#and the only way to stop bullying (or bigotry for that matter)

[ferociouslycreativemystery]

One of the most fucked up things about peer bullying is how without intervention, even years later it will make you look at an unrelated group of people that you sympathise with and want to be a part of a little too much, and it will still make you feel sick to your stomach because How could I even approach them? Literally what would that entail? How do I belong to something without giving up my entire sense of self? What does a healthy friendship look like, in practice, for me? Because I don't come from a particularly tragic background in general, but I never had that. Now when talking directly to people, I just melt away into a mirror. I disappear, even from myself.

Forget romantic heartbreak, I need songs and stories that give platonic relationships their due, cause this shit can fuck you up just as bad if not in even more fundamental ways. Because you need to be able to at least form sustained if shallow relationships with people in your immediate surroundings to like. function? Survive? With employers, coworkers, neighbours, doctors, etc., even if you don't have any friends. Especially in a society built around the ideal of Every Person for Themselves. Independence and freedom are great and all, but we very much do still need to lean on each other for support when we stumble in order to keep everything going.

So you'll forgive me if I don't see the joke in "they should have been bullied more in school", because having lived that reality it didn't make me normal, it made me fear myself and admitting any connection to other people like me. Which only made me act stranger and more erratic, because I lost my beacon. And now trying to hold onto or even look at it, or someone, burns, because I've been living in the cold and dark for too long. It's baby steps emerging from Plato's cave, trying to learn in my mid-20s what most people figured out in their early teens. This process has also introduced me to an entirely new realm of shame that I must learn to cope with at the same time. As a fresh experience, getting better isolates you in entirely new and not-so-exciting ways from peers who already got over this. I fucking hate it.

But the only way out is through, and one day I will be out. Because at least now I have something to fight for. I just wish I could have spent all this time loving it, instead of running away, hollow, simply trying to survive.

[andy-wm]

On a personal note...

This is a personal story, so feel free to scroll on past (if you're only here for the Jikookery I can respect that).

I'm posting this because it's connected to what Jimin and Jungkook (specifically Jimin) may or may not be doing with this album and their travel series "Are you sure", and by that I mean coming out publicly as queer and as lovers. If it sounds vague, it is, because I don't know what they're doing yet. I don't know how far Jimin is taking this or what direction he'll go. But if he is going to make his private life public, then my post is relevant even though my experience is a microscopic spec 0f what he will encounter.

I live in a conservative little town on the edge of a big city, we're almost the last stop on the metro train line. This place has 10 000 residents and a reputation for being a little on the rough side. It's not a bad place and the people are not bad people but they won't step aside if you pick a fight, lets put it that way.

There's one high school in our little town, and I am the school librarian. I also run the school's pride club and when I started it 5 years ago (that's when I joined this school) it kicked up a bit of a stink. The community had mixed feelings. I wasn't out as trans at that point, only as queer. The school principal supported the club but wanted me to keep it quiet (I didn't). She wanted me to be appeasing (I wasn't). And when we had challenges from homophobic students, she wanted me to 'let her handle it' ( I didn't).

I responded to bigotry with patience and kindness, modelling the behaviour I expected and having many many conversations about prejudice, the patriarchy, learned behaviour, fear of the unknown, and minding your own damn business....

When I came out as trans to the school community - changing my name and pronouns - I faced some real push back from both staff and students. Students were less openly hostile but sometimes the subtle attempts at bullying are worse. My line manager was really difficult about it. I was a hot topic of conversation. It wasn't a good time. But I stuck with it, partly because I couldn't go back and partly because the Pride Club students were so empowered by what I was doing. They thought I was really brave. I couldn't let them down.

It was a tough time for me personally. Every day was a struggle as I navigated my wavering sense of identity and tried to be true to myself. Most of my family and friends were okay with it but some were not. Some flipped back and forth, some thought I had lost my mind. I had to let a few people go from my life, including one of my closest friends. I've lost a few more since then. I've cried more in the past few years than I have in my whole life and I am pretty tough, so you gotta know - it was a lot.

Fast forward to now. The pride club is well established, homophobia still exists but it's less overt and it's no longer ignored, and we have staff who are active allies. It's definitely a success. Our students to have a safe place where they can be themselves, and slow change is coming to the culture of the school.

It has come at a personal cost though. Not a HUGE personal cost but enough for it to matter. I am recognised and known around town because, well, most people in small communities know each other. But more so because of my role in the school, and because I am the only out and vocal queer person on school staff (yes, there are other LGBTQIA+ staff but they keep it quiet, and I don't really blame them).

At school i still have to correct people on my pronouns on a daily basis, and occasionally a student will throw a comment my way but it's not often these days. I have to come out to all the new staff pretty much as soon as I first meet them otherwise it's awkward. It's just an everyday thing. It's not a big deal but it's tiring, and it's something cis/straight people don't ever have to think about.

What is tough, though, is sniping from the community at large every now and again. I have been targeted on community socials and I've had had some pretty brusque service from local shop owners and service personnel in local businesses. Sometimes I see kids from school at the shops and they point me out to their parents. I pretend it's because they're happy to see me (what the fuck else am I going to do - hide in the apple crate?) They may say a friendly hello... or they may following me through the aisles of the supermarket trying to menace me - yes, that has happened - I just have to wait and see.

I do have allies in the community too - like the gorgeous pharmacist who always gets my name and pronouns right and compliments me (on whatever he can think of) every time I collect my meds. There's a stern woman in the hardware store who makes a point of loudly correcting herself when she uses the wrong pronouns (often). I appreciate this, I really do, but honestly it would be great if she could be a little quieter.

I am not a celebrity by any means, just a small town school librarian. But wherever I go in my small town - to the doctor, the supermarket, the park, or the gym - there's a chance I'll encounter someone who knows my face. Sometimes that makes me nervous.

The point of this long and boring post is to give people who may not know what it's like, a bit of insight into the experience of a regular, everyday person who lives in a conservative place and who is both recognisable and queer. It can be exhausting, and from time to time I struggle with mental health issues. So I have no doubt that for people who are really well known, it would be much, much worse. They would be the subject of public debate on news sites and TV. They'd be tossed into arguments by politicians on both sides of the divide. They'd encounter hostility in person too, and that's really frightening.

So please remember that if the celebs you admire choose NOT to come out, it's because they've weighed up their choices and that's the safest option for them. Support them where they're at, so they can live their best life under the circumstances.

If they do come out, they'll probably need even more support. Please love them, defend them, celebrate them, and validate them. They need you more than you know.

And above all else, be a good human.

PS, no need to comment here, this is purely a PSA <3

[metal-berry]

RWBY die-hards are so funny tbh. They spent the past five years deliberately and vehemently gatekeeping the fndm to a ridiculously high degree, doing things like gloating that they were "purging" the fndm of all but the show's most ardent worshipers, launching vicious smear campaigns against anyone and everyone who said even the mildest bit of criticism and slinging baseless accusations of "sexism" and "homophobia" against them (even though an overwhelming majority of their targets have been queer or women or both, while an overwhelming majority of RWBY's creative team have been straight men with histories of open misogyny and queerphobia) they've bullied fan-artists off every platform, they've sent hate mail, death threats, rape threats, slurs, they've literally posted long lists of "rules" they expect fans to follow "or else" (and the rules include things like "you must fiercely advocate for my favorite ship" and "you must love my favorite characters and hate my least favorites" and "No AU's or Fix-it fics allowed" and then if anyone is caught breaking these "rules" they get labeled as "the HTDM" and viciously smeared and bullied out of the fndm, they've deliberately sought out popular fanworks and started viciously smearing and harassing the fan creators while gloating "if you criticize the product sold by a corporation, we get to coordinate cyberbullying campaigns against you as an individual artist who makes fanart for free, because those are totally the same thing in our minds so you deserve it!!!" They've swarmed YouTubers like penguinz0 or Hbomberguy and harassed them with death threats and accused them of "trying to kill rwby" (as if it couldn't possibly have anything to do with 1. Rooster Teeth being a horrifically abusive and bigoted company that every decent person decided to stop supporting, 2. "CRWBY" being comprised of and run by Rooster Teeth bigwigs including four of the five founding fathers of the company and several department heads, many of whom have open histories of extreme bigotry themselves, which bled into the show and caused extreme bigotry to be baked into the writing itself, and 3. *this exact fandom*, all of which together are enough of a poison itself, to the point where having a couple of youtubers say "so this isn't a good mix" was never going to actually affect viewership NEARLY as much as the Corporation and Fandom were already doing) and also can we talk about the horrific amounts of biphobia that gets leveled against the people who ship Blake with literally ANYONE other than Yang and ship Yang with literally ANYONE other than Yang?? Because my god the biphobia that exists within the Die-Hards in this fandom is off the fucking charts. The amount of specifically bisexual fans who have been viciously attacked because they did not list bumblby among all the queer ships they liked. The amount of times I've seen people say things like "the only reason anyone likes BlackSun is if they're homophobic" when a lot of BlackSun shippers are openly bi and ship them as a bi-for-bi ship. The amount of times I've seen people say things like "the only reason anyone PRETENDS to like Freezerburn is if they're trying to shove Yang with a random girl so they can force Blake to date a stinky MAN while using Yang and Weiss as shields to protect themselves from being caught as the homophobes they really are." The amount of times I've seen people attack fans who ship Blake with Ilia or Ruby or Nora, or fans who ship Yang with Pyrrha or Neon or Nora, because it *does not matter* if you actively ship a hundred queer rwby ships and write hundreds of fics about it and draw endless fanart of it, if you say "eh I personally just don’t care for Blake X Yang" or even if you say "I used to be a hard-core bumblby shipper but the way the writers chose to execute it left a lot to be desired and turned me off the ship" you get labeled a "Sexist Homophobe" and violently abused and bullied. It's fucking disgraceful, it's NO WONDER this fandom is fucking dead

