#desi lesbian positivity

[the-sappho-of-lesbos]

Source: The Other Face Of Love, by Raymond De Becker

[i-love-sufjan-stevens]

Vintage Photos of Queer Couples of Color

[puppy--boy]

I love being a lesbian

I love lesboys

I love trans women lesbians

I love trans men lesbians

I love nonbinary lesbians

I love butches

I love femmes

I love futches

I love studs

I love stems

I love disabled lesbians

I love fat lesbians

I love thin lesbians

I love tall lesbians

I love short lesbians

I love aspec lesbians

I love PoC lesbians

I love intersex lesbians

I love otherkin/alterhuman lesbians

I love mspec lesbians

I love gaybians

I love poly lesbians

I love lesbians with a girlfriend

I love lesbians with a partner

I love lesbians with a boyfriend

I love lesbians in a qpr/qpp

I love lesbians who are single

I love lesbians who aren’t looking for a relationship

I love lesbians who don’t want a relationship

I love you lesbians <333

[abookwasallittooktomakemeacrook]

yes we all know and love the femme sapphics, the ones who wear exquisite jewels and delicate bangles and mesmerising dresses and who look every bit like a goddess that just stepped out of heaven, but what about the butch sapphics. the ones who wear leather jackets and black sunglasses and have short haircuts. the ones who wait outside your college to take you on long distance rides on their bikes. the ones who open the particularly tight jars of achar for you. the ones that slip the necklace they bought for you quietly on your neck. the ones that gift you with wacky bracelets and cute little rings. the ones that crouch down to adjust the folds of your saree and look up at you with adoration. the ones that bridal carry you. the ones that kiss your forehead or your hair. the ones that are the big spoon and keep you warm all night. the ones that worship you and lay down their lives for you. like BUTCH SAPPHICS hnnnghhhhhh

[brokoala-soup]

Twinkle Khanna on the verdict against legalizing same sex marriage in India

[meerawrites]

Quick time queers!

A master post of all my queer playlists.

Pride. 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈

Uncensored (18+) Pride. 🏳️‍🌈🔞

My sapphic playlist. 🏳️‍🌈

Trans Pride. 🏳️‍⚧️

Bi Pride. 💗💜💙

wlw/nblw. 🏳️‍🌈

mlm/nblm. 🏳️‍🌈

South Asian Sapphicism.

Queer & South Asian.

South Asian Pride.

Indigenous.

Gentleman Jack.

Sappho.

18th century sapphics.

Emily Dickinson.

Oscar Wilde.

Dandies & Quaintrelles.

Queer Goth.

Equal.

Protest music.

SFW sapphicism.

[hardipatelsstuff]

" you're bi??? How are you bi if you're dating a guy

I EAT SALAD DOES THAT MEAN I'M A VEGITARIAN❓

Keep it uppp Chad and I'll fuck your girlfriend

[theimmigrantschild]

There is no such thing as equality between females and males...

Moids are just insecure bc wlw treat other women with respect and decency while yall don't even see us as human beings.

Anyways....

To uplift her and cherish her.

To love her in this lifetime and next 🫰🏽

She is the poem

by June Bates

[cowboy-heart]

'BUTCH MANIFESTO'

inspired by 'FEMME SHARK MANIFESTO' by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

(ID under cut)

Ko-Fi (Commissions Open!)

[ID: an original poem titled 'BUTCH MANIFESTO'. the stanzas are all on the left side of the page and lineated, except for the first line, and last stanza. Poem begins:

Listen up! Butches hold it down! We don’t spend hundreds of pounds on designer clothes and black and white tuxes – we shop off the charity shop rack, hand-me-downs from our bois, our men, our women. Butch is not a glamour word - Butch is not for the white collars in their 9-5 and their office parties, Butch is not for the woman in a police uniform with short cropped hair, Butch is not for the masc who looks down on our femmes, Butch is not for the dumbass white people who call themselves stud, like our people haven’t taken enough from black lesbians, Butch is not for the politician or the soldier, it’s for those of us who get shit done and don’t throw anyone under the bus; who stand between our loved ones and the white-knuckled fist; it’s for the people who take a breath of relief when they get home and get to lay their head on the shoulder of their baby and say, it’s hard, and I need you right now; it’s for those of us with hard-soled feet, worn by hours of standing, just so people can buy some useless shit on a Sunday. Butch is for the primary school teachers, the neighbour keeping your package safe, the hairstylist, the barber, the youth worker, the locked up, the sectioned, the evicted, the boy on the dole. Butches hold each other up, Butches stand up for communities, no matter how different we might be.

