#and he describes the song as queer

[viir-tanadhal]

no no listen i see the vision

what were the other ones then

[evantualmao]

quadeca fandom so gay i sometimes forget that ben himself is cishet

[batri-jopa]

LGBT w kulturze polskiej

Wały Jagiellońskie i "Tylko mi ciebie brak" z 1981 r.😉

[pikechris]

god I love how ed keeps subverting gender norms and expectations. he's literally named for his beard, he's the most feared pirate on the seven seas, the legends describe him as some sort of devil-like figure with glowing eyes and a head of smoke, all the portraits of him are these hypermasculine caricatures, so you'd expect him to be toxic macho man but NO. he's ed teach. he's queer. he ties his hair in a bun. he has a shiny dangly earring. he paints his nails pink. he loves soft fabrics. he drinks his tea with seven sugars. he wears pearly necklaces. he cries a lot. he paints the bride cake topper to look like him. he wears eye makeup. he's emo. he writes a sad breakup song. he actively dislikes being blackbeard and putting that mask on anymore. he's everything to me he's one of the best characters of all time

[nwarrior777]

making Hamlet fanart in 2024, slapping Juicy (main hero of Fat Ham, a modern play, Hamlet version, played by black fat queer person) on char design i saw in old b&w film while listening MCR playlist was an experience

highly recommend. also pls watch/read Fat Ham upd: image description added! (in alt text, but also under the cut)

(Image Description: List of sketches with 3 drawings. The textures used here are elegant looks-like photo silk (for clothes), soft shades and gradients. Shapes are sinking in each other depth. No color, black and white

It's fanart depicting Hamlet character being combination of different versions of him from different media: fat black queer masculine person being elegant, wearing mascara and lipstick (took from modern play Fat Ham) wearing vintage royal clothes (took from old classic film). The narrative of sketches also mixed of modern play (Fat Ham) and classic one

There are 3 sketches:

First one. It's the character described above (TC in text further) sitting in side view. His eyes is closed and face has melancholic emotion. TC is holding a scull. There is a simple-shaped silhouette of crown above his head. This image represent classic play melancholic vibes of character fused with modern play appearance

Second sketch. It's TC singing, while holding white pigeon in hands. It had previous classic-modern fusion vibes + a little vibe of disney princess song (because of bird and emotion expression similar to disney musicals). By left side of this sketch is stylized speech babble with music notes symbols and deformed text, visualization of singing. The text saying: "I want a perfect body", quoting singing of TC from modern play. By the right side of sketch there is arrow pointing at character with text "has most perfect body ever".

Sketch Three. It's dynamic sketch of TC in a duel (opponent is out of the frame), waving a thin sword (idk how it in eng, in my first it's шпага, a sword but specific type of it). From the chest of TC it's going steam, like character is heated mechanism pushed to limits. The face of TC is strong and determined, with mouth wide open trying to catch breath. Near this sketch is text: (text starts here) "He is fat and scant of breath" - original play quote. i know Fat Ham message. this one [the sketch with duel] here for slay jpeg reason (text ends here).

End of Image description)

[stormcloudrising]

Listened to the full lyrics of Long Face and I love them, and I have some random thoughts on the lyrics. Interesting meaning behind the words with the piano analogy.

The words are obviously meant to represent Lestat’s thoughts about Louis, and what I find interesting is that they see each other the same way. Makes me wonder who wrote the song. Did Lestat write it to put himself in Louis shoes in an attempt to understand him, or in response to the scene from Season 1 episode 2 after Louis kills the agent and they burn the body.

Louis sees their differences in terms of the world they live in and how others see them. Creole/French; Black man/white man; Queer/????? Etc. Lestat on the other hand sees their differences in more idolized romantic terms…basically how they see each other not how the world sees them.

Or was the song written as a duet with maybe Louis also writing Lestat a letter with the latter putting it to music. It’s a tin foil idea but the lyrics sound almost how Louis would describe the two of them…not the other way around.

If you asked Louis how he saw Lestat, he would say that he was filled with fire and energy. And it turns out that’s how Lestat sees Louis. Fire to his calmer self (LOL). But then again, you never see yourself the way others see you.

On the other hand, Lestat is always questing for love and so on that level, the lyrics do makes sense. The song also matches up to his thoughts about Louis when he first sees him pull a knife on Paul. And while Lestat always wants to test the boundaries, he’s always been lonely, which definitely matches up to how he sees himself in the song. Louis fills the void in him.

The lyrics are all about two pianos creating a harmonious sound. Makes me wonder if that’s what he was practicing with his board and Siri. Was he writing the lyrics then. Lestat sees them as opposites who together create the perfect sound.

I’m piano (quiet)

And you’re forte (loud and strong)

You’re Allegro (lively)

I’m Andante (slow or moderate pace)

We’re Bolero (here he’s talking about Ravel’s Bolero, which is basically a repeated melody that builds and builds to include the entire orchestra. It was also originally published as a piano duet.

He’s also saying that his stage persona is not him. He’s an actor wearing makeup. Louis knows the real him but Louis keeps running and he’s calling him out on it. It also interesting that he says “I get fatter, when we breakup.” That suggests some type of spiraling on his part when he and Louis break up. He gets fatter on the blood. The Rock Documentary is for Louis.

I’m very interested to see where season three starts because the lyrics almost sound like they got back together and Louis did one of his bunker like in the books and just disappeared.

Of course, the song is likely just an encapsulation of their relationship as it will be covered going forward and not about any specific off screen event. If so, we’re in for a treat.

Season 3 can’t get here soon enough for me.