When a fandom: a) posts strict rules detailing exactly which interpretations, headcanons, character opinions, and ships are REQUIRED in order to be considered "not a hater," b) viciously attacks and harasses every single person on the internet who does not follow those strict rules and labels them a "hater" because of it, c) slings baseless and despicable accusations of "sexism" and "homophobia" against these so-called "haters," because apparently they're too ignorant to pick up a dictionary and learn that "criticizing rwby" is not included in the definition of those words, while also completely ignoring or even *denying* the fact that most of their targets are queer women and most of our complaints are that *rwby is textbook sexist and homophobic and RACIST AND ABLEIST and was created and almost entirely written by openly sexist and homophobic and racist and ableist men, and you actually kind of have to have failed Progressivism 101 in order to not see it,* d) engages in open bigotry themselves by attacking marginalized people to punish them for condemning bigotry while using bigoted slurs and dogwhistles against them, and e) deliberately "purges" the fandom of every single fanartist, fanfic writer, theorist, meta analyst poster, or even shit-poster who DARED to express an opinion that didn't conform to the "rules" and therefore got labeled a "bigoted hater" who "laid down with the dogs" and was "guilty by association..."

The fandom dwindles away to nothing, and dies

And then the last remaining Die-Hards who got their wish and "purged" the fandom of everybody whose opinions did not 100% align with theirs, get all pissy whenever they see somebody like you acknowledge the empty void left behind

The fandom got so militant and zealous with their gatekeeping that there's just nobody left anymore, except for the few who turned Worshiping RWBY into a cult and violently kicked out everyone who didn't conform - but they consider that to be a "victory" so they attack every new straggler who walks into the vast empty field and says "there used to be a fandom here."

That post that was made five years ago about how it was time for the mega-stans to "purge the fndm" of everyone who didn't conform to THEIR view of the show? Yeah lol well they succeeded and I hope they're happy with their echo-chamber of circle-jerking Yes-Men who have been throwing all their hard-earned money at bigots and abusers while crying about the uncertain future of the show they turned into their identity, and I hope one day they realize that THEY contributed to Rooster Teeth's downfall far more than the critics ever did

Because fandom has historically thrived on diversity of opinion, including the allowance of criticism and the celebration of fanworks

So when a culty subsection of the fandom decrees that freedom of expression is WRONG and differing opinions are WRONG and writing fanfiction they don't like is WRONG and drawing fanart they don't like is WRONG and shipping ships they don't like is WRONG and not shipping the ships they do like is WRONG and liking characters they dislike is WRONG and disliking the characters they do like is WRONG and criticizing the corporation behind the product is WRONG and holding the product creators accountable for their hateful and ignorant beliefs is WRONG and choosing to withhold our money from those who have been proven to be abusive bigots is WRONG and therefore demanding change instead of letting them keep getting away with everything is WRONG, and so they are so totally justified in their efforts to deliberately cyberstalk, harass, and bully the "Arrogant, Entitled, Ungrateful" non-conformists until they've driven everybody away...

The fandom dies

And there's nobody left to BUY THE PRODUCT

*shocked Pikachu face* that RT went belly-up???

The Die-Hard Mega-Stans are the ones that killed RWBY. That's why they're so desperate to point fingers and bitterly curse the names of all the fans they deliberately ORDERED to "Stop Watching," "Stop Posting," "Stop talking," "Stop Writing," "Stop Drawing," "Stop BUYING," and that's why they're so fucking ANGRY every time they see proof that their mass gatekeeping, mass cyberbullying, mass smearing campaigns WORKED.

The fandom is dead because they fucking drowned it on purpose, and they refuse to admit that fact to themselves

What else can they do but lash out?

What else is there to say? You nailed it. I was there in the very beginning when the fandom was thriving and I watched the wasps slowly kill it. I remember all the creative au’s and how even rarepairs got content. It’s not even a husk of its former self, it’s crumbled dust.

[fernhelm]

btw no where in the books is it stated that any of the deatheaters (marauders or golden trio) were forced into anything. they chose that road. they are literally racists. people are allowed to hate. regulus black was a racist. its stated in the book that not even walburga and orion were but that regulus WAS. he loved that shit. severus snape was a racist. no matter how hard you try to baby them and make them a pretty little boy toy they are FACISTS. and you literally cannot compare james potter being a bit of a bitch when he was a teenager to them being facists.

it is insane to equate real world racism to the prejudice designed by jkr for her children's wizard series.

the death eaters are hateful, bigoted people in canon. insulting that you don't think i have the analytical skills to puzzle this out. seven year old me knew that when I was reading these the first time. jkr alludes to n@zis using language and aesthetics to create an immediate link in the mind of the reader. it's lazy to lean on that symbolism for your big evil group, but it is effective, because people (like you) see them as identical. to you these characters WERE racist. they WERE fascist. but like. jewish people in this fandom have asked time and time again for people to stop sanctioning that comparison.

please don't use your emotional energy for condemning evil people in fiction?? condemn the ideology of superiority (example voldemort) that leads to violence and bigotry in the real world. don't let jkr's heavy-handed analogy make you bestow the same weight to "anti-muggle" discrimination or whatever as historical atrocities.

i never compared james' actions to those of the death eaters??? say no to bullying ig? if only the marauders fandom was capable of discussing power dynamics in a normal way alas. but stop telling me what all of these people were like in canon. this shit is escapist and reclamatory 4 me. my regulus black wears a tutu and shit and has a complicated relationship with god. i only reference the books when im crafting my theories. idgaf about jkr's boring and narrow moral world.

if you are consumed by the theories of good v evil read goated philosopher hannah arendt and stay out of my inbox

[mxtxfanatic]

what are ur fandom dos or don't? is there a preferred way you like to interact (canon vs fanon)?

is fanon ever appealing to you? ngl for me i dislike fanon especially when it tends to take on ooc vibes + feels so far removed from the actual story and characters. obv everyone has their own interpretations + headcanons but i don't think that means all are equally valid esp when not grounded in the story, facts and authors intentions they came from. probs why i think thr authour is dead mindset is weak coping lol

My fandom do’s and don’t’s is that 1) you shouldn’t be an asshole just to antagonize someone with different opinions than you, 2) if you don’t enjoy the source material and also have no real critique of it, then participating in the fandom should not be a thing you do, and 3) all bigots in fandom should be relentlessly called out and mercilessly shunned. Your tolerance should never encompass bigots, because their bigotry will always show in the things they say, do, and create.

As for fanon vs. canon, I think people should do what they want and consume what they want, but they should make this very clear. For instance, I don’t care that people like a fanon version of Jiang Cheng; what I care about is the inane insistence that this is “canon” and that anyone who says otherwise must be bullied out of the fandom. Back when I marginally cared about the MCU in its early days, I liked fanon!Loki, but I made it clear that this was a critique of the source material (the first Thor movie) and how its conclusions and audience takeaways contradicted what the narration actually showed. I still live in a Naruto lalaland where Naruto and Sasuke are a good dads and Sasusaku are a loving couple because I hate what the creator did with the sequel series. It is what it is, but that doesn’t mean that my feelings supersede what the creator made, even if I disagree with them. It’s not my work, and my disagreement is not a “valid interpretation.” It’s just disagreement. Accept that the version of the character/events you like is ooc/fanon, correctly tag your wants as fanon/ooc, and stop tryna argue that you know better than the creator or that you know their secret intentions on the matter because you feel like your fantasies are only acceptable once they’ve been “legitimized” by an authority figure.

Also, maybe unpopular opinion, but I believe that if you’ve never engaged with the source material of the fandom, you should have some shame and show some humility by not jumping into fandom discourse over things you’ve only heard about secondhand through the mouths of popular bloggers. Reblog your pretty art in silence, and stick to the walls.

[wenellyb]

I think Tommy did some shitty things in the past. I think Tommy was a real big bigot. But 18 years can make a lot of difference in a person's behaviour. Y'know how I know, because I was racist, homophobic and misogynist. Because everybody around me thought that way, i thought that way too.

After multiple traumas and being gay myself, i realised how much of a shitty person I was being. And I changed. For the better I hope. And all this was in like 3 years or something.

If you think 19 years isn't enough for someone to change their bigotry then you should really evaluate your morals.

Also sometimes you're supposed to infer stuff from the media. Being outright told stuff is childish.

(Also this ask sounds mean but I promise I'm not trying to be, it's just I can't articulate my words better than this I'm sorry.)

Hi Anon!!!

I'm going to answer this since you took the time to write it.

First of all, I never said Tommy didn't change, I said that you can't blame people who think he hasn't changed or haven't forgiven him for his past actions. They don't have to.

