#here's a lesbian couple who are openly gay and in love with each other and never treated as an abnormality and also they're married now

[mumbledramblings]

i gotta love gw2 for being miles ahead of other games in terms of diversity and representation while still being kinda shit

[sapphicnae]

Love, Hate and Everything in Between

Summary: Regina hated you and you hated Regina. Each of you so obsessed with taking down the other. But was this obsession pure hatred or something more?

Character Pairings: Regina x fem!reader, Regina x Cady (if you squint)

Warnings: Slurs, Bullying, Toxic Behaviour, Internalised Homophobia

Words: 2.6k

A/N: This is my first fic / one-shot on here so I hope you guys enjoy. I’ve been reading some fics on here and decided we don’t have enough Regina fics going round, so I thought, what better than a classic enemies to lovers (?). Apologies for any mistakes I did write half of this at 4am. If you do enjoy, please let me know because I wouldn’t mind turning this into a full blown fic, I have plenty more ideas for it. Also, I’m very open to requests!

You and Regina. Two of the most popular girls in school.

Regina hated you, and you hated Regina.

 It had been this way since you had joined North Shore a year ago and gained popularity, despite Regina’s attempts to take you down at every turn. But one thing you and your best friend, Janis Imi’ike couldn’t figure out was why Regina was so obsessed with you. To the point you would catch her staring at you from across the cafeteria almost daily, albeit with an icy glare plastered on her face. You had both had your fair share of run-ins with each other, after all, Regina couldn’t stand to see the new girl rise to popularity as fast as you had in your year of being at this school. But the difference between you and Regina was that you actually treated people with respect... and you just happened look pretty while doing it.

Jealousy. That’s all you had chalked her behaviour down to, until recently.

Regina had consistently made it clear that she was in fact, not gay. From her messy relationship with Aaron Samuels to openly flirting with Shane Oman in the halls, she had made it very clear she only had eyes for men. Her performative gestures with Shane in the hallways also coupled with the spreading of rumours about certain people being a lesbian. From the way Regina had spoken this word, it had made it seem as if this was the worst possible thing to be known as at North Shore. No one in school had ever had the guts to stand up to Regina for her problematic behaviour, especially since she ruled the halls with fear. Yet her reign seemed to be interrupted the moment you transferred to North Shore. You were the only person who wasn’t afraid to defend yourself, or others for that matter.

Naturally, Regina could not stand this. Which lead to you having a constant target on your back for rumours and blatant lies in order for you to lose your popularity as well as your dignity. You thought it was incredibly excessive of her to make out that being a lesbian was a bad thing. Partly because your best friend and partner-in-crime, Janis was a lesbian and partly because deep down, you knew you had an attraction to girls too. Yet the only people who knew this was Janis and Damien, of course, your two closest friends.

You had not yet been in a relationship since joining North Shore that year, not due to avoidance, but due to all your time being taken up by your rivalry with Regina. Which was totally normal… right?

The most recent rumour that was circling the halls, of course spread by Regina, was that at a party that you had both been to last Friday night, you had made a pass at Regina. Hearing this from Damien in English class that day was the last thing you had needed, after enjoying a supposedly drama free day for once. Anyone who was at the party that night would’ve known that wasn’t true, yet Regina had a certain charm to the way she could make anything seem believable. You of course weren’t surprised at her attempts to drag your reputation down for the umpteenth time this year. She loved making out that you were the one who was obsessed with her and not the other way round. It irked you to think that she could get away with having the last laugh. You would have just let it slide, but your ego once again stood in the way of your ability to allow Regina to think she had won.

So that’s when lunch rolled around. You, Janis, and Damien were sitting at your usual table, with the plastics in view. Having to watch them gossiping with each other and occasionally glancing your way had left you with a deep-seated feeling of rage. You had never been one to keep your emotions in check, this seemed to be your downfall in situations like these. Feeling anger like this was always the driver of your revenge. Coupled with the fact that thoughts of Regina didn’t often leave your mind. Which was obviously due to the fact that you resented her so much. You hated everything about her. Sure, she was gorgeous, with those stupid green eyes that always harboured some form of winged eyeliner, along with the rest of her makeup that accentuated her already flawless features. That stupid beautiful blonde hair that always seemed to sit in the perfect place, flowing down her back like she was some sort of supermodel. Those perfect lips tha-

“Dude, are you even listening to me right now?” Janis questioned, lightly punching your arm, ripping you away from your thoughts. A small blush crept up your neck, realising you had been so deep in thoughts about Regina that you had completely zoned out of the conversation you were supposed to be having.

You faltered for a moment before attempting to save yourself with a reply “Y-yeah of course. I was just-“

“Clearly planning her revenge against queen of the plastics, god Janis, keep up” Damien chimes in, attempting to save the day. Janis just rolls her eyes at both of you. She had been dealing with Regina and her posse for years, which meant she had more or less tuned their drama out in an attempt to stay sane at this school. With you however, it was a different story, Regina somehow always found the perfect way to rile you up.

“The day queen bitch of North Shore gives it a rest with these dumbass rumours, will be the day I know peace” Janis huffed, which made both you and Damien chuckle in response. “Especially with her obsession over who’s a lesbian and who’s not. If you ask me, she should just come out of the closet already.” She then nods to you “I mean, the closet might as well be glass with the way she stares you down at any given moment. Coming from a fellow girl kisser, she wants you baaad.” She laughed at her own words. Receiving an eye roll from you this time.

“That girl needs to be called out on her shit.” You glance over at Regina who is sporting a smug smile listening in to her friends gossiping. You couldn’t stand the fact that she had gotten under your skin once again. With the rumour fresh in your mind, you couldn’t help yourself from wanting to act. Deep down you loved the drama between the both of you, it gave you some sort of high, being able to pull Regina off her own narcissistic pedestal. It was like some sort of addiction; you couldn’t get enough of it “in fact… what better time than right now?” You uttered, as you shot up from your seat. Before either Janis or Damien could sway you out of it, you were already making your way over to the table across the cafeteria.

As you approached, you could see Regina’s eyes flicker towards you, a wry smirk growing on her face. On seeing Regina’s attention shift, the rest of the plastics turned to face your way, which didn’t deter you in the slightest. Having a rivalry with Regina for this long, you were used to all eyes being plastered on you while confronting her. Plus, nothing about Regina’s minions scared you. All they ever seemed to do was blindly follow her around like lost puppies. The only person who you had never understood as being part of the group was Cady Heron. You had sat with her in a couple of your classes, and with the way she spoke, it seemed she so desperately wanted to be her own person instead of being grouped in with the meanest girls in school. This lead to you gaining a small amount of respect for her. A few times you had considered asking her why she still sticks with Regina after seeing the way she treats her, but you knew that would be a whole other mess. Besides, there was a high chance that she’d go running straight to Regina about it. It seemed as though Cady was on the tightest leash out of anyone in the plastics… probably because Regina knew she could be pulled away from her with the right amount of convincing.

Right before you reached the table you noticed Regina stiffen her posture, followed by a groan, “here comes queen lesbo of North Shore��, which was followed by a few snickers from Gretchen and Karen. Funnily enough, Cady remained silent. “What’s up? Couldn’t get enough of me Friday ni-“

You interrupt her by slamming your hands on the table, which not only grabbed the attention of the plastics, but those from surrounding tables too. You lock eyes with Regina as you spoke in a low tone, attempting to control your anger towards her.

“Real cute hearing that you’re telling people I came onto you, when anyone who was there knows we barely even made eye contact.” Regina raised an eyebrow at you, smirk still in place. She then spoke condescendingly, before you could continue.

“Oh honey, of course you don’t remember, you were sooo drunk and all over me, everyone saw it, right Gretch?” You then see her shoot a subtle dangerous look to which Gretchen instantly nodded in response. This amused you slightly, knowing she was laying it on thick. She was trying so desperately hard with this angle that you decided to use her tactics against her for once. You let out a laugh of false amusement before continuing.

