#message to all queers please survive type of post <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[greenscreen-dress]

Hello queer people in my phone and in the world you are incredible. Fight hard love harder and sparkle on forever. Peace 💖✨

[stimtoybox]

How do you pick the order to answer asks? Where are the other mods?

Anon, I spend an awful lot of my free time, as a physically disabled person, running this blog. Nobody is paying me to do this. I am trying to set up a Patreon so that people can support me in all the work I’m doing for everyone, which is a lot, but that also takes spoons and time. Oh, and every once in a while I’d like to work on a project dear to my heart - my own fiction writing. Something that matters to me as a disabled autistic queer who hasn’t yet run into a book that features disabled autistic queers and really wants to be represented in something. Something I don’t wish to give up so I have more spoons for this blog, even though I don’t write as often as I want, these days.

I now have over fifty asks in my inbox, anon.

It’s just gone 3 PM in the afternoon and my wrist is throbbing, so I know I won’t get any fiction writing done tonight. Again. I won’t work on my Patreon tonight or my book design tonight or any of the things that might eventually net me some kind of financial support in return for my blogging and writing. I probably won’t write the review I really wanted to write about the Zuru spinners. I’ll post this and go and rest for a while, because that’s how I survive constant, chronic pain. Maybe I’ll be able to come back later and answer a few more asks. Maybe. But chances are very high that I won’t be able to.

(Have you counted how many asks I’ve answered today? Eight. Plus this one, plus my explanatory post. That’s an awful lot for any blogger, surely?)

I have one other mod at the moment who formats posts, because the other two have real lives, and I don’t have the spoons to chase up after them, because sending messages takes spoons that I need to spend on answering asks. Spoons I don’t have as a blogger with chronic pain. This means I have to format posts myself as well to keep up with the posting schedule, just so as to not put more pressure on CD who is the unsung hero of this blog. Who works their arse off, as a volunteer who doesn’t need constant pestering to work, to let me work my arse off with a little less pressure. To have one person I can rely on the way I (and we) rely on CD is amazing, especially since they do it as a volunteer, and we should not ever take their work and effort for granted as something that everyone can offer. It isn’t.

I have been very sick this last fortnight, with headaches so bad that I can barely stand. Headaches that mean I can’t look at a computer or phone screen because that worsens my pain. Which I’ve mentioned, because I need to spend a lot of time resting to keep them from getting worse, which means fewer answers. I try very hard to keep everyone updated about my situation so they know what’s happening.

Can you please understand, anon, that for all of the above reasons, I find this question incredibly upsetting?

I answer asks as best suits my needs as the person giving a lot of my time and spoons to answer them. I literally just explained in this post, but I think this ask came in just as I posted it, so you won’t know, but I still feel quite upset.

I am disabled, anon. Chronic pain, autism, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation (which has been severe this past month), some kind of personality disorder, seizures, headaches. Typing worsens my pain, and I don’t have speech to text because I can’t get it to work with my dialect and autistically-fast-speaking. (It actually stresses me out so much it causes violent meltdowns, which worsen my pain further still.) But even if I did, I’ve spent hours today answering asks. Hours. That’s an awful lot of work for an able-bodied person, never mind a disabled one - and an awful lot of responsibility and stress, as much as I do generally enjoy it. Can you please afford me a little patience? Surely I have earnt some tolerance and understanding?

I’ll also mention that answering this sort of ask, while incredibly distressing for me - as it makes me have to explain and justify my disability to others - gives me less time spent on answering asks about stim toys.

- Mod K.A.

[queerascat]

i found an old post about a poc ace and went on their blog and they know say they don't identify as ace because aces are bad, basically. and like, i'm literally crying. idk what to do, that just really struck me. someone who wrote about being queer, ace and a poc like me shitting on me and telling me my identity is inherently problematic when it's the reason i can't access mental health atm, which is something i need cause the 'discourse' & the violent abuse i faced on this website for (cont)

(suicide ideation, death threat and conversion tw) including death threats, caused me to fall back into suicidal ideation. and the only therapist available to me suggested conversion therapy (i live in a small central american country, there’s not much knowledge about these things- she thinks if i can be converted to straight, i will no longer suffer from my orientation). this is horrible tbh. i’m sorry to unload but as another poc ace i feel safe around you. i guess what i’m trying to say is that this ‘discourse’, which is just a bunch of people thinking they can gaslight and abuse aces or call the ‘bad’ or ‘cringy��� and don’t want to have any sort of intra community discussion but literally deny us our experiences and be abusive, is harming my mental health. friends i trusted turned out to be acephobic, send me literal death threats. in what kind of WORLD is that fucking ok? idk where im going with this, im sorry. do you know of any ways i can deal with this wave of ace and aro hatred that’s spread this website? i don’t know how to go about it. and now in the spanish speaking online lgbtq+ community, enbyphobes have copied it to exclude enbys for ‘being actually cis’ and are calling us ‘cisnb’ after regs in english calling aces and aros ‘cishet’ so that’s just fucking great :( that’s because the community is only now starting to realize enbys exist. and it’s also learning that about aspecs, so im starting to hear it in spanish too. i just can’t escape it.