Butches stand up for Butches, because only we know the shit we face, we don’t argue over what butch looks like for someone - their struggle doesn’t counteract ours. We’re brothers, sisters, siblings, lovers, mentors, we don’t fight over femmes or fight each other. We help up our siblings who can’t hold themselves up and shouldn’t have to.

Butch is recognising our hurt, our pain, and making sure nobody has to go through that, in the very least not alone. Butch is not reproducing that hurt, butch isn’t the transfem exclusion, the toxicity, it’s driving our girls and boys to the abortion clinic, it’s holding your femme’s hair back over the toilet bowl, it’s telling your darlin’ to take a deep breath, before you poke the needle into her thigh, it’s holding back on punching the catcaller because you know it’ll put your lover in more danger, it’s fishing in your closet for an old, dusty dress for your questioning girl, it’s never calling the cops, it’s carrying the Narcan, it’s gathering the funds for bail, it’s tipping the waiter, it’s kissing the bruised chin of a fellow butch who’s built like a brick shithouse.

Butch is not all muscle, able-bodied, white Butch is not all skinny and androgynous Butch is care Butch is NURTURE. Butch is a cane and an unsteady step Butch is putting down the ramp Butch is wheeling up it Butch is addict Butch is straight-edge Butch is diaspora Butch is desi Butch is antiracist Butch is socialist Butch is punk Butch is black Butch is brown Butch is fat Butch is fat-loving Butch is mental illness Butch is antipsych Butch is autism Butch is trans Butch is anger Butch is tears Butch is grief Butch is the old bull Butch is the closeted kid in a dress Butch is the baby dyke wearing a rainbow flag cape Butch is smile lines Butch is crinkled eyes Butch is crying in your friend’s beat-up car Butch is foetal position Butch is pink Butch is motherhood Butch is fatherhood Butch is cat-dad Butch is fucking Butch is getting fucked Butch is stone Butch is bashful Butch is humble Butch is cocky Butch is proud Butch is single Butch is uneducated Butch is poet Butch is poetry Butch is council estate Butch is gentleness Butch is bones and spit and the soft curve of our lower backs the clenched jaw under a double chin the hard-eyes that any femme can see right through the estradiol the testosterone the carabiner clink the thick hands the cellulite the bloody pads the tampon string the mood swings the sagging tits the top surgery scars the swinging cock the hairy pussy the protruding t-dick the leather harness.

Butch is eternity Butch is sewn into the fabric of atoms Butch is love and solidarity Butch is never leaving anyone behind and never selling anyone out.

End poem. In the bottom right corner, the poet is signed as 'Ren H.' End ID].

[where-fading-princesses-live]

I finally watched the new Rock Hudson documentary All That Heaven Allowed on HBO Max. As a casual observer, I thought they handled the subject well. I'm not sure if Rock has a substantial lesbian fanbase or not, but my gay friends and I watched it together as a double feature with the Lucy and Desi documentary directed by Amy Poehler. Both films moved us to tears. The personal lives of the Stars do not interest us. Both films were a nice tribute to their craft. I appreciate those who can remember the legacy of these great Hollywood Icons.

Regarding the Rock Hudson film, I can't say what was embellished or not, as a casual observer. I’ve read most Rock Hudson bios out there so the film was nothing new for me but I appreciate that they made this anyway. It seemed to pull no punches. I'm sure those who were close and personal with Rock would be able to spot the inaccuracies, if any. But there was a tremendous amount of involvement from close friends and ex-lovers as well as the Rock Hudson estate, and none of them were trying to do him dirty. They all just wanted to remember him in the best way possible, as a great actor and a truly nice man.

