#and then this one if he is a cis man made me change my view again

[surelynotshirley]

The Cowboy serenaded me with his piano playing so I returned the favour with one of my own (aka kiting)

[jvzebel-x]

🦋

[neverendingford]

.

[the-trans-folk-witch]

The Triple Goddess of Wicca, and why she must be killed : Another trinity with a problematic following

What better time to bash Wicca than the present? At the time of writing this it is nearing the height of Autumn and All Hallows is lurching towards us with natural disasters all along the southeast of the US. Hurricanes are bringing ruin to the homes of the innocent, as well as the possible deserving conservatives of Florida.

At this time I am in deep thought of the many times in history that loss, death, illness, and danger upon a group of people was seen as a "cleansing" by the Christian god. The Aids crisis is a great example of this. It was seen as natures way of ridding the earth of queer folks. so why should we not view the hurricane as such a riddle?

In relation to problematic religious views that damage queer folks, I wanted to disect one of these religions. Wicca, a religion with many branches and problems. This religion -as many know- prides itself on its pagan origins and distance from Christianity, while still displaying the same issues Christianity presents to the world. A religion where the pedo-priest becomes the rapey-coven-leader. A space where women are just a womb for a man or god to lay seed in, and most pressing; a place where trans bodies are ignored. Another religion made by a cis white man and taken too far.

I was inspired to tackle the beast that is this neo-religion by the load of terfs that have plagued my inbox for the past 3 years. These Dianic-Wiccans seem to forget the cultures that bore their goddess also created many stories of gender-bent gods such as Hermaphroditus who is most famously known. Shikhandi, who is labeled as a FTM warrior. Lakapati, whose gender changed many times in Filipino history. And Apollo who has a myth where he lived in the form of a woman for 7 years. As we all know, transness is older than wicca will ever be, and there is no use in continuing to argue with dianic -terfs on the internet. So, instead of berating them on their lack of historical knowledge, I want to pinpoint the thing within their faith that this trans-exclusionary "feminism" stems from. Their goddess.

We all have seen the links made to Hecate or Diana in their religion. The concept of an ancient goddess having three main forms or titles to call on. But what maddens me is the ignorance that many non traditional wiccans spout off. As if they are from an ancient tradition of Hecatean worship. When their triple goddess is historically claimed as a purely wiccan invention by the mouth of Gardner himself. The dissent from traditonal wicca to neo-wicca has been maddeningly full of lies. This religion did not evolve, but made space for more issues. If you asked the first or traditional wiccans who they worshipped, you would hear they worshipped the gods of wicca who were revealed to Gardner. Not an entirely Greco-Roman rip-off. Yes, the triple goddess may have been inspired by triple goddesses of history. But she is much newer and much more problematic than her ancient counterparts. To think an ancient tradition such as hecatean devotion has been watered down and conflated with a made up goddess that prioritizes women's usefulness to man as her purpose. To be more clear, let me roughly describe Hecate's triple form in history. Hekate of the moon/sky, Hekate of the earth, and Hekate of the underworld. A goddess who was encompassing all places and aspects of life. The ultimate power of the world. She was not this maiden mother and crone being. She has been reduced to this western concept of "maiden, mother, and crone". As if counting the stages of a woman's service to men is to be empowering. As if all women must be these three things. As if women are only worthy of worship if they rear children, or had a period of chastity (maidenship). A spirit that was made up by a man with a breeding kink has claimed the titles of hekate and are now toting her images as if they are her. People are holding this goddess close to their hearts and wombs only to mock greek culture despite not having greek ancestry. Cis women are using Hekate's image to attack trans women and use this made up triplicate nature of child birth and their British founder's obsession with women's bodies to make us seem unnatural. Yet, here they are pretending Hecate, Diana, or whatever name they are aimlessly slapping on this goddess is of natural pagan origin. It all satirically contrasts with the actual historicity of transness. Imagine having the nerve (read: ignorance) to mock me for being trans as if it is a new thing, when the very gods you're using to back it up are from the mind of a mortal man. Trans people have and will always be divine. Even without bearing children, having a womb, or lying with a male god. Your obsession with your baby making abilities is not the feminism you think it is. You can be so much more you terf wiccans. Yet you cling to the parts of yourself a man told you to. Do not use your body as a weapon to shame my body. Because we are both equal in the eyes of men. worthless, and only for sex. Whether its to make a baby or to give a man a shameful night to remember with a tranny. You, like i am, are just a fantasy. And your god emulates that.

Before you tell me I am sexualizing the titles of the maiden, mother, or crone too much, notice how the religion does that itself. Lets not forget how often wicca has holidays devoted purely to their two gods having sex. The maiden claiming to hold this fertile power and being a feminist figure of virginity while also slightly drifting into purity culture is not exactly the feminist religion wicca intends to be. Its damaging if anything. The maiden is simply a title given to woman to hold until she was made pregnant. There is little depth or actual ties a true maiden in the religion may relate to in this goddess. It is such a flat epithet which holds little use for ones faith other than to claim your youth and sexual awakening. And yes, being young and sexual is in line with feminist ideas. Embracing sexuality or the lack of sex is empowering. But this empowerment was not intended by Gardner. The "feminist" nature of the maiden is fairly recent and flawed. And it is still being marked as a woman's title which she can not move from in life until a man allows her to become a mother.

The mother is a a more three dimensional aspect of this spirit. One I think wicca did mostly right. She is the typical mother goddess all religions have. She can be loving, stern, etc. And yet, she is still hollow. Who would she be outside of the other pagan cultures she is based on. Where is her originality? And do modern wiccans realize Gardner did not share the same ideas of her as the religion does now?She was made by a man's idea of a woman just as many other goddesses were, but who was she before? There wasnt always an origin myth. She was the maiden. Wicca tries to make this growth of a goddess reflect human growth expecting it to make her relatable, but it falls flat. She is a mother. cool. She got pregnant. What if a worshipper has no interest in having kids, fertility obsessions, or the sort? what is the point of even worshipping her? in the early stages of wicca, she wasn't a mother goddess in the sense of caring for her worshippers. Gardner in my belief fully intended her to be a way to pull women into the religion by utilizing the growing feminist movement of his time. She was a way for him to express his mommy issues in a spiritual sense as well as to discuss sex between man and a woman in a disturbingly hetero-centric way. It started off as a minor sex cult in the eyes of Christians. And there was some truth to that belief. The mother was cause of this. She allowed space for men to get women to embrace their sexuality in a group setting. It was masked as a feminist idea instead of the reality which was men perversely trying to discuss nature's sexual powers and the power of creation. Many a coven spent time sharing intimate stories and ideas in a setting that was more than just friendly. And I can not be convinced this was not for male gain. With the spread of femininism there were covens who of course tried to rid the group of creepy men. But alas, they all fail to admit the religion was crafted for the very things.