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Marlene Dietrich (Shanghai Express, Witness for the Prosecution, Morocco)—Bisexual icon, super hot when dressed both masculine and feminine, lived up her life in the queer Berlin scene of the 1920s, central to the 'sewing circle' of the secret sapphic actresses of Old Hollywood, refused lucrative offers by the Nazis and helped Jews and others under persecution to escape Nazi Germany, the love of my life

Xia Meng, also known as Hsia Moog or Miranda Yang (Sunrise, Bride Hunter)—For those who are familiar with Hong Kong's early cinema, Xia Meng is THE leading woman of an era, the earliest "silver-screen goddess", "The Great Beauty" and "Audrey Hepburn of the East". Xia Meng starred in 38 films in her 17-year career, and famously had rarely any flops, from her first film at the age of 18 to her last at the age of 35. She was a rare all-round actress in Mandarin-language films, acting, singing, and dancing with an enchanting ease in films of diverse genres, from contemporary drama to period operas. She was regarded as the "crown princess" among the "Three Princesses of the Great Wall", the iconic leading stars of the Great Wall Movie Enterprises, which was Hong Kong's leading left-wing studio in the 1950s-60s. At the time, Hong Kong cinema had only just taken off, but Xia Meng's influence had already spread out to China, Singapore, etc. Overseas Chinese-language magazines and newspapers often featured her on their covers. The famous HK wuxia novelist Jin Yong had such a huge crush on her that he made up a whole fake identity as a nobody-screenwriter to join the Great Wall studio just so he can write scripts for her. He famously said, "No one has really seen how beautiful Xi Shi (one of the renowned Four Beauties of ancient China) is, I think she should be just like Xia Meng to live up to her name." In 1980, she returned to the HK film industry by forming the Bluebird Movie Enterprises. As a producer with a heart for the community, she wanted to make a film on the Vietnam War and the many Vietnam War refugees migrating to Hong Kong. She approached director Ann Hui and produced the debut film Boat People (1982), a globally successful movie and landmark feature for Hong Kong New Wave, which won several awards including the best picture and best director in the second Hong Kong Film Award. Years later, Ann Hui looked back on her collaboration with Xia Meng, "I'm very grateful to her for allowing me to make what is probably the best film I've ever made in my life."

This is round 5 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Xia Meng:

Marlene Dietrich:

ms dietrich....ms dietrich pls.....sit on my face

its marlene dietrich!!!! queer legend, easily the hottest person to ever wear a tuxedo, that hot hot voice, those glamorous glamorous movies…. most famously she starred in a string of movies directed by josef von sternberg throughout the 1930s, beginning with the blue angel which catapulted her to stardom in the role of the cabaret singer lola lola. known for his exquisite eye for lighting, texture, imagery, von sternberg devoted himself over the course of their collaborations to acquiring exceptional skill at photographing dietrich herself in particular, a worthy direction in which to expend effort im sure we can all agree. she collaborated with many other great directors of the era as well, including rouben mamoulian (song of songs), frank borzage (desire), ernst lubitsch (angel), fritz lang (rancho notorious), and billy wilder (witness for the prosecution). the encyclopedia britannica entry im looking at while compiling this propaganda describes her as having an “aura of sophistication and languid sexuality” which✔️💯. born marie magdalene dietrich, she combined her first and middle names to coin the moniker “marlene”. she was a trendsetter in her incorporation of trousers, suits, and menswear into her wardrobe and her androgynous allure was often remarked upon. critic kenneth tynan wrote, “She has sex, but no particular gender. She has the bearing of a man; the characters she plays love power and wear trousers. Her masculinity appeals to women and her sexuality to men.” in the 1920s she enjoyed the vibrant queer nightlife of weimar berlin, visiting gay bars and drag balls, and in hollywood her love affairs with men and women were an open secret. she was an ardent opponent of nazi germany, refusing lucrative contacts offered her to make films there, raising money with billy wilder to help jews and dissidents escape, and undertaking extensive USO tours to entertain soldiers with an act that included her a playing musical saw and doing a mindreading routine she learned from orson welles. starting in the 50s and continuing into the mid-70s she worked largely as a cabaret artist touring the world to large audiences, employing burt bacharach as her musical arranger.

First of all, there are those publicity photos of her in a tux. Second of all, I have never been the same since knowing that she sent copies of those photos to her Berlin lovers signed "Daddy Marlene." Not only is she hot in all circumstances, but she can do everything from earthy to ice queen. Also, she kept getting sexy romantic lead parts in Hollywood after the age of 40, which would be rare even now. She hated Nazis, loved her friends, and had a sapphic social circle in Hollywood. She also had cheekbones that could cut glass and a voice that could melt you.

Her GENDER her looks her voice her everything

“In her films and record-breaking cabaret performances, Miss Dietrich artfully projected cool sophistication, self-mockery and infinite experience. Her sexuality was audacious, her wit was insolent and her manner was ageless. With a world-weary charm and a diaphanous gown showing off her celebrated legs, she was the quintessential cabaret entertainer of Weimar-era Germany.”

The bar scene in Morocco awoke something in me and ultimately changed my gender

"Her manner, the critic Kenneth Tynan wrote, was that of ‘a serpentine lasso whereby her voice casually winds itself around our most vulnerable fantasies.’ Her friend Maurice Chevalier said: ‘Dietrich is something that never existed before and may never exist again.’”

"Songstress, photographer, fashion icon, out bisexual phenom (notoriously stole Lupe Velez and Joan Crawford's men, and Errol Flynn's wife, had a torrid affair with Greta Garbo that ended in a 60-year feud, other notable conquests including Erich Maria Remarque -yes, the guy who wrote All Quiet on the Western Front- Douglas Fairbanks Junior, Claudette Colbert, Mercedes de Acosta, Edith Piaf), anti-Nazi activist. Marlene was a bitch - she had an open marriage for decades and one of her favorite things was making catty commentary about her current lover with her husband, and her relationship with her daughter was painful- but she was also immensely talented, a hard worker, an opponent of fascism and the hottest ice queen in Hollywood for a long time."

