#it does not help if you are very gender nonconforming at the time but like. aren't trying to be. jfhfhfjgh

[blondiest]

going to make my own version of those "that girl" videos that used to go around on tiktok (which were basically aesthetically-styled disordered eating so far as i could tell tbh) but mine will be me eating stuff like hard-boiled eggs slathered with mustard & enjoying it with a degree of enthusiasm that viewers find off-putting. my "that girl" trait will not be yoga or drinking five gallons of water a day or even having nice hair or clear skin, it will simply be my joie de vivre or however it's spelled

[catboybiologist]

Do you now, or have you ever, called yourself a femboy?

Curious about something. The initial craze over the exact femboy aesthetic seemed to mostly be from 2019-2023 or so, and is much calmer now. For one, it does seem like it increased the overall, casual acceptance of cis gender nonconformity, but also helped a lot of people discover their own trans identities, whether they were transfemme, nonbinary, or transmascs finding new ways to relate to femininity. Obviously femboys aren't "dead", but they're not the same level of novelty that they were a few years ago.

This is going to be a very, very loose poll, and I know it won't cover every situation. I'm also sorry for making over generalizations! It's difficult to cover every situation. But feel free to let me know your own personal relationship with the term in reblogs and replies!

If these options are confusing, let me know! For example, I would choose "binary transfemme, stopped using the term when I realized I was trans"

Obviously if your experience doesn't cleanly fit in, I would like the best approximation! Eg, if there was a period of time where you used the term post transition, but gradually grew uncomfortable with it, you could choose the same option as me.

[bulbagarden]

Opinion: Scarlet and Violet are Pokémon's Queerest Games Yet (Bulbanews)

Hi it's Lisia here!! The following is an opinion piece from one of our staff members, Torchic W. Pip!! Blanc and I both loved this and like... we had to share it here LOL.

Pokémon was my queer awakening. I had silly little crushes on male and female characters alike, and I resonated with many of the designs of the series’s more gender nonconforming designs. Pokémon has always had a wink and a nod to queerness: Jessie and James’s genderbending antics, Beauty Nova in X and Y, Blanche from Pokémon GO… the list goes on. But with Scarlet and Violet, queerness shines bright as celestial stars.

“But wait!” you might say. “Scarlet and Violet has no canonical gay or trans characters! How can this thesis make sense?” Well, queer representation need not be explicit to be impactful. Sometimes, the stories queer people resonate with most are told through metaphor, from the misfits in Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer to X-Men to Luca and Gwen Stacy. The roots of this trace back to a history of censorship. LGBTQ+ stories have been historically censored, such as with the Hays Code. Queer people have long been unable to see stories with explicitly queer characters, so they instead turned to metaphors and symbolism. Gender nonconformity is also nothing new to the scene of video games. Metroid, Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, and Guilty Gear are just some of the games that play with our expectations of gender. It’s also nothing new to Pokémon. East Asian media tends to depict transness and gender nonconformity differently from the West, but for more on that, I'll direct you to this video.

Even before the release of Scarlet and Violet, gender nonconformity shined through. Take a character like Grusha, for example, who many mistook for a girl when he was first introduced. It goes a little deeper than that, though. “Grusha” is Russian for “pear”, but it’s also a diminutive for the name “Agrafena”... a female Russian name. Whether or not it was intentional, it does add an extra layer of nonconformity to Grusha. Another character with some queercoded elements is Iono: Her color palette evokes the colours of the trans flag, and her Magnemite headpieces evoke an explicitly genderless Pokémon. Baggy clothes are common among many transgender people. Her friend Bellibolt is a frog, and many frogs in real life can change their sex. In Japanese, she speaks with a Bokukko speech pattern (a girl using the masculine “boku”), which is often used for plucky characters, but also nonconforming characters. All of Iono’s names across translations evoke themes of questions. On top of all that… well, the Vtubing scene is, from personal experience, very queer. All of my friends who watch VTubers are queer in some way. More seriously, creating a persona where you can let your true self shine in a way that regular society won't allow you to... that's pretty queer.

With the release of the games, we’ve seen a wide array of characters—Rika, Saguaro, Penny, and all of the leaders of Team Star, among others—showcase a wide range of gender expressions, either in their appearances, their personalities, or their hobbies. And all of these characters are seen as heroes, as role models.

As with games before, there are two characters with queer subtext in their relationship. Hassel and Brassius have been seen by many as being in a gay relationship, bonding over a love of art, supporting each other in dark times, and giving each other pet names. Even if it's not outright stated that they're in a romantic relationship, their care for each other is a beautiful thing. Many gay coded relationships are often of younger men or women, and while these relationships are important, it's also important for older gay couples to receive some of the spotlight. After all, queer people have always existed, and it's important to remember our past and honor those who came before us, who helped paved the path to acceptance.

For the first time in a mainline game, the player character can choose any clothes, hair style, and so on regardless of gender. While the player can still only choose between being referred to by masculine or feminine terms, this is a step in the right direction, and it opens the door for many opportunities never seen before. Boys can be feminine, girls can be masculine, and both can be anywhere in between. The world of gender expression is as big as the open world of Paldea.

But back to Team Star. The whole Team Star path is one big, queer metaphor. Think about it: kids are bullied for how they dress or act, these misfits band together and retaliate against their bullies, finding a sort of family in each other, villains who turn out to be just the opposite… It’s a story that, in some way or form, can resonate with many kids who have, sadly, dealt with homophobia or transphobia in school. The path is a story about righting what’s wrong, about making the world a more accepting place.

Scarlet and Violet is a game about shining bright in the sky with other stars, about being your true self. Its themes are deeply resonant with the queer experience. At the end of the Team Star path, you battle Penny, whose ace Pokémon is trans flag-coloured Sylveon, and as she Terastilizes her partner, she says, “Shine bright like the starry sky and become who you really want to be!” So shine bright, trainers, and be your true self.

Oh, and of course, Quaquaval is the queer icon of all time.

[Torchic W. Pip is a Bulbanews writer with a focus on music, merchandise, and spin-off games. They're also a fanfiction author and moderator of the Writer's Workshop subforum. Outside of writing, Torchic is studying music theory and linguistics, and his favorite games are X/Y and Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire.]