The crone is no better. She is today revered as a source of wisdom or power. Yet in a coven system this "wisdom" is just older coven members using their age as a way to act smarter than their fellow members. The spirit of the crone is an archetype we see in many cultures. I can respect the usefulness of it in one's spiritual hierarchy. Yes, older women are wise. I say this with my fantastic and loving grandmother in mind. But the crone of wicca originally was not as multifaceted as she is today. She was the ending of life. But most importantly and unbeknownst to female members, she was the ending of a woman's sexuality. The idea that after you're old you are no longer beautiful. You are no longer having sex with the male god or bearing children. you are no longer useful to a man unless it is to inspire his art or give him ideas as a source of wisdom. The crone too was made by a man's idea of female aging. The god and goddess were presented to us as a pair on equal footing, but the woman was just to fulfill a role. The god serves an equally damaging role too. Enforcing ideas of masculinity and protectiveness. But it does not hold the same weight as the triplicate nature. It does not follow a man into every stage of his life expecting him to change multiple times. The crone is the end of female empowerment. She is not a servant to her children or husband like the mother, but a servant to men who seek knowledge.

Wicca had a feminist appearance at one time. But it has not aged well. Although many covens try to be inclusive to queer folks, we can not ignore how its own gods do not acknowledge us. I understand the interest in wicca that many (mostly newer) witches have. The hunger for a community or a mentor. But forcing yourself into a highly performance based and gendered grouping is not going to result in a deep faith or fulfilling spiritual life. Yes it can be nice for those of us with OCD or autism to put all of the spirits in boxes and to categorize them into a balanced or symmetrical hierarchy. (god and goddess, sun and moon, life and death.) But the dualism in this religion reflects the gender binary and transphobic agenda within the religion. It can not be escaped. In fact, it is so infectious that traditional witchcraft spaces have adapted these male/female concepts. We have forgotten how feminine the devil is and how the witchmother has a beard. We have allowed our spirits to be organized in ways that fall within the binary. And it all started with Wicca.

So as a response to this malignancy in our community, I kindly tell all of my terfy readers to get fucked. Preferably by the old wrinkly cock that leads your coven.

[sharkboywrites]

I am a very feminine trans guy and sometimes I'm embarrassed or don't feel valid because I am infact feminine. It would honestly mean the world to me if you could write something about Vil x a reader who's going through my issue! (I hope this makes sense I'm not good at explain)

Vil with a Fem Trans Male S/O

A/N: I'm not really a feminine trans dude, i don't really dress fem unless it's for special events or cosplays (like once a year for one convention), but I do think feminine trans guys are valid. Sending feminine trans guys all my love.

Male reader, feminine male reader

Let's get one thing straight: Vil hates gender roles

He actively defies them, and he doesn't stand for anyone trying to enforce them

When Vil first met you, whether he knew you were trans or not, he really admired you for how openly feminine you were

While he didn't put the two of you on the same level in his mind, he did see view you better than most people at NRC

It was the catalyst for the two of you getting closer

You both bonded over how you expressed yourselves and how it made you feel

As the two of you got closer, you tried to hide those days where you felt like being fem was wrong from him

You knew it wasn't true, that the way you dress didn't determine who you were, but you couldn't help that little voice in the back of your head that told you otherwise

When the two of you started to date, it was practically impossible to hide it

You eventually had to open up to him

He caught you on one of those days, when you felt like the only thing you could do was put on a big hoodie to feel like you were valid in your identity

He noticed your change of usual attire, but didn't ask until the two of you were alone

He questioned you on why you dressed so differently that day, and you broke down, telling him how you felt

You told him about how you felt embarrassed to be feminine as a trans man, how it felt like you weren't really valid enough

He put a stop to that immediately, gently cupping your face and telling you that it wasn't how it worked

He assured you that you're valid in how you identify and that how you dress doesn't change who you are

He used himself as an example

He's a cis man, but dresses very fem and wears makeup almost every day

He does very feminine things, and it doesn't make him any less of a man, and everyone respects his identity as a man

After calming you down, he let you know that he loved you, and that who you are won't change based on how you dress

From then on he's constantly giving you small reassurances, whether you look like you need them or not

If you're comfortable with it, he might post you every so often and show you all the positive comments you get, and how everybody treats you just like him

Just like a man, the man that you are, feminine or not

[katakaluptastrophy]

This may be something you have already covered, or considered and discarded, but. Thoughts on Jod being trans?

Because it seemed slightly odd to me, that a AMAB kid going to his grandmother’s house would be allowed to play with his mum’s toys. Especially if they’re “traditionally girly” toys, as opposed to being told to run around or given a ball to do sports.

Whereas a little AFAB kid would gladly be given his mum’s dolls by a traditional grandma and told to play nicely and quietly. Not identifying with the Barbies so much as finding them so pretty (especially compared to the Ken dolls that look nothing like him, which he feeds to Ulysses the dog).

And then, two or three decades later and finding that he is now God. He has consumed the Earth and her siblings and made her anew.

How easy is it to change the bits about himself he never felt were right? To remake himself as God in the flesh? To look upon himself and say, it is good?

"When I was seven, you know, all Nana had to play with in her house was some of Mum's old toys. And my favouite out of all of them..." He gave a long, shuddering sigh. "My favourite was her old Hollywood Hair Barbie," he murmured. "I loved her little gold outfit and her long yellow hair. She was the best. She got to have all the adventures. There was also a Bride's Dream Midge, but Mum had cut Midge's hair into this weird mullet. It was Barbie for me." She looked at him. He looked at her. He added, "Not Hollywood Hair Ken. Mum had him too, but he was a creep. I gave him to Nana's dog to eat."

This is what we get when John is describing the "scraps of id" that lead him to make Alecto look like some kind of nightmarish Barbie. The 'id' is, psychoanalytically, the most instinctual, basic part of the self. If John is being truthful here, then he's expressing something very basic about himself and his motivations in making Alecto.

I'm not convinced that we can infer anything about his Nana's attitude towards what toys a child should be allowed to play with. John is probably born somewhere between the mid 90s to the mid 20s, so it's just as possible that John playing with his mum's old Barbies is evidence that his family was fairly progressive. Or too poor to afford new toys. Or just ambivalent about the toys he played with.

In terms of John and gender, or at least John and masculinity, this interview has an interesting insight into what Tamsyn might be doing with that:

the God of the Locked Tomb IS a man; he IS the Father and the Teacher; it’s an inherently masc role played by someone who has an uneasy relationship himself to playing a Biblical patriarch. John falls back on hierarchies and roles because they’re familiar even when he’s struggling not to. Even he identifies himself as the God who became man and the man who became God.

Though of course, to quote a different interview, this is a series where "readers will end up STICKY and GREASY with GENDER and BIBLE" and where Lyctorhood is "a huge genderfuck".