"She can sing! She can act! She told the Nazis to fuck off and became a US citizen out of spite! She worked with other German exiles to create a fund to help Jews and German dissidents escape (she donated an entire movie salary, about $450k, to the cause). She looks REALLY GOOD in a suit. If you're not convinced, please listen to her sing "Lili Marlene". Absolutely gorgeous woman with a gorgeous voice."

Gifset link

"Bisexual icon and Nazi-hater. Looks absolutely stunning in the suits she liked to wear. 'I dress for the image. Not for myself, not for the public, not for fashion, not for men'."

"would you not let her walk on you?"

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

Watched the Swiftologist’s 1 hr long anti gaylor video and he described You Need to Calm Down as the only evidence we need that’s she’s straight because a queer person would not have written that song. Also he points out that she said she’s not several times. Good video

I mean yeah, the second biggest hole in the entire Gaylor theory is that Swift trying to stay in the closet while simultaneously spending YEARS concocting Riddler-esque puzzles to signal that she's queer to the loudest fandom on earth is that it's counterintuitive to the point of abject stupidity.

the first biggest hole is of course her numerous denials that she's queer.

[paperstorm]

Thank you for the tags @heartstringsduet and @annoyingcloudearthquake! This is from Somewhere in a Song, chapter posting tomorrow :)

“Can I ask you something?” Carlos begins cautiously.

“Sure.”

“Where do you keep going? Like when we all go out for lunch or whatever, and you say there’s something else you have to do. Do you just – not wanna hang out with us?”

“Meetings.”

Carlos tilts his head in confusion.

“Like … AA meetings,” TK clarifies, and Carlos’s face crumples immediately into a frown.

“Oh. Shit, I’m sorry, you don’t have to tell me about that.”

“It’s okay. That’s where I was tonight, it’s not a secret, just …” TK shrugs. “I don’t wanna be a downer. Or have people look at me like …”

“Like what?”

“Like you are, right now. Like they feel sorry for me, and they don’t know what to say.” TK means nothing by it, he doesn’t fault Carlos for feeling those things, he would just rather avoid it.

Carlos presses his lips together. He looks away and for a moment TK regrets his honesty. But then Carlos’s eyes meet his again and he says, “I don’t know if feeling sorry is exactly how I would describe it.”

“No?”

Shaking his head, Carlos says, “No, it’s … I can’t imagine how hard it is, what you’re doing. I’m not happy you’re going through something hard, obviously, but I think you’re … impressive.”

A response gets caught in TK’s throat for a moment, and his voice is raspy as he softly says, “Thanks.”

Carlos nods at him. Their eyes linger as a few more seconds tick slowly by. “I’m gay.”

TK’s ears hear the words, but it takes his muddled brain a lot longer than it should to catch up and understand what they mean. His eyebrows shoot up towards his hairline. He can’t say he was expecting that, and at first he doesn’t know how to respond other than a slightly dumbfounded, “Oh.”

“Sorry, I – shit, I shouldn’t’ve just blurted that out.” Carlos huffs and rubs his hands over his face. When he folds them back in his lap, there is a distinctly anxious look on his face and TK doesn’t like that at all.

“It’s fine,” he assures. “Since we’re having gooey-feelings sharing-time, anyway.”

“Is that what we’re doing?”

“I mean, kinda, yeah,” TK chuckles.

Carlos looks at him and laughs too – in palpable relief – when he realizes TK is teasing. He shifts in his seat, and TK belatedly realizes it’s probably uncomfortable because it’s so small and dainty. The sofa looks as if it were designed for a petite, upper class woman to delicately perch on a hundred years ago, not for a tall, broad-shouldered man to lounge on in the modern day.

“Do you wanna …?” he asks pointing at the bed next to him. It feels even bigger than a king-sized mattress and he’s all the way to one side of it, leaving enough room for multiple other bodies.

Carlos’s eyes dart back and forth two or three times between TK’s face and the empty bed next to him, and then without words he stands and steps out of his slip-on sandals. TK doesn’t watch him so it isn’t awkward – or, isn’t more awkward – as Carlos mirrors him; propping pillows against the headboard and leaning back against it with his long legs stretched out.

He tips his head back and he’s quiet for a moment, before he tells the ceiling, “Nobody knows except Grace, not even Judd or Mateo. Not my parents, not … anybody.”

TK remembers how lonely that felt, and he didn’t live in that reality for anywhere near as long as Carlos probably has. “I guess it’s not that common, where you’re from.”

“Man, don’t do Texas like that. I’m from Austin, there’s a huge queer scene,” Carlos argues, but he’s teasing, too. “In country music … kind of a different story.”

“Right.”

“I actually remember really clearly back when your first album came out, because you used the word ‘he’ in three different songs.”

TK frowns and smiles at the same time. “That’s very specific.”

“Yeah, I specifically remember it because it blew me away,” Carlos says, that earnest glint back in his eyes that TK’s grown used to. He’d thought at first it was part of an act, of an aww shucks, ma’am character Carlos was playing, but he’s come to realize Carlos is just truly that sincere. “There’s hardly anybody openly queer in country music even now, but definitely not almost 10 years ago. I didn’t know that was something you could do, I didn’t know you could write a song about a boy and put it on an album and a label would let you release it into the world.”

“I had to fight for it,” TK tells him. “It’s not all that different in rock music, to be honest. I’d kind of forgotten about that, actually, but there was definitely pressure to change the pronouns in those songs.”

“But you didn’t.” Carlos smiles at him. “I remember listening to them in my bedroom, with my headphones, wondering if I could ever write something like that. And maybe … I don’t know. Maybe feeling a little bit less alone.”