[lunastrophe]

Hi! I've read a lot of your drow lore posts, and I absolutely love all the information you've provided (and the way you organize them makes my brain happy.) I know you've talked about being transgender in Drow society, but do you have any ideas on how being nonbinary would work? Acceptance, role in society, ect.? I was just curious because I'm nonbinary but I'm also getting really into Drow culture haha

Hello - thank you for visiting my drow corner and for an interesting question! 😊

🕷️ In a typical Lolth-worshipping society, I am afraid that coming out as nonbinary - or expressing any kind of gender nonconformity, really - would be dangerous for a drow character.

Structures of Underdark Lolth-sworn drow societies are pretty rigid and focused around female-male dichotomy - which is firmly rooted in teachings of the church of Lolth. Drow whose gender identity does not fit this dichotomy are typically seen as a danger to the fundamental values of Lolth-sworn society.

A nonbinary drow would probably have two basic options: to live in the closet, with their assigned gender determining how they are perceived and referred to - or to leave. Seeking open acceptance would not end well, I suppose, especially for a drow who is closely connected to some noble house or to Lolth's clergy.

For a non-noble drow, things would probably be easier. Without a row of house priestesses, siblings and matron mother watching their every move, they would probably be able to act more freely. They might find, for example, a gender neutral profession - maybe one that requires them to travel a lot and spend time among other, more accepting people.

Still, trying to be openly nonbinary Lolth-sworn drow among other Lolth-sworn drow would be very dangerous.

🕷️ In drow societies where the main deity is Vhaeraun, I suppose that a nonbinary drow would have next to zero problems with being accepted.

Some followers of Vhaeraun heavily promote patriarchy and dominance of drow males, though, especially in power structures.

So, it is probably easy to imagine that, for example, a nonbinary drow with a very feminine look and style of dress might confuse some Vhaeraunans - at least initially. Some of them (mainly males) might be quick to label such an individual 'female' and stubbornly insist to treat them like one, or approach them with a measure of distrust.

In such case, becoming a cleric of Vhaeraun might also be a problem. Church of Vhaeraun sometimes advertises itself as "egalitarian", but... yeah, in practice, distribution of power is typically heavily tilted there in favour of male drow.

Still, I cannot really imagine Vhaeraunans (in general) persecuting a nonbinary drow for the sole fact of being nonbinary. Vhaeraunan societies are fairly accepting, as long as you are not working against them and you do not worship Lolth.

🕷️A drow society where Ghaunadaur is worshipped - I suppose that a nonbinary drow who is chaotic, evil and maybe also more or less insane, would feel good there. Good characters, not so much.

Ghaunadaur is not a nice deity (chaos, sacrifices, madness, crawling creatures, alien intelligence - Lovecraftian vibes, sort of), but has an affinity for everything that is primordial, not defined and not clearly shaped.

I think that nonbinary, chaotic evil drow, especially outcasts, might be attracted to his cult - they might perceive Ghaunadaur as a fitting alternative to Lolth or other established Underdark deities popular among drow. To Ghaunadaur, male-female dichotomy is totally irrelevant.

🕷️Eilistraeans would have no problem with nonbinary drow - they would be treated just like any other person. Followers of Eilistraee might be also ready to offer help to a drow who became an outcast because of coming out as nonbinary.

A good (in terms of alignment) nonbinary drow might be attracted to the cult of Eilistraee, especially since for Eilistraeans, male-female dichotomy is not overly important - they generally promote equality and harmony, and they are always glad to welcome new followers, no matter their gender identity.

Whew, I hope I managed to include all relevant aspects 🙂Hope you will find this post useful!

[kinky-pen]

Got any general Ouran headcanons?

More disorganised, general thoughts!

Tamaki:

When Tamaki found out about renfairs, the whole host club wasn't just dragged to one (I don't believe they're a thing in Japan, but I may be wrong), Tamaki made them help him organise one. Yes, Kyoya had thought he'd escaped budgeting for Tamaki's whims in adulthood, and yes he felt stupid for thinking that.

Paints his nails frequently. It's an activity he finds fun, but he also repaints them constantly because he changes his mind about the colour constantly! He also wants them to match his outfit, and god forbid he plan ahead.

Was raised Catholic in France, but finds much more love for the aesthetics and community than the religion himself.

Haruhi:

Haruhi was always androgenous, but she embraces her gender nonconformity and identity even more as they become and understands themselves. Lots of lovely suits, both masc and fem. (They do use all pronouns, also, but use she/they the most)

Keeps the short hair!! I know she grows it out in the manga, but the short hair is nicer, more in character, and Haruhi said on multiple occasions that they prefer it.

When she's a lawyer (not if, let's be real), she's actually scary good at employment law and making sure companies compensate and treat their worker's fairly (comrade Haruhi, everyone)

Kyoya:

Keeps a sketchpad handy a good portion of the time. He found art really relaxed him, and he's pretty talented at it, but he'll keep it to himself as it's something he actually considers for him, not profit or prestige.

Has had a crush on every member of the host club, at some point, except Hanni for obvious reasons (boo, you whore)

Has diagnosed depression, and is half convinced he has a personality disorder of some flavour. He can be a bit of a hypochondriac, however, and his doctors haven't confirmed anything as of yet. Who knows.

Hikaru:

Dyes his hair constantly, all sort of colours. Like Tamaki and his nails, Hikaru recolours his hair very often - as soon as he gets bored of it. It got to the point where he dyed it four times in a month, fried it all off, and had to get a buzz cut. He eased up a little after that.

Loves getting tattoos. He's one of those people that really love the sensation of it, and he also gets a cool piece of art on his body forever! Yes there's something wrong with him, he's seeing a therapist!

Loves spending time in his office, tinkering about with new things - whether it be finding new ways to put together certain pieces of hardware, or coding new software. He can disappear in there for days straight, sometimes (he has a mini fridge stocked with drinks and snacks, don't worry)

Kaoru:

Goes through phases of growing out his hair, then cutting it all off again. Changes hairstyles frequently. When you're head of a designer brand, you do have to balance keeping up with the latest trends with setting them, and I think Kaoru does well with both sides of that.

Loves flower arranging (which is semi-canon), but it's something he keeps up his whole life.

Kaoru actually does have some """mild""" HPD (that's the phrasing he uses, but he generally means he's high functioning) he's just like me frfr

Mori:

This man matures like a fine wine. Will always be attractive, honestly. He went from hunk to DILF to GILF effortlessly.

Still wins Judo competitions and such well into his early fifties, but decided to retire from competing at 53 due to some joint issues. Still keeps it up for fun and health, though.

Had a bit of a revelation about putting his foot down and protecting his boundaries during university. It actually helped him a lot with the self destructive tendencies he has in canon.

