#censoring this post for my own safety

[ravioliwings]

man I should reread [REDACTED]

[musicofthenightphantomoftheopera]

URGENT UPDATE ON KOSA

Guys, this is getting really scary now. According to Senator Blumenthal they "rewrote the bill' (they didn't change anything actually) and the bill now has bipartisan (both democrat and republican support) with 62 co-sponsors now and could hit the senate as early as next week.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, KOSA (the Kids Online Safety Act) Is a strait up fascist mass internet censorship and serveillance bill that if passed, will force you to upload your government ID online in order to verify your age and give not only the government to track everything you do on the internet, but also the pwer to censor and erase anything or anyone they deem a threat to their power all by using the vague wording of the bill to deem it "a danger to kids"

both of the co writers of the bill, Senator Blumenthal, and Senator marsha Blackburn have fully admitted that they will be using this bill to wipe out any anti-isreal content as well as (in Blackburn's own words) "eliminate transgender content"

This bill WILL be used to end modern activism as we know it.

anything related to Free Palestine, Free Congo, Free Sudan, Black Lives Matter, Stop Cop City, LGBTQIA Rights, will be censored and wiped off the face of the internet.

we are looking at Farenheit 451 and 1984 COMBINED. And I still see almost NO ONE talking about it since my initial post I made talking about it last year. Every single one of you need to interact with this post and spread the word. contact your reps. sign petitions (all of which will b linked at the end of this post) AND MAKE SOME GODDAM NOISE. This is the fate of the internet as well as the fate of modern activism and literally the entire internet.

Resources for learning about KOSA:

Petition and Call Script for contacting your senators and reps

Sign the open letter against KOSA

Stop KOSA Movement Linktree

[aromanticannibal]

my favorite things i see in dnis (/s)

"basic dni criteria" that doesn't exist. what is the basic dni criteria.

"i don't like you" girl then you have to block me im not gonna guess

"you like irredeemable media" what constitutes irredeemable media. bonus if they do give examples and one or more is a kids' show.

pornbots (who can absolutely read your post. totally /s)

"chronically online" i fear you can't interact with yourself anymore

"anti-harassment dni" please just say proshipper because this looks like you saying you are pro-harassment

"freaks dni" WHAT CONSTITUTES A FREAK. similar for creep, weirdo and other such terms

"people who don't put this very personal information in their bio" can range from race to name to pronouns to mental illnesses to triggers to

"under 13 and over 15" girl

"cringe" WHAT CONSTITUTES CRINGE

"dni if you post about my triggers which i am going to list and describe in detail" for your own safety PLEASE don't

violent threats to anyone who fits your dni, bonus points if you're telling "freaks" to go kys. WHO IS FREAKS. WHO ARE YOU SUICIDE BAITING.

specific ass terms that no one who isn't into that discourse can know and that aren't explained, even vaguely. yes google exists. however i am bothering to read your fuckass dni for your sake so be nice to me.

terrible custom font that makes it impossible to read the dni, bonus if the entire bio or pinned post is normal EXCEPT the dni. do you want me to read it or no.

on that note: carrds that lag, "read my dni!" (link to dni isn't functional), dni is in an undescribed image, censored words that makes things unreadable/inaccessible to ppl with screenreaders

very cute and aesthetic pinned/carrd which contains words such as "kill yourself if you're like this" and other such threats

"exclusionists dni" followed by "bi lesbians/lesboys/he/him lesbians/think cishet aro/aces are lgbt+"

dnis that are extremely long and include every single one of your political opinions. I do not need to know this. additionally, dnis that instead of being lists are long ass paragraphs.

threats of violence in case the dni is ignored (i don't know how to tell you that but some people just Reblog Posts without checking the person's blog. also, don't threaten people)

"men dni" "masc dni" "fem-aligned dni" just say you hate multigender people. alternatively just say you drink the terf kool-aid

[bambisspeckles]

PLEASE READ!! Important news for fandoms!!

Hey guys! I know this isn't my normal post but I wanted to talk about something really important. Please don't scroll as this pertains to you, especially if you are in fandom spaces online!!

A bill called the Kids Online Safety Act or KOSA, has recently passed the senate. This bill is being passed under the guise of protecting children online when in reality it will harm LGBTQ children and children in DV situations. We can NOT let this bill pass.

Not only will it affect children it will also effect adults, your favorite fandom spaces will start being censored and it's even possible that social media companies will start requiring some form of ID when signing up to prove you are over 18.

Children are people too, they deserve to have a online community without fear of their physical safety. There are other ways to protect children online that does not include violating their privacy.

This bill as mentioned earlier, will increase censorship online. Anything the government deems problematic/inappropriate (which could literally be anything) will be removed from public platforms. This could include: Anything related to the LGBTQ community, pro-choice posts, posts about Palestine, and anything anti-government.

This infringes on peoples right to free speech. This bill is a gateway into more censorship, violation of privacy, and possible physical endangerment for children.

It is a parents job to monitor their children, not the governments. Please, please, please, like, share, and reblog this post to spread awareness!

Please contact your local lawmakers using THIS link or go to https://www.stopkosa.com/ Don't worry if you don't know what to say, they give you a template but you are welcome to add your own thoughts as well!

If you aren't in the US but still want to help there is a link on the page to give you direction.

REMEBER: KOSA will effect EVERYONE, child or not, and this bill will SURELY effect fandom spaces, so please, I implore you to contact local lawmakers (via email or call) and express your opposition to this bill.

Thank you for reading! Have a good day everyone and stay safe <3

(ps sorry for the bait tags I need this post to reach people!)

[alliehew]

The Death of Violet’s Worldview

I just saw @nesta331917’s post about how Violet being unable to trust Xaden in Iron Flame makes complete sense and I just wanted to spit out my thoughts on that—and Violet’s characterization—because I completely agree!!

When I’m rereading I tend to fixate on Violet’s difficulty grappling with failure (to uncover the truth sooner, to save Liam, to protect her friends from the bitter truth & dangerous rebellion, to raise the wards in Aretia—whatever defeat she is internalizing at the moment) not only because I’m in this photo and I don’t like it, but also because it is such great characterization.

Violet previously protected the people she loves (and herself) by weaponizing the wealth of information she had, but now the very foundation she used to define herself has been ripped out from under her. Not only was she unaware of the reality of venin, wyvern, and the truth behind the attacks on Navarre’s wards, the entire rebellion that she (and her dad!! her favorite person!!) has studied and analyzed for her entire life was censored and propagandized by her government to shape public opinion and she was none the wiser.

For someone who is centered by facts, information, and truth, to learn that you’ve been on the wrong side of history at no fault—or choice—of your own is devastating. It’s a feeling of utter powerlessness and betrayal; no matter how many hours Violet had explored the archives, no matter how many times she reread the death tolls, maps, and battle strategies, no matter how ferociously she believed in the power of information, nothing could change the dismal reality that the truth was simply not accessible to her.

