#it's about faith it's about gender it's about sexuality it's about mental illness it's about so many things.

[fungi-maestro]

The Question #6 (1987)

[aplpaca]

thinking about how I've seen OCD get talked about now, but haven't really seen many posts that actually explain what it is. And like, obviously people shouldn't get all their info about mental conditions from posts, but u can't deny that internet communities and stuff play a major role in people recognizing and putting names to their own experiences.

But like since the general public has like absolutely no idea of what OCD actually is (no thanks to popular media), and a lot of things I see talking about intrusive thoughts don't mention OCD (either bc they originated in OCD circles or bc intrusive thoughts aren't Exclusive to OCD or for some other reason), there should prob be more explanation put out on what OCD actually consists of.

Which is kinda hard in some ways, bc there are so many ways OCD can present in terms of what "themes" a person experiences, so someone talking about what their themes are might not ring a bell with someone who experiences different ones. But like, the core thing with OCD isn't the presence of certain themes, it's a specific pattern of spiraling thoughts and reactions.

Like. OCD is a mental condition/illness where people experience stressful, unwanted, repetitive thoughts. These are intrusive thoughts are what make up the "obsessions" part of the disorder. In response to these intrusive thoughts, a lot of people will perform certain actions or think certain things in an attempt to neutralize or disprove the threat they represent. These are the "compulsions" part of the condition.

For a more "traditional" example, someone experiencing intrusive thoughts that they might catch a communicable disease may obsessively wash their hands or google their symptoms to try to lessen the anxiety. While someone who is worried they might hurt someone (even though they very much do not want to hurt someone) may avoid being near sharp objects or may avoid the people they're afraid of hurting.

One of the issues with OCD is that performing the compulsions provides short term relief, but in the long term it only strengthens the stress caused by the intrusive thoughts, thus furthering the thought spiral and actively making it worse, to the point where, depending on your themes, you may be (almost) convinced that your intrusive thoughts represent the truth or the inevitable or something permanent.

Intrusive thought themes cam be literally anything, but some of the common ones are stuff like

Questioning your sexuality, gender, etc (what if I'm actually straight/gay/bi/trans/cis/etc?)

Being worried about losing control and hurting yourself or others physically, sexually, emotionally, basically any way (what if I want to kill someone? What if I'm a pedophile? What if I'm an abuser? What if I want to stab myself? Etc)

Fear of becoming or being sick

Worrying something bad will happen to you or people you care about

Worrying about your spiritual beliefs or lack thereof (what if I'm actually Christian? What if I'm actually atheist? What if i don't believe in the faith i ascribe to? Etc)

Worrying about relationship status (what if I don't actually love them? What if they're not "the one"? What if they're cheating? What if *I'm* cheating? Etc)

What if I'm a bad person?

Fear of losing things

Fear of things not feeling right (this is often be related to other themes via magical thinking. ex: if I don't have my things organized Just Right then something bad will happen)

Fear of unreality

Compulsions vary by theme a lot obviously, but some common ones include

Hand washing

Organizing things until they Feel Right

Checking and double checking and triple checking to make sure you did something correctly

Obsessively reviewing your memories to disprove a thoughtor make sure you don't believe something

Arguing against the thoughts in an attempt to disprove them

Testing your mental reactions to a thought or to certain kinds of content, to show yourself you don't actually believe or feel something

Obsessively googling symptoms, testimonies, things related to your thoughts

Obsessive prayer

Repeating phrases, mantras, affirmations, etc in an attempt to make thoughts go away

Avoiding things and situations that set off your intrusive thoughts

Repeatedly asking for reassurance from others ("I'm not being xyz, right?")

But yeah this obviously isn't exhaustive but, just, if this kind of thing sounds familiar, you should probably do some research on OCD, bc while intrusive thoughts can occur with other conditions, the intrusive thought-compulsion spiral is the core of OCD and isn't really a subaspect of depression/anxiety/ptsd/etc. and the treatment and management of OCD can look different from other stuff, so its a good thing to look into.

(Also it's important to keep in mind, esp if you're someone that doesn't have it, that someone's intrusive thoughts Are Not "secret desires" or "repressed urges" or anything the person even remotely wants to act on. Someone having harm-related intrusive thoughts is not at risk of actually acting on them, no matter how worried they are of doing so.)

Anyway this was a long post and I don't have a neat way to wrap it up and also I accidentally added a poll and now can't get rid of it so here's free poll. I'm running on nyquil and a small amount of straight gin (which works very well at numbing a sore throat) rn gnite

[nataliescatorccioapologist]

What I think each Yellowjackets character’s Letterboxd top 4 would be

*I’m including movies past the 90s even though some of these characters didn’t live long enough to see them*

Natalie

I think Nat is a huge horror movie fan (specifically 80s slasher and demonic possession) and loves edgy gothic vibes. I also think she would love some artsy indie movies about sex and challenging gender roles (and just some cool action movies with hot badass women).

Honorable mentions go to The Craft and Kill Bill

Misty

We all know Misty is a theater kid. She loves musicals and I think girlie is definitely singing Sweeney Todd and Phantom of the Opera songs to herself 24/7. And I feel like I don’t even need to explain the Steel Magnolias inclusion, she had that monologue memorized like it was imprinted on her soul.

Honorable mentions go to Hairspray and Hamilton

Jackie

I know Jackie loves a good chick flick, particularly those with homoerotic subtexts. I think, if she had gotten to live long enough to start coming to terms with her sexuality, But I’m a Cheerleader would definitely be her gay awakening. And then Bottoms once she’s tip-toed out of the closet a little bit more (RIP Jackie Taylor you would have LOVED Bottoms). And of course, I had to add Beaches because of the “Are you quoting Beaches at me right now?” line, and also because I think Jackie would watch it and shed a secret tear because it makes her think of her and Shauna.

Honorable mentions go to Uptown Girls and Heathers

Van

Van would definitely refuse to watch anything past the 90s. She loves comedy classics and queer staples. I know Van quotes The Godfather in the full Italian accent constantly (especially around Nat to piss her off) and she’s watched The Princess Bride an ungodly amount of times and knows pretty much every line (Buttercup was her queer awakening).

Shauna

Like Jackie, Shauna love movies about intense (homoerotic) friendships. I know she relates to Needy in Jennifer’s Body living in Jennifer’s (Jackie’s) shadow and resenting her for it but also being so obsessed and intertwined with her; and she also just loves the visuals and its satire on female exploitation. Shauna maybe relates to and roots for Pearl a little too much, she loves a movie about a woman desperate for recognition and teetering on the edge of insanity while maintaining a sweet and innocent facade. Also I can see adult Shauna in particular just being charmed by Little Women (partly because of the love triangle but mostly because of the womanhood and female friendship themes).

Honorable mentions go to Juno and Scream

Also side note: I feel like Shauna would love Daria, but it’s a TV show so I didn’t include it.

Laura Lee

Laura Lee loves uplifting and wholesome movies. I can see her shamelessly liking kid’s movies well into adulthood. She likes movies centered around helping people in need like The Rescuers or going through hardship and discovering faith like Soul Surfer. Girl is religious-religious so her favorites are definitely going to be centered around faith and Christianity. But she also just likes a simple feel-good film; the cheesiest, sappiest movies you can imagine.

Lottie

Okay Lottie was hard to pinpoint but I’m pretty sure she would like angsty, artsy shit. Like, in high school, she would pretend to love chick flicks like the rest of her classmates but when she gets home she’s putting on the darkest and most depressing weird girl movie you’ve ever seen. I think she likes Suspiria for the occult themes, the otherworldly feeling of it, and eccentricities of the main character who never knows what’s real and what’s not, which she relates to. I think she likes some mental illness movies like Donnie Darko because of her diagnosis and upbringing and The Virgin Suicides because she’s lonely and feels overly-controlled by her parents. And Amelie because she once again relates to the loneliness and likes that the main character discovers her gift for helping people. I think Lottie would prioritize good cinematography and visuals in movies, too.

I don’t think Lottie would really watch movies as an adult because she would be too busy running a cult and disconnecting from society, which is why these picks are centered around Teen Lottie.

-

I couldn’t think of what Tai would like! She is a mystery to me. I can see her maybe liking something like Whiplash because she is super driven and ambitious and kind of tortures herself for success? But idk. Please comment or repost with what you think her’s would be!