Hunni:

Living his best life with his goth wife! He just adores that girl so much and she'll kill for him! (Ask her to kill for you, Hunni, she really wants to)

Takes up baking his own cakes, which does actually save money in the long run - not that they need to worry about that.

Had a similar revelation to Mori in university, caused by Mori standing up for himself more. He realised that he can still be true to himself and what he wants, without running roughshod over those who care about him. He can still be a little selfish, but better than what we see in canon.

Also, as this is a kink blog and I don't really want to encourage engagement from people not into NSFW/are minors - please only 'like' this post if you're the aforementioned :)

[jingerpi]

Its honestly very concerning how popular ContraPoints video on "Transtrenders" was. I want to make a post discecting it briefly because I feel the video does a disservice to young trans folk looking to learn, instead leaving them feeling unjustified in their indentitiy under the guise of some radical acceptance One of the main issues with the video as a whole is how natalie breaks down existing understandings of trans medicine as a tool to try and unseat transmedicalist talking points, and show how being trans is about personal experience and "feelings". While its important to critique transmedicalists, what she does here is undermine what many people see as the best justification for trans existence without replacing it with anything. She does this in my opinion, because she honestly doesn't have anything to replace it with, and doesn't understand the real basis for gender in the world. Saying this is all well and good, I can critique anyone for not giving good basis for thing but its no help if i don't give anything of substance to back it up either, so heres a brief explanation of why transphobia is a problem, based in actual socio-political analysis.

Patriarchy is an economic structure which has been built up across centuries of accumulated surplus value which was passed down through the eldest son of the ruling class. this is a vast over simplification, but functionally this means there are systems in place in society which privilege men, give them access to more wealth, better positions, and control over non-men. Patriarchy has grown and changed over time and held different shapes depending on the society, we no longer have eldest sons inheriting royal rule (in most places), but we continue to have men as the group with the most economic and social agency in our societies. This privilege that Patriarchs have is constituted not of some magical benefits bestowed upon them from an abstract "system" but are instead taken directly from those who are not men. More specifically, men and Patriarchs take labor and resources from those whom patriarchy considers "non-men". Reproductive labor goes unpaid, women are under privileged in political society, we often don't get choices over our bodies. This isn't merely a coincidence, but serves specifically to give men power and confer more benefits onto them. Because of this, there must be systems in place to manage who is let into the patriarchy, who can be a Patriarch.

The most universal way of doing this is by deciding whether or not someone is a man and conferring onto them certain benefits as long as they uphold this structure, and ostracizing them if they are not. They do this ostracization because if this structure is not upheld artificially through oppression of women and bullying of nonconforming men to keep the categories of man and woman or even man and non-man distinct, the privilege given to the in-group starts to fade. In the same way that "White" is an artificial construct created and upheld to facilitate racism like slavery, imperialism, housing discrimination, and unpaid labor, so too is "manhood" and "womanhood". These constructs appear to be based in existing biology, so they often go without question, but race is also based on such "biology" and that does not mean its a founded construct. The basis for both "race" and "gender" break down once you look at higher level understandings of these concepts. Not all people with xy chromosomes are men, not all people of African decent have black skin, etc etc... I could go on about the "exceptions" for quite some time but you likely know many of them already. These are categories created fundamentally to give one specific category an economic advantage and justify their oppression of those who are outside of said category. The reason we need to respect trans-ness isn't because there is something inherently justified about being transgender, nor because we just have to be really nice to everyone and treat their feelings as absolute truths. Its because the systems which confine us and define gender so rigidly exist purely to oppress and extract value from others. These borders are deeply unjustified and we need to tear them away. We do not need to justify existing outside of the borders, but instead challenge the borders in the first place. Contrapoints fails to meaningfully do this Natalie focuses almost entirely on the arguments surrounding justifications for transness and gives little thought to the justifications for patriarchy. It is treated as a default, always existing, status quo that is unquestionable. It makes me wonder how aware of it she really is, she seems to get stuck in justifying her own existence. the "Transtrenders" video focuses on a discussion between several characters where the primary issue at hand is how to justify being trans, should it be done through medicial, scientific frameworks? or should it be done from a kind and accepting view of others? She makes arguments against the former for being flawed and the latter for being unfounded, but she never actually replaces it with any critique of society, instead saying: "Okay, so what am I supposed to tell Jackie Jackson then? What am I supposed to tell the TERFs? That I'm a woman because reasons?"

"No, not even because reasons. Just because you are."

"So it's what, a leap of faith? Oh great. I'm sure that's gonna convince all the rational skeptics. Justine, it makes us sound completely delusional."

"Well Tiffany, delusion is what separates us from the animals." Which is an extremely unhelpful answer to give after tearing down what is to many, a key aspect in their reasoning for why they are justified in their identities, and while it is partially correct that trying to use one of the specific theories she outlined earlier to justify trans existence is an exercise in futility, she can't seemingly offer any alternative than some kind of "because I said so" when there ARE very good reasons to be in favor of trans acceptance, and historical reasons for our existence. In failing to do so she misleads perhaps an entire generation of trans people into thinking theres no real justification for their existence

The justification comes from understanding that the premise is false, that the forces which try to bind people to a specific societal gender role are themselves the issue.

She tries to point out that we dont need to justify transgender existence because the frameworks which hold us to cisgender existence are the real problem, but without ever talking about these cisgender standards in an actually meaningful way, instead talking abstactly about societies "expectations" or whatnot, where she should could be attacking the real economic forces of patriarchy. She should be tearing down patriarchy first and then using that to liberate trans existence but instead she tears down trans existence without touching patriarchy or any of the coercion or exploitation that arise from it. I consider this a great tragedy, and a prime example of her failures as an educator.

[our-trans-punk-experience]

What does it really mean to be a "Punk?"

I'm completely on board with the whole "beat the shit out of fascists and pigs" thing but I'm skeptical of any sort of subculture or group that celebrates values of any kind as "good" because I get pissy when confronted with concrete ideologies like Marxism. I'm scared that I'm going to end up getting into some kind of clique. I don't want to be in a clique where I get shat on for not having the morally approved opinion. If I can't have a controversial opinion without being silenced, then I don't want anything to do with "Punk."