i genuinely feel like i’m in no place to be giving any sort of advice on things of this nature– especially right now when i’m just managing to keep my own head above water for various reasons, but…

i’d first like to say that venting has been (and continues to be) a significant part of self-care / coping for me personally and i am beyond flattered that you feel safe enough to vent your feelings to me. no need to apologize, anon. i don’t know if i can be of any help to you, but i hope that the very act of venting in and of itself has been a step in the right direction for coping for you like it often is for me.

i also want to say that i’m very sorry to hear about all of the shit that you’ve been (and continue to be) put through. while i haven’t had your exact experiences, i can very much relate to feeling like you can’t escape “discourse” or otherwise harmful ideology as both it itself and the effects of it pervades other aspects and intersections of your life both on and outside of Tumblr. not to mention how it feels to finally find that rare, illusive something or someone that you share important but seemingly less common intersections with only to discover that that thing or person contributes to the very thing that’s, for lack of a better expression, fucking you up.

…ah, yes. like those old posts by a formerly self-identified ace and queer person of color who now not only advocates against asexuality but who does so in a way that blatantly shits on aces of color by pitching them against other QPOC, among other things. that’s some fucked up shit, ain’t it?

cough. anyway… my personal coping and self-care strategies.

my go-to strategies for coping and self-care certainly don’t work for everyone or in all situations, but with Tumblr and social media-related thing in general i often try to:

remove myself from the source of the distress.

even if only temporarily for a few hours, days, a week– whatever, i do what i can to mentally and / or physically check myself out of whatever it is that’s negatively affecting me and do my best to turn my attention to other things. i go to Starbucks, read a book, clean my apartment, focus on a personal project, catch up on shows, turn off my computer and my phone and finally make myself food– whatever. i focus on things that are actually tangible and perhaps offer some form of self-gratification even if it’s just in the form of tasting good because goddamnit, the time and cost required to get a caramel macchiato is (and quite frankly should be) far more worth it to me than the time and (mental) cost spent giving a damn about someone else’s bullshit. or so i tell myself.

if the source of the distress is outside of the internet, as might be the case with a therapist, i cut that person (or thing) out of my life even if it’s just by silently breaking off communication with them by not returning their calls or not going to their therapy sessions temporarily or indefinitely. as i said above, that person / those people / that thing is not worth the time or (mental) cost required of me by dealing with them.

limit or manage my exposure to the source of the distress when removing myself from it completely isn’t possible.

i feel like this often ends up being more taxing than simply removing myself all together, but blocking / unfollowing immediately upon coming across something or someone that can potentially or does set you off is important. blocking applies to more than just people, blogs or posts but also blacklisting tags, keywords etc using something like Xkit for Tumblr, the native block & mute features on Twitter, etc. if the distress comes in the form of asks, instant messages, etc then i disable those things at least temporarily, especially when blocking an IP fails to get the job done. i also avoid browsing through tags, which can be tough when you actively want to find something to help yourself feel better about yourself / your experiences / etc…

when the source of the distress isn’t online-based, i try to manage / limit my exposure by avoiding the person or thing in question when possible. again, actively avoiding someone or something requires effort on my part and can in and of itself be taxing, so it’s not ideal… but i do what i can.

venting.

while venting is by no means The Solution to anything and comes with its own set of risks / problems when done publicly, venting can be done in so many different ways. it’s a relatively easy form of instantly relief for me regardless of how small that relief may ultimately be. whether it be tweeting, journaling (online or pen & paper), venting on sites specifically made for that purpose, scribbling feelings onto a piece of paper and then immediately ripping that paper to shreds, typing heatedly into a text document and then closing it without saving– whatever, it helps for me to take even a moment out of my day to acknowledge how i feel and speak those feelings into existence beyond just the mess that is my own head at times. even if those feelings only exist in the world for seconds before i delete or physically destroy them because Anxiety And Shit, it still helps.

but perhaps most importantly is to:

focus on the fact that no matter what anyone else says or does, i am The Authority on who i am, how i feel, etc.

i know who i am, but i also know that who i am is not the problem even when others make me feel otherwise. regardless of how i may feel about the things that i face in regards to my sexuality, my gender, my race, etc, i try to keep in mind that those things that i face are a product of the society that i live in and the people who insist on interjecting their own personal bullshit into my life. imho, this is as true of Tumblr “discourse” as it is of life in general.

while it may not be possible to escape society or shitty people all together, there is a lot more to society and life in general than the bullshit that we find ourselves faced with at times. i try my best to look beyond or through “discourse” on Tumblr and see the communities of people both on an off Tumblr who, like me, are against such bullshit. while shitty therapists and shitty people in general may rebrand and rehash the same old tired, hurtful shit that’s been said to others for forever, i try to look past that and focus instead on the fact that a lot of people aren’t like that and have actually learned from the past and and are better for it. i try to focus on a future where i will have access to competent mental health resources and care even though i do not have that now…

…….i’m not sure why i ended up writing this short novel of a post that ultimately amounts to nothing, but yeah. anon, no matter how hard things get, please know that you’re never going at it alone. there are others out there struggling, coping, surviving in spite of the same or similar things, it’s just that if hardly anyone talks about it we end up feeling alone in it, unaware of others’ company…

….which is one reason why despite the potential risks, venting publicly even in the form of anonymous asks can be worth it sometimes and i very much welcome such asks on this blog.

all the best, anon.