Tagging @theghostofashton @reyesstrand @strandnreyes @eclectic-sassycoweyes @carlos-in-glasses

@bonheur-cafe @actual-sleeping-beauty @herefortarlos @heartstringsduet @alrightbuckaroo

@goodways @lightningboltreader @emsprovisions @freneticfloetry @liminalmemories21

@reasonandfaithinharmony @ladytessa74 @never-blooms @sanjuwrites @orchidscript

@lemonlyman-dotcom @jesuisici33 @kiwichaeng @honeybee-taskforce @hereghostslive

@just-inside-her @firstprince-history-huh @captain-gillian @tellmegoodbye @ironheartwriter

@butchreyes @anactualcaseofthetruth @ditheringmind @thisbuildinghasfeelings @whatsintheboxmh

@irispurpurea @nisbanisba @corsage @chicgeekgirl89 @nancys-braids

@carlossreaders @denizoid @everlastingday

Want to be added or removed from the list? Lmk

[edelfie]

#𝓣𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘! who’s that girl?

Y/N L/N is a nobody. well, maybe that’s a stretch, but it’s nothing compared to the other words the media uses to describe you. washed up, irrelevant, talentless—any cruel word or insult has or will be thrown your way. but 10 years in the game has forced you to grow thick skin, even if the supposed quality of your music doesn’t suit it. so why is it that today, of all the days, you awake to the worst news imaginable—worse than all the name-calling and jeers?

or, you open twitter. it doesn’t go well.

BLIND ITEMS! —

## this millionaire’s daughter influencer is known for buying many of her followers across all platforms. however, brands and colleagues ignore it because of the fat check lining her pockets.

## this one-of-a-duo A-list model is having business disputes with his other half and sibling. apparently, he wants more creative control over their projects despite having been in the industry for less time. it’s so serious that legal litigation is in the works. [revealed: lev haiba, alisa haiba]

## the not-so-indie band’s newest album is rumored to be about a controversial figure in the industry. this figure has already produced an album about the lead singer years ago, however it failed to garner any publicity.

## off-the-charts wannabe pop star is postponing her next album because her team knows her career is over if she doesn’t chart well. after nearly a decade in the industry and without a single long-lasting, cultural hit, she’s better off waiting tables than writing music. [revealed: Y/N L/N]

gracetheestallion. the haiba twins fighting ?? i can’t believe, like actually

colormeshocked. if y/n doesn’t clutch up rq then i’m gonna be so sad for her — underdawg. honestly, it’s just not fair how she’s treated by the industry — garagoesgaga. it’s “unfair”? she literally only makes trash songs and hooks up with men in relationships, girl bye — underdawg. your misogyny is showing, ugly <3 — garagoesgaga. wowwwww insults, so mature. average iq of a y/n fan

read more…

NOTES! —

Two posts in one day? It's more likely than you think! Anyways, today's fundraiser is for the family and sons of Reyna and Javier. Reyna and Javier lost their lives in a fatal crash, leaving their three sons without parents. Of their sons, one of them was dependent on their parents as he has been wheelchair bound all his life. In this brief period of time, he has lost both his parents and his primary caregivers. The entire family is feeling the financial strain of the sudden loss, so every help counts. Please consider donating here on GoFundMe or copy the link and share it online!

If you're new here, or even if you're not since I'm just starting to post again, I strive to bring attention to different fundraisers in all my posts. I primarily focus on sharing the stories of individuals in dire need, such as refugees in Gaza or those experiencing sudden homelessness, however there is no comparison between struggles, grief, and loss here! So I also take the time to share the stories of families such as Reyna and Javier's, and would deeply appreciate it if you could show them some much needed love as well.

I won't say too much, but as someone who has had the cards stacked against them (being a poc, nonbinary, queer, a religious minority, etc.) and has experienced my own share of loss, I can say that while the pain doesn't feel the same, the knife digs itself into you either way. My family was privileged enough to afford a funeral for my grandfather, who recently passed, but with many other family members getting older in age and being taken by the devil that is cancer, it does make me nervous as to how we will make it through. Regardless, I just hope that my plea and the stories I share will implore you to help others—not out of moral or societal obligation or to save face, but out of humanity and compassion <3

SEVEN EVIL EXES + MASTERLIST + NEXT

© all rights reserved—edelfie (2024) // do not plagiarize, modify, copy, use, translate, or repost my work on other sites without permission

[merrysithmas]

another thing that really interests me after hearing the demo verison of "Goodbye" (which was the song written by Paul and given to Mary Hopkin) are the songs written by Lennon/McCartney that they "gave away" for others to sing.

when listening to the Goodbye demo we hear for the first (and only?) time Paul singing yearningly to a enigmatic and mournful male lover who "calls him to his side" by the beat of a lonely drum, a call that Paul, touchingly, describes that he must answer with an emotionally stalwart devotion reminescent of two lovers separated by a war (or ... a world that will not let them publically love one another).

TO ME it's so obvious he "GAVE THIS SONG AWAY" only because he couldn't sing it with it's original intended pronouns or face homophobic backlash, and so gave it to a female singer (actually he specifically scouted and signed a female singer SO she could sing it...).

I've always noticed so many Beatles songs avoid the use of pronouns in love songs or use amorphous language such as the abstract "Girl" sung about in the song that shares the name. This to me speaks very clearly to a few things - one: marketing savvy, two: queer writers, three: their cultural awareness of needing to hide their feelings or WANTING to hide them for their own safety and privacy. but alongside that can come a lot of inner pain, as most queer people know, even if it is a choice for safety and/or peace of mind's sake.

being the most famous men in the world - it was clearly a combination of all those things.

so ANYWAY, after discovering this demo a while ago and also John's demo for "Bad to Me" I've gotten really interested in which songs the two "GAVE AWAY" aka perhaps didn't want to change or felt was too much of a dead giveaway regarding their emotional origins so they handed them off.

Here's a list I found in case anyone else wants to look into it too for crumbs!