[mulderscully]

been thinking about some peoples complaints about how the movie handled alex's coming out as opposed to the book.

part of me understands because the movie did sort of neuter this as well as the depth of henry's mental illness, but at the same time i understand why. the movie is already two hours long and tbh if they wanted to do a fully faithful adaptation (which imo is not necessary) it maybe should've been a mini series.

and aside from taking out liam, tbh i still think that all happened just wasn't shown, and the fact that this is why alex has always known he's "lowkey into dudes" i feel like people don't fully grasp what alex goes through in that time after new years in the movie.

not every bisexual person has the same experience, but i can relate to alex pretty well both in the book and in the movie in terms of his sexuality cause they actually are pretty similar.

a lot of times when you're bisexual you just feel like everyone feels this way. you sort of feel like being straight is what being bisexual is, because the idea that others do not experience attraction to the same and different genders sounds... fake. like. i'm not even joking when i say i have a hard time believing straight people exist. i fully, of course, believe gay people exist, but people being straight and not queer at all makes me ??? sometimes, even now that i have identified as bi for over ten years.

then, there is a pretty big difference between knowing you experience same gender attraction from time to time and actively identifying as a bisexual person, as a queer person, a member of the lgbtq community.

bisexuals, to this day, are made to feel like we do not belong by both heterosexual people and our own community (which is why ellen telling alex the b in lgbtq is not a silent letter realllly matters) so sometimes you really do just shut out that part of yourself and choose to see yourself as straight because it's not worth fighting all the biphobia that you face, but it's still a part of you that you are shutting out and repressing, which is what alex was doing with henry the entire time and where his alleged dislike of him comes from in the first place. henry hates how much he loves alex so he's mean to him, alex doesn't understand why henry is mean to him because he wants henry to like him because he ALSO has feelings for him and those things clash.

during the time that henry ghosts him alex has time to evaluate himself, his feelings and his identity. he has the time to say "this is not something that i am going to ignore about myself anymore" and it may not be as magnified as it is for henry because they're in different positions in terms of support systems, it's still powerful.

when he comes out to henry, you can tell he is getting used to thinking of himself as bisexual but you can also tell that he is nervous to say the word, because telling someone you're bi is ALWAYS terrifying because you don't know what they might say to it. on top of that, you can feel that it is important to him to say it, to tell henry who he is now that he understands it.

being bisexual and identifying that way, and that being part of who you are and carrying it in your heart is a different thing than being like "yeah, whatever i'll make out with someone at a party" even if the latter is still a valid way to be queer. and sometimes you just look back and realize that [x] experience was NEVER straight.

and the best part of the movie to me is henry's complete acceptance of this. henry never ever questions alex's attraction to him, he never questions if alex will be able to stay committed to him, if he will leave him for a woman, if he's confused, or any of the things that STILL happen in media with bisexual characters as leads and as a bisexual person that has been one of the most freeing things to watch.

so yes, alex's bisexuality is still very important and handled as such in the film, in my personal bisexual opinion.

[us-the-voices-and-more-voices-2]

Us-the-voices intro card!

this is a work in progress but currently it will house the tags we use, our DNI, and alter intros and a couple other fun things!

Link to resource page, filled with many resources. LINK

-------- DC text post series ----------------

superfam being confusing and half clones:

part 1 luthor and Conner reconciliation arc

batfamily stuff: (note this is not in order this is parts of a series each part contains more than 10 posts)

part 1 introducing the batfam along with funny stuff

Part 2 actual batfam serious stuff

part 3 red hood oneshots about various things and how he reacted

part 4 Thomas Wayne being himself, a collection of previous posts

part 5

firestorm being 3 guys:

part 1 the origin + the first couple episodes.

random head cannons important to the series:

part 1 part 2 part 3 part 3 part 4

——————⭐️🦀SIDE BLOGS🦀⭐️————

@us-the-voices-xenogender-blog

A blog for all things blinkies, xenogenders and pixel art

@the-bad-advice-blog-3

you want awful. awful advice? send it in here!

@us-the-batfam-blog

Finally a blog dedicated to just Batman stuff

——————🛑‼️WARNING‼️🛑—————

THIS BLOG CONTAINS BLINKING, FLASHING, EYESTRAIN AND OTHER PHOTOSENSITIVE THINGS! PLEASE BE SAFE, WE WILL TRY TO TAG AS MUCH AS WE CAN BUT IT WILL SLIP THROUGH. PLEASE ONLY LOOK AT TEXT POST FROM US, IF YOU HAVE EPILEPSY BECAUSE I CANNOT GUARANTEE THIS BLOG IS SAFE

this blog talks about mature topics! Such as Sexual abuse, death, trauma, child abuse, ableism, sexism, racism, police brutality, some really depressing environmental issues, homophobia, transphobia, queerphobia, gore, capitalism, and MORE!

so please consider this your warning!

———————⚠️ DNI ⚠️—————————

Terfs/radfems, transphobes/queerphobes, (I have had enough of you. Why do you have to be so awful Jesus, it’s not like awful people don’t come in all shapes, sizes, races, and genders. I ain’t defending awful people. But trans people just exist and I believe in judging people on a person to person basis. I don’t think you are bad I just want you to shut up about it, I’ll always be loudly supportive of trans people and loudly a feminist too. So deal with it! Also I don’t hate men, why would i??? So shush)

ableists/sanists (like the people who discriminate against mentally ill people),

Tankies/marxist-lennists/maoists/north-korean socialist supporters (please fuck off I hate facists, and you are the types to argue that disabled people should all die for the glorious revolution but again fuck you we are 15% of the fucking world’s population and guess what I wanna live)

animal abusers/people who spread misinformation about animals and animal care, (I hope you stub your toes)

syscourse (yeah I don’t ever want to engage in it idc shut up this blog is about literally everything else BUT that.),

bad faith gender/other Identities (E.G BLM gender, transabled, ect.)

racists/xenophobes/antisemites, misogynists.

non-binary exclusionists.

pro-censorship people.

anti-therians/otherkin, (if you are it’s not a deal breaker lol, it’s just some of us are therian/otherkin due to plurality)

only NSFW blogs (like if you occasionally post NSFW your okay, if it’s less than 50% nsfw your fine on this blog lol),

MAP’s AND PEDO’s and people who like l*licon/sh**tacon (fuck off and stay off) (sorry I am actually anti censorship but following our most recent ban I’m being more “careful” when mentioning these topics so sorry)

Dream Stans (yeah I fucking hate that guy, I like MCYT but dream and co can stay off of here REAL) (I have always hated him and I will continue to, fuck off dream Stan’s),

anti-good faith xenogenders (yeah so what if the term xeno-identities is more the “right” term idgaf! I literally have no qualms nor problems with xenogenders, in my mind it makes sense because gender is a social construct and so why not have fun with it?)

And more to be added :)

WE ALSO BELIEVE PEOPLE CAN CHANGE AND GROW, AND HATE IS LEARNED SO IF YOU WERE ONE OF THESE THINGS IN THE PAST AND HAVE NOW REFORMED I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT YOU!

——————————- ALTER INTROS —————————————

Now expanded in our tumblr page!

Pop (hi I’m pop, I’m usually the one on here when it’s not everyone else. If you see me more than usual it means LIFE happened. I’m technically host? But me, Lena, And poppie kinda share that role. They/them he/him)

poppie (cat girl, you see her a lot on here. She’s SUPER into the veganism scene and animal rights and is a cat-therian lol we all love her she’s the best. She/her any cat neopronouns actually.)

Lena (demon, yeah she’s a demon! She’s nonsense hardworking and in the demonkin/otherkin scene. She/her)

belle (psychology nerd, actually knows how to write ANYTHING is honestly the best. She/her)

————————————. Tags ————————————————-

#Anticapitalism stuff (a tag that argues against capitalism, and trashing multinational corporations and a bit of environmental stuff.)

#anarchism stuff (a tag for all things anarchism)

#art stuff (a tag for stuff related to the ethics, discussion, or making of art.)

#music stuff (for all things music and music theory!)

#tv and movie stuff (the tag for film and television, kinda fun kinda sad! It’s good tho)

#anti-censorship stuff (a tag for anti-censorship stuff, and why it’s important!)

#trans stuff (a tag for all things trans! Includes dark topics, mostly happy stuff tho.)

#queer stuff (a tag for all things LGBTQIA+, mostly happy but with triggering and dark topics.)

#mental health stuff (A tag for all things mental health, let it be help or just memes or darker topics.)

#mental illness stuff (a tag for specifically mental illnesses, like anxiety or depression or whatever usually REALLY dark but sometimes happy usually dark tho.)

#veganism stuff (a tag for all things vegan, not recipes just ethics and whatever. I [pop] don’t usually add to it but poppie does ALL THE TIME.)