Not only that, but the discovery that her own mother was complicit in the death and destruction of entire provinces for the benefit of her country and children introduces a whole new burden of guilt and hypocrisy Violet didn’t know she complied with. Add in that (1) the man she’s just fallen in love with is leading a revolution against these terrors she knew nothing about, (2) Dain, Violet’s best friend since she was a child, stole her memories to aid in the hypocrisy of their government and nearly get her killed, and (3) her brother Brennan, whose death completely altered the fabric of her whole family and may have contributed to their father’s own death, is fucking ALIVE, and it’s the perfect (onyx) storm of disillusionment. Absolutely everything Violet held true came barreling down in a matter of weeks, and no amount of rereading or reanalyzing could mend the hurt or justify Navarre’s (and, from Violet’s perspective, her) lack of intervention.

Violet is selfless to a fault, and being misinformed about the horrors outside of the wards robbed her of her choice to defend the defenseless. Of course we saw her escape Basgiath/the “safety” of Navarre to join the revolution as soon as she could, but the feeling of failing not only those you love, but also countless others you didn’t even know were in peril is still so heavy. She also has consistently been targeted for being The General’s Daughter, and now the full implications of that association is branded on her like a third relic.

Of course Violet’s relationship with Xaden has been affected by the guilt, betrayal, and disillusionment that are ingrained within it, whether either of them has accepted it or not. Even if Xaden had nothing to do with the revolution and they were living happily ever after before graduation, once the truth about the dark wielders came to light and Violet didn’t know up from down I’m sure the identity crisis still would have (at the very least) strained their relationship.

Anyways.

I so desperately need Violet and Xaden to finally be able to finish their fight and figure out how to move forward while trusting each other.

Give Violet (And Xaden) A Break 2025, Pleeease Rebecca

[zuzusexytiems]

From Jeanpiku Nation on Twitter:

We invite the Attack on Titan fandom to join us for #Jeanpikuween2024! 😊 This event will take place on October 30 to November 1.

FAQs and guidelines below.

Reblogs appreciated! 🐴🛒🦇🎃

JEANPIKUWEEN FAQ'S

1. How does it work?

Our goal is to support AOT creators and spead the Jeanpiku love on Halloween. :)

Participants are invited to create Jeanpiku fanwork inspired by the given Halloween prompts, and to upload their work on the prompt's corresponding day.

2. How do I participate?

Simply upload your work/s on the day of your chosen prompt and tag with #Jeanpikuween2024. Our team will then RT your work on @jeanpikunation :)

Due to Twitter's algorithm, we recommend using a max of 2 hashtags on Twitter posts: #Jeanpikuween2024 and/or #jeanpiku.

Tumblr submissions may use as many hashtags as they'd like.

3. There are two prompts for each day. Do I have to use both prompts?

Not at all! Creators usually choose just one of the two prompts. However, you may also mix them together, or make separate submissions for both if you feel like it. It's up to you :)

4. There are three event days. Do I need to make a submission for each day?

Absolutely not! We understand that people can get busy. You may make only 1 submission for the entire event if you like. That's more than enough :) +

5. Do you accept late submissions?

Of course 😊 While we encourage submissions during the event itself, we will also be happy to promote and support any late submissions :)

6. I don't have Twitter. Can I post my submissions on Tumblr/AO3/Instagram only?

Yes, you may. However, as the event is primarily a Twitter event, our team may reach out to you to ask if we can link your work on Twitter. Don't worry though, this isn't mandatory! If you don't want your work promoted on our Twitter, you may tag your work as #Tumblr Only.

RULES AND GUIDELINES

‼️ Absolutely NO Al. We will only accept genuine, human-made submissions.

‼️ We will not promote submissions that are problematic in nature (i.e. depicts racism, homophobia, transphobia, etc.)

‼️NSFW submissions are welcome, but please tag and censor them, especially if they're explicit. To ensure the comfort and safety of everyone—especially underage followers—we will not promote or RT untagged and uncensored NSFW entries.

‼️Jeanpiku Nation does not support transph0bia, and is against the harmful actions of JK R//owling against the trans community. As such, we highly discourage Harry P//otter-themed submissions.

‼️ Jeanpiku Nation will not promote and RT submissions that exhibit cultural appropriation of any kind. Please do not depict the characters in national costumes of cultures outside of your own. Remember that other people's cultures are not Halloween costumes!

💜 Lastly, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please feel free to DM us or leave a comment below. We'll be happy to help and sort out any concerns :)

We hope you enjoy the event! We're very excited to see and share your creations 😊 Have fun! 🐴🛒🦇🎃

[just-a-queer-fanboy]

Petition against KOSA.

More information under the cut.

This bill hides behind the facade of protecting children on the internet. However, the way it intends to do so is through censoring content such as queer resources, sex education, and with how our government is going, may censor activist content about what is going on in places like Palestine or Congo.

Learn more:

One idea proposed is making it required for most websites to require government ID (ex: drivers license) to make an account. Combined with the many bills framing drag, trans rights, or queer resources as child sexual abuse, queer people online could be wrongfully prosecuted under the basis of being child predators.

Not only is this bill harmful and immoral, it is straight up unconstitutional.

The first amendment of the US constitution grants all citizens the freedom of speech, freedom to petition, freedom of the press, and freedom to assembly. It also grants freedom of religious practice, but that doesn't appear to be affected by this bill from what I know.

This bill completely violates our granted right to the freedom of speech, petition, press, and assembly. This is a thinly veiled censorship bill under the guise of protecting children.

As this bill coincides with the suppression of free palestine protests and activism, anti boycott laws, anti queer bills and laws, and the introduction of project 2025, the United Statres continues to descend into censorship and white supremacy.

US CITIZENS: CALL YOUR LAWMAKERS AND TELL THEM YOU OPPOSE KOSA. FOR SOME OF US, IT IS OUR ONLY FORM OF ACTIVISM.

I know I typically don't make my own posts on large political issues, but as I live in the US, I am closer to the issue and can do more.

[xxspirit]

Hello, my name is Moon. And I'm asking you to spread the word of KOSA (Kids online 'safety' act) an awful, deceiving bill that will censor you, me, minors, and adults online alike.

How the bill works will cause social media to change in a horrible way. It will make it to where you must upload your ID publicly to prove you're old enough to view 'explicit' content.

In reality, that content is LGBTQ+ resources for abuse victims, resources for abortion, resources for Palestinians, resources for sex ED, and more.

It will censor us, destory fanfiction, WHATS NEXT? Uploading private messages? Putting your IP in public?

It will end Tumblr, Fanfics, privacy.

PLEASE HELP END IT! Speak out! Stop them, reblog as much as possible! #EndKosa

Hi, I appreciate you for helping to stop KOSA and helping people understand what KOSA is, and I agree with you that KOSA is terrible.

BUT we need to take a step back, and calm down. I know lots of people are freaking out about this act right now, I am too. But I think a lot of the chaos behind it is because of misinformation as well, specifically about the whole IDs.