I'm happy for you, if you have changed but do you agree that if you bullied someone when you were racist and bigoted that person doesn't have to forgive you, if they don't want to? Even 19 years later?

Do you agree that if anyone has witnessed you bigotry or your racism, they don't have to forgive you if they don't want to?

Or are they obligated to, since you've changed?

Add to that that Tommy is a fictional character.

It doesn't matter if Tommy has changed or not, some fans are not going to forgive him for his racsit past, and they shouldn't have to.

It's ok, if some fans like him, but it's more than ok if some fans don't like him, since they have valid reasons not to.

And it's not "childish" for some fans to be disappointed that there has never been an onscreen apology.

Trying to make it seem like the only people who dislike Tommy are frustrated Buddie shippers is unfair.

As I said, I'm a Bucktommy shipper, and I love the ship, but I don't want to be in the same fandom as people who think like you or like those other Anons.

People who think non-White fans should "get over it" because it was so long ago.

People who try minimize/invalidate our legitimate concerns and all of this for what? For a ship.

I'm not even telling to stop shipping Bucktommy, I ship it too, I'm telling the shippers to leave people who don't like Tommy alone.

And how do you react? You send me this🤷🏾‍♀️

No shade, but people like you make fandoms a little bit harder to enjoy.

[dekuscheripop]

NO ONE

Bakugou Katsuki/Midoriya Izuku Characters: Bakugou Katsuki, Midoriya Izuku, Kirishima Eijirou Additional Tags: Drama, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, Bigotry & Prejudice, Sexism, Quirkless Discrimination (My Hero Academia), Quirk Discrimination (My Hero Academia), Quirkless Midoriya Izuku, Pro Hero Bakugou Katsuki, Pro Hero Kirishima Eijirou, Angst with a Happy Ending

Katsuki, a popular pro hero, is in a relationship with ordinary office worker Deku but they are keeping their relationship a secret because Katsuki is a well known hero and they are both men. Society isn't that welcoming yet of same sex relationships.

Even with all of these problems they face, Katsuki is determined to keep their relationship going. He wants Deku. He needs him.

Once upon a time, when he was still young and naive, he used to believe that he is better than everyone else, so that means other extras are weak and below him. That included Deku who he has named that way because of his immaturity back then.

Izuku is quirkless with no power, is super weak and useless to a society that values the strong and flashy. Izuku became Deku and Katsuki became a bully.

Years of abuse is what Katsuki gave to him. From pushing him away, to blasting his personal belongings and the worst, telling him to swan dive from the rooftop.

After that very day he told Deku this, he disappeared. Completely gone from school even more the year ended. It would be a lie to say he didn't panic for a second that maybe Deku did what he told him to.

When the school didn't explain what happened and when his classmates didn't even care like he didn't exist is when Katsuki started to see something was wrong with society.

His mother that night told him that the Midoriya's have moved away to a different prefecture. Katsuki felt relieved; Deku is ok but also now far away.

Katsuki didn't have his contact information, he never thought he needed it from Deku of all people. Frankly he thought it shouldn't matter, because Katsuki still thinks that Deku didn't matter to him even if he did feel a sting in each passing day at school at the sight of the empty chair behind him.

Then UA had humbled him. At a place where the best of the best are, Katsuki was only one of them, not the greatest. When those times came that he did so well he would turn to his side expecting a praise, a voice that would say,

/'Kacchan's amazing!'/

But there never was. It was always empty just as his heart had been.

Something was missing, a hole that couldn't be filled no matter how much he achieved through the years and many years it was.

It was only then at the age of 25, at his prime and rising in the ranks, he saved someone in a crumbling building. That person had dark green hair full of dust and debris . The gash on their head caused blood to flow down their cheeks, freckles cheeks. Katsuki could pinpoint the exact moment his heart felt full and stopped at the same time.

It's Deku. It's Izuku!

The boy he once lost and now a man that he might lose again.

"Fuck don't die on me Deku!" His screech can be heard across the street and was enough for the other man to half open his eyes, emerald eyes he knew so well.

Deku was able to speak so faintly

"Kacchan…"

And lost consciousness all over again.

Katsuki spent every day after work at the hospital waiting for Deku to wake up. Day by day he notices the small things he actually missed.

Like how Deku's hair is thicker now and much softer, so may have touched it to comb out the knots while he is in bed. Or how there are more freckles on his cheeks and back, so maybe he washes Deku's body from time to time, or that he knows the number of freckles Deku used to have in middle school.

Or how his face is still as angelic as it always was. Katsuki noticed all of these and his own feelings that have been kept inside for so long.

Deku stayed in the hospital for a month, in a coma that the doctors said they were not sure if he would ever wake up from. So Katsuki begged for the first time in his life.

He had been the most terrible person in the past and here is the evidence of who he was yet Katsuki drops on his knees, takes a cold clammy hand in his warm ones and begged.

"You know, after I got to UA nothing went as planned. I tried to figure out what it meant to be strong and admit that I was actually weak. I got stronger and knew myself better. I'm rising to the top now because I finally know what it truly means to be a hero but I just couldn't forget about you. You are the reason I am here.. You, the one person that suffered the most from my insecurities. What I'm saying might not mean anything to you but…" Katsuki squeezes Deku's hand.

"Deku, I'm sorry for everything I've done until now. Please wake up and come back to me."

The hospital room is silent. Only the sound of the curtains flowing from the cool night wind can be heart and Katsuki's own nervous heartbeat.

He feels hopeless and helpless as he continues to hold on to Deku's tightly. Nothing happens, filled with despair Katsuki lets go but not before he feels a movement. So very slight but it was there. A slight twitch of fingers, an effort to touch back.

A slow flutter of lashes and slowly opening eyes. Dull green turns to shining emeralds when Deku finally sees Katsuki. Dekus eyes shone with recognition.

Deku is awake.

And the first words that Katsuki says to him after a long time of not seeing each other are calm and sure,

"Deku, I love you."

They started dating right after Deku got discharged a week later.

Katsuki was relentless after all.

-

-

Deku is dating a pro hero. Whenever he thinks about it, it causes him to blush and shake his head. As a hero enthusiast, it's like a dream come true. As a Dynamight fan, it's like he died and went to heaven.

Deku is dating Pro Hero Dynamight. Top 4 in hero ranking and top 1 in most sought after bachelor in the whole of Japan. Yes, that Dynamight, Bakugou Katsuki.

Deku has been in love with him even when they were kids. They had a fall out and he moved away when they finally met again after a villain attack Kacchan suddenly confessed to him and courted him non-stop. Honestly Deku has no idea why Kacchan wanted him, but he was so honest and straightforward about it that Deku could not refuse. He has loved him longer after all.

So yes, they are together but no one knows except them and their family.

They have to keep a secret. Same sex couples are tolerated at best but not exactly accepted. They are perfectly content the way they are. A secret in public but sweet in private.

There were no problems and then Kacchan introduced his best friend to Deku.

"This Kirishima Eijirou."

Kirishima Eijiro is a nice guy. He's hyper, very friendly and as Kacchan had said had been his rock, no pun intended, during his years of self discovery at UA.

"Shitty hair, this is Izuku. I've known him since we were in diapers."

Kirishima doesn't know about the relationship as Deku was introduced as a childhood friend that Kacchan had met up with once again.

It's a dinner meet up that Kacchan wanted for a while now. Deku knows this means a lot to him that his two closest people get to know each other. He feels proud that Kacchan wanted him to meet his UA friends and fellow pro hero.

The conversation between the three of them is good. Kirishima himself is a talker and his laugh is contagious. Deku thinks they could become good friends.

The dinner went on like that until Kacchan had to stand up to take a call, leaving the two of them behind.

Deku feels a bit awkward since it will just be him and Kirishima and they have just met.

"Must be the media. You know how it is rising to the top of the ranks and all." Kirishima says enthusiastically. Deku doesn't seem to have to worry about awkwardness, Kirishima is talkative.

"Yeah, Kacchan is amazing." He agrees to what the other says, smiling while looking at Kacchan at the far corner speaking to someone on the phone.

"He sure is! That's why I think his future girlfriend should be just as amazing!"

Deku almost drops his fork, his grip gets weak and he just stares at his hand near the plate as Kirishima continues to talk.

Kirishima seems to think his silence is permission for him to continue.

"He's got to have a really amazing girl, someone pretty and not plain."

Deku felt a strange itch on his chest.

"She's got to be sexy and feminine at the same time, he can't have those girls that are muscular. He has to be the only manly one."

It turns into something heavy and dull.

"And above all she's got an amazing quirk. For someone with a great and awesome quirk like Katsuki, she has to have something like that."

Which is now a sharp ache spreading all over his body.

"Katsuki should have a super girlfriend. I mean look at him. He is just simply the best out there, so why should someone plain and ordinary be good for him, right Midoriya?"

Deku feels like he wants to cry as all his self confidence drains out of him.

Kirishima waits for Deku's answer with a bright smile that has no ill will. He truly just wants the best for his best friend.

This man is Kacchan's best friend and might be Deku's biggest problem.

By the way he speaks about Kacchan, Deku concluded that no matter what, Kirishima should never know about him and Kacchan.

"Yeah." Meekly, Deku responded.

Kirishima just positively beams. His big arms went over Deku's shoulder and pulled him in much to Deku's surprise.