[robinsoncenter]

[Qsc_asuw] Week 8 Newsletter

Welcome to Week Eight! <3  

       QTBIPOC Artist        Spotlight of the Week:         Amira is a queer, black, multiracial        artist who specializes in drawing, painting, and makeup art. She        is a University of Washington sophomore majoring in psychology, and art        offers her an avenue to express herself and her beliefs. She uses        social media as a platform to share her work and to gain inspiration.        Support her at paypal.me/amiranaf !

The Queer & Trans People of        Color Alliance (QTPOCA) will be        meeting this Friday in the ECC Asian room! 

The Global Struggle        Against Policing: From Seattle to Palestine        (Wednesday, February        27, 2019) 3:30 PM - 5 PM @ University of Washington School of Law        4293 Memorial Way, Seattle, Washington 98195                Event Description:       

This             will be a two-prong event. First, there will be an educational             presentation about US-Israel police partnerships, including             exchange trips that bring together police, ICE, border patrol, and             FBI from the US with soldiers, police, and from Israel. In these             programs, harmful practices are shared to promote and extend             discriminatory surveillance and policing in both countries.

        Following             the presentation, there will be a panel of community-organizers             who will highlight their experiences resisting policing across             different social movements and borders. In linking issues of             militarism, imperialism, border enforcement, racism, colonialism,             and surveillance, MLSA strives to build a conversation that             interconnects communities in their struggle against policing.

        Hosted             by The Minority Law Student Association (MLSA) as a part of UW             Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Week at UW Law.       

Room #: TBD                ACCESSIBILITY        INFORMATION:       

The             front entrance is wheel-chair accessible (with a ramp and             automatic doors). The hallways are very wide and not carpeted, and             there are all-gender (multi-stall) and single occupancy bathrooms             near the main entrance to the school.

        This             map shows accessible walk-ways on campus: https://facilities.uw.edu/.../ada-route-print-map-jan2019...,             as well as the location of the accessible entrance to the school             (the school is the William Gates Hall).

        There             will be light refreshments (some vegetarian, no gluten-free or             dairy-free). We will not provide drinks but there are water             fountains (the type you can refill a bottle in).

        The             building is not scent free, but we ask folks coming to this event             to minimize scents. Please feel free to message or comment about             any other access needs or questions.

La Comunidad: LGBT+        Members of the Caravan        (Monday, February 25,        2019) 7 - 9 PM @ Thomson        Hall (THO) 101                Join us to hear Owen Harris and Simon Fox discuss conditions for LGBT+        members of the caravan and the ongoing efforts of these organizations        and activists on both sides of the border. They will present photos and        video testimonials from interviews with LGBT+ caravan members and then        open a Q&A session about LGBT+ members of the Caravan and efforts        on the ground to support them.       

In             the last few months there has been a huge surge in demand for             shelter for migrants and asylum seekers on the border with Mexico,             and in December 2018, Owen Harris and Simon Fox travelled to             Tijuana to support efforts by organizations and activists on the             ground to establish a permanent shelter for LGBT+ migrants and             asylum seekers, including members of "the caravan," to             ensure that the LGBT+ population has a safe and adequate place to             eat, bathe, and rest.

        Many             of those arriving at the border need treatment for chronic             illnesses including HIV, hormone treatments for trans folks,             scabies treatment, safe food and drinking water, first aid and             mental health support. Local activists and organizations including             Enclave Caracol and COCUT are working to connect those arriving at             the border with the resources they need.      

About the speakers:        Owen Harris - co-founder of Safe Place International and currently a        Master's student in the Jackson School of International Studies and the        Evans School of Public Policy and Governance who has previously worked        with LGBT+ refugees and asylum seekers in Mexico, Turkey, Greece,        Lebanon, and Bangladesh.                Simon Fox - a Seattle native and film-maker who studied journalism and        international studies at the UW and has spent the last three years        working to tell the stories of refugees and migration through film.