My only complaint with the film is that I didn't care to know the intimate details of his personal affairs, but that was to be expected. I think the film could have easily omitted those segments and still driven home their message. Parts of it were  a tad gossip-y... I guess they thought it would sell better. But I don’t think the film meant any real harm. They did want to discuss the struggles of gay folks back then and it’s hard to talk about Rock without talking about the Celluloid Closet. It is most definitely un-apologetically gay and I have no qualms with that.

The film is still a nice tribute. 

I've read through press interviews with the director and he seems to have a true appreciation for Rock’s talent. There has been an overwhelming positive reception from the gay community who have viewed the film, so I think that's a good sign. The filmmakers properly spread awareness on the AIDS epidemic. I believe the intent was to memorialize a Star of a bygone era. 

I think the Lucy and Desi documentary was better but I would still recommend it.

[maitaiwiththecorpses]

That Time Mat Went Batshit (Pt. 6/???)

So, idk if I've ever mentioned this, but I have kids. Like, little kids who look up to me and I make sure to check in with every day. They're my babies. And I need to do a character profiling exercise, so I'm going to introduce you to them in the most batshit way possible! (I will not be using their real names, obvi, but enjoy!)

Griffin:

shitposts in the group chat all the time

does not know the difference between a controversial joke and an unacceptable joke.

has???? a minimal???? amount of rizz????

knows everyone's secrets

can be wise when he doesn't wanna be an ass

the best techie EVER

The Jalapeño:

bby bisexual

addicted to Warhammer and Zelda

watches too much anime

forgets drink water

DnD DM

so. many. allergies. It's so fucking hard to feed him.

misled from time to time (reddit is his news source so we've had to have talks about what's fake news and real news)

is a gentleman (will give u his sweater if u accidentally bled thru ur pants no questions asked)

Stylish Arguer:

forgets she's desi all the time

too much tik tok

hot cheeto girl /pos

Gets into stupid arguments that I have to defuse 24/7

wears flared yoga pants >>>>>:\

the BEST hair of all time

so so good at basketball

Am I Your One And Only:

Will scream at you from backstage bc you're being a dinkwad

sexually frustrated lesbian

so many younger sisters

probably has committed a homicide

volleyball girl

wears slides everywhere (?????????)

Sam I Am:

OH MY GOD IF I HAD TO BE WORRIED ABOUT ONLY ONE OF MY KIDDOS FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE IT WOULD BE HIM

depressed

needs therapy desperately

misinformed (reddit and twitter are his sources)

bitter at the world and needs reminders that sexism is still real

actually such a nice person tho

dyes hair, shaves hair

carries a suit in his backpack all the time

Abraham Lincoln:

has a dog :D

my og kiddo #1

NOT my fav tho (or maybe he is... we'll never know)

always gives me his ramen

is a gentleman (will give u sweater if u bled thru ur pants... but he'd ask so many questions and when he finds out... so embarrassed)

despite being uncomfortable about puberty, learns everything he can for his baby sister

baseball boy

mini golfs so much

can be a bit of an icarus (aka: jackass) from time to time. But if u yell at him about it, he will cry. So. Find a new way to tell him he needs to cool it.

smort boi

MENDOZA, IN MY OFFICE:

so much character growth from him!!!!

my og kiddo #2

NOt mY FaVoURITE i SWEAR-!!!!1!!

always lets me take his hat (it's his hat in my pfp!!!!!!!!)

learned how to be an intersectional feminist over night for reasons that will be disclosed later on

also baseball boy

bffs w abe link ^^^^^^

has minimal rizz, still pulls

mischievous

finds pics of me and my worst enemy and photoshops hearts onto them

steals my food. Easy to feed.

anxious

asks a lot of questions abt sex. I'm happy to answer, but really HOW MUCH does he need to KNOW??????

