, i'm not sure how to end this. but, sometimes i remember the time in season 6, episode 20, the chase, when picard became incredibly excited about an ancient alien society that believed people were, indeed, collectives within themselves.

"...the kurlan civilisation believed that an individual was a community of individuals. inside us are many voices, each with its own desires, its own style, its own view of the world." -captain jean-luc picard

and i realize that, with the core tenant of this series lying in the infinite diversity of both the known and the unknowable — the building blocks are already in place. star trek is a media that has grown over the decades, and hopefully will continue to do so, because there are still so many ways for new and interesting and meaningful stories to be told within this franchise.

but, if you can't summon your representation from a nostalgiabait sequel/reboot within a preexisting intellectual property... there's nothing to stop you from crafting your own story and letting loose as many systems as you like.

[cobragardens]

Emmet Asher Perrin says some things in this Good Omens essay that I want to say, but better than I'd be able to say them.

Quotes below the cut are for my own benefit. You should read the whole thing. The ending is what I mean when I say this was my generation's Kirk/Uhura kiss.

I remember the LJ fandom. I never knew it was small, or that it had any contact with Gaiman or Pratchett. I didn't know it was the majority of the fandom who thought Crowley and Aziraphale were deeply in love; I thought it was just that every fandom has its slashers, ever since Kirk/Spock. I was relieved that I wasn't the only one slashy-minded enough to read Good Omens and think "Oh, they're a lovely couple, I wonder if they've noticed yet"

Our wedding bouquets were flowers assembled from the pages of Good Omens, and an astronomer’s atlas.

***

What I didn’t anticipate were changes that rendered a certain relationship between one angel and one demon in a light far more attuned to the writings of my teenage self. The cues were all there, though no one said the word “love”—longing stares, swelling music, ages of pining, a break up at the end of the world. It was done with such clarity, my word, it was, but we don’t really live in a day and age that wants “crystal clear but soft around the edges.” We can’t afford it, can we? Everything must be stated out loud with vehemence, else someone can deny it. And they will, vocally, angrily, and with an eye toward removing a few more of those pesky human rights I mentioned from before.

Good Omens the series, being the first season, showed us that Crowley and Aziraphale loved each other—but it wasn’t enough.

And that sounds mad to me, as I’m saying it, because I’d never been allotted even a sliver of this previously in the things that I loved.

[...]

But none of that changes the fact that most of my formative texts, the ones that molded my brain into the current shape I use day in and out, generally didn’t make room for me. I had to make that room myself, with others who wanted that same room. And contrary to certain very narrow opinions, that place wasn’t pathetic or delusional.

It was glorious. It was endlessly strange and it was mine.

I don’t know what changed in the process of taking Good Omens from novel to television series, from one season to the next, but I have a sneaking suspicion of the factors involved: A fandom that exploded with ever more queer kids and odd ones who felt seen and loved in that same space; the constant legislation against queerness, transness, disability, and healthcare; a global pandemic that isolated us from one another. Those are the big ones, but there are smaller ones at play, too: actors who were more than happy to play those roles and those stories; the increasing homogenization of blockbuster media providing a backdrop to counteract; an ugly surge from groups who tried to insist that one of the book’s authors was against trans rights.

***

There’s something precious in seeing what other people might not see. It deserves confirmation, construction, the tenderness of depiction—at least some of the time.

At least once.

I’m not sure I believe it happened, even now. That I watched season two and Crowley managed to say in words that “our side” was far more than a work agreement or a friendly contract. That he kissed Aziraphale right on the mouth, and we all saw it. That it’s real and irrevocable. That a story about a botched Apocalypse is morphing into a tale about how we cannot place our sacred trust in institutions (even celestial ones), only in the people who love us. I’m not sure I believe that it’s happening. But I always knew it, you see.

And this feeling of watching it come to life when it wasn’t remotely plausible even ten years ago… I’m not sure I have words to describe it. I imagine it’s close to one of those eureka moments that scientists are supposed to have. When inspiration coalesces into something infinitely more divine and a couple pieces of the universe puzzle snap together to give us a fragment of what we’re missing.

Stories change in the telling.

But they’ve never changed like this, not for me. And if that’s possible when I was so certain it would never be, then maybe there’s a little more possibility to go around. Everywhere.