But Can I Pay My Rent Tho?!: Surviving as a TQPOC Artist @ Gay City:        Seattle's LGBTQ Center        (Thursday, February        28, 2019) 6 - 9 PM)

But Can I Pay My Rent Tho?!:        Surviving as a TQPOC Artist        Feb. 28 (Part 1) & Mar. 7 (Part 2)        Free (Donations Accepted at gaycity.org/donate)                Without art, there can be no movements. Yet, artists are often        unrewarded for being the drivers of change, which has created a culture        of unsustainable practices. In particular, being a Black/Brown artist        who is along the trans and/or queer spectrum means that we are more at risk        of being underpaid and undervalued for our brilliance. This workshop        will make space for trans & queer artists of color to develop        long-term strategies towards a life supported by their creative work.        Participants of these sessions are artists and cultural producers of        all disciplines who are ready to build a career from their practice.        Part 1 (Feb. 28) will focus on evaluating your financial needs and        plans as an artist. Part 2 (Mar. 7) will recharge your marketing needs        and put your plan into action. This workshop will intentionally engage        a framework of dismantling anti-Blackness, white supremacy,        transphobia, and more as we imagine the role of TQPOC artists creating        their own liberation.                FACILITATOR BIO:        J Mase III is a Black/Trans/Queer poet based in Seattle by way of NYC.        A blogger for the Huffington Post, he is the author of “If I Should Die        Under the Knife, Tell My Kidney I was the Fiercest Poet Around” as well        as "And Then I Got Fired: One Transqueer's Reflections on Grief,        Unemployment and Inappropriate Jokes About Death." As an educator,        Mase has worked with thousands of community members in the US, UK, and        Canada on the needs of LGBTQIA youth and adults in spaces such as k-12        schools, universities, faith communities, and restricted care facilities        among others. He is the founder of the international performance tour        "Cupid Ain’t @#$%!: An Anti-Valentine’s Day Poetry Movement"        and of awQward, the first ever trans & queer people of color        specific talent agency.                You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, and awQwardtalent.com.                Sponsored by Gay City: Seattle's LGBTQ Center and Ingersoll Gender        Center                ACCESSIBILITY        INFORMATION: 

The             Calamus Auditorium at Gay City is ADA accessible & minimally             scented. 

        There             are two single-stall all-gender restrooms.

        There             will be scent free soap in the restrooms. More info: gaycity.org/access             

A Poetry Reading with        Terisa Siagatonu        (Tuesday, February 26        2019) 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM @ UW "wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ" Intellectual House      

Join             the ASUW Pacific Islander Student Commission as we welcome Samoan             poet, educator, speaker, and activist, Terisa Siagatonu!                         The night will consists of poems and conversation around topics of             identity and intersectionality.                         Admission is FREE!                         About Terisa (from her website @ terisasiagatonu.com):             Terisa Siagatonu is an award-winning poet, teaching artist, mental             health educator, and community leader born and rooted in the Bay             Area. Her presence in the poetry world as a queer Samoan woman and             activist has granted her opportunities to perform and speak in             places ranging from the White House (during the Obama             administration) to the UN Conference on Climate Change in Paris,             France. The most memorable moment in her career was receiving             President Obama’s Champion of Change Award in 2012 for her             activism as a spoken word poet/organizer in her Pacific Islander             community.             ...             With numerous viral poetry videos garnering over millions of views             collectively, Terisa's writing blends the personal, cultural, and             political in a way that calls for healing, courage, justice, and             truth.             ...             Offstage, Terisa creates and facilitates workshops, leads artistic             and professional development trainings, provides mental health             clinical support, and delivers keynote speeches across the country             on issues that inform her 10+ years of community work involving:             youth advocacy, educational attainment, Pacific Islander/Indigenous             rights, climate change, LGBTQQIA rights, gender-based violence,             and others. She holds a Bachelors degree in Community Studies and             minor in Education from the University of California- Santa Cruz             and a Masters Degree in Marriage/Family Therapy from the             University of Southern California (USC), aiming to use her             background as a mental health clinician and poet to bridge the             gaps in our quest for collective healing and liberation.       

That We        Should Be Heirs Writing Workshop         (Friday, March        8 2019) 5:30 PM - 7 PM @ Othello Commons        4200 S Othello St, Seattle, WA 98118-3843                A call to immigrant and refugee families to participate in a        collaborative arts project from our colleagues at the Southeast Asia Center at        the University of Washington:       

Refugees             and immigrants are invited to contribute handwritten letters about             their experiences as a method of alleviating burden and promoting             healing. UW visiting artist Trinh Mai will then roll and bind             these letters with string, forming a small scroll enclosing and             concealing the words. These will be displayed as part of an art             exhibit at Seattle's Gould Gallery from April 3 - May 3. 

        UW             Faculty members Linh Nguyen and Jenna Grant will lead the workshop             where you can write your story in a supportive, communal space.             All are welcome to take part in this collaborative project for             empowerment and voice, then view the exhibit. Paper and pencils             will be provided. 