“Oh please Regina, you’re trying so hard to convince everyone it’s true, almost as if… you wish it was? I mean it wouldn’t be surprising. I’ve seen the way you stare at me in the hallways, you make it a bit obvious don’t you think?” By this point, the smile on Regina’s face had completely dropped, morphing into a poisonous glare. As she opened her mouth to cut you off, you kept speaking, raising your tone to catch the attention of others. “-so obvious in fact, that I don’t even need to say it out loud, people are whispering about it already. So next time you wanna spread rumours like that, try taking a look in the mirror first.” People around you gasp, hearing you speak to Regina in the same way she would leaves even the queen bee herself in slight shock before she manages to compose herself. You hadn’t even considered the weight of the words you had spoken until they had left your mouth. You had basically just accused her of having a huge crush on you and judging by the state it left her in, it didn’t seem like that was far from the truth.

“So, you are gay?” Karen pipes up first, mouth slightly agape as she speaks. Regina shoots a glare at her this time, making her immediately look in the opposite direction.

It was your turn to smirk seeing her cheeks turn scarlet as she gritted her teeth. She was clearly outraged, the look on her face said so. Yet, hidden behind her eyes, there seemed to be an ounce of shame present. Having a moment to study this look almost made you feel… regret? Though in the next beat, she rose up from where she was sitting and took a few steps towards where you’re stood, towering over you slightly. She had rarely ever made a move to get this close to you before, and standing where she is right now, you could practically smell her expensive perfume. You fought the urge to take a step back, as your breath hitched slightly. For a moment she hesitates, her eyes flicker to your lips for just a split second, but not fast enough that you don’t catch her doing it. If this wasn’t happening in front of the whole school crowd, you would be sure that she was about to lean in and kiss you. You felt yourself taking a heavy breath to steady yourself before she snaps at you.

“Listen, dyke. If you ever catch me staring at you it’s because I think you’re a freak. And if you think for one second, I would ever be into you, then you’re even more delusional than I thought. So why don’t you and the rest of your sad little band of freaks over there, go and-“

She is almost immediately cut off by a teacher who walks over to the group, clearly having been alerted of the altercation going off in the middle of the cafeteria. Regina immediately takes a step back from you and fixes her hair, attempting to seem as innocent as possible.

“Girls, what seems to be the problem?” Ms. Norbury questions, looking between the two of you. With the rest of the plastics keeping silent, it was up to one of you to speak up first. Regina then plasters a fake polite look on her face and turns to Ms. Norbury to speak. Right as you expected her to defame you all the way to your seat in detention, she instead gives a different response.

“There’s no problem, everything’s fine.” Regina smiles at her as you see the rest of her crew nodding behind her, which brings you to scoff at the sudden change up in her demeanour. Having dealt with Regina many times before, it was clear that Ms. Norbury saw right through this attempt to get her to leave you both to it. Which lead to what she had to say next.

“Look girls, I know the two of you have had issues in the past. But I won’t tolerate drama like this during school hours.” She then steps between the both of you. “Now separate this and I’ll see you in my office after school. Both of you.” She then turns on her heel and walks away.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” you huff out in disbelief. After this, you decide it’s best to walk away from Regina and return to your table before your day could get any worse. But not before she hastily grips your forearm and subtly whispers some hostile words a little too close to your ear.

“We are so not done, freak” she then roughly drops your arm before coasting back to her seat. Though her threatening remark left you stunned for a moment, her closeness left you breathless for longer. As you made your way back to Janis and Damien, you couldn't get the thought of her out of your head. After all the tension and pent-up anger between you, you secretly hoped she might be right. Because as you stared at her from across the cafeteria, your heart thumped in your chest, not out of fear, but something else. You were definitely not done with each other. Not by a long shot.

[crooked-wasteland]

Something that always irked me a little was seeing fans say HB/HH have good queer rep. There’s been other adult/children animated shows that done it better. I think the reason fans say that it has good queer rep is it because they get to see the characters have sex, instead of characters having actual chemistry and good interactions.

No one in HB or HH had good chemistry. Charlie and Vaggie are just nonexistent or they should’ve been a slow burn from friends to lovers and blitz and stolas is the worst mlm ship because they don’t have anything they just have sex, they’re just meaning less sex that have to be a couple.

Husk is an asshole to Angel, he just shits on sex work and guilt trips Angel so he doesn’t take drugs but because Cherri is meant to be seen as the negative influence we’re suppose to take husk side and say no to drugs.

I don’t even consider fizz and Ozzie a relationship because they’re just sugaring, but fizz has a unhealthy codependency on Ozzie who kinda goes along because he gets to have sex with fizz and that too to me sounds like the spirit of lust. Doing immoral actions for you’re own selfish wants and desires. If fizz and Ozzie was rewritten and in the hands of a better writer this could’ve been a thrilling toxic story about a powerful prince of lust manipulating his insecure vulnerable lower class imp plaything and hundreds like him, in the spirit of lust

One of my unpopular opinions is that Elemental had the best examples of queer representation in Ember and Wade. And I am aware Ember and Wade are cis gendered and in a heterosexual dynamic. My point being that representation does not always have to be explicit to be profound or accurate. The movie gives Wade an unconventional form of masculinity that validates a nurturing expression that is stereotyped as inherently queer. Additionally, Ember's lack of identity due to the expectations of her family, father, and culture mirrors the existence of many queer individuals who fail to recognize they are bisexual or even gay due to the implicit pressure placed on them to fulfill the typical roles of their society.

Many people take the story in face value, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with seeing it as a story solely based on race, discrimination, the complexities of coexistence, and interracial love.

However, representation does not have to be explicit. There is absolutely plenty to be argued that by having an openly queer relationship moves to normalize the concept socially, but the unfortunate reality exists that (1) queerness is still inherently othering and you will not be able to normalize the existence of queer people just by shoving them front and centre. If anything, it is interpreted as a threat to the dominating social norm that causes people to reject the concept outright compared to subliminally connecting the ideas and experience of queerness to a more universal norm, building on tools and experiences to help others relate to our existence despite them never being able to truly live it.

And (2) movie-making and media is a business. A very expensive one. So risking hundreds of millions of dollars on explicit queerness that is still extremely fringe in most societies is, frankly, bad business.

The issues in representation for HH and HB comes down to what you said here: weak chemistry and toxic dynamics. These aren't good representations, not because they have these problems, but because these problems are overtly ignored or seen as not issues at all. There are a ton of harmful stereotypes that work in our society to keep queerness from being seen as normal or valid.

"Lesbians aren't real because how can two women ever love each other the way a man can love a woman and vice versa."

"Gay men just think about sex all the time. There is no love in their relationships."

"Bi/Pansexual will just have sex with anything."

"Sex is the highest form of romance and so any deviation from the strictly acceptable expressions of sexuality in society is a threat to love and relationships as a whole."

"Queer people are the result of brain damage through drug abuse."

"Queer people are the result of childhood trauma and/or sexual abuse."

"Who's the woman/wears the pants in the relationship?"

All of these statements are real social perceptions and stereotypes of the queer community which Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss directly contribute to. The narrative and characters adhere to every single one of these ideas at some point or another without ever challenging them and oftentimes reinforces them.

I understand and respect people who don't see Elemental as queer representation just because the characters do conform superficially to heteronormative standards. But just making a character gay doesn't make the story or series queer representation, and these shows definitely don't have good representation.