Just a warning v

I want to clarify to anyone if they are just skimming past my words that I am NOT ADVOCATING FOR KOSA, I hate KOSA, this act is definitely not to defend minors from the internet but instead HARM them even more as well as EVERYONE ELSE. I just think we are causing a lot of panic and chaos because of misinformation.

I just want to help calm people down, I tried to do my own research and tried to fact-check myself to make sure what Im saying is true, but if you know I said something wrong please let me know and I am so sorry if I misspoke, I will correct myself as soon as possible. 🙏

KOSA DOESNT REQUIRE A PERSONAL ID: I did my own research about the need of uploading a personal ID, but this doesn’t seem to be true. I will be reblogging a few things today that I found, and also this website for my evidence:

KOSA still needs to go through congress, and then the President. Although it may or already have passed through the Senate sadly, there is still another chance. So keep up with the rallying and keep giving attention to KOSA about how stupid it is! WE CAN STILL STOP KOSA!!! DO NOT GIVE UP!!

Even IF KOSA does pass… it will take MONTHS for the act to go into action. I found this screenshot from another person, I’ll be reblogging their post after this one:

It will take a ONE YEAR and SIX MONTHS(A YEAR AND A HALF)before KOSA actually starts being implemented. In that time, we can think of what to do, migrate if we have to, or whatever.

Also- know this doesn’t help tumblr but I also saw on another post which ill reblog, that potentially Ao3 won’t be affected, which may be nice for some of you to know.

Here’s a petition I found, I recommend signing it!

It is so awesome to see the community work together to help stop KOSA, but let’s make sure to be checking our sources and try not to spread things that don’t seem to be accurate! 🙏

Stay safe guys, and stay strong 💪

[afreakingdork]

Hello, all. There is something I want to inform you of. This is not a promotion and instead a post of full transparency. I want to advise you that I have written a short story that contains tcest.

I will be frank and state the following:

I have no interest in tcest content or shipping

I am against incest

I have no plans to write tcest content again

I will continue to create rottmnt content

I consider this story to be separate from my others (as in this content was written without any other stories I have written or will write in mind)

I want to make it clear that I am in no way standing up for or defending tcest content. I don't consider myself proship or anti. I believe that fiction does effect reality. I believe that context and content are important. I believe that sanitization of media hurt us all. I believe fiction is a safe means to explore toxic topics. I don't believe fiction necessarily represents an author's predilections and, above all else, I believe in artistic integrity. I believe this work has merit. I wrote this piece as a means to explore trauma. While I am aware that the content I created employs real and disturbing actions, it is because of this that I believe these works are necessary. Censoring fiction with uncomfortable or unsettling themes erases the truth that these works depict a reality that many people have suffered.

If you find this news upsetting, then I urge you to block me for your safety. There will be no ill will and I understand why. I only ask that you leave anyone I've ever spoken to, anyone I've ever commissioned, and my mutuals, past or present, alone. My actions do not reflect any one other than my own.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I appreciate your understanding.

[7thingsnbeings]

Full Moon episode - takes and feelings

Hello everyone.

Last post I announced that I will be making a post about Helluva Boss' new episode 'Full Moon' where I'll state my own feelings, takes and probably add some of my own theories as to what comes next afterwards. And of course that I will be spoiling the WHOLE thing. So for those who haven't seen an episode, please go watch it before reading this whole text.

CW: Spoilers ahead

... and a very looooong text

First things first, HOLY SHIT! WASN'T THAT THE BIGGEST TRIP OF EVERYTHING I HAVE SEEN AND FELT IN JUST ONE ENTIRE EPISODE?! I mean, it wasn't extremely bad as I had thought it would be, but it still left me speechless and shocked throughout some of the scenes which I'll get to later. And the ending, oh boy I can't wait to get to that.

I haven't honestly expected for Stolitz duet to come so soon in the first few minutes. I mean I was already aware of it, but still. It was great though, and kind of funny, especially Blitz's lines and the transition where they kind of censor (but also not) the...intimacy that they usually do once a month. Not to mention how both of them are kind of nervous during the duet. Dammit, they're nervous wrecks made for each other XD.

Then we have the unexpected guests of the party. Agents D.H.O.R.K.S. and CHERUBS. I have not expected them to appear this early in the show. I mean, I have heard a theory on Twitter that the CHERUBS would appear, managing to steal the grimoire and such. I honestly thought they would show up in 'Mastermind', which makes me wonder...whats going to happen there now that those characters have already appeared? Would they appear again? Next time, actually managing to open a big enough portal to Hell, creating further conflicts in the future?

CHERUBS were interesting to me. The way they redeem mortals at the beginning, spread 'goodness' but also pickpocketing them unnoticed. And the way they differentiate, especially Keenie and Cletus, who had definitely gone south when they had gotten banished from Heaven, while Collin possibly remained the same, still hanging onto his morals, questioning his peers' actions. Based on the interrogation scene, I believe that he'll be the only one to return to Heaven, while the others will likely die or serve their punishment in Hell.

I jumped when Cletus mentioned they were the 'Exorcists' sent from above, because it made me think of the Exterminators from Hazbin Hotel, since both of these shows are from the same Universe. He probably meant something else, but I digress.

And then there are the agents D.H.O.R.K.S. I knew these guys would show up later on, especially since the ending of 'Truth Seekers'. They managed to catch the main cast on video, which would explain why they got such a massive upgrade with their weaponry. The Pope army, the portal to Hell and robotic suits which if you look closely, look close similar to IMP gang, along with Loona furry costume XD. I bet Agent 1 is a furry...

Before I close a part of this ep's main villains, I just wanna point out how innocent CHERUBS are when they spend their time following Blitz in the Lust ring. They think Blitz is buying some kind of weapons to kill mortals on Earth, when in actuality he was just buying some sex stuff for tonight XD. And when they assume Ozzie's is the armoury for demons to go to. Well I mean it could be, but for something else...

It's worth mentioning the rest of the IMP gang. It's good to hear Loona's VA again, I kind of missed it. Along with M&M whom we haven't seen for two episodes.

It was also surprising, but in my take out of nowhere, for them to have a 'deus ex machina' moment with Cherubs in order to protect Blitz. I'm probably looking at this wrongly, since they live in Hell (the place you as a mortal DO NOT want to visit) and safety to them is number 1 priority, especially when Blitz had grimoire with him at that moment. The destroyed buildings and street in Lust might come to awareness to the higher ups, but probably not as much as the ones in 'Mastermind' as I theorised before.

Before I get into big meat of the plater, I cannot forgot to mention the cashiers. Like, WHAT are they supposed to be??? Are they hellborn hybrids, the Goetia, Sinners or something else? Either way, they look cool.

Also Fizz. Not much about him, I like his new outfit and how he helps Blitz with the stuff. Now, I BET that he uses that giant vibrator with Ozzie. Boys like it rough sometimes, don't they?