#disability (for all things disability, let it be activism stuff, vents, information, or just funny stuff! It’s a tag I tend to use for myself because fun fact I [pop] am not okay! Health wise lol.)

#punk stuff (A tag for all things punk, let it be C-punk, madpunk, neuropunk or whatever! It’s a tag for all things punk! Including art, crafts, sewing and punk beliefs and politics I love punks I am not really one due to a whole lotta reasons but I love them so much <3 )

#environmentalism stuff (Climate change, mass extinctions, greedy corporations and politicians, animal rights, and more stuff. Mostly climate/animal related but intersects with disability stuff, anarchism stuff, activism stuff, and veganism and punk stuff. Fun fact these types of things are extremely intersectional but are never presented as such due to infighting!)

#healthcare stuff (The weird tag related to health and healthcare, not a disability tag, not a environmentalism tag literally health and healthcare which is weird. Mostly PSA’s)

#animal care stuff (For all things animal care, I disagree with veganism’s doctrine here. Keeping Some animals and keeping animals can be done well and awesomely and help petstore and wild animals, but people who do animal care just absolutely trash just don’t deserve anything or anyone. It’s a fine line, but I genuinely believe if you take good care of your animals and give them an amazing quality of life I genuinely don’t see a problem with keeping animals.)

#animal abuse stuff (Goes hand in hand with animal care stuff, it’s pretty bad at times, it is what it says on the tin. Mostly also animal care stuff.)

#child abuse stuff (For stories, children’s rights, or experiences. It’s pretty dark.)

#youth liberation (for youth liberation stuff, it’s important honestly.)

#children's rights (A tag for all things children’s rights it’s super cool!)

#homelessness stuff (a tag related to homelessness and just all the things that come with it, it’s a dark tag. Sometimes happy.)

#uhoused stuff (Same same but different, more related to cost of living crisis’s and capitalism then disenfranchisement and outright just the sad reality that is being mentally ill and homeless or a substance abuser and homeless or trans/queer and homeless or any other absolutely insane and awful reason people are homeless.)

#communism stuff (For all things communist, I don’t believe it will fix anything and it is kinda extremely hard to get rid of monetary currency. But communism, socialism, anarchism, and punk theory are all connected in ways and have some BASED ideas and principles. So yeah that’s why it’s tagged on here!

Edit: I do not agree with communism; well Marxist Leninist, or Stalinist, or any variation of fucking facist dictators like North Korean communism/socialism or soviet communism and Maoist communism. Why? Because do I really have to spell it out they were facist DICTATORS, I do not believe a cult of personality is good nor that people instead of being solely valued on their money they are solely valued by their ableness which I think is harmful as shit. A lot of communists are literally tankies and for the death penalty and many other things I’m against including “making prisons torture chambers” “state mandated murder of people against communism” “leaving disabled and mentally ill people to rot because they can’t contribute to the work force and such are useless to the communist state” “stealing shit from people because it now belongs to the state” “forcing people into mandatory labor jobs with no way out of it unless they become disabled or die” and many many more! Communism can be interesting and helpful but in a lot of ways people drunk the “facists aren’t bad they are communists they are for the people!” Drink. And like I don’t believe in that shit, go fucking deconstruct your biases please because otherwise I’m blocking you, talkies fuck off)

#socialism stuff (I actually do believe socialism can work, it’s definitely not the end all be all of ways to govern/live life but I think it’s a good stepping stone to all different wonderful things that can change the world for the better, usually the CIA/FBI/US government appears a lot in this tag due to reasons that will become apparent. But it’s a fun one!)

#fat stuff (A tag about fatphobia, diet culture, ableism and just annoying stuff about being fat lol. Mostly medical negligence and malpractice because holy shit fuck is it bad in this tag. Also Eating disorders are talked about in every post in one way or another, it’s a big problem. Dark tag.)

#religion stuff (A thing for all things religion, it’s basically every criticism and deep cut anyone and everyone has on every single religion, which yk obviously no one literally agrees with anything. It’s mostly everyone going “QUEER/TRANS/DISABLED/WOMEN/“SINNERS” DONT DESERVE THIS TREATMENT IT MAKES NO SENSE!” Other religions “NO THEY DO” and it’s actually very well written and argued for. Also atheism is talked about a lot too, it’s mostly like a deep philosophical and ethical debate that has spanned literally everything and everywhere where it’s all boiled down to “yeah some fuckers deserve prison, but the average normal guy kinda just exists we guess??? Religious or not???? And there’s kinda nothing wrong with it but we would rather them be religious in some way????” And that is still the shittyist summary ever too. But it’s the gist of this tag. Also memes!)

(and where I put all stuff related to religion it’s very much a mixed bag i’m not making fun of anyone actually it’s that there is genuinely too much variety in this tag to accurately tell you what’s in there. It’s everything related to religion all religions!)

#autism stuff (Specifically for autistic stuff, it’s used from time to time.)

#activism stuff (a tag for all things ally posting, and human/animal/land/just everything rights. It’s fun!)

#food stuff (A tag about all things food related, sometimes recipes sometimes diet culture and why it’s bad. Sometimes it’s just cultural things related to food. Food is a big topic LOL)

#comics and book stuff (a tag about all things comics, books, and written works.)

#tv and movie stuff or #film and tv (a tag about all things TV and film, let it be discussion, gifs, or videos or fun facts.)

#neurodivergent stuff (For all things neurodivergent! Fun stuff, kinda happy kinda dark. Intersects with mental health stuff and mental illness stuff and disability tags. Because like why wouldn’t it???)

#animals (yes just for animals, nice calm usually no triggering animal stuff. It’s just cuteness usually! Unless I put something dark in there then sorry.)

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#us-the-voices Cooks (a tag for recipes, food we make, and random cooking tips???)

#us-the-voices reviews (a tag for all things reviews! Let it be movies, shows, games, art, books, fanfics, whatever!)

#us-the-voices talks (A tag for like personal affairs? Or just “haha update stuff went DOWN in our personal lives” or just general chatting with mutuals who knows I haven’t decided yet.)

#us-the-voices recommends (weird tag for all weird recommendations of shows/books/tv/fanfic/movies it’s there it’s weird and if your bored and want something to do maybe you’ll like it lol.)

#us-the-voices rants (a tag for rants, don’t take them seriously it’s usually momentarily sad/existential/angry/fed up/annoyed/trauma dump RANTS. suggest you just block the tag lol, I will probably make half of these while I’m unwell and sick or just stressed and under all sorts of stress. So honestly it’s just a tag so you guys don’t have to deal with it because I will eventually be stupid on the internet and I’d rather you understand these are nonsense rants that are just a release of information that’s been annoying us.)

#the voices talk (A tag for talking about alters or specific things some alters want to talk about but not all.)

#poppie weblogs (poppies tag for her stuff, it literally has everything in it.)

and more to come!

——— User boxes ———————————

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BLINKIESSSSS

below the cut because they strobe!!!!!

[wolfisland]

ill admit i do at times almost miss being one of the most insufferable bisexuals on this site. like its terrible for your mental health arguing for sport and having people treat you like a legitimate public figure when youre just a dog with a blog, but im a deeply egotistical creature and all press is good press and such and such. i think i wouldve been an incredible troll if i were a worse person with a weaker moral compass.

like who needs fame when you have thousands of tumblrinas following you completely ready to skewer you at any given moment or treat you like a prophet for having common sense.

but then you also have people blatantly lying about you and taking you in such bad faith itd be almost comical if i werent so prone to cracking under pressure. like i backed up all of my old blogs so im sure i could dig around somewhere for the asks id get regularly.

i wouldnt say i regretted my old blogs either though. i regretted some things i said and did, as i do with every blog i make and every day of my life. obviously. but i do still think a lot about how special it was to get asks from people about how they learned to be more comfortable and confident in their bisexuality, or that they realised they were bisexual (or bigender) through me posting about it.

its less the sense of "haha wow im so influential" and more "im genuinely touched that i got to be part of someones journey like that when i consider my presence largely inconsequential outside of me being kind of a menace" like thats very dear to me. it makes me happy to this very day that people resonated so strongly with my disorganized ramblings.

i think its very easy to dismiss the things you say or do as having no real impact (or, if youre me, assuming all youre capable of in the long run is causing harm) but its a little more real to hear it directly from someone that something you said meant something to them in a positive way. i miss that part. i do miss hearing peoples experiences and journeys with their sexuality and gender. in the scheme of it we're lucky we even have internet access to share these things with each other. its nice to be part of something positive for once.