[jaggedwolf]

Kate x Lucy

when I started shipping it if I did: pilot episode kiss, ngl, where it establishes that they must already be on-and-off hooking up in between sniping at each other about classified information. Lucy just shows up at her apartment!

my thoughts: when I watched this show I was genuinely bewildered by how this CBS procedural NCIS spin-off....just has a whole-ass lesbian romcom happening in its first season? The S1 finale literally ends on them getting together via a grand gesture with the rest of the team cheering.

anyway, they're so fun! they hit a lot of dynamics I like - Lucy loves loudly and openly while Whistler is brittle and contained, they have tension with a history, the height difference is cute, and man, maybe for a different ship all the drama in 1B would've been too much, but for these two I loved it, and not just because Whistler made the best kicked puppy faces while pining hopelessly

my random headcanons on when they each realize they're gay is that Lucy realizes in middle school and Whistler realizes in college, not too long before Noah's death. Don't think anything in canon contradicts that

What makes me happy about them: they're so ridiculously fond of each other. The consistent hearteyes they aim at each other while engaging in tropey shenanigans and still being individually competent agents makes me very happy. When it comes to the relationship angst, I like that for them it's never closeted/sexuality angst but their very different personalities, the usual fwb-to-lovers difficulties, Whistler's big mistake, and working together. They've been no less delightful as an established relationship in S2 and S3 - I love how much the show loves them, they literally got a ficcy-as-hell undercover-as-couple subplot last episode with all the usual gimmicks

Oh, I also did not anticipate how much physical fighting this procedural would have, and as someone who always wants my faves to get wrecked, I have been very well-served. Lucy almost dying while undercover right after Kate crushes her heart! Whistler getting injured while they're broken up and Lucy yelling at her for it! Such good food. (Show, you can keep beating up Whistler every season, I will never complain.)

What makes me sad about them: Their families, and the resulting loneliness. Lucy talks about her sister and brothers like a youngest kid who used to be close to them but isn't any more, last ep she commented that she knew from a very young age that her parents would never throw her a big wedding like her brothers', the way she gets set off by "financially responsible" as a rationale + her family's money has implications there. Kate's confession of how she shut herself off from the world after Noah's death.

But I like that they know about these things for each other (the way Whistler goes "Right. Right." at Lucy's comment tells us they've talked about this before), and the way they're navigating around and disarming each other's landmines here

things done in fanfic that annoys me: I understand that this is the danger of stepping back into another blonde/brunette live-action f/f ship but I cannot deal with those epithets. Or "taller woman"/"shorter woman" either, all of it always makes the PoV character sound like she has a complex about hair or height. It is okay to use the characters' names, I promise.

things I look for in fanfic: .....I've become such a hipster about characterizations for these two. Lucy is the one who broods and contemplates her feelings, Kate is the one who acts without thinking and gets surprised by her own reactions. Whistler is the one with better work-life balance and hobbies, who moved from DC to Hawai'i and stayed there despite the former being way better for a fed career, who goes surfing every Saturday morning without bothering to be contactable by work, and Lucy is the one who describes her life as consisting solely of "work, gym, and [Whistler]" and sometimes does paperwork on the weekends.

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Gosh, I really have no other Lucy ships. For Whistler, I could 100% ship Whistler/Tennant if it was like, after the kids are grown. Why do they stand so close to each other in that 1x14 coffee conversation and say each other's full titles, or have Whistler demonstrate career-threatening levels of loyalty to Tennant, if not to make me contemplate this ship? I hope Sam Hanna's presence doesn't mean we don't get any Tennant-Whistler stuff this season.

My happily ever after for them: Just keep on being badass agents together and stay in Hawaii long-term. Don't really see them having kids, but I can totally see Lucy convincing Whistler of having a cat. ...Maybe get a shorter bed, does Lucy really have to climb that high every night XD.

who is the big spoon/little spoon: lmao I was going to make a comment about Lucy jetpacking because of course she does, but the bed comment reminded me that that they have 10 billion pillows on their bed. One weekend morning Lucy is going to sleepily think she's spooning Kate and find out she's actually hugging those pillows, having been abandoned for the Dreaded Ocean.

what is their favorite non-sexual activity: does sparring really count as non-sexual for them it might really be meals at home? They both cook, they enjoy a quiet night in after their truly hectic cases, and they can put on GBBO or one of Whistler's preferred history documentaries afterwards.

[itsbinghebitch]

just finished wedding plan and I have a couple of thoughts/feelings/complex emotions I need to express here--spoilers ahead [and many thanks to @the-conversation-pod for their wonderful commentary that made me give it a chance--I owe this cathartic watch to you!]

as a queer person from a conservative society I thought wedding plan was so so so special. in that--it very deftly depicted the pressures of being inside the closet in a small community where word travels fast (also posing unique challenges for lesbians in more traditional societies, which is why yiwa's story and the few nuances around her beauty/perfect femininity as currency made me shed several tears on MULTIPLE counts). but what really sealed the deal for me was this show ultimately depicting queerness as a journey: an uphill battle for Lom that he ultimately wins not solely through romance but through the power of community.

from a writing standpoint, I was very taken with the contrast betwen Lom and Nuea, and how textual it is that Lom is attracted to Nuea first at Pai and Sky's wedding for his unrestrained enjoyment. Nuea enjoys food and his job, enjoys his sexuality, and is very openly queer. that is something Lom has never imagined possible for himself: he has, by contrast, a restrained white collar life with set rules and a single peek into his rebellious side in the form of wakeboarding. and so the way the story is set up, Nuea is not only Lom's love interest, but also almost an aspirational role model for Lom. as a closeted man, Lom learns that other possibilities for his life exist, that unconditional enjoyment is allowed, that there is now a network of people past Yiwa and Marine who will accept him with no strings attached.

my spidey senses tell me queer people have been thoroughly involved in the production and writing of this show because this has totally been my experience growing up closeted in a conservative country as well. I think the most hurtful thing was having no role models (either peers people older than you in the public eye) and just not knowing a different life is possible. I had the exact same experience as Yiwa and Lom where I only saw two men holding hands on the street for the first time visiting western Europe. like Lom, I only ever felt free to explore and understand my gender and sexuality once I immigrated as a young adult. like in Thai communities as depicted in the show, the surveillance is constant and so deeply internalized. it changes the conception you have of yourself. this story very much felt like two actual gay men learning from each other in a way i've only really seen depicted in very few QL shows--Lom learning how to be freer from Nuea, Nuea understanding how Lom and Yiwa navigate the difficult situation he never personally experienced.

overall I felt really seen by this show in a way i can't say i've felt about a lot of queer media i've watched this year and beyond. I loved loved loved that wedding plan gave us a true range of experiences and a set of queer people who went above and beyond to protect each other as a de facto family unit and really wish QL will continue depicting the complexity of queer lives in the same way. 10/10 recommended-- one of the best watches of 2023 for me. i cried a ridiculous amount of times

[archiveofmystuff]

The Other Works of “The New Employee” Director Kim Jho Gwang Soo ***Mild Spoilers Ahead***

Given that I am currently LOVING Korea’s newest office-set BL The New Employee, I thought others might be interested to explore the other works of this darling show’s director, Kim Jho Gwang Soo.  Here I am going to focus on projects that he screenwrote and/or directed as those are his queer works.  Many of them are available on Gagaoolala. 

Who is Kim Jho Gwang Soo? As outlined in his MyDramaList biography, he is an openly gay South Korean filmmaker.  After collaborating with another openly gay director named Lee Song Hee Il’s 2006 film “No Regret” (regarded as Korea’s first gay feature film), he began to write and direct his own projects, as well as work as a producer.  

I realized after starting the New Employee that I have seen almost all of Kim Jho Gwang Soo’s works that he has directed or written without knowing it was all by him, so I wanted to give a little rundown of his projects so other people can discover them as well!  Synopses are going to be from MDL and the title of each film will be the link to its MDL page.  

NOTE: This summary will contain some mild spoilers for the purpose of trigger warnings!!  However, this post is also going off my memory and I have not watched everything recently so I apologize if I miss any warnings!  I will also give a blanket content warning for homophobia.  Most of his past works are not really set in the new Korean-BL world where homophobia barely exists so it is a theme in most, but not all, of his other projects. 

Boy Meets Boy (2008) - Short film, Director & Screenwriter

Synopsis: On a warm spring day Min-soo, a small boy, meets tall and broad-shouldered Seok-yi inside a bus.  Min-soo keeps looking at the intimidating boy whose sharp eyes are hidden under his baseball cap. Min-soo's heart starts beating.  What will happen to Min-soo and Seok-i? 

Thoughts: Super cute short film that the synopsis basically sums up.  Not a lot happens but it sure is adorable.  Happy ending.