Every day…

[findroleplay]

25+ she / they, est. long - term, adv / lit role play partner with 10+ years of experience. looking for an equally dedicated role play partner for something on discord. while i generally do a few replies a day, and length of reply can vary i generally am a multi - para and novella role play partner and i'm patient. i won't expect you to reply immediately, and i hope you won't expect me to, either. life gets in the way, so the patience and understanding i will extend to you, i expect to be extended to me, as well. [ if i have a character preference ]. i may not always have a character preference, though; so some pairings may not have any brackets. with that said, i'm not against playing another character, and i am open to setting up a second storyline if you'd like to double, though it isn't my presence. ( npcs though, to deepen interactions, and storylines? yes. ) for the right partner, i'm definitely willing to be flexible, just ask. what i'm looking for: mass effect. [ fshep ] x garrus, thane, aria. star trek. [ james kirk ] x spock, nyota x spock. twilight. [ edward ] x bella. resident evil games. [ ada ] x leon kennedy. resident evil films. alice x carlos. the last of us. joel miller x oc [ any gender ] or tess. star wars. ben solo / kylo ren x rey. game of thrones. daenerys x robb stark. house of the dragon. rhaenerya x daemon. sherlock / elementary. sherlock x jamie moriarty / irene adler. nbc's hannibal. hannibal lecter x will graham. open to trans headcanons, aus ( supernatural, omegaverse, ect. ), slice of life, romance, action / adventure, angst and more. if you are interested, please add me on discord and give me your name / alias, age, timezone, and what you were interested in / why. thank you! le fantôme#7282

_

[thatonepersonthatdied]

So I wrote a fic and got a Werid comment on it and I’m not sure if I handled it correctly?

I copied what they said below:

PLEASE DON'T BE HAREM OR BL. I need a good straight Danny match up. Especially with someone NOT Ember or Valerie. It's cool if this is no romance or no couple story. Cooler if it isn't trans. I'm sick of the trans Danny trope. Like a character can't be sleek without being trans. I like Danny as he is, a cis boy and straight and powerful and dorky.

Then I responded:

Hello! Thank you for reading my fic. It’s super weird that you said all that. I also don’t like harems but about the other stuff… you do know you’re reading fanfiction right? Like. It was built on Spock x Kirt, a mlm ship. I mean I guess I get what you mean with bl cause I find that term to be both infantilizing and sexualizing mlm couples (at least that’s what it was when I was younger). I wasn’t planning on pairing Danny with anyone. But It’s like you come into my house and tell me how to act. And I disagree with you thinking people write Danny (or any character) as trans because it’s sleek. I think most of us just relate to these characters and can connect the things they experience to us. I think the only thing I agree with you is that Danny is powerful and dorky. Also Grey Ghost is top tier???

Should have I just deleted it? Should I have been nicer? Should I have been meaner? Idk. I don’t really post stuff so I’m not sure how to respond. It just took me off guard

[marymoss1971]

SNW 2.2 Ad Astra Per Aspera

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Great courtroom episode. IMO, it’s no Measure of a Man or Drumhead, but it’s still very good. Plus, it was an excellent allegory for trans-rights and other human rights. It was a bit heavy-handed, but as a certain Ghost of Christmas Present (aka Carol Kane) said. “Sometimes you have to SMACK them in the face to get their attention.” I found Una’s backstory to be very poignant.

I was afraid Uhura was going to cave and give La’an the personal logs she wanted. I’m glad she didn’t. That would’ve been so wrong.

It’s odd that Batel, a starship captain, is co-counsel for the JAG. We know Riker functioned as prosecutor but that’s because the Starbase didn’t have a staff yet. Perhaps it’s like jury duty and all captains, or at least those versed in interstellar law, can be called about to act as co-counsel for the JAG. I know she has a conflict of interest (you can see how conflicted she is) but Admiral Paslk seems prickly enough to deny her request to recuse herself.

Speaking of Paslk, I loved M’Benga reading their body language and noting that the two Vulcans were not having a pleasant conversation. I also loved Spock’s assumption that his “outburst” was noticeable. I don’t know if Ortegas’s  imagining of their conversation was just meant to be funny or also to illustrate she might have some prejudices against Vulcans. She seemed rather confident that Spock and the admiral would be on the same side.

I did not like Neera going after April as a way to attack Starfleet. However, she did ultimately save Una by using the Federation’s own asylum law. . BTW, I found their history interesting. Neera was angry at Una not just because she joined an organization that was prejudice against their people but also that she continued to hide her heritage so she could “pass.”

Oh, if we ever wondered if April was a strict “by the book” type captain. Well, we got our answer today.