So I think there's certainly scope for trans readings of John, which shift the framework for the way that John is positioning himself in relation to his masc roleplaying of god. There's a number of elements that would have a very different resonance in such readings, not least putting Alecto into such a specific version of a woman's body, and the tension between his own exercise of bodily autonomy and his utter restriction and violation of others' bodily autonomy.

Personally, my take is that John is meant to be a type of cis man I'm sure many of us have met - one who is at pains to demonstrate his feminism, who perhaps finds the boundaries of masculinity confining to some extent, but who is ultimately unwilling to examine how deeply those boundaries are part of the way he views the world and interacts with others. And with John, this is writ large, quite literally: endowed with godlike power, he falls back on the patriarchal image of god. John may go out of his way to tell us that the maternity problem was important to him, that he played with Barbies, that he *cares*, but at the end of the day that introspection doesn't translate into his actions.

Regardless of how John came to his relationship with masculinity, he's stuck with - or perhaps in context we could say haunted by - a very particular conception of patriarchal masculinity.

[dykedvonte]

why do you hate Joshua Graham or Honest Hearts so much?

This DLC and character represents a bigger issue with fandom spaces I have but particularly fallout fandom in general.

Fallout tends to tackle a lot of topics controversial and not. The first two games it’s heavy cause they are the most satirical and direct with how anti-war, nationalism and etc… they are. 3 loses this as it’s very clear once you play or learn about all the games that Todd and a bunch of guys at Bethesda just liked the 50s post apocalyptic aesthetic and refuse to actually critique the ideals of the time period like the earlier titles.

New Vegas is the game that really gets back into it a degree it almost seems like it’s taking too much on. There are things done exceedingly well while other things are done horribly wrong . I’ve made posts about it before and plan to make a big series of posts (it’s a lot of writing) but my biggest gripe is with Honest Hearts and all the gross and white savior esque depictions it has of indigenous peoples. The entirety if FNV does not do the injustices faced by indigenous people correctly on any count. My two biggest complaints are with the Khans and the tribes in Zion but I’ll talk about the former on a different post.

Both characters of Daniel and Joshua are the most accurate depiction of white saviors I’ve seen and I hate how the DLC tries to justify and defend them. The DLC treats Joshua like this man who has repented for his past actions when he is just retracing his steps after his cruelty bit him in the ass. He was one of the worst parts of the Legion and it is all but explicitly stated that if you don’t force him to be non-violent he will turn the tribes of Zion into the legion 2.0. The Dead Horses and the Sorrows are horribly infantilized by both Daniel and Joshua who both use them for self serving purposes guised by religious duty. The White Legs are the horrible stereotype of violent and savage indigenous and I personally think a lot of their interlinking with Ulysses, his hair and Ulysses character in general are distasteful and very telling of how BIPOC or POC where involved.

But outside of the game it’s the weird obsession people have with these characters ideologies and trying to make them seem more interesting/philosophical than they are. Tumblr is an echo chamber and many fans of Fallout are not the people on this site. Many people are not educated in the issues these characters convey and how poorly they do or used these characters as a poor introduction for their takes. Contrary to what a lot of people believe in, fallout has a prediomeny white cis male fanbase. More importantly a large portion of the fanbase is white.

You can joke how FNV made you trans or see the numbers on post/fics or diverse headcanons but these are kiddy numbers compared to the millions that consume the franchise and aren’t in those more aware spaces or don’t engage in the spaces the same way someone like me does/has to. Their views shape a lot more than people realize and it’s exhausting to be in a space where people don’t correct the more subtle yet toxic aspects of it but also adopt them into some weird quirky view point on the characters or issues. Some people don’t realize and some people don’t care.

My main issue is just the idolizing of these sort of thing in this fandom space and people try to acts like a game like fallout whose tagline is “War never changes” and has never had a game not revolve around political or militaristic factions issues isn’t that deep or doesn’t relate to real issues. I think it’s mainly caused by how over powered you can become and how you can strong arm your way past these learning moments as majority of people who play this game do play it as a power fantasy where they can do so as they please (which of course, go ahead it’s fun) but never take in parallels or lessons in the story as if it was just another first person shooter.

Also like another personal gripe is Cazadores spawn like hell whenever I’m there and I have not found a mod that works to mod them out so I have to play Indigenous Racism the DLC while getting jumped by giant wasps WHILE helping Mormons. Like I cannot catch a break.

[aidenlydia]

I have seen that you are very open about supporting trans people and that your pronouns are they/them. How were you able to understand that you were trans? (If you are.) I've honestly felt so confused lately and don't have anyone I can ask about this. I love your ftm ghost art. I think it is amazing. I just don't know what to do or how I'll ever be able to figure out myself. Totally not your job but was curious if you had advice.

Not sure how helpful this will be, because my trans experience is deeply interlinked with my Dissociative Identity Disorder and Autism, so I'm sorry if this is a bit confusing.

What is Dissociative Identity Disorder

Dissociative Identity Disorder - Terms and Definitions

Autism and Gender

The reason why I go by they/them is because we're literally multiple people. Our two Hosts Aiden and Lydia (aka the alters interacting most with the world outside of our own head) are a man and a woman. We spend all our time together, sharing a body and the control over it.

We used to go by he/she, but people would only view us as a girl because of our body, so we switched to they/them. It makes more sense and feels better to be acknowledged together instead of Aiden being left out all the damn time.

Now bear with me here.

Though Lydia is a cis women, she grew up never belonging anywhere because we're autistic, so she feels like an imposter and a fraud when trying to connect to her feminity. Most days we barely feel human at all because we've been othered all our life. But she still views herself as a woman - motherhood in particular is a big important part of her.

Aiden is a trans man, but he doesn't mind our feminine body and doesn't plan on getting surgery ever. Testosterone maybe, but even that isn't super important to him at the moment. To him knowing he's a man is enough, passing isn't a priority at all. And because all of our Littles are girls he's rather protective of their body - any kind of medical procedure would cause a lot of fear in them.

He realized he's trans because he preferred a male name for himself, short hair and male clothing. It happened very quickly because exploring gender has never been an issue for us, it's fun and simply felt comfortable.

We do have two Agender Alters, but they don't come out in our regular daily life. They don't feel like anything really, they're deeply connected to nature and just want to exist as genderless beings, so they prefer not taking control of our body. It feels peaceful not being put into a box or defined by gender expectations and whatever other bullshit the world comes up with.

In the past we used to have another trans male Host, but he was suffering deeply from gender dysphoria. He couldn't stand the sight of our body or existing in it and became very self destructive about it. Until one day he just stopped coming out and hasn't been back since.