Just Friends? (2009) - Short film, Director & Screenwriter

Synopsis: Min Soo is on leave from the military and visits his boyfriend Seok Yi. While having fun out on the town, they run into Min Soo's mother! When Min Soo's mother asks about their relationship, Seok Yi replies "... just friends." Making things more complicated, Min Soo's mother ends up sleeping with them that night! 

Thoughts: My personal favorite of his pre-TNE works.  Stars (now-well-known) actors Lee Je Hoon and Yeon Woo Jin.  This is one of my favorite short films of all time.  A succinct and satisfying story in under 30 minutes, fantastic chemistry, adorable couple moments, and family drama.  It is also a follow up to Boy Meets Boy, but it’s not necessary to watch that one to understand and enjoy this one!  Happy ending, but some angst thrown in beforehand. 

Love 100C (2010) - Short film, Director & Screenwriter 

TW: homophobic violence

Synopsis: A hearing-impaired boy, Min Soo, is gay, and he likes his classmate, Ji Seok.  One day, Min Soo impulsively has sex with a man who works in a public bath, an experience that lends him a new-found confidence, but at a heavy price.

Thoughts: This is a pretty big departure from his first two short films, while it is happy for a bit of it, the film explores the danger of living in a homophobic society.  Ultimately it is a film about sexual self discovery as well as how queer people are often robbed of safe and healthy self discovery because of violence inflicted upon them.  Definitely NOT a happy ending.

Two Weddings and a Funeral (2012) - Full-length film, Director

TW: death, homophobic violence

Synopsis: A gay man, Min Soo and a lesbian, Hyo Jin are both promising doctors at a general hospital. The colleagues agree to marry so Hyo Jin can legally adopt a child with her lover of ten years Seo Yeong, and Min Soo can please his parents while maintaining his closeted lifestyle. While secretly living with their respective partners, who move in next door, Min Soo and Hyo Jin appear to be a happy, "normal" couple. They enjoy all the benefits afforded to heterosexual couples and are also able to ward off public scrutiny and parental disapproval. However, Min Soo's intrusive parents begin to get a bit too involved with the couple's life, threatening their scheme.

Thoughts: There are parts of this movie I really enjoy.  It was great to have both a gay and lesbian couple in the film and a lot of the film revolved around the gay lead’s group of gay friends.  There was also a lot of playing with Korean honorifics within the friend group that I found really cool to listen to.  However, I didn’t love how the most fem gay character was treated throughout the film and it was quite shocking in a bad way at some points, given that it is supposed to be a romantic comedy.  A happy ending, but at what cost, lol. 

One Night Only (2014) - Short film, Director

I think this is actually two short films released together, but I have only seen the second part “One Night” and not the first part “Night Bug,” so I am going to focus on “One Night.” 

Synposis: Geun Ho is almost hit by a car. At that time, Joon, who is visiting Jinju from Seoul, saves Geun Ho. They happen to meet at a bar later that night. Geun Ho and his friends goes to Seoul with Joon.

Thoughts: It has been ages since I watched this one, but I think I mostly liked it.  Not really a happy ending, but as far as I can remember does not contain violence in the way that some of his other works do.  While the MDL synopsis doesn’t mention it, the film actually focuses both on Geun Ho as well as his 2 friends, not only Geun Ho.  

Made on the Rooftop (2021) - Full length film, Director

TW: serious medical issues.

Synopsis: Ha Neul, a job seeker who has nowhere to go after breaking up with his lover, Jung Min, moves to the house of his best friend Bong Shik, who lives in a tiny room. Bong Shik working as a BJ with a high tension + one-person broadcasting concept is courted by Min Ho, an attractive straight-forward man, but somehow just hesitates. Ha Neul and Jung Min try to reconcile, but they only go against each other and unintentionally hurt each other. One day, Jung-min is in a car accident and Ha Neul has to bring back Ari, the cat they used to raise together.

Thoughts: I really loved this movie.  Focuses on two friends and their respective romantic lives.  Deals with the realities of being in a closeted gay relationship with no legal rights when there is medical emergency, coming out to family, HIV, etc.  It is also genuinely really funny and, at many times, incredibly sweet and heartwarming.  One couple has a complete happy ending and the other has an open/unresolved but hopeful ending.  I would definitely recommend. 

I hope anyone who sees this considers checking out these films.  Most (if not all) are available on Gagaoolala, but you can likely find them other places as well (but please support legitimate streaming if you’re able)!!  Also who else can’t wait for the next episode of The New Employee? 

[lumilasi]

In relation to the snow witch/cat lesbian duo, here are the said witch's dads. The first one, Marcus is AGES OLD character I've had for a decade that I still love a lot, and I actually didn't change his design from the old one almost at all? I simply drew him better now, thanks to having my drawing skills improve at least somewhat in the past decade.

Lethas is an amalgamation of an entire family of old dragonic deity characters squished together. I'll draw his dragon form sometime later.

...The font I'm using is kinda not matching for the fantasy vibe, but I really didn't feel like doing graphic design so to speak rn lmao

Fun Facts below:

Marcus is a Romanian noble in heritage, though local villagers rarely see him, and think of their count as bit of a weird hermit. Pleasant and polite enough, but odd.

Marcus doesn't have human staff, he uses his powerful ice magic to create icy entities that act as servants.

Marcus' Patron Deity is Jack Frost

Irina was abandoned at his doorstep as a toddler, and he was initially hesitant in taking her in, but saw potential in her already strong magic, and was admittedly kind of lonely living there alone

He and Lethas are in a mostly platonic, non-sexual relationship, but they do come off like an old married couple that bicker constantly, and clearly have a very strong emotional bond between one another.

Marcus is gay (and basically anyone who meets him can tell he's not straight, there's no way lol) and Lethas basically has no sexual/romantic drive whatsoever given the way his kind are born. (So he's Aro-ace if you apply human labels)

They started out as rivals, but overtime kind of become each other's only company (up until Irina showed up)

Lethas was actually frozen as a statue in dragon form in front of the Vasile castle for almost fifty years, and was released accidentally by Irina when she was 8.

She thought he was going to eat her dad, only to see the two start bickering and head inside for tea, as if him being frozen by Marcus for five whole decades wasn't unusual. (It was an accident, Marcus actually thought he'd accidentally killed Lethas and was relieved to find out that wasn't the case, even if he doesn't show it openly)

Lethas is a soul dragon, a being born from the lost souls of dead warriors perished in wars. All his weapons are formed from soul fire.

Lethas was born sometime around the age of the roman empire, though can't remember exactly when. Marcus is couple hundred years old, but he did spend about half of it on ice literally, hence he actually appears younger than he should. (Long story, he met Lethas because the dragon released him from ice accidentally)

Lethas breathes fire like average dragons, though his soul fire is immensely powerful and can't be put out in any other way, except essentially powerful exorcism magic or a soul eater's devouring of it.

Lethas immediately took into his role as the more strict and responsible dad, the first thing he did when waking up was to pick Irina up in his dragonic form and place her gently on the balcony of her room, patting her head, before turning around to bitch at Marcus.

The swirly pattern on Lethas' cloak doesn't just glow in soul form, but they move and swirl around too.

Split hair and coloring with Lethas symbolizes the duality of life in all its forms; life and death, sky and earth, fire and water, war and peace, etc. or that's what Lethas likes to claim anyway. Marcus suspects he just thinks it looks cool.

Marcus' coat turns into hues of blue and white when he fully activates his powers. The snowflake/star design on it is actually the center of the Warlock sect symbol for this world's Arcane Council (body that governs primary magic users, I.E beings whose main thing is magic, rather than the magic being result of being some sort of mythical being)

Technically, you're not supposed to remove parts of the symbol if you wish to utilize it, but Marcus didn't like the hostile looking spiky eyes surrounding the central star pattern, so he didn't include them + made the colors more to his taste.