How The Body Hold's        It's Stories        (Thursday,        February 28, 2019) 7 PM - 9 PM

Hugo House 1634 11th Ave,          Seattle, Washington 98122     

How             do our bodies hold onto experiences? How do generations of people             of color, queer and trans people, and others who have experienced             marginalization carry those stories over generations? Join writers             Jordan Alam and Tessa Zeng for a reading and conversation on             feeling a story in your bones and translating it to the page.             Musician Lex Gavin will also perform.                         ABOUT THE PERFORMERS:             Jordan Alam is a queer Bangladeshi-American writer, performer, and             social change educator based out of Seattle. Her work engages with             moments of rupture and transformation in the lives of people on             the margins. Jordan’s work is heavily engaged in the ? community,             and she is a current Kundiman Pacific Northwest co-chair and             4Culture Artist Grant recipient. Her short stories and articles             have appeared in The Atlantic, CultureStrike Magazine, The Rumpus,             and AAWW’s The Margins; she has spoken at events including the             Aspen Ideas Festival and the Eyes on Bangladesh exhibition. She is             also the founder of the Asian American social justice publication,             Project As [I] Am (http://www.project-as-i-am.com).             Most recently, she has completed a fellowship with Town Hall             Seattle to create collaborative performance pieces about stories             of the body and been editing a draft of her debut novel.                         Lex Gavin is a multidisciplinary artist living in Seattle. Their             brain (and thus their work) grapples with paradox, perception,             nuance, and the failures of identity. They are interested in             magic, neuroscience/somatics/epigenetics, and human systems. When             they are not neglecting their creative pursuits, they work in the             youth development field and play in the kitchen.                         Tessa Zeng is a writer, systems change advocate, and co-creative             maker. She has been published in various poetry anthologies and             journals, and received an Individualized BA from Goddard College             for her work on social misrecognition. With their work, they hope             to create beautiful experiences of interconnection and recognition             that can heal traumas caused by oppressive structures.    

ACCESSIBILITY        INFORMATION:     

The             new Hugo House is fully ADA-compliant. If you require             specific accommodations, please contact us so that we             may assist you. 

        There             are gender-neutral bathrooms. 

        Public             transportation: The new Hugo House is a short walk from             the Capitol Hill light rail station and the First Hill streetcar             (Broadway & Pike-Pine stop) and within a half-mile of many             buses, including routes 8, 10, 11, 43, 49, and 60.

        Parking: A pay parking lot is             available nearby at the Greek Orthodox Church at 13th and Howell,             or at Seattle Central College’s Harvard Garage at 1609 Harvard             Avenue. Street parking is also available but not             guaranteed. The garage beneath Hugo House is for tenants             only.

A Certain Type        of Brilliance        (Friday, March        1, 2019) 7 PM - 9 PM @ Gay City: Seattle's LGBTQ Center        517 E Pike St, Seattle, Washington 98122      

Femmes             possess an alchemy that can’t be quantified, but which draws us             together and enables us to be bold, ingenious, and capable of a magic             that fortifies our own hearts and the soul of the community around             us. A Certain Type of Brilliance is a celebration of femmes’             ability to pull amazing things out of thin air, to create on a             dime, to use our vulnerability and creativity as our greatest             assets in resistance to oppression.

        The             production features a unique cast each night; performers will             create a new piece of work in the 24 hours prior to the show in             response to one of a series of prompts, drawing on themes of             resistance, resilience, femme identity & power.       

Other Dates:   

SATURDAY             March 2 (7:00 PM - 9:00 PM)

        SUNDAY             March 3 (7:00 PM - 9:00 PM)       

ACCESSIBILITY        INFORMATION: https://www.gaycity.org/accessibility/         

There              are two steps from the auditorium/library hallway to Kaladi Bros              Coffee and to go to the restrooms. In order to go between the              coffee shop/restrooms and the auditorium/library without using              any steps, you will need to go outside and enter through the              other external door.

Winter Quarter        Social Justice Film Series        (Wednesday, February        27, 2019) 6:30 PM       

The             Kelly ECC is back with another social justice film series for             winter quarter!

        Each             Wednesday evening at 6:30, we'll be screening a film in the main             lobby! We hope to see you there!   

February's Focus: Black History        Month        March's Focus: Women's History Month        ------        FILM LINE-UP        • February 27: Dark Girls        • March 6: Ladies First        • March 13: Neerja                ACCESSIBILITY        INFORMATION:      

The             Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center is near landmarks such as             Alder Hall and Lander Hall.

        For             a map, search HUB on the campus maps: www.washington.edu/maps

        The             ECC’s front entrance is wheelchair accessible. There is an             elevator in the building.

        There             are universal, all-gender bathrooms in the building, as well as             gender binary bathrooms with multiple stalls.

        The             ECC is not kept scent-free, but we ask that you do not wear             scented/fragranced products (e.g. perfume, hair products) or             essential oils to/in the event in order to make the space             accessible to those with chemical injury or multiple chemical             sensitivity.       

University District Metro Bus        Routes can be found here: metro.kingcounty.gov/tops/bus/neighborhoods/university_district.html

Sister Spit 2019 x NW        Film Forum        (Thursday, February        28, 2019) 7 PM - 9 PM @ Northwest Film Forum        1515 12th Ave, Seattle, Washington 98122        7 artists        2 hours of QTPOC brilliance                ACCESSIBILITY        INFORMATION:     

The             main floor of the Forum, including the theaters and lobby, are             accessible via a ramp. We have one restroom on the main floor             built to ADA standards.