Before I even realized I had DID, gender wasn't really a concept to me. Same with names, it just didn't make sense to me why someone couldn't just change their name if they didn't like the one their parents gave them for whatever reason. I think of people as people, not boys and girls. Sure there are physical differences, but the meanings/genderroles we attributed to them are completely made up.

Folks love nagging me about how I draw my Ghost, but the truth is he can walk around looking like a cis girl and still be a man, I truly dgaf. So what if he's smaller and more delicate looking next to that big bear of a captain, that doesn't make him any less of a man.

The best advice I can give is you don't need to label yourself if you don't want to. You can experiment and just see what feels good. Maybe you'll find a label or make a plan along the way, but don't feel pressured to.

Common things people do is try out a different name, change their pronouns, create and play as video game characters of the opposite gender/sex (or gender non-conforming in general), listen to trans playlists/musicians, shop clothes/stuff in the other section (including underwear or things like jewelry ect), read books or watch movies about different kinds of trans characters, watch video essays about trans topics, create OCs or sonas, look at trans art and watch/read about other people's trans journeys.

Of course there are "what's my gender identity" tests you can take too, idk how helpful those are but I guess they can give you a bit more insight and maybe make you ask questions that you haven't asked yourself before.

Lastly here's a list of gender identities and definitions that might be beneficial to have a look at, as well as my trans resource list I put together last month about what can be done to change your gender in various ways

[rainesol]

TWST Main Cast Pride Headcanons!!!

Compiling all of my personal twst gender/sexuality headcanons into one post 💪

Disclaimer: I won’t bother with a DNI, however I won’t indulge any discourse or homo/trans/aphobia on this post. You will be blocked and promptly clowned on in the group chat. o7

Heartslabyul

Riddle Rosehearts:

Riddle is an interesting character to me. I don’t think he’s the type to put a label onto his sexuality, but I headcanon bi with a female preference. Gender identity wise, I think within the current storyline he is satisfied with he/him pronouns. Best way to put it into words is that I think he’s nonbinary and uses he/him, but doesn’t have a label for that either. After finding out the custom, he always introduces himself and gives his pronouns.

I choose to interpret his line about enjoying the way his heels click as gender euphoria that just went unrecognised. At the time that I’m writing this, the Lost In The Book event isn’t out on en, but through this translation, you can see that any problems he had with the outfit came from the amount of skin shown rather than the actual presentation. I wholeheartedly believe that if he had been magical-girled into a sundress he’d have been totally cool with it.

As an extra note, I’ve seen a couple of transfem Riddle headcanons that I love. I’d love to see more fics with that concept in the fandom. Or I could do it myself lol.

Ace Trappola:

We know that Ace has canonically had a girlfriend in the past, and found her boring. Not nice. He also says that he decided that dating was a pain and he prefers just hanging out with his friends. I get it. I’m aroace and I’ve confessed that I’m biased and projecting 😔 But like. Come on. I’m choosing to interpret him as aromantic/arospec. Let me cling on to the representation that I made up in my head. I don’t have any specific gender headcanons on this guy. I just view him as cis. He/him.

Deuce Spade:

Deuce is another guy I don’t have much for </3 I usually view him as a gay man in my head? He/him pronouns, cisgender. I think he’s surprisingly more open to gender non-conformity than people expect of him, though. (For instance, the ballet lessons.)

Cater Diamond:

It’s canon in the jp server that Cater has interest in dating both men and women. I’m with everyone else in viewing him as canon bisexual. I headcanon him as having a male preference, but sometimes that changes.

It’s obvious what I’ll say about his gender, but for sure under the nonbinary umbrella. We all saw the guitar strap. Maybe demiboy? He/they. Cater is very online, and considering that the nonbinary flag is ten years old, he or his elder sisters might remember its creation.

Anyways, here’s the nonbinary flag colour picked from his club groovy, and the bisexual flag picked from his Halloween groovy! :D

Trey Clover:

Trey is typically a cis dude in my head. (He/him) He's the supportive older brother type, so I imagine that he keeps the Heartslabyul public bathrooms stocked on pads. I don't know how helpful he would be with advice, but he'll hear you out or refer you to the guidance councillor if that's what you want o7 I don't think the NRC guidance councillors are much help though. Maybe just speak to your homeroom teacher.

I hc that Trey likes men and women with no preference, but just isn't very vocal about it. It'll come up in casual conversation, but I don't think he'd see the point in telling someone unless it was relevant. You'd be having a casual convo with him in the common room, and he might make a reference to a guy he had a crush on in secondary school. Cue SnapCube 'Woah, he's bisexual, I didn't know that!'

Savanaclaw

Leona Kingscholar:

I've seen so many 'token cishet' Leona headcanons that I cant help but to absorb it a little. I do have another headcanon that he experiences some same-sex attraction, but he's got such high standards that he rarely notices any attraction at all. He/him. Maybe poly cause lions?

Jack Howl:

MLM demisexual/romantic truther. (He/him or he/they) I don't have many headcanons for the Savanaclaw trio <//3 if you see/make any please feel free to tag me!! I love reading I love information I love headcanons‼️

Ruggie Bucchi:

Either transmasc or the personification of the 'I'm probably nonbinary but I have a job so idrc about that rn'. I usually picture him with He/him or he/they. Perhaps a rare they/them if you so desire.

Pansexual, his only preference is hard workers on their grind 💪 Between you both you could create an empire of part-time jobs. I've also seen one or two poly headcanons with him that I enjoy. Dividing the bills between the whole polycule lads come on. We're eating good this week.

Octavinelle

Azul Ashengrotto:

I cannot lie, I don't have anything on this guy. There's nothing to be said yk. Like, he's just there in my head and there's not much else I can add. I tend to agree with the MLM headcanons. I also picture him as demisexual/romantic sometimes. Not always. He's the best in the school at remembering pronouns. He updates his secret file on you right away.

Gender wise, I always just enjoy whatever the fanartist/fic writer shows me. I default to he/him. Ursula was based on a drag queen! I think that there should be post-canon/book 3 Azul drag personas. Now I'm picturing a drag design. She/her/he/him for that.

Floyd Leech:

Asexual and panromantic. I think Floyd uses any pronouns, depending on his mood. I headcanon genderfluid, but he typically keeps near the masc end of the spectrum. Not always. The basketball club made colour-coordinated bracelets so that they can easily tell whenever Floyd's preferences have changed. Blue for he/him, pink for she/her, yellow for they/them. Open for combinations of those three, and no bracelets for when he has no preference :D

Jade Leech:

Asexual and gay. I headcanon that he always introduces himself with he/him pronouns, but at the same time I picture him being cool with any pronouns. In classic Jade fashion, he will be generally unnerving about your choice. Like 'Oh? Is that your choice? ...Fascinating :)'

Scarabia

Kalim Al-Asim:

I don't have many headcanons on him specifically, but he'll totally pay for your HRT. Like Trey, he and Jamil keep Scarabia stocked with menstrual products. Kalim has a LOT of siblings, so he's seen a lot of different kinds of people :D He's got a ton of older brother advice. I see him with he/him pronouns, and MLM.

