#and the hardships queer artists face

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

I just read the NYT piece in full (because I couldn’t finish it the other day) and holy shit it’s even more infuriating and deliberately obtuse than I’d read

What in the conspiracy theory fuckshit did I just read

[renthony]

Nimona: a Story of Trans Rights, Queer Solidarity, and the Battle Against Censorship

by Ren Basel renbasel.com

The 2023 film Nimona, released on Netflix after a tumultuous development, is a triumph of queer art. While the basic plot follows a mischievous shapeshifter befriending a knight framed for murder, at its heart Nimona is a tale of queer survival in the face of bigotry and censorship. Though the word “transgender” is never spoken, the film is a deeply political narrative of trans empowerment.

The film is based on a comic of the same name, created by Eisner-winning artist N.D. Stevenson. (1) Originally a webcomic, Nimona stars the disgraced ex-knight Ballister Blackheart and his titular sidekick, teaming up to topple an oppressive regime known as the Institution. The webcomic was compiled into a graphic novel published by Harper Collins on May 12, 2015. (2)

On June 11, 2015, the Hollywood Reporter broke the news Fox Animation had acquired rights to the story. (3) A film adaptation would be directed by Patrick Osborne, written by Marc Haimes, and produced by Adam Stone. Two years later, on February 9, 2017, Osborne confirmed the film was being produced with the Fox-owned studio Blue Sky Animation, and on June 30 of that same year, he claimed the film would be released Valentine’s Day 2020. (4)

Then the Walt Disney Company made a huge mess.

On December 14, 2017, Disney announced the acquisition of Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc. (5) Industry publications began speculating the same day about Blue Sky’s fate, though nothing would be confirmed until after the deal’s completion on March 19, 2019. (6) At first it seemed the studio would continue producing films under Disney’s governance, similar to Disney-owned Pixar Animation. (7)

The fate of the studio—and Nimona’s film adaptation—remained in purgatory for two years. During that time, Patrick Osborne left over reported creative differences, and directorial duties were taken over by Nick Bruno and Troy Quane. (8) Bruno and Quane continued production on the film despite Blue Sky’s uncertain future.

The killing blow came on February 9, 2021. Disney shut down Blue Sky and canceled Nimona, the result of economic hardship caused by COVID-19. (9) Nimona was seventy-five percent completed at the time, set to star Chloë Grace Moretz and Riz Ahmed. (10)

While COVID-19 caused undeniable financial upheaval for the working class, wealthy Americans fared better. (11) Disney itself scraped together enough to pay CEO Bob Iger twenty-one million dollars in 2020 alone. (12) Additionally, demand for animation spiked during the pandemic’s early waves, and Nimona could have been the perfect solution to the studio’s supposed financial woes. (13) Why waste the opportunity to profit from Blue Sky’s hard work?

It didn’t take long for the answer to surface. Speaking anonymously to the press, Blue Sky workers revealed the awful truth: Disney may have killed Nimona for being too queer. The titular character was gender-nonconforming, the leading men were supposed to kiss, and Disney didn’t like it. (14) While Disney may claim COVID-19 as the cause, it is noteworthy that Disney representatives saw footage of two men declaring their love, and not long after, the studio responsible was dead. (15) Further damning evidence came in February of 2024, when the Hollywood Reporter published an article quoting co-director Nick Bruno, who named names: Disney’s chief creative officer at the time, Alan Horn, was adamantly opposed to the film’s “gay stuff.” (16)

Disney didn’t think queer art was worthy of their brand, and it isn’t the first time. “Not fitting the Disney brand” was the justification for canceling Dana Terrace’s 2020 animated series The Owl House, which featured multiple queer characters. (17) Though Terrace was reluctant to assume queerphobia caused the cancellation, Disney’s anti-queer bias has been cited as a hurdle by multiple showrunners, including Terrace herself. (18) The company’s resistance to queer art is a documented phenomenon.

While Nimona’s film cancellation could never take N.D. Stevenson’s comic from the world, it was a sting to lose such a powerful queer narrative on the silver screen. American film has a long history of censoring queerness. The Motion Picture Production Code (commonly called the Hays Code) censored queer stories for decades, including them under the umbrella of “sex perversion.” (19) Though the Code was eventually repealed, systemic bigotry turns even modern queer representation milestones into battles. In 2018, when Rebecca Sugar, creator of the Cartoon Network series Steven Universe, succeeded in portraying the first-ever same-sex marriage proposal in American children’s animation, the network canceled the show in retaliation. (20)

When queer art has to fight so hard just to exist, each loss is a bitter heartbreak. N.D. Stevenson himself expressed sorrow that the world would never see what Nimona’s crew worked so hard to achieve. (21)

Nimona, however, is hard to kill.

While fans mourned, progress continued behind the scenes. Instead of disappearing into the void as a tax write-off, the film was quietly scooped up by Megan Ellison of Annapurna Pictures. (22) Ellison received a call days before Disney’s death blow to Blue Sky, and after looking over storyboard reels, she decided to champion the film. With Ellison’s support, former Blue Sky heads Robert Baird and Andrew Millstein did their damnedest to find Nimona a home. (23)

Good news arrived on April 11, 2022, when N.D. Stevenson made a formal announcement on Twitter (now X): Nimona was gloriously alive, and would release on Netflix in 2023. (24) Netflix confirmed the news in its own press release, where it also provided details about the film’s updated cast and crew, including Eugene Lee Yang as Ambrosius Goldenloin alongside Riz Ahmed’s Ballister Boldheart (changed from the name Blackheart in the comic) and Chloë Grace Moretz as Nimona. (25) The film was no longer in purgatory, and grief over its death became anticipation for its release.

Nimona made her film debut in France, premiering at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 14, 2023 to positive reviews. (26) Netflix released the film to streaming on June 30, finally completing the story’s arduous journey from page to screen. (27)

When the film begins, the audience is introduced to the world through a series of illustrated scrolls, evoking the storybook intros of Disney princess films such as 1959’s Sleeping Beauty. The storybook framing device has been used to parody Disney in the past, perhaps most famously in the 2001 Dreamworks film Shrek. Just as Shrek contains parodies of the Disney brand created by a Disney alumnus, so, too, does Nimona riff on the studio that snubbed it. (28)

Nimona’s storybook intro tells the story of Gloreth, a noble warrior woman clad in gold and white, who defended her people from a terrible monster. After slaying the beast, Gloreth established an order of knights called the Institute (changed from the Institution in the comic) to wall off the city and protect her people.

Right away, the film introduces a Christian dichotomy of good versus evil. Gloreth is presented as a Christlike figure, with the Institute’s knights standing in as her saints. (29) Her name is invoked like the Christian god, with characters uttering phrases such as “oh my Gloreth” and “Gloreth guide you.” The film’s design borrows heavily from Medieval Christian art and architecture, bolstering the metaphor.

Nimona takes place a thousand years after Gloreth’s victory. Following the opening narration, the audience is dropped into a setting combining Medieval aesthetics with futuristic science fiction, creating a sensory delight of neon splashed across knights in shining armor. It’s in this swords-and-cyborgs city that a new knight is set to join the illustrious ranks of Gloreth’s Institute, now under the control of a woman known only as the Director (voiced by Frances Conroy). That new knight is our protagonist, Ballister Boldheart.

The film changes several things from the original. The comic stars Lord Ballister Blackheart, notorious former knight, long after his fall from grace. He has battled the Institution for years, making a name for himself as a supervillain. The film introduces a younger Ballister Boldheart who is still loyal to the Institute, who believes in his dream of becoming a knight and overcomes great odds to prove himself worthy. In the comic, Blackheart’s greatest rival is Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin, with whom he has a messy past. The film shows more of that past, when Goldenloin and Boldheart were young lovers eager to become knights by each other’s side.

There is another notable change: in the comic, Goldenloin is white, and Blackheart is light-skinned. In the film, both characters are men of color—specifically, Boldheart is of Pakistani descent, and Goldenloin is of Korean descent, matching the ethnicity of their respective voice actors. This change adds new themes of institutional racism, colorism, and the “model minority” stereotype. (30)

The lighter-skinned Goldenloin is, as his name suggests, the Institute’s golden boy. He descends from the noble lineage of Gloreth herself, and his face is emblazoned on posters and news screens across the city. He is referred to as “the most anticipated knight of a generation.” In contrast, the darker-skinned Boldheart experiences prejudice and hazing due to his lower-class background. His social status is openly discussed in the news. He is called a “street kid” and “controversial,” despite being the top student in his class. The newscasters make sure everyone knows he was only given the chance to prove himself in the Institute because the queen, a Black woman with established social influence, gave him her personal patronage. Despite this patronage, when the news interviews citizens on the street, public opinion is firmly against Boldheart.

To preserve the comic’s commentary on white privilege, some of Goldenloin’s traits were written into a new, white character created for the film, Sir Thoddeus Sureblade (voiced by Beck Bennett). Sureblade’s vitriol against both Boldheart and Goldenloin allowed Goldenloin to become a more sympathetic character, trapped in the system just as much as Boldheart. (31) This is emphasized at other points in the film when the audience sees Sureblade interact with Goldenloin without Boldheart present, berating the only person of color left in the absence of the darker-skinned man.

The day Boldheart is to be knighted, everything goes wrong. As Queen Valerin (voiced by Lorraine Toussaint) performs the much-anticipated knighting ceremony, a device embedded in Boldheart’s sword explodes, killing her instantly. Though Boldheart is not to blame, he is dubbed an assassin instead of a knight. In an instant, he becomes the most wanted man in the kingdom, and Queen Valerin’s hopes for progress and social equality seem dead with her. Boldheart is gravely injured in the explosion and forced to flee, unable to clear his name.

Enter Nimona.

The audience meets the titular character in the act of vandalizing a poster of Gloreth, only to get distracted by an urgent broadcast on a nearby screen. As she approaches, a bystander yells that she’s a “freak,” in a manner reminiscent of slurs screamed by passing bigots. Nimona has no time for bigots, spraying this one in the face with paint before tuning in to the news.

“Everyone is scared,” declare the newscasters, because queen-killer Ballister Boldheart is on the run. The media paints him as a monster, a filthy commoner who never deserved the chances he was given, and announce that, “never since Gloreth’s monster has anything been so hated.” This characterization pleases Nimona, and she declares him “perfect” before scampering off to find his hiding place.

It takes the span of a title screen for her to track him down, sequestered in a makeshift junkyard shelter. Just before Nimona bursts into the lair, the audience sees Boldheart’s injuries have resulted in the amputation of his arm, and he is building a homemade prosthetic. This is another way he’s been othered from his peers in an instant, forced to adapt to life-changing circumstances with no support. Where he was so recently an aspiring knight with a partner and a dream, he is now homeless, disabled, and isolated.

A wall in the hideout shows a collection of news clippings, suspects, and sticky notes where Boldheart is trying to solve the murder and clear his name. His own photo looks down from the wall, captioned with a damning headline: “He was never one of us—knights reveal shocking details of killer’s past.” It evokes real-world racial bias in crime reporting, where suspects of color are treated as more violent, unstable, and prone to crime than white suspects. A 2021 report by the Equal Justice Initiative and the Global Strategy Group compiled data on this phenomenon, focusing on the stark disparity between coverage of white and Black suspects. (32)

Nimona is not put off by Boldheart’s sinister media reputation. It’s why she tracked him down in the first place. She’s arrived to present her official application as Boldheart’s villain sidekick and help him take down the Institute. Boldheart brushes her off, insisting he isn’t a villain. He has faith in his innocence and in the system, and leaves Nimona behind to clear his name.