        An             affordable pay parking lot is available 3 blocks from the             Northwest Film Forum at the Greek Orthodox Church at 13th and             Howell.

        Street             parking is metered from 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m., Monday – Saturday,             and free all day on Sundays.    

Lineup:         ▼KATIE FRICAS▼        Katie Fricas is a cartoonist and library worker from New York City. She        makes non-fiction essay comics about art, politics, cultural events,        oddities, and hidden histories in a wiggly, sloppy style for various        publications and websites. She got her start illustrating for $pread        Magazine (R.I.P) and self-publishing a comic about her life called        Blabbermouth. Her work pops up in various anthologies, including the        2018 Ignatz Award-winning book, Comics for Choice, and she's also        published comics in the Guardian, Hyperallergic, the New Yorker, and a        bunch of other shiny places. Her series Checked Out, about almost a        decade spent working at NYC's oldest Library, appears regularly on the        website Spiralbound. When she isn't scuttling all over NYC for work or        elbow-deep in ink, she can be found scanning the funnie pages.                ▼CRISTY ROAD▼        Cristy C. Road is a Cuban-American artist, writer, and musician.        Through visual art, storytelling, and punk rock music, C.Road has        thrived to testify the beauty of the imperfect since she began creating        art in her hometown of Miami, FL. She grew up as a self-taught figure        drawing artist with a penchant for all things that questioned society        and began publishing Green'Zine in 1997-- a fanzine which was        originally devoted to the punk rock group, Green Day. C.Road graduated        from the the Ringling School of Art and Design in 2004 with a BFA in        Illustration. In early 2006, C.Road released her first illustrated        novel, Indestructible (Microcosm Publishing), a 96-page narrative about        high school; and later in 2007, a collection of postcards entitled        Distance Makes The Heart Grow Sick (Microcosm Publishing). In 2008, she        released Bad Habits (Soft Skull Press), an Illustrated story about        healing from an abusive relationship; and lastly in 2013, her most        recent book, Spit and Passion (Feminist Press, 2012), is a coming-out        memoir about Cuban identity, discovering Green Day, and surviving in        the closet. C.Road's current project is The Next World Tarot (2017), a        78-card tarot deck detailing themes of justice, knowledge,        accountability, and reclaimed magic.                ▼AUSTIN HERNANDEZ▼        Austin Hernandez is a Tejano designer and writer living in Brooklyn.        His creative work is strongly influenced by his mom's second-wave        feminist teachings, his family's Mexican-American or Hispanic or        Chicanx or Mexica or "just American" origins, and high school        riot grrrl mix tapes. Through traveling, sharing, and storytelling by        film and spoken word, he focuses on the feeling of estrangement from        society and analyzing seemingly conflicting identities—transman with        strong lesbian roots, a monolingual mestizo with bilingual family, and        a working-class Texan, raised on homemade flour tortillas and fast        food, turned tech anti-bro. He recently left an international corporate        life to become a civic technologist, improving the ways governments        provide services to the public. He sits on the board of directors for ��      Maven, a nonprofit that empowers LGBTQ+ youth to use technology for        social change.                ▼KATHERINE AGARD▼        Katherine is an interdisciplinary artist and writer from Trinidad and        Tobago. She recently graduated from the MFA program in Writing from UC        - San Diego and now lives in San Francisco. You can find her writing in        Yes Femmes, Anmly, the Black Warrior Review and forthcoming in Feminist        Studies.                ▼BARUCH PORRAS HERNANDEZ▼        Baruch Porras Hernandez is a queer Mexican Immigrant from Toluca,        Mexico. He is a writer, performer, storyteller, playwright and stand-up        comedian, a two-time winner of Literary Death Match, a Lambda Literary        Poetry Fellow, a Lambda Literary Playwriting Fellow, a two-time        Pushcart Prize nominee, and was named a Bay Area Writer to Watch! in        2016 by 7×7 San Francisco Magazine. He is the founder and host of        ¿Donde Esta Mi Gente? Latinx Literary Series, a regular KQED Arts host,        and was the Voice of Shipwreck SF Erotic Fan Fiction Competition and        podcast for four years and hosted the legendary SF Queer Open Mic for 7        years. His poems have been published in several anthologies and        journals, both online and in print. Last summer he had the honor of        being an artist in residence at the Ground Floor Summer Lab with        Berkeley Repertory Theatre. He lives in San Francisco.                ▼IMANI SIMS▼        Imani Sims is a curator, alchemist, and author. She believes in the        healing power of ritual, performance art, and the power of words. She        is the Curator of Kitchen Sessions, a running show series in        collaboration with Central District Forum for Arts and Ideas, Bellevue        Art Museum, Seattle Art Museum, and Theater Off Jackson. Her goal is to        continue to shift the social narrative by providing artists of color        with resources that empower and display our stories in public spaces        all over the nation. Her book (A)live Heart is available on Sibling        Rivalry Press.When she isn't working, you can find her on the couch        with a chilled glass of rose.                ▼JULIANA DELGADO LOPERA▼        Juliana Delgado Lopera is an award-winning Colombian writer, historian        based in San Francisco. The recipient of the 2014 Jackson Literary        award, and a finalist of the Clark- Gross Novel award, she’s the author        of ¡Cuéntamelo! an illustrated bilingual collection of oral histories        by LGBT Latinx immigrants (Aunt Lute 2017) which won a 2018 Lambda        Literary Award and Quiéreme (Nomadic Press 2017). She's received        fellowships from Brush Creek Foundation of the Arts, Lambda Literary        Foundation, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and The SF Grotto, and an        individual artist grant from the SF Arts Commission. Her work has been        nominated for a Pushcart Prize and published in various publications.        She’s the creative director of RADAR Productions.        SPECIAL GUEST: Jessica Ry’Cheal