[The one I cut off in the first pic was "I Am The Greatest" the song John gave to Ringo]

[girl4music]

Happy 29th anniversary to the pilot episode of XENA.

Original air date: September 4th, 1995.

Directed by Doug Lefler. Written by Robert Tapert.

Lead starring Lucy Lawless as Xena.

and Renee O’Connor as Gabrielle.

I will watch and write meta about other TV shows.

I will watch and write meta about other TV ships.

But nothing I watch or write meta about in this world will ever come close to matching my fan passion and loyalty to the TV show ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ and the TV ship Xena and Gabrielle. They are my one true love.

What ‘Sins Of The Past’ does once you’ve seen the whole TV show and watch the episode back over is it shows you how intertwined these soulmates already are as the event of them meeting saves their lives and once you are aware of the wheres and whys of this - the show itself completely changes into something more valuable than you initially saw and understood. I recommend people go back and watch it and only view it as a love story from the very beginning because the way it hits you when you do is just mind-blowing.

They set up a beautifully complex and layered WLW love story between Xena and Gabrielle without really realizing that that’s what they were doing because it’s such a very natural and authentic queer storytelling of two strangers that find home in the soul of each other.

"There’s not a word yet, for old friends who’ve just met” is a lyric in a song written by Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher from ‘The Muppets Movie’. Writer and co-executive producer, who wrote many of the most formative episodes of ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’, Steven L. Sears affectionately ascribes that lyric to Xena and Gabrielle because he believes it perfectly describes the incredible soulmate connection that the two main characters share right from the very beginning of the TV show. And I would have to say that I agree with him on that because no matter what alternative Universe, Uber timeline, reincarnated lifetime or afterlife it is, they meet each other and they develop an attraction to and affinity for each other that seemingly goes way beyond basic friendship and romance and they have a dynamic that is so strong, so substantial and so damn profound that the studio gave up on censoring them. It’s a dynamite chemistry that can be felt so viscerally that you can watch the episodes countless times over and still pick up on fresh new things about the way these two characters are with one another and how they balance and complement each other so perfectly that they’re basically the human representation of yin and yang. And you can read my Xena and Gabrielle: Character study thesis to learn what I mean by that.

Their relationship is incredibly well-written in that it’s so carefully and conscientiously slow-burned and evolved from friends into lovers that it will make it impossible not to ship them together. Believe me - even if you’ve seen Xena before, you haven’t seen it like this. You haven’t seen it as a WLW love story from the beginning to the end. But once you do, you will be attached to it in ways that will make you just like me.

That is… Lifelong dedicated to and enamoured with it.

This is a TV show that finished airing in the year 2001 but it’s been my everything since I first discovered it at 5 years old just flicking through the UK channels bored out of my mind or so my parents have told me.

I cannot even begin to imagine of who I’d be without this TV show and TV ship in my life and I know no other will ever come close to it or them for me for the rest of my life. So all day today I am spending my time celebrating not just the TV show’s anniversary of its pilot episode but also Xena and Gabrielle’s anniversary of meeting and becoming the greatest love story ever told in TV art/entertainment history. They’re iconic and legendary in the LGBTQ community for a reason. That reason is that they’re the first and, honestly, still the best WLW/queer representation that can ever be witnessed and engaged with on the TV screen. The factors as to why that’s true are many,… but mainly… it’s because they were allowed to exist and evolve together as the only lead main female characters in such a way that no other WLW ship on TV ever would or could do so again. They may have been severely censored as an explicit romantic and fully maintext confirmed and committed couple on screen but the creators never let that prevent them from providing a depiction of an all-encompassing love that was much like a romance and still went beyond a romance. Xena and Gabrielle’s love went way beyond the boundaries of romance. I’m not ever saying it’s not that. I’m just saying that it’s more than that and that’s exactly what makes it even more romantic than anything else ever created at least in the TV format and paradigm it was.

Since then, the landscape has changed so drastically that TV WLW/queer ships are never given what they got. Which was a 6 seasons, 22-24 episodes-long epic journey of them just being each other’s absolute EVERYTHING. You can see, hear and feel every single moment of that in who Xena and Gabrielle are as both individual main characters and as a main character dynamic because they do not ever neglect any real and raw aspect about them. The only thing you do not ever get to see between them - although it is heavily implied often - is sexual intimacy. That really is not a loss because everything else that should or needs to be there is there way more than it is with any other WLW/queer TV ships in any other TV shows because they’re lead main characters. In fact… they’re the only lead main characters that are credited throughout the entire run of ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ and, honestly, sometimes I do wish TV ships in other TV shows would censor themselves every now and again so that they would be forced to dig deeper into the nuances and details as much as they did with Xena and Gabrielle.

I know many would disagree with me here but I’m adamant that the censorship helped them more than it hindered them because what you got instead with them was such a powerful representation of true love that didn’t have to rely on sex to represent it. I know that they couldn’t be shown to be sexually intimate because it wasn’t allowed to be sexual. Nowadays it can but I find that sex is used too much now when it shouldn’t be because a real life WLW/queer ship is more than sex and that’s why Xena and Gabrielle is still better representation even in this day and age.

It’s a combination of queer censorship, unbelievably strong chemistry between the leads and the creator/cast/crew’s sincere intention with queer storytelling that gave us the truly EPIC WLW love story that we got with XENA and I wouldn’t have it any other way because, for me, that is everything I could ever want.

So if you love this TV show and TV ship, please join me in celebrating the timelessly magical experience it is by writing meta about what these things mean to you.

XENA: “You know, I’m sending you home in the morning.”

GABRIELLE: “I won’t stay home. I don’t belong there, Xena. I’m not the little girl that my parents wanted me to be. You wouldn’t understand.”

XENA: “It’s not easy proving you’re a different person.

*Gabrielle eyes her curiously, Xena throws a bundle of blankets at her, gestures to the other side of the fire*

You can sleep over there.”