Finally, the moment we'll all been waiting for. The night of the full moon.

I knew that their last transaction would end painfully. And yet, it was by far the hardest to watch. Blitz's yell was marvellously done and it truly beat to the core. And so did Stolas' last line.

'You folks think you can do this EVERY time that you can just play with our feelings because we're smaller and not as important!!'

'Blitz, I think so highly of you, I didn't realise you think so low of me.'

Words cannot express how I felt when I heard those lines. It's easy to say that I was shocked, mind blown, sad, but honestly it would feel cheap as a result.

I mean...

It's obvious FROM A FAR that the only thing standing in the way between them is lack of communication and misunderstandings. There is NO ONE who can convince me that these two FUCK EACH OTHER for the sake of PLEASURE AND GOD FORSAKEN TRANSACTION.

They LOVE EACH OTHER!

But Blitz is too scared to get hurt again, it ACTUALLY happened to him and Stolas now believes that Blitz doesn't LOVE him, let alone never cared for his feelings!

I may be exaggerating, however this is how I see it now.

Based on the scenes from trailer, I believe Blitz and Stolas would begin their relationship on bad terms after FM, then Stolas would stand up for Blitz in 'Apology Tour' where seems Verosica is hosting 'Blitz Sucks' concert and Blitz, covered in stained fabric all heartbroken, looks up at Stolas and realises his true feelings for him.

That's just a theory, we'll see what an 'Apology Tour' has for us this June.

Ooof, I wrote so much here. Might be my longest post I have ever written. I probably went into whole summary of the ep I didn't focus enough on takes, critical thinking etc. I nearly have none, because I enjoyed FM at most, so I have no prejudice whatsoever. I'm also tired of writing as you can see.

So in conclusion, 'Full Moon' was worth the wait. The outcome might have been predictable, but it still hurt. It did surprise us with few things, and for now, we can only contemplate as to what's to come next for Helluva Boss story.

Thank you for reading my long ass post.

And also thanks to Vivzie and Spindle Horse crew for FINALLY giving us 'Full Moon'.

I, as always, am sending kudos and look forward for their newer work in future. <3

[twig-tea]

For the BL trope ask game: 8, 9 and 10

Whew, coming out swinging! Ok here we go.

8. May/December

There really are not a lot of these where the age gap is truly significant. My actual favourite BL couple with an age gap where their ages are part of the conflict they face is The Pornographer/The Novelist though I acknowledge their age gap is probably not enough to fully be considered May/December. Rio becoming a mentor for Haruhiko does add to the May/December aspects so I'm just going to commit lol.

The concerns around their age gap came up in the sequel short more than the original series, but they definitely started their relationship in the original series at different life stages and it was one of the things that caused Rio to run from Haruhiko in the first place. To my memory there are some funny reversals in this one because Haruhiko gets his life together faster than Rio does but that means even as Haruhiko gets older they remain at different life stages and it continues to be a source of conflict.

Also just going to say, for anyone looking for old man yaoi, there is also a bonus fantasy/nightmare imagination scenario that Haruhiko pictures between Rio and his mentor that takes place in Continued Spring Life (though I would not call Rio's relationship with his mentor a romance!).

[NGL my favourite truly May/December romancecin BL is Choko and Maru from Ossan's Love and Ossan's Love Returns in which Choko is older than Maru's mother and it is a major source of conflict between her and her new mother in law until they find common ground.]

9. Fake Dating

I know I'm pretty alone in this, but YYY is one of my faves and it is actually a perfect example of the fake dating trope. For those who never saw this show, the central plot is that Nott and Pun are pretending to date in order to be allowed to stay in their apartment (the landlord loves BL). There are constant misunderstandings, pining, and it's compounded by the fact that one is also in a BGP with a different guy. There are real stakes tied to their fake dating, and the faking of the relationship becomes painful to the point that they become willing to risk those stakes (getting kicked out) rather than continuing to fake it. This show is absolutely wild and a LOT of nonsense happens, but the core is a pretty standard execution of this trope! And I love it a lot.

10. Bodyguard

I'm going to include censored projects in this because my ultimate favourite in this trope is Sleuth of Ming Dynasty. Zhou is at points of the story assigned to be a literal guard for Tang Fan, but he also just does it anyway off the clock because that's who he is. This show, to my mind, hits all of the important beats related to a bodyguard tripe including the person being protected balking at the protection and sacrificing himself so that his protector is not hurt (as well as at other times and being entirely blasé about his own safety because he trusted Zhou to protect him and had full faith he would).

Link to the original ask game post!

[nicosraf]

some rambling about Angels trilogy and the financial/personal side of things. I'll make an official post about "what's next" this month or the next (because I have a lot planned!) but I thought I'd be super open about things for anyone curious.

so Angels Before Man is officially mine again and I might make a post about what happened with publishers this year but ultimately it was my decision to step away from traditional publishing houses, mostly for my own safety and the integrity of the series.

I need to prioritize my safety as a closeted person, and it's not like I could do 90% of regular author responsibilities anyway (like panel events) because of my mental troubles. I hoped the publishers would give me a lot of money, but in the end, its not worth it.

I still need money though, so I'll figure something out, maybe Patreon/ko-fi. Writing isn't my job, so I can't prioritize it as much as I'd like to. Maybe if I make enough to live off of. One day.

And about the integrity of the series. The issue with ABM was always censorship. I self-published because I didn't want it to be censored. No publishers tells you outright they want you to censor it, but they suggest a major revision, they tell you to cut the book into 1/3rd it's original size to turn it into a novella. They try to make it smaller, try to make it quieter, try to make it digestible. And in the specific case of ABM, they look at it frustratingly because they want the readership you cultivated but they don't like you and they don't like your gay/trans readers. They want something like you, but not you. They ask you to abandon the readers who got you here and to write them something else.

The Angels trilogy is something really personal to me. It's themes are harsh, offensive even. I don't want it's ultimate message to get diluted, I care too much about the series.

I'm happy to be free, though. I like being able to write whatever I want for whoever wants to hear it. I'm excited for what's to come! Maybe I'll give traditional publishers another shot for the right price in the future, but for now, I just want to be left alone.

[waitmyturtles]

Turtles Catches Up With Old GMMTV: Together With Me/MaxTul Ship Edition

[What’s going on here? After joining Tumblr and discovering Thai BLs through KinnPorsche in 2022, I began watching GMMTV’s new offerings -- and realized that I had a lot of history to catch up on, to appreciate the more recent works that I was delving into. From tropes to BL frameworks, what we’re watching now hails from somewhere, and I’m learning about Thai BL's history through what I’m calling the Old GMMTV Challenge (OGMMTVC). Starting with recommendations from @absolutebl on their post regarding how GMMTV is correcting for its mistakes with its shows today, I’ve made an expansive list to get me through a condensed history of essential/classic/significant Thai BLs produced by GMMTV and many other BL studios. My watchlist, pasted below, lists what I’ve watched and what’s upcoming, along with the reviews I’ve written so far. I’ve covered Love Sick, SOTUS, and Make It Right so far, and today I offer my thoughts on Together With Me and the MaxTul ship. Thanks to @manogirl for your encouragement to add this to my watchlist!]