Kalim is a very supportive friend. Always excited to learn new things about his you. Also, those parades he throws? I bet he's (Jamil's) organised an NRC pride event. If I had the skills and patience, I'd draw that idea. If anybody does, tag me o7 I wanna see.

Jamil Viper:

Jamil is a very well prepared man. As I mentioned above, he's the one that puts Kalim's plans into action. He keeps Scarabia stocked on everything, he's technically still an older brother, but I don't see him as having that dynamic with anyone other than his sister. He's still a supportive friend, though :D

I headcanon Jamil as bi, usually with he/him pronouns.

I once had a transfem au Jamil idea way back when I was 17, but I haven't given it much thought since. Maybe I'll bring the au back someday?

Pomefiore

Vil Schoenheit:

Vil has A LOT of headcanons, theories and interpretations in the fandom. Vil is canonically a very gender nonconforming character, using typically gender neutral pronouns, being comfortable in his gender identity and presentation, and is very open to wider interpretations of gender outside of what is stereotypically considered 'masculine' or 'feminine'.

Surprisingly, I've got no proper headcanons on a set gender identity for him. There's already so much canon info within the series, that I just haven't given it much thought. I think he defaults to he/him pronouns, but is perfectly comfortable with anything. Keeps Pomefiore stocked and educated, and he's very well taught in makeup that can make you appear feminine OR masculine.

Similarly, I don't really have any label-specific headcanons for his sexuality. I normally interpret him as MLM. Vil is one of the characters that I'm always interested to see discussions about. His views on gender identity are pretty refreshing to see in modern media.

Epel Felmier:

Epel my friend! Another character that I like reading interpretations of. Again, I always give him he/him pronouns. He also had a lot of canon information on his views of gender norms. His character arc is honestly one of my favourites.

I typically picture that he’s attracted to multiple genders. I’ve seen a lot of interpretations where he mistakes his attraction for jealousy. A lot of “do I want to date him or be him?”

Another au/headcanon I’ve seen a lot of is transmasc Epel. I know a lot of transmasc people see themselves in him. That’s awesome.

Rook Hunt:

This guy! I see him as pansexual but also on the aromantic spectrum. Hear me out. In his suitor suit he has one (1) singular line about not being ready for marriage yet. Like obviously, he’s eighteen, but it just made the projecting side of my brain whir. I now see him as the type to like the idea of romance, just not for himself. Doesn’t mean that I don’t like seeing art/ships that go against this, but that is a hc I hold dear now.

He/him pronouns, but this guy loves to discuss peoples gender identity and interpretations of gender. Sit down with him and a cup of tea, and he’ll listen and talk for hours about how you both feel. Be warned that he may take notes. Mirror pronouns Rook? Oh wait. I like that. Mirror. Like Snow White.

Ignihyde

Idia Shroud:

I typically see Idia as aroace with either little or no attraction. I like the headcanon that he doesn’t date at all, but I’ve also seen enough Silver x Idia to have another set of headcanons. I like both :D I’ve never seen him as not aroace though.

I do kind of wish I had his Suitor Suit sometimes. Every other line is something I’ve definitely said before. Like, the only time he shows any interest in dating is through video games and manga with characters that aren’t him. That’s so me irl you guys don’t understand. I would die happy if twst had canon aro/ace rep.

I think Idia’s the type to only use different pronouns online. Maybe with Ortho, too. He/they online and with close family. Everyone else knows him as he/him. I said that Cater might remember the nonbinary flag’s creation. Idia does. He was on twst tumblr to witness the creation of many flags.

Here's the aroace flag picked from the Suitor Suit card! :D Very pretty.

Ortho Shroud:

Ortho is downright fascinating to pick apart. Pre book 6, I doubt Idia programmed a sexuality into him. Like it would even be possible. Then post book 6, after he gains a soul/sentience, I think he and Idia would have had a talk about him now having the choice to one day explore his gender identity and orientation (if he so desires). I think Ortho wouldn’t have any interest in dating, though.

Confessional time. Before wiring this I had the random thought of “In second year Ortho downloads she/they.zip and gets a new body made”. I never meant to pay much kind to it but now I can’t let it go. Like I’ve been accidentally referring to Ortho as she in front of friends. I have a future design in mind. I have additional headcanons about this design. It’s completely taken over. If I ever post that redesign is beyond me but it’s there in my head and it won’t leave. Fem!Ortho future au. Idk if anyone would hear me out there.

Diasomnia

Malleus Draconia:

Another character I enjoy multiple interpretations of. One interpretation I have of him is cupiosexual/romantic. The other is demisexual/panromantic. Either way, the concept of a qpr would make him so excited that it doesn’t rain for days on Sage’s Island. The grass withered.

Malleus is old. Not mentally, but chronologically. He’s seen language change a couple of times, and he grew up with people even older than him. He was born in the mid 1800s equivalent. Thon is one letter off of thorn. See where I’m headed? The use of thon/thons was first recorded in the 1850’s. Gender neutrality is not a new concept to him.

If you asked for his pronouns, I feel like he wouldn’t immediately understand. Like, he calls himself I. Me. Sometimes if he’s with someone we. Did you want all of those too? Oh, just the ones you call him./j

Anyways twisted wokeland au where Malleus allows Yuu to make up a name and set of pronouns for him because he refused to introduce himself/j

Silver:

Another guy I never considered. Mayybe also on the aroace spectrum? I think he’d be happy in a qpr. I think he’s not the type to question it. He just goes with whatever he feels. I’ve not got much lol.

Sebek Zigvolt:

Demisexual/romantic and he/him pronouns. Again, I’ve not thought much on him. I think it takes him a long, long journey of self-discovery though.

Lilia Vanrouge:

Again, Lilia was born a LONG time ago. He was born in the early to mid 1300s equivalent. He’s seen so much change since then, and he’s been through a lot of character arcs. I think I’m justified in headcanoning him as an unlabelled king. If he likes a girl, awesome. He likes a guy? Cool. I think it’s common to hear him refer to himself in a dead language. Baby girl, he has heard pronouns you could not comprehend.

If you ask his gender or sexuality, you’ll get some vague dad gestures, and a ‘you know what I mean’ nod. You don’t. You won’t.

Book 7 spoilers, but I hope that they keep the mlm implications in for the en translations. They’ll probably pull a Cater and write out the canon bi implications though. Heartbroken.

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Thank you for reading to the end of my ramblings o7 If anyone else makes pride themed posts please feel free to tag me!! I would love to see them!