The Eugenic Wars (and WWIII) must’ve really left a mark if there is still so much prejudice after 150 years later (add another century when we get to DS9/Prodigy)

[mlm-writer]

Dig It in There, Mr Spock (Ella Lopez x M!Reader)

Pairing: Ella Lopez x Male Reader (trans-friendly) Rating: Mature Words: 835 POV: Second Summary: Ella and you are cosplaying as Kirk and Spock and uhhh you two ship Spirk. Note: For the prompt ‘cosplay’.  See my kinktober 2022 masterlist here.  It is vaguely suggested that reader has a penis, but could just as well refer to a strap or whatever. WARNING: bad Star Trek puns, most of them a courtesy of this song Tags: attempted sex, wholesomeness in Kinktober? it is more likely than you think, trekkie things, very suggestive, does this count as a song fic?, and mild injury (you’re gonna be fine)

You posed in the doorway, until your girlfriend noticed you were standing there. Until then, you watched her check herself out in the mirror, scrutinising every detail of her cosplay. It was redundant, really. One look and you could tell she looked like the sexiest female Kirk to ever exist. When she finally saw you, she jumped in surprise. Her eyes went wide as saucers and her smile lit up the whole bedroom. “Oh my gooood,” she squealed, before putting her hands on you. She felt up the fabric and squeezed your muscles underneath. “Wow Mr Spock, you are hot or should I say… stunning?” 

You chuckled and rolled your eyes at her. The original Star Trek uniform was frankly just a colourful shirt with a logo on it, black pants and heeled boots. However, it worked and you had to admit, you also felt kind of sexy in it, especially with the hungry look in Ella’s eyes. The fact that you had not put on the wig and ears yet may have helped. You put your hands on her sides, just above where her yellow dress fanned out. “You look like you want me to send a multiphasic torpedo to penetrate your rift, captain.” 

Ella bursted out into laughter. You could not keep a straight face for long, her laugh too contagious to keep your own in check. Ella leaned against you as she laughed her ass off. “Oh number one, aren’t you a charmer?” She joked back, before dragging you further into her bedroom. “I would love it if you explored my Jeffrey’s tube.” You almost fell over laughing. 

“This is why I have been and always shall be your boyfriend; we’re both awful,” you giggled, while Ella pulled you in, until her bum hit the dresser. 

“Shhh, number one, no one should know we’re breaking the frat regs,” she whispered while she sensually touched your lips with her finger. You smirked and slid your hands lower, before lifting Ella on top of the dresser. It was permanently empty for this very purpose. 

Before another bad line could come out of her, you kissed her. She hummed into the kiss, arms wrapping around your neck. You rubbed her thighs, feeling her warm skin up. “Permission to lower your shields?” You grinned against her lips with your fingers hooked around her panties. Ella almost fell off the dresser laughing. She held onto your arms, giggling like a schoolgirl and nodding. With her help, you managed to get her panties off her. Ella pulled you back against her lips, kissing you eagerly, while your hands felt underneath her uniform. “Let me give you all I’ve got. Spread your nacelles,” you hummed against her lips. 

She stopped abruptly with kissing you. “Excuse me, what?” You repeated what you said, slower this time. “What are nacelles?” You sighed, knowing you killed the mood and Ella’s curiosity always won over her sex drive. 

“Nacelles are like the engines you see on the bottom of a plane’s wings. The Enterprise has also two. Kind of looks like legs to me.” “Oh those! They look like arms to me.” “Well, do you wanna spread your arms or legs?” 

Ella, being the know-it-all, spread her arms, so you grabbed her below the arms and swung around to toss her onto the bed. She chuckled. “You’re a Vulcan in the streets and a Klingon in the sheets, huh?” You rolled your eyes and took your boots off, before joining her on the bed. “Yes, come here and get lost in my delta quadrant,” she added for good measure.

You ran your hands up her legs and pushed her skirt up. “All right, all right, I will boldly go where no man has gone before, but first let me lick your warpcore manifold,” you said half-laughing as you kissed up her thigh. Ella could not stop laughing, so much that she stopped you from doing anything, until she could at least breathe. It was not like you could actually do anything, while cracking up and gasping for air yourself. 

“Lick… lick a…” She could hardly form words. “Lick a quantum sin… singularity in my… my transwarp conduit.” After getting the joke out, she accidentally hit you in the head with her knee, hard enough that you lost your balance and rolled right off the bed. “Oh my god! Are you ok?” 

