#pride month: gender critical edition

[nix-that-rad-lass]

🌈Happy Pride Month🌈

🌸To the lesbians told they are transphobic for refusing biological males

🌸To the lesbians hiding their true orientation for fear of discrimination from the same movement claiming to support them

🌸To the lesbians who wonder if maybe it would be easier to identify out of it and pretend they are a man in a woman’s body

🌸To all the lesbians feeling left behind by mainstream pride

🌈Happy pride month🌈

🌻To the gay men called transphobic for refusing biological females

🌻To the gay men who hide their true selves to appease their peers idea of how they ought to be

🌻To the gay men who wonder if maybe they should give in and try to change yet again

🌻To all the gay men feeling left behind by the mainstream pride

🌈Happy pride month🌈

🌺To the bisexuals who are told they are transphobic for refusing someone that believes in outdated gender roles as an identity

🌺To the bisexuals told they aren’t gay enough to be LGB and aren’t straight enough to be “normal”

🌺To the bisexuals who feel like they don’t fit and are always having to change and hide bits and pieces of themselves to be accepted

🌺To all the bisexuals feeling left behind by the mainstream pride

🌈Happy pride month🌈

🌼To the dysphoric people told their bodies are wrong and should be medically harmed

🌼To the dysphoric women and girls seeking to escape the trauma of sexism and misogyny

🌼To the dysphoric men seeking to escape the trauma and toxicity that seems to infest most masculinity

🌼To all the dysphoric people feeling left behind by the mainstream pride

🌈Happy pride month🌈

💐To all the people whose identities aren’t just an identity, but a part of them, a biological reality

💐To all the people who reject ‘queer’ because same sex attraction and dysphoria are not strange or weird

💐To all the people told to follow a political movement that claims to support them despite actions showing otherwise

💐To all the people left harmed by the medical industry as it preys upon individuals with dysphoria or those struggling to come to terms with their sexuality

💐To all the people told that their desire for simple acceptance and normalcy is politically incorrect

🌈Here’s to a pride month for everyone, and a hope for a better future for all- regardless of ones orientation, presentation, or politics🌈

[maybeitsalivescribbles]

One-Word H/V Prompts: Queer Edition

It's Pride month, so...

Villain has a crush on Hero and invites them to dinner. Unfortunately, not only is Hero aro/ace and every flirty comment passes over their head/annoys them, but they’re also a foodie. Endless critics ensue.

“I knew it! You two are lovers!” “No, we’re more than that. We’re friends.”

Hero discovers that the cute twink he has a crush on at this “normal” work is actually a huge bear as a Villain (serums were involved). It’s confusing.

Hero has the weird power of transforming the bodies of everyone else but them. They wished they had something cooler, but soon after a lot of people come asking for their help.

Villains/Hero recruits people who are thrown on the streets because of their queerphobic landlords/family. It actually works out quite well.

This Villainness’s power is a mesmerizing voice, but it only works on women. Heroine wonders why.

Supervillain is definitively a man, but he’s a man of fashion. Only dramatic dresses can properly fit his peacock’s brand of style.

To protect their identity, Hero presents as a man under their civilian identity and as a woman as a Hero. That makes them realize something about themself.

NB Thief has all the genders and is a master of disguise. The only way to recognize them is how stunning they are, but then again, maybe Detective has a crush.

An intersex hero is a lady with a beard and no one, actually, gives a damn – are you insane, that’s what you focus on? She can shoot fucking lasers with her eyes !

Villain specializes in smuggled goods, including banned books. Soon they notice that a lot of teens/young adults flood to them for reading references.

“Be gay do crimes” stickers on Villain’s evil lair everywhere on the walls.

“Be gay stop crimes” magnet on Hero’s fridge.

Hero, Villain, Supervillain, Superhero, Henchmen and Sidekicks try to kill each other all year, but they agree on one point: protect the Pride cortege. They all have their own reasons (queer themselves, they have a close one in the cortege, they like the outfits, they like the challenge to authority/norms, etc)

*

Back to the Hero x Villain Masterlist.

[underground-legionary]

Eternal Circle

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1963!Bob Dylan x reader (gender unspecified) Rating: this one is very PG Warnings: slightly angsty, English not first language, might be edited. Summary: Pretty much the title song of this fic, narrated from the perspective of Bob. Young artist longing. Author notes: Had this stuck in my head, needed to get it out. Kinda short, kinda hectic, enjoy! Constructive criticism always welcome, especially in terms of typos/wording/punctuation. Word count: 1.395

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An entire colony of shivers ran down Bob's spine as he felt a bid of sweat roll down the back of his neck - into the collar of his shirt, counting every vertebra. One of the stage lights at the venue was mercilessly radiating heat in its attempts to serve its sole purpose. Prior to becoming a known musician Bob has never pondered over practical and almost worldly inconveniences of being a performer. Music came first, and everything else was secondary. Now, sitting on a high wooden stool ready to deliver yet another song to a modestly sized audience, the young musician could not think about anything else. And yet, despite minute discomforts there was undeniably something charming in playing smaller, more personal shows, even after the whirlwind that his life has been in the months since Freewheeling was pressed onto vinyl. This is precisely why Bob still did them: sometimes at a bookstore or at a coffeehouse, anywhere where the intimate feeling of playing for people was still lingering in the air. Joan had a much easier time communicating with the terrific mass of people that was protest movement than Bob could ever wish for himself. Which, looking into himself, he did not know if he even did.

Slowly drifting away into his thoughts, the performer gently blew into his harmonica and tried a picking pattern to see if his instument was still in tune. The strings did not sound too bright - instead a warm tone started flowing from under Bob's fingers, demonstrating the strings' pride in the signs of their wear.

It was a hard pill to swallow, but for some time now Bob has been sensing a shift within himself. Uniquely renditioned and heartfelt every time before, now his songs came to him in a tired, excercised manner, flat in a way that stayed unnoticed by an uninvolved observer. Pieces like Masters of War or Talking World War III Blues have said all that they had to say, so it had been getting more and more easy for Bob to leave the delivery to the autopilot-of-head-and-hands and think about something else halfway through. It might sound like a contradiction, but at the same time Bob could also feel something building up in him, as if he was a spring, coiling tight before snapping and jumping into the mouth of the changing times, straight into the eye of the approaching storm. Something potent to show that behind the made-up symbol was a person, invisible despite being stared at, there, behind the blue eyes and devilish curls. People in this very room, however, were not ready for it just yet. Bob leaned to the microphone and announced:

‘Next song's a tune that's called A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall’. Upon this, a round of applause has made its way through the venue and the familiar strumming poured into the microphone. Bob's eyes stung slightly from all the cigarette smoke. He could go for a smoke himself.

While playing, Bob could not pinpoint what he was trying to connect with that particular night, his music or his audience. He was never interacting with the concertgoers all that much, always letting his songs speak for themselves, but sometimes being stuck in his head, alone, was simply too much. For a second he wondered whether he himself has become one of the 10,000 talkers with a broken tongue, without realising it? While his mind was roaming, his curious eyes were wondering as well. Among the hats, coats and chemically smelling updos in the dimly lit room something, or, rather, someone stood out. You leaned onto one of the decorative columns on the wall and listened, intentely and somewhat solemnly, a cigarette held pensively between your fingers. It didn't seem like you were particularly interested in smoking at that moment, but rather that you merely wanted to occupy your hands. Undeniably, there was something in the energy you exuded that made Bob's eyes linger and his chest tingle with warm eagerness. Was it the way your hair fell, your contours bent so sweetly or was it the intense focus you had on him like he was the only person in the world worth listening to? Was it the slight shock he felt at the sudden gravitational pull towards the shining star that was you? Bob quickly everted his eyes to avoid staring - looks have always been a delicate game, where one must tread lightly.

Yet, the musician knew he had to talk to you, he got tangled up in your magnetic force. He couldn't help but crave some closeness from this beautiful, breathtaking sight in front of him. He longed for learning the sound of your voice: was it low and husky or rather high with a more singing cadence? Should he speak with you, would you maintain this pensive disposition or would you let your laughter ring cheerfully for everyone to enjoy? What did your perfume smell like, your hair? How would it feel to dance with you, hear you whisper something into his ear, your warm body close to his?.. The next note he sang fell slightly flat. Suddenly Bob felt like an amateur and flustered like a boy.