When he is immediately arrested, stripped of his prosthetic, and jailed, Nimona doesn’t abandon him. She springs a prison break, and conveys a piece of bitter wisdom to the fallen knight: “[O]nce everyone sees you as a villain, that’s what you are. They only see you one way, no matter how hard you try.”

Nimona and Boldheart are both outcasts, but they are at different stages of processing the pain. Boldheart is deep in the grief of someone who tried to adhere to the demands of a biased system but finally failed. He is the newly cast-out, who gave his entire life to the system but still couldn’t escape dehumanization. His pain is a fresh, raw wound, where Nimona has old scars. She embodies the deep anger of those who have existed on the margins for years. Where Boldheart wants to prove his innocence so he can be re-accepted into the fold, Nimona’s goal is to tear the entire system apart. She finds instant solidarity with Boldheart based solely on their mutual status as outsiders, but Boldheart resists that solidarity because he still craves the system’s familiar structure.

In the comic, Blackheart’s stance is not one of fresh grief, since, just like Nimona, he has been an outsider for some time. Instead, Blackheart’s position is one of slow reform. He believes the system can be changed and improved, while Nimona urges him to demolish it entirely. In both versions, Ballister thinks the system can be fixed by removing specific corrupt influences, where Nimona believes the government is rotten to its foundations and should be dismantled. Despite their ideological differences, Nimona and Ballister ally to survive the Institute’s hostility.

The allyship is an uneasy truce. During the prison break, Nimona reveals that she’s a shapeshifter, able to change into whatever form she pleases. Boldheart reflexively reaches for his sword, horrified that she isn’t human. She is the exact sort of monster he has been taught to fear by the Institute, and it’s only because he needs her help that he overcomes his reflex and sticks with her.

Nimona’s shapeshifting functions as a transgender allegory. The comic’s author, N.D. Stevenson, is transgender, and Nimona’s story developed alongside his own queer journey. (33) The trans themes from the comic are emphasized in the film, with various pride flags included in backgrounds and showcased in the art book. (34) Directors Bruno and Quane described the film as “a story about acceptance. A movie about being seen for who you truly are and a love letter to all those who’ve ever shared that universal feeling of being misunderstood or like an outsider trying to fit in.” (35)

When Boldheart asks Nimona what she is, she responds with only “Nimona.” When he calls her a girl, she retorts that she’s “a lot of things.” When she transforms into another species, she specifies in that moment that she’s “not a girl, I’m a shark.” Later, when she takes the form of a young boy and Boldheart comments on it, saying “now you’re a boy,” her response is, “I am today.” She defies easy categorization, and she likes it that way.

About her shapeshifting, Nimona says “it feels worse if I don’t do it” and “I shapeshift, then I’m free.” When asked what happens if she doesn’t shapeshift, she responds, “I wouldn’t die-die, I just sure wouldn’t be living.” Every time she discusses her transformations, it carries echoes of transgender experience—and, as it happens, Nimona is not N.D. Stevenson’s only shapeshifting transgender character. During his tenure as showrunner for She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (Netflix/Dreamworks, 2018-2020), Stevenson introduced the character Double Trouble. Double Trouble previously existed at the margins of She-Ra lore, but Stevenson’s version was a nonbinary shapeshifter using they/them pronouns. (36) While Nimona uses she/her pronouns throughout both comic and film, just like Double Trouble her gender presentation is as fluid as her physical form.

Boldheart, like many cisgender people reacting to transgender people, is uncomfortable with Nimona. He declares her way of doing things “too much,” and insists they try to be “inconspicuous” and “discreet.” He worries whether others saw her, and, when she is casually in a nonhuman form, he asks if she can “be normal for a second.” He claims to support her, but says it would be “easier if she was a girl” because “other people aren’t as accepting.” His discomfort evokes fumbled allyship by cisgender people, and Nimona emphasizes the allegory by calling Boldheart out for his “small-minded questions.” While the alliance is uneasy, Boldheart continues working with Nimona to clear his name. They are the only allies each other has, and their individual survival is dependent on them working together.

When the duo gain video proof of Boldheart’s innocence, they learn the bomb that killed Queen Valerin was planted by the Director. Threatened by a Black woman using her influence to elevate a poor, queer man of color, the white Director chose to preserve the status quo through violence.

Nimona is eager to get the video on every screen in the city, but Boldheart wants to deal with the issue internally, out of the public eye. He insists “the Institute isn’t the problem, the Director is.” This belief is what also leads the comic’s Blackheart to reject Nimona’s idea that he should crown himself king. He is focused on reforming the existing power structure, neither removing it entirely nor taking it over himself.

Inside the Institute, the Director has been doing her best to set Goldenloin against his former partner. Despite his internal misgivings and fear of betraying someone he loves, Goldenloin does his best to adhere to his prescribed role. As the Director reminds the knights, they are literally born to defend the kingdom, and it’s their sacred duty to do so—especially Goldenloin, who carries Gloreth’s holy blood. This blood connection is repeated throughout the film, and used by the Director to exploit Goldenloin. He’s the Institute’s token minority, put on a gilded pedestal and treated as a symbol instead of a human being.

Goldenloin is a pretty face for propaganda posters, and those posters can be seen throughout the film. They proclaim Gloreth’s majesty, the power of the knights, and remind civilians that the Institute is necessary to “protect our way of life.” A subway PSA urges citizens, “if you see something, slay something,” in a direct parody of the real-world “if you see something, say something” campaign by the United States Department of Homeland Security. (37)

The film is not subtle in its political messaging. When Boldheart attempts to prove his innocence to Goldenloin and the assembled knights, he reaches towards his pocket for a phone. The Director cries that Boldheart has a weapon, and Sureblade opens fire. Though the shot hits the phone and not Boldheart, it carries echoes of real-world police brutality against people of color. Specifically, the use of a phone evokes cases such as the 2018 murder of Stephon Clark, a young Black man who was shot and killed by California police claiming Clark’s cell phone was a firearm. (38) The film does not toy with vague, depoliticized themes of coexistence and tolerance; it is a direct and pointed allegory for contemporary oppression in the United States of America.

Forced to choose between love for Boldheart and loyalty to the Institute, Goldenloin chooses the Institute. He calls for Boldheart’s arrest, and this is the moment Boldheart finally agrees to fight back and raise hell alongside Nimona. When Goldenloin calls Nimona a monster during the ensuing battle, Boldheart doesn’t hesitate to refute it. He expresses his trust in her, and it’s clear he means it. He’s been betrayed by someone he cared about and thought he could depend on, and this puts him in true solidarity with Nimona for the first time.

During the fight, Nimona stops a car from crashing into a small child. She shapeshifts into a young girl to appear less threatening, but it doesn’t work. The child picks up a sword, pointing it at Nimona until an adult pulls them away to hide. When Nimona sees this hatred imprinted in the heart of a child, it horrifies her.

After fleeing to their hideout, Nimona makes a confession to Boldheart: she has suicidal ideations. So many people have directed so much hatred toward her that sometimes she wants to give in and let them kill her. In the real world, a month after the film’s release, a study from the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law compiled data about suicidality in American transgender adults. (39) Researchers found that eighty-one percent have thought about suicide, compared to just thirty-five percent of cisgender adults. Forty-two percent have attempted suicide, compared to eleven percent of cisgender adults. Fifty-six percent have engaged in self-harm, compared to twelve percent of cisgender adults.

When Boldheart offers to flee with her and find somewhere safe together, Nimona declares they shouldn’t have to run. She makes the decision every trans person living in a hostile place must make: do I leave and save myself, or do I stay to fight for my community? The year the film was released, the Trans Legislation Tracker reported a record-breaking amount of anti-trans legislation in the United States, with six hundred and two bills introduced throughout twenty-four states. (40) In February 2024, the National Center for Transgender Equality published data on their 2022 U.S. Transgender Survey, revealing that forty-seven percent of respondents thought about moving to another area due to discrimination, with ten percent actually doing so. (41)

Despite the danger, Nimona and Boldheart work diligently against the Institute. When they gain fresh footage proving the Director’s guilt, they don’t hesitate to upload it online, where it garners rapid attention across social and news media. Newscasters begin asking who the real villain is, anti-Institute sentiment builds, and citizens protest in the streets, demanding answers. The power that social media adds to social justice activism is true in the real world as it is in the film, seen in campaigns such as the viral #MeToo hashtag and the Black Lives Matter movement. (42) In 2020, polls conducted by the Pew Research Center showed eight in ten Americans viewed social media platforms as either very or somewhat effective in raising awareness about political and social topics. In the same survey, seventy-seven percent of respondents believed social media is at least somewhat effective in organizing social movements. (43)

In reaction to the media firestorm, the Director issues a statement. She outs Nimona as a shapeshifter, and claims the evidence against the Institute is a hoax. Believing the Director, Goldenloin contacts Boldheart for a rendezvous, sans Nimona. From Goldenloin’s perspective, Boldheart is a good man who has been deceived by the real villain, Nimona. He tells Boldheart about a scroll the Director found, with evidence that Nimona is Gloreth’s original monster, still alive and terrorizing the city. Goldenloin wants to bring Boldheart back into the knighthood and resume their relationship, and though that’s what Boldheart wanted before, his solidarity with Nimona causes him to reject the offer.

Though he leaves Goldenloin behind, Boldheart’s suspicion of Nimona returns. Despite their solidarity, he doesn’t really know her, so he returns home to interrogate her. In the ensuing argument, he reverts to calling her a monster, but only through implication—he won’t say the word. Like a slur, he knows he shouldn’t say it anymore, but that doesn’t keep him from believing it.

Boldheart’s actions prove to Nimona that nowhere is safe. There is no haven. Her community will always turn on her. She flees, and in her ensuing breakdown, the audience learns her backstory. She was alone for an unspecified length of time, never able to fit in until meeting Gloreth as a little girl. Nimona presents herself to Gloreth as another little girl, and Gloreth becomes Nimona’s very first friend. Even when Nimona shapeshifts, Gloreth treats her with kindness and love.

Then the adults of Gloreth’s village see Nimona shapeshift, and the word “monster” is hurled. Torches and pitchforks come out. At the adults’ panic, Gloreth takes up a sword against Nimona, and the cycle of bigotry is transferred to the next generation. The friendship shatters, and Nimona must flee before she can be killed.

After losing Boldheart, seemingly Nimona’s only ally since Gloreth’s betrayal, Nimona’s grief becomes insurmountable. She knows in her heart that nothing will ever change. She’s been hurt too much, by too many, cutting too deeply. To Nimona, the world will only ever bring her pain, so she gives in. She transforms into the giant, ferocious monster everyone has always told her she is, and she begins moving through the city as the Institute opens fire.

When Ballister sees Nimona’s giant, shadowy form, he realizes the horrific pain he caused her. He intuits that Nimona isn’t causing destruction for fun, she’s on a suicide march. She’s given up, and her decision is the result of endless, systemic bigotry and betrayal of trust. Her rampage wouldn’t be happening if she’d been treated with love, support, and care.