[draggingthroughmedia]

Dragging through Media written by Tony Nguyen

Time and time again, the drag community has been withstanding hatred for the art that they willingly commit to. Their choices of loving a gender performativity craft, which would be that of drag, has been ridiculed by wider society. So while there has been a larger focus on visibility of marginalized communities in film and television, what’s the state of drag queens being authentically depicted for their work through media? So while there is a larger demand for identities being represented, do media outlets exhibit the oppression that these drag communities go through? By analyzing how drag queens relation to the everyday oppression they experience relates to them being viewed as entertainment, their histories being manipulated and being misgendered by being lumped as trans, the general public can acknowledge and understand why drag queens do what they do.

RuPaul’s Drag Race is a reality competition television series that has been broadcasting from 2009 to the present. It’s a show that has been cited as both the most watched show revolving around drag queens today, and has the largest impact of pop culture regarding mannerisms, vernacular and engagement when it comes to how drag queens operate with peers of their own and the like (Bornstein 45). So while there are positive portrayal and negative criticisms of drag culture, this being the biggest show that has the most buzz on the topic and has an accountability to how drag queens would be presented then. So what’s more significant to take into account then would be the disagreement of the failure to entail gender norms through drag performances is not in and of itself empowering or rebellious. Successful drag relies upon the performer' ability to execute stereotypical notions of femininity through performances through means of dancing a la voguing and other activities.  

In Drag Race, contestants (or queens) must compete against each other in order to successfully accomplish specific challenges that demonstrate various femininities, which can include singing or dancing.  So by accomplishing these challenges by exhibiting femininities, these contestants play with gender attributes and expectations (Harper 21). So through the successful ventures of various femininities, these contestants prove their adaptability in performances of gender. So through legitimacy, queer legitimacy, and authentic ways of demonstration to reference to the ways that RuPaul’s Drag Race strategically displays iconography corresponding with queer history and entertainment as a means to present itself within the queer historical spectrum, which can be tied back to Sara Ahmed’s theory of queer phenomenology object orientation in that queerness disrupts and reestablishes social relations by not following them (Ahmed 23). So does the format and rhetoric of reality television like RuPaul's Drag Race seem like a suitable cause for action for contributing to current discussion regarding the complexity of queer representation?

In order to dissect how RuPaul’s Drag Race representation of drag queens can be problematic with how queer people are utilized as mere entertainment, it’s important to first lay foundation of authentic portrayal of drag queens through media. Noteable references can be found through the 1990 documentary film Paris is Burning, which depicts the New York City drag ball culture of the late eighties. This documentary is lauded as a milestone of valuable insight into the queer drag queen communities with how the structure of the houses work, what they do in these competitions, and how they survive alongside their peers. RuPaul’s Drag Race has made references to this documentary, in which causes a dialogue between the film and the reality television show. This parallels of these two mediums display queerness and equate social value in terms of how queerness needs to be perceived.

Edgar’s case of Paris is Burning is that drag is made subversive through the “multiple types of competitions, the satirization of heterosexuality, and the plethora of queer performance potentialities, “ (Edgar 55). This claim supports that Drag Race contributes a more normalizing view of drag performance and competition. Authentic queer visibility on television and in film is a good thing, which could have been be a large positive of RuPaul’s Drag Race, but once again in the case of this reality television show, the visibility done through its limiting scope halts progress for drag culture. This is as Drag Race does not reward or recognize the complexity of drag performances, it only capitalizes on these drag queens bodies to profit out of their performances (Butler 34) There’s arguments that of the importance of the value of fluff television as mere entertainment needed in the scope of television, but with a larger visibility of a marginalized community in the landscape of television, it’s critical that the bare minimum of the inclusion of the complexity of queer representation is needed.

And yet, another modern example of queer representation being manipulated for the sake of entertainment and profits would be the 2015 film Stonewall. It was panned for its lack of representation of minorities. It missed an opportunity for an artistic and sociopolitical take on Stonewall, but instead their histories were manipulated to “please” a straight audience as the director cited that the main character resorted to “straight acting”. It’s unfortunate that the film didn’t highlight how Stonewall riots were a series of violent protests against over policing to gay venues. The Stonewall riots were led by trans drag people, in which have been then a cause for a larger narrative of how LGBT people have to fight for their rights. So what we can be honest about is that when history is whitewashed, skewed or erased of marginalized communities through media, ideology and profits trump what matters the most: giving a platform for drag queens to be understood, to survive and to be.