Bob’s blue eyes darted back to you to see if you noticed, which, of course was a fatal mistake. When you two briefly made eye contact, the man felt his face flush slightly as if he got caught in something he was not supposed to be doing. Blessed be the stage lights for making up a good excuse! He couldn't help but grin a bit, the mood of the song now forgotten. As you dreamily averted your gaze, Bob was now persuaded you were partaking in this game of cat-and-mouse with him, and it made him feel bold. Your attention flattered him, he was but a man after all, his ego partial to the simple excitement of a beautiful woman such as yourself. After all, despite his natural wit, charm and ability to fill in any room he walked into with his presence alone, there was still a side of him that was all bones and angles, nose and a crooked grin, clothes not filled properly by body, young man who, mere months ago, wanted nothing but to play a song to his idol.

You smiled to some thought of your own and Bob felt another tug at the strings of his heart, ready to burst into song just like his guitar. Your eyes seemed to be on fire, but there was nothing to be done about it now. The song was long and there was more to be sung. From that moment Bob has dedicated this song to you entirely, whether you knew it or not. After that the young artist tried his best to focus and deliver his best performance. He even attempted not to look at you anymore to not let the rising heat in him be a distraction. Suddenly he became very aware of himself on that stage, of his unruly hair and the damned stage lights causing sweat to pool under his arms. When he approaches you, what does he say?..

And just like that, the song was over. The shy clinking of drinks put on tables and rustle of ashtrays being moved around - sounds that always precede applause in places like this - have reached the stage. The listeners were delighted. Bob stood up to thank the audience and bowed his head slightly.

‘Thank you, thank you’. He braced himself before looking towards the column where you stood, but you were gone. His grip on the neck of his guitar tightened slightly in confusion. Bob looked around the venue trying to find you as the content clapping of the listeners failed to die down. People are often greedy like that, they never want the entertainment to end, especially when the possibility of an encore is lingering around the corner. But just like that you were truly gone. Disappointment made Bob's chest feel tight. Could it be that you were only a figment of his longing imagination? Perhaps, you simply went outside and will be back soon? Maybe it is time for an encore after all.

Bob took a sip of water, sat back down on his tall stool and wondered, what song might be just good enough to summon you back.

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[ciqff]

Media Release: Reel Desires CIQFF 2024

TWELFTH EDITION OF REEL DESIRES: CHENNAI INTERNATIONAL QUEER FILM FESTIVAL, SHOWCASES DIVERSE GENDER AND SEXUALITIES  AUGUST 16-18, 2024

MEDIA RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, contact 98415-57983, or email chennaiintlqueerfilmfest@gmail.com or visit www.ciqff.org.

The 12th annual edition of Reel Desires: Chennai International Queer Film Festival will be held at the Goethe-Institut, Chennai,  from August 16-18, 2024. Reel Desires features films, shorts and documentaries showcasing sexuality and gender diversity issues.  This year’s line-up consists of 20 films from nine countries, selected via a community-led review process. The principal organisers of CIQFF 2024 are Orinam and Goethe-Institut Chennai, working in collaboration with Nirangal Charitable Trust  and SAATHII.

Commencing Friday Aug 16, 2024, the film festival opens with Love and Let Love, an evocative short by Shailaja Padindala  (2024) that examines unconventional love in couples of two generations.  Other highlights of Friday include  Prayers for  Sweet Waters by Elijah Ndoumbe (2021) a look into the vivid realities of three transgender women living in Cape Town, South Africa, during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Ili-Ili (Little One)  by Clister Santos (2024) is a charming animation in which a pregnant woman seeks parenting advice from her two gay dads. It was part of the 2024 Five Films for Freedom selection of BFI FLARE, London International LGBTQIA+ film festival.  Friday’s feature film My Father’s Clothes (Anima: Die Kleider meines Vaters, by Uli Decker(2022), set in Bavaria, is a story about family secrets, gender issues and the turmoil of love - told as a roller coaster ride through animated and documentary imagery. Among the films on Saturday, August 17,  the internationally acclaimed  Jodi (If)  Bengal short  by Tathagata Ghosh (2024) explores the  tribulations of an arranged marriage that tears a lesbian couple apart,  suggesting that with a mother’s love, perhaps another future is possible.  Samlingi a documentary debut by Mohan Singh Aulakh (2024) explores queer lives in rural and urban lives in Punjab.   Hai Con Chuột (Two Little Mice) by Nguyen Anh Thach  (2024) depicts the tender affection between a gay man and his crush, on the eve of the latter’s wedding to his girlfriend.  Make-up Majhi Dhaal Ga (Make-Up Is My Shield) by Kunal Vijayakar (2024) is a short music video in the Laavni style of song and dance from Maharashtra. It follows the affectionate banter between a cis heterosexual man and his trans sister as the latter recounts her process of embracing her transness and decision to perform an exaggerated femininity. As part of CIQFF2024’s collaboration with the British Council, we bring you three shorts from the British Council Touring Programme series ‘More Films for Freedom’.  On Saturday, the UK/Nigerian film Egungun (Masquerade) by Olive Nwosu ( 2021) explores a woman’s return to her hometown in Lagos, and her new understanding of the people and experiences that shaped her. 

Saturday’s film screenings will be followed by a panel discussion Surviving Queerphobia: Online and Offline. Panelists, who include members of Chennai’s LGBTQIA+ communities and allies,  discuss the upsurge in homophobia and transphobia in recent months leading up to Pride month,  influenced by the “gender critical” movements and bathroom panic of the global north. Following the panel discussion will be a hip-hop party on the roof of Goethe-Institut, with spot registration and entry limited to 100 persons.  It will be DJ’ed by K. Phani Kumar and team.

The program on Sunday, August 18,  commences at 3 pm with Naan oru Pen (I am a woman) a 17 minute solo theatrical performance by Sowmiya in Tamil, directed by A. Mangai.  The performance draws on  poet-memoirist Maya Angelou’s Phenomenal Woman and Still I Rise, to present an embodied narration of un-making the body, lived experience and resilience of queerness, especially of a trans life in India.

Highlights among the shorts on Sunday include Ragasiya, a Tamil short on love and friendship by Chandrasekar Srinivasan (2024) featuring Chennai’s own Prahasini Arumugam as the protagonist. Love Positive by Tushar Tyagi (2024) speaks of love among two gay men, one of whom is living with HIV.  Melvilasam (Address) by  Hariprasad KN (2024) is a heartwarming documentary of Parvathi T.S and her arduous journey of becoming the first openly trans postwoman in India, and successfully changing name and gender markers in her government identity documents. They/Them by Phelian (2023) describes the self-realisation of a 49-year-old art professor of their non binary identity.

The film festival closes with  the Gujarati feature film Katlaa Curry by Rohit Prajapati  (2024). Set in a sleepy fishing village along the banks of the river Narmada,  a local fisherman, Raaymal, pulls a young man, Ratan, adrift in his fishing net, setting off a journey of profound connection and self-discovery.

As LGBTQIA+ collectives in India advocate for inclusive institutions and reduced discrimination,, we also work to engender change in hearts and minds, a task substantially more challenging than legal reform. One way we do this is by participating in and producing cultures that reflect both the universality and specificity of our experiences.

Reel Desires: Chennai International Queer Film Festival 2024, curated under this name since 2013, is the latest in a series of over 19  queer-themed film festivals held in Chennai to date, beginning in November 2004. The event is free and open to individuals 18 years and older.

[interpretedimagejessicarayment]

Samuel Fosso Week 1

Samuel Fosso grew up Bangui. ''On our street, there was a studio photographer who I began to spend time with. I asked him to teach me photography. I spent five months as an apprentice, after which I wanted to have my own studio''. He would work here before he eventa.ly got his own studio. Here he would earn money to go back and forth to Nigeria to visit family. While on a visit to Nigeria he discovered his first pair of platform boots. When returning back to Bangui, he paired his boots a pair of bell bottom pants. I think this gave his a sense of pride and it also gave his more confidence. Being a child who wasn't photographed much as a child being able to dress up and pose for the camera seemed invigorating to him. I thought that was really inspirational because even though his mother didn't like taking photos of him, he never let that stop him.

It almost seemed that Samuel Fosso photography was almost famous before he was, as many people had already seen his work before he got europe. "For the first edition of the Biennale, emissaries were sent all over Africa to find photographers. There was a French photographer, Bernard Descamps, who discovered my work while visiting Bangui and invited me to participate in this exhibition. By him being discovered I think this gave him an added advantage. From here he was doing workshops and exhibitions. This also helped him discover more photographers from africa as, he know any before leaving for europe.

I think his work is very powerful as with himself being the subject he could work and give himself direction. And how he was so open to learn and receive ideas and criticism help with his journey.

[softredribbon-kins]

Hello !