I'm an Egoist. You're an anarchist, so, assuming you know who Max Stirner is, I'm pretty sure you know what that entails, but in case you don't, I put myself above all things. That's not to say that I'm a greedy bastard who wants to consume all the products ever, but that my own being and desires are the basis of my views on politics/society. I hate gender not merely because it oppresses all the poor minorities who need my help but because it gets in MY way, threatens MY life, and demands MY conformance to it. I want my damned life for myself. I want self-ownership. I see no legitimacy in the braindead wokeness of bougie college kids and chickenshit university profs. I want action in the here and now, not ineffectual Bookchinite/Leftcom/Marxist-Leninist meetings where we discuss how best to tickle the workers balls in the fallout of the USSR (which was an authoritarian shithole).

As a post-left anarchist (or preferably no-wing anarchist) I find myself skeptical of subcultures. "Oh, what's that? You don't like *band here?* Well you're automatically a poser/elitist/hipster/whatever." I understand that sometimes it's meant to pick out the actual posers by testing how thin your skin is, but it's really fucking annoying when people expect me to embody values like "don't do drugs" or "be vegan" because I refuse to define myself and my goals according to what other people deem morally correct.

I'm not really in a position to actually join a subculture at the moment because I'm a financially dependent minor, but I want you to give me an actual reason to join the punk subculture. Just so I can see if it's really worth it. What's in it for me, and how hard am I allowed to kick the balls of Nazi scum?

RIGHT!! Fuckin love it when i get asks like this

I'll split up my answer so I can get through all the points without rambling

Political Theory

SO punk does not have any one kind of coherent political ideology. Core political views are

anti-authoritarianism

non-conformist

abstractly leftist

fuck bigots of any description

you will not be bound to Marxism or any key thinkers beliefs. Your politics are your own and disagreement is encouraged as long as you arent being a dick. Of course you might find some punks that get pissy about ideological purity, but they aren't very punk, sooo fuck em. Bootlicking isn't punk, even/especially if the Boot is Lenin's.

Egoism

yeah egoist anarchism is just fine in the punk scene. as long as your "for my own ends" mentality doesnt end up tipping over into "I will go on a Shein haul twice a month bc I want new clothes and fuck anyone who tells me how damaging it is". You don't have to be a saint, just again, don't be a massive dick about it. You can look out for your own ends for sure. You will find that the punk scene often times talks about community, in the sense of solidarity and common goals (which you seem to share anyway), so as long as you can jibe with that you'll be fine

Non-conformity

Is the entire bloody point. If you're looking for a community that won't tell you that you have to look a certain way, or listen to 100 bands from the 70s to be accepted, the punk scene is built on nonconformity. not even just from society but within the scene. And even the big name bands from back in the day were screaming about the dangers of homogenising the punk scene, or letting it get commodified. Differences in opinion, style, music taste, ect are the whole fucking point and if someone tries to impose punk "rules" about that, then they don't get the scene.

"it's really fucking annoying when people expect me to embody values like "don't do drugs" or "be vegan""

i do drugs and am not vegan. you really don't need to worry. i really fear for the punk that says "don't do drugs". absolutist ideals should not be shoved on you.

"I'm not really in a position to actually join a subculture at the moment because I'm a financially dependent minor,"

Ok so while I get that possibly if you're financially dependent on people who would be able to mess up your life if you wore clothes they didn't approve of, and wouldn't buy you anything, it can seem difficult, but I want to just reassure you a bit. Punk is built off communities with financial difficulties, DIY, and more than just spiked collars. You don't have to be able to make it to basement shows or out to the city to be a punk. You can listen to the music (definitely listen to the music), get involved in politics, learn the history, watch movies, read books, DIY your own clothes and accessories, including smaller things like badges, patches or chains. The scene is the people as well as what we do.

how hard am I allowed to kick the balls of Nazi scum?

make them piss blood for weeks.

[cator99]

I very respectfully, tactfully, reasonably addressed the flag issue with my housemates, stated my perspective, was well-received by almost everyone, only for The ACAB Tattoo FTMs shut it down, citing how POC can't hide their marginalization so as a white person I have a responsibility to take on some of the burden & the risk of visibility. So of course with everyones white guilt activated they went Oh, Right! (Love when "minority issues" are nonsensically flattened onto the same plane) I even addressed prior to this that yes I do think it does make a positive impact when other people are able to feel welcome and supported in the neighbourhood by knowing there's other LGBT people but when I come home to a burnt flag vandalized with homophobia waiting for me on the welcome mat, knowing that if I had been home 2 minutes sooner I would have seen it happen, I feel neither welcome nor supported & I dont think that flags & sloganeering come close to being helpful for anyone in the long run especially when the people in the community being advocated for by said flags & slogans are being put at risk by what is supposed to serve as a signifier of solidarity. This isnt solidarity, its asking that we needlessly put ourselves in potential danger for the wellbeing of– who, exactly? They spewed out something about how my "trauma response" is "valid" (flase virtue moment! Reducing the issue to aesthetic representations of Freedom while depriving the people it represents of anything resembling such a thing!) but we have a "responsibility" to be "visibly queer". As if I have not primarily moved through the world as such. As if the times I have been stealth werent predicated upon a lifetime of ostracization harassment and outright abuse for being a gender nonconforming female & a homosexual one at that. I dont wallow in it but come on! What does any of this do for anyone! Good Feels dont pay the rent or provide legal protections. But of course people like these housemates of mine think legal protections = assimilationist & society needs to be burned to the ground & the average working class person is too problematic to be saved so lets just kill everyone but also we were put on this earth to love one another lol OK why dont you start first by showing you posess the capacity to be considerate about the people within your own household? This whole activist larp is such an obvious ego thing... Come on. Even thinking outside of my own desire for dignity how is anyone Im supposed to be useful to others in any way if they're busy dealing with being harassed? How could I ever hope to "help the LGBT community"– since that's apparently all that matters god forbid a female lead ones own life without being a martyr one way or a fucking other– in the long run, if in the short-term I cant just go home & not have to worry about my roommates doing something stupid like gluing shards of glass to the back of the new flag which will only serve to further anger people intent on harassing us, potentially escalating the situation?

[throughalleternity]

So I've got a prompt idea that I got from one (technically two) of your headcanons, so imagine this: Maggie and/or Alex got harrassed by some guy and Leon didnt step in (enough) and now after the incident he feels guilty, because he feels like he should have done more/should have protected his girlfriends better. So Maggie and Alex comfort him and assure him that he did the right thing and that he isnt less of a man, just because he felt like he didnt enough. It can also just be the aftermarth you can just alude to the incident, if you cant think of something.

