#but also a time of self care and queer joy

[sasspossrilla]

Possums can have gay cake for pride month, as a treat

[kaladin-sadblessed]

This is the flex of a nine year old, I’m aware, but I can now consistently swim 500m without taking a break!! Not fast and not well, and the guy in the lane next to me had a whole ass chart of what he was meant to be doing and his “warm up” was 450m so I’m guessing that this isn’t actually very impressive to anyone who swims properly but it’s massive improvement for me!

This wasn’t particularly a goal of mine, in try very heart not to make goals about exercise and I only count the distance I swim as a matter of interest of what I’m capable of. I do the same amount of lengths every time I go swimming and take breaks when I need to It’s just really nice to have a noticeable improvement in my fitness/endurance. Especially one that has absolutely nothing do with weight loss or calories or even really skill, just moving my body because I enjoy it!!

And being able to swim my lil heart out and refuel with ice cream and vegan fried chicken? Actually quite magical. I’ve had a weird week and a weirder month but not only am I not falling back into shitty old habits, I’m actively able to see how I’ve grown around them and I’m actually really fucking proud of myself 🥰

[chuplayswithfire]

The general concept that OFMD s2 has less queer joy is to me such an interesting perspective, because the first season really did end in a much more tragic and less joyous place, between Lucius's murder (unsuccessful, though we didn't know at the time), Izzy's homophobia winning out, Ed kidnapping Frenchie and Jim, Ed sobbing in the bed nook, and all of us wondering how Stede was going to rescue everyone with a single dinghy and no money.

This season's end, everyone we feared for last season is accounted for and well, Ed and Stede are reunited and building a loveshack, and Izzy finally accepted community before getting to die doing what he loved: spiting some rich bastard.

Season 2 sees the start of new relationships between Jim and Archie and Olu and Zheng - possibly as a future messy polycule, introduces us to the struggling but ultimately loving relationship between Anne Bonny and Mary Read, shows us Ed and Stede in love and navigating the start of openly admitting you have feelings for someone and giving it a go, gives us three characters exploring themselves through drag, gives us Lucius and Pete's engagement and wedding -

But because we also have a death, somehow the queer joy is gone from the show.

The queer joy wasn't gone when Izzy stomped on Ed's hopes and Ed subsequently decided to embody his worst self. It wasn't gone when we had to wonder if we were lying to ourselves about Lucius dying.

But Izzy dies, living the life of a pirate and surrounded by people who care, finally able to be vulnerable in the sense of admitting wrong and fault, and give closure and that's what kills joy?

Maybe I've just lived a life with too much death to understand why a good death would kill joy, but in my book season 2 had so much more joy than season 1, because it came through grief and back into hope and was all the stronger for it.

[carlyraejepsans]

mind if i get sappy both negatively and positively for a sec?

if you've been following me for a while you'll remember just last year when i was still in highschool and i was so, so lonely and this blog was getting more popular than i meant for it to be. i was a wreck. i had straight up nightmares about hypothetical call outs and people taking my words out of context to turn people against me and that I'd lose the few people i genuinely thought of as friends. i used to go over my old posts deleting them and obsessively editing the wording when i felt it could be twisted to mean something else. even worrying that the fact they COULD have a double meaning meant i was secretly a horrible person in some sick freudian sense. not a good time to have moral OCD! or anon asks open, lmfao.

and i look at my past self now, after my biggest fear realized so many times it's now a monthly annoyance at worst and well. of course i did. i had no one else! that was the extent of my friendships at the time. the people i met and came to love online were the only place i felt truly safe to be myself around without having to fight for my right to be respected or putting on a persona.

but guess what? that's not the case anymore. I'm out of my parents' house, i have authority over my own decisions and presentation, i have friends at school (real friends! more than I've ever had simultaneously in my life!) that enjoy my company in person and include me in the things they do, fully respecting my chosen name and identity as a trans person. i have a queer community to share my burdens and my joys with, i am finally, finally getting started on HRT which is a dream I thought I'd never reach... and guess what. even my online friends didn't give a fuck. i was so paranoid about being alone again that i forgot to consider that they... also care about me, just like i care about them. that they're not gonna dump me out of nowhere because some random asshole decided i was their parasocial nemesis of the week, and if they had doubts or questions wbout something, we could discuss it in private and either agree or agree to disagree on friendly terms.

idk I'm just doing the best I've ever done in my life. this period of my life is perhaps the first time I've ever felt like a complete and whole person. it gets me a little tender hearted looking back and seeing how much I've grown since the time "something like this" would've been world ending.

anyway if any of this rings familiar to you, know I'm proud of you as well. in the way you've grown AND in the way you will grow, given time. hold the line, soldier. things get getter. that's a promise.

[thegayloragenda]

Okay I want to put all of my current predictions out here (these are subject to change, of course):

• I think this show is going to get a little more colorful or a little bit more gay with each show because I think she’s running out the clock.

• I am CLOWNING for an eventual pronoun change during surprise songs.

• I think Karlie will probably show up again. And if she shows up for the rep announcement I will die dead.