Welcome to the blog !

All info will be under

the cut ! 💛 🌸

Please read before requesting ! 🌸

Check out my fun lil pronouns page !

I’m also @dokidokilc-aesthetics !

🌸 What I Do !

- Moodboards

- Stimboards

- Icons (Regular, Pride + Matching)

• I only do square shaped icons

- Character Color-Dropped Pride Flags

- DNI Banners

* Please remember to be specific with all of these ! *

🌸 Rules !

- Please say the character and the source they’re from ! It’s helpful for me !

- Please be patient ! I promise I’ll get to your request soon enough !

- I have the right to refuse/delete requests !

- I would appreciate credit if you repost or use my edits please !

- This is a kin based blog, so please tell me if you don’t want the kin tags on your request ! Otherwise I will put them automatically ! (You are allowed to request even if it isn’t a kin !)

- You can request sources that aren’t listed, it’s just more unlikely I’ll do them !

🌸 Sources !

(Ones in bold are selective)

* Ace Attorney (All Games)

* Alien Stage

* Amphibia

* Any Type of RPG Horror Game

* Arcane

* Bandori (Bang Dream)

* Bee and Puppycat

* Bluey

* Card Captor Sakura

* Catherine: Full Body

* Chainsaw Man

* Cookie Run Ovenbreak/Kingdom

* D4DJ

* Danganronpa (All Games)

* Date A Live

* Dead By Daylight

* Deltarune

* Dislyte

* Doki Doki Literature Club

* Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared (YT Series + TV Show)

* ENA

* Faith: The Unholy Trinity

* Five Nights at Freddy’s (All Games)

* Genshin Impact

* Gravity Falls

* Guilty Gear

* Haikyuu!!

* Helltaker

* Higurashi No Naku Koro ni (Higurashi: When They Cry)

* Honkai: Star Rail

* HuniePop

* I Love Amy

* Kakegurui/Kakegurui Twin

* Komi-San Wa Komyushou Desu (Komi Can’t Communicate)

* Life Is Strange (All Games)

* Little Witch Academia

* Love & Deepspace

* Metal Family

* Monster High/Rainbow High/OMG Dolls/Lalaloopsy/Ever After High

* Monster Prom/Camp

* Moomins/Moominvalley

* My Singing Monsters

* NANA

* Needy Streamer Overload

* Obey Me!

* Oshi No Ko

* Overwatch

* Pretty Cure (Precure)

* Project Sekai

* Puella Magi Madoka Magica

* Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

* Regular Show

* Resident Evil (All Games)

* Revue Starlight

* Saiki K (The Disastrous Life of Saiki K)

* Sailor Moon

* Silent Hill (1-4)

* Sk8: The Infinity

* Sonic The Hedgehog Franchise

* Soul Eater

* Splatoon (All Games)

* Spooky Month

* Spy X Family

* Strawberry Shortcake Series

* Sucker for Love: First Date

* Talentless Nana

* The Amazing Digital Circus

* The Bad Guys

* The Last Of Us (Game + TV Show)

* The Quintessential Quintuplets

* Turning Red

* Twisted Wonderland

* Vanitas No Carte (The Case Study of Vanitas)

* Vocaloid/Utauloid

* Welcome Home Puppet Show

* Wonder Egg Priority

🌸 DNI !

- Basic DNI Criteria

- LGBT-Phobic

- Zoophiles

- Terf/Radfem/Trans Exclusionists

- Gender Skeptic/Critical

- MAP/NOMAP/Pedo

- Proship/Proshipper + supporters/neutral on it

- Aro/Ace exclusionists

- Proana/any pro ED

- Fact Kin

- Anti Neopronouns + Xenogenders

- Ship IRL people

- Anti-Agere/Sexualize Agere

🌸 Tags !

🌸 Your happiness is really important to me, you know! • request accepted

🌸 Ehehe, sorry… • request denied

🌸 Ready to walk home? • chatting

🌸 Don’t let me distract you from having fun with everyone! • promo

🌸 Cupcakes speak to my creative tummy~ • for me

🌸 You know I wouldn't lie to you, never ever! • questions

🌸 *icons, *pride icons, *moodboard, *stimboard, *chara flag, *dni banner

🌸 Credits !

Blog where I get dividers from !

Strawberrycore Sayori Reply Icons

Halloween Sayori Reply Icons

Soft Pink Strawberry Sayori Reply Icons

Strawberry Themed Sayori Layouts

Halloween Sayori Icon

Pink Sayori DNI Banner with Strawberries

Strawberry Sayori Icon

[scims-stuff]

right ik that this is a tma/mechs acc and so i don’t really talk abt cr on here but there’s a few problems i’ve been seeing in the fandom after the finale, and i wanna address them

SPOILERS FOR CAMPAIGN 2 EP 141

To preface this: I am a gay trans man, keep that in mind because I think that it provides perspective for a few things I’m about to say. Also I am not going to address any of the gripes people may have with white people playing woc or any stereotypes Beau may fall into because I’m white and not a lesbian, so it is not my place to have a huge opinion on it.

1) Matt confirming on twitter that some npcs are trans is fine

It is not always appropriate or necessary to outright mention someone is trans if it is not directly relevant to their life or how we view the character. Stealth trans people exist irl, and it’s weird to describe someone as trans (unless the pcs knew the person prior to their intro) as it implies that trans people are inherently different (in terms of gender) than cis people (why would you specify someone is trans but never do that with cis characters?).

For example: Yussa is described as looking old, even for an elf. Putting him at definitely over 500 years old. He most likely transitioned magically hundreds of years before he met the nien, there would be no reason to bring it up. Also, he is shown to be a reserved person, it would be out of character for him to tell them anyway.

To me it’s technically not dumbledoring them. Dumbledores relationship with Grindelwald was technically relevant to the plot/his character in the main series, what’s in an npcs pants isn’t.

Also I don’t want to see any comparison with Brennan Lee Mulligan, dimesion 20 and critical role are very different, with different moods, expectations, and most likely ways of transitioning. They may have hrt in modern New York, but they probably rely on magic a bit more in Xandria.

I admit, it may not be the best rep out there, but I think it’s good there wasn’t any transphobia or coming out story lines because they’re usually not handled the best by cis creators.

Trans people feel free continue a respectful conversation about this with me, cis people I don’t care.

2) Please god chill it with how shadowgast ended up

Not all relationships need a dramatic love confession. The way Liam implied that Essek and Caleb were romantically involved at one point but ended up as friends (both due to lifespan and, personal headcanon here, maybe a lack of romantic compatibility) was perfectly clear. This is why we pay attention in literature class.

They both care for each other in a unique and deep way but that doesn’t mean it has to end in romance, there’s a value in deep platonic love. Also, at one point Essek did say that he wasn’t really interested in romance at all.

Additionally, it was an epilogue scene so Liam would want to focus on the important stuff to do with Caleb’s character (burning the time travel room and visiting his parents graves), because, surprise, Caleb is more than who he cares for romantically and he is still bi no matter who he ends up with.

Remember y’all, it’s pride month, Liam and Matt may not see your posts complaining about the lack of gratuitous romance and the fact that Caleb was apparently not good bi rep because he didn’t end up with anyone, but your bi and aro friends and followers will.

3) THIS IS NOT THE LAST TIME WE ARE GONNA SEE THE MIGHTY NEIN

Although I was definitely not in the fandom when they were released, we have 5 canon Vox Machina one shots.

Considering how much the fandom has grown since then, we are very likely to get the same amount, if not more.

So just hold it with the “we never got [insert thing here]” for a bit. I’m personally a bit sad they never got the basilisk oil for Pumat, but hey that’s a good oneshot idea.

In conclusion- chill

EDIT: Essek is canonically demi

[coochiequeens]

A woman wrote slogans in chalk. 

Last week, chalk writing reading ““#What is a girl?, #LGB, #NoPride,” and “#What is a Woman?” was discovered outside several Madison businesses. The chalking occurred on the first day of June – the start of Pride month. 

The chalking was done by Mary Jo Walters, who made headlines last year when she withdrew her candidacy for a place on the Madison Metropolitan School District Board of Education. She gave up the race after making a Facebook post in which she referred to herself as “trans-a-phobic.”

Walters says some of the chalked hashtags refer to a recently-released documentary.

“When it comes to writing ‘what is a woman?’, I did that because it was the first day of pride and it also was the release of the movie What is a Woman? So that’s why I used that hashtag,” Mary Jo said.

The film purports to feature interviews on the topic of womanhood. Produced by far right news outlet The Daily Wire, it features selectively edited interviews with trans activists and academics.