[votapublica]

Some thoughts on HP ships based on my experience

I’ve never realized how different my experience is until fairly recently. I never gave a second thought about going to boarding school for 12 years. Most people around me either did the same or they were in boarding school themselves at the time, so it never occurred to me that romantic relationships is that important in the *outside world.*

One common misconception is boarding school turns people gay. What it does is turning people close, especially pairing 2 of students of the same sex in to a *too close for bros* relationship. But even among those ambiguously defined *closeness*, you can observe different patterns. Some of the pairs act like married couple, some function more like parent-child relationship, some are like siblings…(for me and my best friend who is actually my cousin, we do everything together while I act more like parent than a peer)

Being gay or lesbian is still shamed upon. Because all that closeness is built up upon the foundation that “no one here is actually gay” so no real risk of “accidentally falling in love with someone.” I know people who are openly gay at school, they are usually alone because no one wants to form pairs and being close with them.

I am always very comfortable in a typical *closer than normal but never romantic* relationship and I just assume I will still have that sort of relationship after graduation, which is not the case. Later I found out what quote on quote *normal people* call me—that I am asexual and I like queer platonic relationships. I definitely do relate to that and I identify as such.

That’s why I relate a lot to Harry. My school even forced us to speak the standard Received Pronunciation for three years. I am not sure I do a perfect imitation of BBC accent, because English is not my first language, but I somehow still keep that accent a lot. While hogwarts is definitely much more fun, I always keep my friends in proximity like Harry to Ron and Hermione. I never understood Harry x Ginny and I ignored that part of the book. For me Harry should be asexual and he might or might not be platonically in love with Ron, or Hermione, or even Luna.

In fact, most of the ships I like aren’t explicitly queer platonic because, well, there aren’t many of them(tbh I’ve never seen that kind of rep). But I’ve always think the connection between Deamus and scorbus is never sexual desire.The first encounter of these characters isn’t filled with sexual tension(I don’t get sexual tension in general. I just don’t realize it exists. ) Rather, they spend so much time together later that they are inseparable. They are best friends and they act like married couples. They will do anything for each other. They will always love each other even when they don’t belong to each other, even if they can’t get married and have babies together.

[imabiscuitinthousandworlds]

I still gotta say, I love love love that queerness - at least homosexuality - was always just a normal thing for me.

When I was a kid, we had gay neighbours. Yeah, they're both men and they're married. Our neighbour Tom* and his husband. Just like mum and dad are married. No big deal.

At a similar age, a client and good friend of my parent's married her girlfriend. I was actually the flower girl at a lesbian wedding. I was too young to actually remember now, but women marrying each other? Well, of course, because they love each other! No big deal - just a very happy day, as weddings tend to be.

And it didn't turn me gay, either.

When I was 8 or 9 some kid at school called me gay and my reaction was "one, for girls you call that lesbian, and two, I'm not a lesbian" along with some confusion and why anyone would ever use gay as an insult because it was just normal. I also whole-heartedly believed that I wasn't lesbian at the time.

The only reason I identify as lesbian is because of one (1) crush I developed when I suddenly found myself imagining what it'd be like to kiss that one girl, despite my best attempts not to. The crush went away (thankfully lol). The knowledge that my attraction to fem presenting people feels different stayed. But all of that? COMPLETELY unrelated to knowing that homosexual people exist.

The only thing here where my upbringing really had an impact?

Even as I discovered that I was lesbian, I knew my parents would accept me. I never felt unsafe. I never felt super nervous about coming out. I was never, not even once plagued by even the slightest fear that they might not accept me for who I am, whether I want to or not.

What I want to say I guess is that knowing about homosexuality doesn't turn any kids gay but makes them feel safe if they do turn out to be, and also kudos to my parents and much love for all the openly queer couples in the world.

[discluded]

It amuses me that fans (mainly female fans) are putting so much energy (and money) into supporting Mile and Apo. After all, both are the heroes of the gay series and it was this series that brought them fame and adoration from the crowd. But the most interesting thing is that if in real life Mile and Apo turned out to be a gay couple, many of these fans would absolutely not accept this, and adoration would turn to hatred. What hypocrisy? It's like straight guys who love to watch lesbian porno and get turned on by it, but only on film because lesben totally unacceptable in real life! Eh !

not to speculate why each individual fan might choose to support one or both of them, and how a specific fan might feel if one or both of them were openly queer, but you're right there is a not-small contingent of the fandom that genuinely believe they have a chance with one of them/wants to date their fav

there's already been several "scandals" (read: BOC poorly handling PR situations) which have caused fans to "leave" including one incidence which I think resulted in some fans burning their merch (? 😟 the trespassing situation last year) yet the on-the-ground support and general support has been relatively consistent...prior to last month. as long as Mile and Apo keep working -- individually, or with each other -- there will be new fans who discover them and support them even as some fans move on to other interests / check in on project in more of a casual way

I think people always focus on the feeling of people who want their delusions reinforced and whether or not those people's feelings will be hurt when confronted with reality (specifically talking here about the delusion they will date Mile or Apo, but also thinking about other actors / musicians who are told they should stay in the closet since that might affect how their fans feel) and all I can say is ... lmfao. who cares? I don't care about the feelings of homophobes.

[hividsmarttv]

Understanding LGBT+ and the Significance of Pride: Breaking Barriers and Fostering Acceptance

We'll be celebrating Pride this June. Curious? Learn more!

The LGBT+ community, encompassing individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and more, plays a vital role in our diverse society. However, despite significant progress in recent years, discrimination and legal barriers persist, hindering many from leading authentic lives. HiVid supports our diverse customer base and we want to introduce readers to the concept of LGBT+ and Pride. Continue on to learn more.

What is LGBT+?

LGBT+ is an acronym that represents the diverse spectrum of sexual orientations and gender identities. Here's a breakdown of the terms:

Lesbian: A woman who is emotionally, romantically, or sexually attracted to other women.

Gay: A term typically used to describe men who are attracted to other men, though it is also inclusive of women.

Bisexual: Individuals who are attracted to both males and females.

Transgender: People whose gender identity differs from the sex assigned to them at birth.

Plus (+): This symbolizes the inclusion of all other sexual orientations and gender identities that are not specifically represented by the aforementioned terms, such as pansexual, non-binary, and queer.

Others may use different acronyms or apply a different description to these terms. Each person has the right to decide for themselves which labels, if any, apply to them and how they should be used. If you're not sure, ask!

The Significance of Pride

Pride, celebrated globally during the month of June (often referred to as Pride Month), holds immense significance for the LGBT+ community. Here are a few reasons why Pride is important:

Visibility and Acceptance: Pride events provide a platform for LGBT+ individuals to express their identities openly and authentically. It helps promote visibility, fostering a sense of acceptance and understanding within society.

Community and Support: Pride celebrations bring together people from various backgrounds, creating a strong sense of community and solidarity. It allows individuals to connect with others who share similar experiences and challenges, offering much-needed support.

Historical Milestones: Pride commemorates various achievements in the quest for recognition, acceptance, and fair treatment. In the United States, the Stonewall Riots of 1969, a series of protests by LGBT+ individuals against police brutality and oppression, is celebrated during Pride. This event marked a turning point in the fight for LGBT+ rights and serves as a reminder of the progress made and the work that still lies ahead. Other countries may have people, dates, or events highlighted during Pride.

Discrimination and Legal Barriers

Unfortunately, discrimination against LGBT+ individuals continues to persist worldwide. While progress has been made in some regions, many laws and societal attitudes still prevent LGBT+ individuals from living their lives authentically. Some common examples include:

Criminalization: In many countries, consensual same-sex relationships are still criminalized, leading to persecution, imprisonment, or even capital punishment for LGBT+ individuals. Transgender and self-expression may be against the law, particularly in religious districts.

Employment Discrimination: LGBT+ individuals often face discrimination in the workplace, ranging from harassment and unequal treatment to denial of employment opportunities based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Lack of Legal Protections: In many places, there is a lack of comprehensive legal protections against discrimination and hate crimes targeting LGBT+ individuals, leaving them vulnerable and marginalized. For instance, some countries won't allow partners to make legal decisions for their loved one or refuse to permit an LGBT+ couple to adopt children. Others are refused cohabitation, marriage licenses, and other freedoms most straight, cisgendered people can take for granted.