[julie-su]

You will never learn to love the weird people of the world if you keep watching videos from dubious strangers about lolcows, that linger for an oddly long time on aspects of these people's appearance and identity. I don't care if the rest of the video lists crimes that seem righteous to persecute; if these videos were being made in good faith, then they would only focus only on their crimes, and would remain silent on unrelated aspects of these people's lives. No, these videos are more often than not, intentionally made about people who are already seen as 'undesireable' to society by the people making the videos - whether it's disability, religeon, race, gender identity, so on...

Next time you find yourself watching these videos, take notice - how often is their gender identity brought up? How often are their mental illnesses brought up? Disabilities? Race? Sexuality? Religeon? You are being indoctrinated into fascist thought-patterns, training you to see these people as inherently undesireable. You are playing into their hands at an alarming rate.

[thatonebirdwrites]

Accessibility and the Rise of Ableism as a buzz word

I really get so angry at people using ableism as a buzz word to ignore the actual needs of my community.

Instead of, maybe asking us, people assert a claim about what they think we need.

The current debate on NaNoWriMo is a good example of that. Their assertion about LLM/Generative AI discussion having ableist undertones is an example of someone using ableism as a buzz word without a proper examination of the actual issues that impact a community.

It makes assumptions about what people with specific disabilities are able and aren't able to do, which is ableist in of itself. It's not meant to actually be helpful for disabled people, but to silence our worries by claiming that a "tool exists already" as if this tool can replace our need for human community and support.

This digs into the much LARGER debate about how tech companies and so-called "innovators" will not listen to the communities they claim to be "innovating for." Thus, they end up making items that don't solve my community's needs. Instead, these devices often cause more harm, are taking funding away from products (or designs we may make ourselves) that actually help us thus causing more harm, and overall makes it more difficult to push for equitable and accessible revamping of ableist systems.

Disabled people are a diverse bunch for sure as anyone can be disabled for any reason and at any time in their life. Disabled people come in all ethnicities, races, classes, genders, sexual orientations, etc.

But there are still some commonalities when it comes to which illnesses and/or disabilities we may be discussing for a specific need.

For example, those of us who use wheelchairs need the environment itself to be built in a more accommodating way. We need more ramps, we need more easily opened doors, we need less hostile architecture.

We Do Not Need A Wheelchair That Can Climb Stairs. Often those things are deathtraps to start, and very rarely include us in the design process. It also disguises the very real problem of hostile architecture by slapping a mediocre and badly designed "tech solution" as a band-aid, as if that will actually solve all our problems. (Spoiler, it won't.) It takes funding away from redesigning architecture in a less hostile way, and it hijacks the discussion away from our needs and toward the so-called tech solution.

Technology can be helpful for us, yes, but what we need requires our input in order to produce a design that can actually assist the majority of us that has that particular disability.

This is where using ableism as a buzz word becomes such a major problem. In order to determine whether a person has engaged in good faith about the claim of ableism, we need to examine the underlying assumptions about that claim and see if they utilize an ableist framework.

To aid us, here's some definitions.

Abled-bodied person is a person who is not disabled. As in they have no physical or mental disabilities. Or they are someone who does not identify as disabled because any mental illness or physical illness they have does not negatively impact their life enough for them to notice (this person may have unresolved internalized ableism).

Disabled person is a person with a physical or mental (or learning) disability. People often identify as disabled. Please do not use “differently abled” as that was a term introduced by abled-bodied people and most disabled people in our community dislike the term as it others us.

Ableism is discrimination, bigotry, infantalism, and prejudice against disabled people.

Ableist framework is a narrative that demeans disabled people and puts them in a lower caste than the rest of society. This is common in a capitalist lifestyle, which is the idea that we can all make it if we work hard regardless of our health or mental wellness. Many a problematic narrative is rooted in this idea of productivity being the sole value of human worth, which is an ableist framing. Some disabled people cannot fit the parameters of what qualifies as “work” in a capitalist society, and thus they are deemed “unproductive” by society. This “unproductive” status puts them in a lower tier, where they are assumed to have no quality of life. Again, this is the root of Ableist Framing.

Now to expand on my examples.

For the wheelchair that can climb chairs, the innovator may claim criticism of the wheelchair has ableist undertones.

However, if we look more closely at the actual discussion about the wheelchair; we'll see very real concerns about how top heavy it is and prone to tipping over, how the mechanical parts can trap limbs and crush them, and other problems that can cause bodily harm to the disabled person using said item. In this instance, we see the criticisms are indeed valid, and that 'ableist undertone' was used as a buzz word to avoid the harm of the "innovation" and to avoid a discussion about what it is that wheelchair-users actually need.

In the case of NaNoWriMo, instead of actually engaging in people's very real concerns about the unethical nature of LLM/generative AI and its impact on the writing community; they used ableism as a buzz word to silence that criticism.

In the case of NaNoWriMo, instead of actually engaging in people's very real concerns about the unethical nature of LLM/generative AI and its impact on the writing community; they used ableism as a buzz word to silence that criticism. In their own words, they call the discussion of "artificial intelligence has undertones of ableism and classicism." When we dig deeper, NaNoWriMo uses ableist claims about disabled and lower income folks to try to defend their generative AI nonsense. The example I'll speak to is one that impacts me, that of people, who are either neurodivergent and/or with brain injuries and/or illnesses that impact the brain.

However, this is rooted in several harmful assumptions about what people with those illnesses and injuries can or cannot do. Thus, in an attempt to stop criticism of their actions, they engage in an ableist framework that presents specific disabled people as being unable to do the act of writing ourselves and thus requiring a novel tech solution to solve our issues.

People with these injuries and illnesses can and often do write, but what they truly need isn't some novel tech solution like ChatGPT.

As a side note, I won't go into the major problems with LLM/generative AI such as their unethical datasets; burying human authors and making it harder to discover us; harmful environmental impact where billions of gallons of water is used yearly and harms watersheds and water access; difficulty in phrasing prompts to get an output that is coherent; hallucinations (as in unreliable output data); misinformation; stealing our works to fuel the unethical datasets; etc. Others articulate that well; I just want to speak to the use of ableism in their statements. (To see a good analysis of NaNoWriMo, see this video by D'Angelo.)

What we need is the support of a human community. Better access to resources in general (such as Internet and/or data plans, which are expensive and a lot of low-income people do not have access to reliable services) or devices that fit our needs. For example, for myself, I often have friends who will help with editing for free or a fee I can afford. I also always use dark mode and text-to-speech software. Others may need software or devices that has dsylexic fonts, high or low contrasts, little to no blue light, dark modes, dictation programs, tablets like Remarkable or Kobo where you handwrite and it transforms it into text, etc.

Instead of discussing it with people within that community, they used ableism as a buzzword to silence their critics and then justify their harmful actions without any real regard for the actual impact to my community.

That is the problem with these people who do not engage in discussions with the communities they claim they are "helping" or "supporting." They instead speak for us as if they know us better than we know ourselves, which is also an ableist framework.

Disabled people are often poor because of how our society's ableist framework makes it near impossible for us to exist in society and receive the care we need for survival. This means we may not have access to reliable Internet or data plans that can handle heavy data loads, so it is classicist to assume we are able to access software that relies on reliable and heavy-data Internet and data plans.

So how can we approach this in a more nuanced way?

For one, talk to disabled people from that community and try to include a diversified sample from all sorts of races, ethnicities, classes, genders, etc.

We need ethical and accessible designs that includes us, as well as making these tools cheaper to access. For example, Diction software or Handwriting-to-text can be irritatingly expensive to find ones that are fairly accurate. The licensing of these types of software can be expensive too, so building up accurate, free and open-source alternatives would be lovely. This way we can use our own words spoken by us (or handwritten on the tablet).

We need a community of people that support us through a diversity of ways (emotionally, physically, intellectually, etc.) As in we need to stop isolating disabled people, and instead include us more holistically. To build up communities of care, where human beings work together to swap skills and help one another build what they envision.

We need society/orgs/people to listen to us and respect us as equally valid as their own selves. To stop speaking for us and allow us to speak about our needs. To stop assuming disabled people can't use their brain at all. To stop assuming we have no skills.

We need society to be more accessible and to center accessibility from the get-go. We need to expand the definition of accessibility to include not just physical spaces, but to include information, transportation, justice, sensory, etc.

We need accessible and cheap/free housing. clean water, clean air, and food.

What we do not need is people using us as a shield in order to silence criticism.