News outlet LGBTQ Nation called the documentary “propaganda” and “full of transphobic lies,” and said that it portrays the concept of gender transition as “threatening [to] the Western Christian way of life.”

The film features conservative commentator Matt Walsh, who identifies himself as a “Theocratic Fascist” in his Twitter bio, and has come under fire for allegedly using images of minors without their permission in the film. Walsh has also been criticized for calling the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse “malicious prosecution,” and for promoting white supremacist “replacement theory.”

I also asked Mary Jo about what she was trying to accomplish politically.

“I’m boycotting Youtube right now because they had a queer ad – an ad about queers at the beginning of the video I wanted to watch. I don’t want to hear about queers before I’m about to watch a video! Ban! I don’t want to hear about ‘queer,’ I don’t want to hear about ‘trans.’ I’m done, I don’t want to hear about it.”

She went on to describe her belief that transgender pride is a conspiracy to indoctrinate children:

“MJW: Why aren’t we making a ban on anything that could be affecting those girls? Because it’s a hemorrhage, and it needs a tourniquet, and the ban is a tourniquet.

AB: do you see the art you did on the sidewalks as a way of accomplishing that?

MJW: Absolutely.”

Fiddlesticks Knits is a queer and woman owned yarn and fiber store on Atwood Avenue. The store, which opened last summer during the pandemic, prides itself on inclusion, accessibility, and sustainably-made items. 

Fiddlesticks was one of several businesses that had these messages chalked outside its shop. 

After finding the chalk, and washing it away, owner Erica Hainz organized what she referred to as a “counter-protest” later in the day. That afternoon, members and allies of Madison’s queer community wrote positive, pro-queer messages down the block:

“It was really good this time to have a really clear way to direct people to be like ‘here’s where you should put your energy, here’s how we can right this wrong and get people out here to show that there are so many more people in this community that want to be inclusive and support and love the trans people of this community, the queer people of this community, and to replace that transphobic nonsense with affirming things, reclaiming the space. It’s really lovely,” Erica said.

In February, Fiddlesticks also had its Progress Flag torn down. The Progress Flag is a rainbow pride flag which incorporates a design symbolizing the trans community.

“Our flag was ripped down. They actually left the flag on the doorstep, but they bent the pole badly enough that we had to replace it. That one was very jarring and disillusioning in a way. It was just so bizarre walking up to my storefront and seeing that someone had done something,” Erica said.

Mary Jo denies being involved in this incident. 

Amanda Haynes – no relation to Erica Hainz – is the president of the Madison Knitters’ Guild. When I talked to her about the chalking, here’s what she said:

“The Madison Knitters’ Guild stands in solidarity of Fiddlesticks Knits and the LGBT+ community. We are committed to making the knitting community in Madison and beyond safe and inclusive for all. There is absolutely no place here for behavior and language that degrades any neighbor in our community,” Amanda said.

These events take place against a national backdrop of rising anti-LGBTQ+ hate incidents. 2021 was the deadliest year for transgender and gender-nonconforming people on record, with trans people of color being especially likely to be targets of violence.

Image courtesy of Erica Hainz.

Granted Mary Jo Walters sounds a little extra but what it comes down to is she wrote slogans in chalk, a medium that can be destroyed in a few minutes with a hose.

[arllenn]

Image des. - “(if there was an exact copy like this, im so sorry- i sent it again to make sure it was sent) Ooh, more fics like this for Dragon Raja! I don't exactly have a really detailed request, but could I have the MC coming out as trans to any character(s) of your choice? Having some fluff like that would soothe the soul.”

Luminous - definition of supportive, he definitely definitely stops the others from buying the cringey pride merch from places like Walmart and is undoubtedly the one who , despite being a coward, would pick a fight with anyone who was being transphobic or rude about your identity. Buys you the worst pride merch he can find ironically. and sits with you while he edits your mii on his wii letting you pick everything

Caesar - was going to buy you the cringe pride merch before being stopped by Nono and luminous. Definitely like one of those parents who gets it but is overly supportive in the “aw that’s sweet but please stop buying me everything you see with the trans pride flag on it” bought you a whole new wardrobe with Nono afterwards and has absolutely punched someone who misgendered you. He also definitely and I take 0 criticism on this used his power as president of the student union to make a Lgbtq+ club as well as making pride month a much bigger deal at Cassell

Johann - supportive but more focused on the fact that after you came out you’ve been less pensive and nervous during your sparring sessions. The mans mind may be focused on fighting but he’s still a good friend don’t doubt it, Nono and Luminous thought that he wouldn’t buy the cringe merch and they were semi right, he definitely almost bought something before just settling on a pride flag. Has definitely fought ppl who were bad mouthing you and hasn’t slipped up with your pronouns sense you told him them.

Nono - she’s your bestie and you coming out changes nothing but the frequency of you twos shopping trips. Nono helped Caesar pick out your new wardrobe but also takes you out shopping more often after that buying anything you look at for a second too long. Just wants you to feel happy, safe, comfortable and at peace. She almost cut a chunk out of Caesar’s hair after she saw the hideous vans he had bought you from the pride section of *insert store here* Nono is the type to use the wrong pronouns for someone else when they misgender you on purpose until you explain to her why that’s harmful even if she means well.

Chisei - He may be from a conservative family but it’s also the 21st century and as long as you can hold your own in battle he doesn’t care what you are. Anonymously received a high quality piece of clothing from an ethical brand owned by another trans person with the receipt still in the box blatantly listing Chisei as the buyer then you didn’t do anything other than wear it the next time he came by.

Finger - stumbles over your pronouns a few time before he gets it, changes every article that refers to you with the wrong pronouns to the right ones and also helps you with getting a new ID and profile from the college. Also ironically buys you the worst pride merch that he can find no matter what. He instantly corrects anyone who misgenders you and keeps the transphobes away using his info network and telling you who to steer clear of.

Chime - Supportive, doesn’t buy you cringe merch, let’s you rant to him when you feel awful due to your gender dysphoria. Helps you find a clinic to get your hormones from. Helps you style your hair and do your makeup in a way that makes you the most comfortable. All around a nice caring friend.

Ruri - Probably doesn’t care the man has murder on his mind always. Though he definitely uses the right pronouns with you and is extra rough with people who don’t or refuse to.

Zero - she’s been your best friend sense forever and lets you know that she loves you for you. Makes you a new version of your clothes from the orphanage in the design that you want, she loves you no matter what and is super supportive. Helping you get through everything and let’s you rant to her about anything and everything.

Erii - considering the fact that she has been locked up all her life I doubt she gets the concept without you explaining it to her, after that she’s definitely on board. She probably doesn’t act any different around you other than referring to you as what you wish to be referred to as. Has told her older brothers about anyone who was transphobic to you and they were “dealt” with quickly.

[ucflibrary]

Pride Month has arrived!

While every day is a time to be proud of your identity and orientation, June is that extra special time for boldly celebrating with and for the LGBTQIA+ community (yes, there are more than lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender folx in the queer community). June was chosen to honor the Stonewall Riots which happened in 1969. Like other celebratory months, LGBT Pride Month started as a weeklong series of events and expanded into a full month of festivities.

2021 is also the 5th anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando where 49 members of our community were murdered on June 12, 2016. On the main floor of the John C. Hitt Library there will be display cases with items from the University Archives relating to Pulse memorials as well as a display wall honoring the lives lost. Both of these library memorials were created in partnership with UCF LGBTQ Services. UCF will also be hosting several events in June to help the community remember, grieve and grow stronger. Full listing of events is available on the Pulse Remembrance event calendar.

Additional Pulse memorial events will be hosted by the onePULSE Foundation.  An memorial archival collection from the first anniversary of the shooting can be found as part of the Resilience: Remembering Pulse in the STARS Citizen Curator collection.

In honor of Pride Month, UCF Library faculty and staff suggested books from the UCF collection that represent a wide array of queer authors and characters. Click on the read more link below to see the full list, descriptions, and catalog links. There is also an extensive physical display on the main floor of the John C. Hitt Library near the Research & Information Desk.