Mini Me But Not Quite:

got louder over the course of eight months

big hamilton, heathers, beetlejuice, in the heights, [insert every musical here] fan

BANGER music taste

LOVES percy jackson, heartstopper, the owl house, amphibia [insert all quality media types here]

another bby bisexual

is the reason MENDOZA, GET IN MY OFFICE became an intersectional feminist overnight (that night was the night they started dating)

material GoWrl

is totally not my favorite

NPC:

blonde.

an amazing singing voice

came out of her shell bc of me??????????? T.T

does fortnite and tik tok dances all the time

gets into some dumb arguments

shit talks everyone

so kind

works so damn hard and she KNOWS it

not innocent.

fav Lover song is Paper Rings :D

Ham Boi:

doesn't understand hamilton refs despite being a hamilton

so dumb

Is The Jalapeño's bff

easy to feed

thinks you need to be 'one of the guys' to play DnD

knows what a chancla is (now.....)

is the baby of the group

needs positive reinforcement 24/7

LIGHT:

got drama

quiet

so fucking loud after she met me

judges everyone.

has a good sense of Girl Code

SO stylish. My girl will coordinate her skirt, her hijab, and her JACKET in the same color family and show up to school lookin FLAWLESSS

thinks that I am a replacement for health class (I am)

makes such amazing art it makes me cry

writes so well and works so hard

I won't even deny she's up there with the favorites.

BASICALLY, THEY ALL MAKE ME FEEL OLD

(i beg u to look at the tags. they're so fucking random)

[mudaship39]

Character Bio of the East Asian Half Human Half Firebird and Stormbird Monk character 

Dossier, Profile, Record, & Archive: Zhou Zhen/Zhou Chen:

Name: 

Chinese name: 

Zhou Zhen (the National S Rank Hero of Korea and S rank Adventurer of China)

Zhou Chen (the Half Human Half Phoenix Firebird and Lightning Bird Monk the S Rank Adventurer and Guild Member)

Korean name: Che Hae-Sook

Japanese name: Miyoko Takahashi

Species: 

Human

Metahuman with pyrokinetic fire powers and electrokinetic lightning powers

Celestial/Stellar bipedal humanoid Phoenix Firebird Fenghuang and Lightning Bird 

Ethnicity: Asian 

Racial Identity: East Asian Chinese Han, East Asian Korean, & East Asian Japanese Yamato 

Cultural Identity: Zhuang ethnicity, Ryukyuan/Luchuan Indigenous, and Manchurian ethnicity 

Height: 5’8”

Weight: 130

Body Type: Lean, lithe, slender, & and athletic. Body type similar to a martial artist or gymnast. 

Appearance:

B,H,W: 

Hairstyle: 

Pre-colonial East Asian hairstyles. 

Short hair 

Long hair tied in a medium or long ponytail

Hair color: black

Hair texture: 

Hair look/state:

Eye Color: light brown

Skin color: terra cotta brown

Extra: Red, orange, and yellow phoenix feathers grow on her chest, back, arms, & legs. In her full phoenix fire bird form she has wings, a beak, a tail, feathers on her entire body, & she has talons on her hand and feet. She has golden raptor-like eyes.

Age: 27 

Birthday: Taurus Horse

Shoe Size: 8

Tattoos: Celestial and stellar colored and black and white East Asian tattoos of tigers, phoenixes, dragons, fish, buddha, qilin, etc that glow when she uses her firebird and lightning bird powers especially electrical fire fusion elemental powers 

Piercings: Facial Piercings with gemstones on her face on her ears, eyebrows, nose, tongue, forehead, chin, & cheeks

Body Piercings with gemstones on her body on her chest, nipples, navel, & genitalia 

Markings:

Jewelry: East Asian buddhist bracelets, jade gemstones rings, Buddhist necklaces.

Features: 

Sex: Female

Gender: Cis 

Sexual Orientation: Lesbian

Pronouns: He him, she her 

Religion: Shinto Buddhist

Languages: 

Chinese, Korean, Japanese

Common, Undercommon, Goblinoid, Giantkin, Gnomish, Halfling, Dwarvish, Fey, Elvish, Sylvan, Underdark, Draenei, Draconic, Aarakocra, Auran, Celestial, Fiendish, Deep Speech, Serpent Tongue, & Primordial

Disabilities: Autistic. 