Nimona’s previous admission of suicidal ideation repeats in voiceover as she prepares to impale herself on a sword pointed by a massive statue of Gloreth. Her suicide is only prevented because Ballister steps in, calling to her, apologizing, saying he sees her and she isn’t alone. She collapses into his arms, once again in human form, sobbing. Boldheart has finally accepted her truth, and she is safe with him.

But she isn’t safe from the Director.

In a genocidal bid she knows will take out countless civilian lives, the Director orders canons fired on Nimona. Goldenloin tries to stop her, finally standing up against the system, but it’s too late. The Director fires the canons, Nimona throws herself at the blast to protect the civilians, and Nimona falls.

When the dust settles, the Director is deposed and the city rebuilds. Boldheart and Goldenloin reconnect and resume their relationship. The walls around the city come down, reforms take hold in the Institute, and a memorial goes up to honor Nimona, the hero who sacrificed her life to reveal the Director’s corruption.

Nimona, however, is hard to kill.

Nimona originally had a tragic ending, born of N.D. Stevenson’s own depression, but that hopelessness didn’t last forever. (44) Though Nimona is defeated, she doesn’t stay dead. Through the outpouring of love and support N.D. Stevenson received while creating the original webcomic, he gained the community and support he needed to create a more hopeful ending for Nimona’s story—and himself.

The comic’s ending is bittersweet. Nimona can’t truly die, and eventually restores herself. She allows Blackheart to glimpse her, so he knows she survived, but she doesn’t stay. She still doesn’t feel safe, and is assumed to move on somewhere new. Blackheart never sees Nimona again.

The film’s ending is more hopeful. There is a shimmer of pink magic as Nimona announces her survival, and the film ends with Boldheart’s elated exclamation. Even death couldn’t keep her down. She survived Gloreth, and she survived the Director. Though this chapter of the story is over, there is hope on the horizon, and she has allies on her side.

In both incarnations, Nimona is a story of queer survival in a cruel world. The original ending was one of despair, that said there was little hope of true solidarity and allyship. The revised ending said there was hope, but still so far to go. The film’s ending says there is hope, there is solidarity, and there are people who will stand with transgender people until the bitter end—but, more importantly, there are people in the world who want trans people to live, to thrive, and to find joy.

In a world that’s so hostile to transgender people, it’s no wonder a radically trans-positive film had to fight so hard to exist. Unfortunately, the battle must continue. As of June 2024, Netflix hasn’t announced any intent to produce physical copies of the film, meaning it exists solely on streaming and is only accessible via a monthly paid subscription. Should Netflix ever take down its original animation, as HBO Max did in 2022 despite massive backlash, the film could easily become lost media. (45) Though it saved Nimona from Disney, Netflix has its own nasty history of under-marketing and canceling queer programs. (46)

The film’s art book is already gone. The multimedia tome was posted online on October 12, 2023, hosted at ArtofNimona.com. (47) Per the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, the site became a Netflix redirect at some point between 10:26 PM on March 9, 2024 and 9:35 PM on March 20, 2024. (48) On the archived site, some multimedia elements are non-functional, potentially making them lost media. The art book is not available through any legal source, and though production designer Aidan Sugano desperately wants a physical copy made, there seem to be no such plans. (49)

Perhaps Netflix will eventually release physical copies of both film and art book. Perhaps not. Time will tell. In the meantime, Nimona stands as a triumph of queer media in a queerphobic world. That it exists at all is a miracle, and that its accessibility is so precarious a year after release is a travesty. Contemporary political commentary is woven into every aspect of the film, and it exists thanks to the passion, talent, and bravery of an incredible crew who endured despite blatant corporate queerphobia.

Long live Nimona, and long live the transgender community she represents.

_ This piece was commissioned using the prompt "the Nimona movie."

Updated 6/16/24 to revise an inaccurate statement regarding the original comic.

Like this essay? Tip me on Ko-Fi, pledge to my Patreon, or commission an essay on the topic of your choice!

_

Notes:

1. “Past Recipients 2010s.” n.d. Comic-Con International. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://www.comic-con.org/awards/eisner-awards/past-recipients/past-recipenties-2010s/.

2. Stevenson, ND. 2015. Nimona. New York, NY: Harperteen.

3. Kit, Borys. 2015. “Fox Animation Nabs ‘Nimona’ Adaptation with ‘Feast’ Director (Exclusive).” The Hollywood Reporter. June 11, 2015. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/fox-animation-nabs-nimona-adaptation-801920/.

4. Riley, Jenelle. 2017. “Oscar Winner Patrick Osborne Returns with First-Ever vr Nominee ‘Pearl.’” Variety. February 9, 2017. https://variety.com/2017/film/in-contention/patrick-osborne-returns-to-race-with-first-vr-nominee-pearl-1201983466/; Osborne, Patrick (@PatrickTOsborne). 2017. "Hey world, the NIMONA feature film has a release date! @Gingerhazing February 14th 2020 !!" Twitter/X, June 30, 2017, 3:16 PM. https://x.com/PatrickTOsborne/status/880867591094272000. ‌

5. “The Walt Disney Company to Acquire Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc., after Spinoff of Certain Businesses, for $52.4 Billion in Stock.” 2017. The Walt Disney Company. December 14, 2017. https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/walt-disney-company-acquire-twenty-first-century-fox-inc-spinoff-certain-businesses-52-4-billion-stock-2/.

6. Amidi, Amid. 2017. “Disney Buys Fox for $52.4 Billion: Here Are the Key Points of the Deal.” Cartoon Brew. December 14, 2017. https://www.cartoonbrew.com/business/disney-buys-fox-key-points-deal-155390.html; Giardina, Carolyn. 2017. “Disney Deal Could Redraw Fox’s Animation Business.” The Hollywood Reporter. December 14, 2017. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/disney-deal-could-redraw-foxs-animation-business-1068040/; Szalai, Georg, and Paul Bond. 2019. “Disney Closes $71.3 Billion Fox Deal, Creating Global Content Powerhouse.” The Hollywood Reporter. March 19, 2019. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/disney-closes-fox-deal-creating-global-content-powerhouse-1174498/.

7. Hipes, Patrick. 2019. “After Trying Day, Disney Sets Film Leadership Lineup.” Deadline. March 22, 2019. https://deadline.com/2019/03/disney-film-executives-post-merger-team-set-1202580586/.

8. Jones, Rendy. 2023. “‘Nimona’: Netflix’s Remarkable Trans-Rights Animated Movie Is Here.” Rolling Stone. July 3, 2023. https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/nimona-netflix-trans-rights-animated-movie-lgbtq-riz-ahmed-chloe-grace-moretz-1234782583/.

9. D’Alessandro, Anthony. 2021. “Disney Closing Blue Sky Studios, Fox’s Once-Dominant Animation House behind ‘Ice Age’ Franchise.” Deadline. February 9, 2021. https://deadline.com/2021/02/blue-sky-studios-closing-disney-ice-age-franchise-animation-1234690310/.

10. “Disney’s Blue Sky Shut down Leaves Nimona Film 75% Completed.” 2021. CBR. February 10, 2021. https://www.cbr.com/nimona-film-abandoned-disney-blue-sky-shut-down/; Sneider, Jeff. 2021. “Exclusive: Disney’s LGBTQ-Themed ‘Nimona’ Would’ve Featured the Voices of Chloë Grace Moretz, Riz Ahmed.” Collider. March 4, 2021. https://collider.com/nimona-movie-cast-cancelled-disney-blue-sky/.

11. Horowitz, Juliana Menasce, Anna Brown, and Rachel Minkin. 2021. “The COVID-19 Pandemic’s Long-Term Financial Impact.” Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends Project. March 5, 2021. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2021/03/05/a-year-into-the-pandemic-long-term-financial-impact-weighs-heavily-on-many-americans/.

12. Lang, Brent. 2022. “Disney CEO Bob Iger’s Rich Compensation Package Revealed, Company Says Bob Chapek Fired ‘without Cause.’” Variety. November 21, 2022. https://variety.com/2022/film/finance/bob-iger-compensation-package-salary-bob-chapek-fired-1235439151/.

13. Romano, Nick. 2020. “The Pandemic Animation Boom: How Cartoons Became King in the Time of COVID.” EW.com. November 2, 2020. https://ew.com/movies/animation-boom-coronavirus-pandemic/.

14. Strapagiel, Lauren. 2021. “The Future of Disney’s First Animated Feature Film with Queer Leads, ‘Nimona,’ Is in Doubt.” BuzzFeed News. February 24, 2021. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/laurenstrapagiel/disney-nimona-movie-lgbtq-characters.

15. Clark, Travis. 2022. “Disney Raised Concerns about a Same-Sex Kiss in the Unreleased Animated Movie ‘Nimona,’ Former Blue Sky Staffers Say.” Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-disapproved-same-sex-kiss-nimona-movie-former-staffers-say-2022-3.

16. Keegan, Rebecca. 2024. “Why Megan Ellison Saved ‘Nimona’: ‘I Needed This Movie.’” The Hollywood Reporter. February 22, 2024. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/megan-ellison-saved-nimona-1235832043/.

17. St. James, Emily. 2023. “Mourning the Loss of the Owl House, TV’s Best Queer Kids Show.” Vanity Fair. April 6, 2023. https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/04/loss-of-the-owl-house-tvs-best-queer-kids-show.

18. AntagonistDana. 2021. “AMA (except by ‘Anything’ I Mean These Questions Only).” Reddit. October 5, 2021. https://www.reddit.com/r/TheOwlHouse/comments/q1x1uh/ama_except_by_anything_i_mean_these_questions_only/; de Wit, Alex Dudok. 2020. “Disney Executive Tried to Block Queer Characters in ‘the Owl House,’ Says Creator.” 2020. Cartoon Brew. August 14, 2020. https://www.cartoonbrew.com/disney/disney-executives-tried-to-block-queer-characters-in-the-owl-house-says-creator-195413.html.

19. Doherty, Thomas. 1999. Pre-Code Hollywood : Sex, Immorality, and Insurrection in American Cinema, 1930-1934. New York: Columbia University Press. 363.

20. Henderson, Taylor. 2018. “‘Steven Universe’s’ Latest Episode Just Made LGBTQ History.” Pride. July 5, 2018. https://www.pride.com/stevenuniverse/2018/7/05/steven-universes-latest-episode-just-made-lgbtq-history; McDonnell, Chris. 2020. Steven Universe: End of an Era. New York: Abrams. 102.

21. Stevenson, ND. (@Gingerhazing). 2021. "Sad day. Thanks for the well wishes, and sending so much love to everyone at Blue Sky. Forever grateful for all the care and joy you poured into Nimona." Twitter/X, February 9, 2021, 3:32 PM. https://x.com/Gingerhazing/status/1359238823935283200

22. Jones, Rendy. 2023. “‘Nimona’: Netflix’s Remarkable Trans-Rights Animated Movie Is Here.” Rolling Stone. July 3, 2023. https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/nimona-netflix-trans-rights-animated-movie-lgbtq-riz-ahmed-chloe-grace-moretz-1234782583/.

23. Keegan, Rebecca. 2024. “Why Megan Ellison Saved ‘Nimona’: ‘I Needed This Movie.’” The Hollywood Reporter. February 22, 2024. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/megan-ellison-saved-nimona-1235832043/.

24. Stevenson, ND. (@Gingerhazing). 2022. "Nimona’s always been a spunky little story that just wouldn’t stop. She’s a fighter...but she’s also got some really awesome people fighting for her. I am excited out of my mind to announce that THE NIMONA MOVIE IS ALIVE...coming at you in 2023 from Annapurna and Netflix." Twitter/X, April 11, 2022, 10:00 AM. https://x.com/Gingerhazing/status/1513517319841935363.