Proper queer representation showcases an actual living situation that drag queens everyday endure. Paris is Burning sets and represents the harrowing conditions these performers have to harshly endure. One example would be in a scene where Kim Pendavis is sewing a shirt where she is chatting about the topic of mopping. In addition, another would be the scene including Dorian Corey reminding their peers that they better work. By doing work in the runway, Corey is implying that these performers in New York City have to work in order to meet their basic needs. Finally, Venus Extravaganza's search for sex work becomes a routine, which displays the scene of performance and how this is a reality that people choosing this lifestyle generally undergo to support a lifestyle of acquiring many material goods. As the internet has become an inclusive space for queer self-representation and dialogue encouraging for activism (Alexander, 2002, p.1), there is an online transgender community expanding everyday that search through the Internet as a database for trans resources, and engage with others on tran issues. Throughout RuPaul’s Drag Race, there have been several transgender contestants on the show who have gone on to be post show, which would include Sonique in season one, Carmen Carrera in season 3 and Monica Beverly Hillz in season 5.

So while there has been transgender representation, the main issue causing the transgender community to clash over the value of RuPaul’s Drag Race is the show’s use of transphobic language. During a mini challenge titled “Female or She-male” in a season six episode, contestants were asked to identify whether the photo at hand showed a cisgender woman or a cropped image of a former Drag Race contestant. The dialogue of proper representation even included former Drag Race transgender activists like Carmen Carrera who claimed identified this challenge as transphobic and petitioned the show to remove the segment. After vocal opposition from the transgender community, RuPaul Drag Drag producers issued an apology by thanking the transgender community for providing their voices on the issue, and thus producers removed the segment from future shows, as well as future refrain of using transphobic language. So while the immediate response of RuPaul Drag Race producers by confronting and accommodating to the opposition that was received from the transgender community demonstrates that the show is critically aware of public backlash of transgender issues, it does not acknowledge its underlying message of these drag queens being presented as entertainment value versus showcasing a more genuine narrative on the craft.

The larger issue of viewers of Drag Race not knowing difference between the two groups might not appreciate the authenticity of identifying as a woman as a distinct experience from the gender performativity side where it’s for artful purposes. So if media isn’t aware of and doesn’t explicitly state these differences, the identities of the trans community becomes not validated by wider society. An example would be in Paris is Burning would be Pepper Labeija insisting that she identifies as a male, despite doing drag. So why does it matter? People who identify as transgender have generally been reported as more likely to have incredibly high rates of discrimination for appearance,  including in sectors such as housing, employment, dealing with the police and finding healthcare. Additionally, The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs recently have concluded with a study that 72 percent of all violent crimes against LGBT people in 2013 targeted transgender women, who also made up 67 percent of LGBT homicide victims. In fact, 41 percent of transgender people have attempted suicide relative to the 1.6 percent of the general population. (Alexander 11-13) On a macro level, this shows the transgender community’s mental health consequences that result from constant antagonizing and violence. So overall, the conflict between trans women and drag queens boils down to true representation and visibility.

In conclusion, drag queens for entertainment value, their histories skewed and the myth of all wanting to be female needs to be acknowledged as significant issues in LGBT media. Instead, media needs to properly exhibit drag queens as they are instead of caricatures to authentically represent a marginalized community that needs to be respectfully understood by the general public.

Works Cited

Ahmed, Sara. Queer Phenomenology : Orientations, Objects, Others. Durham: Duke UP, 2006. Print.

Alexander, J. (2002). Homo-Pages and Queer Sites: Studying the Construction and Representation of Queer Identities on the World Wide Web. International Journal of Sexuality and Gender Studies, 7(2/3), 85-106.

Bornstein, Kate. Do Your Gender Mindfully. )n My New Gender Workbook: A Step-By-Step Guide to Achieving World Peace Through Gender Anarchy and Sex Positivity . 199-226. New York: Routledge, 2013

Butler, J (1993) 'Gender is Burning: Questions of Appropriation and Subversion', in Thornham, S (Ed) (1999) Feminist Film Theory, a Reader, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press

Edgar, Eir-Anne. “‘Xtravaganza!": Drag Representation and Articulation in ‘RuPaul's Drag Race.’” Studies in Popular Culture, vol. 34, no. 1, 2011, pp. 133–146.

Gregory, Christian A. "Performative Transformation of the Public Queer in Paris is Burning." The Free Library 22 September 1998. 01 May 2017

Harper, Phillip Brian. “‘The Subversive Edge’: Paris Is Burning, Social Critique, and the Limits of Subjective Agency.” Diacritics, vol. 24, no. 2/3, 1994, pp. 90–103