"You know what Midoriya, I think you get me. I thought you were just some typical nerd but I think you’re just the guy that can help me find my best bro the perfect girl. So what do you say?” Kirishima declares with all his muscled glory.

Deku gulps. This isn't good at all.

TBC

[fandomshatepeopleofcolor]

Here's a rant. I've been making posts about black representation on another web site mainly about black rep in superheroes and comics. This girl and her friends kept commenting on than that they only care about good stories. The girl and her friends didn't seem to understand what I was saying and they seemed young so I tried to explain why representation and diversity in media is important in a easy to understand way but then she said that caring about skin tones and bringing up race with stories was toxic.

At first I assume her and her friends were white, cause I've only seen white people use the whole good stories only matter excuse so I told her "you must not be a person of color cause people of color understand what I'm saying in my posts." But she and her friends said they were Native Americans.

Then it became a argument about diversity vs good stories. After politely trying to explain to them why representation and diversity matter I decided to block them and delete their comments off my posts cause it feels like they were purposely misunderstanding me, not listing to me and their comments felt like microaggressions so I didn't want to see every time I went to look at them. But the next day the girl and her friends were making posts on different accounts about me saying I hate white people and saying I'm a bully. I love white people but as a black person I was just spreading awareness about black representation in my posts and they ganged up on me.

Good stories rant anon again some things I forgot to mention in my rant is the whole good stories only matter thing is said by racist white people alot to derail talks about representation especially in the Comicsgate movement. Since I was talking about black rep in superheroes and comics them saying only good stories matter did set up some alarms but I want to give them the benefit of the doubt since they were must likely teens but them the girl said bringing race up in media was toxic was a huge red flag. After that it was like the girl and her friends were refusing to listen to me which lead to me blocking them. When they created other accounts to lie about me saying I hate white people and I was a bully it was like harassment so I reported them and block them. They seem to have stopped. I almost sorta doubt they were Native Americans cause people of color would never say things like "diversity doesn't matter only good stories matter" unless they were a pick me person of color.

_____________

First of all I'm sorry that happened to you. but honestly just because she was arguing that she wanted "good stories" doesn't mean she's not NA you know? There's plenty of POC who buy into the whole internalized racism thing and don't even realize that the "good stories" they're promoting are all by and about white men.

I cannot tell you how many POC by into white supremacist talking points just like the whole "bringing race up in media is toxic". Like honestly it takes years to become aware of the harm that white supremacist ideology does to us all. I'm glad you blocked them and reported them but honestly everyone comes to their realizations about white supremacist ideology differently. While you think it may have been a waste of time you never know if someone else reading the thread maybe noticed and is now thinking differently.

Don't be disheartened and don't give up! there's no shortcuts to unpacking our internalized bigotry and you're probably right that they are just very young teens.

here's one example of studies done about why children of color need to see themselves in cartoons. https://theconversation.com/why-its-so-important-for-kids-to-see-diverse-tv-and-movie-characters-92576

I'll try to get you more studies that exemplify why we need diverse media but atm I'm on my way out the door to get to work. *hugs* nonny I'm glad you're fighting the good fight.

mod ali

[transinclusionary]

Ok but for someone who says they don’t care or are suppose ally’s to women you get really upset at women/ terfs I’m saying this as a gay trans masc you need to chill bc this just gives them receipts that all trans women are men who are misgonistic and violent seriously stop replying to them if it really doesn’t bother you

Lord have mercy, I'm going to summon the patience to respond, and give you the response this deserves. I'm going to level with you

I have never clarified what my gender identity is beyond "they/them" because I didn't believe my identity mattered beyond, only the content of my words. But if this needs clarification I will provide it so no one misunderstands me. I am not a trans woman. I believe this discourse shouldn't have to be done by trans women exclusively. Why must someone who opposes bigots be marginalized? Why must the marginalized fight the bigotry in their own oppression? Why can't I, a gnc cis passing queer woman be absolutely appalled and moved with rage at how awful these cosplay conservatives tarnish the very lavel activism with their existence?

It's not fucking fair how little people get in the world to help, and they get even less the more layers of intersectionality we get. And the lower you get the less society cares about you. The only thing you can turn to is fucking activism when you get so oppressed everyone has a fucking reason to hate you. So you join feminist circles to gain community, and a twisted fucking surprise, even the people who claim to care about gender liberation "feminists" dont care.

I'm allowed to find the struggles of others maddening, in the same way I would hope good white allies to find racism maddening or men to find sexism infuriating. If you're a good ally you should be MAD that someone of your same intersectionality can't just fucking treat people right.

It shouldn't be on trans women to take the brunt of this, or insist everyone ignores them. They don't ignore trans women! They go to safe spaces for women and harasses them, disseminates their photos, their information, and relentlessly bully them! Respectfully, I do not see how I am guilty for the anger I feel for the complete blatant acts of human depravity it is to bully a group of women who have a scary high suicide rate. By not talking about it and just expecting people to fight this issue with silence, I believe that we don't provide adequate community.

It is not just enough to be not a transmisogynist, you have to be anti-transmisogynists. I should not have to put my life in danger by standing up for black people in a room of trump supporters. But a white person should use what privilege they have to stand up for what's right. If I expect allies to do that for me, I need to do that for groups I'm allied with.

Thank you for reaching out. And in situations like these please, think about what you say. I believe you intended good with this post, but I also believe you could reflect on your words. I don't believe it's fair to call a black women aggressive for anger.

No minority should be responsible for the whole group of people, it's not fair to make minorities play by their bigots rules to be respected. Basic human respect shouldn't be earned through respectability politics.

[unproduciblesmackdown]

speaking of scapegoating lol. evergreen but like "seemingly more open & boundless misogyny from more men?? could this be women's fault" like prommy the message of "we should cater to how men feel & reassure them" is out there as well as "b/c this is the only way to stop the violence of patriarchy from being done to people" like this is also out there already, as well as in the broader form of like, a system where particular parties are "inferior" & vulnerable to "superior" parties? practical matters of how to disrupt & rupture this system entirely, don't know her, surely the priority is convincing the "superior" to cut it out only the people doing the convincing are seen as inferior & threats to their power already & the Not Wanting To be convinced is investment in that systemic power they have, & like what, Maybe some cases Some people decide they can be Some degree nicer about it after eons like, can't imagine aiming for anything else....entire kwame ture quote "if a white man wants to lynch me, that's his problem. if he's got the power to lynch me, that's my problem. racism is not a question of attitude; it's a question of power. racism gets its power from capitalism. thus, if you're anti-racist, whether you know it or not, you must be anti-capitalist. the power for racism, the power for sexism, comes from capitalism, not an attitude." like Having to assuage someone's feelings so they doesn't start enacting & perpetuating violence against others classed as inferiors socially/materially positioned as vulnerable to their violence? obviously already that issue of power vs if a man is sexist that's his problem. not a personal feelings conversation to be like trying to Redeem or Reform or Convert someone in the position to leverage abuse & interested in / already doing so, it's a negotiation or a compromise or a very specific limited strategic effort to mitigate damage, not like the guiding light of like How To Thwart Bigotry being like, sexism? this is women's fault. feminists are too mean

like, men have power in a patriarchy & so a lot of people benefitting from that (like, many men) are invested in maintaining that power, such as: being violently misogynist. being pissed off about those who should be subject to that power having more autonomy, i.e. the reduction of their power. wanting to reinforce & increase that power. not really a mystery what's going on there or why apparent threat to / reduction of patriarchal power gets a backlash of all the more overt hostility? like what "oh damn this man totally thought of women as people until too many women were all 'men are sexist & don't think of women as people' & then he was like okay i hate women, they're not people" like well don't think he was really so Not Misogynist was he lol. "ohh i was owned by the libs online too many times so now i, up till now your best ally, am a fascist >:( you made me do this" like abuse logic lmao the Would Be / Already Victims being responsible for gently carefully strategically convincing the beneficiaries & perpetrators of what victimizes them to perhaps maybe not do that as much? & like, misogyny is the norm b/c this is already a patriarchy. white supremacy & ableism & abuse is all already the norm. toddlers absorb things like they've been absorbing Absolutely Everything & already know oh white is better black is worse without anyone having to spell that out for them, later Everyone's The Same, Don't Bully People Or Anything being as light on context / specifics as it is, like, how's that go for bullying not being so normal it's guaranteed to happen & Fine Actually & totally goes away once people grow out of it. the idea that Kids Are Innocent or certainly must be Neutral enough if nobody spelled out bigotry to them (cue everyone who Did have that happen & the universal reaction isn't actually to embrace & enact it anyway) & that ah look at everyone getting their Normal Socialization if they're just getting to interact willy nilly, like lol well that's true but racism sexism etc is normal, so. people out here just rephrasing ABA & ableist language to frame the treatment of disabled people as objective & inevitable while blaming the Deficiency & Wrongness of disabled ppl for bringing the treatment on themselves & focusing on how disabled people can stop being at fault for their own abuse by better catering to those who are Doing Just Fine, Thanks, so they Must be good at social(tm) things, just as the nepo hire has all the career advice you could want, ooh sorry autistic people uhh you just have the wrong / worse / lack of feelings & wrong / worse / lack of "skills" & wrong / worse / lack of "intelligence" & are just sooo bad at Social Things haha. & now you're being annoying complaining about that treatment >:/ of Course i must treat you even worse. if you even care