25. “‘Nimona’ Starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Riz Ahmed & Eugene Lee Yang Coming to Netflix in 2023.” About Netflix. April 11, 2022. https://about.netflix.com/en/news/nimona-starring-chloe-grace-moretz-riz-ahmed-and-eugene-lee-yang-coming-to-netflix.

26. “’Nimona’ Rates 100% on Rotten Tomatoes after Annecy Premiere.” Animation Magazine. June 15, 2023. https://www.animationmagazine.net/2023/06/nimona-rates-100-on-rotten-tomatoes-after-annecy-premiere/

27. Dilillo, John. 2023. “’Nimona’: Everything You Need to Know About the New Animated Adventure.” Tudum by Netflix. June 30, 2023. https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/nimona-release-date-news-photos

28. Reese, Lori. 2001. “Is ‘“Shrek”’ the Anti- Disney Fairy Tale?” Entertainment Weekly. May 29, 2001. https://ew.com/article/2001/05/29/shrek-anti-disney-fairy-tale/.

29. Sugano, Aidan. 2023. Nimona: the Digital Art Book. Netflix. 255. https://web.archive.org/web/20240309222607/https://artofnimona.com/.

30. White, Abbey. 2023. “How ‘Nimona’ Explores the Model Minority Stereotype through Its Queer API Love Story.” The Hollywood Reporter. July 1, 2023. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/nimona-eugene-lee-yang-directors-race-love-story-netflix-1235526714/.

31. White, Abbey. 2023. “How ‘Nimona’ Explores the Model Minority Stereotype through Its Queer API Love Story.” The Hollywood Reporter. July 1, 2023. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/nimona-eugene-lee-yang-directors-race-love-story-netflix-1235526714/.

32. Equal Justice Initiative. 2021. “Report Documents Racial Bias in Coverage of Crime by Media.” Equal Justice Initiative. December 16, 2021. https://eji.org/news/report-documents-racial-bias-in-coverage-of-crime-by-media/.

33. Stevenson, N. D. 2023. “Nimona (the Comic): A Deep Dive.” I’m Fine I’m Fine Just Understand. July 13, 2023. https://www.imfineimfine.com/p/nimona-the-comic-a-deep-dive.

34. Sugano, Aidan. 2023. Nimona: the Digital Art Book. Netflix. 259-260. https://web.archive.org/web/20240309222607/https://artofnimona.com/.

35. Sugano, Aidan. 2023. Nimona: the Digital Art Book. Netflix. 7. https://web.archive.org/web/20240309222607/https://artofnimona.com/.

36. Brown, Tracy. 2019. “In Netflix’s ‘She-Ra,’ Even Villains Respect Nonbinary Pronouns.” Los Angeles Times. November 6, 2019. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2019-11-05/netflix-she-ra-princesses-power-nonbinary-double-trouble.

37. Department of Homeland Security. 2019. “If You See Something, Say Something®.” Department of Homeland Security. May 10, 2019. https://www.dhs.gov/see-something-say-something.

38. University of Stanford. n.d. “Stephon Clark.” Say Their Names - Spotlight at Stanford. https://exhibits.stanford.edu/saytheirnames/feature/stephon-clark.

39. Kidd, Jeremy D., Tettamanti, Nicky A., Kaczmarkiewicz, Roma, Corbeil, Thomas E., Dworkin, Jordan D., Jackman, Kasey B., Hughes, Tonda L., Bockting, Walter O., & Meyer, Ilan H. 2023. “Prevalence of Substance Use and Mental Health Problems among Transgender and Cisgender US Adults.” Williams Institute. https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/transpop-substance-use/.

40. “2023 Anti-Trans Bills: Trans Legislation Tracker.” n.d. Trans Legislation Tracker. https://translegislation.com/bills/2023.

41. James, S.E., Herman, J.L., Durso, L.E., & Heng-Lehtinen, R. 2024. “Early Insights: A Report of the 2022 U.S. Transgender Survey.” National Center for Transgender Equality, Washington, DC.

42. Myers, Catherine. 2023. “Protests in the Age of Social Media.” The Nonviolence Project. February 11, 2023. https://thenonviolenceproject.wisc.edu/2023/02/11/protests-in-the-age-of-social-media/.

43. Auxier, Brooke, and Colleen McClain. 2020. “Americans Think Social Media Can Help Build Movements, but Can Also Be a Distraction.” Pew Research Center. Pew Research Center. September 9, 2020. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2020/09/09/americans-think-social-media-can-help-build-movements-but-can-also-be-a-distraction/.

44. Stevenson, N. D. 2023. “Nimona (the Comic): A Deep Dive.” I’m Fine I’m Fine Just Understand. July 13, 2023. https://www.imfineimfine.com/p/nimona-the-comic-a-deep-dive.

45. Chapman, Wilson. 2022. “HBO Max to Remove 36 Titles, Including 20 Originals, from Streaming.” Variety. August 18, 2022. https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/hbo-max-originals-removed-1235344286/.

46. Iftikhar, Asyia. 2023. “Netflix CEO Slammed by LGBTQ+ Fans over Cancellation Comments: ‘They Are NOT Allies.’” PinkNews. January 24, 2023. https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/01/24/netflix-ceo-ted-sarandos-cancelled-shows-lgbtq-fans-reactions/.

47. Lang, Jamie. 2023. “Netflix Has Released a 358-Page Multimedia Art of Book for ‘Nimona’ - Exclusive.” Cartoon Brew. October 12, 2023. https://www.cartoonbrew.com/books/nimona-art-of-book-aidan-sugano-netflix-233636.html.

48. “Wayback Machine.” n.d. The Internet Archive. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://wayback-api.archive.org/web/20240000000000.

49. Lang, Jamie. 2023. “Netflix Has Released a 358-Page Multimedia Art of Book for ‘Nimona’ - Exclusive.” Cartoon Brew. October 12, 2023. https://www.cartoonbrew.com/books/nimona-art-of-book-aidan-sugano-netflix-233636.html.

[mrs-snape5984]

“As long as I'm with you, I've got a smile on my face…”

“Save your tears, it'll be okay. All I know is you're here with me…” (“Here with me” by D4vd)

Suffering from ME/CFS makes me feel like my whole world is falling apart in front of my eyes. Since I’ve already lost so much joy and so many abilities due to this devastating disease, my continuing loss seems to increase even further.

As some of you might know, do I love to write my own stories about Severus and Julia just as much as I enjoy using my tumblr blog as some kind of journal, whenever I’ve commissioned another artwork. It’s my way of rolling out a red carpet for the artists of Snapedom…it’s my way of honouring them for their talent in their profession. Commissioning those amazing people and letting them make my ideas and fantasies come to life, is my very own manner of coping with my physical and emotional pain.

And now, this coping mechanism seems to crumble into pieces as well as everything else, that I’ve already lost! It hurts me to admit, that my brain fog takes advantage of my capability to create vivid images with my words. My thoughts are getting blurry and chaotic. I’m struggling to find the right words to express my emotions (it’s even worse in my native language German than in English!!)…and this scares me to hell!

My mind was the only place, where I could find some shelter from my infuriating and terrifying reality of losing myself to ME/CFS. What if I forfeit my only - just barely existing- talent now?? How should I flee this nightmare of existence if writing wouldn’t be an option anymore?! How should I express my gratitude towards all those marvellous artists of Snapedom, who are all weaving my emotional comfort blanket with each piece of their art?!?

I don’t want to give up on my writing…and I won’t…even though my pride would probably fade away with each badly written chapter of my fictions…and with each unworthy post on my blog. I must admit, that I’m already acknowledging the loss of quality. 🥺

I found an inspiring poem about the importance of staying resilient, no matter how difficult the hardships of life might become, and I want to share it with you:

"KEEP GOING" (Better known as "DON'T QUIT") by Edgar A. Guest

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all uphill, When the funds are low and debts are high, And you want to smile but have to sigh.

When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest, if you must, but DON'T YOU QUIT!

Life is queer with its twists and turns, As everyone of us sometimes learns, And many a failure turns about,

When he might have won if he'd stuck it out, Don't give up though the pace seems slow, You might succeed with another blow.

Often the struggler has given up, When he might captured the victor's cup.

And he learned too late, when the night slipped down, How close he was to the golden crown,

Success is failure turned inside out, The silver tint on clouds of doubt, And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems afar,

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit, It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.

My dear @mmad-lover, I can’t stress enough how grateful I am for your dedication to this stunning piece of art and believe me, it was worth every single second of waiting! Paula, I was incredibly touched to hear, that my request seemed to be something special, something personal to you. I can assure you, that, indeed, all of my ideas have a profound meaning to me and I’m glad that you’re such an empathetic person, who sensed that particular importance of your art to me. Your devotion to this drawing is palpable in every single detail, every line of your brushes. You created exactly the mood, that I wished for Severus and Julia. It doesn’t matter that the world is burning to the ground around them, they will always have each other’s backs! Just like I’m relying on Severus for more than 21 years now. Thank you for everything, you precious soul! I’m glad that I met you and I hope, we’ll stay in touch. 🥹

🖤Severus & Julia🖤

🖤Sevy & Jules🖤

[t-sizzler]

Pose Inspired CC Dump

✨ The category is: FACE ✨ Embrace the enchanting allure of the ballroom as your Sims sashay away to the rhythm of timeless elegance. 💃🕺✨ Serving face and personality, I present to you my bespoke custom content inspired by the grace and splendor of Pose in The Sims 4! 🌟

Angel Hair

BGC

Hat Compatible

Maxis 24 swatches 

Teen - Elder

Vertices: 8565  Polygons: 10222

Anchor Beard

BGC

Maxis 24 swatches 

Teen - Elder

Vertices: 145  Polygons: 228

Pray Tell Glasses

BGC

7 swatches 

Teen - Elder

Vertices: 1290  Polygons: 1404

DOWNLOAD: patreon

As you can probably tell, I'm a bit obsessed right now with a particular series called Pose. I know I'm late to the craze. All my palm colored friends knew about the show and were practically begging me to watch back in 2021. I'll be the first to say it. Black-ish was a show made about black people for white people to watch. I thought this was one of those same situations. had this one friend who recommended me the show. I told that boy, "I live episodes of Pose everyday. I'm a 21st century autistic, queer black man in an America that is constantly trying to tear down people who look like me". I was fearful that this series was going to be another example of glamorized trauma porn media showing one-dimensional struggles of black people because honey, I already have enough to share with the WHOLE world. But truthfully it wasn't as bad as I thought. The series revolves around the HIV/AIDs crisis. Funnily enough, I've actually noticed many parallels to the BLM protests, covid-19 pandemic and the hysteria surrounding monkey pox. During the 1980s and 1990s, many queer people were kicked out of their biological parent's homes. Mostly in fear of the unknown of what HIV could bring their families. And this fear forced many kids out on the streets. The series follows the lives of a group of characters who are part of the ballroom scene, a vibrant subculture in the LGBTQ community where individuals compete in dance and runway competitions, forming "houses" that act as surrogate families. The characters faced several moments of discrimination, prejudice, and hardships but also found strength and catharsis in their chosen families and artistic expressions. I really admire how the show tackled the hardships and they really didn't sugarcoat anything. Overall, the show presents a rich tapestry of themes emphasizing the importance of self-acceptance, community and advocacy, all of which are things that a modern black queer person like myself can really resonate with. I truly saw myself in so many of the characters.