All Adults Here by Emma Straub Emma Straub's unique alchemy of wisdom, humor, and insight come together in a deeply satisfying story about adult siblings, aging parents, high school boyfriends, middle school mean girls, the lifelong effects of birth order, and all the other things that follow us into adulthood, whether we like them to or not. Suggested by Rachel Mulvihill, Downtown Library

 All the Young Men: a memoir of love, AIDS, and chosen family in the American South by Ruth Coker Burks & Kevin Carr O'Leary A gripping and triumphant tale of human compassion, is the true story of Ruth Coker Burks, a young single mother in Hot Springs, Arkansas, who finds herself driven to the forefront of the AIDS crisis, and becoming a pivotal activist in America’s fight against AIDS. Suggested by Megan Haught, Student Learning & Engagement/Research & Information Services

 And the Band Played On: politics, people and the AIDS epidemic by Randy Shilts An international bestseller, a nominee for the National Book Critics Circle Award, and made into a critically acclaimed movie, Shilts' expose revealed why AIDS was allowed to spread unchecked during the early 80's while the most trusted institutions ignored or denied the threat. One of the few true modern classics, it changed and framed how AIDS was discussed in the following years. Suggested by Becky Hammond, Special Collections & University Archives

 Big Gay Adventures in Education: supporting LGBT+ visibility and inclusion in schools edited by Daniel Tomlinson-Gray A collection of true stories by 'out' teachers, and students of 'out' teachers, all about their experiences in schools. The book aims to empower LGBT+ teachers to be the role models they needed when they were in school and help all teachers and school leaders to promote LGBT+ visibility and inclusion. Each story is accompanied by an editor’s note reflecting on the contributor’s experience and the practical implications for schools and teachers in supporting LGBT+ young people and ensuring they feel safe and included in their school communities. Suggested by Terrie Sypolt, Research & Information Services

 Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman The sudden and powerful attraction between a teenage boy and a summer guest at his parents' house on the Italian Riviera has a profound and lasting influence that will mark them both for a lifetime. Suggested by Rebecca Hawk, Circulation

 Fun Home: a family tragicomic by Alison Bechdel Meet Alison's father, a historic preservation expert and obsessive restorer of the family's Victorian house, a third-generation funeral home director, a high school English teacher, an icily distant parent, and a closeted homosexual who, as it turns out, is involved with male students and a family babysitter. Through narrative that is alternately heartbreaking and fiercely funny, we are drawn into a daughter's complex yearning for her father. And yet, apart from assigned stints dusting caskets at the family-owned 'fun home, ' as Alison and her brothers call it, the relationship achieves its most intimate expression through the shared code of books. When Alison comes out as homosexual herself in late adolescence, the denouement is swift, graphic, and redemptive. Suggested by Michael Furlong, UCF Connect Libraries

 Gender Queer: a memoir by Maia Kobabe; colors by Phoebe Kobabe In 2014, Maia Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, thought that a comic of reading statistics would be the last autobiographical comic e would ever write. At the time, it was the only thing e felt comfortable with strangers knowing about em. Maia's intensely cathartic autobiography charts eir journey of self-identity, which includes the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction, and facing the trauma and fundamental violation of pap smears. Started as a way to explain to eir family what it means to be nonbinary and asexual, this is more than a personal story: it is a useful and touching guide on gender identity--what it means and how to think about it--for advocates, friends, and humans everywhere. Suggested by Megan Haught, Student Learning & Engagement/Research & Information Services

 Heaven's Coast: a memoir by Mark Doty The harmonious partnership of two gay men is shattered when they learn that one has tested positive for the HIV virus. Suggested by Claudia Davidson, Downtown Library

 Hurricane Child by Kheryn Callender Born on Water Island in the Virgin Islands during a hurricane, which is considered bad luck, twelve-year-old Caroline falls in love with another girl--and together they set out in a hurricane to find Caroline's missing mother. Suggested by Rebecca Hawk, Circulation

 Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can't remember exactly when the question took root, but the answer was in full bloom the moment she and Kathleen Miller walked under the flashing neon sign of a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club. America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to fall in love, especially not in Chinatown. Red-Scare paranoia threatens everyone, including Chinese Americans like Lily. With deportation looming over her father--despite his hard-won citizenship--Lily and Kath risk everything to let their love see the light of day. Suggested by Claudia Davidson, Downtown Library

 Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki & Rosemary Valero-O’Connell All Freddy Riley wants is for Laura Dean to stop breaking up with her. The day they got together was the best one of Freddy's life, but nothing's made sense since. Laura Dean is popular, funny, and SO CUTE ... but she can be really thoughtless, even mean. Their on-again, off-again relationship has Freddy's head spinning - and Freddy's friends can't understand why she keeps going back. When Freddy consults the services of a local mystic, the mysterious Seek-Her, she isn't thrilled with the advice she receives. But something's got to give: Freddy's heart is breaking in slow motion, and she may be about to lose her very best friend as well as her last shred of self-respect. Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O'Connell bring to life a sweet and spirited tale of young love that asks us to consider what happens when we ditch the toxic relationships we crave to embrace the heathy ones we need. Suggested by Sara Duff, Acquisitions & Collections

 LGBT Health: meeting the needs of gender and sexual minorities edited by K. Bryant Smalley, Jacob C. Warren, K. Nikki Barefoot A first-of-its-kind, comprehensive view of mental, medical, and public health conditions within the LGBT community. This book examines the health outcomes and risk factors that gender and sexual minority groups face while simultaneously providing evidence-based clinical recommendations and resources for meeting their health needs. Drawing from leading scholars and practitioners of LGBT health, this holistic, centralized text synthesizes epidemiologic, medical, psychological, sociological, and public health research related to the origins of, current state of, and ways to improve LGBT health. Suggested by Sandy Avila, Research & Information Services

 Lived Experience: reflections on LGBTQ life by Delphine Diallo  A beautiful series of full-color portraits of LGBTQ people over the age of fifty, accompanied by interviews. Suggested by Jacqui Johnson, Cataloging

 Love is for Losers by Wibke Bruggemann When Phoebe's mother ditches her to work as a doctor for an international human rights organization, she is stuck living with her mom's best friend, Kate, and helping out at Kate's thrift shop. There she meet Emma. Phoebe tries to shield her head and her heart from experiencing love-- after all, love is for losers, right? Suggested by Pam Jaggernauth, Curriculum Materials Center

 Man Into Woman: an authentic record of a change of sex edited by Niels Hoyer This riveting account of the transformation of the Danish painter Einar Wegener into Lili Elbe is a remarkable journey from man to woman. Einar Wegener was a leading artist in late 1920's Paris. One day his wife Grete asked him to dress as a woman to model for a portrait. It was a shattering event which began a struggle between his public male persona and emergent female self, Lili. Einar was forced into living a double life; enjoying a secret hedonist life as Lili, with Grete and a few trusted friends, whilst suffering in public as Einar, driven to despair and almost to suicide. Doctors, unable to understand his condition, dismissed him as hysterical. Lili eventually forced Einar to face the truth of his being - he was, in fact, a woman. This bizarre situation took an extraordinary turn when it was discovered that his body contained primitive female sex organs. There followed a series of dangerous experimental operations and a confrontation with the conventions of the age until Lili was eventually liberated from Einar - a freedom that carried the ultimate price. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Research & Information Services

 On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong This is a letter from a son to a mother who cannot read. Written when the speaker, Little Dog, is in his late twenties, the letter unearths a family's history that began before he was born -- a history whose epicenter is rooted in Vietnam -- and serves as a doorway into parts of his life his mother has never known, all of it leading to an unforgettable revelation. At once a witness to the fraught yet undeniable love between a single mother and her son, it is also a brutally honest exploration of race, class, and masculinity. Suggested by Rachel Mulvihill, Downtown Library

 Queer Objects edited by Chris Brickell & Judith Collard Queer lives give rise to a vast array of objects: the things we fill our houses with, the gifts we share with our friends, the commodities we consume at work and at play, the clothes and accessories we wear, various reminders of state power, as well as the analogue and digital technologies we use to communicate with one another. But what makes an object queer? 63 chapters consider this question in relation to lesbian, gay and transgender communities across time, cultures and space. In this unique international collaboration, well-known and newer writers traverse world history to write about items ranging from ancient Egyptian tomb paintings and Roman artefacts to political placards, snapshots, sex toys and the smartphone. Suggested by Megan Haught, Student Learning & Engagement/Research & Information Services

 Real Life by Brandon Taylor A novel of rare emotional power that excavates the social intricacies of a late-summer weekend -- and a lifetime of buried pain. Almost everything about Wallace, an introverted African-American transplant from Alabama, is at odds with the lakeside Midwestern university town where he is working toward a biochem degree. For reasons of self-preservation, Wallace has enforced a wary distance even within his own circle of friends -- some dating each other, some dating women, some feigning straightness. But a series of confrontations with colleagues, and an unexpected encounter with a young straight man, conspire to fracture his defenses, while revealing hidden currents of resentment and desire that threaten the equilibrium of their community. Suggested by Sara Duff, Acquisitions & Collections