I wrote this article on my blog awhile back, but I'll resurrect it here:

Introduction

when i ask for accessibility as a disabled person, most abled-bodied (as in non-disabled people) assume that means if the ‘physical space’ is accessible for mobility reasons. it’s a common and not entirely accurate assumption of the ask itself. we are taught to view accessibility only as physical space adjustments, but this is not the only meaning of the word ‘accessible’ and it erases the diverse needs within the disability community.

the needs within the disability community can also improve the lives of those who aren’t disabled; accessibility is about justice for all people, where we create an multi-layered environment that is accessible not just transport-mobility-wise or physical-space-wise but also information-wise and multiple-role-wise.

what do i mean by multi-layered accessibility?

accessibility is about movement through the multi-layered spaces within our society. it’s about mobility.

mobility through physical space, information space, community space, intellectual/engagement/labor space, sensory space, transport space, time-independent space, and justice space.

mobility is the way we move in society whether physically through spaces such as buildings or streets. mobility is also how we move figuratively through community relationships.

mobility is how easy it is for us to access information and share information. another form of mobility is the roles we have in a community or in a movement — those roles provide emotional and intellectual spaces where people can exist based on their gifts.

so mobility justice and accessibility is a multi-layered space that exists not just in physical/transport space but also in community-space and information-space and sensory and intellectual/labor space.

we need to be cognizant of these multi-layers when creating events and movements so that we can be accessible to our most vulnerable members of the community.

so when a disabled person asks if something is accessible, we aren’t just asking if we can navigate to and from the event, or if we can understand the information presented (such as is there interpreters, etc), but also if there is a role we can exist within to further the goals of the movement as well as information about the movement and/or event that is easy to access and share.

Community Care and Accessibility

community care is also reliant on accessibility from a mobility justice framework. we cannot care for one another unless we find ways to center accessibility so that all people feel able to access support systems that may meet the multitude of needs in a diverse community.

to build up community care so that these diverse needs can be explored for possible accessible services and care practices is crucial to the goal of mutual aid efforts and the idea of community care itself.

accessibility is a gift not an add-on. it is a gift that provides a multitude of avenues for people to participate in ways that fits their abilities and energy levels.

if we reframe how we view accessibility, where we see it as a gift that creates more depth and space for all to exist and participate, then we can revolutionize our approach to community and building movements. centering accessibility — and its multi-layered definition that goes beyond just physical space — is crucial to liberation of all people.

our most vulnerable populations are Black disabled trans people, and thus accessibility also needs to be examined from their viewpoint in order to best meet their needs.  

when we view and create access with our most vulnerable populations, we are creating a multi-layered space that is accessible for all people, as it is when our most vulnerable populations needs are met that all needs will be met as well.

 that theory of building up has shown to be helpful especially in many Black Lives Matter groups around the country and in Indigenous groups, where their centering of the most vulnerable populations often created a fluid accessible multi-layered space that is held accountable to the needs of those communities. it created a creative and dynamic space for the diversity of people to exist.

to remind, the disability community is a vastly diverse community of so many different genders, sexual orientations, races, ethnicities, etc — to center accessibility and the multi-layered tenants of mobility/disability justice means opening up community and movements to a diverse and gifted group of people. it nourishes and inspires more creative ways of existing in relationship with one another.

may we learn and seek understanding. may we hear the voices of the vulnerable and seek to meet their needs. may we create community systems that are accountable to one another and care for one another as we are. may we listen and grow and uplift one another in the work we do.

_________

Crafting Accessible Spaces: Questions to Consider as Examples

I typed up the following guide for a friend to assist them with what questions to consider when centering accessibility at their event. May it help all of you as well. 

Do you have any questions to add to any of the categories that I may have missed? Is there further details on a suggestion that I could add? Let me know in the comments! I’ll edit this post as needed.

physical space:

is the area accessible for limited-mobility folks? As in can we reach it and navigate through it easily?

Are doors easy to open? Is there ramps? Is there elevators or wheelchair lifts that are easy to access?

Is there benches or chairs or places for people to rest if walking/wheeling is involved?

Is there air filtration units to help clean the air? Is masking with N95s mandatory to make sure immuno-compromised people can attend safely?

If there are speakers, can everyone in the audience hear the speaker? If not, how can the physical space be adjusted so people can hear better or see the interpreter better?  

How do you present any slides — is that easily seen by the entire audience?

information space:

are your materials easy to read? As in avoid jarring color combinations or too small font.

Are there interpreters if there are speakers? (This includes ASL as well as spoken languages).

Do you require everyone to include pronouns in their introductions? (You should.)

Do you have speakers provide a brief description of themselves in introductions for those who are blind? Is there descriptions of pictures (such as those used in slideshows or in videos) that blind people can access easily?

Does your online materials have alt-text and/or captions for those with sight and hearing disabilities?

Is information on accessibility easily available in your event invites?

Is the information translated into a language that is understandable by one’s audience? (This includes adjusting words used based on culture as well as different spoken languages).

community space:

How are you engaging the affected communities?

In what ways are you engaging in mutual aid for those that may attend? (such as meeting their needs in the other intersecting accessibility spaces I listed here).

In what ways are the needs of the community being listened to and addressed? Have accessible discussion spaces for community to provide feedback. Include the community in collaboration on how to create the access they need to fully engage with society and with one another.

Is the community walkable (or wheelable with a wheelchair/mobility aids)? Is the sidewalks easy to traverse? Is needed services nearby? Is there a way to create a mixed zoned neighborhood so that the community can access the food, healthcare, parks, etc to fully engage one another and the city at large? To be able to access events within the town?

Is there pandemic mitigation strategies to make sure people are able to safely convene without large risks to their health? (This means mandatory masking with N95 or better, air filtration units like HEPA filters or Corsi-Rosenthal boxes in each room, good ventilation systems, having the event outside, washing hands and using hand sanitizers. Strategies that are multi-layered are the safest for all people).

intellectual/engagement/labor space:

How are you utilizing/leveraging the gifts of the disabled community?

Are you sharing materials made by disabled people and providing compensation for their labor? Are you compensating the labor of disabled folks advising your event?

Is compensation possible – why or why not? What would compensation look like ideally? Is the idea of compensation preventing you from utilizing the gifts of disabled people? Why is that?

In what ways can you leverage those gifts to avoid tokenizing and/or erasure?

sensory space:

Do you have a space cordoned off for those that may get sensory overloaded to cool down? (This will allow them to “take a break” to cool down and then return to the event. The spot needs to be away from loud noises, dimly lit if possible, and be easily entered.)  

Do you have content notes/trigger warnings written into your scripts? (This allows people who have panic attacks to determine their level of engagement, and if they need to temporary exit to recover).

Do you make sure that no strong scents dominate the area or that there are alternate food or drink that accommodates intolerances/food allergies?

Do you allow adequate time between speakers for people to process what was said? (Having speakers back to back without at minimum a two or three minute break can be exhausting for some disabled folks).

Do you have materials set up for deaf or visually impaired folks to access the materials and understand content?

transport space:

how do people reach your event? Is there an easy to find parking area and accessible walkway to your event?

For those that may not be able to drive themselves, are you near a bus line or have a ride system?

Do you have a way for people to make it safely home if they find they are too exhausted to drive themselves? (Safety drivers – give them a vest to make them easy to see. Give them a short training before the event on how to respond when approached for a ride home, and how to ask consent before offering to assist a disabled person into or out of the car)

Is this information easily available in your event invites?

time-independent space:

Does your event have a way to capture and share what transpired so others can view at a later date?

Is there a way to make breaks and the timing of the event flexible for those with various disabilities?

justice space:

do you have plans on how to adjust your event to meet the needs of disabled people? How can you collaborate with the community to enact these plans? (Keeping the community in the loop, so they can offer insight can avoid harmful blunders/accidents later down the road).

For example, while going through the above questions, if you find something you need to tweak or alter to provide that space for disabled folks, is that something you are willing to do? Why or why not? What is stopping you? 

Did you create take-aways for people to take home that informs them of the event’s goals and aspirations? Is there suggestions on how people can virtually or physically assist your organizations and/or events goals? (Make these easy bullet points. For example, ‘write a letter to x senator. here is a script you can use.’ or ‘donate to z fund to aid political prisoners’)

Is there ways to lead people toward justice and liberation through the above accessible materials, discussions, events, etc?

When you enact the plans for improving accessibility within your city/town/group, do you collaborate with the impacted community and keep them informed? Allow them to assist with enacting the plans?

_________

Bibliography of Sorts

these ideas and definitions are based on the writings of disabled people such as myself, Alice Wong, Imani Barbarin, Matthew Cortland, A. H. Reaume, and other disability activists as well as conversations with local disabled activists.

Books:

Disability Visibility: First Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century edited by Alice Wong

Mobility Justice by Mimi Sheller

Care Work: Dreaming of Disability Justice by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space By Amanda Leduc. 