You lied on the floor next to the bed, still giggling and rubbing the side of your head. When you looked up, you saw Ella hanging over you, body still a little shaking from laughter, but she was looking worried as well. You sighed and nodded. “Yeah, but I think it would be highly illogical to dig it in there right now.” 

Ella chuckled and shook her head. “All right, Mr Spock. Let’s wait until pon farr, before I let you beam into my cavern.” You scoffed and let her pull you off the floor and into her arms for another kiss. 

[spockstims]

Amok Time said trans Spock rights

ID: 1: Captain Kirk says “But you’re not a fish, Mr. Spock.” 2: Spock says “No, nor am I a man.” 3: Spock in the same position with trans colors laid over the image. End ID.

[testostronaut]

Change is the essential process of all existence.

— Spock

Hi everyone! ✨👽

My name is Jay and I am a transgender man living in the weird state of Indiana and gelatin. I've decided to document my transition here on Tumblr for my own progress and to help educate and support my trans siblings.

👽 About Me 👽

I am a biracial FtM transgender man. My pronouns are he/him/his.

My gender journey has been a long one. I'm probably not like a lot of other trans people you may know or hear about, I don't believe I was born in the wrong body. In 2020, I had decided it was time to start focusing on myself and I started ny weight loss journey. At the time I identified loosely as a girl, but later, with the help of my nonbinary friend, found that Genderfluid fit me best.

I worked on my body, my diet, and my mental health during that time. With weight loss, I learned that you have to accept your body's changes and progress. You might think losing weight is a line that goes straight down from fat to skinny, but I found that wasn't the case. My weight had fluctuated up and down, peaking and plateauing, jagged until I reached my goal.

To prevent myself from mental anguish and developing food issues, I stared myself down naked in the mirror. I said to my body that we don't have to be best friends, but I accept you no matter what. I accept you, because you will change, and I will celebrate every change along the way. I had also made the conscious effort not to let myself spiral for having a snack or eating high calorie foods sometimes.

I had hated my body until that moment. I already have depression, I didn't need to keep ruminating on how much my body didn't look or feel right. I accepted it with the condition that I would change it to make me happier. And I did, and I am.

I identified as genderfluid for a few years. I had a "girl season" (she/her pronouns and name) and a "boy season" (he/him pronound and Jay). Sometimes I had an enby season where I didn't identifiy as either and preferred they/them. It's no surprise to me now that boy season stuck a lot longer. I began to identify as a transgender man at 24.

Then I began the slow process of understanding what that meant for me. I always thought that everyone daydreamed of being a man. I thought every woman wanted to be able to walk around with their shirt off. More than anything I wanted my own full beard that went with my long curly hair so I could embody that rocker/stoner dude look. I have also always hated my DDD sized breasts and since I had grown them had always wanted a breast reduction. I detested the thought of giving birth since childhood, a miracle I am happy to forefit.

I didn't feel a strong dysphoria for my body. When I was a child and learning to use the computer, I wished I had a penis, and found an educational website that explained how sex reassignment surgery worked. I was determined from then on not to have a micropenis. I'd happy trade in my large chest for it's masc equivalent. I didn't think that this meant anything and assumed that it was normal for girls to feel this way. Who wouldn't want one?

Still, I struggled to perform femininity. Nothing I did wver felt right or comfortable. I hated being seen or called a girl. It wasn't that I didn't like women in general, I am bisexual and have had both cis male, female, and nb partners. It was that it didn't fit me and at the time I didn't know what that meant until I found my community. My home in my identity as a guy.

If you have any questions, stories, or if you're a terf who believes they have any authority to tell someone what they can and can't be, feel free to message me! I'm not going to leave any corner of my journey hidden. I want to be part of the discussion and education. I want to support my trans siblings in their endeavors, and I plan on being a huge nerd about it.

Live long and prosper. 🖖

[warlock-pan-astronaut]

Ok. I would like to start this rant with the disclaimer that I'm a librarian, not a microbiologist, so I may have gotten some details wrong.

So men have short lifespans in humans, right? Well, turns out that it's because they have a short chromosome instead of two long ones. They have an incomplete set of data and a complete one, while female humans have two sets of data. That means that if we have a mess up gene in one set, there's a good change that the other one is ok to use. We see something similar in the rest of the animal kingdom, where the ones with big chromosomes (not always females) have a longer lifespan than the ones with small ones. It not only gives us a backup, but makes us more resilient to degradation and microbiotes (?) That may cause havoc in our systems.