Conclusion

Understanding the LGBT+ community and the significance of Pride is crucial for fostering inclusivity and acceptance. Pride celebrations serve as powerful reminders of the progress made in the fight for equality while highlighting the ongoing challenges that the LGBT+ community faces. By recognizing and challenging discrimination and advocating for change, we can strive towards a society that embraces diversity and ensures that everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, can lead authentic and fulfilling lives.

[nathaniacolver]

in my wnba era currently

more than i ever was before (aka, reading wikipedia pages on many players) and just some thoughts:

amazing that i can like. talk about the wnba now without men immediately clocking that i'm gay (not that i'm not out, it's just. even the guys are like "you watching the game?? caitlin clark, man!")

every wlw sports fic that i have read is suddenly wayyyyy more valid than i thought as i discover (remember) that like. a GOOD percentage of all professional female athletes are queer. just some couples: diana taurasi & penny taylor (people really be dating teammates ig), sue bird & megan rapinoe (who is a soccer player but people really be finding love at the olympics ig (ALSO if you don't know who megan rapinoe is????? revoke your wlw tumblr card)),

the usa olympic team: 5/12 of the players and the head coach are all gay. cheer for the usa if you love lesbians

okay the stats were killing me so i literally looked up all 144 players (love screenshots) in the wnba and i can find 27 that are OPENLY queer. insane.

y'all dewanna bonner (wnba team) literally was playing against her fiancée, alyssa thomas (usa olympic team). like they were LITERALLY playing against each other. as fiancées. and they're NORMALLY on the SAME team (connecticut sun). LET THAT SINK INNNNNNNN

(y'all people really be dating their former teammates for REAL for real. like there's no better dating pool than professional women's teams ig)

y'all i'm so sorry but the western half of the us ain't putting out NO wnba stars (except KP and chelsea gray and some others). probably because the majority of blacks are in TX or east of the mississippi. but i really won. like they all from over here y'all.

[whatyourusherthinks]

Challengers Review

Hey, it's the movie where Zendaya has a threesome with two brothers. Okay, it isn't really about that, it's about Zendaya trying to decide which of these two tennis guys she's gonna end up with or something, but the marketing made it seem like the two guys were brothers. Even my manager thought so. Anyway, I didn't really have any strong feelings about the movie before it came out, looked sorta interesting. I used to watch tennis with my mom growing up so I could get into that angle of the movie.

What's The Movie About?

These two tennis players have a match that's overly dramatic and we flash around their history of why their like that. Spoilers, it's because they are horny for Zendaya and each other and as all three of them are egotistical assholes.

What I Like.

The story structure is pretty interesting. Basically it starts with a tennis match between these two guys, and we flashback to various interactions they and Zendaya have had throughout their lives. It's kind of a mystery of what's going on that slowly reveals itself. They do the "action set to the rhythm of music' thing, but it's with drama and tennis instead of fighting or a chase scene. It works sometimes. The second half of the movie picked up quite a pace and got tense at certain points. And the acting is pretty good. All the leads are pretty hot too so that helps I guess.

What I Didn't Like.

If you couldn't tell from the subtle hints the the previous sections, I don't like this movie very much. It's kinda bad. It's not god awful, but it's aggressively kinda bad. I'll see if I can explain myself.

To start with, I said the story structure is interesting, but notice I didn't say it was good. Honestly, I got confused about when the scene I was watching was happening in relation to the last scene. Also, a third of the movie the slow burn doesn't work because we either already know what's gonna happen, either because of the start of the movie establishing it or BECAUSETHEFUCKINGTRAILERSPOILEDIT! Another third it doesn't work because I don't know what the question I'm supposed to want to know the answer to is, and the final third doesn't work because it involves being invested in the characters and I hate all of them.

SECOND POINT, I hate all the characters. Well, to be fair there is only like 3 characters, Zendaya, blonde tennis boy, and brown-haired tennis boy. (Art and Patrick, respectively.) I mean there's a bunch of other people in the movie obviously but no one gets a name except for Art and Zendaya's kid who is so completely superfluous to the movie I think she only exists so Art can use her to complain about playing tennis. Because the only thing Art wants in the movie is to stop playing tennis. Zendaya and Patrick are egotistical and aloof, and they also like to act like their pulling these 4D chess manipulation moves on each other and Art, but really they're just fucking assholes with really vague motivations. Zendaya says she doesn't want to be a homewrecker yet she constantly is bouncing back and forth between Art and Patrick for some reason (just like a real tennis match uhuhuhuh) even though she constantly berates and criticizes both of them. Normally in movies with love triangles I'm on the never route of 'all the characters should just form a polycule' but here I just want all of them to go away. Patrick gets a special mention in my next segment.

Three, there's some HORRIBLE queer representation in this movie. To give the movie a slight break, there isn't any forced in lesbians, and that's appreciated. They don't ignore the romantic chemistry between Art and Patrick, and Patrick is fairly open with his bisexuality in the movie. But Patrick is also a philanderer, and openly admits at one point to be hooking up with whoever he can just so he can have a place to sleep. Which is a position HE PUT HIMSELF INTO BECAUSE HE'S TOO PRIDEFUL TO ASK HIS RICH PARENTS FOR HELP. Also, really early on there's this random gay couple that sexually harass him for no reason and they are super stereotypical, and don't come into play at all or connect to anything.

Fourth thing, this movie is too long. You could trim plenty and makes it a svelte two hours, like that gay couple I just mentioned. There's slow motion, for absolutely no reason. Why does Zendaya turning around need to be three times as long as normal? There's also like an embarrassing amount of product placement for just about everything, which I guess makes sense since the characters are professional tennis players (kinda sorta) but it left a bad taste in my mouth.

Five, I said the tennis and drama set to music works sometimes? It works twice, both in the second half of the movie. I can't really explain why it doesn't work for every other scene. It just doesn't. Like, the makers of the movie did it wrong. It doesn't line up, or they put music cues over some pointless shot. Here's a shot of Art staring at his coffee table, better pump the techno. Here's Zendaya rubbing her busted knee, this needs an angelic choir singing in Latin. I hate the music in this movie. I thought it was going to be all techno music, which I wouldn't have loved but I could at least respect. But they also use super incongruous church hymns or something of that nature. And on top of that, There's licensed music. Diegetic licensed music that SOUND TERRIBLE.

Lastly, the first half of this movie is really boring. And again, I can't really explain why. The only things that happen are either shown in the trailer, or incredibly cringe-worthy. Let's just say when the most entertaining part of your movie is a scene where someone is telling a story about the first time they jerked off, you better fucking work hard to make it entertaining. Hell, it's not even that funny. It's just kinda icky I guess. All the romance scenes are like that. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood, but the romantic dialogue sucks, the "sex" scenes are just gross, but not in an intentional way, and the nudity felt meaningless. I didn't even feel sleezy. It just was like, "Yep, they made the actors get naked. Whatever."

Also the movie just stops. Kinda like this.

Final Summation.

I had a chance to watch this movie the night before it came out officially, but I didn't feel super great so I didn't go. It was the only movie that came out that week, but I didn't go in on my day off because I wanted to rest. I been having issues managing my stress and anxiety recently and wanted to take sometime off. Hell, I had three panic attacks in the past few days before going to see this movie, and one on my way home from watching it.

I think the universe was trying to warn me.

I kinda hate this movie. I feel like a fraud saying that because, objectively, it's not that terrible of an experience. (It's not Civil War.) I'm sure it would appeal to someone. But not me. After writing this review I'm not even angry. I'm not disappointed at the movie either because I didn't really have expectations going in. I just feel empty inside.

What the fuck am even I doing?

[air3d3lalm3na]

End of work day one.

She was meant to be here, to welcome me home and to celebrate with me. To hear all about the new people and personalities, while I painted a picture…to give back her own comments on it all, advice, love, humor.

A godsend — I didn’t spend tonight totally without (human) company. A fella from another place in the area came and offered us tickets to a comedy night. Being the youngest, I was the only one interested. I gave the others away to customers. And I went.

After work, I made some rapport with the elderly lady I’ll be replacing, Deb. I like her the best. Shame I will be the only female staff member a lot of days. Oh well.

Then I went.