Black Disability Politics by Sami Schalk (free access book)

A People's Guide to Abolition and Disability Justice by Katie Tastrom

Design Justice Community-Led Practices to Build the Worlds We Need by Sasha Costanza–chock

Building Access Universal Design and the Politics of Disability by Aimi Hamraie

Restricted Access Media Disability and the Politics of Participation by Elizabeth Ellcessor

Crip Spacetime: Access, Failure, and Accountability in Academic Life by Margaret Price

Accessibility for Everyone by Laura Kalbag

A Disability History of the United States by Kim E. Nielsen

Surviving the Future: Abolitionist Queer Strategies by Scott Branson, Raven Hudson, and Bry Reed

Crisis and Care: Queer Activist Responses to a Global Pandemic edited by Adrian Shanker

Stairs and Whispers: D/deaf and Disabled Poets Write Back Edited by Sarah Alland, Khairani Barokka, and Daniel Sluman

Crip Kinship: The Disability Justice & Art Activism of Sins Invalid by Shayda Kafai

The Future Is Disabled: Prophecies, Love Notes and Mourning Songs by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

Articles:

On Reclaiming Brokenness and Refusing the Violence of ‘Recovery’ Narratives”

How Colonial Visual Cultures Have Worsened This Pandemic and What Needs to change

10 Principles of Disability Justice by Sins Invalid

Accessible Activism Guide

What to do When Your Disability Keeps You From Writing?

[grape-jucie-dog]

Hey, I like you! -tells you about all of my personal Melissa headcanons-

I love Melissa with all my heart, she's my favorite background character ever. However (to me personally, don't come at me with the black dagger), I don't count "Hey Melissa!" canon in my personal universe. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for a murderous woman with a blazer, but I don't like the idea of Melissa being a murderer in EVERY universe 😭 breaks my heart. SO. HERE ARE ALL OF MY MELISSA HEADCANONS!

Name: Melissa Riley-Faith

Pronouns: She/Her

Gender: Cisgender female

Sexuality: Unlabeled

Mental illness: Depression

Family: Shitty mom she doesn't talk to named Alison, and her cat Cassie

Height: 5'6

Age: 31

- Melissa loves doing photography, mostly of nature

- She's been best friends with Charlotte for 15 long years, because I refuse to think they aren't close friends

- She has a lot of candles. I can just see it-

- Melissa doesn't drive, so she walks to work with Charlotte. Even when she's not going to work, she mostly walks everywhere. She loves going for walks

- Passive Aggressive Mel my beloved

- As a little nod to "Hey Melissa!", She makes a lot of dark jokes, just has a dark sense of humor

- She isn't exactly a light weight, but don't give her too much to drink either unless you wanna deal with either a very emotional Melissa or a very energetic Melissa

- She has two different colored eyes, mostly because when I first saw her I couldn't tell if her eyes were green or brown. SO SHE HAS BOTH (you can see it in my artwork actually)

- 100% listens to Lady Gaga, prove me wrong I dare you

(TW for the next few HCs, talking about depression, abuse, and self harm)

- Melissa has self harm scars from her past, and she isn't afraid to show them off

- Her father died when she was 14, and because of this she was mentally abused by her mother. She moved out when she was almost 20 years old, and hasn't really spoken with her mom since

- Melissa tends to go through depressive episodes, having times where she can't even get out of bed. Charlotte has known about this for a long time, and is always looking out for her

- She used to be friends with Sam, but after seeing how he treats Charlotte, she despises him

- Call me crazy for this, but I can see her and Mr. Davidson having a father daughter relationship. It's the same with Bill and Mel, but it's more commonly seen with Mr. Davidson

- She used to have a crush on Paul (much like in canon), but when she learned that he loved Emma, she eventually lost feelings, and now they're all friends

- Melissa, Emma, Charlotte, Piper (OC), Alexa (OC),Harper (OC), and Sawyer (OC) are all a girl group because it's funny to me and my bestie

- She doesn't have a strong opinion on coffee, but she normally has a lot of milk in it

- While she isn't BIG on musicals, one of her favorites is RENT

- Melissa is pretty expressive, like if you tell her the most out of pocket shit you can tell she's shocked

- She loves talking to her cat, Cassie, as if she were an actual person. She does this with all of Charlotte's cats too (Charlotte has cats. If you disagree, fight me [I'm kidding please don't.])

- She has a lot of videos saved on her phone, and most of them is just chaos happening around the office

- While we don't see her on screen long enough to see how she got infected in TGWDLM, I do have an idea: She was originally going to escape with Charlotte, Bill, and Ted, but she was found by Mr. Davidson before she could get away

- Shocked I haven't mentioned this one, but she has an upsidedown heart shaped birthmark on her thigh

- Melissa is 100% ambidextrous, and I refuse to think otherwise

[thelovesickbakery]

♡ — Name: secret for only my future lover to know!

♡ — Birthday: 07/12/02 ☆

♡ — Age: 21

♡ — Gender Identity & Pronouns: cis female, she/her ♡！

♡ — Sexuality: lesbian? (i have a phobia of men, but I don’t think a relationship with one would be unappealing. unsure.)

♡ — I am (Yandere/Non-Yandere): both. i’m a darling with yandere thoughts and feelings just unable to act on them. i would notice and adore any acts a yandere does for me so you wouldn’t be dismissed or ignored! i would be utterly truthful and faithful.

♡ — Looking for (Friendship/Romance): romance! my soulmate to be precise. just a heads up that i mentally wouldn’t be able to deal with a breakup or ghosting so don’t string me on. cheating is deplorable so don’t even try if you have someone else in mind. :)

♡ — Looking for a (Yandere/Non-Yandere): yandere yandere yandere yandere yandere yandere yandere yandere yandere yandere yandere 【obsess over me, stalk me, cover your wall in my pictures, dream of ONLY me- do anything and I’ll happily accept it.】 ♡

♡ — Thinking of a friend/romantic partner, I am looking for: somebody whom will love me insanely, obsessively and possessively for the rest of their life; somebody whom I can worship and love without fear they’ll leave or cheat. i’ll do anything they ask.

♡ — Small details about myself (interests and love language, for example): i’m extremely sensitive, shy and a bit oblivious, so anything is my love language except tsunderes; being upfront about how you feel towards me is the most flattering. yanderes and stalkers are my biggest love language, tell me how crazy you are and I’ll swoon.

♡ — Extra information: i have severe mental illnesses and i’m a hikikomori. i’m trying to get used to the world and leave my house but it’s scary lol. I have dyslexia, anxiety, depression, adhd, autism and ocd. i have never been in a relationship before, both romantically or sexually! i also live in Tasmania, Australia.

♡ — Contact information: DISCORD: hikikomori101 & TWITTER: yanderelov3 ♡

—♡—

[sweetnxthngs]

[ may calamawy, non-binary, they/she] — whoa!  IMAAN EL-SALEM  just stole my cab! not cool, but maybe they needed it more. they have lived in the city for TEN YEARS, working as a/an OWNER OF BROWNSTONE BOOKS  that can’t be easy, especially at only 38 YEARS OLD. some people say they can be a little bit SHY and FANCIFUL , but i know them to be WARMHEARTED and ARTICULATE. whatever. i guess i’ll catch the next cab. hope they like the ride back to QUEENS! —character parallels: rory gilmore, monica gellar, lexie grey.

wanted connections • pinterest

BASICS

FULL NAME: Imaan El-Salem

NICKNAME(S): none, doesn't love nicknames.

AGE: 38

DATE OF BIRTH: February 14th, 1986

CURRENT LOCATION: Queens, New York City.

PLACE OF BIRTH: Bahrain

ETHNICITY: Egyptian, Palestinian.

GENDER: Non-binary

PRONOUNS: they/she

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: bisexual

RELIGION: Raised Muslim, does not follow organized religion perfectly by any means, but does believe in God and has faith.

LANGUAGES: arabic, english.

OCCUPATION:  owner of brownstone books.

FACECLAIM: May Calamawy

PHYSICAL TRAITS

HEIGHT: 5’7

WEIGHT: 115 lbs

HAIR COLOR: Brown

EYE COLOR: Brown

PIERCINGS: one lobe piercing in each ear, and an industrial piercing in the right ear.

TATTOOS:  here

SCARS|MARKS: freckles across her nose and cheeks,

SIGNATURE SCENT: Maison Margiela Replica Springtime in the Park.

PHOBIAS AND DISEASES

MENTAL ILLNESSES:  social anxiety.