• I’m also clowning for a rainbow variation of every outfit or perhaps a debutation variation if she plans to drop them together. Maybe a karma outfit. Idk. I don’t really know what is coming next in regard to music or if there will be anything (what if she just went black out for a year and then dropped rep next December 😂).

• I’m split because I think she’s either going to continue this Travis stunt until the Super Bowl or she’ll break up with him while on tour (if it’s real that’s totally fine but the way this relationship has been crammed down our throats gives me the ick so bad). I have no idea how that breakup will go down especially since they’ve made an entire Christmas movie about this relationship.

• I’m still assuming we’ll get a proposal / breakup.

Overall, I don’t think Taylor Swift would pander to this side of the fandom the way she has if she didn’t have a plan to blow everything up. I assume she’s a good person. I assume she’s supportive of the fans who see her. I’ve been in this fandom long enough to know what it looks like when she’s in the closet and when she isn’t. The closet isn’t even glass anymore. The closet is just invisible at this point so if she’s just a straight girl who loves rainbows, she’s absolutely diabolical in the very worst ways.

And before anyone comes for me, yes she can be bi or pan or whatever she wants to be. I don’t care about muses or labels. I notice patterns and I can’t help but connect the dots. I see bi and lesbian dresses and her calling attention to them so that’s where my focus is. I care about freedom for her (whatever that looks like) and I also think some clarity about who she actually is will help a lot of us decide if we want to keep supporting her and giving her our money. I’m placing my bet on her being who I think she is so I’m here to support her until the end of this roller coaster ride.

I will make a post on the final day of this tour but I just want to say this: I have had the TIME OF MY LIFE in this labyrinth. I have made lifelong friends because of this side of the fandom. Thank you to ALL of my friends on here who have followed me and commented on my posts and said such kind things. Thank you to everyone who has messaged me their insights and theories. And finally, thank you to my fans who have messaged me your homophobic, brain-rotted hate comments. Good luck in the aftermath!

And to Taylor (if you ever see this), thank you for keeping my mind so stimulated. I will probably never get dementia because of you. You have been so good for my brain health. Thank you for teaching me about my own history as a queer girlie. Thank you for helping me heal my relationship with my neurodivergent self. Thank you for being the “mother” who saw me when my own mother just talks about how gross and wrong gay people are. Thank you for being kind and strong and brave in the face of shame and fear and danger. Thank you for leading a revolution of New Romantics! No one does it like you, girl. I love you so much. I hope you got a giggle over the chaos and the wrong predictions. I hope this tour brought you joy and hope and peace and healing. I know I haven’t always seen eye to eye with some of your choices, but I do respect you and I do hope the rest of your life is sunshine and rainbows and you get to hug your mom forever and take really long naps with your person after all of this is over. Long live 💜

Update: I do think the election plays a big role in how loud she can be. @casuallycruel131313 pointed this out, too. We’ll get way more once Kamala has been elected! I think Canada shows will be wildddd.

[lesbian-kyoru]

something i love so dearly about yuzumako is how the lesbian coding of their relationship is so healing, rather than self-destructive?? by that i mean, so much queer coding is filtered through the lens of, here is this character whose queer identity is so fraught that it often leads them to lashing out and misery, & you always think how much happier they'd be if they could make peace with themselves..... but with yuzuki and makoto, the safety and peace they feel around each other always serves as the anecdote to their struggles, ESPECIALLY with boys.

in ch 20 yuzuki is disappointed with boys endlessly complimenting her painting w/o looking at it—seeing her as a romantic conquest rather than caring abt her as a person. the same chapter, it's makoto who actually cares about her painting & yuzuki's artistry EXACTLY how she hoped. the loneliness & resentment yuzu experiences is directly tied to heteronormativity, with boys assuming that they can disrespect her boundaries since she's a pretty girl to be "won over"—only for makoto's actions to parallel the same set up BUT she always demonstrates a truer understanding of yuzu as a person & friend throughout the process, and every time it brings yuzu such a sense of safety & comfort that she NEVERRRRR feels around boys pursuing her!!

there's such an intense lesbian coding to yuzu's avoidance of male romantic advances as opposed to how she leans into not only female friendship but specifically to makoto's own feelings for her shining through—and again, i love this because it's so positive & warm. rather than queerness being a source of anguish, makoto brings yuzu more joy than heteronormativity ever does.

next, after mako's date that she calls a battle, it's yuzu who says she looks cute & cheers her up! mako ALSO decides she doesn't care about being boyfriendless bc yuzu makes her so happy which is sooooo baby lesbian like are you serious! the same as the scene with yuzu's artwork, makoto's date with a boy that only brought her discomfort & feelings of unworthiness is followed by joy & affirmation found in yuzu's company—again, queerness & female connection shown as the anecdote to comphet/mako forcing herself to present hyperfeminine to fit what's expected.

also of note is makoto's recurring jealousy of yuzu's beauty—even though this is a negative emotion, i love how it's ultimately overpowered by her affection for yuzu. also the lesbian pipeline from i want to be her -> i want to kiss her is alive & well for makoto. so so obviously.