Nuerodivergent: ADD, ADHD, OCD, 

Mental Illnesses: depression, anxiety, panic attacks, & PTSD

Relatives: 

Father: Lei Chen 

Mother: Eun-a Choi

Aunts and Uncles: Miyoko Kobayashi, Ha-min Choi, Liya Chen 

Siblings: 

Brothers: Yun Chen

Sisters: Yan Chen, Xiuying Chen 

Cousins: Nanami Kobayashi, Takeo Kobayashi 

Nephews and Nieces:

Children: 

Adoptive children: 

Biological children: 

Marital Status: Married

Relationship model: Polyamorous

Love Interests: 

Elsa Johansson, Afro Asian half dragon Chun Hei Kim, Afro South Asian Desi Afro European Amelia Himmat Mishra, Afro West Asian Maysa Uzun, Latine Native Valerie Nadia Torres Garcia. Artist Dancer Yuli Li, Madam Brothel Manager Sunrita Maheshwari, Swordswoman Xiuli Chang, Grandmaster Weili Yang, Military Captain Soldier Chunyu Liu, Government Official Kanako Takahashi, Scholar Miyoko Kobayashi, Police captain Saruta Chaiyasan, Noble Lady Hyo-jin Jung, Warlord General Sae-hyun Park, Jonin kunoichi assassin Nanako Yamada, Samurai Lady Kiyoko Nakamura, Merchant Myeon-ji Kim, Shogun Tomiko Satou, Princess Lady Minh Nguyen

Character traits:

Positive character traits:

Negative character traits:

Vices:

Virtues:

Voice:

Rank: 

S rank

S rank Adventurer:

S Rank Hunter

S Rank Hero

Level: 300

Stat Points:

Skills:

Traits:

Alignment: Neutral Good 

Class: Monk (Magical melee and unarmed martial arts) 

Subclass:

Background: 

Disgraced Noble. Fallen Noble. Arranged Marriage. Exile. Academy Dropout. Unseen Academy Reject. Acolyte. Apothecary. Artisan. Attention Addict. Chef. Chosen One. Craftsman. Dauntless. Destined to be a Hero. Doctor. Duelist. Farmer. Fortune Teller. Government Official (Imperial Civil Servant). Hermit. Isekai. Lesser Scion. Librarian. Matchmaker. Merchant. Mercenary. Monk. Monotheistic. Monotheistic Traveller. Nurse. One Soul Two Bodies. Otherworlder. Poet. Primogenitor. Prodigy. Retired Hero. Roamer. Sage. Shaolin Monk. Scholar. Sealed One. Second Soul. Smith (Metal, Gemstone, Blacksmith). Soldier. Tourist. Town Apothecary. The Chosen One. Time Frozen. Time Traveller. Trader. Vendor. Wanderer. Warlord. Warrior. Weaver (Fabric). Wise One. 

Cultivation: 

Martial Arts: 

Magical martial arts (imagine bak mei, wushu, changquan, hung gar, xingyiquan, shuai jiao, wing chun, san da, choy li fut, shaolin kung fu, & wuzuquan)

magical mixed martial arts (imagine karate, capoeira, krav maga, savate, muay thai, jiu jitsu, kickboxing, hapkido, judo, aikido, taekwondo  

magical kendo, sai, kobudo, spear, kalaripayattu, escrima stick fighting, bo staff, silat, tonfa, & nunchucks 

Patron: Sun Wukong

Titles: 

Sage of the Stars. Young Master of the Chen Family. Grandmaster of the Way of the Fire Fist Lightning Fist Martial Arts School. Sword Empress. Sword Saint. Owner of the Auctionhouse. Owner of the Lotus Medicinal Pills Apothecary. Marquis of the Imperial Military.

Homebase:  

Shanghai, China. Kyoto, Japan. Seoul, Korea. Human Federation of Magical Human Kingdoms and Indigenous Magical Human Confederacy of Nations 

Affiliation: 

Murim Alliance. Xiao Lei: Poison Master (Master in poison arts). Jonin (assassination, ninjutsu, & shadow arts). Yuan Jian: Swordmaster (Melee Martial Arts Mentor). Himi Satomi: Array Master. Shimada Tokuma: Pills Sage (Medicinal Pills mentor). Grandmaster Ch’u Min-Hee (Martial Arts mentor).