PHYSICAL ILLNESSES:

PHOBIAS: 

RELATIONSHIPS

MOTHER:  Nashwa El-Salem ( Badawi) (deceased)

FATHER:  Omar El-Salem

CHILDREN: none

SIBLINGS: Laila El-Salem (younger half-sister)

RELATIONSHIPS:  coming soon

 PETS:  a black cat lovingly named sush, short for sushi.

PERSONALITY

ZODIAC SIGN:  Aquarius.

MORAL ALIGNMENT: Neutral Good.

FAVORITE FOODS: sushi, watermelon, mint and feta salad, garlic noodles with chili crunch, mutabal, french fries drenched in ketchup and mayo, shakshouka.

FAVORITE COLOR: lavender and pink

LIKES: the smell of the air just after it rains, and the color of the sky and it's orange-pink hue then, too, when svu or criminal minds marathons are on, the feeling of having a crush. romance books.

DISLIKES: anything above 70 degrees Fahrenheit, washing the dishes by hand,

HOBBIES:  as of recently, ballet classes just to get some movement in and they like the fluidness of it, reading fanfiction when they should be working, baking their feelings away, and self-defense classes.

BIOGRAPHY

tw death, tw religion, tw childbirth.

PAST.

BAHRAIN, February 1986.

It's February, but it's the Middle East in the 80s, so the weather is likened to the decade. Nashwa is in a hospital and still, sweating profusely. She's unsure if it's the weather or the pressures of childbirth. She is freshly married, and this is her first baby, when a screaming little girl comes out, Imaan, is placed into her arms she cries along with her. She barely gets to hold her though before the beeping of a machine rings in her ears and before she can even meet her daughter, to know her, Nashwa El-Salem is pronounced dead, complications in birth.

Omar, her father, has no idea what to do with a newborn daughter, and with his job, he doesn't really have the time to raise her alone, that's when originally, her jadda stepped in, helping raise the young child until she was of school age, and then, there was pressure for her father to remarry, to find someone to run the home while he worked. By the time young Imaan is seven, Omar is remarried, and expecting another child.

Their stepmother isn't from here, the States, actually, here as an expat, working for the embassy, and their little sister Laila looks more like her than their father. Imaan is barely eight but she knows that things have shifted.

They go back and forth from Bahrain to Washington often enough, two homes, and to Imaan, it feels like two families. Her father and herself, and then him and his wife and Laila. There is a passing comment about how she can't let go of a mother she never knew, and as Imaan gets older, they know that's true.

by the time Imaan is seventeen, laila is 10, and they are fully moved to Washington, leaving Bahrain, and everything Imaan has ever really known behind. They finish their last year of school in the States, and it is so different Imaan feels out of place, and alone. She tries to fit in, and tries to be the perfect daughter at the same time, but those two don't align. Raised strict Muslim, Imaan is used to a set of rules, and the western high school system is mostly not set up for them, especially in 2005. Her connection to her home and her faith gets lost somewhere along the way, more fights with her father about his expectations, about his wife and his other daughter, about how she will never be good enough. He calls her disrespectful and a disappointment, and she tells him she applied for college in Scotland far away from him, and the look on his face tells her she's gone too far, but the plans have already been set in motion.

The University of Edinburgh is a dream and an awakening. Imaan is still shy, an introvert one would say, but also more willing to explore who they are. Kissing a girl for the first time is like a rebirth, trying cigarettes, alcohol, and even drugs feel like things that make her stray from the staunch religious upbringing she had, and yet, the lack of restraints feels good.

By the time she graduates with a degree in English, she knows she is different, and she's not sure how much her family will like that.

She moves back home for a while and works in a library as an assistant, and the freedom college abroad brought her dwindles, it's back to dad's rules. her sister is just sixteen, and while they were never close, their relationship is not bad, but Imaan finds there isn't much they have in common. Her sister likes concerts, has a large circle of friends, and spends her time trying new makeup techniques, and that's all fine, except Imaan can't relate to it, as someone who finds their enjoyment in reading the newest romance boo release, or

She moves around a bit after two years at home, does two years in California, and two more in Chicago before moving with their roommate to New York. It's closer to home but totally different all the same, and it actually feels right. Unlike all the other cities. They get a job in a bookstore and share a two-bedroom with their roommate in Queens and life is okay, though not perfect.

PRESENT

Imaan brought Brownstone Books off the owner, who they worked for 8 years before she decided it was time to retire, and with a very small loan and the kindness of someone who took them in, they owned the place. It felt daunting, but the bookstore's popularity helped make the transition easier.

In those ten years since moving to New York, Imaan found that what was missing in her life was some sort of faith, and found a way to embrace spirituality and their sense of self, a sometimes uneven, but more comfortable balance. They got cat and name it sush, and they still live in a two-bedroom, though their roommate moved out recently to live with her boyfriend, so they're on the hunt. They love to bake, spending the time not in the bookstore either doing that or reading (books, or fanfiction, thank you). They don't see their family often, though her sister is 31 now, and has visited a few times.

wanted connections found here.

[tiredaf23]

Intro post, ig lmao. Pfp by @str1ngsss

WE ARE A MINOR!! GET THE FUCK OUT, NSFW BLOGS!!

Hey, My name is Core. I'm the new host of the Anarchy system and use it/itself.

I share this blog with a few other headmates, who are listed below and we all use our names as sign offs:

Jeff: he/knife

Jack: he/buzz/static

Moth: She/her

Sans: It/itself

Stripes: they/he (they prefered)

Ben D. : He/it/game/mask

Lucid: Any in no specific order. Also, please recommend neos for me to try! 🤗

Jacques: It/itself.

Kurt: He/hym (yes its spelled right.

Wade: any: Yes I have sign off and it's 🗡🌯

A few other parts also come on the blog, but they'll probably tell you.

Color coded to help read. Typing quirks WILL be translated, don't worry!! We are against non-translated typing quirks!! This doesn't include punctuation or struggles to spell.

H O R S E. P L I N K O

DNI:

Racist, Anti-Black, Antisemitic, Islamophobic, Xenophobic, Zionist Against BLM, Support all / blue lives matter. Are a Nazi / Support the Alt-Right.

Sexist or Misogynist.

Ableist

Endos. I won't even call your asses "systems".

Romanticize mental illnesses.

Anti Recovery Beliefs

Believe 'blackwashing', 'reverse racism', 'cisphobia' 'hetphobia' 'cishetphobia' etc are real things that exist.

LGBT+phobic (lesbophobic, homophobic, biphobic, panphobic, transphobic, aphobic, aspec exclusionist, etc)

Use slurs you can't reclaim.

M-Spec / "Good Faith" Identities / Labels (these never end well.)

Fujoshi/Fundashi, fetishize mlm and/or wlw relationships/pairings/etc.

Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist or any branch of feminism that excludes trans women or claim that trans women are not women. / The feminism you are part of has a transphobic community or ideals. / Sex Worker Exclusionary Radical Feminist or any branch of feminism that excludes sex workers.

Against any sort of Non-Binary identity / claim to be 'gender critical' and/or 'nonbinary skeptic'.

Against xenogenders and/or neopronouns.

pro-ship/anti-anti.

Joke about or justify incest in any form, including families who aren't related by blood (step-siblings, adopted family, etc). Joke about or justify pedophilia in any form. Justify or participate in the sexualization of minors. Justify / romanticize abusive or unhealthy relationships.

MAP, 'pear' or 'minor attracted person' - a pedophile - basically.

transID & radqueer

Ship / kin / headcanon real people.

Support NFTS / Crypto / AI "art"

Anti therian/otherkin/FICTIONkin. We have to specify that fictionkins are okay.

SH and ED blogs. Nothing wrong with vents or spreading awareness, we're just not comfortable with it and will probably block you.

BYI!!!:

We use slurs we can reclaim. This includes the T-slur and f-slur. We don't over use them, either. We're not bad people, just trying to reclaim what we can and use it as a not slur.

We believe that intersex people who identify with a trans label (even ones uder an umbrella) can reclaim the t-slur.

We're not nice. We're blunt, cautious, and often snap if you overstep boundaries.

We are a BPD-er, are crippled, autistic, a witch, and pagan. Oooh- scary!! Dont like it? Whomp-whomp.

We believe that people who can still walk but struggle are crippled. People are more crippled than us, yeah, but I have to focus on only my leg to not collapse, so yeah.

We don't like vehicles and want to help the environment, but still use one because 🌟crippled without an aid🌟. So Taylor stans, sorry, but we shit on her big time.

We're white bodily, but Inner world face claims will be of THEM. None of us claim to know the struggles of POCs first hand, nor do we claim to be one. If one of our names are culture specific, do tell us!! We will find a new name ASAP!