then finally, probably the crowning example of my point is yuzu's arc of being set up on a date w her new classmate against her will! as an aside these chapters depict such a common lesbian experience, where to avoid being socially isolated, we give into comphet & just go along with boys' feelings for us, thinking it's best if we don't cause issues & eventually we can get ourselves to reciprocate, giving them what they want at the expense of our repressed identities—yuzu is taught that her feelings don't matter; her beauty was made for male consumption.

now in high school, yuzu decides to speak up for herself & reject the role she's been placed into, again as a beautiful prize to be won—it's common for closeted lesbians to think they can convince themselves to like men back, but yuzu won't go along with this forced set up again. after she rejects this boy, her classmates make yuzu feel like SHE'S the one who has done something wrong & don't take her discomfort into account—it's hard for them to understand why, as a pretty girl, she isn't willing to just go along with men's attraction. ENTER MAKOTO!!!

sorry makoto is frankly so smooth for this. when yuzu leaves school early & makoto hears about her date, she brings yuzu pudding & tells her that she wants yuzu to be honest with her about when she's feeling down, even though their experiences are different. when reading both characters through a queer lens, it's very interesting to see how they've had different experiences w heteronormativity & gender up to now—yuzu is constantly fighting comphet demons whereas makoto feels less than for not being as feminine or gorgeous as yuzu.

but even though their experiences with lesbianism & girlhood have been different, makoto wants to hear how yuzu truly feels and comfort her. once again, after seeing the horrible pressures & pains yuzu has experienced through heteronormative dating & misogyny, it is her incredibly queer-coded friendship with makoto that makes her feel safe enough to cry openly in front of her!!!!! yuzu's peers, but particularly boys, show a disregard for her emotions, and then we see makoto fill that role of support & care so easily. like the dream boyfriend she is :)

there's a lot more i could say about yuzumako & their individual arcs, but to tie everything up, it is so common in lesbian (or queer coded) media for a character's lesbianism to be something that brings them nothing but pain and suffering, either in its repression or awareness—so i absolutely love how skip & loafer showcases (through yuzumako but also the ENTIRE cast) that embracing your queer identity can be so healing & positive. the story doesn't shy away from presenting a lot of the pain that closeted lesbians go through, like struggles with their gender & how socially ingrained heteronormativity is—but these struggles are always followed up by such intentional examples of yuzumako's connection (+ lesbian yearning) being so comfortable & happy to them! i love angst too but seeing them, time and time again, know exactly what the other needs & be able to be that for each other is soooooo rewarding!!!

happiness in queer media does not need to erase the struggles of our lives, but rather showing authentic queerness not as the problem but as the SOLUTION is unbelievably impactful. long live yuzumako

[umbreoncomplex]

trucy wright is transfem and she began her transition early on in childhood because the gramaryes, very thankfully, were more than okay with helping trucy transition

phoenix pretty much found out during the adoption process but gave trucy time to come out to him by herself, which actually didnt take too long. she was very excited to tell him. phoenix is of course very accepting and happy to help her out with getting puberty blockers and such

trucy grows up with a fondness towards magical girls, not just because of the magic aspect, but also the transformation aspect of being a magical girl, of having a hidden true self that you must juxtapose against your acceptable public self, of finding community with those like you. and so, when she debuts her solo act in full, she chooses a magical girl theme as an homage to the stories that gave her hope when she was younger

she's not very public about her transition, at least not yet (she considers coming out to the world when she reaches 18, but she's still hammering those plans out), but she likes to leave hints and implications in her shows. little crumbs that she recognized as a child, that she hopes kids like her will recognize and find comfort in

while she isn't public about being trans, she's come out to all her friends at some point

coming out to apollo was probably the most frightening for her, because of how much she cares for him, and because it was the first time shes had to come out since she first told phoenix. but of course, he accepts her readily, decides to come out himself, and now they wear matching bracelets in pink, white, and blue when they're not in court. after that, coming out to the other people she cares about is easier, especially with both phoenix and apollos very vocal acceptance of and protection over her

she tells vera, and that conversation is a little awkward due to veras sheltering, but in the end vera gives her a smile and tells her shes a very pretty girl

she tells jinxie a few months into their friendship and jinxie gives her a nod and says "okay". she doesn't say much else about it, but gives trucy a protection charm and a smile when they part that day

it doesn't take long for trucy to come out to athena, as athena was surprisingly vocal about trans and queer acceptance. trucy finds out why pretty quickly, and a third bracelet gets made to match her and apollo's. if trucy thought shed seen athena at her happiest before, then this was a whole nother type of joy

despite knowing klavier for almost as long as apollo, it takes her a bit longer coming out to klavier, simply because they dont hang out often. when she does come out, he smiles, a softer one than his usual grins, and thanks her for telling him with an open invitation to do makeup together

at some point, she delegates some of her coming outs to throwaway lines about being trans without much elaboration. she prefers this method over having to sit people down for a Talk, and it's how she comes out to others like ema and juniper and blackquill

[nataliescatorccioapologist]

Who would each Yellowjackets character be in The L Word Universe?