Okay! Together With Me. Well -- well, well, WELL. 

First off: I’m VERY glad I added this drama to my list, and I want to give big ups again to @manogirl for being the loudest supporter of my adding this to the OGMMTVC and learning about the first high heat ship in Thai BLs. Secondly, I have to admit a mistake. I put Together With Me in-between the first and second seasons of Make It Right on my watchlist (pasted below), but I got the airing dates mixed up -- MIR2 aired before TwM, but I watched TwM first. Womp. I’ll fix my list below. (Thanks to @bengiyo for filling me in on important details about MIR2 so that I can make accurate comparisons in this piece!)

Even though I haven’t watched all of MIR2 yet, I can project from the early episodes what happens -- more heat, more chaos, more teenage angst. (MY DEAR CONFUSED FUSE. MY DEAR HEATY FRAMEBOOK.) 

Nevertheless, TwM still provided some fabulous comparative material for me to understand where BL had gone from the time of 2014/2015 Love Sick to the 2017 moment of TwM’s airing. 

2016 was a big year in Thailand, I now realize. SOTUS premieres as the first BL-BL -- the first show that was a BL, that focused solely on a main queer coupling. Then Make It Right airs, and it’s pulpy, wild, open, longing, full of implied teenage sex and direct communication about the befores, the durings, and the afters. Make It Right, as the dear @bengiyo stated, depicted a world in which teenage boys are able to explore queerness without being punished for it. 

Then we get in 2017, and the second season of MIR2, which has more implied heat than the first season. AND THEN, THEN: we get Together With Me. And just, WOW -- did this show ever benefit from the road that Love Sick, SOTUS, and Make It Right/MIR2 paved.

Why?

One thing I wonder is: could we have EVER gotten two JACKED jocks like Max and Tul in a BL ship if LS/SOTUS/MIR/MIR2 had NOT aired before TwM?

I would actually love to entertain that as a question to the family that reads these posts. Because my own thinking is: no. I’m thinking that Captain and White walked so that Max and Tul could do it on camera run. They warmed up the censors to maybe relax a little. I would argue that the previous BLs and BL-inspired material gave MaxTul the safety, as two clearly masculine-presenting men -- stereotypically jacked, jocky, college-aged, huge, masculine, male-men -- to be the first big heat ship, as @manogirl stated, in Thai BL. 

I think audiences were likely primed and ready, if they were following SOTUS (with no heat) and MIR/MIR2 (with high school-teenage heat), to GET some HEATY detail from some VERY BEAUTIFUL, SLIGHTLY OLDER MEN -- men who were also about to have some very moving queer revelations happen between them. 

In other words -- the audiences had been titillated enough. As @bengiyo has reminded me: yaoi manga was tremendously popular in Thailand at this time, and showmakers were taking notice. The audiences were likely ready for ACTION-action. And MaxTul were up to the challenge. 

(Also for context, I also want to acknowledge a note that @bengiyo sent to me about what Thailand was likely paying attention to across the rest of Asia -- as more BLs were coming out of Japan, Taiwan, and China before censorship. From those perspectives as well -- those different cultural reads on yaoi -- Thailand was likely also inspired. I seriously welcome input from the whole OGMMTVC family -- I’m thinking, besides @bengiyo, @absolutebl, @nieves-de-sugui, @so-much-yet-to-learn, and others might have insight on this -- about what outside cultural factors I’m likely missing from my analyses. I’d love to be filled in by the experts on any cross-cultural context y’all think is helpful from the comparative worldview of what was happening at this moment in time.)

So we get to MaxTul, KornKnock, that first scene of episode 1 that had me going WHOA -- I mean, I don’t know what I’ve missed in the intervening years, but even today, we don’t have many series just going STRAIGHT to it. 

I was impressed. 

Now, AFTER THAT? Oy vey, ha. 

I wrote in a post right after I finished watching TwM, that I felt like while I had watched a show in a university setting, that for some reason, a lot of the show took me back to high school.

I wouldn’t criticize TwM as necessarily missing something by way of tone. Rather, I would argue that TwM experimented with a kind of tone that at least I haven’t experienced yet in my otherwise chronological watching of early Thai BLs. Namely -- TwM approached its material with a kind of...flippant tone, if that makes sense.

The script was larded with sexism and sometimes crude insinuations about queerness. The show went into VERY questionable territory with two ethical boundaries of doctor-patient relations and teacher-student relations. (I admittedly could not help but think of the recent debates around the Wat-Sani ship in the recent Our Skyy 2 x The Eclipse episodes -- but I think the Kavi x Phu ship was on a different, much more problematic level, as there was active engagement by a teacher to ultimately not separate herself from a student.) (And that didn’t even come close to approaching the problematic nature of the Dr. Bright x Farm ship.)

Really quickly about the sexism, before I get back to the boys. It was really interesting to me when it was used, and when it was NOT used. Plern is, in the words of @lurkingshan, the ultimate faen fatale. Bitchy, conniving, smart-but-not -- a true villain. Aim of Love Sick couldn’t even try to compete. Prae was a ditz, and Miki was vengeful, but Plern thought she was smart, had it all, and deserved everything she wanted without trying.

But Yihwa presented with LOYALTY, intelligence, insight, and grace. And Faii presented with a chill demeanor and analytical skills, and surprisingly -- even while she was ASSUMED to NOT be athletic -- was shown playing soccer/football BETTER than the boys, which I think was VERY NICE to see in a 2017 drama. (That pushed a neat kind of boundary for me.)

Yihwa and Faii in particular defy the paradigm of setting up female characters against stereotypes of male success. What made them possibly the strongest female characters I’ve seen in a BL is that they used the characteristics of their enemies to get back at their enemies. That was smart. They broke through a lot of what could have really sunk this show, and lifted the show intelligently.

So what COULD have sunk this show? List time:

1) The Dr. Bright x Farm ship. I was honestly so grossed out by this that I don’t even want to spend time writing on it. And I am HELL-FUCKING glad that I am NOT going NEAR the second season, because I understand that there’s a redemption arc for Bright. I’m very disappointed by this storyline, as I think it saddles an out gay man with stereotypes about sexual preferences that can be done safely (like group activity), and instead presented those preferences as predatory. And then Farm goes from played-to-player. In my opinion, when the Tumblr fam warned me about this show being toxic -- this ship was toxic factor #1 by far.