[dearweirdme]

Hi. Could you share a beautiful tought you have of TaeKook. Maybe how they make you feel, why do you support them. Thank you 🫰

Hi anon!

This is actually a bit of a difficult question for me. Because the answer is layered. First of all, I love them as artists. I love BTS as a whole (seriously, I have a personalized BTS playlist I play everyday on the drive to and from work), and I love Tae and Jk’s voices and performances as solo artists as well. I love Layover, I loved his performances, and I loved the promo footage we got. I’m so glad we got to see this side of Tae. We haven’t heard Jk’s album yet, but I’m super excited about it, because I love to see him perform as well. Due to this question I’m trying to choose whose voice I love most, but I’m unable to. I love Tae’s deep warm voice, but I also love Jk’s voice and the way he makes me feel emotions when he sings. I don’t actually have to choose, so I won’t 😁.

Aside from loving them as artists, I also love their individual characters. Tae might be my bias, but I have so much love for Jk as well. I really enjoy Jk’s humor, and the way he expresses his emotions. Jk isn’t afraid to feel and that’s something I really admire. He might be a private person, but he invests a lot in sharing himself with army. I think, though he might not always express it best, Jk loves hard. I love to see his pouty face, I love to see him affectionate with his members, I love to see him master stuff, I love how he’s grown into such a beautiful person. And Tae.. i kinda identify with Tae. Tae is often described as weird, and he acknowledges that himself as well. He has a different way of thinking. My handle isn’t ‘dearweirdme’ for nothing (has been that way even before I was in fandom), because I have often felt the same. Though I have gone through a journey of accepting and understanding my weirdness for a very long time, getting to know Tae has helped me in ways. His confidence (or at least the way he shows confidence) has made me lay other people’s opinions beside me more. Aside from identifying with Tae on a certain level, I also find him so sweet and caring and I love how he can be absolutely (i want to say ‘lethal’ 😂) bold and sharp at times.

Tae and Jk as a couple.. geezz it breaks my heart at times when I think of all the hardships they have had to go through. Ofcourse being a partnof BTS already meant they had to have hard times, but falling in love with each other certainly set them for issues the other members didn’t experience. What I love is how they have always kept that strong connection. I had an anon say this recently also, but I’ll repeat.. there hasn’t been a period in time where Tae and Jk didn’t show how close and comfortable they actually are and have been. People talk about possible breakups (and sure there have been visible hard times) but I wouldn’t know where to place a durable breakup anywhere. They are so sweet together, so soft.. so caring, so knowing. I think these men know each other inside out. The way Tae touches Jk, the way Jk looks at Tae with stars in his eyes. They actually visibly go soft by looking at each other.

Now my personal reasons for being an ally (yes, I’m straight). I’ve always been an ally, yet not always an active/vocal one. I have queer friends and acquaintances, I wouldn’t be opposed to dating someone who isn’t male, but I’ve only ever been attracted to males before. I started to get more vocal/active in supporting the queer community when my kid was born. All the heteronormativity just didn’t sit right with me. People were so quick to talk about ‘boys being boys’ stuff and I just want him to be happy with whatever he chooses. My kid a bit of a ‘softer’ boy, playing with mylittle ponies as much as he did with cars for instance. So that’s when I decided to actively show him that he has options. I make sure to read him inclusive books, I always tell him ‘boyfriend or girlfriend’ when we talk about being in love, I explain that there’s all sorts of families and all sorts of relationships (age appropriate) and I do this publicly.. which means I often correct statements made by others that are not inclusive (which is not always appreciated, but my kid’s feelings of safety are just more important). I just think, I want him to know that everything is fine by me. If he turns out to be queer, I’d love for him to not really have to come out, but just tell me ‘mom, i’m going out with a boy tonight.’.

All those things combined are what makes me support Tae and Jk I think. If it comes down to it, I just support love of any kind.

[broodingnightgoddess]

Queer characters in media:

Ellie Williams

Ellie is the deuteragonist of the videogame The Last of Us and one of the two playable characters of The Last of Us Part II. She's lesbian.

----------------------------------------------------

Character info

Name: Ellie Williams

Alias: none

Gender and sexuality: Lesbian woman

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

Ellie is a fully developed character, whose sexuality is a core trait in such a way that removing it would harm her character. Ellie is one of the best lesbian characters out there, and she's even a playable character in the franchise, along with being the protagonist of the second game (I'm not comenting on the story)

Her relationships, especially with Riley and Dina, are a part of the overall narrative and her character, having interesting relationships with unfortunate endings.

Brief story (spoilers)

Warning: this ain't brief at all

Ellie was born in the midst of an apocalypse; a zombie plague brought upon by a hyper-mutated version of the real-life mushroom Cordyceps. Living in the Boston Quarantine area, she would face many hardships in her early life.

Here, she met Riley, and both of them fell in love, however, while in an abandoned arcade center, both of them were bitten by the infected, and they would soon lose control to the fungus. They embraced each other and waited to lose their minds. However, Ellie proved to be inmune to the Cordyceps, which made her possibly the last hope of human civilization.

She and the main protagonist Joel would traverse the country in search of the Fireflies, a militia that was looking for a vaccine against the infection. However, in Salt Lake City, Joel learned that Ellie would die as a result of the operation to extract the fungus in her body, and, having grown to care for the girl that he saw as his lost daughter, Joel would kill the Fireflies and the surgeon that was going to perform the surgery, destroying the last hope of humanity as no one else knew how to perform the surgery.

Ellie and Joel, the former being lied to about the events in Salt Lake City, would settle in with a group of survivors in the city of Jackson.

Meanwhile, Abby, the daughter of the dead surgeon, promised to kill Joel and avenge her father. This oath was completed years later, when Abby and other former Fireflies that had joined another militia named the Washington Liberation Front (WLF), would hunt down, torture and kill Joel.

Ellie witnessed this, and along with Dina, her girlfriend at the time, they would travel to Seattle to kill Abby and her friends. The hunt proved unsuccessful, though, and with Dina being pregnant, fruit of a previous relationship, they both returned to Jackson and settled on a nearby farm with the newborn JJ

Unfortunately, Ellie's obsession with killing Abby consumed her, and she traveled to California, her last known location, to finally kill her, leaving Dina heartbroken.

At the end, Ellie let Abby and her companion Lev (a trans boy that will get his own blog) free, and she returned home, but Dina and JJ had already left the farm, now sitting abandoned and empty. Without anywhere else to go, Ellie abandoned the house and parted to an unknown location. As of time of writing, Ellie's fate remains unknown.

----------------------------------------------------

Trivia

Ellie hadn't come out of the closet to Joel, as she didn't know how he would react. However, upon an altercation with a homophobic Jackson resident named Seth, Joel jumped in to beat him, but he was stopped before the situation escalated. Joel would show his support for Ellie and Dina's relationship.

A previous girlfriend of Ellie, named Cat, is mentioned in Part II, although she never appears on screen.

Ellie is an artist, playing music, wiring poetry and drawing. She uses art as an outlet for her emotions, dedicating some to Dina although most of it goes towards processing her grief.

A third game in the series is a possibility, which would finally close the overarching plot, and may feature Ellie sacrificing herself for humankind, as her last chance was stolen from her.

[sleepymarmot]

Tokyo Godfathers (2003)

Wanted to watch this on Christmas, but I was too busy with an entirely different story about a baby abandoned and found on Christmas Eve and improbable coincidences. Then I decided to make it my first new film of the new year: it had been on my watchlist for more than a decade, so finally checking it off would be an auspicious start for 2024. I didn’t realize the movie’s events started on Christmas but ended on New Year, so turns out, I didn’t miss the time window after all.

It feels like this film should be a hit on Tumblr. Found family of marginalized misfits? I’m surprised it’s not a staple of the winter holiday season over here.

Especially since it has some things in common with a Tumblr (and my own) favorite, Disco Elysium. Self-hating alcoholic who missed his chance to become a family man; his queer companion, with some amount of romantic tension between them; a kid who’d rather spend time on the street than with dad at home; a mystery that has to be solved as soon as possible; an odyssey through the eclectic and neglected spaces of a city that seems to be a character in itself; finding hope in the middle of hardship and beauty among rubble and garbage. Even the style seems similar.

The environments might be my favorite thing about the film; beautiful, stylish, detailed and realistic yet harmonically coexisting with the more cartoonish characters. (This short article on Substack has some interesting info about it; I plan to watch the Blu-ray documentary feature that served as one of the sources, but not right now.)

I spent all of my brain power on processing the language and didn’t have much left to properly appreciate the story, so I don’t have anything original to say here. I was slightly bored at the beginning, and started to get into the film more when the protagonists encountered the yakuza and the impossible coincidences started piling up. I imagine the story would have been quite bleak if it stayed realistic.

Maybe I was too tired, but the plot stopped making sense at the end. So who abandoned the baby? Sachiko? Why would she kidnap the baby to raise it as her own, then abandon it, then try to run away with it again?

Interesting that all three characters are homeless by choice; all of them have people to come back to. They aren’t exiled from their families, they have exiled themselves. Their misery is caused not only by society’s failure to care for its vulnerable members, but also by their own guilt, shame, and fear. They cannot bring themselves to face their past, until fate forces them to do so. Their Christmas miracle is to reunite with the people who still love them and want them back in their lives. I think that in a story made by a left-leaning writer today, the protagonists would declare that the found family is the only real family they need, and would be far more resentful of characters like the doctor who told Gin to fix his life himself. This film seems uninterested in society as a net of systems and institutions that traps people in rigid roles, and more interested in it as a collection of diverse individuals who stumble upon each other’s paths, usually without understanding but also usually without malice. The film’s approach to social justice is to humanize the downtrodden, instead of condemning the system that left them in that condition. Perhaps it’s just an earlier stage of the same artistic process? Anyway, in the middle of the current “eat the rich” fad (which, to me, seems pretty hypocritical coming from directors and producers who are rich themselves), it’s nice to watch a story that doesn’t waste screen time on toothless satire and instead spends it on character development for the protagonists.

This is the second time within the last couple of years that I watched the work of a previously favorite anime director after an enormously long break. Your Name made me question my respect for Shinkai; Tokyo Godfathers, on the other hand, did not disappoint me in Kon — only made me mourn him all over again. I’m pretty sure I first made a note of this film with the intent to watch it back when he was still alive. Strange how a life-affirming story whose optimism relies on realism-defying eucatastrophes, in the end, reminded me how fucking unfair the real world is.

[scenekidfancams]

4 Cool Gay / queer artists and for pride this year (2023)

I wanted to help some queer and ally musicians boost their songs. As a trans-woman I think its important to understand that pride is important as much as change. Focusing on the hardships we have faced is very important but our victories are much more. So here are some (4) artists I (rose) recommend for pride.

Mikie mayo (any/all pronouns).

Mikie mayo (aka bunny boy) is a definitely hard to pin down Philly musician and occasional roller-coaster content creator. Mikie can be seen dabbling anything from indie pop, easycore, scene metalcore with bay area and internet rapper legend Lil B, scene electropop hyperpop, eurodance and dance pop about roller coasters and go karts, to beach pop, generally being pretty much a banger machine. Mikie's music is like ice cream w/ your favorite toppings on a warm summer day, very good and sugary sweet.