I really like the subtle ways these things are portrayed in the story. Especially within the world building. We know that is generally societally acceptable for men to wear makeup and dresses in TWST, and there’s canon development of language changing over time in a gender neutral way! (Witches and wizards -> mages. Suck on that, Rowling.)

⋆｡𖦹°‧★

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@tixdixl @cyanide-latte @the-trinket-witch @thehollowwriter @elenauaurs

@emiensr

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for sort of wanting to break up with my boyfriend

okay so I [18M] met this guy [18M] back in january through an accepted college students group chat. We got to talking and found out we had a lot of similar interests, plus we live in the same city so we were able to hang out occasionally. We were even each other's prom dates (though both times were "as friends") However, after my prom he drove me home and ended up asking me out, saying he'd had a crush on me for a while and just had to tell me. I told him that I would love to date him, but that I had to tell him something first. I'm a stealth trans man, which means everyone I'd met and hung out with around him had assumed I was cis. So had this guy. I asked if that would be a problem, as he identified as gay and some gay men just aren't into trans men. He responded and said he didn't think it would be. Well, flash forward a month and I was on an out of town trip with him and several of his friends. As the only couple on the trip we were also sharing a room. And for context we'd made out but nothing more. The night before we left, he asked "hey, can we talk about something real quick?" I said sure, and he went "so, you know how I'm gay, right?" to which I thought oh no. I know where this is going. And basically he ended up saying that he didn't think he'd be comfortable doing anything sexual with me because he's "only into cock" but also that he'd be okay 'receiving' sexual acts, just not 'giving.' I was pretty stunned because I hadn't been thinking of that stuff really at all (it was literally the day after our one month anniversary. it was all still pretty new) and I said as much, but that I thought it would definitely be a problem in the future. He then freaked out and said that because he has OCD vague statements like that mess up his brain and basically send it into overdrive, so would I please say that it wouldn't ever be a problem (which I did.) I didn't see him for almost a month after that because he went out of the country, but I was definitely more reserved with the way I talked to him, prompting him to ask many times if he was annoying me and sort of catastrophize about our relationship (sent me a text asking if our LOVE was FADING.) I eventually ended up talking to him about it all over the phone and he immediately apologized saying that he knew as soon as he had said it that it was an asshole thing to say. Then he went into a tangent about how he actually views sex and romance as two different things and thinks sex is super degrading and dehumanizing, and how he thinks our love is this "pure and wholesome" thing (actual words.) He did say that he would be willing to try things with me but I don't want him to force anything on his end regarding sexual stuff, because it is totally okay if he doesn't want to have sex with me, it just means I don't want to stay in a relationship with him. But he keeps going on and on about how much he loves me and how I've changed him into a better person (and also how SCARED he is that I'll break up with him????) and so I feel guilty wanting to break up, especially because I did like him a lot before all this but now it's just so stressful and I don't know what to do. And that's where the "am *I* the asshole" bit comes in because I have been really sort of neglecting him, responding to messages late, not being super enthusiastic about talking to him, just being a bad boyfriend tbh. And of course the cherry on top is that we're going to college together in a month. Okay tumblr please help me what do you think

What are these acronyms?

[royal-they]

when discussing gwens transcoding i feel like people dont talk about how her being spider women is literally viewed as politics from the start.

people talk about her and the validity of her actions and choices in front of her even before peters death. her dad specifically questions how she dresses. why she need to hide behind a mask. the spider suit was made to hide the identity of the wearer yes but for gwen stacys spider woman thats always been different, even in the comics.

presenting the way she does keeps her safe when she’s gwen stacy but it also represents the choices she makes. her work as spider woman. its her badge. this line is something that always stuck with me in the comics and i love that they didn’t change it in the movie. her suit and mask are not hiding who she is, theyre an extension of it.

being trans makes how you present yourself very complicated at least in my experience. youre constantly worried around new people and strangers, do they think i look like a boy or a girl? am i passing? if im not passing am i safe? its really complicated, passing doesnt make you more or less valid but a lot of society views it that way and how people see you can change how safe you are. these things are nuanced is what im saying and i like how gwen is allowed to do what feels right for her regardless of what others think.

another point is how shes met with violence when she first essentially “comes out” as spider woman. even though its a loved one, her dad doesnt take it well. because of his duty to society he feels he cant accept her as spider woman.

so she has to run away from home. live with the people who do make her feel at home, her own band as she puts it. and only then, when she’s is able to stand on her own does she face her dad.

they both needed time. to work on themselves. and something important is that he stops being a cop. stops this duty he feels he owes to society to get rid of spider woman to protect their children.

only when he takes time to truly understand her perspective and actions is he able to accept her.

as trans people our identities are constantly considered something cis people and the government get to determine. but with spiderverse we see gwens story as being portrayed as a villian by society. we see it from her perspective. not her dads perspective. not miles, an outsiders perspective who has to come and fix everything. her own perspective. and in the end she doesnt want society to accept her. she just needs her dad. her loved ones. because shes never given a damn about outsiders, there’s never a focus on how some random j jonah jameson feels about her. they instead focus on her dad. because he is who hurts her. and for me at least that’s very relatable.

spider man in general is a very trans subject because society hates him and he has to disguise himself to stay safe. but gwen stacy as ghost spider or spider woman really stands out to me. because it feels so much more personal to get to spectate her life. she’s so real, so human. and that is essence of what makes a spidey.

[kingcons]

Haven’t posted in ages but thought I’d put this out. This could be cuz I didn’t take my anti depressants today but does anyone else have a really fluctuating gender identity? No particular dysphoria but you don’t view your body as a gender, it’s just yours. Like obviously I know my sex, but i can’t just tell if i am actually female. I have female genitals, i have breasts, i like makeup and dresses and she/her pronouns (mostly for the pronoun thing) but even with all that said there’s a part of me that burns deeply to be a man with facial hair and a deep voice and a flat chest and to be perceived as a man and go by he/him. But if I went on hormones and surgery I think I’d be depressed and hate myself more. I don’t view myself as a person more accurately. Like my face for example, it’s a fine face in fact I think it’s pretty, but it isn’t my face. When I look in the mirror that’s a stranger looking back at me. That’s not *my* face. I don’t feel like a person so if I’m not a person then how the fuck can I have a set gender, yk?

I’m not a person or even something that exists at all. I’m not alive in the traditional spiritual sense. I don’t feel like I’m alive despite knowing I am a living breathing person. I know all this and I’m aware of it but none of it feels true. I wish I was a trans man sometimes because then I’d know why I feel like this. Genderfluid I went with for a while but it isn’t true. It’s like I’m cis but also not human.

This could all be because I’m autistic too.