Nat - Shane

We all saw this one coming. Nat would definitely be the ambiguously gendered noncommittal heartbreaker of The L Word sphere. Like Shane, she is kind and looks out for those she cares about but her troubled childhood has made her put her guard up. Shane and Nat both push people away because they don’t believe they are worthy of love and have never had a healthy example of a relationship so they hop from girl to girl before things can get serious. Not to mention the bounty of self-destructive tendencies these girlies both have. And with Nat’s cool mullet she would definitely kill it as a hair stylist.

Taissa - Bette

Bette and Taissa are both the powersuit-rocking politicians of our dreams (with matching crumbling marriages.) Tai is known for taking her ambitions a bit too far, and, like Bette, her work consumes her personal life until it falls apart. Neither of these girlies know when to stop, even if it alienates them from the ones they love.

Lottie - Marina

I think Lottie would definitely be the mysterious sexy bar owner that speaks mainly in poetry snd gives supposed straight girls sexuality crises (all while having a secret wife). Like Marina, Lottie has an aura of ethereal mystery around her and can be a little off-putting in how calm and collected she is even in situations that call for a little more freaking the fuck out. Lottie would definitely find some straight girl deeply in denial and send her into a sexuality crisis spiral while acting completely innocent about it.

Shauna - Jenny

Okay don’t be mad at me, it’s at least a little true. Shauna and Jenny are both a little too obsessive, impulsive, and emotional (and they’re both deeply struggling with compulsory heterosexuality). At any given moment you will find them in a corner furiously journaling their dark feelings instead of communicating them. Shauna would definitely be the one to go a little crazy after falling in love with a woman for the first time. And both Jenny and Shauna have their emotional support himbos that they use to deny their homosexuality: Tim and Jeff.

Jackie - Dana

Jackie would definitely be the closeted sports lesbian that is terrified of the public (and mostly her rich, uptight parents) finding out about her queerness. Like Dana, Jackie is under a lot of pressure to be "perfect" and comes from a wealthy, preppy background with rich parents who have high expectations. I also definitely think Jackie would be a tennis girlie. Jackie and Dana are the baby gays who are constantly checking out women but don't know how to express their queerness yet. And they both have a complicated homoerotic relationships with their best friend (Dana/Alice and Jackie/Shauna). Jackie and Dana are both very supportive and fun-loving, they just need to get out of the closet.

Van - Finley

Butch kings! Van and Finley are both little goofsters that fill my heart with joy. In The L Word universe, Van would definitely be the that friend that is there to make all of the gays smile but is hiding a lot of pain and trauma behind a comedic mask. Van and Finley have a serious problem with joking instead of confronting serious feelings but we still love them.

Misty - That girl that's obsessed with Shane in the Pilot episode

Okay so I don't think Misty really fits anyone in The L Word so I'm giving her Lacey, that girl that is concerningly obsessed with Shane (Nat) in the first episode. This girl hooks up with Shane once and then she's tracking her down at parties and finding all of her hangout spots to harass her and get her attention. And I think in an L Word AU, Misty would definitely hook up with Nat, Nat would ghost her, and Misty would go insane like that.

*Anyways should I write a Yellowjackets The L Word AU fic? Because honestly I've been thinking about it a little bit too much.*

[lurkingshan]

Cooking Crush is the Ultimate Romcom

I have been singing this show's praises and lamenting it being so underrated for weeks, and I am simply never going to stop because it just keeps getting better. This week was episode 10, a spot where many Thai shows stumble as they set up their final arcs, but this show sailed right on through on the strength of its writing and incredible character and relationship development. This show believes that relationships should make us better, and it shows us how each of the pairs do this for each other rather than telling us.

Ten is probably one of the best romance leads we have ever gotten in bl. He is just so kind and genuine, and his commitment to honest communication is what drives the story. He's a great match for Prem, who is more naturally cynical and struggles with self-esteem issues. We see over and over again how Ten's steady support and affection buoys Prem through hard times, how Prem never waivers on his feelings for Ten even when he is feeling low, and that even in tough moments they give each other so much joy. Every time something happens that would set up a major conflict in other shows, it is dismantled by Ten and Prem talking to each other about their feelings and getting on the same page. They make each other happy and they want to be together; it is as simple and natural as that.

Similarly, we are seeing clearly how good Fire and Dy's relationship is for both of them. Fire is basically a whole new man now that he has accepted his sexuality and his feelings for Dynamite, and he is growing in his confidence, even starting to be affectionate with Dy in front of their friends. And now that he's gotten out of his own way, Fire can see Dynamite for who he is and offer him the kind of love and support that has been sorely lacking in his life. Dynamite is a character who seems carefree and confident on the surface, but who is actually hiding a well of pain that is closely tied to rejection because of his sexuality and the way he presents in the world. They see and understand these struggles in each other and they are happier when they're together.