Education: 

High School Graduate

High School Diploma

Associates Degree in Biology

Bachelor's Degree in Medicine

Masters Degree in Anatomy and Physiology

Certificate in Calligraphy 

Certificate in Arrays

Certificate in Pill Making 

Seoul National University. The University of Tokyo. Peking University

Korea Military Academy

U 13 or Under 13 for full contact Magical mixed martial arts

U 15 or Under 15 for magical melee combat with tonfa, escrima sticks, sai, nunchucks, & bo staff

Under 18 or U 18 for magical melee combat with magical swords, spears, clubs, axes, and sledgehammers

Occupation: 

Earth: 

Military. Conscript. Drafted. Grunt. Soldier. Officer. Gym trainer. Olympic Level Athlete. Martial Arts World Champion. Stunt person. Producer. Stunt double. Director. Stunt coordinator. Martial arts actress. Fighting game voice actress. Celebrity. 

Isekai: 

Beggar. Bandit. Farmer. Fisherman. Gardener. Courtesan. Matchmaker. Fortune Teller. Chef. Painter. Dancer. Artist. Actor. Musician. Flute, Piano, Violin. Chinese Stringed Instruments. Craftsman. Artisan. Poet. Smith. Shaolin Monk. Monotheistic. Monotheistic Traveller. Martial Arts Grandmaster. Doctor. Nurse. Scientist. Cartographer. Astronomer. Librarian. Apothecary. Conscript. Drafted. Grunt. Soldier. Swordsman. Archer. Calvary. Officer. Warlord. Merchant. City Guard. City Watch. Trader. Vendor. Business person. Mercenary. Armed Escort. Shinobi/Kunoichi assassin. Genin. Chunin. Jonin. Samurai. Ronin. Shogun. Professor. Scholar. Sage. Philosopher. Government Official. Aristocrat. Noble. Lady. Hired Guard. Bodyguard. Royal Guard (Human Empress) Lady in Waiting. Judge. Royal Advisor. 

Economic Class: Aristocratic 

Base of Operations: Firebird Fire Fist and Lightning Bird Lightning Fist Style Martial Arts School and Shaolin Monastery

Place of Residence: Manor of her Noble Chen Family 

Transportation: Horse drawn carriage. Car. Plane.

Mounts: Qinlin, Dragon, Griffin

Familiars: 

Firebird 

Lightning bird 

Pets: Hellhound, shadow cat, phoenix, kitsune nine tailed fox demon

Companions:

Apparel:

Facemask and bandana, spiked arm gauntlets, t-shirt, martial arts gi uniform, vest, obi belt, fingerless gloves, kung fu pants, spiked knee gauntlets, & combat boots

Red blue Silk uniform and Qingdai guanmao or mandarin hat with phoenix feathers as an imperial officer. Accessories to denote rank such as a phoenix and qilin.

Close fitting top with elbow length sleeves that is fairly tight fitting but allow room for movement. It is a kind-of-faded saffron color similar to the breast color of the Fenghuang. Over which she wears her leather and metal armor. Then over that, layers of very thin (almost diaphanous cloth) that are very loose fitting so it is easy to slip out of or just shuck off when needed. That builds up in colors until the outer layer where the skirt section splits off into separated 'tails' of colors. That way, in terms of movement and flow, the clothing picks up the slightest breeze and floats. Creating the illusion of effortless gliding and flight while allowing the character's movement with her clothes to punctuate her body language as she herself moves. The idea being that just the act of movement portrays elegance and effortless poise. When Zhou Chen moves with purpose all the outer layers will immediately flows behind her. Also heightening the impression of a hunting bird striking at its target. The robes are made of two layers of thicker material that doesn’t have the same flow to it. The upper layer would be smaller than the lower layer to create a two-tone color effect. The robe could be belted at the waist. It is form-fitting so that it contours to the body down to the waist. The upper section would be held in place by the armor over the top. As opposed to Zhou Zhen who would have the armor underneath the robe and the skirt of the robes flared somewhat so that when Zhou Chen moves it forms something of a sem-circle around his/her calves. In terms of color maybe the robes for Zhou Chen could have the lower layer the same blue as the second and fourth tail plumage on a Fenghuang with the upper layer the blue/gray/green of the outer feathers in the wings.