The guy who invited us got my drink but not in a weird way. More like a thanks for showing up. I was openly gay which is okay here…finally. It got a feature in the last guy’s set after he joked with the couples in the house, starting hetero, then went to a gay male couple, then turned to me and the guy I had just met. Whoops, lol. Not together! The comic was a pervert about lesbians in his act, so I even declined a fistbump, but in a jokey way (“idk where that hand’s been bruh lol”)….

I don’t love the crassness and slight mean cynicism of the comedy scene, but that’s nothing new…. I just have a lot of softness to my personality, and old school, gentler humor has been outmoded. Physical comedy, or understated, chuckle stuff. (You are not Lenny Bruce or peak Eddie Murphy and you’re never going to be, so quit Louis CKing all over the place…it doesn’t flatter ya. But that’s the style they all want: it feels “cool” to be that guy.) Hopefully it gets a comeback — that someone does it.

Anyway, it was comforting and nice to hang around with people closer to my own age, or with a kind of young attitude/scene/vibe. And to just be there and welcomed. Funny how small town, get-to-know-each-other, yet city-feeling this place is. I mean it’s basically between the two, so the shoe fits. That’s my niche…I need the cultural city closeness but a small town place to live to feel cozy. I don’t think I’d want to live right in the city, like I thought when younger (trying to escape to it) — maybe “residential areas” i.e. apts in homes or one day a home itself — but yeah other than that, no.

Coming home is hard, emotionally.

Used self-discipline and got my teeth brushed, got changed, tea. No more late nights even as an accident. Double shift tomorrow.

All this after having had my ADD appt today. By video. I made it while she was still (physically) living…. :(

God.

Eating rice pudding, which she loved. I will get Nana’s recipes copied from my uncle and make hers as we all used to do together. Eventually.

The cat really appreciates our time together in the evenings more, now, as I’ve been more busy. Even pre job, I’ve spent all day in a chair and focusing on accomplishing so many things. He seeks out cuddles and is really loving. A comfort. He needs me as much as I need him right now. I must stop typing to pet him. Love.

[demetriandelibinaryboyfriends]

Can't comment with a sideblog, so I'll drop them here:

Yasmine and Moon were secretly messing around behind the scenes in S1 and had a "friends with benefits" type thing going on

They both caught feelings, but Moon wanted to publicly be girlfriends while Yasmine was terrified of ruining her rep (hence why Moon was the one who felt comfortable enough in her sexuality to openly date Piper later)

Yasmine and Piper are both lesbians, but Piper is very openly out while Yasmine is very very deep in the closet.

Aisha is also a lesbian, but is much more "whatever, no big deal" about it. She's never really found it to be worth mentioning. She's also possibly acearospec and generally not super interested in dating. She was into both Sam and Tory because her type tends to be "hot karate menaces."

Piper was Moon's first healthy romantic relationship.

Moon is genderfluid, but only ever came out to Piper (why Piper made a big deal of Johnny being genderfluid-inclusive!). She'd maybe come out to Sam, Yasmine, and Demetri later but it's not a sure thing. I don't think she'd feel comfortable telling Eli, even post redemption arc.

Tory and Robby are bi4bi. They're both vaguely aware they're bisexual, but it's not something they've every really had the time or drive to explore.

If Tory hadn't already been crushing on Robby, she really might have gone for it when Piper shot her shot.

Demetri has been in love with Eli since they were kids. He full on knows this, he just believes he has no chance and also is slightly terrified Eli will abandon him if he knows Demetri's gay.

Terry Silver basically has the same thing with John Kreese. He's loved him forever but frantically frantically hides it.

Every adult on the show (save Terry, who I think is just flat out gay) is ragingly bisexual.

I don't ship it personally, but Terry was/is definitely into Daniel as well. It IS very funny to me that he gets rid of one gay crush at the end of S4 because he's a "distraction" and then spends all of S5 obsessing over a different gay crush. Like nice going you ponytail loser, you failed to solve the problem at all!

Eli is also in love with Demetri (and probably has been since like middle school) but has MUCH less self awareness about it than Demetri.

Both Eli and Demetri are repressing their feelings to kingdom come. I'd say S5 is the earliest they could've figured it out, but here we still are ;____;

Demetri, Eli, Moon, and Yasmine are the quintessential example of a "queers finding and vibing with each other before they realize they're all queer" friend group. Unfortunately, Eli, Demetri, and Yas are all repressing their queerness incredibly hard, and Moon is the only one of the four actually comfortable in her identity and sexuality.

Demetri and Yasmine started out being in utter denial they were each other's beards. However, after about a month of attempted dating and still not being able to straighten themselves out (heh heh), they talk about it and end up coming out to each other. They decide to continue presenting as a het couple to keep up appearances, mainly because neither thinks they can afford any potential damage to their rep that being openly gay might deal. Yasmine's rep is in shambles after the wedgie, so she really can't afford it. Demetri's rep is improving, but he's still not popular enough not to potentially suffer ridicule if he were to get outed.

Yasmine has homophobic parents, which also contributes to her staying in the closet. Part of the reason she flew all the way back for prom was because her dad was giving her a hard time about how little she'd dated in high school, and she wanted to prove a point.

Yasmine also has an older sister named Rosalie who is an influencer of some kind. Yasmine and Rosalie are pretty close, but there's a bit of underlying resentment from Yas's side because Rosalie has always been The Favorite. I think this motivates a lot of her S1 bullying--she's desperate for some kind of attention from her classmates, even if it's negative. She doesn't want to live in her cooler, more beautiful sister's shadow.

Moon never lost any popularity to begin with and also has a very easygoing and accepting hippie family, which is part of why she was never worried about being openly bisexual.

Yasmine and Demetri are extremely close platonically. When Eli finally gets upgraded to the role of Demetri's boyfriend, Yasmine and Miguel are basically tied for Demetri's platonic best friend. The rest of the dojo kids find this really funny because of how different Yas and Miguel are.

Kenny and Anthony are both bisexual.

Anthony has a planet-sized crush on Kenny and absolutely no idea what to do with it.

Kenny is probably also into Anthony but processes it like 10x more unhealthily.

Demetri and Eli claim they "don't want kids" but have a bad habit of adopting the younger dojo members as their sons. They're now the proud gay dads of Bert, Nate, and Anthony. Kenny is probably next tbh.

Kyler has been bullying Demetri and Eli since elementary school. Demetri used to try and stand up to Kyler and other bullies to defend Eli, but he always just got his ass beat and his stuff trashed. The teachers were pretty useless in helping. By the time high school rolls around, Demetri has fully given up.

Demetri and Eli probably both had a crush on Miguel at some point (specifically when he beat Kyler's ass in the cafeteria). I feel like if you went to West Valley High it would be difficult not to get a crush on Miguel tbh.

Eli's first mohawk color was blue in part because Demetri's favorite color is blue (it's the color he most consistently wears!) and he was trying to help Demetri be more comfortable with him "flipping the script." It actually somewhat worked for a while, although Demetri was still weirded out and kind of concerned about the apparent personality change.

He also 100% dyed his mohawk to match Demetri's hoodie in S5.

Demetri and Eli are both Jewish. Demetri's family is ethnically Jewish but non-practicing for the most part. They participate in the occasional holiday celebration but aren't super committed. Eli's family is practicing and goes to synagogue more regularly.

They both had a bar mitzvah. Their first kiss was after the latter of the bar mitzvahs with the logic "well we're both men now, and grown-ups do things like kissing, so I guess we'd better do that! And it's not like any girls will ever want to kiss us anyways, psh."

Demetri has a single mom who's on the overprotective side, but also does not mince words. She and Demetri's dad were like the older generation equivalent of Demetri and Yasmine, except if they didn't realize they were both gay until well into adulthood. Demetri's dad left when he was little, and now Demetri's mom is openly lesbian and frequently brings new women home.

Daniel, Amanda, Carmen, and Johnny (possibly Chozen and Ali as well) all want to be in a polycule, but none quite have the courage to admit this. Maybe give it 10 years and they'll finally come to terms with it XD

I have some slightly more explicit ones as well, but I'm holding off on that for now in case OP isn't comfortable with it ^^;

[kcrabb88]

Queer Movies/Books/TV Shows for Pride Month!