I think if I were to be given the power to change anything about myself it wouldn’t be something visual. I think I’d just fix a part of my heart or brain when it got broken around the time puberty started. Ever since then, I lost a part of myself that I previously connected with. But thinking about it, even as a kid I wasn’t a person really to myself. I always thought that people around me were either aliens or everyone apart from me and the person I was talking to in that moment were not real and a dream. It just made sense to six year old me. In fairness, age six was he age I went through my first actually traumatic experience and it could have been a way to cope with it but I have no clue what came first because I was so young lol. I thought my parents were aliens that were gonna sacrifice me when I hit age 13. After they didn’t I stopped thinking they were aliens and i got ocd and shit but that’s off topic.

My point is that since day one of self awareness, I’ve always felt disconnected from myself. Other. Like a different thing. I don’t know how to describe it. I was wondering if anyone felt the same or similar.

[robotslenderman]

It really just bugs me that gender, nowadays, is often just repackaged conservatism.

A tomboy or a butch aren't any less female because they don't believe in gender roles. It's just another way of expressing femininity. Same with cis dudes who like to shave their legs or paint their nails or wear dresses. You can wear a beard and a dress and still be as much of a man as that dude in the Yank Tank with testosterone poisoning and a shitton of misogynistic tattoos.

I get misgendered as nonbinary all the time. I have no idea how - the gender stereotype of enbies is androgyny, which I know is not true, but many people do and yet despite my lowkey and sometimes highkey femme appearance many people use "they" as my pronouns despite being told otherwise. The majority of my friends are trans not because they're my people, but because my cis+ ass is more comfortable around people who play with gender than those who don't. I am a gender expat; I am a guest in their space, but I will never be a native, and yet I'm more comfortable around them than the cis because the cis are so fucking obsessed with the binary and gender roles.

It doesn't help that when I changed my name I changed it to a gender neutral one. One of my friends pointedly made a remark that they were happy that I "get to experience gender euphoria in that way." When I told my psychiatrist about my name change he immediately jumped on the "closeted enby in denial" train that has been following me ever since; he made a long speech about gender fluidity and how I shouldn't take it personally that my family may struggle to adapt to the change. When I told him I was cis, he just smiled. My therapist still uses they/them pronouns for me despite being explicitly told not to. Never mind that I've been questioning my gender for well over a decade; it's hard not to when you're a gender expat and surrounded by people who question their gender all the time. never mind that the answer always is, and always shall remain, "still cis."

I'm not saying my poor widdle cis ass suffers the same oppression as trans folk. If that's what you take away from this you're not paying attention.

The truth is that my femininity is understated. Anonymous. It's never been a loud and in-your-face hot pink and barbie flavoured experience. Just because cis female is a single category doesn't mean that cis female is so rigidly defined. It's loud and in-your-face hot pink. It's Barbie. It's also oil and grime and cars, and loud and opinionated and argumentative, as much as soft and delicate and compliant. It's pink and frilly, but it's also blue and dirty. It's cis men in drag and cis women who have never worn a skirt in their life, and everything in between. It seems like I run into a lot of people for whom gender isn't an experience or lens or point of view, it's interest and fashion sense. Or someone's name. I'm seen as less of a woman for my chosen name and people tell me that's okay, not everyone is female! I just say, it's not okay because of that, it's okay because it's okay not to be your idea of what a woman is.

I met a man called Harriet* once. He wasn't any less a man. His wit was acerbic, and he always fronted comments on his name with sarcasm and "yeah, laugh now, get it out of your system." And yet he never changed it. He wasn't less a man for having a traditionally female name. I'm not any less a woman for having a nonbinary one. Just because male and female are opposites doesn't mean they should never touch for the cis.

I don't fit into the '50s box of "you're female, therefore you should wear a dress." Neither do I fit into the '20s box of "you wear a dress, so you must be female." The truth is that gender roles and expectations are just as baffling for people who are nonconforming as for people who are, and that we'll never be truly free of the gender binary as long as we adhere to it. And the truth is that even if you think you don't adhere to that binary, it's so ingrained in your subconscious and our society you almost certainly do. My friends who not-so-secretly think I'm a closeted enby in denial are as much adhering to it as some idiot who thinks my vagina means I should wear a dress and poo out babies.

Being nonbinary is a spectrum. But so is being male or female. You'll never break out of a black or white binary until you realise that it doesn't exist - not even for cis people. We can't truly break out of the binary until we realise that it doesn't exist for ANYONE.

You either believe in the gender binary or you don't. And if you believe that cis people have certain experiences or present in certain ways, if you believe that binary trans people adhere to those same standards, you believe in the gender binary. No matter what you say. You can claim until you're blue in the face that you don't believe in the binary, but if you're shoving other people in the box of what binary means, you are lying.

(* Not his real name - he's a patient and I'm adhering to patient privacy laws. But he definitely had a "female" name that isn't even ambiguously gender neutral. I'm not even talking Meredith or Tracy, names which used to be gender neutral but are female. I've never once in my life met another male "Harriet" despite meeting dozens of strangers every day.)

[kitty-lennon]

OK since I had some nice returns about the height hc I wanted to share with you some of my other Hc!! (it get a bit long)

- Robbie / Glanni are faes (principaly due to Bound, that fic have been engraved in my soul) and also are two different person

- Robbie took care of the kids before Sportacus was around and have taught them about their special interest (Trixie and pranks/mischief; Pixel and love for gadget/tech and all; Stingy.... Stinginess; Ziggy and finding comfort in sweets, also Robbie made him that super hero suit)

-Latabæ and Lazytown are two different towns, and Latabæ is in iceland

-there is a Jives and Penny counter part in Lazytown but they are older and away to university. They still love to play with the kids

- Latabæ kids gang are teens while Lazytown kids gang is well, kids (/ almost preteen)

- ìþrott is older than Sportacus by a few years, and they aren't related by blood. They still view each other as Brothers tho. Also ìþrott passed down the number 10 title to him (will explain this more if asked)

- Àfram Latabæ Íþróttaálfurinn and Glanni Glæpur Í Latibær Íþróttaálfurinn are the same, he got badly made fun of by Glanni and after fighting the bitch away from Lazytown decided to get a makeover bc he indeed was a bit out of style.... Not that Glanni finds it better (except the abs)

- Glanni is a real menace that's holding back o' taking the world bc like Robbie, he's too much of a softy but won't admit it. (doesn't stop him from being a wanted criminal that have done heinous crimes but he had arguably good reason, as much as a morally gray flamboyant vilain can)

- Robbie and Glanni are distantly related blood wise but Glanni took care of Robbie most of his childhood and make sure he wouldn't take the same road as him in Villainy. (in love with this one, I love secretly soft vilains)

- Robbie is nb/ Agender, just doesn't give a single fuck about pronouns or gender, Glanni is identifying as man but like she/her and dressing either hyper masc or hyper flamboyant, pink and feathers and fur everywhere, glitters in his pockets and strass on his gun

- Sportacus is cis he/him a'd confident enough to wear a dress and make up even if it's rare / for his traditions as an elf (he like it tho bc it's comfy and fun to move around in a dress) Íþróttaálfurinn is the same, and often have his nails painted and likes to help the girls with their hair

That's the most I could think of hard enough to materialise in words!!