(photos by cam.i.z on ig)

these are my favorite songs / music videos by mikie mayo

Mikie has requested I let you know they have a new song about their partner and the couch they have.

click here to pre-save.

(photo by @ h0t_t0xiic on IG, couch and art by mikie's partner @ HoneyHatCompositions on IG )

FFO: eichlers, falloutboy, I set my friends on fire, dynasticc, dreamrats, cedar point amusement park, glaive, 100 gecs, etc.

(photos by rae mystic)

We Are The Union

I'm gonna cut to the chase on this one. If you want an emotional experience as a trans woman / transfemme or really any trans person to make you not feel alone and like ska / ska punk listen to Ordinary Life by we are the union. the first time I heard morbid obsessions I was working a part time (as full time really) at home depot in my small hometown in pa. I felt like as a trans woman and generally depressed person I couldn't be myself and go back to school. My boss there was the most transphobic piece of shit, and he always misgendered me and but me down. it wasn't until I quit that job and when I shifted to being myself inspired by my thoughts at the time that I accepted that I was fully a trans woman. I really related and still relate to Miss Reade Wolcott and her struggles with gender identity and be a trans woman in a transphobic world but also like her I am who I am. I would also could relate to jer and their struggles of being boxed in music genres and having what they love constantly undermined and diminished / not taken what I have to say seriously as a queer person.

FFO: New Tone, hoity toity, catbite, Eichlers, Bad operation, Kill Lincoln, etc.

Genres: ska pop, ska punk, alternative ska.

(photo by jtphotos)

Jisei (leda xo its/its and alexis she/they)

Jisei are the best queergrind band I have ever heard. the most raw queer emotions I have ever heard. Some of the best riffs I have ever heard. Imagine deathcore for the girls and the gays. The duo also make the most real lyrics I have heard in a while. For example one of I think the most topical songs they have had is "Pull Yrself Up by Your Pleasers". Pull Yrself Up by Your Pleasers being about christian nationalism and the alt-right abusing and tearing away the seperation of church and state without seeing a hint of irony. I hate the "Just asking questions" transphobia , and even though that might seem like solely a usa proving that Jisei hailing from vancouver proves that transphobia is a worldwide issue and if so called "cis allies" aren't for us 100+ %, fuck 'em.

FFO: Thotcrime, Sissy xo, hopscotch battlescars, Suicide Silence, and a lovely day for bloodshed.

Genres: Cybergrind, cyberdeath, deathgrind, deathcore, queercore and queergrind

seeyouspacecowboy.

(band photo by shutter happy jose)

last on the list here we have the one of the most popular queer scenecore bands ever. see you space cowboy. the most gay and hard band at the same time they well as sass as much as hardcore. Picture if saosin, the devil wears prada, or thrice, and/or attack attack! were queer and trans and say exclaimed faggot as fun mosh call. That would be see you space cowboy, started by brother and sister connie and ethan, seeyouspacecowboy is one of the most popular bands in screamo, metalcore and hardcore, and scenecore all at the same time. will excellent songwriting and angsty queer lyrics complimented with crushing riffs and piercing panic chords, seeyouspacecowboy will worm your way into your heart and crush your rib-cage at the same time. As a fan of vocalist connie sgarbossa, she was one of the people who helped me come out as a trans woman in the first place. The fact that a queer trans woman who screamed and force herself to the front inspirational. Yeah the fact we have to be forced to be heard kinda sucks, but it can be done and her presence in the scene made that very well known. Also it kinda helps that they spread the word on trans liberation and mental health from and trans and queer perspective and what can be done to combat transphobia in a very passionate and heartfelt way. I highly recommend their whole catolgue from their sass/whitebelt eras, to their metallic hardcore stuff, to mall scenecore era currently.

Genres: Scenecore, sasscore, whitebelt, queercore, "screamo", mall screamo, metalcore, scene metalcore, hardcore, metallic hardcore.

FFO: attack attack!, tdwp, i set my friends on fire, lacerated, thrice, norma jean, and underoath etc.

pride should be celebrated.

one last thing from a trans woman,

gender doesn't always equal sex.

gendered pronouns / pronouns in general have existed since the beginning of time.

drag queens aren't always trans.

trans people don't care about where you pee and where you are, they just wanna pee in their gendered bathroom.

cis isn't a slur.

terf isn't a slur.

leave trans people alone.

[qnewsau]

Indonesian queer community party celebrates Mardi Gras

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/indonesian-queer-community-party-celebrates-mardi-gras/

Indonesian queer community party celebrates Mardi Gras

Since 2016 Selamat Datang has fostered safe environments for LGBTQIA+ Indonesians to meet in Sydney as well as providing them visibility through its entries in the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade.

One of the most enticing aspects of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is the bridges that it builds within the LGBTQIA+ community.

Sydney offers an extremely diverse queer scene and a testament to this is Indonesian Queer and That Unicorn, a performance and fundraising event celebrating the queer Indonesian identity during Mardi Gras.

What makes the festival so important in 2024 is that not only does it celebrate all the different aspects of the queer community in Australia, but also that helps build and maintain the strong connections within each wonderfully diverse part of our community. Indonesian Queer and That Unicorn will showcase entertainers from Indonesia, including musicians, drag artists, storytellers, and burlesque performers.

Importantly, it will also encourage discourse around the struggles and hardships faced by the Indonesian queer community, and in doing so, embrace authentic identities and challenge stereotypes.

The event is being held at Stonewall Hotel, right in the heart of Oxford Street and focuses on recognising the strong links that Australia already has with Indonesia through travel and culture exchange and celebrates the queer Indonesian community not only here in Sydney but across Australia.

The event will also raise funds for the Selamat Datang Indonesian Community (SDIC) float in this year’s Sydney Mardi Gras Parade.

Selamat Datang was created with the goal of showing support for the queer Indonesian community through participation in Mardi Gras and through organising events where its members can socialise, network, form new friendships and feel supported.

Selamat Datang also runs fundraisers for organisations within Indonesia itself to support the LGBTQIA+ community.

This includes assisting and supporting those living with HIV/AIDS in Indonesia, and being a major sponsor for Indonesian LGBTQIA+ youth.

I had the honour of interviewing Arozak Salam, the organiser behind this event to get a better understanding of the inspiration behind it.

Arozak is most well known as the author of the 2023 book I Am That Unicorn: Memoir of an Indonesian Queer, which, in his own words, explores finding his own colour in between religion, race, and sexual orientation labels.

Arozak is a champion of the queer Indonesian community within Sydney and around Australia, with the publication of his book acting as a testament to living unapologetically and in celebration of his own queerness.

His story is a fascinating one, and one that he has been very open in sharing publicly, which has its own power to it. What is the aim of Indonesian Queer and That Unicorn?

This event was created as part of fundraising efforts for the Selamat Datang Community Float, who will be marching in the 2024 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade.

We are an Indonesian LGBTQIA+ community group based in Sydney, Australia.

We are grateful that Stonewall Hotel supports our cause by providing us with a safe space for our event.

Selamat Datang Community is also open to allies who share interests in Indonesian cultures and support LGBTQIA+ rights.

More than a million Australians visit Indonesia, especially Bali, every year.

We build links between two countries and challenge stereotypes.

However, there are still stories to unpack to open up greater understanding. Through this event, we will share a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by the Indonesian queer community.

For example, just a couple of days ago, an Indonesian male designer and presenter recently received written administrative sanctions from the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission, regarding his feminine body language and appearance, wearing clothes, makeup, and accessories on the TV program. Why is it important to you that this be showcased during the Sydney Mardi Gras festival?

Apart from the ongoing oppression that happens in Indonesia, the Indonesian LGBTQIA+ community in Australia is also often unwelcome by the Indonesian migrant community itself.

The majority of them still carry the same prejudice from their homeland towards LGBTQIA+ people.

As a result, it is common for some Indonesian queer people to be discreet even if they already live in Australia.

They fly across the ocean hoping to find their freedom in Australia to be themselves, only to be treated the same way they used to, which is unfair.

Our event is a queer safe space, hoping the Indonesian queer migrant can exercise the freedom of self-expression whilst inspiring and being inspired by each other.

For marginal communities like us, Sydney Mardi Gras is still an oasis and a healing space.

Who and what has inspired the event?

I gained so much leadership skills throughout my time at the Royal Australian Navy.

Yes, from a camp unicorn burlesque performer full of glitter, I then enlisted myself to be a Navy Officer. That would be another bedtime story!

When I left the Navy last year, I wanted to use my leadership experiences to give back to my community.

As a queer person, I knew from my life experience that if I did not have a space, then I should create one. So, after I recently self-published my memoir, I Am That Unicorn, I thought, why not create an event to gather all the unicorns?

For me, unicorns symbolise queer identity: freedom, playful and magical.

Do you have any future plans for Selamat Datang?

In the near future, we would like to turn our community into a non-profit organisation to organise more creative events, not limited to the Sydney Mardi Gras calendar, and collaborate with more stakeholders in the art scenes.

I am a burlesque performer, and for the majority of the Indonesian community, burlesque can be perceived as pornographic.

I also met an Indonesian visual artist in Sydney who has been told to tone down his queerness when he creates art for the Indonesian migrant community.

Art, for me, is non-linear exploration, colouring outside the line.

The good news is that our queerness is already a form of art.

Hopefully, the Selamat Datang Community can be an alternative hub of the Indonesian creative movement beyond taboos and what is perceived to be sins.

Traditionally, Bugis people from South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia, recognise five genders.

We have an Indonesian maestro dancer, Didik Thowok, who has been performing cross-dress traditional dance for decades nationally and worldwide.

And look at this now: some Indonesians back home complained about a male presenter wearing allegedly feminine outfits. Gimme that red lipstick! It looks good on my lips.

-I Am That Unicorn: Memoir of an Indonesian Queer is available at www.thatunicorn.com

-Indonesian Queer and That Unicorn is on Thursday, February 29 at 6pm at Stonewall Hotel. Tickets are available through Eventbrite

[lord-radish]

I've got a couple hot takes about the Luke Combs cover of Fast Car.

Personally I think it's kind of basic, and I don't particularly care for it. But my understanding is that people are arguing about whether a straight cover can be justified or if a cover should be "transformative", arguing to the tune of the Luke Combs cover being redundant and irrelevant from day one.

Personally, I don't think covers have to justify themselves. They're covers - there's like five professional covers and a hundred amateur YouTube covers to every original song, and most of them are obscure and/or bad in the first place. The original song still exists and is still prominent, and even if a cover version were to get so popular as to overshadow the original song (ala Torn, a song by an alt-rock band named Ednaswap that got big when Natalie Imbruglia covered it), the original song still exists on its own merits and the cover exists in the legacy of the original song.

This Luke Combs version of Fast Car will come and go. Some people will prefer it. It still exists as a part of the original song's legacy, and in my opinion it can only add to that legacy.

I remember a while back when right-wing dickheads were up in arms about a cover of I Will Survive that changed a bunch of pronouns to be gender neutral. The situation here is different - the Fast Car cover hit #1 and is making a ton of money, and Luke Combs is a successful white guy singing a song about poverty and hard times that was written and performed by a black artist, while the I Will Survive cover was a small cover on YouTube by a queer person which got picked up as ragebait by shithole tabloids like the New York Post. But the principle behind the covers is the same: the original song still exists, the cover doesn't supplant or erase the original, and everyone is free to pick and choose which version of the song they prefer. The Fast Car cover is in everyone's face, granted, but that attention is going to die down and people are going to be able to make that choice for themselves.