 Riley Can’t Stop Crying by Stephanie Boulay While his sister tries everything to help, a young boy isn't sure why he can't stop crying in this transitional picture book. Suggested by Pam Jaggernauth, Curriculum Materials Center

 Supporting Success for LGBTQ+ Students: tools for inclusive campus practice by Cindy Ann Kilgo This book aims to serve as a one-stop resource for faculty and staff in higher education settings who are seeking to enhance their campus climate and systems of support for LGBTQ+ student success. Included are theoretical frameworks and conceptual models that can be used in practice. Suggested by Terrie Sypolt, Research & Information Services

 The City and the Pillar: a novel by Gore Vidal Jim, a handsome, all-American athlete, has always been shy around girls. But when he and his best friend, Bob, partake in “awful kid stuff,” the experience forms Jim’s ideal of spiritual completion. Defying his parents’ expectations, Jim strikes out on his own, hoping to find Bob and rekindle their amorous friendship. Along the way he struggles with what he feels is his unique bond with Bob and with his persistent attraction to other men. Upon finally encountering Bob years later, the force of his hopes for a life together leads to a devastating climax. The first novel of its kind to appear on the American literary landscape, this remains a forthright and uncompromising portrayal of sexual relationships between men. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Research & Information Services

 The Invisible Orientation: an introduction to asexuality by Julie Sondra Decker Julie Sondra Decker outlines what asexuality is, counters misconceptions, provides resources, and puts asexual people's experiences in context as they move through a sexualized world. It includes information for asexual people to help understand their orientation and what it means for their relationships, as well as tips and facts for those who want to understand their asexual friends and loved ones. Suggested by Dawn Tripp, Research & Information Services

 The New Testament by Jericho Brown The world of Jericho Brown's second book, disease runs through the body, violence runs through the neighborhood, memories run through the mind, trauma runs through generations. Almost eerily quiet in even the bluntest of poems, Brown gives us the ache of a throat that has yet to say the hardest thing-and the truth is coming on fast. Suggested by Claudia Davidson, Downtown Library

 The Prophets by Robert Jones With a lyricism reminiscent of Toni Morrison, Robert Jones, Jr., fiercely summons the voices of slaver and enslaved alike, from Isaiah and Samuel to the calculating slave master to the long line of women that surround them, women who have carried the soul of the plantation on their shoulders. As tensions build and the weight of centuries—of ancestors and future generations to come—culminates in a climactic reckoning, masterfully reveals the pain and suffering of inheritance, but is also shot through with hope, beauty, and truth, portraying the enormous, heroic power of love. Suggested by Rachel Mulvihill, Downtown Library

 The Ship We Built by Lexie Bean A fifth-grader whose best friends walked away, whose mother is detached, and whose father does unspeakable things, copes with the help of friend Sofie and anonymous letters tied to balloons and released. Includes a list of resources related to abuse, gender, sexuality, and more. Suggested by Pam Jaggernauth, Curriculum Materials Center

 Tinderbox: the untold story of the Up Stairs Lounge fire and the rise of gay liberation by Robert W. Fieseler Buried for decades, the Up Stairs Lounge tragedy has only recently emerged as a catalyzing event of the gay liberation movement. In revelatory detail, Robert W. Fieseler chronicles the tragic event that claimed the lives of thirty-one men and one woman on June 24, 1973, at a New Orleans bar, the largest mass murder of gays until 2016. Relying on unprecedented access to survivors and archives, Fieseler creates an indelible portrait of a closeted, blue- collar gay world that flourished before an arsonist ignited an inferno that destroyed an entire community. The aftermath was no less traumatic--families ashamed to claim loved ones, the Catholic Church refusing proper burial rights, the city impervious to the survivors' needs--revealing a world of toxic prejudice that thrived well past Stonewall. Yet the impassioned activism that followed proved essential to the emergence of a fledgling gay movement. Fieseler restores honor to a forgotten generation of civil-rights martyrs. Suggested by Andy Todd, UCF Connect Libraries

 Transgender: a reference handbook by Aaron Devor and Ardel Haefele-Thomas This book provides a crucial resource for readers who are investigating trans issues. It takes a diverse and historic approach, focusing on more than one idea or one experience of trans identity or trans history. The book takes contemporary as well as historic aspects into consideration. It looks at ancient indigenous cultures that honored third, fourth, and fifth gender identities as well as more contemporary ideas of what "transgender" means. Notably, it focuses not only on Western medical ideas of gender affirmation but on cultural diversity surrounding the topic. This book will primarily serve as a reference guide and jumping off point for further research for those seeking information about what it means to be transgender. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Research & Information Services

 Transnational LGBT Activism: working for sexual rights worldwide by Ryan R. Thoreson Thoreson argues that the idea of LGBT human rights is not predetermined but instead is defined by international activists who establish what and who qualifies for protection. He shows how International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) formed and evolved, who is engaged in this work, how they conceptualize LGBT human rights, and how they have institutionalized their views at the United Nations and elsewhere. After a full year of in-depth research in New York City and Cape Town, South Africa, Thoreson is able to reconstruct IGLHRC’s early campaigns and highlight decisive shifts in the organization’s work from its founding to the present day. Suggested by Sandy Avila, Research & Information Services

 Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey Esther is a stowaway. She's hidden herself away in the Librarian's book wagon in an attempt to escape the marriage her father has arranged for her--a marriage to the man who was previously engaged to her best friend. Her best friend who she was in love with. Her best friend who was just executed for possession of resistance propaganda. The future American Southwest is full of bandits, fascists, and queer librarian spies on horseback trying to do the right thing. Suggested by Sara Duff, Acquisitions & Collections

 Walt Whitman's Songs of Male Intimacy and Love: "Live oak, with moss" and "Calamus" edited by Betsy Erkkila This volume includes Whitman's handwritten manuscript version of the twelve "Live oak, with moss" poems along side with a print transcription of these poems on the opposite page, followed by a facsimile of the original version of the "Calamus" poems published in the 1860-61 edition of Leaves of grass, and a reprint of the final version of the "Calamus" poems in the 1881 edition of Leaves of grass. Suggested by Rebecca Hawk, Circulation

[downwithwritersblock]

I really wish I could say “Happy Pride!” But with everything going on in the world right now, it doesn't feel right. It’s hard to celebrate when so many are out there suffering right now.

As a very loud and proud queer person, and a vocal activist for equal rights, I decided that now was a good time to remind ya’ll that queer rights would not be where they are at all without queer people of color. We can not rightfully celebrate queer pride until people of color can celebrate with us.

As a reminder of that fact, every quote I’ve added to this set(and I added more than usual too) is from a black member of the queer community(with the exception of Sylvia Rivera who was Latinx).

I hope you enjoy this special edition pride month prompt set! As always, feel free to tag me in anything these inspire.

And to all those who are in the midst of the protests and riots, to all my black followers and to everyone who is fighting for their freedom in this time: Stay safe, stay strong, and stay you. If anyone needs anything, you can contact me here on tumblr or on discord @The Alpha Gay #0052.

Text Version:

June 2020 Prompt Set

1.       Inn

2.       “No Pride for some of us, without Liberation for all of us” -Marsha P. Johnson (Black transgender and queer rights activist)

3.       Cut the red tape

4.       ‘No matter what happens: I’ve got your back. You’re not alone in this’

5.       Revolution

6.       Agenda

7.       “Not Everything that’s faced can be changed, but nothing can change until it’s faced” – James Baldwin (Black writer, social critic and gay activist)

8.       Reflection

9.       It’s like comparing apples to oranges

10.   ‘What they think doesn’t matter, I am gonna keep being me.’

11.   Flag

12.   Unique

13.   “It is in our caring, fighting, and loving that we live forever” -Phil Wilson (Black and gay AIDS/HIV activist)

14.   Pastel

15.   A yellow streak

16.   ‘I can’t promise you a better future, but I can help you work for one.’

17.   Where the grass is greener

18.   “We are a being, a culture of people, and they can’t just override us like that” -Miss Major Griffin-Gracy (Black and transgender rights activist)

19.   One in a blue moon

20.   Visible

21.   “Some of us wear the symbols and badges of our non-conformity” -Gladys Bentley (Black and ‘gender-bending’ entertainer during the Harlem Renaissance, aka ‘Harlem’s most famous lesbian’)

22.   Purple patch

23.   “We have to be visible. We should not be ashamed of who we are. We have to show the world that we are numerous.” -Sylvia Rivera (Latinx transgender and queer rights activist.)