Extra Christians, be careful interacting. You're fine, just don't talk about it on out page, please.

We also don't support Aspenfrost, vizzipop or any of her work, DSMP, or any other problematic media. Though we have alters of these media, we do not support it.

I think that's it??? Lemme know if you wanna somethings. Tell us of any other genocides in the world and who the victim is. Education is key to help.

Also let us know if we missed any tags, like trigger warnings. We also tag everything with #anti endo, because they can fuck off.

[leshy-of-the-old-faith]

Okay so on that note-

Do any of the Bishops know about sexuality or gender?

I'm assuming they at least now gender because they call shamara they/them

But I'm assuming leshy at least doesn't know about aroace because he comments that he thinks 'Somthings wrong with him' how would leshy react to finding out about aroace people?

《 Why Did A Follower Gave Me A Flag And Said I'm Valid!? Is It My Birthday Or What?! 》

Chances Are That Shamura Knows And So Do The Followers Of The Old Faith As Shamura Tends To Teach Their Followers Then It Spreads Like Fire, And Possibly Kallamar Knows Of LGBT And Identity! That Dude Is A Damn Queen, A Pompous Shit Headed Cowording Queen!

But Yeah Leshy Would Believe Him Being Aroace Has Something To Do With Mental Illness As There Is Lots Of Proof Pointing That He Has ADHD.

So Yeah He Thinks He Broken...

And Heket, Now People Say She Is Bi Or A Lesbian But She Might Not Know What That Means, So She Might Believe She Wants To, Eat Other Female Frogs And Toads Instead Of Getting On With Them?!?!?

THIS GAME IS ABOUT CULTS SO YEAH ILL SAY IT!

HEKET MIGHT HAVE EATEN SOME BITCH BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WANTING TO "DO IT WITH THEM" OR EAT THEM.

[xiaq]

I dont know the pc way to ask this, but as a white( or at least not black idk) writer doesn't it intimidate you to write about characters that aren't your race? I feel like people are so critical and never want to read or watch things in good faith anymore that the only safe way to create is if it's portraying something you can say you are or have experienced, if that makes sense.

I know this deserves a more nuanced answer than I have time for right now. But the short version is this:

I would rather write diversity, fuck up, and learn from it, than not try at all.

Sure, some folks will be overly critical. But a lot of criticism is warranted, and being receptive to criticism is an important part of growth (in like, life, as well as writing). Besides that, only writing characters who look and talk and think and feel like me is A. boring, B. sucks for readers who don't look and talk and think and feel like me, and C. doesn't reflect the real world (or at least the one I live in). My partner is Chinese. My best friend is Black. My friend group is of various ethnicities and ages; they prescribe to different religions and have different sexual orientations and gender identities; some are disabled, some have mental illnesses, and some have drastically different life experiences than me, and my life is better for having that diversity in it. If I were to only write about characters with my personal experiences, that would be terribly limiting.

I'd rather read a book featuring a bisexual woman by a non-bisexual author than not have a book about a bisexual woman to read at all (provided, of course, that you can tell they at least tried to get things right). The same with representation of service dog handlers, or characters with anxiety or OCD, or people in interracial relationships or people who grew up in deeply religious environments and are still grappling with the emotional, physical, and existential fallout (these are hard to find, feel free to rec any). My point is, as a reader, I prefer trying to not trying. As a writer, I try to do the same.

I guess to be more specific, if I'm taking this ask in good faith, there are things you can do to not feel as intimidated. If I have a primary character that is Black or Indian or deaf or trans, I have beta readers for my fic who are and my publisher has sensitivity readers for my published books who are to make sure I'm not accidentally misrepresenting them. And if I do fuck up, I can learn from it and change it before it's available for larger audiences. Obviously, everyone's experiences are not universal, so not everyone will agree on what is/is not problematic, but it's a good first step.

I hope this helps.

[henryshakesmear]

Soo, since I recently gained a bunch of followers, I thought I'd make a lil introduction for my blog.

My name: Henry or any funny insult you can think of

My pronouns: He/him

My age: Legally 18

Where I'm from: Northern Germany

Languages I know: German and English fluently, some French and some Japanese

This is my main blog and I use it for memes, shitposts, fandom posts, my original art and some social commentary.

My wizardry gimmick blog is @youreawizardhenry

The mandatory terms and conditions for interacting with my blog:

(If you skip them, you're on your own)

If you're under the impression that you may be related to me, get the hell out 💀

I generally don't post sexually explicit content here, but I discuss/portray mature political and social topics. There will be violence, gore and possibly suggestive content in my art. So if you're under 18, be aware of the risks and if you're under 15, please don't delve into the depths of my account. I am, however, not going to try and check the age of everyone in my notes.

If you have a history of mental health issues and content concerning existential dread or suicidal ideation triggers you, this blog is NOT for you.

I don't censor words. This has come up as a problem in the past, so be aware. (No, this doesn't mean I throw slurs around. I only use slurs I can specifically reclaim, and even that rarely.)

I rarely reblog art by other people and I will make sure to point out which specifically is mine. I don't mind if you repost it or use it in good faith, as long as you don't pretend it's yours or use it to spread any kind of hate.

This is a safe space for ALL members of the LGBTQIA+ community. We do NOT remove the T and we do NOT exclude bi or pan or ace or aro people. The same goes for microlabels. Everytime you complain about how many genders there are, we invent five more.

This is also a safe space for people of color, people of any ethnicity, people from any country, neurodivergent people, mentally ill people, disabled people, chronically ill people, therians and furries. (I'm not too educated on some of these topics, but the general rule of thumb is if it doesn't hurt anyone, it's safe here.)

I'm an atheist and I will criticize some aspects of religion or make fun of it lightheartedly, but religious people are also welcome here.

What I will NOT tolerate: Nazis, pedos, racism, xenophobia, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, TERFS, hate directed at any specific kind of queer people, ableism, fatphobia, slutshaming, both religious doctrine AND anti-religious hate, hardcore capitalists because they just annoy me, Tate's boyfriends, proshippers that consider pedophilic or incestuous ships to be okay, rape culture, people who make light of any sort of abuse, any kind of unwarranted harrassment, ragebait and advertisements/self-promotions.

I block fanfiction writers because I don't want to see fanfiction on my dash. It's not personal.

I'm cringe, I'm aware of it, I will continue to be cringe and you cannot stop me.

If you send me an unsolicited dick pic, you'll get one back.

(This section may be subject to changes in the future)

[loominggaia]

niittinaatti Surprising that Oberon cares enough about his kids to care about their gender identity.

-----

Oh, he doesn't care about OJ...he cares about his own image and position of power.

You see, Mogdir's high rulers are elected democratically by the citizens every 3 generations. This means once a ruler is elected, their bloodline will rule in a monarchy for 2 more generations before a new election is held. Anyone who is blood-related to a previous ruler is forbidden to run for election, which prevents the same group of elite assholes from holding power for too long.

However, if a ruler does not have blood-related children (or if their children are unviable to rule for whatever reason, such as poor health), this forces an early election.

Traditionally, Mogdiri heirs take the throne well before their parents' deaths. That's because culturally, Mogdiri people hate being ruled by ancient, decrepit leaders, and will violently overthrow infirmed kings and queens who refuse to retire. So, they willingly pass on the crown when they're old and in decline, and their children are in prime health to take their place. The old ruler then enjoys their golden years in elite luxury while their kid does all the hard work running the kingdom.

Oberon doesn't want to see his son experimenting with "alternative" sexual/gender identities because in his eyes, this means OJ is less likely to have biological children. In that case, Oberon's family's power ends with OJ.

Oberon is such a vain, greedy ignoramus that he can't stand the idea of his bloodline only ruling for 2 generations rather than the ideal 3. In Mogdiri culture, this is considered shameful and a bad omen, it reflects poorly on that royal bloodline in the history books. Fauns can live for quite a long time, and Oberon plans to live long enough to see his grandchild plop their ass on his throne one day, thus keeping himself in the realm of elite noble society for as long as possible.

Oberon has 4 children, but OJ is the only one he has faith in to take his throne (Winnie's rebelliousness threatens him, Trista is a homicidal maniac, and Nate has crippling anxiety) so he's putting all his eggs in OJ's basket while praying, "Please don't be gay, please don't be trans, please don't be weird, please don't be mentally ill, please don't embarrass me, please just be a carbon copy of me in every way and make me look good in the history books..."

Then OJ says, "Hey Dad, what does it mean if I feel like a girl sometimes?"

And Oberon's like:

"BOY I SWEAR TO GAIA--"

*

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