Hoodie, t-shirt, jeans, high top sneakers

Equipment: 

Items:

Weapons: Great Sword, bojutsu bo staff, nunchucks, long swords, daggers, short sword, sai, escrima sticks, broadsword, tonfa, magical composite bow, & spear

Armor: 

Leather and metal medium class armor 

Plated chainmail military armor with helmet with Phoenix firebird and lightning bird feathers (based on the helmet of her patron Sun Wukong the Monkey King)

Power origin: 

Earth:  

Fire accident as a superhero.  When saving civilians from a house fire caused by fire magic. 

Lightning accident as a superhero.  When being attacked by a supervillain with electrical lightning powers. 

Isekai: 

Firebird 

Lightning bird 

Abilities: 

Electrical Fire Fusion 

Fire manipulation

Lightning manipulation

[queergenders]

What facilitates Tumblr and TikTok as places for queer exploration and community?

Although trans people have created communities on social media, Tumblr and Tiktok stand out for their features enabling community growth, discussion, and creative expression. Tiktok’s algorithm, and engagement features such as stitching, duetting, and quick video format facilitates greater creativity and dialogue than an app like Instagram which may only have space for discussion in comment sections. The short-loop video style also creates humor and relatability, nurturing intimacy between users and audiences. Since so many queer people are in online communities, these apps have created queer technocultures including queer fashion, pop culture references, and creative use of hashtags, filters, and emojis. This allows queer people to identify with each other through digital means. Features like duetting and stitching enable users to expand on each other’s videos or add a queer twist to mainstream memes and trends. These engagement features can also be used to advocate for issues or call out bigoted behavior. Tumblr is particularly good at visual expression due to the many themes, colors, and blog formats available. Tumblr allows users to decide how much they want to share including the number of followers, likes or notes, and the time of posts. Users often use pseudonyms or online aliases; this can be useful to trans users who want to experiment with names, pronouns, or self-expression styles. It's a safe, unrestricted way of exploring identity that commonly translates offline as they gather confidence and develop a concrete sense of self. Unlike traditional social media platforms, Tumblr users don’t share aspects of their personal life as often nor are there expectations of what must be shared. It’s flexible, fluid, and open to individuality. The conversational tone of these two apps with tools such as typing in lowercase, simple punctuation, text abbreviations, and Internet language facilitates conversations as if they were face-to-face interactions.

These apps allow LGBTQIA+ identities beyond lesbian and gay to flourish and take up space that is harder to do in real-life queer spaces where lesbian and gay perspectives are dominating. The use of hashtags allows members of intersectional queer communities to find each other such as using a hashtag like “desi lgbt” or “trans men of color” to find others who can relate to the unique ways of navigating the world at the intersection of race and gender and sexuality. This allows users to discuss culture's role in forming their gender identity and expression, either positively or negatively. The Tiktok algorithm is exceptionally good at connecting users to videos related to their previous activity; there are even ongoing jokes on the app about how well the algorithm identifies a user’s habits and quirks. The algorithm uses data compiled through likes, shares, viewing completion, and comments to generate more content in similar fields. It is important to mention however, that at the same time, it can keep people tied into one community as the algorithm becomes more specific and can cause divisions or misunderstandings if users don’t actively seek out perspectives from different communities.

Tumblr has historically been a safer place for trans people because other apps are known to censor queer content being labeled as inappropriate or family-friendly. Many trans and queer people do sex work as a result of being ostracized or denied in the job market and Tumblr up until 2018 allowed them to promote erotic content without restriction. In 2017, Verizon bought Tumblr from Yahoo and initiated an adult content ban to prohibit pornography and sexually explicit imagery. The use of the term “female-presenting nipples” for the ban created an uproar among users about the unfair distinction and policing of feminine bodies. Although the company claimed this ban was not targeted towards LGBTQIA+ communities, leaked company documents attest to past moderation policies designed to suppress queer content. After the initiation of the ban, the user reduction rate was over 40% in one year. Tumblr didn’t make a comeback after that and has since lost the title of being a “trans technology” but it seems like Tiktok is on the way to becoming one soon, which may be a possible reason why there have been considerable efforts to ban the app in the United States. Officials may feel threatened by the discussion of leftist and decolonial queer movements on the app and its effects on future elections and political events.