24.   Acceptance

25.   Art

26.   ‘No, I am done being quiet. It’s time my voice got heard’

27.   “You did what you wanted to. Nobody was in the closet. There wasn’t any closet.” – Richard Bruce Nugent (Black Gay writer)

28.   Black Sheep

29.   ‘I refuse to be invisible. I need you to see me.’

30.   Expression

31.   Dream in color

[hellomynameisbisexual]

I’d go so far as to say that the nomination probably saved the site, in fact. For those who need a little background: despite being a small voluntary project the site was nominated for the 2014 Publication of the Year award by Stonewall, the UK’s largest LGBT charity, just nine months after its inception. This was a landmark step in Stonewall’s positive new direction on bi issues. To the best of my knowledge, this was the first time Stonewall had specifically nominated a specifically bi publication or organisation for an award. At this point my co-founder, who was taking care of the business side of things, had recently jumped ship and I was seriously considering packing the whole thing in. I won’t lie, I was astonished to read the email.

I’d worked on a publication which won the award under my editorship a few years previously. Unlike Biscuit, however, g3 magazine – at the time one of the two leading print mags for lesbian and bi women in the UK – had an estimated readership of 140,000, had been going for eight years and boasted full-time paid office staff and regular paid freelancers. Biscuit, by contrast, was being dragged along by one weary unpaid editor and a bunch of unpaid writers who understandably, for the most part, couldn’t commit to regularly submitting work.

Little Biscuit’s enormous competition for the award consisted of Buzzfeed, Attitude.co.uk, iNewspaper and Property Week. We didn’t win – that accolade went to iNewspaper – but the nomination was nevertheless, as I say, a huge catalyst to continue with the site. I launched a crowdfunder, which finished way off target. I sold one ad space, for two months. Then nothing. I attempted in vain to recruit a sales manager but nobody wanted to work on commission. Some wonderful writers came and went. There were periods of tumbleweed when I frantically had to fill the site with my own writing, thereby completely defeating the object of providing a platform for a wide range of bi voices.

The Stonewall Award nomination persuaded me to keep going with the site

The departure of the webmaster was another blow. Thankfully by this point I had a co-editor on board – the amazing Libby – so I was persuaded to stick with it. And here we are now. I don’t actually know where the next article is coming from. That’s not a good feeling. But, apart from for Biscuit, I try not to write for free anymore myself, so I understand exactly why that is. As a freelance journo trying to make a living I’ve had to be strict with myself about that. I regularly post on the “Stop Working For Free” Facebook group and often feel a pang of misplaced guilt because I ask my writers to write for free, even though I’m working on the site for free myself, and losing valuable time I could be spending on looking for paid work.

Biscuit hasn’t exactly been a stranger to controversy, in addition to its financial and staffing issues. Its original tagline – “for girls who like girls and boys” – was considered cis-centric by some, leading to accusations that the site had some kind of trans/genderqueer*-phobic agenda. Which was amusing, as at the height of this a) we’d just had two articles about non-binary issues published and b) I was actually engaged to a genderqueer partner, a fact they were clearly unaware of. Now the site is under fire from various pansexual activists who object to the term “bisexual”. To clarify – “girl and boys” was supposed to imply a spectrum and, no, we don’t think “bi” applies only to an attraction to binary folk. The site aims the main part of its content at female-spectrum readers attracted to more than one gender because this group does have specific needs. But there is something here for EVERYONE bisexual. Anyway, it’s a shame all of this gossip was relayed secondhand, and the people in question didn’t think to confront me about it (which at least the pan activists have bothered to do). We damage our community immeasurably with these kinds of Chinese whispers.

Biscuit ed Libby, being amazing

Whilst trying to keep the site afloat, I’ve also been building on the work I started right back when I edited g3, and trying to improve bi visibility in other media outlets. I’ve recently had articles published by Cosmopolitan, SheWired, The F-Word, GayStar News and Women Make Waves and I’m constantly emailing other sites which I’ve not yet written for with bi pitches. Unfortunately, although I am over the moon to be writing for mainstream outlets such as Cosmo about bi issues, it’s been an uphill struggle trying to persuade some editors out there that they have more readers to whom bi-interest stories apply than they might think. It’s an incredibly exhausting and frustrating process.

Libby and I are doing our best with Biscuit. I can’t guarantee that I would be doing anything at all with it if Libby hadn’t arrived on the scene, so once again I would like to mention how fabulous she is. But we desperately need more writers. We need some help with site design and tech issues. We need a hand with the business and sales side of things. We can’t do it without you. And if you know any rich bisexual heiresses who read Biscuit, please do send them our way. 😉

Grant Denkinson’s story

denkinsonpanel

Grant speaks on a panel chaired by Biscuit’s Lottie at a Bi Visibility Day event

So first of all, explain a little about the activism you’re involved/have been involved in. 


“I’ve been involved with bisexual community organising for a bit over 20 years. Some has been within community: writing for and editing our national newsletter, organising events for bisexuals and helping others with their events by running workshop sessions or offering services such as 1st aid. I’ve spoken to the media about bisexuality and organised bi contingents at LGBT Pride events (sometimes just me in a bi T-shirt!). I’ve helped organise and participated in bi activist weekends and trainings. I’ve help train professionals about bisexuality. I’ve also piped up about bisexuality a lot when organising within wider LGBT and gender and sexuality and relationship diversity umbrellas. I’ve been a supportive bi person on-line and in person for other bi folks. I’ve been out and visibly bi for some time. I’ve helped fund bi activists to meet, publish and travel. I’ve funded advertising for bi events. I’ve set up companies and charities for or including bi people. I’ve personally supported other bi activists.”


What made you get involved?

“
In some ways I was looking for a way to be outside the norm and to make a difference and coming out as bi gave me something to push against. I’ve been less down on myself when feeling attacked. I’ve also found the bi community very welcoming and where I can be myself and so wanted to organise with friends and to give others a similar experience. There weren’t too many others already doing everything better than I could.”

How do you feel about the state of bi activism worldwide (esp UK and USA) at the moment?

“There have been great changes for same-sex attracted people legally and socially and these have happened quickly. Bi people have been involved with making that happen and benefit from it. We can also be hidden by gay advances or actively erased. We still have bi people not knowing many or any other local bi people, not seeing other bisexuals in the mainstream or LGT worlds and not knowing or being able to access community things with other bis. We are little represented in books or the media and people don’t know about the books and zines and magazines already available. The internet has made it easy to find like-minded people but also limited privacy and I think is really fragmented and siloed. It is hard to find bisexuals who aren’t women actors, harmful or fucked up men or women in pornography designed for straight men. We have persistent and high quality bi events but they are sparse and small.”

What’s causing you to feel disillusioned?

“I’m fed up of bi things just not happening if I don’t do them. Not everything should be in my style and voice and I shouldn’t be doing it all. I and other activists campaign for bi people to be more OK and don’t take care of ourselves enough while doing so. People are so convinced we don’t exist they don’t bother with a simple search that would find us. We have little resources while having some of the worst outcomes of any group. I don’t want to spend my entire life being the one person who reminds people about bisexuals, including our so-called allies. I’m not impressed with the problem resolution skills in our communities and while we talk about being welcoming I’m not sure we’re very effective at it. I’m fed up with mouthing the very basics and never getting into depth about bi lives and being one who supports but who is not supported. I’m all for lowering barriers but at a certain point if people don’t actively want to do bi community volunteering it won’t happen. Some people are great critics but build little.”

What do you want to say to other activists about this?

“Why are we doing this personally? I’m not sure we know. How long will we hope rather than do? Honestly, are there so few who care? Alternatively should we stop the trying to do bi stuff and either do some self-analysis, be happy to accept being what we are now as a community, chill out and just let stuff happen or give up and go and do something else instead.”

Patrick Richards-Fink’s story

085d4de So first of all, explain a little about the activism you’re involved/have been involved in.

“Mostly internet – I am a Label Warrior, a theorist and educator. Here’s how I described it on my blog: “One of the reasons that I am a bisexual activist rather than a more general queer activist is because I see every day people just like me being told they don’t belong. It doesn’t mean I don’t work on the basic issues that we all struggle against — homophobia, heterosexism, classism, out-of-control oligarchy, racism, misogyny, this list in in no particular order and is by no means comprehensive. But I have found that I can be most effective if I focus, work towards understanding the deep issues that drive the problems that affect people who identify the same way that I have ever since I started to understand who I am. I find that I’m not a community organizer type of activist or a storm the capitol with a petition in one hand and a bullhorn in the other activist — I’m much better at poring over studies and writing long wall-o’-text articles and occasionally presenting what I’ve gleaned to groups of students until my voice is so hoarse that I can barely do more than croak.” So internet, and when I was still in school, a lot of on-campus stuff. Now I’m moving into a new phase where my activism is more subtle – I’m working as a therapist, and so my social justice lens informs my treatment, especially of bi and trans people.”