And let's not forget Metha and Samsee, who are not in a romance (yet?? please show I will love you forever) but whose relationship is also about forming a bond through which kindness, affection, and support can flourish. Metha is always here to support Samsee when he's struggling with his friends, and Samsee relies on him even as he maintains some defensive posturing to avoid getting hurt. But I trust Metha not to hurt him. I love the way Metha moves through this story giving people the pushes they need and generally just being an excellent dude.

And this show doesn't only care about romance! This is one of the more serious treatments of queer friend group dynamics we have ever had in the bl genre. The friendships in this show are not here as joke fodder or secondary to the romances; they are treated as just as important to the narrative as the romantic beats. Samsee's hurt over being excluded and the changing dynamics of his friendships was taken seriously, and all the other characters gave him space and grace to work out his feelings. I similarly expect that as the show wraps up, we'll return to Ten's family dynamics and come to some solid resolutions there.

I don't know how else to say it: this show is excellent, the writing is much stronger than anyone expected, and the characters are all-timers. Let some joy into your lives and watch Cooking Crush.

[reasonsforhope]

"While mainstream media increasingly cover violence and legislative attacks against trans people, many scholars and activists worry that focusing just on violence and discrimination fails to capture the full experience of being trans.

Drawing on the success of movements like the Black Joy Project, which uses art to promote Black healing and community-building, trans activists are challenging one-dimensional depictions of their community by highlighting the unique joys of being transgender.

My research on trans parents affirms the reality of trans joy. From 2019 to 2021, I interviewed 54 transgender women — both current and prospective parents — from diverse racial and class backgrounds across the country.

I found that while many have navigated discrimination in their parenting journeys, they also have fulfilling parent-child relationships, often with the support of partners, families of origin and their communities.

Gender euphoria

Scholars and community members use the term gender euphoria to describe a “joyful feeling of rightness in one’s gender/sex.”

It diverges from the diagnosis of gender dysphoria, or a sense of conflict between assigned sex and gender identity typically associated with feelings of distress and discomfort.

Gender euphoria celebrates feeling comfortable with who you are and how you are perceived by the world.

Some people transition with a specific set of goals, while others discover new sources of joy and new facets of their identity over time.

Many of the trans women I interviewed expressed their gender euphoria in relation to their role as mothers. A Black trans woman in her 20s, whom I will call Gloria, experiences joy in being recognized as a mother.

“I love being called Mom. That’s the greatest thing,” she told me. “I love waking up every morning to see [my child’s] beautiful face. It keeps me motivated.” ...

For many trans people, transitioning opens up a new set of possibilities. When I asked Adriana, a trans Latina in her 30s, what it was like to come out as trans, she told me,

“I’ve never been happier. The happiest day of my life was when my daughter was born, and the second happiest day of my life was when I [started transitioning].”

Family and community connections

While some trans people do experience rejection from their families of origin, that is not true for the majority of the community.

In a 2015 national survey of over 27,700 trans adults, the U.S. Trans Survey, 60% of respondents reported having families who are supportive of their trans identity.

Trans women also form chosen families with friends, co-workers and other community members. Relationships with other trans people can have particularly positive effects on identity development and overall well-being, including emotional resilience, self-acceptance and a sense of connection.

Trans community care

In addition to caring for their biological and adopted children, the trans women I interviewed felt a responsibility to take care of their community.

Sometimes this care manifested as parent-child relationships, in which respondents provide financial or emotional support to LGBTQ+ youth.

Maggie, a white woman in her 50s, didn’t know she was a parental figure for her “queer kids” until they tagged her on Instagram to celebrate Mother’s Day.

“Someone might go, ‘Hey, can I stay on your sofa tonight? I’m having a hard time.’ Well, yeah, of course,” she said.

“Or they might hang around the shop [I work at], and only later it dawns on me, ‘Oh, this was the only place they could come and get affirmed and not feel weird.’” ...

Miriam, a white trans woman in her 60s, agreed that she has a lot to learn from younger trans people.

“A lot of my community today, people who I count as family and my beloveds, are not of my generation,” she said. ‘Beloveds’ is the term she uses to describe her platonic loved ones.

“I learn a lot from my beloveds in their 20s and 30s, who don’t have the same baggage I [dealt with] about how I could be and who I could be.”"

-via GoodGoodGood via The Conversation, July 14, 2023

[ssadumba55]

Luigi, Flynn Rider, Nick Wilde & Naveen react to Bisexual!Reader

Request: Okay, so I like, just recently came out to you! I know that I'm anonymous for the request but I have some homophobic friends that are on here and I dont want them to know that it was me. :( I have a specific headcanon request since I came out today! Could you please write me a how Luigi, Flynn Rider, Nick Wilde, and Prince Naveen would react to you coming out as bi? Thank you in advance!

Special request that I got asked to do by someone. I know things are hard now, but trust me they won't always be and soon you'll find amazing people who support and love you for who you are! For now, hopefully this brings you a little joy! Wanted to get this done for pride month.