XENA: “You know, where I’m headed, they’ll be trouble.”

GABRIELLE: “I know.”

XENA: “Then why would you want to go into that with me?”

GABRIELLE: “That’s what friends do. They stand by each other when there’s trouble.”

XENA: “All right, friend.”

[just-barely-a-somebody]

Well deekideke’s fanfic script has given,,, so much. As a recap of what I personally got from it (A very devildice focused perspective):

King Dice drinks

This isn’t the first time Devil had Stickler walk Dice home

Based on the way Devil says it, he’s probably tucked Dice into bed, cradled his head, and told Dice he’s his #1 until Dice fell asleep before (please I need a short fluff fic of this immediately)

King Dice had to wear a flower gown

There’s a joke that he should be called Queen Dice

His gown is ripped into a fucking bikini and then he just “decides to own it and strikes a pose.”

Devil loves the chaos and was probably about to confess feelings before being interrupted

oh yeah devil is also in a wedding gown

they genuinely just flirt with each other

THEN they both sing “Endless Love” WHILE BEING DESCRIBED AS “It’s a romantic dance sequence for the length of the entire song”

AND THEN they almost kiss before… eugh Stickler.

but uh yeah that was a lot /pos

I’m almost 100% certain that Deekideke had/has ideas for other eps that would develop their relationship a bit more and come before this ep

either way, they’re gay+queer as hell <3

[wiyu989]

The Queer Subtext of the CATFA Bar Scene

(Long post, alt text included)

While there are countless examples of evidence to support the idea that Steve & Bucky had romantic tension, none stick out to me quite like the bar scene in catfa

In this post, I will go over the reasons this scene is so important to their relationship

First of all, let’s talk about the heartfelt conversation the two were having prior to Peggy’s arrival. Bucky expressing his admiration for Steve’s bravery, before and after the serum, as he specifies:

This scene displays Bucky’s admiration for Steve, no matter what he looks like. One of my favorite lines.

Not to mention this totally not-subtle remark…

Now let’s talk about the painfully obvious jealousy Bucky showed while Steve and Peggy were flirting. He even started passive-aggressively “flirting” with Peggy while she and Steve were eye-fcking.

Through heteronormative eyes, this may look like Bucky’s jealous of Steve’s new status as “ladies-man”. But if you truly know their characters, you know that’s not true.

As if his jealousy wasn’t already evident enough, look at the death-stare he gives Peggy as she walks away. He is FURIOUS 😭

A new bout of evidence for the queer subtext of this scene was conjured by episode 1 of what if..? when marvel was desperately trying to force feed us steggy, they accidentally confirmed a stucky theory.

In what if, there’s a romantic scene with Steve and Peggy at a bar, and they were interrupted by bucky just before they were going to kiss… sound familiar?

Marvel has been aggressively trying to get us invested in steggy post-endgame, and has done so by attempting to erase Steve and Bucky’s relationship entirely. This is even more evident in the Disneyland adaptation of “Rogers: the musical” adapted from the Hawkeye series.

Now the last topic is, in my opinion, the most evident of Steve and buckys romantic subtext. That is, of course, the song choice of the bar scene.

Throughout the scene, the howling commandos and others can be heard singing “there is a tavern in the town”. How exactly does this confirm stucky? Well let’s look at the lyrics…

Come ON these lyrics perfectly describe buckys POV during this scene. This song choice was no accident in this essay I will 😤

There’s actually a YouTube video that points this “coincidence” out! I recommend you watch so you can see what I mean:

In conclusion? Bucky was undoubtedly in love with Steve and this scene is a certified stevebucky classic

thanks for reading <3

[retellingthehobbit]

Tolkien Webcomic Recommendations!

I know people here follow me for my webcomic adaptation of the Hobbit. So I thought I’d share recommendations for my favorite similar Tolkien comic projects, in case people are looking for other Tolkien webcomics to read! :D

My recs will be mainly Tolkien comics that adapt portions of the original books, just with their own unique spin on them.

1. Sam and Frodo Comics, by Molly Knox Ostertag

Ostertag is probably the most well known artist on this list! She is a professional graphic novel artist who does gorgeous adaptations of scenes from Lord of the Rings, read through a queer lens, in order to tell the story of Frodo and Sam’s love for each other. This is mixed in with comics based on her own Tolkien-inspired writing. I’m focusing on comics in this rec list, but I’ll add that Ostertag has also written a lot of engaging prose fanfic with illustrations.

“Sam and Frodo Comics”

“In All the Ways There Were” (illustrated prose fanfic adaptation)

2.Lord of the Rings Book Canon Comics, by @yambits

Yambits does beautiful adaptations of scenes from the original lord of the rings books that do not appear in the New Line Cinema films, hewing very close to the original prose, and focusing on the love between Frodo and Sam. I especially love the way they depict the magical temptation of the Ring.

“Ithilien,” an adaptation of Frodo & Sam’s encounter with Faramir

“In the Lair,” an adaptation of Sam & Frodo journeying together into Shelob’s lair

“The Tower,” an adaptation of Sam journeying to the tower of Cirith Ungol to rescue Frodo

“Escape from the Tower,” an adaptation of Sam and Frodo leaving Cirith Ungol to journey into Mordor

The Ringbearers, a comic about the One Ring reflecting on the resilience of hobbits

3. Sansukh the Webcomic, by @fishfingersandscarves and @determamfidd

Sansukh is a well-loved Bagginshield fanfiction that is now getting a webcomic adaptation co-created by the original author. The premise is that after his death, Thorin Oakenshield is not able to speak to his surviving loved ones, but can influence them in subtle ways; he uses this power to help inspire Gimli to join the Fellowship of the Ring and protect Bilbo’s nephew. From there the fic becomes an “adaptation” of Lord of the Rings, retelling the trilogy through its new lens until the very end.