(it's 2am when I'm writing this, I'll probably upload it way later wand I'm sure I could come up with more tbh they probably seem too logical to me rn to not be canon)

PLS PLS PLS don't even hesitate to ask me about your headcanons so we can talk about them I love that!! It's more than alright to judge my hc even if I think they are pretty basic, but I don't think I'll change my mind about them (I'll hear you out still tho!)

OK last blorb, if you have ocs you can also message / ask / pm about them and info dump on me I would LOVE to hear about them.

Tbh usually I get in fandoms along with some friends, and I love plotting / playing / drawing [with] our ocs. So tell me if you would be fine with it, it would be immensely fun to populate the towns with our silly characters and watch them interact.

Alright, stole enough of your time now, thank you if you read this far! I really like the community here and hope to interact a bit more with all of you nice people, Have a nice time out there ✨✨

[ariazureyt]

Our Flag Means Death made me realize I’m Bi

TLDR: The gay pirates show made me realize I’ve been in denial about being bi

I (26F) came into the show completely blind only knowing the basic premise, and that there were some queer characters.

Even though I knew the show has queer characters, Ed and Stede falling in love never occurred to me at all. All of the hints to Stede and Ed’s relationship in Season 1 were completely lost on me. Ed watching over Stede while he recovers, changing clothes, “you wear fine things well,” the treasure hunt, Lucius saying “this is happening,” their boots touching, and Stede jealous of Calico Jack. All of that whooshed past me.

I simply saw season 1 as Ed and Stede becoming a platonic friend odd couple. I had to watch memes and TikToks to realize that they were flirting with each other throughout season 1. I feel so embarrassed that I didn’t notice what everyone else was seeing.

I was feeling like Stede when he called himself a “terrible pirate” after surviving getting stabbed and hanged by the Spaniards. I was feeling like I can’t be queer if I couldn’t notice that Ed and Stede liked each other.

But after I thought about it, I figured out that I was blocking out the scenes of them flirting with each other. I rejected thinking about Ed and Stede’s relationship like I’ve been doing with my own sexuality. I didn’t want to think about myself being queer, so I didn’t think about Stede and Ed being queer. Even when I knew that the show is gay, I still mentally blocked out any gay-coded scenes.

My initial viewing of the show made me realize that I was in denial about my own sexuality. I figured out that I was bi a couple years ago when I found a female cashier physically attractive, and I started flirting with her. But I second guessed myself. I thought that if I was bi, I would’ve figured it out as a teen. And even if I was, it doesn’t change anything in my life.

Watching the series caused me to confront my own sexuality like Ed and Stede. A part of me knows that I’m bi, but the other part doesn’t want to think about it. Ed wants to be Ed, but Blackbeard is all he knows. It’s easier to be Blackbeard. It’s easier to see myself as straight.

When I read AO3 fanfics, I’ve alway preferred same-sex pairings ie: Leon/Krauser (Resident Evil) or Guillermo/Nandor (What We Do in the Shadows). But when I write my own short stories, I default to my characters being straight and cis. I’ve always consumed queer media, but I could never bring myself to make my own queer work.

Watching OFMD made me realize my own unresolved internalized biphobia. Last year, I googled “internalized biphobia” after finishing my rewatch of the series and I ticked off almost every box. I thought I wasn’t bi, because I’m married to a cis man and have only ever dated men. I thought that I can’t celebrate pride month since I’m not dating another woman. I didn’t want to be bi. I didn’t want to think about all of the girls I found attractive but never acted on. I didn’t want to regret not realizing I’m bi. Just like Ed in denial about being heartbroken over Stede.

Relating to Ed and Stede scared me. How could I relate to gay pirates realizing that they’re gay?

I appreciate that the show was able to bring out my unresolved feelings. Being homophobic to myself is a hard thing to admit. I hope to one day be comfortable with myself and my sexuality. But for now, I’ll just write this:

I’m Ari, and I’m Bisexual! 🏳️‍🌈

[laserrescue]

Yes, well, I did say “sexes” didn’t I? They change from the recognizable, at-first-glance of dna, “male” to “female”.

Sex is also biologically, not binary! There are far too many versions of a sex to be considered just “male and female” so yes, while animals do not have the concept of gender, (as I never said they did,) they can indeed be “non-binary”. As in, existing out of the binary of male and female. That is what non-binary means,

So no, they do not have “complex IDEAS about gender” but they can change sex, and have homosexual tendencies! That is what I believe Galaxy was trying to say.

So, of course they don’t feel what we feel to an absolute degree, but they can indeed do a fraction of what we do!

(Talking from a personal perspective here, sometimes, with animals that change sex, humans like to say “transgender” in a way to connect with them! It’s a nice way to look at something and feel that you’re similar in a way! Especially with transphobia being such a common thing, and being called “unnatural”. :( )

I didn't say they had binary sexes, I said they had sexes. Some lizards even only have one sex. They don't have gender.

That's important because transphobia is rooted in the idea that sex is the same as gender, and it's not. Gender comes with highly complex sociology that impacts interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships. It affects how one views themself and how they feel doing certain activities. It also comes with two unique experiences animals don't appear to get: Euphoria and dysphoria.

Clownfish don't look back on their time as a male thinking "oh that was awful I really didn't have a clue what WANTING to be alive was like." Some of the fun people I've met from the multiverse are transgender, and so's at least one of my fellow Rescue Bots. (I'm not at liberty to say which one.) They feel like they actually belong now that they're presenting the way that they want to.

And there is a difference between saying "haha fellow trans icon Clownfish" and arguing that they are actually transgender. The difference is the implication that them changing their sex is the same as changing their gender. It's the continued implication that sex and gender are the same thing, and they're not.

And yes, the complexity is important. One of the humans I've met in the multiverse is a young man who recently looked back at some of the clothing he wore when he was still trying to pretend to be a girl. Some of those clothes, looking back, made him look extremely masculine in a way that has contributed to his modern gender euphoria, but they didn't hide the way his body looked underneath it well enough. He told me about how all the euphoria was retroactive, after seeing how even at his most dysphoric you could've convinced some men that he was a cis man.

Nothing has changed in regards to his sexual transition.

Animals don't get that experience because gender is not the same as sex. Animals can be homosexual, yes. I've said that each post. I will not deny that. I've seen it, and that human I was just talking about had a dog that would exclusively perform sexual behaviors with another male. But homosexuality at its basal form is less complex than gender is. You can point to an animal and say 'this one's homosexual or bisexual' because they act on sexual impulses. You can't assume the same with gender because gender isn't about sex.