Luigi

Luigi doesn't have a mean bone in his body, if you came to him and confessed you were bisexual he'd be overjoyed he was the first one you told

And he'd do all the research he could, he's on the job don't worry

He will absolutely be your number one biggest fan, he is now an LGBT ally (he probably was one before but now doubly so), he is taking you to pride whether you like it or not

He would definitely help you plan out how to come out to other people in your life, yes it would be many steps, and yes he will support you the whole way

And he'd also support you in more subtle ways, like wearing pins or even just like comforting you if the whole sexuality thing is stressing you out

He is just really happy that you're choosing to be your authentic self

Flynn Rider

If this man isn't at least bisexual himself, he has good gaydar, so he might already have an inkling before you come to him

He's genuinely happy for you

Might make bi jokes, might ask you if you're into every person you pass on the street

He will try to turn this into a "so you're into me" thing, like it or not, he's going to assume you're into him (if you're not he will be very annoyed)

Will ask you dumb questions at all hours of the day, just to get a reaction

Probably has a little bi flag to wave around and annoy you

He is your biggest supporter though and he will gladly threaten anyone who doesn't respect your sexuality

Nick Wilde

Nick is the kind of guy who when you first tell him, he's already looking up pride events to go with you to

He knows what it's like to not feel like everyone else, to have something about you that you can't change that makes a lot of people iffy and he will spend a lot of time just reminding you that you're not valued any less because of your sexuality

He has so many bisexual stickers, pins, things just to show he supports you. Even has one for his police officer uniform.

Will play smash or pass with you if you ask him

I don't know why I just get the vibe that Nick like- buys pride stuff just because he thinks you'll like it. Every time he sees something bisexual or with the rainbow he's like "don't mind if I do."

Probably forgets you're bisexual every time you say you're into someone

Naveen

He doesn't really get the idea at first, but his first reaction would definitely be "as long as you're happy that's all that matters".

Once he wraps his head around it though, he absolutely is a huge supporter

Definitely an ally, and has definitely learned some queer songs to play on his ukulele

He loves a big event so he will absolutely attend pride with you and he will bring his ukulele. And he'll joke about upstaging you at your own event (but you don't care as long as he's having fun!)

If someone maybe isn't supportive, he definitely gets very upset on your behalf but he will also comfort you very well.

He truly believes that everyone should be who they want to/are capable of being and he thinks you're very brave to be who you are

And you can't tell me he wouldn't buy you pride related things just to see you smile!

[wreath-of-leon]

me realizing i can just infodump and repost about my ocs and world on here without worrying cuz my posts only get three likes each time, ALSO I FORGOT TO DRAW HER FRECKLES IN THE FIRST PICTURE IM SORRY:

Svetanya

Svetanya, long for Sveta, is a deer satyr. She's pansexual, her pronouns are she / her, and she's trans (specifically identifying as transfemme, and probably deer-related xenos in a modern!AU). If you really wanna get specific, I think she socially transitioned at a very early age (probably 7 or 8), but doesn't want to medically (or magically) transition. (of course I added magic transition, queer fantasy is supposed to be fun!). In these pictures, she's around her late twenties.

Satyrs often live in very communal environments—lack of an enforced hierarchy, individualism, large, ambiguous family units—the whole shebang. Unlike Atlanticians (Merfolk / Seafolk) and harpies, who get along based on similar hierarchical societies, satyrs do not get along with either on the same basis. Sveta, however, is unique in the sense she was not raised in a communal satyr circle.

Although living amongst satyrs is considerably ideal for a lot of humans, satyrs are often targeted by predator animals like bears or wolves as if they were actually animals. The communal living style, similar to herding behaviors, is useful to avoiding attacks, but not full proof. Not only this but the primarily rural lifestyle relies on the environment, of which several factors can decrease crop yields and production. As a result, living in a satyr herd can be quite difficult and challenging.

Sveta's parents, who acknowledged this significant challenge, were tired of predation. So, as a solution, they decided to integrate into a more urban, human-centric society.

Sveta, growing up within a rigid class structure, adapted personality traits and behaviors unlike any other satyrs. She can be arrogant, ignorant, sardonic, and sometimes vain and self-important. Though not only are these traits informed by her upbringing, but by the people she surrounds herself with. She was taken up by a certain human noble, Aylin Ernheim, impressed with her eye for fashion, and gave her a job as a tailor. Something both her parents were weary about, but allowed.

Aylin, in his neglectfulness, allows Sveta to face the brunt of abuse from other vain, self-important nobles. Although on the outside, she parades herself as bold, confident, and snarky, she's only really kept around as upholstery. She's deeply aware of her class, and thinks of herself as someone who exploited others to get where she is. In other words, a bit of imposter syndrome. Despite her sometimes rude honesty and lack of a filter, she knows where the boundary is because it's made implicitly clear.

Sveta also struggles with objectification. She cares a lot about appearances, and can unhealthily fixate on her body (fur, height, face, hair, antlers, clothes) due to her lack of self-esteem. When stripped of the exterior, she's overwhelmingly quiet, observant, and introspective. A type of quiet that'd make you think she was judging you, but she's really wondering if you're judging her.

Kinda went hard into all the negative aspects of her but she has positive aspects too guys, I promise!!!