Anyway, supossing that vulcans follow the same chromosome arrangement than humans (because breeding with them will be impossible otherwise) that means that any XX embryote will have more possibilities to survive pass birth and childhood than a XY one. As to where are they? I dunno. Vulcan is a big planet and we all know Elizabeth (T'Pol/Trip baby) was a thing. Doctor Phlox said that the technology was there for more babies after her death, I find it very hard to believe that no vulcan/human couple thought 'Humm, yes. We need babies' before Sarek and Amanda. I'm not saying that they are lots, I'm sure that they are still rare, but I'm saying they exist.

The other explanation is Spock is trans, which will explain the fact that he has pon-farr, something that we all assume means he is fertile. No male hybrid is fertile, but quite a few females are.

It's now my headcanon that Spock is not the first vulcan hybrid to survive infanthood, but rather the first male vulcan hybrid. No reason why this came into my head, it just did.

[sanchoyo]

danny phantom episode 4-7 Thoughts: (under a readmore because, these got kinda long!)

-the outfit danny had to buy for dash's party. CLASSIC 2000S i cannot stop laughing. And also showing up to the party and everyone is dressed like the trio is hilarious. and further proof that everyone looks good dressed goth.

-dash has a closet full of cute lil bear plushies?? LOVE that. adorable. also his response to danny trashing his room fighting a ghost was SO valid if somone BROKE MY BED IN HALF ID BE PISSED TOO.

-technus being like 'oh smart, u should be a tutor!' then later being like 'forget tutor, be a teacher!' :) supportive king <3 I also really like his upgraded suit/design. AND SPOCK CAMEO??? HELLO??

-the music in this show is super. its so funky. I looked it up and the guy who does it, guy moon (awesome name) also did music for other cartoons like fairly odd parents, barnyard, chalkzone, billy & mandy, AND some actual movies like FIGHT CLUB??? the whiplash I got from reading that)

-sam being rich explains a lot about her, actually.

-I know the moral of the episode was supposed to be 'dont ditch your friends for popular people/spend a lot of money on clothes that arent You to Fit In'. but tbh. it wouldve been easy for danny to have been like 'well, okay, ill come but only if my friends can!' but I get. that hes 14. so. not a lot to say there.

-BOX GHOST IS BACK!!!!! also, danny sitting up and wearing the dress/wig/makeup. umm thats how I dress everyday LMFAO. unironically me. (hate the jokes that boil down to 'haha funney man in dress' tho. but this is a look)

-jazz being protective of her brother once again being like NOOO YOU GUYS BETTER NOT STAKE OUT HIS (actually haunted) LOCKER!! shes aware of how people perceive him and she wants to help :( which is also probably why she told dash to invite him to that party even tho she had no interest in going!! she wants to help him out :(

-gotta say im with tucker on the whole 'should danny use his powers to get back at bullies' debate. 100% yes. let him teach kids to fight back. making dash throw his food at paulina out of the blue? no. but when hes actually about to pick on someone? yeah! for self defense? YEAH! if dash and his friends just threw food at him, I think rather than. idk doing sneaky shit with frogs he couldve just threw it back and not pulled punches if they tried to fight. I kNOOWWW its a kids show so they are like 'if u fight back ur just as bad!! violence bad!!' but. theyre HIS POWERS. WHO CARES.

-like my only gripe is that dash really isnt LEARNING ANYTHING WHEN DANNY GETS BACK AT HIM IN THE MOST PETTY INDIRECT WAYS. whatever they had to add a bully psa episode I guess. I hate it and I hate the way cartoons usually handle it because these methods simply Do Not Work. 'aND YouRE USinG YOur poWErs FOR EVill???!' this is Not Evil. even when poindexter takes dannys body, theyre only being 'nice' bc hes stealing soda for them!! bitches deserve what they get (nothing too brutal bc theyre high schoolers but damn, if they pick on danny he doesnt need to be the 'bigger person' he needs to start biting people)

-SAM TRYING TO SMUGGLE FROGS OUT OF THE BIO LAB?? girl in middle school when we had to dissect frogs we could opt out, also, they came to us already dead and preserved...

-sidney's lingo and the fact hes in black and white is sending me. also, danny is a ghost celebrity apparently for being a halfa?? ok. thats interesting to know

-the DENTIST BEING EXCITED ABOUT THE COTTON CANDY FLOOD IS THE FUNNIEST THING SO FAR.