Thank you for the prompt! I've had it on the back burner for a while, and as I thought more about it, it eventually developed into a related but different topic that I felt compelled to write. So I'm going to keep the original prompt on hand, but for now please take this short fic: it's a conversation with Leon and James instead.

CW: references to racism and transphobia/bigotry against gender nonconformity, but nothing detailed

It's a conversation with James. One not so much planned as it is happenstance, once there's finally enough distance and room for thought—but of the friends he could have talked to? Leon is glad it's him.

Words trickle out, yet it takes only a couple of minutes. For all that he's turned the event over in his mind, the recollection of it is shockingly simple. 

"That's horrible," James says after Leon trails off, soothing the fear that he's overblown the whole thing. When he continues, he doesn't ask why Leon hadn't stood up for himself before getting out of view with Alex and Maggie. He doesn't judge that Maggie was the one who made sure they weren't followed. Instead, he says, "I'm so sorry they did that to you."

It might sound trite coming from someone else, but it's James who knows the sound of handcuffs snapping over his wrists, who afterward grew up being careful of what he wears and how he acts, always conscious of how others might perceive him.

"It was like I just—I hated not being able to do something. One of them had a German shepard on a leash, and I know that doesn't necessarily mean anything, but I just… ." Leon shakes his head. His earrings swing with the movement, and he's again reminded of how he's probably going to take them off when he leaves James's, even if he won't be walking outside long. "Has it gotten any easier for you? The… that."

James hums, tilting his head as he thinks. 

Leon knows this is not new for him. James has struggled to balance his desire to respond with his knowing that he could not afford to mess up, to further gamble his safety without a very good reason to—especially not after his dad died.

Of course, much of this is also not new for Leon. But this is a new sort of visibility—vulnerability—for him, one with a different calculus for how to react.

"It's easier in some ways. Photography can also feel like a lot of standing by, but the way it shows people the truth—makes it worthwhile. Then again, I did become the Guardian." James looks down, eyebrows pinching together. "But you tell me, you're the one with the law degree. You know how slowly that moves."

"We choose that, though."

"This, not so much," James agrees.

"So what do you do?" Leon finally asks.

"Do about what?"

There are many whats—strategies, therapies, realities—but this weighs on him most: "How do you be yourself and not feel so…" 

"Alone? Scared? Hated?"

"Well if you put it like that, you better have something really uplifting to say," Leon grumbles, glancing away.

James gives a quiet exhale of amusement, then they both lapse into contemplation. "I think you already know," he says after a moment. "It's different at different times, but to me, it comes down to community."

Visible through the window, the sunset mimics another streak of blue and red. "El mayarah."

"El mayarah," James echoes. "Something Kara taught me, you know."

"She does have a way of doing that." It wasn't so long ago that Kara revealed her secret identity to Lucy, and helped pry off the locks on a box Lucy had thought she buried long ago.

"So, I'm just saying." James half shrugs, but he looks serious. "I know it must be hard to find a group of people who really get what you're dealing with who you also like and trust. But don't forget about the rest of us. We'll be there for you, if you let us."

Leon ducks his head, smiling. Talking to James still comes easy, and he's glad. "I hope you know that goes for you too then."

"Making me take my own advice, huh?" James grins as he leans back, eyebrows raised.

Leon grins too. "Always, Jimmy. Stronger together."

[marley-manson]

Margaret 2,3,8,20 :)

Thank you!

2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

Yk, I love how strong she is. Like, physically. Her gender nonconformity in general is always a good time and I love it, even if it's treated less positively than Hawkeye's by the narrative, and sometimes because of that - it may not be the most progressive angle for the show to take by today's standards, but it's fun to delve into how her masculinity intersects with her place in the army.

Also as a detail, I love that the two dresses she wears in the show are both given to her by Klinger, as far as I remember <3

3. Least favorite canon thing about this character?

The fact that her role in the military and her related bigotry, nationalism, conservatism, etc, are never challenged by the narrative as she gets an arc grows as a person. They're either quietly dropped, or treated as positives. I love her character arc overall but it's such a missed opportunity to really challenge her at times. But then, it goes with the show itself getting more centrist so it makes sense.

8. What’s something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

Despise is a strong word because I know why it happens and I blame the show for it too, as well as fandom's weird defensiveness around female characters in general lol, but the way she's softened so much when she appears in a lot of post-canon fic. She's Hawkeye's sweet supportive friend who pushes him towards doing something to make his life better. Sometimes she's also in the blandest lesbian relationship ever. Like I don't think side characters in fic need to have a lot of complexity to be fair lol, I'm not asking for a treatise on her bigotry or alcoholism or whatever, but I mean her core personality is very abrasive and I would like to see that even just in unimportant dialogue. Let her be an asshole complaining about the other nurses at work or something. Let Hawkeye help her with an emotional problem maybe, since that's how their dynamic usually goes in canon.

20. Which other character is the ideal best friend for this character, the amount of screentime they share doesn’t matter?

Lorraine! Someone fun she can have a personality with lol.

I love her and Hawkeye's friendship in the show a lot, but they are not best friends and nor should they be. They're friends of necessity, and that's why they're interesting together.

ask meme

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Helen Dale

Published: Apr 29, 2024

A new book raises tough questions about the history of gay liberation

Trans activism has caused bitter divisions within the gay rights movement

Medical professionals responding incorrectly to gender nonconformity has dire consequences

When scriptwriter Gareth Roberts was 14, he called a helpline promoted by a new organisation, one dedicated to helping gay and lesbian youth. The operator tried to set him up on a date with a 19-year-old. Fortunately, the young Roberts had the wit to realise this ‘was a very bad idea’. 

A related organisation opened the first – and, at the time, only gay youth club in the country. Roberts joined, only to discover meeting rooms and communal areas littered with literature from PIE. That, for readers who aren’t gay or lesbian and of a certain vintage, stands for ‘Paedophile Information Exchange’.

What you need to understand – as Roberts argues in his first book, Gay Shame: The Rise of Gender Ideology and the New Homophobia – is ‘that there was a prominent streak of gay activism that was absolutely insane’. And, despite major successes borne of both a mature response to the AIDS crisis and opposition to Section 28, the bonkers quality never went away. That said, he admits he didn’t expect ‘the gay rights movement transmogrifying into a cross between the Church of Scientology, Heathers: the Musical and Act 4 of The Crucible’.