Because she feels obligated to do stuff for others, she's very supportive, caring, and sensitive. Even if she's kind of being a brat to you while she does it. She's also witty. Satyrs are usually taught more practical skills in agriculture but her intelligence is purely based on word form rather than movement (also because she's just not strong enough for farm work, VERY fragile in terms of super heavy physical labor like that, and especially because of her antlers which are her pride and joy).

Because of her body image issues, she gets bouts of depression—sort of like seasonal depression—when her antlers annually shed (like real deer!). I wanna draw her when her regrown antlers are short and velvety, i think it'd be cute.

[nerdygaymormon]

Hi, I'm a young queer mormon living in Utah who finished their first year of college and decided halfway through after lots of prompting that I should serve a mission. The choice brought so much joy into my life and reconnected me with the church, my family, my beliefs, and my self. I felt really lost and unfulfilled at school, and the decision to put my schooling on hold for the next two years or so and bring the joy I felt from the gospel to more of God's children has felt so right every step of the way. I've have my call since March now, and I leave in a couple weeks.

But this new church announcement (the transgender policies) has absolutely shaken me. Obviously from a young age I have struggled with the church's stance on queer identities, and many more aspects. But my heart always felt that Christ cared not about these things and wanted only for us to try and be better and accept his atonement into our life. I also felt like the community of a ward or a church was one of the best parts of the gospel, and so many people need it and could benefit from it even if they did not wish to or choose to carry out sacred ordinances or covenants.

But this handbook change has made me feel like that's not true anymore. How can I stand for and represent a church that is directly excluding and prejudiced against my transgender friends? How am I supposed to tell other families and individuals to come to church when I myself can't even seem to grapple with what it stands for right now? I'm really struggling, I don't know if I should cancel my mission or push through in the hopes that more understanding will come through acting in faith. While every step of this process has brought me closer to myself and my family and brought me a lot of clarity in a confusing time, I feel that right now God is giving me a choice. I listened to Him with full faith and put in my papers and put my school on hold, but now I feel like he's telling me to choose for myself what to do next. And I have no idea what to do.

I'm lucky enough to have parents who will support my decision either way and who are also furious at the handbook change, but that doesn't take away the issues that choosing not to serve a mission brings. All the ward members who will be informed about it, all the explaining I'll have to do. If I don't go, I wish to instead use my mission funds to pay for a humanitarian trip to a place near the mission I was called, so I can still dedicate my time to bringing help to God's children, but I'm already so far in my mission process and I know there is a reason I was prompted to do all of this. But I'm so stuck.

Any advice?

Thank you for sharing all this.

I was just telling a friend that I think God's way is to have us make our own choices, especially the bigger the decision. Sometimes there's times like where you got the prompting to serve a mission, but it's still your choice. Often those promptings are making us aware there is another path available to us, perhaps one we weren't aware might be a good choice for us. However, most of the time God doesn't prompt us what to do, we have to study it out and then pray about the choice we made and ask God to affirm.

I think this way we own the decision. If we marry someone, we have to put in the work to make it a successful relationship and not just assume it will all work out because God said to do it. And when things don't go perfectly, if God told us what to do then we would blame God when it's us who messed things up.

I can see that the prompting you received helped you take a step back from a situation you were in (college) that maybe wasn't the right time for you, and get closer to the Lord. This gave you a firmer spiritual foundation on which to stand when these Handbook changes were announced.

My advice is to not ignore your feelings. If something bothers your conscience, pay attention to that.

Another piece of advice is to think about how you want to serve. A humanitarian mission perhaps is the mission you were being prompted towards, you are in a position now to make that choice because of the decisions you made based on the prompting you received. You can make a list of pros & cons, and as you think about what these different experiences will be like, the proselyting mission or the humanitarian mission, pay attention to which one brings you a sense of peace?

The Spirit is accompanied by feelings, think about how you feel when you're getting a prompting or feel that something is the right direction to go. Keep in mind those feelings when you pray about whichever decision you make.

I admire your desire to serve and to stand for goodness, and I commiserate with you in regards to these steps our church has announced.

[inquebrar]

ok, i need to talk about guapoduo/spiderbit

brace yourselves because i wrote a whole essay about how important is the relationship between these two cubitos. first of all, i think it's important to point out that queer content in the media in general has only received more care in how it is approached recently... has been many years of reinforcing harmful behaviors about how a relationship should be, and that's why it's so easy to recognize when the misconceptions people make about guapoduo are purely because of the excessive misrepresentation gay couples had in the media.

i mean, everyone grew up being influenced by heteronormative views and pre-established patterns of how “couples behave” based on famous cliché teen movies where the behaviors are unhealthy but still extremely romanticized and it gets worse when the "love story" is between two male characters. for example, around 2000-2016 if you were looking for mlm representation, the Boy's Love (cof yaoi cof) at that time reinforced awful stereotypes that unfortunately were used as a basis and reference since then. and because i still remember how toxic the mlm stories were, it feels like a figment of my imagination that guapoduo exists.