The cover doesn't have to justify its own existence, because covers often don't. They're covers. They're tributes.

Now, whether it's a good song or not is up to the listener. I don't like the Luke Combs version, it was a fine novelty but I'm sick of hearing it on the radio. I can also understand the perspective of someone who sees the cover as putting on an act, appropriating a story from a black artist about poverty and hardship for fun and profit. But the Luke Combs version exists in a sea of covers, including a couple of trashy club covers I've heard on the radio and almost certainly hundreds of white, acoustic YouTube covers y'know. I never saw people who were pissy at those trashy club covers, and I fucking hate those.

So the question of whether it deserves to exist doesn't make sense to me, because a ton of covers are unnecessary and/or bad and people don't usually care. Covers don't have to be transformative, and they often aren't. Transformative covers can also be dogshit, ala Billy Idol's cover of the Velvet Underground's "Heroin". So for my money - I don't understand why people are arguing for the cover's right to exist, or insisting on innovation over faithfulness. The song will exist, and it will come and go, either way.

[the-final-straw-blog]

Our interview with journalist and community organizer, Kit O’Connell (of the Texas Observer), and anarchist and activist lorén (of QTPIE or Queer and Trans People Illuminate Everything). Both folks are trans folks in Austin, Texas, and we speak for the hour about the increasing legal and social oppression of trans and gender non-conforming folks in that state as well as across the so-called USA, some of its impacts on trans children and children of trans parents, organizing, allyship and community defense. This episode will be available to the wider public in coming weeks.

Transcript

PDF (Unimposed)

Zine (Imposed PDF)

Other links:

Kit O’Connell on mastodon (other socials linked on their website)

QT PIE Trans Bail Fund: https://account.venmo.com/u/qtpiebailfund

Vanguard Drag Crew: https://instagram.com/vanguard_atx

Brigitte Bandit (Drag artist): https://instagram.com/brigittebandit

It’s also worth nothing that Ms. Bandit is being harassed with doctored photos by conservative groups playing up the fearmongering concerning children, as you can see in this tweet here: https://twitter.com/BrigitteBandit/status/1654503599345377280

House of LePore (Balroom house): https://instagram.com/houseoflepore

DDOS Secrets leak of American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds), an homophobic, anti-abortion and transphobic group run by Christian fundamentalists behind the lawsuit attempting to illegalize mifepristone as an abortion pill and that is confusingly named something like the American College of Pediatrics (a legit medical organization). The leak was the feature of a recent article in Wired.

Murder of Garrett Foster: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Garrett_Foster

Announcements

Bad News #67!

Find the following text & past episodes here & the audio here:

Welcome to 67th edition of BAD NEWS, Angry Voices from Around the World, which is a monthly news program produced by international network of anarchist and anti-authoritarian radios.

This month we have contributions from three radio projects. A-Radio Berlin spoke to a comrade from the anarchist feminist anti-prison alliance, who organizes the annual protest rally in front of the women’s prison in Chemnitz, a small town in Eastern Germany. The focus of the conversation were: hardships of unionizing inside German prisons and the importance of building connections and creating empowering moments together.

The second piece is from Kilavo Seme, a show on Radio Študent Ljubljana, which spoke with an activist from Quelili collective about their interesting and a bit crazy idea to buy a ship which would connect europe and latin america to fight, among other things, for climate justice and against colonization.

Finally The Final Straw Radio is sharing a portion of a new interview with supporters of 4 people facing up to 12 years in US federal prison for alleged after-hours graffiti at a fake abortion clinic near to Miami in the state of Florida in the wake of the Supreme Court removal of the protection of legal right to choose abortion, laws limiting access for trans people to health care and public participation, and other regressive steps across the so-called USA.

This Bad News has been put together by Črna luknja in Ljubljana.

Call in for anarchist prisoner, Noah Coffin #1795167

Noah Coffin, a Texas prisoner was granted parole six months ago (November 2022), but has not been released from Texas Correctional and has not been given a reason why.

Call/Email the Texas parole board and voice concern as to why Noah has yet to be released, you can reach them at: (512) 936-6351 or bpp_pio@tdcj.texas.gov (call script and email script to follow).

Call Script:

Hello, I am calling to voice my concern about a prisoner at the Ellis Unit Detention Center, Noah Coffin 01795167. He was granted parole six months ago and has yet to be released from prison, I am just wondering why that is? I am urging you to release him.

Email Script:

Dear Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles,

I am contacting you on behalf on Noah Coffin 01795167, a prisoner who is incarcerated at Ellis Unit in Texas. Noah was granted parole six months ago, but has yet to be released from prison, I am emailing you to inqure why that is? I am urging you to release him immediately as he has been granted parole.

Upcoming

We are planning a number of other chats in coming weeks that will take a while to find their way into our main podcast stream including: an interview with one of the authors of We Go Where They Go, a history of Anti-Racist Action around the millenium; an interview with comic artist and collagist Johnny Damm; an interview with transfem anti-fascists in the UK about the recent violence in Liverpool as fascists attempted to attack refugees held up in a hotel; Devi Machete of Contra Viento y Marea Comedor mutual aid space run by refugees and anarchists in Tijuana, Mexico; and more.

We’ll be releasing those interviews listed above as we can to our patrons subscribed at a level of $3 or more per month. The patreon funds go to pay for our basic operations cost like web hosting and PO Box as well as to the transcription work that allows our material to be translated into other languages, accessed more easily by folks with hearing difficulties and search engines. The transcripts also get made into zines that can be shared with people behind bars or in person! Check out the growing list of zines at https://tfsr.wtf/zines and consider supporting us at https://patreon.com/tfsr or by other methods at https://tfsr.wtf/support

. … . ..

Featured Track:

If You Go Down (I’m Going Down, Too) by Kelsae Ballerini from Subject To Change

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

The thing with that NYT article that astounds me is that if Taylor (or whoever the subject was) were closeted, what did the author think they would accomplish by outing her or any other public figure in the same position? It reeks of sensationalism and tabloid journalism, and the author of all people would have to know that anything published in the US’s newspaper of record would carry weight that gossip blogs wouldn’t. They can’t hide behind a “it’s just hypothetical!”, even in an Op-Ed, the way tumblruser1389 could around here.

And that’s the real danger here. I’m sure on a personal level it’s deeply hurtful to Taylor because it’s yet another instance in which she is being treated like an avatar and not a human being. (And it’s so unfortunate that it involved a community that does face hardship and discrimination and would benefit from more representation and acceptance at that level.) But on a larger scale, the real issue imo is that the piece gives permission to the chronically online and mainstream readers alike to speculate and publicly out people. Except many of those speculated on probably don’t have the security of someone on Taylor’s level and not only is it reprehensible to force people to do so, it could have real life consequences that could pose actual danger to their personal and professional lives. If the New York Times can do it, why shouldn’t I? It’s dehumanizing.

Yes, it’s sad that it’s 2024 and coming out is still a big deal; in an ideal world, people could love who they love and identify how they want and no one would bat an eye, but that still isn’t the case and I understand why some look for representation from public figures to make them feel seen. But, until that person says so, you can’t assume they are something they’re not. It’s deeply hurtful to them and the community you want them to represent, and it perpetuates the same kind of trauma. Because it sends a signal that there is a gotcha and someone will force you to do something before you’re ready or willing.

As many have discussed here recently, it’s one thing to interpret Taylor’s work through a queer lens. That’s literary analysis! That’s what art is for! And it’s a beautiful thing to be able to interpret a piece of work and relate to something in your own life! But interpreting is not assigning. It’s one thing to say, “‘Ivy’ sounds like it’s a wlw affair,” and write an essay about it — and for all we know, maybe that’s what Taylor imagined when she wrote it. That’s a totally valid interpretation and offers an interesting perspective. But that doesn’t mean that was Taylor’s lived experience. (Just like she may have imagined murdering her best friend’s husband but that doesn’t mean she’s actually done it.) Just because Taylor often writes diaristic music doesn’t mean all of it is, and doesn’t mean she can’t take diaristic elements (eg feelings of hurt, loss, envy, infidelity, etc.) and apply it to other stories. That’s what artists do. For someone in one of the world’s most influential newspapers to claim interpretation as fact and create their own narrative about an actual human being living in the real world is hurtful, along with being just plain lazy journalism. (I know as an opinion piece it’s not strictly journalism, but the NYT is and should have known better.)

I don’t really have a coherent way of tying this all up, but it’s just so annoying that it’s 2024 and we’re still having this discourse.

[merrysithmas]

The good thing abt Steve and smth ppl are missing in the current discourse is he really did say Fuck America literally every chance he got and criticized the US govt every second he wore the suit and the govt absolutely hated him for it.

Even in the 40s he didnt want to kill anyone "for America", but as a disabled man couldn't fathom not standing up to the eugenicist Nazis. He wasn't politically motivated by nationalism but instead by human compassion. In fact, it is extremely likely he was highly critical of the US govt as a young man preserum given his impoverished life circumstances and constantly failing health. Living in NYC, seeing the shanty towns in Central Park, unable to afford life-saving medicine, watching Bucky and his mother kill themselves to make a nickle, surrounded by the radical leftist art scene in NY as an art student - Steve saw and lived injustice every day. And empathized with people who suffered different social misfortunes than he did (the woman crying in the movie theatre, "I don't like bullies", Peggy suffering sexism) although his personal list was extensive itself.

To him, the shield was always more of a philosophy and never attached to a specific country, which is what made it so easy for him to blow off 117 countries for Bucky, or tear the star from his chest yet defend the world in the vestiges of his armor against Thanos - he was fighting for what was right and not what was dictated by any country or political ideology (which is the main issue in Civil War with him being against the Accords, and one he was extremely well-positioned to understand having been used as a symbol and propaganda against his will many times, and having witnessed the dangers of state-sanctioned violence in WWII and CATWS. Even if Steve's argument was also faulty to an extent, you can absolutely see why he would argue for that perspective).

Steve was as FDR leftist artist in the Great Depression post Crash 1930s, disabled and chronically ill, diminutive and likely targeted by US eugenicits in NYC who vocally campaigned against disabled people being alive in the 30s (saying they should be sterilized or killed), son of an Irish immigrant single mother, lived in historically queer neighborhood of Brooklyn, an artist, and in the MCU coded as bi. He fights for whoever needs him, not for whoever tells him to. He was always highly critical and tongue-in-cheek/tired of the costume, drawing himself as the dancing monkey in CATFA ("Ready to follow 'Captain America' into the jaws of death?" he confides his mockery in Bucky, who heartwarmingly assures him that no, he is following Steve.) Steve continued to question, dog, and make trouble for the US continually after that until he wholeheartedly said Fuck You in CATWS and just dropped the shield (and never picked it up again until he handed it off to Sam, who he was confident could do something meaningful with it that he was not positioned to as a white man).

Steve visibly appears as a bygone era's "perfect man" and outright REJECTS both this supremacist definition and the shield's gatekeeping/the shield itself. Sam visibly appears as an "outsider" to exclusivist and systemically racist systems and yet EMBRACES the shield's potential. They are both radically standing up for the same cause in different ways and this comparison depicts why they are so closely aligned and best friends.