-I LOOOVE the trope of 'wishes gone wrong'. not crazy about the stereotypical genie, or the use of the dreamcatcher looking design. (also, I KNOW theyre scientists but the way theyre handling a cold...are the fentons ANTIVAX)

-the genie. she. whitewished paulina. JKASDFHKJ. (the ghost literally just being hello kitty???? im dying) 'why do i feel that im special and wonderful? because I AM! <3' paulina ilu self worth queen. felt bad for her also getting possessed by (2) boys later who were arguing INSIDE HER. WTF.

-imagine being the guy trapped in his now flying car. he thought danny and tucker were HALUCINATIONS. imagine being trapped in a flying car with two, what you think are imaginary arguing 14 year olds convinced ur gonna die. i WOULD say this dude is gonna need so much therapy, but he seemed totally fine and excited when they landed (I would be happy too if a chicken was on my head. chickens rule) stoner rights

-sam's bat slippers??? iconic. SO cute.

-I think desiree's backstory is so :( do all ghosts have messed up sad backstories?? poindexter's was sad too...cannot imagine box ghost has any kind of fucked up backstory. but what if. his mom got pushed off cliffs by boxes...........a la cruella... anyway her 'no man may lay a hand on me' iconic. ilu

-I know danny has no concept of how much bras cost but my god dont attack tucker with some girls bra. those are so expensive.

-its really. well its not a GOOD THING he went into the portal and got fucked up, but its good danny was the one to do it rather than sam or tucker. because even tho he was being influenced by desiree and kept getting more malicious and it prob wasnt 100% him...he sucked as a ghost like most the people he 'pranked' were innocent ppl just Chillin and he didnt want to help anyone at all. I think danny is the most responsible out of them but also, hes 14 and shouldnt HAVE to feel obligated to fight every ghost. hes a good kid and wants to, but I also feel like he feels like...responsible for the portal turning on?? because his parents did give it up,, but it was an accident and not his fault (if anything, why was the on switch on the inside. why was it that easy. why was there no safety measures. that seems like smth OSHA needs to hear about). like thats my son. hes a good boy. and hes never done anything wrong in his life, ever. if anyone hurts him im killing everyone in this room and then myself. etc.

-danny's curfew is 10PM????? DUDE. when I was 14...shit I couldn't be out that late, I had to be back at like, 8 at the latest, and my parents had to know exactly where and who I was going with, AND i had to call/text them regularly...is this a case of my parents being overbearing, or the fentons sucking??? the only time i could EVER be out that late was if I was at an overnight sleepover or smth...

-the vultures have lil fezes. why do they have fezes...theyre so fuckin funny 'ask him for directions' 'I KNOW WHERE IM GOING' these ghost vultures are my new grandpas. pick them up, put them in the adopt box.

-'I wonder why those guys were trying to waste dad!' THEYRE GHOSTS. YOUR DAD HUNTS GHOSTS. why is that not a conclusion you'd immediately jump to??

-*jazz voice, clearly disgusted* WISCONSIN???

-mrs fenton with the lab coat and leg warmers and PERM. YESSS STYLISH.

-was going to say 'ew billionaire' @vlad but. super valid he used his powers to assumedly steal and cheat to get that money, thats how all billionaires do it! but ew hes a SIMP. and spending your billions on FOOTBALL STUFF?? you are Not Valid overall. I DO respect the fact you have a castle instead of a mansion. in wisconsin. if youre going to be stupidly rich might as well go all out, torches on the wall and all. I DO like his ghost form's little kitty ears. catman. and his cape! every design can benefit from a cape. and how different his forms look, like danny looks the EXACT SAME IN BOTH FORMS ASIDE FROM COLOR CHANGES. vlad's is like,, I could believe they were different people!! also I love the drama. but dude you are fighting a 14 year old. lame. also he was like, telling danny he wanted his mom and him and like, wanted him to renounce his dad?? WHAT ABOUT JAZZ?? bitch. those r MY kids and they are both important and special. I do agree they need better parents but thats not u sir <3

-I thought vlad's 'little badger' nickname for danny came from the football mascot of the packers, but google says they have NO MASCOT?? so now I'm like?? is it because his hair is sometimes black and sometimes white?? I hate to give him props but thats a PERFECT NICKNAME. theyre also tiny and vicious!