their relationship started from: trust and communication. two complex characters in the midst of a chaotic narrative that, just like in real life, has gray areas about what is right and wrong, good and bad, and yet, these two characters are respectful towards their differences and are always ready to welcome each other when facing hardships. they have no problem disagreeing on something: the discussion about "i'd rather lose to make the other person happy" / "winning out of pity isn't a fair victory, it's false happiness" or also "the kids need a protected place to sleep, otherwise they will be in danger" X "living in fear is not living", having arguments about the different perspectives they have is not something that drives them away, it actually just proves that they remain themselves while respecting the fact that they can disagree and that's okay. you can see their personal development as their love evolves too, how positive their presence is in each other's lives and how they quickly created a bond that I dare say not even death can break.

when they're sad, they look for each other for comfort. when they're happy, they look for each other to share the joy. regardless of what happens, they know they can count on each other. they can be surrounded by other people and still orbit their own world, always looking at each other, searching for each other, close to each other with foreheads touching... they are home. no fights due to jealousy or possessiveness, they trust each other 100%. miscommunication? not even once. it's kinda comical how two traumatized, murderous with self sacrificing tendencies cubitos manage to have such a stable and healthy relationship on a crazy island. like wdym they have been married for 5 months?! also, thanks richas we owe you.

[dallonwrites]

Lover Boy But It's The Camp Nano Intro?

Sometimes Beau thinks his heart must be made out of the most fragile, feebly tissue paper – the dainty pink stuff pushed into the bottom of a Valentines giftbag, the biodegradable kind that immediately crumbles when it’s met with water or trash compost or an uncaring hand. But it’s not his fault he’s a hopeless romantic.

genre: adult litfic

setting: san francisco, 1980s

deals with: grief and loss, queer history + the AIDS crisis, sex and the body, terminal illness and caretaking, being a hopeless romantic but like for all kinds of love, platonic love, friendship when one of them is ill and knows they will likely die, disability and how caretaking can reshape dynamics

summary: It's about love, babey! Beau tries to navigate all the different types of love in his life -- romantic, sexual, platonic, familial, communal, self -- as he leans into relationships, even the unhealthy ones, to try to cope with the death of his best friend Bobby, who Beau took care of whilst he was sick for two years. Told with a dual timeline showing those two years as Beau processes it. It's about being messy and confused and trying to understand how to move forward when the biggest part of your life is now gone. It's about being in love with your best friend but like platonically and also your best friend is dead. It's about queer sex and grief and caretaking and the AIDS crisis. Beau is also obsessed with horror movies and is definitely autistic but doesn't know it. Bobby loved volcanoes and mountains, acrylic painting, David Cronenberg movies and also The Muppets (his fave was Gonzo btw). If you want to know more I have a more detailed WIP intro and also the tag where I post way too long excerpts!

status: 16,391 words into the first draft, but that's been writing whenever/whatever I want rather than a consistent routine

my goal?: get a consistent drafting routine LOL. Word count wise I'd like 15k to basically double it, but we will see! Would love to write everyday at least though.

I haven't done taglists in a while buuuut if people are doing camp nano taglists? That could be fun? This story is so sad but sometimes it is so silly and fun. If you like stories where the grief and joy hold hands then this might be for you !!

What Beau remembers: The quiet when, for a long moment, Bobby didn’t speak. Then, a whisper. “Today wasn’t the day.” And Beau understood what he meant, a painful but deep knowing -- how they still weren't ready, whenever they talked about it, to say the word die. ���No, today wasn’t the day.” Bobby, quieter. “And tomorrow. Tomorrow won’t be the day either.” “I don’t think it will.” Beau thinks, at this moment, that he kissed the top of Bobby’s head, or he whispered one into his hair, pressed his cheek into it. At least, that’s how he remembers, or how he wants to. “I don’t think it will be the day for a while.” What Beau remembers: Bobby, still quiet, his breathing slowed. But still awake. How he moved closer, and Beau held him tighter. Sometimes Beau believed that if he just held onto Bobby tighter it would somehow lengthen the time between now and the day, that the universe would sense their closeness and not dare to sever it. All if Beau just held him closer, heartbeat to heartbeat. It was so dark in the room, the moonlight a thin sheet behind the curtains; just them and their bodies, their breaths. And he thinks he remembers Bobby smiling, that he felt it or even sensed it, the presence of something happy, something that, for a moment, let itself be hopeful. “Your heartbeat is so relaxing,” he said. “I love that you sleep like Dracula.”

[azulcrescent]

Just wanted to say that your comic is on my top 20 list (and I read over 100 webcomics). I like to reccommend it to others often because it's nicely written, has queer representation, shows a supportive family, and the art is sweet (it's also not angst forward). Honestly speaking, I came into the comic with my doubts. I thought it would be yet another comic that would disappoint me and handle the subject material poorly, but I was pleasantly surprised! Been reading it since (around March of 2020). So thanks, enjoy your break, and I hope you remember to take time for yourself and self care.

Thank youu. I'm glad you like it! There is a a lot of pain and difficulties in the queer experience, yes, but I dont think it needs retreading over and over again because its painful to people to read about the pain thats happening actively in their lives so I wanted the comic to be about the joy.