like what, i was gonna be antiracist but then someone said white people are racist in this world where whiteness is defined by antiblackness, the creation of these classes to enforce & perpetuate chattel slavery, being white is about not being black, which is inferior, so now it's like grr i hate black people then? don't think you Were or Were Just About To Be that antiracist lol. & like your feelings are a personal individual matter. if you feel unpleasant about the idea of being considered racist then the one inevitable reaction isn't "i will become even more racist then," if you do then yeah you're gonna be more ostracized also i.e. into cultier nicher us/them groups & that's not really a fault of the [them] who didn't pull you back by welcoming you & your shit. you already learned & internalized racism / white supremacy as normative shit b/c effectively Everyone Already Did; if you're white you already benefit from that norm / are afforded a position of power within it. & many people want to hold on to that power or want more of it & many people will respond to some awareness of a threat to that by only getting more invested in it. meanwhile how much actual like antiracist antisexist antiableist antibigotry education does anyone get at home or in school? certainly much less than Guaranteed this; how does like the framing of treating other people as people as only about having the correct Feelings (well-meaning, but also anything short of feeling Deviously Malicious is alright) go for, you know, everyone being so invested in equality in principle & in practice rather than all these violences being completely normative & even the supposedly frivolous Popularity Contest Try Not To Get Bullied that is like, normal(tm) school socializing (and work(tm) after that) being so far from Neutral & totally not abuse culture where the way people are treated hinges on whether they're deemed like personally Appealing & Likeable & Nonannoying enough for the supposed baseline respect for people

like when gender is all rn in the context of defining & being defined by a patriarchy, who knows if there's some redeemed actually Neutral category of Men / Masculinity like can't really imagine i think anything ever that would be prescriptive is good, but if anything it's like, the Being A Man / Masculine that is gonna be an improvement is gonna be that which is already happening with women / femininity. women who are also men & vice versa, women who are masculine, men who are feminine, of course everything queer. what is there that "reaffirms" men in their being Not Women / Not Associated With Women that isn't reaffirming patriarchy. "ah it's equally important to have gay narratives And to tell men it's okay for them to be friends with other men without anyone ever thinking they could possibly be gay :)" like that's just reaffirming homophobia lol. if there's nothing wrong with being gay then what's the problem. if there's nothing wrong with being a woman then what's the problem. just as embracing misogyny plays into / supports / is investment in patriarchy & the power it affords men, rejecting misogyny is rejecting patriarchy is rejecting being a "real" man, is embracing association with women without enough of, if any, boundary between oneself & women as inferior Other. abandoning & Betraying what being A Man is supposed to mean, b/c it's supposed to mean The Superior Class & certainly having the power to enact that, b/c patriarchy isn't just an attitude & sure doesn't want to be, probably nobody with the bigoted attitudes of being superior doesn't want to have the power that affords

& meanwhile people can reject that power they're supposedly granted, betray that class race gender [any other structures of supremacy], & be associated with the Other by betrayal of that theoretical boundary & oh you know Be Invested In & Practicing Living In A World where they & nobody else have the Power they're now supposedly entitled to, as white, man, abled, cishet, &c. or they can do the opposite & be holding on to white supremacy or their status in patriarchy or be billionaires all invested in reinforcing & exacerbating all the systems that make billionaires, What A Surprise, perhaps if people were nicer to them online? they wouldn't have gone "i didn't know you were richist >:( fine, Now i'm gonna be an asshole" & like i don't think The Answer is "how can we Convince billionaires to Really do the philanthropy & maybe stop with the exploitation & stuff" like their feelings are their personal problem & to hell with assuming a premise of "well, there'll be billionaires. how can we be nice & win them over to be less shitty to us" like why are there billionaires. why is there having to maybe, carefully, gently, strategically convince anyone to not embrace their Superior Power over you, b/c that's something they can just go ahead & do if they feel like it & you suffer the consequences even if you don't feel like it. what would interrupt / thwart the [i Can just seize this power i already have & am supposed to be all about it & More] what would interrupt / thwart the [people who just have to suffer the consequences of this] about the power not the attitude.

oh yeah & also free bingo space for anytime the idea of personal appeal to agents of systemic abuse to convince them to be nicer please / scapegoating victims of xyz for it happening to them or their failure to stop it already is framed as Just All That's Actually Realistic, oft with the bonus of being supposedly like groundbreakingly Too Edgy a concept. brave enough to say what everyone else is just too much of a pussy to face: e.g. needing to be nicer to misogynists :( like lmaooo as though catering to misogynists or the general concept of women needing to cater to men at all times / certainly not hurt their feelings or reject them is anything New that nobody's been exposed to & you're the only one brave enough to be like "ugh. the feminists are too mean to men" like i Think that concept has been floated lmaooo. as well as its logical extension that b/c of this men Must conclude women are not people & it Is the fault of bitches ruining their life lol like. it's not cutting edge Facing Facts. again, like. the US had its one foremost like representative of state power figurehead seat occupied by one black man & the response of white supremacist fascist being more open / prominent has sure been relevant ever since but like, what, that white supremacy wasn't there before? it's the fault of [the ostensible idea that a black president meant a "post racial" america lmaooo] like ooh even that obvious This Isn't Actually Game Over Racism was too far :( your fault :( like neither is that concomitantly all these other forms of bigotry shoring up this capitalist enterprise Which Were Already There & indeed already Normal, just more genteel, have become more open & elevated & yeah i'm sure people have More So become emotionally & materially invested in the systemic power they were already afforded but now feel is More Threatened. anyone & everyone being no less of a person than you threatens / denies / Betrays your power that would be supposedly guaranteed as a Superior. men who want to hold on to their superiority a) will get more invested in patriarchy & b) reward other men for doing so, always need that support & perpetuation, part of the whole point of it not really just being individual randos with that attitude problem.

anyway tl;dr not a mystery here & nobody has to turn the chair around to be like Real Talk, it's time for what nobody else is clearsighted enough to Understand & brave enough to argue: scapegoating. women being nice enough to men so men might treat them a bit more like people. trans people accepting they're being too demanding in this insistent "existing." uh oh The Left(tm) is being so antifascist that fascists hate it & are like "i'm about to fascism all over the place" so the lesson is don't say you or anyone ever are against fascism or you bring it upon yourself. & that's that on all of that always, gotta focus on personal attitudes, not the systems of power, in which case the personal attitudes of those in power matter as the only avenue to thwart that power, in which case all that those affected can do is try to make those in power feel as positively toward them as possible, in which case well let's all be as nonthreatening & compliant & nondisruptive as possible to that systemic power b/c otherwise they'll feel negatively toward us & we Must suffer whatever they choose to do with that (note also that indeed this edgy cleareyed bold & realistic strategy of attempting to comply & appeal & reassure will likely be viewed in retrospect as being a bad victim. supporting all protests except the current one)

like whoops that wasn't a tl;dr, can't make a short post. but i think if anyone's asking "damnn have we tried asking women to help men feel better :(" Yes. yeah. we have been doing that. "b/c they're responsible for how men feel & then act towards them, like [patriarchy-backed violence]" yep that has been posited i prommy

[howlingday]

Jaune's Big Set-Up

"Before I go, take this." Pyrrha felt her hand pried open as the older woman in in pigtails took it. Inside, Jaune's mother placed a computer chip wrapped within a note. With her other hand, she peeled open the paper, revealing a set of numbers. "In case you need it."

"What is it?" Pyrrha asked.

"Don't tell Jaune," his mother whispered, "but it's my phone numbuh. Or, more specifically, the numbuh of his uncle's place. Just pop that chip into ya scroll, and call that numbuh."

Pyrrha only became more puzzled. "When should I use it?"

"I neva told Jaune about his father, and there's a good reason for it. If he starts acting like him, call me."

The paper and chip felt heavier all of a sudden. "Why would you give me this?!" Pyrrha's body stiffened as she was hugged by the older woman. She would have blushed if her parting words weren't so heavy.

"Because of all the girls here, you're the first one to notice something wrong."

Pyrrha snapped up. Realizing she dozed off before class, she hurriedly looked over her desk and the classroom. Thankfully, Doctor Oobleck hadn't noticed her dozing. The only one who noticed was her partner, and crush, Jaune Arc.

A few weeks ago, his mother arrived at their school to visit him. Sporting pigtails, a midriff showing two-piece outfit, and (somehow strangest of all) a medical liscence to practice psychiatric therapy, she was the last kind of person anyone would expect as his mother. Aside from embarrassing him, she also warned Pyrrha about Jaune, expressing her concern about him becoming his father. She said he was a failed comedian, but what-?

"You okay, Pyrrha?" Pyrrha snapped to focus as Jaune nudged her shoulder. "You seem pretty out of it."

"I'm fine, Jaune." She replied with a smile.

"Okay, Pyrrha." He smiled back. "You just looked so silly dazed out of it." He chuckled. Pyrrha couldn't put her finger on it, but the way he chuckled and smiled... it didn't feel right.

Pyrrha didn't understand what happened, but she did know something was wrong. It started as a simple prank when Cardin sat on a whoopee cushion, but when Cardin couldn't move from his seat, the giggling, smiling culprit made his intentions clear.