In Gay Shame, Roberts does two things. First, he explains how and why trans activism has become the ‘official’ gay rights movement that now (bitterly) divides gays and lesbians. It’s impossible not to notice the extent to which fights over trans issues often involve two opposed teams of homosexuals: Stonewall vs LGB Alliance. Roberts is a gay man and directs ordnance (for the most part) at gay men while also contextualising this division in an intelligent way. However, when feminist and lesbian adherents of the religion he calls ‘genderism’ cross his radar, they cop a similarly witty serve.

Secondly – and in a way that tracks the careful evidence-gathering of the Cass Review – he conveys the extent to which transgenderism represents ‘transing the gay away’. Most of the children who went through the Tavistock – 9,000 of them in all according to Cass – were same-sex attracted or simply gender nonconforming. Rising numbers, year-on-year, of glittery, swishy little boys and even more sporty but quirky little girls.

‘This is an ideology,’ Roberts points out in a coruscating passage, ‘that says there is something wrong with camp little boys and butch little girls and that they need to be fixed’.

This is impressive despite its grimness. Gay Shame only came out last Thursday, and – due to typical lead-times in publishing – was written in 2023. Despite a stint as a writer for Dr Who, Roberts didn’t nick the Tardis and get early access to the Cass report. This care and foresight has the effect of forcing readers – both heterosexual and homosexual – to think about how we respond to gender nonconforming behaviour. 

Most people do not understand what it’s like to be gender nonconforming or appreciate the extent to which gender nonconforming people stick out like sore thumbs. Gays, lesbians and bisexuals won social acceptance before everyone else properly ‘got’ us. Roberts’ hands must be a mess, because he grasps every bloody nettle on the gay male side of the equation: from the extent to which gay male sexuality is utterly unlike straight male sexuality (because it does not involve women) to taking aim at a string of overpraised, low-quality gay male contributions to popular culture. 

Does that mean every gay man on the planet sleeps around and adores Eurovision? No, of course not, but there are also no lesbian chemsex parties and heterosexuals really don’t have to pretend Eurovision is bloody marvellous. Meanwhile, if a straight man wanted some sort of chemsex equivalent, it would involve handing over a lot of cash to a group of women he doesn’t know in icky bits of London he would prefer not to frequent.

This absence of theory of mind – common but not universal when dealing with people unlike oneself – has implications. In a discussion of what he concedes is ‘a small minority of gay men,’ Roberts observes how ‘the Metropolitan Police’s shockingly inept handling of the case of the serial rapist and murderer Stephen Port in London in 2014/15 was partly down to their assumptions about the chemsex deaths of gay men’.

Of value is Roberts’ account of what he calls ‘the fall of Stonewall’, which was, in retrospect, astonishingly swift. ‘You can literally narrow it down to about three weeks in late 2014,’ he told me last week. He documents the extent to which Stonewall’s pivot to trans activism arose in part because it fell for queer theory (‘peer review is the process by which academics mark each other’s homework,’ he observes, tartly) and partly because it had won. ‘What was Stonewall for?’ Roberts asks. ‘It had no active political campaigns left to fight in the UK. But it had a huge staff, and a massive engine room of fundraising and campaigning machinery. A tender full of coal and no track’.

One effect of Stonewall’s pivot – and later persecution, along with Mermaids, of the LGB Alliance – was that the latter organisation spent years fighting off attacks on its charitable status, unable to do much else. Only recently has it been able to work normally, ‘doing,’ as Roberts says, ‘exactly the same work as Stonewall did before its fall to genderism’.

Gay Shame raises all sorts of difficult questions. It’s really striking, for example, what a recurrent feature the sexualising of children is within allegedly ‘liberatory’ streams of thought. This manifests in something Roberts calls ‘The Leap’. The Leap consists of the belief that ‘people (including, incredibly, children) are always what they claim to be, rather than what they are’.

Roberts’ discussion of gay men and gay male sexuality – and of male and female gender nonconformity more widely – also serves to remind the rest of us that we know very little about homosexuality. I know loads of ‘right-on’ straight parents who bought their son girl toys or their daughter boy toys. The kids simply blew them off. This, I’m afraid, is because most children are gender conforming. Gender has biological roots: the stereotyped behaviours it produces mean that deviations are really going to show. The thing is, gender nonconforming behaviour and the homosexuality and bisexuality that often accompany it also have biological roots, but we don’t know why. 

In biology, a spandrel is a phenotypic trait that’s a by-product of some other evolved characteristic, rather than a direct product of adaptive selection. It’s a term borrowed from cathedral architecture, where it refers to something decorative, but which provides no structural support. Maybe some homosexuals don’t mind the idea that we’re just the fancy bit at the corner of an arch, but we’re too common to be an evolutionary spandrel. We exist for a reason. Why would evolution throw up a group of people of both sexes who are attracted to their own sex? Not exactly going to contribute to reproducing the species, are we?

Gareth Roberts isn’t sure that ‘genderism’ will collapse. At the end of Gay Shame, he presents two plausible scenarios. One depicts a world where queer theory and all its works and all its ways has gone down the long slide and all seems well. The other shows what things look like in the event of a genderist win. And in that world, the grim joke that emerged among staff at the Tavistock has come true. There are no gay people left.  

[lesboygamzee]

beta troll headcanons but i have headcanons on how alternian gender works ( its not that complex dw )