2) Knock and his cluelessness. Holding on an actual MaxTul analysis for the moment -- Korn and Knock were interesting characters for me to see interacting with each other. I mean, Korn’s admission to Knock, I would argue, actually came (HA HA) a little fast (HA HA) for Knock to process. No, but seriously. A passionate hook-up, Knock’s VERY adamant reaction towards Korn afterwards, and then Knock’s warbling back-and-forth between Plern and Korn. Knock had everything happening to him and at him -- gay-for-you, lingering girlfriend, the inching back to his same-sex lover -- and I’d argue that Knock was just a little...let’s say....diluted and bro-y about it all. I could have seen a little more emotional passion. I could have seen a little more real and introspective struggle (save for the internet posts). I did like that conversation Knock had with Bright about “gay for you” -- where Bright, as an out gay man, kind of corrected Knock to say, yes, it’s a little gay, what you’re feeling -- but that’s okay, it’s normal, and I’m here for you.

3) Jocks in love. But Knock’s behavior, and to an extent, Korn’s behavior as well, was, well -- jocky. Knock, I think, was very much like -- “why is this all happening to MEEEEE, my broooosss, crying on my beddddd??” To me, at least, what reminded me about high school with this show WAS this jockish approach to romance. The show presented Knock posting on the internet, for instance -- but not spending time thinking exactly about what those posts and answers meant. 

For comparison, Bright and Farm, as the other same-sex ship in the show, were presented in a predatory match-up. We didn’t have femme-presenting characters (like Christina in MIR) or other trope-y or stereotypical elements of queer behavior that we had seen in dramas past. 

I think the jocks-in-love approach to this show, which came naturally by way of how Max and Tul LOOK and CARRY THEMSELVES -- was risky. Knock was kind of the perfect nickname for that character. He wasn’t a dude that was very able to read between any lines. His true revelation about Plern came when idiot Plern spilled her beans to other people, that dumbass. And I think a lot of the way Knock accused Korn of Korn’s own feelings, and Korn’s behavior in “taking advantage” of Knock, came out of jockish cluelessness. When Korn said, “I love you, dipshit!”, “dipshit” was ABSOLUTELY the right word to use to the continually clueless Knock. 

ALL OF THAT BEING SAID. (Leaving Bright and Farm aside forever, let us never speak their names again.)

I think Max and Tul themselves were a revelation. Were they AS SKILLED ACTORS as Singto in SOTUS, or Ohm and Toey in Make It Right? Oh god, no. Were they AS BAD as Krist? No, no, no one comes close. And were they AS INEXPERIENCED as Captain and White when those two first debuted? Also, no.

Max and Tul, I think, seized a different damn moment. I’m actually not sure I’d say there was electric chemistry between them. I think they both acted WELL, but there wasn’t EMOTIONAL sizzle, at least the kind I look for. They were certainly bros and homies -- but longing gazes à la Tee and Fuse, they did not have.

What they DID do, with their PHYSICALITY, was break boundaries by way of what we could SEE, without needing to read between lines or analyze shit. We just SAW THEM DO IT, tear off shirts and make out and bounce around and show off their muscular anatomy, and I think THAT was actually groundbreaking. I think IN THAT -- the boys knew EXACTLY what they were doing, they KNEW they could do it well, and they DID do it well -- and I didn’t see an iota of hesitation from either of them. And I thought that was really impressive. And I think these guys knew -- by DOING THAT SO WELL -- that they were breaking important ground in the world of television BL. The viewers -- those viewers who, like Knock, don’t like or WANT to read between lines -- THEY GOT what Max and Tul were serving.

What I also find impressive is that these guys IRL are serious allies. Their social media profiles, for the both of them, are gilded with allyship. That’s huge to me. (Tul at NYC Pride, come awn.) They’re owning their ownership of a slice of representation -- again, as jocky dudes in real life who engage fearlessly in queer material. (I now can’t wait for The Outing.)

Honestly? Yes, TwM was at times either painfully and/or hilariously toxic. I think the Bright x Farm ship is violent and harmful, and I truly wish it didn’t exist.

But I’m glad I watched TwM because -- well, fuck it, I’m an old mom, and I like to see jacked, shirtless dudes sometimes.

BUT ALSO: I think the makers of TwM knew that there were VIEWERS who WANTED TO JUST SEE QUEER MEN BE QUEER MEN WITH MEN, and you know what? I think the show’s creators said to themselves -- well, hot damn, maybe we have something here. And now’s (in 2017) the time for it. Sometimes I don’t want to read between the lines, too -- sometimes, I want a show that I can watch with a damn martini in a Solo cup and just be like, ooooh, man tiddies!

And the show creators found Max and Tul for Bad Romance, and realized, yes -- let’s spin this off, because there’s an audience out there who wants this. And I think that was accurate then, and now. Award-winning actors, Max and Tul are not. But they are VERY important to my historical understanding for how queer representation was progressing in BLs at the time of TwM -- in a vastly different fashion than Love Sick, SOTUS, and MIR had set up in their own worlds and their own paradigms. 

I think TwM created a paradigm of its own -- one that I think has helped BL to grow at least in quantity, maybe not in quality, but at least paved a road that allowed creators to think and to say, well -- if we lead with the sex, we can still make a show. I see the OG BL fans on Tumblr marveling often at the sheer volume of BLs we have now. I want to think that that happened in part for what TwM created -- the permission, the openness, and the standard to do just that. And for the fans that want that content? We live in a world now where we have our fair share of shows to choose from. I think TwM created a paradigm that we didn’t know we needed in 2017. And I don’t regret -- even if it’s not my preferred style of drama -- having the option to watch a cheesy, jocky show every so often. Instead, I feel lucky that in 2023, I can have my choice.

[Alright! It was so much fun late-night liveblogging TwM and hopping on the Yihwa bandwagon, and I’m getting back into doing it for Make It Right 2. Thanks to everyone who answered my questions about TwM along the way: @manogirl, @nieves-de-sugui, @absolutebl, @crowie, @clairificusrex, @respectthepetty, @bengiyo, @shortpplfedup​, @kyr-kun-chan, @telomeke, @miscellar (I will always be looking for the BBS connections, friends telomeke and miscellar, haha), @lurkingshan​, and apologies if I’m missing anyone else -- thank you, family!

Watchlist update below, which is corrected for chronology for Make It Right 2. And...unbelievably...I’m adding something else to this list. I’m gonna add SOTUS S. I vowed I wouldn’t because of Krist, but. Since I am NOT, EVER, going to watch the continuation of TwM, I want to watch the continuation of another early series, besides Make It Right 2/FrameBook, to see the maturing of a relationship, as I’ve been involved in excellent convos with @bengiyo and friends about how length-and-depth-in-committed-relationships is NOT the most popular of BL themes -- but it’s a theme that literally brought me to Asian BLs via Kinou Nani Tabeta so many years ago. (I’ve read a lot that SOTUS S is better than SOTUS anyway, and it has my beloved Nammon in it.) I’m wondering if seeing a relationship developing and maturing is an important movement for Thai BLs at the end of 2017 into 2018, maybe a theme that hadn’t been explored YET, before TwM’s continuation, and one that might feed into the shows of 2018 and beyond. And I’m wondering if it’s important, as MaxTul was, for seeing the KristSingto ship move forward -- especially as I get prepared to FINALLY get to He’s Coming To Me, and getting to understand the impact of what Aof, Singto, and Ohm Pawat did to split the KristSingto ship. As always, I welcome any feedback!