Cardin was stuck, and Jaune made that happen.

"It's simple, really," Jaune explained through his wheezing laughter, "all I had to do was vaporize super-glue into a gas, seal it in a balloon, and insert that into a whoopee cushion!" Jaune slammed his fist against the desk repeatedly as his sickening laugh returned in full.

"Yikes, Vomit Boy," Yang commented, "I'm all for a good prank, but that's just overkill."

"Oh, please," Jaune rolled his eyes, "this is long overdue, after everything that bigot's done since he showed up at Beacon." He then paused with a disturbing smile. "Say, what if we yank on his ears? See if he can feel it? I mean, it's not like he's going anywhere."

"Mister Arc!" Doctor Oobleck zipped in front of the smiling blonde. "I'll have you know that while bigotry isn't acceptable at Beacon, neither is bullying, especially in my classroom."

"Whatever you say, Professor." Jaune leaned back with a smirk.

"Doctor!" Doctor Oobleck corrected.

"MD or PhD?" Jaune sneered. "After all, only one of those really matter."

"Mister Arc! I will not be disrespected in my own classroom! Report to the headmaster's office immediately!"

At that, Jaune frowned as he stood up. Walking up the steps, he stopped at Cardin's seat, pinching his cheek with a grin. "Try to keep that seat warm for me, Cardi-Boy."

"Immediately means now, Mr. Arc!" Jaune rolled his eyes and continued out the doors.

The entire class murmured to one another at Doctor Oobleck tapped into his scroll. As he put the scroll to his ears, he smelled something. Was that... smoke?

"Hot..." Cardin whined. "So hot...!"

"Everyone out of the classroom now!" On her way out, Pyrrha pulled the fire alarm system. Sprinklers came on above as Cardin struggled against his warming seat. Doctor Oobleck rushed to his aid, noticing the glue dissolving in the water.

Cardin hissed as he pulled himself free. Doctor Oobleck covered his mouth at the sight. The water didn't dissolve the glue, but rather it triggered a chemical reaction, turning it into a corrosive substance. It was eating away at Cardin's hands and behind.

Once the medical staff arrived, they quickly began their work to help suffering student. They were composed of mostly Faunus staff members, and Cardin never felt more grateful for their help.

"What the hell happened in there?!" Yang shouted. The two teams, with the exception of Jaune, sat at lunch. The entire cafeteria was abuzz with the news. "When did Jaune get so... so..."

"Crazy?" Nora offered.

"Deranged?" Weiss applied.

"Unstable? Unhinged?" Blake answered. "I don't know, but for him to do that to someone..."

"Even Cardin?" Ren asked.

"Especially Cardin." Blake repeated. "I thought they made up."

"They did." Pyrrha answered. "And I just got back from the nurse's office. Cardin's going to be okay, but he has chemical burns on his hands and... well, his underside." Pyrrha blushed, then shook her head as she reminded herself of the damage done.

"Again, I ask, what the hell happened?!" Yang repeated. "I didn't think Jaune would do something like this. I didn't think he would even think to do something like this!"

"Maybe he's sick?" Ruby asked.

"Sick in the head, definitely!" Weiss chided. She turned to Pyrrha. "Where is Arc, anyways?"

"In the headmaster's office. They're discussing his punishment."

"Expulsion, I hope." Weiss snarled. "A menace like that is too dangerous to be at Beacon."

"Normally, I would agree, but..." Pyrrha paused for a moment. "Something isn't right with him. I think he was trying to pull a prank, or make a joke."

"Well, har-dee-har-har, P-Money," Yang sarcastically commented, "consider my sides split at the comedy of Remnant's worst comedian."

"And after you worked so hard for it." Weiss added.

As the two bantered, Pyrrha remembered something she was told months ago. Something about Jaune's father. He was a failed comedian, and if Jaune's trying to make jokes...

"Attention, all students," Headmaster Ozpin's voice came over the intercom, "please return to your dormitories immediately. If anyone finds Jaune Arc en route, evacuate to a faculty member and report his whereabouts immediately."

"Oh no..." The group gulped.

"Who is this?"

"Hello?" A girl's voice was on the other end. She sounded older than fifteen, but younger than twenty. She was nervous, meaning this wasn't a wrong number call. "My name is Pyrrha Nikos. Dr. Quinn told me to call this number-"

"Where is Jaune Arc?"

"I... We don't know." Pyrrha answered. "He's gone. He attacked a student. Some kind of chemical burn."

"Was he laughing?"

"I-" She hesitated.

"Answer me! Was Jaune laughing?"

Pyrrha swallowed the lump in her throat. She was terrified, but this wasn't the time to be delicate. Time was of the essence.

"Yes." She finally answered. "He wasn't laughing like he used to. This was something new, something-"

"Crazy?"

"Yes." She sighed. "Is Doctor Quinn there, or Jaune's uncle?"

"This is his uncle speaking. I'm on my way to your current location. I should be there in an hour."

"...Thank you." She sobbed. "What's your name, sir?

"My name is Bruce Wayne," the man answered, standing from his subterranean computer, "and call me the instant you find Jaune." With a click, the call ended. Bruce typed at his computer, pre-setting his suit for trans-dimensional travel. Alfred Pennyworth, his close friend, called him soon after it was set.

"Planning a vacation, Master Bruce?"

"Jaune's in trouble." Bruce replied. "He's showing symptoms, Alfred. It's him."

[nightswithkookmin]

BLOCK AND REPORT THIS PERSON (s)

@irenysaridirae

@chimchim something something and

@everyone you come across who is guilty of the following.

For the following reasons.

1. Allowing BTS room to express their frustrations and resentments towards things and people they feel strongly about but silencing everyone else who dares to have values, boundaries and feelings.

On more than one occasion, we've seen BTS go off and cuss at and even threaten to stab people with poison needles.

And yet God forbid if we as fans have an opinion, voice it out and share our frustrations openly. Please stop oppressing anyone who isn't rich, famous, Asian and Male. BTS fans deserve to be loved too🤧

2. Dehumanizing anyone who isn't BTS and only creating space and room for BTS to be human.

They tolerate the humanness of BTS, allow for them to make mistakes, grow and show empathy and consideration towards them but leave no space for fans of BTS to do same.

Their kindness and love and empathy is performative. They preach it but they do not in any way practice it.

They terrorize, bully, oppress and take away others right to be human simply because they have differences of opinion.

3. They are fake fans of BTS

Anti bullying is one of the core values of BTS. They promote love, empathy, kindness and are against Racism and bullying of all forms.

They give BTS a bad rep and are the reason people call BTS fans TOXIC.

BTS is against Bigotry and the intolerance of others thoughts and opinions.

They disguise their bullying and harassment and abuse and bigotry and homophobia under the pretense of standing up for their faves when in reality there is no real value they are fighting for.

When i disagree with BTS or people, it's usually because our values don't align and one value oppresses the other.

BTS hate racism but when we the fans call out racism against us a fraction of the fandom go wild. Please Asian is not the only race in the fandom.

Men are not the only ones whose rights deserve to be recognized and uplifted in the fandom. Women exist in the fandom too and when they make certain remarks about us it makes us uncomfortable. Women's rights matter too.

Skinny people aren't the only ones worth celebrating in the fandom just because BTS are skinny. Fat non skinny non white people exist too and sometimes the language and behaviors they promote oppress us😵

Please let's develop sensitivity and consciousness with regards to the 'others' within the fandom. We are humans in here too.

4. Performative Wokeness

BTS are the goofiest group of men on the internet. From Jin, Jungkook to Hobi, they've all called themselves Vampires and even engage with fans on the internet over this joke and yet these people out of bigotry bully people on the internet for making similar Jokes.

They carry themselves around as if they are gatekeepers of speech but really aren't promoting any value at all other than that they hate what others say.

Shippers did not invent the term Alpha male and yet they go on blogs trying to censor people regardless of your background for so much as usuing this word.

Please expand your vocabulary beyond shipping and ABO fanfiction thank you.

6. These people have no respect for human rights and feel no type of way about violating others human rights and abusing them.

Information:

Every human has the right to information. Blocking and deplatforming people simply because you disagree with them or do not share their values prevents them from accessing whatever information might have been available to them otherwise and that is a human right violation.

Education:

Everyone has the right to be educated. Blocking someone out of hate does not in anyway educate them on whatever they might be doing wrong.

You're instinct as a decent human being is to teach and help others if you can or leave them to access whatever information might be available to them that might help them learn.

But they can't do that because guess what? Everyone blocked them😊

4. Right to Religion, Assembly and Association:

If you can't tell any religious body that they are worshipping right or wrong, YOU CERTAINLY CANNOT TELL ANY SHIPPER THEY ARE SHIPPING RIGHT OR WRONG. THAT THEY ARE SHIPPING UNETHICALLY OR ETHICALLY.

Fanfic writers write the most heinous of things and you consume them for whatever reason- I'm not judging. You have no business reading about how fast or slow your idol thrusts into his bandmate. And yet here we are.

If it offends you the type of shipping I do out here, think of it as FICTION. I have no qualms with that. It's ridiculous to me when people find my blogs as - what did she say? Hold pls

Discussing the intimate life of idols but if these same blog posts are slapped with the label FANFICTION then suddenly it's OK.