aradia - fully agender . seperate from everything . didnt really care until it godtiered and then was like ohhh i dont have to do anything anymore im free now ok ^_^ and was pretty chill with it forever tavros - Fairy Girl and transfem . i imagine that Fairy Genders are like completely caste nonconforming I HAVE LORE I HAVE LORE LISTEN TO ME NOW BOY anyway . has known for like .. Awhile but shes in proximity to vriska and vriska is like your average reddit transfem and tavros is like ok maybe i should just repress this and pretend its not something i think and dream about extensively . and it works for awhile and then she lives as a girl on her own on earth c but it still takes forever for her to actually Come Out but it happens .. eventually ... ok im getting sad my girl has problems SHES ALSO BUTCH sollux - gold bigender what the fuck else . very repressed transfem who fits all the gamer trasnfem stereotypes hes kind of real . again Very Repressed and like halfway an egg halfway Aware ( haha duality ) . starts being herself after prolongued proximity to godtier aradia she stole its fucking girl ness #thetransagenda . doesnt really like the association he has with her caste but accepts it as part of his identity nontheless karkat - agender cis guy no assigned caste but identifies with his assigned gender on the technical level . he has a weird relationship with it but like its chill overall nepeta - olive trans guy . nondysphoric and is fine being a girl but one day he was like hey somethings off and he ripped his tits clean off and started living as a he and went about his life as normal <- joke but probably not far off . i dont think he was unhappy as a girl hes just chill with whatever feels right in the moment i think and right now its Boy kanaya - jade trans girl but in a gnc way because female jadebloods are meant to be very cold i think people forget that but kanaya genuinely cares about motherhood and wants to nurture the matriorb because she cares about the next generation of her race and like thats a significant part of her character guys you know that right . i think her both being badass AND having a desire for motherhood is good writing actually guys .g . anyway . has known since she was very young and would be relatively normal about it if it wasnt for her Proximity To Vriska ( see Reddit Transfem ) terezi - teal trans guy whos also nonbinary whos also a dyke . ill be honest i dont have anything super in depth for this one sorry terezi fans vriska - cerulean trans girl . i think nows the time to clarify what i mean by reddit transfem umm . she will not shut the fuck up about how horrible and mannish she looks and acts forever and like its not her fault she feels like this but shes saying this in direct proximity of other transfems namely kanaya and tavros . i also think shes a transmed . umm has known from a young age but only becomes fully comfortable in her identity like .. a loooong time from canon equius - indigo transfem . i dont have a lot of thoughts on this but i think shes very repressed for a long time but Nepeta Proximity helps her a little . doesnt really transition shes just A Girl Now gamzee - Dyke . incredibly strange relationship with everything but like .. i think hes identifying as a trans guy at 13 if only because he thinks its the easiest to explain i dont think hed care . Until It Does . has a crisis about it for exactly a week before getting normal . hard to explain more for multiple reasons rips arm off eridan - violet cis guy but like theres gender fuckery going on . thought he was transfem for awhile and went on e and was like this is awesome but i think im a guy still . does drag as a fuschia woman feferi - fuschia multigender . another one that is hard to explain sigh but i think hes an egg at 13 but he doesnt have a whole thing about it hes like oh im more than just Girl cool ^_^

[pinchinschlimbah]

Gerard’s “Are they costumes?” has been rotating in my brain for the past 24 hours and I need to yell about it.

As many have noted, while at the surface level this comment was directed towards the audience, it does feel like it echoes the larger question of the outfits Gerard has been wearing throughout this tour. Are they costumes? Are they drag? Are they just clothes?

Thinking about “We’re all born naked and the rest is drag”- anything you intentionally choose to visually present yourself in a certain way, especially in the context of knowing you’ll be on stage in front of tens of thousands of people, is on some level a performance, a playing of a character to convey a specific vibe. Even if that character is “some guy in a t shirt and jeans”, that outfit was still an intentional choice and still evokes a particular response that a different outfit would not.

Thinking about “give a man a mask and he’ll tell you the truth”- often people feel more free to express their truest selves when it can be under the guise of a “costume”, something supposedly inauthentic and performative, because it gives them the safety of plausible deniability or the freedom finding power from the character they’re playing that they couldn’t find access to as their everyday selves. This is especially true in regard to queer people, where queerness in the form of performance and entertainment is much more widely accepted/tolerated than when those people continue to be outwardly queer off stage or screen in their day to day lives.

I think both of these sentiments exist simultaneously.

Without getting into too much detail for anonymity’s sake, my full time job centers around creating custom clothing for queer and gnc people- many of which are intended for performance/entertainment purposes and are undeniably “costumes”. And yet when I do fittings, I consistently feel and hear from these people that these pieces aren’t just costumes to them, but that they’re helping them to manifest some version of themself that up until now has only existed inside their own brain. I’ve seen quite a few people cry when they first looked into the mirror in their custom outfit and saw their fantasy version of themself existing in real life for the first time. Fantasy and authenticity can go hand in hand. Just because it’s a costume doesn’t mean it isn’t also real, and just because it’s dressing up in a performative way doesn’t mean it’s purely a “costume” in the sense of pretending to be something you’re not.

Thinking of my 16 year old self, just starting to come into my queerness and gender nonconformity without yet having the words to identify what I was feeling. Going to school on a daily basis in what was basically my best attempt at Revenge-era Gerard cosplay (suit jackets, striped or red necktie, red eyeshadow, heavy black eyeliner, skeleton gloves, etc) because emulating someone who owned that performative flamboyant androgyny in such a captivating way was what made me feel most confident and safe to do so during a time where I was feeling very lost and insecure about who I was and where I fit into the world, and as a result I was able to learn more about myself than I would have otherwise.

Are they costumes? I see you. Don't worry, I see you.

[genderfluid-info-blog]

Hi! I think I might be genderfluid. I have felt like I wasn't purely cis for a very long time, adopting 'lesbian' as "basically sort of my gender" for a while when I was 18, and feeling indifferent towards pronouns since forever (though using she/her because it's easier). I first realised last October that the way I saw my own gender sort of changed with my expression and how other people perceived me (ie wearing a dress made me feel more feminine, liking star trek around people who consider that a masculine show made me feel more masculine, etc). After realising that, I started to focus on how *I* felt regardless of other people's opinion. I am noticing now I find it quite difficult to discern gender roles, gender expression, and my actual gender itself. I have days where I wear a sports bra as a binder because it feels better, days where anything feminine makes me feel uncomfortable, days where I feel like I am both masculine and feminine at the same time, or nothing entirely. Yet on the other hand, I also have days where not dressing femininely makes me feel uncomfortable, and I've noticed that even on my more 'masculine' days, it is important to me that I don't feel like a man, and that I'm afab. On those days, I truly do not feel like a woman, but the part of me that is raised a girl and understands what it feels like to be a girl is always in me. It's an important part of the way my gender feels to me, at all times. This also makes me feel like I am 'faking' it (for lack of a better word), like I really am just a cis woman who prefers dressing in a way that is more gender-nonconforming sometimes. Of course I know that no one can tell me what my gender is, or even what "gender" is and how to define it, but I'd love to feel a little less lost. How do I feel more certain in my gender identity? Is this a common genderfluid experience (is there a microlabel for this)? Do you, or anyone reading this, have any tips on how to determine what my gender is on any given day, how to identify that feeling? Thank you so much for all you do on this blog <3

Hi! What you're describing sounds like a typical genderfluid experience :)

First of all, I want to preface this by saying that it's completely valid for your AGAB to be important to your gender! You don't need to resent your AGAB or distance yourself from it in order to be trans! It is perfectly understandable that having grown up AFAB plays a big role to you and that being an important part of your identity does not mean that you're "faking it". You're valid the way you are. <3

Now, as for your question to how you can feel more certain in your gender identity:

I have a very similar ask to this here with a list of things that might help you

Check out genderfluid spaces! Engage with the community, read about other people's experiences, but also just enjoy the memes, positivity posts, exchanges etc. Interacting with the community surrounding your gender can help you feel validated :)

Affirm yourself. Say your gender out loud to yourself, take care of yourself, especially on days when gender dysphoria hits, find clothes that make you feel comfortable and good about yourself.