1) Love Sick and Love Sick 2 (2014 and 2015) (review here) 2) SOTUS (2016) (review here) 3) Make It Right (2016) (review here) 4) Make It Right 2 (2017)  (watching) 5) Together With Me (2017) 6) SOTUS S (2017-2018) 7) Love By Chance (2018) 8) Kiss Me Again: PeteKao cuts (2018) 9) He’s Coming To Me (2019) 10) Dark Blue Kiss (2019) 11) TharnType (2019) 12) Theory of Love (2019) 13) Dew the Movie (2019) (not an official part of the OGMMTVC watchlist, but I want to watch this in chronological order with everything else) 14) Until We Meet Again (2019-2020) 15) 2gether (2020) 16) Still 2gether (2020) 17) I Told Sunset About You (2020) 18) A Tale of Thousand Stars (2021) (review here) 19) I Promised You the Moon (2021) 20) Not Me (2021-2022) 21) Bad Buddy (2021-2022) (thesis here) 22) KinnPorsche (2022) (tag here) 23) The Eclipse (2022) (tag here) 24) My School President (2022-2023) 25) Moonlight Chicken (2023) (tag here)

[anomymoussoapbar]

I'm proship/profiction because I understand that the content somebody creates or is interested in isn't a perfect reflection of how they are irl.

I trust that other proshippers understand how to separate fiction and reality.

I'm anti-censorship; I won't make any exceptions because we've seen in history that once you start making exceptions, it can lead to queer media also being demonized and banned (the best I can think off the top of my head is the trans institute that existed in nazi Germany, which had so many amazing trans resources, getting destroyed by nazis).

I believe people should be able to use art as an outlet for anything. Not every single thing in life needs to be censored, and people do often use art to process feelings and experiences.

I'm against harassing people for their art. Not only does harassing some internet stranger sound like a waste of time, it's bullying too. I don't want to be a bully.

I believe in "don't like, don't look, don't interact" (my own variation of don't like don't read). I have tools to block people and hide content I don't want to see. I'm going to use them. I am responsible for curating my own online experience.

I've seen people online who use proshipping as a coping mechanism. I don't understand how that's possible, but that doesn't really matter so long as those people are safe. I wouldn't deny a victim their coping mechanism unless it endangered their life because that's against my beliefs and I'm not a therapist, so that wouldn't even be my place to speak. I've noticed antis don't like these kinds of victims because they don't fit into the antis' perfect boxes of how they think victims should be, so they often harass and bully and claim victims need therapy/need better therapists. I find this ridiculous because in my and many other's experiences, therapy is inherently proship/profiction and antis ignore this/claim it's not true (idk how you can do that if you're not a psychologist but they're too far gone to argue with). And they don't even offer to pay for the therapy, lol.

Thank you for making this blog and being curious, you're amazing. Sorry that this is kinda long lol

Hello!!! :*)

Thank you so so so much for your views.

I find it interesting how you listed it and specifically how you explained "don't like don't look don't interact" [I really like how you phrased it :*)] which I myself see me doing a lot.

When I read through your explanation, I began getting vaguely reminded of those internet safety PSAs they would make kids watch when you are younger, of curating your own safe environment.

How to report bullying, and to not harass others online as well being points that made me think of those internet safety PSAs LOL

Something I find myself thinking about is on how a lot of what fiction can affect reality is a concern long ago that was likely brought by concerns by parents who were against video games saying it promoted violence.

I also find the idea of fictionally dark themes interesting, as I have realized I. Do often indulge in dark medias. In an oddly comforting way.

I really don't like how people harass proshippers, or anyone in general. And from what I have been gathering, not all proshippers indulge in dark thematics. Perhaps the majority, but the proshipping idea is simply respecting even if you dont share it.

Also, when you mentioned people not being exactly how they write or the creations they make, I realized how a lot of mainstream medias follow this. The creator of most Studio ghibli movies is COMPLETELY different from the peppy and cute movies he makes and the creator of popular horror Manga Junji ito makes a lot of horror visuals and grotesque stories however is just a sweet guy in real life.

I know I bring it up a lot in my posts, but a lot of why media can be triggering for me and sickening is when I see what reminds me of my own traumatic experiences [S/A /COCSA and grooming.] And how no matter how much I filter, it will always end up appearing.

As it makes me physically sick, revolted, and sadly reminds me of what I've so deeply buried.

However, I am ONE side of the S/A survivor victim experience and spectrum. The other is people who find comfort in exploring their feelings and it helps them understand on what happened to them.

And I love art. I express myself through art. I used to draw what happened to me and draw out how I felt with characters. But it would make me feel so much worse. As I am and was at the mental point of connecting so hard to the fictional reality which I built to be so much better than I was in.

I don't really know why I'm saying all of this, I guess I just want to lead to the fact that every survivor has their way of coping, and mine isn't the same as everyone else's. And I am still learning to accept that and educate myself on it. Because I do. I really do want to understand and take away my own personal stigmas.

I have so much more I would love to add but I feel I have been rambling for too long LOL

Oh my goodness I'm so sorry for ranting but anyways, thank you so much for the ask and informing me in this much detail. You are so so loved and appreciated. 💞🌸

[saintmeghanmarkle]