I think she confused as a person.

You saw the SHIPPING SIGN POST ON THE DOOR DIDN'T YOU? That is a valid label as Fanfiction and I don't know what you think you were gonna find on a SHIPPING POST.

It's like going to the slaughterhouse and yelling murderer.

PLS THIS IS SHIPPING. THIS IS ALT SHIPPING. FUCK OFF if you are not a shipper and don't like shipping.

5. FREE THOUGHT FREE SPEECH

This little license allows me to say Jikook gay. It allows me to say Jikook fucked. It allows me to say Jikook Fucking. It allows me to say Jungkook is in love with Jimin, Jimin is in love with Jungkook, Jimin suck- dick. Jungkook suck- ass. IT ALLOWS ME TO SAY WHATEVER THE FUCK I WANT HOWEVER I WANT IT.

So if BTS are promoting a lifestyle that is inconsistent with my Values I WILL SAY FUCKING SO.

I'm "tarnishing Jimin's reputation by discussing his intimate life."

GIRL BYE.

TELL THAT TO JIMIN AND JUNGKOOK DISCUSSING THEIR HICKEYS ON LIVE TELEVISION.

TELL THAT TO JUNGKOOK ASKING JIMIN TO EAT HIS ASS- was it ramen🤔

They are the same thing to me.

TELL THAT TO JIMIN PLAYING WITH JUNGKOOKS DICK ON TV.

I did not ask them to the gay. If they do it and i spot it bet your sweet behind I WILL TALK ABOUT IT.

BECAUSE I HAVE THE RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH FREE BELIEF FREE THOUGHT AND FREE RELIGION.

JIKOOK IS MY RELIGION. THERE.

Let me worship in peace.

We will have 10 virgins at the alter and watch Jikook senpai at vesper service next Friday.

I'M SHOWING RESENTMENT WHEN JIMIN IS CHOOSING TO CHANNEL HIS MASCULINE SIDE.

Fuck you for thinking building muscles is only a Man's thing. Fuck you for the sexism and misogyny.

You dont think there are Fems and nonbinaries who build up too?

What is she channeling?? Some man's dick?

Lemme guess, you are one of those who think he looks 'like a submissive girl/gay" without the hulk muscles???

BA HAHAHAHAHA

I spent that entire post yelling about my values and how i felt it didn't align with Jimin"s anymore and you are gonna reduce that to him channeling his masculinity??

If muscles is what makes a male a man then I'm sorry there are women that are better men than men and I couldn't be more grateful I'm gay.

You think I'm worried he is building muscles??? Are you dumb?? I thought you said you was a lecturer. You've failed your students Professor and lost my respect 😥

Here, lemme spell it out for you- I'm worried he is sending a message to others that being muscly is the only valid and nice body to have because I noticed he'd been making self deprecating remarks about himself for sometime leading up to all that exercise talk.

It's just like Hobi saying today that he wouldn't eat a midnight snack because it would make him ugly(fat) and he won't look nice in photos and fans are not gonna like him and that when he thinks like that that's how he stops himself from over eating.

If you don't see how both scenarios are problematic that's on you. We all have different values and different perspectives.

Thankfully I have disillusioned myself but I think I would have descended into a very low and dark place over Hobi's remarks if I hadn't had a brush with JM's situation first.

As for how I deal with pain and trauma, pls have mercy on me like you do BTS😥 I'm human too😥 I deal with mental health issues too😥 BTS are not the only ones who deserve sympathy and empathy 😔

There are billions of us in this giant blue bulb🤥 how can you only care about the welbeing of 7 members😥

Be a good human being just like Jimin preaches on his shirt😔

ZOOOOOMMMM🤡

GOLDY

[emiliers]

OK, OK, as someone who actually watched the first several seasons as a kid (largely because my stepbrothers had the DVD collections) and eventually stopped because of how vile it was, I just have to say that those in the comments complaining about how those who take offense to it don't have "media literary" because it's "satire" are the pot calling the kettle black.

Like, if you watched this show with any ounce of critical analysis, you'll see that, as others have pointed out, this show isn't satirizing conservatives; this show is satirizing those who care passionately about changing the world. The show blatantly advocates a "do nothing, don't rock the boat" approach and has several episodes end with the message of "if you try to do anything to affect change, you'll have fucked yourself".

Sure, Cartman is framed as a bully that everyone hates, but the show also frames his ideology/words as true. He's not hated because he spouts hateful things; he's hated because of the way he says them. Several episodes has Cartman's assertions turn out to be right -- though the way he's right is often wrong. This is peak ye olde conservatism and respectability politics -- it's not about what you say, it's about how you say it.

So the kids/teenagers who are getting "haha being a bigot is funny" out of this show are the ones who are actually consuming the show the way it's intended. Because that's literally the message of the show. That nothing matters, and the only thing you can do about it is joke through it. And that there's no joke too awful as to be off-limits.

People saying that the show isn't about bigotry are precisely the ones who are missing the point.

idk what teenager needs to hear this but please stop watching south park

[hellomynameisbisexual]

“QUEER”

First of all, let’s clear up a common misconception. Queer does not just mean gay. It’s an umbrella term for an identity which deviates from society’s perceived norm: heterosexual, or straight. Queer can refer to sexualities — gay, bisexual, pansexual, — or it can refer to being gender-queer; i.e, any label that deviates from the perceived gender norm: the binaries, male and female.

“Queer” is a reclaimed slur.

If you do not fall under the umbrella of queerness, it is safe to assume that you cannot use it. At all.

I am bisexual.

This means I experience attraction to plural genders. Pansexual also works fine. For the difference between bisexual and pansexual — see here:

Being bisexual isn’t easy. I went through similar hardships to gay women: I experienced attraction to women and was scared of what this meant for me, in such an oppressively homophobic society.

I am not saying being bisexual is harder than being gay, nor the inverse. But my experiences are distinctly bisexual, not gay.

Without further ado, here are the 3 things I’ve found to be the hardest about being queer, but not gay (enough).

#1: Finding My Place

Or, not being queer enough

I always knew I wasn’t straight, but I didn’t know what I was. Up until recently, I was still questioning. This didn’t feel enough to join groups or conversations with LGBT+ folk, let alone go to pride. Was I even LGBT if I was never L, G, B, or T?

I am still yet to attend a pride, even though I identify (fairly confidently) as bisexual. I am in a relationship with a man. This is (problematically) known as a “straight-passing relationship” and makes me feel even more undeserving of a place at pride.

This has been upsetting to me at times. But for others, it can be outright devastating. Growing up and needing support, but feeling like you’re ‘not gay enough’ to ask for it? So many young people are being left alone and afraid. Finding others like you is vital to figuring out who you are. Likewise, finding spaces which are safe and inclusive is vital for anyone, regardless of their sexuality or gender identity. A friend of mine happens to be a transgender man, and he summed up the issue perfectly:

“One thing that I keep noticing is how all hangout spots are “gay bars”, or (far less common) “lesbian bars”. I’m a straight man, so I don’t feel like I’m supposed to be there, but hanging out at regular bars is still too much of a gamble, so I don’t really have anywhere to go.”

It goes without saying that gay folk aren’t always safe in these spaces, as seen by the homophobic attack on the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, in 2016. Bigotry hurts the entire LGBT+ community. Bigotry doesn’t stop to ask whether you identify as gay or otherwise queer before it pulls the trigger.

But the LGBT+ community itself is much more welcoming to those who “pick a side” and just come out as gay, already. The infighting is inexplicable when one looks to attacks such as that in Orlando: bigots don’t care which letter you are in the acronym. So why does gatekeeping exist when we need to be strong in the face of intolerance when fragmentation only makes us weaker? Who are we helping by continuing to exclude identities from the discussion?

#2: Myths and Misconceptions

Well, it stands to reason that if bisexuals are what they seem in TV and movies, why would anyone want to make them feel included? They’re “greedy” and inauthentic. They’re attention-seeking, not to mention their propensity for threesomes. Now, I haven’t been in a wild orgy yet, but it seems like it will only be a matter of time before I follow my natural path.

Straight men, in particular, need to own up to their assumption that bisexual women are down for a threesome. The thing is, we are. But not with you, you big ASSUMER.

Infidelity

All jokes aside, the stereotyping of bisexuals is not only hurtful, but leads to difficulties finding and maintaining relationships.

As I came to terms with my bisexuality, I also had to accept that I might never be fully trusted by my partner, regardless of their gender or sexuality. I was shocked when my partner reacted to my coming out with the equivalent of a shrug — so much so, that I burst into tears of gratitude that my soul-bearing moment hadn’t been met with slut-shaming or assumptions of disloyalty. Nothing has changed. If anything, our bond is even stronger for me having been more authentic after coming out.

But cruelty came from elsewhere: when I came out, I was told that my partner was to be pitied, either because I’m gay and in denial, or bound to cheat on him. The main consequence of such attitudes has been the crippling fear of coming out to my partner. It saddens me that I felt so relieved when he accepted me for being who I am, and loving him just the same as I always have.

This outcome is not the case for many couples, with straight folk worried that their bisexual partner will realise they’re gay and just leave them. This fear of abandonment comes from a place of ignorance. When the media presents bisexuality as a steppingstone on the way to “picking a team”, it’s no wonder that people struggle to trust their queer partners.