Give yourself time. Everyone gets insecure from time to time, and especially at the beginning most of us fall into insecurity and self-doubts. It sucks, but it's a perfectly normal experience. It'll get better with time.

Engage online with posts that make you feel good about your gender! And come back to them when the doubts get worse

Don't be too harsh on yourself. Distract yourself with your hobbies, friends and other activities if necessary, but try not to fall into a hole of overthinking, that's counterproductive and just makes you feel bad about yourself.

If you can, buy products that give you gender euphoria. It doesn't have to be something big. A perfume, a soap, a bracelet, etc. Little changes can make a big difference :)

I personally don't know of a micro label relating to this, but I do believe that it's a common experience among many people. You're not alone with this feeling. I personally feel connected to my AGAB as well and to a certain degree it plays a role in my gender. That's not uncommon or wrong.

And as for figuring out what gender you are on any given day:

See how people referring to you as certain terms (woman, man, person etc) make you feel

Try to find words that feel like "you" gender-wise on that day, this can be literally anything! (e. g. rock, moss, forest, wave ec. sometimes it's easier to describe my gender in words like this and it still helps me put into perspective what gender I am that day, idk if that works for you, but you could give it a try!)

I can't think of anything else right now, but if someone else has more tips, feel free to add them!!

And thank you for your kind words, I'm glad you enjoy my blog🩷 Have a great day! <3

[novelconcepts]

Pride Month is technically over, but some reminders that suit all year 'round:

It's no one's business how you identify unless you choose to share it. If they don't like it, that is very much not your problem. They don't know what it's like inside your head, your heart, your skin. Only you are party to those answers.

Nobody gets to gatekeep an identity from you.

No one gets to tell you you're not gay enough.

No one gets to tell you what your gender is except you.

Someone else not using the same words as you, or using the same words in different ways than you do, has absolutely no bearing on your identity.

Your experience is your own. Period.

Identity can fluctuate over time. How you identify today doesn't have to be how you identified last week doesn't have to be how you will identify in ten years. It doesn't make you a fake. It just means you're in tune with yourself, and you're trying to make sense of things the best you can.

Someone else's journey can make you uncomfortable without being bad or wrong or evil. Discomfort with someone's experience does not grant the right to tell them who they are. Being a person is nuanced as fuck, and it's hard enough as it is.

There is no right or wrong way to be gay, to be trans, to be gender nonconforming, etc etc etc. There are no rules except "be happy, don't hurt others".

Treat your body like you own it. Live your life however you feel is safest, warmest, kindest. You get one shot on this roller coaster; you can wear as many or as few costumes as you like along the way and still be you.

The words are here to help. They are not here to be bars of a cage or a cudgel with which to beat someone else. If it's not helping, you don't have to use it. If you're weaponizing it, consider what you think that'll solve.

There are always going to be bigots coming for us. There are always going to be people who willfully misunderstand, who choose violence and hatred over an open mind. Don't give them more power than they already have. They have enough in their arsenal already.

Your experience is your own. Your identity is your own. Anyone making your identity their problem? Has absolutely nothing to do with you.

Happy fuckin' Pride.

[spacerockwriting]

Franny Gallagher HC

I’m on a HC roll today so here are some Franny HC I have.

After an incident, Debbie gets arrested, leading to Ian and Mickey deciding to take her in. Mickey had just gotten onboard with having kids, so they let Franny stay with them.

The first day Franny is very tired and very quiet, clinging to Mickey during the BBQ at the apartment. Mickey notices that all of Frannys clothes are frilly and girly and dresses and so he dresses her in the most comfort outfit she has.

As soon as they get custody, they take her shopping and let her pick out any clothes she wants. Mickey and Ian are very gender-nonconforming when it comes to clothes. Franny picks out mostly dark t-shirts and the only feminine thing is The Little Mermaid because mermaids and trans kids go together v well.

Before school starts that fall, Mickey notices that Frannys hair is really knotty and tangles easy to which Ian just shrugs like “yeah, so did Debs at that age. Guess it’s time for a trim.” Franny is really anxious about cutting her hair short. She does not like her long hair, but the thought of Debbie getting mad at her for not having it “long and pretty” frightens her. Ian and Mickey start to learn that this eventually becomes a major anxiety point for Franny. In the end, Mickey reassures her that he and Ian don’t care about how she wears her hair (just as long as you don’t look like Lip, Mickey jokes.) Franny ends up with a shaggy boyish cut that is still long enough to tie up at her insistence, and she looks like a little long haired Ian with straight hair.

Eventually Franny starts changing her name from Franny, to Fran, and per the twins who cannot say “Fran” the name turns into Finn. This leads to Franny deciding one day to change her name to Finnegan Mikhailo Gallagher. Because “Finnegan Ian would sound weird and Finnegan kind of already has the name Ian in it.” Mikhailo because Mickey is her comfort person. (As soon as Debbie’s rights are officially relinquished, they permanently adopt Finn)

Debbie’s arrest has given Finn mental health issues as well as anxiety.

Finn IS transgender. Transitioning is difficult, more so because of obstacles. Ian and Mickey take everything slow, and take all the right steps. They even get Trevor on board for help and guidelines and whatever else they need.

It’s not until fifth grade that Finn starts to use he/him pronouns.

Finn is the biggest non-Milkovich-Milkovich there is. He loves the shit out of Mickey and wants to be a king of the south side. Ian will not be surprised if Finn comes home with knuckle tats one day.

Finn calls Mickey Baba because the twins couldn’t say Papa and so he became Baba, and he calls Ian Dad. The first time Finn calls them those names is during a period where he is overwhelmed and scared, the name slipping out by accident. Ian and Mickey welcome it.

Finns obsessed with greasers, gangs, all that shit. He loves the book Rumble Fish, and wants a switch blade for his birthday.

It’s a secret, but Mickey does teach him about Shivs and take him to go shooting. These are strict “don’t tell Dad” moments.