-why did I get so excited that Skulker is back!! its been like. 2-3 eps LMAO. AND THE DAIRY KING. ICONIC I LOVE HIM. hes the nicest guy ever :) more nice ghosts please. danny cannot be fighting alone everytime with no ghost buds like every ghost being hostile sucks :(

-mr. fenton knew vlad was controlling him, but a few episodes ago he had no clue danny was doing the same thing...is it something about how malicious the ghost is?? he just seemed to think his memory had gaps the first time, this time he was INSTANTLY LIKE 'GHOST'. then again in this ep when danny did it again he was just slightly confused but not immediately freaking out like he did with vlad possessing him!!

-'my parents will accept ME NO MATTER WHAT' so. so why haven't you come out to them yet, danny?? if you really think that?? if theres no harm, and you're sure??? if vlad is a real problem, wouldnt that make dealing with him easier, to expose him???? SO WHY HAVENT YOU COME OUT YET?? COULD IT BE,, MAYBE YOU HAVE DOUBTS ABOUT WHETHER YOUR PARENTS ACTUALLY WILL ACCEPT YOU??? 🤔 ... 🏳‍🌈 I get why people say He Is Trans. I totally totally get u danny.

-sorta unrelated, but it just occurred to me in one of these eps they go to casper HIGH not casper middle school??? theyre 14?? dont highschools usually do ages 15-18? (I didnt go to hs so I might be wrong, if I am ignore this...) freshmen are usually 14-15, could just be a case of them not turning 15 yet but they will sometime in the school year (I say they because tucker said he was 14 too)? I know the show has 3 seasons, so by the end of it will they be older? thatd be neat but usually cartoon characters stay the same age...I love shows where you can see the characters age and grow up, though...three seasons seems like a long time to spend on like, 1 year...

[trillgendermetaphor]

[ID: a tumblr banner reading “my tumblr year in review” End ID]

I posted 1,514 times in 2021

137 posts created (9%)

1377 posts reblogged (91%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 10.1 posts.

I added 1,101 tags in 2021

#i have a queuestion - 396 posts

#star trek - 175 posts

#ds9 - 157 posts

#tos - 62 posts

#tng - 59 posts

#threshold day - 55 posts

#threshold - 54 posts

#spock - 53 posts

#st disco - 47 posts

#not trek - 43 posts

Longest Tag: 134 characters

#‘you cant get adderall its dangerous’ meanwhile ‘we will hand you four separate prescriptions for ritalin use them whenever you like!’

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

okay adira and gray are like, me representation. as a they/them, adira especially speaks to my heart. that said, michael and book are unquestionably the best romance. they’re so sweet and they love each other and i just can’t with how good they are

and this is before going into hugh & paul and how much i love them. basically discovery is finally correcting all the romantic wrongs of past treks.

162 notes • Posted 2021-02-20 23:20:49 GMT

#4

In other news i’m watching will wheaton interview ian alexander and blue del barrio and i’m just crying so much

[id: a clip from star trek’s The Ready Room showing (left to right) Will Wheaton, Ian Alexander, and Blue del Barrio. Ian says: “Up until this point I really hadn’t seen a hero like myself in a sci fi franchise like star trek, so I’m just so glad that i can be one of the first trans characters on star trek and that there can be trans youth who finally— they have a character they can cosplay who’s made for them.” End id]

ONE OF THE FIRST TRANS CHARACTERS i know he’s talking about Gray AND Adira but in my heart i believe he’s recognizing the not explicitly trans but clearly trans characters in trek (e.g. Jadzia)

TRANS YOUTH WHO FINALLY HAVE A CHARACTER THEY CAN COSPLAY WHOS MADE FOR THEM YES I AM TAKING YOU UP ON THAT I LOVE THIS SUGGESTION

Who’s gonna cosplay Adira and Gray with me?? Huh, mutuals??

193 notes • Posted 2021-02-21 02:28:31 GMT

#3

February is Black History Month in the US & Canada, so for February 4th let’s celebrate the one, the only, the played by Avery Brooks...

Captain Benjamin Sisko!

[id: a waist-up photo of Capt. Ben Sisko in his starfleet uniform from Star Trek DS9. He’s at a three-quarter angle with his face turned to the camera, with a slight smile. End id]

Captain Sisko was the first Black lead on any Star Trek show — and the only, before Discovery. The show is a deviation from the earlier two — TOS and TNG — by acknowledging that the world of Star Trek isn’t a perfect utopia. Deep Space 9 carries themes of oppression and racism, while demonstrating that our society can work to be more just. It was Avery Brooks who brought “an emphasis in the importance of the African-American and Black American experiences” to the show. [source]

See the full post

316 notes • Posted 2021-02-05 00:06:24 GMT

#2

February is Black History Month!!