Other Queer Myths

The myth that all trans folk medically transition invalidates those who choose not to do so, and let’s not forget the ignorant jeers that it's all just a mental illness. Asexual folk battle the stereotype that they can never have a relationship and shall forever remain a virgin (because what an awful thing that would be, right?) And pansexuals… well, at the lighter end, they’re asked if they have sex with cooking utensils. But often, they’re erased as irrelevant because “we already have the label bisexual”.

This brings us onto the third and final difficulty that comes with queer folk who aren’t easily categorizable as gay: erasure.

#3: Erasure

Erasure refers to the denial of an identity’s existence or its validity as a label.

Non-binary folk face ongoing and loud claims that they simply do not exist. This is despite the historical and scientific evidence to the contrary. Plus, the most important evidence — them, existing. Asexual folk are told they simply have not found the right person yet, or that they are just afraid of sex. Demi-sexual folk are told “everyone feels like that, unless they’re just sleeping around!”. And bisexuals are dismissed as simply being in denial that they’re gay.

Monosexuality & The Gender Binary

Our culture is so built on monosexuality (being solely attracted to one gender — for instance, gay or straight). Monosexuality is reinforced through everything from marriage to dating apps, the media to what we teach in schools. People cannot fathom that someone might want to experience more than one gender in their lifetime.

The binary models of sex and gender are also deeply ingrained. These rigid belief systems combined are to blame for our inability to accept that bisexuals do not need to “pick a side”. I was paralysed by fear for 17 years because I found girls attractive and that might mean I’m gay, because bisexuals are just gays who haven’t realised they’re gay yet.

Bierasure

Bierasure is dangerous, firstly because it leads a child to have to internalise both biphobia and homophobia. For instance, I had to work through being taught to hate gayness, whilst being taught that any attraction to non-male genders made me gay.

Women were cute, and so I was gay, and this meant I was disgusting.

My own mother told me this. She also told me that something has “gone wrong in the womb” for a child to be gay. (Well, Mum, I’ve got some bad news about your womb!)And she, like any bigot, extended this theory to anyone who experiences same-sex attractions — anyone queer. This is another reason why bi-erasure is perilous. Whether you’re a gay, cis-male or a demi-bisexual, trans woman… if your parents will kick you out for being gay, they will likely kick you out for being any sort of queer.

If we deny the bigotry that bisexuals undergo, we will continue to suffer. It won’t just go away. It will fester, with bisexuals having no one they can go to who believes them. And thus:

Erasure Kills

Bullying and suicide rates of queer-but-not-gay people continue to sky-rocket. We must direct funding, support and compassion to every queer individual, as they are all vulnerable to discrimination and bullying. The problem is being left to fester. This is in part because bigots treat all queer labels as just ‘gay’, deeming them equally unworthy. This is how far erasure can go.

Conclusion

Earlier on, I stated that my experiences are distinctly bisexual. The same applies to any queer identity.

Emphasising our differing paths and struggles is important to avoid the aforementioned erasure of already less visible groups. But this does not mean that the LGBT+ community should be fragmented by these differences.

If we can unite in our hope to live authentically and love freely, we will be stronger against bigotry. We are fighting enough intolerance from without: there is no need to create more from within.

So out of everything, what’s the hardest part about being bisexual?

It’s the fact that nobody knows it’s this hard.

[draconicslime]

i am BEGGING tumblr “leftists” to stop implying going outside and talking to people is what makes you a good person.

think about it: why do you need to imply someone’s incorrect because they live a certain way? why do you think they have to live a certain way to reach that conclusion? and why would changing their lifestyle change their bigoted beliefs?

isn’t that irrelevant? how is the outside world going to make someone stop hating queer people, poc, muslims, jewish people, intersex people, disabled people and so on?

especially when you critique it for being so full of hatred for and discrimination for these minorities?

face it: the only way this works is implying bigotry is a lack in some sort of social or laborious effort. that’s... a bad take already. plenty, if not most bigots have a full social circle and are plenty capable of going hiking and “touching some grass.”

and.... why are these considered an insult in the first place? why would a lack of outdoor participation and face-to-face interaction be insulting?

“because it’s unhealthy. those lifestyles are unhealthy.” so you think health is a matter of morals? being unhealthy makes you a bad person?

“no, but being unhealthy is a bad thing.” for people who are unhealthy, maybe. why are you making it worse by degrading us for that?

“if you know it’s unhealthy so the problem can be addressed.” so people need to be bullied out of their issues? bullying will fix them? how is that?

“no, but if they feel crappy maybe they’ll stop being unhealthy.” so you think being unhealthy is a choice? a choice that can be fixed by mental and physical harm that would cause only further cause harm to someone’s health?

i see. i think i laid my point on pretty thick, but if you still don’t see the issue: you’re quite literally contributing to the foundation blocks of things like ableism, and adding on to other bigoted attitudes.

the ideas behind your arguments are barely different from the people you’re insulting in the first place. come back when you actually are willing to address what ableism is outside of easy and obvious things.

it’s almost like there’s extenuating circumstances that make people unable to “fully participate” in society. racism, sexism, queermisia are all examples of this.

but see also:

ableism, and not just ableism as an oppression, but being disabled in the first place can make it pretty difficult to have a full social circle and participate in this “real society” when some of us struggle to even clean our bodies and feed ourselves.

while you’re so busy worrying about insulting bigots, your assailments sail right past them and tell the minorities you’re supposedly defending that their lives are worse less and being like them is something bad and undesirable that should be fixed.

tl;dr: implying a lack of participation in society is bad does nothing but degrade minorities, especially disabled people, who can be and are affected by these “harmless” jokes.

this makes you feel bad? good. do better.

abled people- no, even people who don’t struggle with leaving your house should reblog, but your arguments just aren’t relevant, so don’t bother. sorry not sorry.

[thegayhimbo]

The sad thing is there may have been a point in time when J.K. Rowling did embody Hermione, both in her willingness to call out bigotry, stand up for minorities, and question authority. I know it's common these days to hate Rowling for her transphobia and Umbridge-like behavior on Twitter/X, but I don't buy the idea that she was always like this (as some people claim). Regardless of the critical reevaluation her books have gotten overtime, Harry Potter was a cautionary tale about the dangers of bigotry and prejudice, both in behaviors and with institutionalized systems, and how those could lead to conflict and the near destruction of society. I even remember Voldemort's takeover of the Wizarding World and the Ministry's persecution of Muggle-Borns in Deathly Hallows being compared to the Nazi Regime under Hitler and his persecution of the Jews, and I still maintain this comparison has some relevance in spite of everything.

But just because someone like Rowling can touch upon progressive themes doesn't mean she wasn't immune to her own biases. And that isn't exclusive to her. Joss Whedon is the same way. For years, he was lauded as a feminist, and works like BTVS and Firefly were seen as revolutionary, only for the last few years to reveal just how misogynistic (and racist) he truly was.

Adding on to this, we all have inherent biases regardless of whether or not we want to admit it. They can come from our upbringing, the communities we grew up in, the people we hang out with, and so on. That doesn't make someone an inherently bad person or irredeemable. Everyone have the choice to challenge their biases, unpack those uglier elements, and grow as a person.

The problem is that people like Rowling and Whedon didn't. Or at the very least, in Rowling's case, she stopped doing it. I think there was a point in time 10-20 years ago when she was willing to do this, but for whatever reason (whether because of the newfound fame and money going to her head, or something else), she became calcified in her beliefs and refused to hear anyone that disagreed with her. She has stopped putting in the work to unpack her biases, and is content with stewing in them regardless of how many people she alienates.

And like I said, this isn't exclusive to her. Look at how many so-called "Leftists" and Westerners who went full "masks off" in their antisemitism following October 7th. Look at how many people on this site alone have been okay spreading blood libel, misinformation, antisemitic conspiracy theories, and bullying/harassing Jews. And yet, in spite of the Jewish Community repeatedly telling them their behavior is antisemitic and hurtful, not only have they refused to listen, they have doubled down on what they're doing, denied they're antisemitic (which sounds eerily similar to Rowling's instance she's not transphobic despite her comments and behavior saying otherwise), denied there's been any antisemitism from the Left despite evidence disproving that, and have become incredibly cruel, vicious, condescending, and downright hateful in their "activism." But because they feel like they're in the right, they are not willing to do any self-reflection, or hear out anyone who disagrees with them, and have only continued to get worse.

I've said before that I don't see much of a difference these days between the Left and the Right, and I stand by that statement. If anything, the way many people on the Left are currently acting towards the Jewish community reminds me strongly of Umbridge, and I even made this comparison several weeks ago.

The thing that made Umbridge loathsome is that she is someone who's swallowed the Kool-Aid and convinced herself that her behavior is justified, no matter how vile or sadistic she acts. She believes she's in the right no matter what, and is perfectly okay annihilating people who dare to challenge her.

The scary thing is we all run the risk of becoming Umbridge if we're not careful. No one is immune to behaving like her, which is why it's important to put in the work to self-reflect about how you're acting towards others, and challenge your biases. Rowling stopped doing this, and so have many people on the Left, and they've now become the very thing they hate.

| Anyway, trans rights.