This is a bit of an outlier on this list because it’s an adaptation of a fanfic that’s an adaptation of the books, rather than an adaptation of the book. However, if you’re into the Hobbit fandom/Bagginshield, I recommend checking it out! It’s also one of the few comics on this list that is currently updating. :)

@sansukhcomic (tumblr blog)

Chapter one

Original fanfic the comic is based on

4. The Ainulindalae from the Silmarillion, by Evan Palmer Comics

People who know me, know that I’m *usually* not a big Silmarillion person. However!

Comic artist Evan Palmer did a gorgeous adaptation of the Ainulindale. This section of the Silmarillion describes the elven myth of creation, the ancient years where the world was created through a divine magical song. Palmer’s Fantasia-inspired expressive watercolor art really helps bring this section of the story to life!

Full comic

5.The 1989 Hobbit Comic adaptation, by Chuck Dixon and David T Wenzel

This is another outlier because it’s a physical comic book, rather than a webcomic- and unlike all the other recs this is an “official” adaptation produced by an actual publishing company rather than a zero-budget work made by an indie creator working alone/with a partner. I’m unsure if it can be found online.

It’s an adaptation of the Hobbit that hews extremely close to the original book, making practically no changes at all. It has very gorgeous watercolor illustrations! ( It’s been a big inspiration for me on my own little comic adaptation of the hobbit shsjd.) This is also the only comic on the list I’ll offer critique of, because it’s the only one made by an actual company with a budget— so I’ll say that because of page limits imposed on the comic many of the pages can feel overcrowded with prose, and emotional beats/comedy beats sometimes aren’t given the time to properly land. At times it feels less like a comic adaptation and more like reading the original prose of the Hobbit accompanied by some very beautiful illustrations. But if that’s what you’re into it’s great!

It’s a fun well-illustrated read that I recommend. I’m not sure where people can find copies; I stumbled across it in my library, so they’re definitely still around.

If anyone has additional tolkien comic recommendations,especially ones that can be found easily online, feel free to add them to this list! : D

[nerdygaymormon]

The Queerness of the Oz movies

The 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz is considered a queer classic, even though most of the queerness is subtext. The 2024 movie Wicked stands alongside it as a queer movie.

The Wizard of Oz

Television became part of American homes in the 1950s & 1960s. Unlike today, the options of what to watch was limited to only 2 to 4 channels. The Wizard of Oz was aired annually on television and soon became a familiar part of American culture. The movie was noted for its over-the-top characters, jubilant songs, lavish costumes and production design, and fantastical performances. It’s very flamboyant, no wonder it caught the attention of gay people.

Because the movie was so familiar, it could be easily referenced with the expectation everyone else would understand. For example, a store catering to the gay community could sell T-shirts with an image of Glinda and her words from the movie “Come out, come out, wherever you are.” Or a poster of Dorothy standing at a crossroads and the Scarecrow saying, “Of course, some people go both ways.” “The Wiz,” a Broadway musical produced by a Black gay man and adapted as a film starring Diana Ross, occupies an important place in both Black and gay culture. Patti LaBelle continues to sing her own empowering version of “Over the Rainbow” at LGBTQ events and Todrick Hall’s “Straight Outta Oz” explores his experiences as a young, queer man of color through identification with various situations from the movie.

The main character of the movie is Dorothy, a girl from a small community who is misunderstood by her family. She sings the song "Over the Rainbow," which is about longing to go to a place beyond the rainbow where the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true. Soon a tornado picks up her house in Kansas and sets it down in a land called Oz. The scenes in Kansas are filmed in sepia tone, which is when black-and-white photos are stained a brownish color, and the land of Oz was shot in technicolor. The journey of Dorothy going from Kansas to Oz reflected queer people's desire to leave the black-and-white limitations of small-town life for a big, colorful city like New York or San Francisco, full of quirky characters who would welcome them.

The whole aesthetic of the characters in the movie can be seen as over-the-top and have inspired drag acts for decades for their camp style. Plus, let's not forget all that drama over a pair of shoes!

The three male characters who become Dorothy's travel companions in Oz are stereotypes of gay men. The Scarecrow was too loud, the Tin Man is the sensitive type, and the Cowardly Lion is like a befuddled old bachelor who even refers to himself as a “sissy” and “dandy lion” ("sissy" and "dandy" being adjectives to describe gay men). Dorothy easily accepts and welcomes them even though they were different. Dorothy created her own "found family" just as many do in the queer community. The phrase "Friend of Dorothy" became code used by gay men to identify themselves to each other. “Oh, you don’t know Bob? He’s a friend of Dorothy.”

The Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, aren't just hanging out with their campy friend Dorothy, they go on a journey to find their true selves, to understand that they are not who others told them that they are.

Judy Garland, the actress who played Dorothy, became iconic within the queer community. She was proud of her gay fans and welcomed them. Despite her immense talent and impressive career, her personal life was fodder for the newspapers as they eagerly told of tragedies and failures. Judy withstood those hard things, she was seen as a survivor, which having a life of perseverance was admired by the queer community, especially in the 20th century when they were at risk in many ways from society. Judy was also famous for being vulnerable, sharing about her mental health, her addictions, and her self doubts. That humanness let her queer fans feel connected with her. Even to this day, gay men will refer to a good friend as their “good Judy,” in honor of Judy Garland.

Judy Garland's funeral was held on June 27, 1969, which later that night the Stonewall Riots erupted. Not that the two events are related, but it was seen as symbolic that her death also marked the passing of the era of secrecy and assimilation. We moved into the beginning of the queer-rights movement for liberation. Subtext and secrecy would give way to openness and unambiguousness.

Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in the history of California, challenged San Francisco queer artist Gilbert Baker to come up with a symbol of pride for the gay community, something positive as an alternative to the pink triangle. The pink triangle had been used by Nazis to identify and persecute homosexuals, and was reclaimed in the 1970s as a bold symbol of remembrance and action against persecution. Rather than a symbol of oppression forced onto us, Harvey wanted us to choose a symbol of our own. Gilbert created the Rainbow Flag in 1978. The song "Over the Rainbow" did not serve as inspiration for the flag, but many people tied the two together. The rainbow flag represented hope that we can make a place of acceptance and compassion, just like the song lyrics.

Wicked

The overall theme of the movie is about being "othered" but embracing your own true self, and this resonates strongly with queer audiences.

And there's the central relationship of the movie, the one between Elphaba and Glinda. While the movie never outright positions them as romantic partners, their connection has a depth and intensity that feels queer coded as it seems somewhere between friendship and love. Even when the male love interest is introduced, it's the relationship between these two women which is most interesting. The monumental moment at the dance is these two women dancing together. When Elphaba goes to meet the Wizard, she takes Glinda with her, not the handsome prince. Likewise, after discovering the Wizard has no magic powers, Elphaba wants Glinda by her side when she flies off to the West. Not to mention all the casual handholding and touching in the movie. Together they take the space in the film that normally would be filled by a romantic couple. The queer possibilities of their relationship will inspire countless pieces of fan fiction.

Elphaba is ostracized for her green skin, which is something she was born with and can't change, and it's seen by many as a metaphor for the experiences of marginalized groups, including LGBTQ+ people. Elphaba learns to stand in her own individuality and otherness and embrace her true self, and that makes her powerful.

Glinda gave a weird hat to Elphaba who wears it only to have everyone laugh at her, but Elphaba makes this accessory her signature look. Wearing clothes that are a bit different from the mainstream and having your hair colored in vibrant colors are both queer tropes, and so having Elphaba make this accessory part of her personality feels very on point.

The Land of Oz is a place where queer people simply exist. Some of the Shiz students wear skirts, some wear pants, some a combination, in a definite show of gender inclusivity. The environment lets everyone individualize themselves and figure themselves out. In the ozdust ballroom are men wearing makeup. Queerness doesn't seem to be a problem in this land, which is wonderful.

Another theme of the film is the danger of having systems of oppression set against groups of people. The government declares talking animals to be the enemy and uses its power to ostracize them and to remove them from positions of power. The symbolism of saying those who are different need to be silenced is chilling and relevant. Having laws limiting what the the goat professor should teach and then forcibly removing him from the classroom reminds me of the "Don't Say Gay" and anti-trans bathroom laws which have been passed across the USA.

Then there are the songs! "What is this feeling" has Glinda and Elphaba sing lyrics which seem to depict a crush. What is this feeling so sudden and new? I felt the moment I laid eyes on you. My pulse is rushing, my head is reeling. Yeah, well, my face is flushing. What is this feeling? Fervid as a flame, does it have a name? A song about these confusing, conflicting feelings for each other feels very love-at-first-site, but the punchline is that they hate each other. But come on, they lie awake at night thinking about each other as they sing this song, in a few years they'll look back and recognize this obsession was a crush.

Regarding the song "I’m Not That Girl," Jonathan Bailey, the gay man who played Prince Fiyero, stated “’I’m Not That Girl’ is such a queer anthem. I mean, the thing is, the themes in this resonate with everyone, but that thing of being born into a world that tells you that you’re not worth, you’re not worth anything or that you’re unlovable. And to harness that and to know that actually that will and is your superpower. And it’s about the people you meet along the way and the relationships you forge which helps you strengthen that. And yeah, I hope all queer kids can see this story and know that they are going to be okay.”

The climax to the movie Wicked is the song "Defying Gravity" The character Elphaba sings of how she wants to live without limits, going against the rules that others have set for her. Queer audience members identify with the character Elphaba because of her journey to accept that she’s different from others and this changes what she expects and desires from life.

And finally, the casting of so many actors who are openly queer:

Elphaba is played by Cynthia Erivo who identifies as queer and bisexual and is currently in a relationship with the actress Lena Waithe. Having a queer, Black woman play the role of Elphaba makes her character's journey feel even more personal and adds depth of meaning to the feelings of being othered & ostracized.

Elphaba's sister, Nessarose, is played by Marissa Bode who has a girlfriend. Having her in the film provides queer disability visibility. I love that both Thropp sisters are played by queer actresses.

Prince Fiyero is played by Jonathan Bailey who is gay and launched the charity The Shameless Fund which aims to help members of the queer community across the world "live authentically, love freely and thrive." Fiyero shows up to Shiz University and seduces most everyone with his glances, touches, and winks. No one is safe. A bisexual king.

Pfannee is played by Bowen Yang, who is gay. Pfannee wears a skirted uniform and reacts to Prince Fiero by saying "You can do anything to me."

ShenShen is played by Bronwyn James who has a wife. So both of Glinda's sidekicks are played by gay actors although they don’t play these characters as the stereotypical “gay best friend,” but being the catty “mean girl” is also a gay trope, so it fits.

Dulcibear, the bear nurse who raises Elphaba, is voiced by Sharon D. Clark who is married to Susie McKenna. Having Dulcibear voiced by a queer woman gives added meaning to her choice to raise Elphaba after she was rejected by her father. During the song "What Is This Feeling," if Elphaba had written to Dulcibear instead of her father, maybe she'd have gotten the response, "It sounds like you're in love with her."

Even the straight actors in this cast are kind of queer adjacent. Ariana Grande who plays Glinda is considered a gay icon for her singing career and her brother Frankie Grande is gay. The Wizard is played by Jeff Goldblum who is campy and he was even a guest judge on an episode of RuPaul's Drag Race. Madame Morrible is played by Michelle Yeoh who in every scene looks like she is doing Marie Antoinette-inspired drag and both Elphaba and Glinda both want her attention more than they want Fiyero's.