The Parent Trap by u/Mickleborough

The Parent Trap Being curious as to exactly what was Meghan and Harry’s anti-cyber bullying initiative, I went to where angels fear to tread: the Archewell Foundation website.I won’t contaminate this post with screen shots - you’ll have to take my word. What does the Parents’ Network do?What’s the target group? The name and text refers to parents (although a couple of paragraphs inconsistently - and belatedly - mention caregivers as well). The overall impression is that this overlooks other child-adult relationships, namely children looked after by relatives or guardians.Briefly the aim seems to be this:’We [the Parents’ Network] act as a support network for other parents and caregivers whose children and families have been gravely impacted by social media harms.’In case this isn’t clear:’The Archewell Foundation and the network will work to unite and uplift parents and caregivers and systematically change the social media platforms that create a harmful and dangerous environment for young people around the world.’No, really, what does the Parents’ Network do?It appears to want to be an influence or pressure group. To what end? My guess is: censoring social media.Governments have implemented, or are the process of implementing, legislation dealing with online safety. So there’s no point campaigning for that.The website states: ‘It is time that social media companies improve their safety measures and that people in power hold them to account. Join us in adding your voice so we can no longer be ignored.’Some observations on content* The text is inconsistent: see example above. It also contains these statements which don’t make sense: ‘…these platforms should be a destination where young people can communicate, thrive and learn. Instead online spaces are designed to keep our children scrolling and waiting for the next notification, like or comment.’That’s comparing apples and oranges. Learning and socialising online are different things. And it promotes communication, but condemns forms of communication, viz ‘scrolling and waiting for the next notification, like or comment.’* In my opinion, the writing isn’t great. It’s not impactful; it reads like something written by a moderately talented high school student in the late 1980s. Using short sentences, complete with repeated words for emphasis, for impact and drama (’We share our stories. We share our resources. We take action. Together’) is dated. The practice now is to get the message across with succinct sentences, because people aren’t stupid.* Confusingly there’s a sentence that states: ‘In 2023 we were brought together by The Archewell Foundation.’Firstly - Who’s ‘we’? The landing page has the logos of The Archewell Foundation and of Parents’ Network - but didn’t the former begat the latter?Secondly - Sycophantic write-ups elsewhere mention that the Parents’ Network had a 2-year pilot / testing gestation. If so, what’s with 2023? Can someone not count? Or did the Parents’ Network start off like the birth of an illegitimate child in 2021, before being acknowledged by its parent in 2023?Fun ‘fact’: ‘Since inception, The Foundation has been working to find solutions to the rapidly escalating crisis in youth mental health.’ They’ve certainly kept this work quiet.On an irrelevant note - there are loads of Parents’ Networks: the [British] Army Parents’ Network, the Solihull Parents’ Network, [the Council of Europe] Parents’ Network - that must be why Meghan hasn’t trademarked the name.Link to a website of a proper foundation: The Royal Foundation for Early Childhood post link: https://ift.tt/J3fxSH4 author: Mickleborough submitted: August 05, 2024 at 10:13PM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

[anonymousfoz]

HS Journalism: District Blocking Sites (News)

Note: Some things have to be censored to post it here. If you see a lot of dashes, that is why

Morality. Safety. Student engagement in classes. Some legitimate reasons for blocking websites at schools do exist. However, monetary gain for the school district is behind some censorship that affects both students and teachers–despite educational use of the internet.

School districts and public libraries across the nation have been blocking sites for 22 years. According to the American Association of School Librarians, 98% of the nation’s school districts and public libraries filter the online content that is available to minors. But why? And is blocking sites occurring in truly beneficial ways?

Background

To create a safe environment for students while keeping them focused and off inappropriate sites, Congress passed the Children’s Internet Protection Act on Dec. 15, 2000, and it went into effect on April 20, 2001. CIPA requires that public libraries and certain school districts that have students from kindergarten to twelfth grade use internet filters and other measures to protect students from harmful and obscene content in order to obtain certain federal funding.

The Supreme Court has stated that libraries can unblock the filters for adults who request them. The decision was seen as a major defeat for all libraries in the U.S. and for those who had to use the library internet due to no access at home. The ruling also led to concerns about how CIPA would work in schools and the censorship in that setting.

The Debate

The CIPA law sparked debate over censorship in schools, and with the recent rise of book banning in schools, people have returned to this debate. Two sides emerged with various viewpoints on CIPA and blocking sites. One side agrees to the blocking of sites and wants to enforce more restrictions, and another side opposes district blocking sites and has its various solutions to the conflict. Both sides agree that certain sites with sexual content should be blocked, but that is where the agreement stops.

From opposing broad filters and blocking social media sites to wanting realistic barriers that allow children to form their own ideas, even those who oppose blocking sites don’t agree on solutions to what might be considered “inappropriate” content. The opposing side wants to make educational institutions responsible for online content available to students with more responsibility for decisions being left up to the older students.

“Students already know how to get around the firewall by using their phones as hotspots or going to gaming websites that our filter doesn’t catch,” one teacher said.

Students also bypass the firewall by using virtual private networks or VPNs. The gaming sites that filters don’t catch are typically built using Google Sites, Weebly, or even LinkedIn. Games can be found on Scratch that students can access during class. While the district tries to solve these issues, some in this debate demand parents block sites on their children’s personal devices.

This debate is mainly between parents wanting to protect children versus experiences that occur in the classroom with students and teachers dealing with the frustrating situations caused by their school district’s filters.

In the Classroom

While all districts follow CIPA, each district has its policies which can cause interruption in the classroom. A teacher may have a legitimate assignment ruined by a site being blocked.

The survey and poll sent out to all teachers at Nation Ford showed that of 24 teachers, 17 said they had a legitimate site blocked—either their own sites or another site they were using for educational purposes related to course content. Seven teachers had YouTube blocked for class use or assignments. Three teachers had their websites blocked, which held important information for students and parents.

“My own educational website, which I created for my students that I use with instruction was blocked for a year before I finally got access to it at school again,” a teacher said. “I couldn’t send students to the website for enrichment or anything.”

Of course, some blocked websites are needed. One teacher stated that Pinterest was blocked from students who were using it to look at marketing research. Another talked about Adobe Creative Cloud’s AI features being blocked from students, which would have enhanced creativity in the classroom. Most teachers stated they were frustrated with their experience, some mentioning that due to a helpful site with resources being blocked, they were required to work at home.

Despite these experiences, most teachers agreed that some websites needed to be blocked.

“I like the intention, but it causes some unnecessary issues for students and teachers,” one teacher said.

Another teacher said, “I think our system is behind the times. Teachers should be able to approve certain websites for class use on an individual basis.”

The reasoning behind --SD’s blocking of sites is not well understood.

“In some cases, that [blocking sites] is necessary for students’ health and safety,” another teacher said. “I’d be interested to know how the district is deciding these matters, however, because there are times legitimate and educational sites are blocked, which is frustrating.”

The District Policy

The district policy is mentioned in the IJNDB “Use of Technology Resources by Students,” and according to the document, the district is to provide students with access to electronic and technological resources to help them in school. The district has the right to monitor students’ online activities and restrict access to certain websites they deem inappropriate for academic purposes. The --SD system is not perfect, but it is truly impossible to monitor every student and block all the correct sites. The document also states that anyone using the district network, a district-owned device, or holding a district account should not expect privacy given for anything downloaded, transmitted, or received as the district has access to view that information and search account history. The district also notes that they have the right to change their policy at any given time.

--SD’s Chief Communications Officer, ---- Burke, understands the main issue in this debate.

“In general, if a site is blocked and has educational value to a class, the teacher can work with their administration and the IT Department at the District Office to request the site be unblocked,” Burke said. “The district administration will make the determination depending on the site’s content and compliance with policy IJNDB.”

The district has the final say on whether a site will be unblocked based on the content and what they see as educational value to the class. In classes such as Digital Art & Design or Marketing, the district administration could fail to understand the educational value a site could provide. A year is a long time to wait, teachers say.

Possible Solution

Teachers say they can already see students’ screens with such sites as Netop Vision. While this gives the teacher a lot of control over electronic use, it could ensure students stay on task. Teachers say they know what their class needs. This way, the district can continue broad filtering sites while giving teachers control in the classroom.