The irony of Steve Rogers as Captain America is hugely important to his character. In many ways, Steve is depicted as a reluctant hero who struggles with the strength of his own moral ideals versus the highly imperfect symbol he dons. This is different from other superheroes who usually self-create their alter egos as symbols of their more perfect, empowered selves.

In contrast, it is Steve's natural hardiness, independence, and righteous outrage in the face of wrongdoing which represents America's best ideals, but distinctly is opposed to its government which directs that he act as its image. As Steve holds the shield we see the image of a person who is critical of the govt for falling short of its principles and simultaneously embodies the ideal qualities that a equitable and free US is supposed to hold. Importantly, and definitively for his character, Steve as Cap shows how wanting the US really is for the goodness it robotically claims to have. And that is why he is important and impactful as Cap, essentially because he is uncomfortable with and critical of the costume.

The status of the suit often does not coincide with his personal beliefs. Yet he wears it to attempt to level up the system he is, for a while, mired in. Steve is not a patriot, not in the common sense of the world, he is instead a patriot of the humanist cause. This puts him on-site for many enemies, including those domestic to him and thus defines him as a hero.

Though his physical appearance suggests that he might wear the suit with a blind nationalist fervor a la John Walker (depicted as a perfect automaton soldier), Steve could not be further from that mindset (a good individualist man). As a now "perfect specimen" poised to be accepted and revered, Steve has the ability to choose an easy life where he is free of the hardships and ostracization he endured preserum. Yet instead, post CACW, Steve chose to continue to stand on the side of progress, the "little guy", to abandon the shield and now finally proudly embrace his pariah status and fight for those pushed aside or deemed unsalvagable or scapegoated (symbolized by Bucky) as he recognizes that while America's rule may benefit some, it still causes other to suffer and struggle (as he once did).

Not to mention, as a meta point, he was crafted as the "perfect man" from a sick, disenfranchised disabled boy who absolutely loathed Nazis by Jewish comic artists to mock the Nazi Aryan ideal - inverting their eugenicist visual image of perfection by empowering someone Nazis would view as worthless to burn their entire evil regime to ash.

He still, today, stands staunchly at odds with far right extremists and fascists in the US today and worldwide. He's the furthest thing from them and he'd have no problem in showing it. Choosing Sam as his successor, proudly, confidently, lovingly, and as a brother in arms who steps back so others can speak for themselves and tell their own stories, Steve shows his cultural and political understanding and his good heart once again - this time as an ally, friend, and a champion of the heroics of others.

[cantquitu]

i really respect everything the anons have said about being queer and the discomfort of feeling unaccepted. I feel compelled to say this as respectfully as possible. what i know from being a fan of louis since 2013 is that he's kind and gentle to his fans. He's interested in who he speaks to and he listens to what they have to say as much as he has time. I think that means something important. That louis is a kind human being who understands the diversity of human beings that he comes in contact w due to his level of fame. Maybe its naive but as a queer person myself I think an artist creating a safe space is a choice and louis chooses to do that every show i've seen

I don't think that's naive, I think Louis places a lot of importance on communicating his respect for his fans and agree that he is generous with his time and attention with his fans. I also think that Louis, as a member of One Direction, was in a position where he met fans around the world going through the most incredible hardships, overcoming the most difficult obstacles, and he was humbled in the face of that at a very young age. So yes, I think he's been exposed to a hugely diverse fandom and I think he's respectful of that. I think that's evident.

However in Louis' case, nothing he can do would make his concerts feel like a safe or inclusive space for me, because his audiences are full of tinhat birthers who perpetuate homophobic sterotyping 🤷‍♀️

[rockislandadultreads]

A Variety of Women’s History Titles: Essential Picks

Sister Queens: The Noble, Tragic Lives of Katherine of Aragon and Juana, Queen of Castile by Julia Fox

The history books have cast Katherine of Aragon, the first queen of King Henry VIII of England, as the ultimate symbol of the Betrayed Woman, cruelly tossed aside in favor of her husband’s seductive mistress, Anne Boleyn. Katherine’s sister, Juana of Castile, wife of Philip of Burgundy and mother of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, is portrayed as “Juana the Mad,” whose erratic behavior included keeping her beloved late husband’s coffin beside her for years. But historian Julia Fox, whose previous work painted an unprecedented portrait of Jane Boleyn, Anne’s sister, offers deeper insight in this first dual biography of Katherine and Juana, the daughters of Spain’s Ferdinand and Isabella, whose family ties remained strong despite their separation. Looking through the lens of their Spanish origins, Fox reveals these queens as flesh-and-blood women—equipped with character, intelligence, and conviction—who are worthy historical figures in their own right. When they were young, Juana’s and Katherine’s futures appeared promising. They had secured politically advantageous marriages, but their dreams of love and power quickly dissolved, and the unions for which they’d spent their whole lives preparing were fraught with duplicity and betrayal. Juana, the elder sister, unexpectedly became Spain’s sovereign, but her authority was continually usurped, first by her husband and later by her son. Katherine, a young widow after the death of Prince Arthur of Wales, soon remarried his doting brother Henry and later became a key figure in a drama that altered England’s religious landscape. Ousted from the positions of power and influence they had been groomed for and separated from their children, Katherine and Juana each turned to their rich and abiding faith and deep personal belief in their family’s dynastic legacy to cope with their enduring hardships.

Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi

Every Thursday morning for two years in the Islamic Republic of Iran, a bold and inspired teacher named Azar Nafisi secretly gathered seven of her most committed female students to read forbidden Western classics. As Islamic morality squads staged arbitrary raids in Tehran, fundamentalists seized hold of the universities, and a blind censor stifled artistic expression, the girls in Azar Nafisi's living room risked removing their veils and immersed themselves in the worlds of Jane Austen, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Henry James, and Vladimir Nabokov. In this extraordinary memoir, their stories become intertwined with the ones they are reading. Reading Lolita in Tehran is a remarkable exploration of resilience in the face of tyranny and a celebration of the liberating power of literature.

Black Girl, Call Home by Jasmine Mans

From spoken word poet Jasmine Mans comes an unforgettable poetry collection about race, feminism, and queer identity. With echoes of Gwendolyn Brooks and Sonia Sanchez, Mans writes to call herself—and us—home. Each poem explores what it means to be a daughter of Newark, and America--and the painful, joyous path to adulthood as a young, queer Black woman. Black Girl, Call Home is a love letter to the wandering Black girl and a vital companion to any woman on a journey to find truth, belonging, and healing.

The Secret History of Home Economics: How Trailblazing Women Harnessed the Power of Home and Changed the Way We Live by Danielle Dreilinger

The term “home economics” may conjure traumatic memories of lopsided hand-sewn pillows or sunken muffins. But common conception obscures the story of the revolutionary science of better living. The field exploded opportunities for women in the twentieth century by reducing domestic work and providing jobs as professors, engineers, chemists, and businesspeople. And it has something to teach us today. In the surprising, often fiercely feminist and always fascinating The Secret History of Home Economics, Danielle Dreilinger traces the field’s history from Black colleges to Eleanor Roosevelt to Okinawa, from a Betty Crocker brigade to DIY techies. These women—and they were mostly women—became chemists and marketers, studied nutrition, health, and exercise, tested parachutes, created astronaut food, and took bold steps in childhood development and education. Home economics followed the currents of American culture even as it shaped them. Dreilinger brings forward the racism within the movement along with the strides taken by women of color who were influential leaders and innovators. She also looks at the personal lives of home economics’ women, as they chose to be single, share lives with other women, or try for egalitarian marriages. This groundbreaking and engaging history restores a denigrated subject to its rightful importance, as it reminds us that everyone should learn how to cook a meal, balance their account, and fight for a better world.

[icouldntresistit]

I often see people commenting on how if km ever came out, their careers would be over. I am not talking about the ones who say it would affect their careers since that is basically a given, but the ones who claim it would end them.

I am not sure if that would be the case.

For starters, bts have a HUGE fanbase. Amongst it, their fans from lgbtq+ friendly countries aren't by any means small in number.

In the west, there are openly queer artists who succeed without having even a quarter of the fanbase bts has. They still face hardships and discrimination but they are able to do what they love and have many people listening to their music.

Even if they lost a significant amount of fans (homophobic fans by the way), the remaining ones would still be enough for them to profit greatly of their music, reach people with their message, and perform for big audiences. They would be left with a reduced but still not small fanbase made of people more loyal to them and, most importantly, accepting and supportive of them.

Of course, they would most likely have to change their target demographic to focus more on progressive countries (something they probably don't want to do) and would face backlash in South Korea and other conservative parts of the world. As far as I know, they are very patriotic so this would be horrible for them.

However, that doesn't mean their careers would be over, like many tend to say. Even if their popularity plummeted in SK, they would still have enough fans to continue pursuing their passion succesfully.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think they lack reasons to not want to come out. Like I said, they really appreciate their country's support so receiving hate from them and their media is definitely something they don't want to go through. There is also the issue with the military service, the consequences it could have for their families, them being korea's representatives, etc. This is all very unfair and part of why I don't expect them to come out.

Having said this, to me, it is a little difficult to imagine that it would be career ending considering their huge fanbase in the west.

Is this just my impression? Would they really be unable to continue living off of music and performance with moderate success, thus ending their career, if they came out?

I’ve never thought much about this but honestly, I do think their careers would suffer if any member came out. Internationally, it might not move the needle as much, but domestically, they’d likely take a huge hit. A good portion of HYBE’s investors are Korean corporate conglomerates and Korean nationals. If Korean investors pull out, then HYBE is left with a fraction of their current resources, which would effectively halt production of any bts-related content and/or merchandise. Also consider that in business, it’s not only about having a customer to sell to, but also a method by which to deliver the product. Exhibitors and distributors could blacklist them--which would severely limit their ability to sell anything, let alone perform on shows/go on domestic tours, etc. Imagine Samsung without all the electronics stores, appliance stores, mobile phone companies, etc, to distribute their products through. They would have to rely on their own retail outlets which make up only a fraction of Samsung’s retailers. They would lose revenue on that alone. Likewise, imagine BTS’ situation if suddenly Naver, Melon, MNET, etc. pulled any bts-related content. BTS would have to find a way to make the same amount money on things like YouTube and Spotify US alone in order to maintain their current business model and individual lifestyles. They would definitely still make money, but it wouldn’t be as much. Now, I don’t imagine that all of their investors would suddenly pull out (money does talk after all), nor do I imagine that they’d be blacklisted from all domestic distributors, but they would most likely suffer a hit that would lower their current status in the industry.  But honestly, I think the worst part would be how their image would suffer.  At least for a period of time, they would be socially outcasted by a good part of the Korean public (definitely not all people though). And Jimin and JK specifically are strongly nationalistic (not unlike a lot of Korean men) and put the support of fellow Koreans above any international success. If someone like this loses the support of their home nation, I can imagine it’d be a worse toll than losing the money. You’ve now effectively become a pariah in the place you love most. I mean, look at what Koreans have done to Sam Okeyere for daring to even speak on discrimination in South Korea All of this, of course, is just conjecture. Because there’s no precedent to be able to tell us how the korean public would react, only attitudes and predispositions of trendsetters and decision-makers. Something like this has literally never happened before (an idol coming out as both LGBTQ+ and in a relationship with their member) so it would honestly just have to play out for us to truly know TL;DR: It would most likely cause damage in the interim but really, I don’t know and neither does anyone else lol