Happy Pride everyone!! For your viewing/reading pleasure I have made a (non-exhaustive) list of queer media that I have enjoyed! 

Movies/Documentaries

Pride (2014): An old tried and true favorite, which meets at the intersection of queer and workers’ rights. A group of queer activists support the 1985 miners’ strike in Wales (complete with a sing-through of Bread and Roses + Power in a Union)

Portrait of a Lady on Fire: On an isolated island in Brittany at the end of the eighteenth century, a female painter is obliged to paint a wedding portrait of a young woman (or, two young lesbians fall in love by the sea, and you cry)

God’s Own Country: Young farmer Johnny Saxby numbs his daily frustrations with binge drinking and casual sex, until the arrival of a Romanian migrant worker for lambing season ignites an intense relationship that sets Johnny on a new path (Seriously this movie is GREAT and doesn’t get enough love, watch it! It’s rough but ends happily)

The Half of It:  When smart but cash-strapped teen Ellie Chu agrees to write a love letter for a jock, she doesn't expect to become his friend - or fall for his crush (as in she falls for his crush who is another girl. This movie was so good, and really friendship focused!) 

Saving Face:  A Chinese-American lesbian and her traditionalist mother are reluctant to go public with secret loves that clash against cultural expectations (this is an oldie and a goodie, with a happy ending!)

Moonlight:  A young African-American man grapples with his identity and sexuality while experiencing the everyday struggles of childhood, adolescence, and burgeoning adulthood (featuring gay men of color!)

Carol:  An aspiring photographer develops an intimate relationship with an older woman in 1950s New York (everyone’s seen this I think, but I couldn’t not have it here)

Milk: The story of Harvey Milk and his struggles as an American gay activist who fought for gay rights and became California's first openly gay elected official (the speech at the end of this made me cry. Warning, of course, for death, if you don’t know about Harvey Milk)

Pride (Hulu Documentary):  A six-part documentary series chronicling the fight for LGBTQ civil rights in America (they go by decade from the 50s-2000s, and there is a lot of great trans inclusion in this)

Paris is Burning (Documentary): A 1990s documentary about the African American and Latinx ballroom scene. Available on Youtube!

A New York Christmas Wedding:  As her Christmas Eve wedding draws near, Jennifer is visited by an angel and shown what could have been if she hadn't denied her true feelings for her childhood best friend (this movie is SO CUTE. It’s really only nominally a Christmas movie and easily watched anytime. Features an interracial sapphic couple!) 

TV Shows 

Love, Victor: Victor is a new student at Creekwood High School on his own journey of self-discovery, facing challenges at home, adjusting to a new city, and struggling with his sexual orientation (this is a spin-off of Love, Simon, and it’s very sweet and well done! Featuring a young gay man of color)

Sex Education:  A teenage boy with a sex therapist mother teams up with a high school classmate to set up an underground sex therapy clinic at school (this has multiple queer characters, including a featured young Black gay man and also in season 2 there is a side ace character!) 

Black Sails: I mean, do I even need to put a summary here? If you follow me you know that Black Sails is full of queer pirates, just queers everywhere.

Gentleman Jack:  A dramatization of the life of LGBTQ+ trailblazer, voracious learner and cryptic diarist Anne Lister, who returns to Halifax, West Yorkshire in 1832, determined to transform the fate of her faded ancestral home Shibden Hall (Period drama lesbians!!! A title sequence  that will make you gay just by watching!) 

Tales of the City (2019):  A middle-aged Mary Ann returns to San Francisco and reunites with the eccentric friends she left behind. "Tales of the City" focuses primarily on the people who live in a boardinghouse turned apartment complex owned by Anna Madrigal at 28 Barbary Lane, all of whom quickly become part of what Maupin coined a "logical family". It's no longer a secret that Mrs. Madrigal is transgender. Instead, she is haunted by something from her past that has long been too painful to share (this is based on a book series and it’s got lots of great inter-generational queer relationships!) 

The Haunting of Bly Manor:  After an au pair’s tragic death, Henry hires a young American nanny to care for his orphaned niece and nephew who reside at Bly Manor with the chef Owen, groundskeeper Jamie and housekeeper, Mrs. Grose (sweet, tender, wonderful lesbians. A bittersweet ending but this show is so so wonderful)

Sense8: A group of people around the world are suddenly linked mentally, and must find a way to survive being hunted by those who see them as a threat to the world's order (queers just EVERYWHERE in this show, of all kinds)

Books

Loveless by Alice Oseman:  Georgia has never been in love, never kissed anyone, never even had a crush – but as a fanfic-obsessed romantic she’s sure she’ll find her person one day. This wise, warm and witty story of identity and self-acceptance sees Alice Oseman on towering form as Georgia and her friends discover that true love isn’t limited to romance (don’t be turned off by this title, it’s tongue-in-cheek. This is a book about an aroace college girl discovering herself and centers the importance and power of platonic relationships! I have it on my TBR and have heard great things)

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters: Reese almost had it all: a loving relationship with Amy, an apartment in New York City, a job she didn't hate. She had scraped together what previous generations of trans women could only dream of: a life of mundane, bourgeois comforts. The only thing missing was a child. But then her girlfriend, Amy, detransitioned and became Ames, and everything fell apart. Now Reese is caught in a self-destructive pattern: avoiding her loneliness by sleeping with married men.Ames isn't happy either. He thought detransitioning to live as a man would make life easier, but that decision cost him his relationship with Reese—and losing her meant losing his only family. Even though their romance is over, he longs to find a way back to her. When Ames's boss and lover, Katrina, reveals that she's pregnant with his baby—and that she's not sure whether she wants to keep it—Ames wonders if this is the chance he's been waiting for. Could the three of them form some kind of unconventional family—and raise the baby together?This provocative debut is about what happens at the emotional, messy, vulnerable corners of womanhood that platitudes and good intentions can't reach. Torrey Peters brilliantly and fearlessly navigates the most dangerous taboos around gender, sex, and relationships, gifting us a thrillingly original, witty, and deeply moving novel (again, don’t be thrown off by the title, it too, is tongue-in-cheek. This book was GREAT, and written by a trans women with a queer-and especially trans--audience in mind)

A Tip for the Hangman by Allison Epstein: A gay Christopher Marlowe, at Cambridge and trying to become England’s best new playwright, finds himself wrapped up in royal espionage schemes while also falling in love (this book is by a Twitter friend of mine, and it is a wonderful historical thriller with a gay man at the center).

Creatures of Will and Temper by Molly Tanzer: a very very queer remix of The Picture of Dorian Gray (which was already quite queer), featuring amazing female characters, a gay Basil, and a much happier ending than the original. 

Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston: The gay prince of England and the bisexual, biracial first son of the president fall in love (think an AU of 2016 where a woman becomes president). Featuring a fantastic discovery of bisexuality, ruminations on grief, and just a truly astonishing book. One of my favorites!

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston:  For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can’t imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there’s certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures. But then, there’s this gorgeous girl on the train (This is Casey McQuiston’s brand new novel featuring time-travel, queer women, and I absolutely cannot WAIT to read it)

The Heiress by Molly Greely: Set in the Pride and Prejudice universe, this takes on Anne de Bourg (Lady Catherine’s daughter), and makes her queer! 

Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters:  Nan King, an oyster girl, is captivated by the music hall phenomenon Kitty Butler, a male impersonator extraordinaire treading the boards in Canterbury. Through a friend at the box office, Nan manages to visit all her shows and finally meet her heroine. Soon after, she becomes Kitty's dresser and the two head for the bright lights of Leicester Square where they begin a glittering career as music-hall stars in an all-singing and dancing double act. At the same time, behind closed doors, they admit their attraction to each other and their affair begins (Sarah Waters is the queen of historical lesbians. All of her books are good, and they’re all gay! The Paying Guests is another great one)

(On a side note re: queer books, there are MANY, these are just ones I’ve read more recently. Also there are a lot of indie/self-published writers doing great work writing queer books, so definitely support your local indie authors!)