*in the US & Canada

In honor of this I want to highlight some incredible Black characters from Star Trek, starting with...

NYOTA UHURA!

[id: a close-up photo of Lt. Uhura from Star Trek TOS. She’s looking determinedly to the side of the camera, her chin tilted up, wearing her red starfleet uniform and green hoop earrings. Behind her is her communications console on the bridge. End id]

Nyota Uhura first appeared in 1966 on the bridge of the USS Enterprise, and was portrayed by Nichelle Nichols. Her role was groundbreaking, as a Black woman on tv whose role was not defined by her race or gender.

Uhura’s On-Screen Roles

Star Trek: The Original Series (& the animated series) as Lieutenant Uhura, linguistics expert, main communications officer, bridge officer, and even technician.

Star Trek movies 1-6 as Lieutenant Commander Uhura and later Commander Uhura

Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (2009-16) as Lieutenant Uhura, communications officer and xenolinguistics expert, played by Zoë Saldana.

The Importance of Uhura

Uhura was a role model for Whoopi Goldberg, who was a child when she first saw her on screen. Goldberg recalls yelling to her family, "I just saw a Black woman on television; and she ain't no maid!" Almost all Black women on tv were resigned to roles like “Mammy” (Hattie McDaniel) in Gone With the Wind — servants and caretakers for White main actors. [source]

Dr. Mae Jemison, the first Black women to fly in a space shuttle, cited Star Trek as an inspiration. [source]

Nichols’ self-proclaimed “biggest fan” was Martin Luther King Jr. When Nichols was considering leaving Star Trek due to her treatment on set, he convinced her to stay on as Uhura. "You cannot do that. ... For the first time, we are being seen the world over as we should be seen." [source]

Nichols worked with NASA to recruit women and people of color to the agency. [source]

Racism on Set

As a Black woman, Nichelle Nichols was not treated equally to her fellow Star Trek actors. It’s important to remember that Star Trek was not and is not perfect, and doesn’t always follow the values it aims to set.

Nichols originally received lower pay than her fellow bridge officers Walter Koeing and George Takei [source]

Nichels and Takei were originally not hired as voice actors for The Animated Series [source]

Uhura’s dialogue was mostly confined to the line, "Hailing frequency open, sir"; Nichols once told Leonard Nimoy, "If I have to say the word 'frequency' one more time, I'll blow up this goddamn panel." [source]

Have I missed anything? Please add on and celebrate the ICONIC & amazing Uhura! 🖖🖤

943 notes • Posted 2021-02-01 18:08:56 GMT

#1

February is Black History Month in the US & Canada!

For February 2nd, let’s honor the incredible Star Trek: The Next Gen character, played by LeVar Burton:

Geordi La Forge!

[id: a waist-up photo of Geordi La Forge from Star Trek TNG against a white-blue photo backdrop. He is wearing his gold starfleet uniform and his VISOR. His head is turned slightly to his right, and he has a neutral expression. End id]

Geordi La Forge & Disability Representation

Lieutenant Geordi La Forge was originally a helmsman for the USS Enterprise under Picard, but was promoted to Chief Engineer during their mission. He is blind, and used a VISOR to “see.” It sent EM spectrum input to his brain, enabling him to interpret his surroundings visually. Later in life, he obtained ocular implants for the same purpose. [source]

The VISOR posed challenges for LeVar Burton, who couldn’t see well when wearing it. He said, "It's pretty much a living hell. 85 to 90% of my vision is taken away when the VISOR goes on.... Then there was the pain. In the second season, we re-designed the VISOR and made it heavier and the way we actually affixed it was that we screwed it, we literally screwed it into my head ... and so after fifteen or twenty minutes of that I got headaches. So I had a daily headache for about six years. Which was also no fun." Like his actor, the character also experienced chronic pain due to the VISOR. [source]

Several times over the course of the show, Geordi argues that the elimination of disability would be morally wrong. In an episode featuring a eugenic alien society, he says, “Who gave them the right to decide whether or not I should be here, whether or not I might have something to contribute?” [source]

See the full post

1186 notes • Posted 2021-02-02 20:31:51 GMT

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