What made you get involved?

“I can’t not be.”

How do you feel about the state of bi activism worldwide (esp UK and USA) at the moment?

“I feel like we made a couple strides, and every time that happens the attacks renewed. I hionestly think the constant attempts to divide the bisexual community into ‘good pansexuals’ and ‘bad bisexuals’ and ‘holy no-labels’ is the thing that’s most likely to screw us.”

What’s causing you to feel disillusioned?



“It is literally everywhere I turn – colleges redefining bisexuality on their LGBT Center pages, news articles quoting how ‘Bi=2 and pan=all therefore pan=better’, everybloodywhere I turn I see it every day. The word bi is being taken out of the names of organisations now, by the next group of up-and-comers who haven’t bothered to learn their history and understand that if you erase our past, you take away our present. Celebrities come out as No Label, wtf is that. Don’t they make kids read 1984 anymore? It’s gotten to the point now that even seeing the word pansexual in print triggers me. I’m reaching the point now that if someone really wants to be offended when all I am trying to do is welcome them on board, then I don’t have time for it.”

What do you want to say to other activists about this?

“Stay strong, and don’t give them a goddamned inch. I honestly think that the bi organizations – even, truth be told, the one I am with – are enabling this level of bullshit by attempting to be conciliatory, saying things that end up reinforcing the idea that bi and pan are separate communities. We try to be too careful not to offend anyone. Like the thing about Freddie Mercury. Gay people say ‘He was gay.’ Bi people say ‘Um, begging your pardon, good sirs and madams and gentlefolk of other genders, but Freddie was bi.’ And they respond ‘DON’T GIVE HIM A LABEL HE DIDN’T CLAIM WAAHHH WAAHHH!’ And yet… Freddie Mercury never used the label ‘gay’, but it’s OK when they do it. And he WAS bisexual by any measure you want to use. But we back down. And 2.5% of the bisexual population decides pansexual is a better word, and instead of educating them, we add ‘pan’ to our organisation names and descriptions. Now, this is clearly a dissenting view – I will always be part of a united front where my organization is concerned. But everyone knows how I feel, and I think it’s totally valid to be loyal and in dissent at the same time. Not exactly a typically American viewpoint, but everyone says I’d be a lot more at home in Britain than I am here anyway.”

[oberlincollegelibraries]

Weekend Edition: National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Part 1

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and this October is actually its 75th year. Not only that, but 2020 also marks the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

To kick off NDEAM, we are highlighting several new disability studies books recently added to the libraries’ collections. 

Constructing the (M)other : Narratives of Disability, Motherhood, and the Politics of Normal edited by Priya Lang

"Constructing the (M)other is a collection of personal narratives about motherhood in the context of a society in which disability holds a stigmatized position. From multiple vantage points, these autoethnographies reveal how ableist beliefs about disability are institutionally upheld and reified. Collectively, they seek to call attention to a patriarchal surveillance of mothering, challenge the trope of the good mother, and dismantle the constructed hierarchy of acceptable children. The stories contained in this volume are counter-narratives of resistance - they are the devices through which mothers push back. Rejecting notions of the otherness of their children, in these essays, mothers negotiate their identities and claim access to the category of normative motherhood. Readers are likely to experience dissonance, have their assumptions about disability challenged, and find their parameters of normalcy transformed. Conceptually grounded in disability studies and narrative theory, this volume is an invitation to rethink common assumptions about families of children with disabilities. It aims to further a dialogue across academic disciplines and professional practices about the constructed nature of disability. This book is a much needed resource for all professionals who seek to participate in the creating of socially just communities and inclusive schools"-- Provided by publisher 

Disabled Futures : a Framework for Radical Inclusion by Milo W. Obourn "This project reads disability alongside race, gender, and sexuality in order to problematize the roots of the field of disability studies in the experience and writings of white, straight, cis-gendered men. Obourn coins the term ‘racialized disgender, a resistant way of reading dominant representations of disability"-- Provided by publisher

Barriers and Belonging : Personal Narratives of Disability edited by Michelle Jarman, Leila Monaghan, and Alison Quaggin Harkin 

What is the direct impact that disability studies has on the lives of disabled people today? The editors and contributors to this essential anthology, Barriers and Belonging, provide thirty-seven personal narratives that explore what it means to be disabled and why the field of disability studies matters. The editors frame the volume by introducing foundational themes of disability studies. They provide a context of how institutions--including the family, schools, government, and disability peer organizations--shape and transform ideas about disability. They explore how disability informs personal identity, interpersonal and community relationships, and political commitments. In addition, there are heartfelt reflections on living with mobility disabilities, blindness, deafness, pain, autism, psychological disabilities, and other issues. Other essays articulate activist and pride orientations toward disability, demonstrating the importance of reframing traditional narratives of sorrow and medicalization. The critical, self-reflective essays in Barriers and Belonging provide unique insights into the range and complexity of disability experience. Disability and Social Media : Global Perspectives edited by Katie Ellis and Mike Kent

Social media is popularly seen as an important media for people with disability in terms of communication, exchange and activism. These sites potentially increase both employment and leisure opportunities for one of the most traditionally isolated groups in society. However, the offline inaccessible environment has, to a certain degree, been replicated online and particularly in social networking sites. Social media is becoming an increasingly important part of our lives yet the impact on people with disabilities has gone largely unscrutinised. Similarly, while social media and disability are often both observed through a focus on the Western, developed and English-speaking world, different global perspectives are often overlooked. This collection explores the opportunities and challenges social media represents for the social inclusion of people with disabilities from a variety of different global perspectives that include Africa, Arabia and Asia along with European, American and Australasian perspectives and experiences.

[carolinesiede]

Reflecting on 2020

The strangest thing about 2020 was how familiar much of it felt: Working from home, extended periods of isolation, weeks and months blending together. To a much lesser degree, those are things I experience each year as a freelancer. And while I suspect it will take awhile before the full extent of the trauma we’ve all lived through this year fully sets in, right now I’m mostly focused on gratitude. I’m grateful for the health of my loved ones. Grateful I already had a work-from-home routine to maintain during the pandemic. And grateful that I was able to quarantine with my family for much of the year—which had its challenges but also its rewards too.

In my 2019 year-end post I wrote about feeling like my career was finally on an upward trajectory after several years of plateauing. This year obviously offered some new wrinkles in that regard. I made significantly less money and felt familiar fears about how sustainable this career actually is. But having less work also gave me more time to focus on the actual craft of writing. I feel like I reached a new level in terms of voice, clarity, and the ability to self-edit. I'm the sort of person who constantly (arguably, obsessively) strives to be better, and it’s rewarding to feel like that hard work is finally slowly starting to pay off.

In addition to devoting my quarantine time to mastering a favorite curry recipe, getting really into the Enneagram, finally learning to French braid hair, and rewatching all of New Girl, I also had some really cool opportunities scattered throughout the year. I interviewed John Barrowman about his surprise return to Doctor Who, which felt like a real milestone for me. I also contributed to the Los Angeles Times’ list of TV shows to binge-watch during quarantine, which appeared both online and in print. And thanks to everything going virtual this year, I was able to attend a press panel for the fifth season of This Is Us, which is the sort of thing I’m not usually able to do as a Chicago-based critic. 

My career is always a juggling act between film and TV, and this year made me appreciate how valuable it is to be able to move seamlessly between both worlds. I took on new TV assignments covering the first season of Stargirl and the second season of The Umbrella Academy, both of which were a blast to write about. And while I didn’t watch quite as many films as I did in my insane catch-up year last year, I did fill in some more major blindspots. I also contributed to The A.V. Club’s list of the best films of 2000 and shared my own ballot over on Letterboxd. Oh, and I set up a Letterboxd this year too!

Elsewhere, I made my debut on Bustle and The Takeout, and ended the year with a Polygon article about “Kind Movies” that pretty much sums up my entire ethos on storytelling. I was also named a Top Critic by Rotten Tomatoes, which was a real honor. But the pride and joy of my career remains my rom-com column, When Romance Met Comedy. I devoted a whopping 49,000 words to analyzing 25 different romantic comedies this year. And I’m really pleased with how the column has grown and with the positive feedback I’ve received.

I have to admit, I sometimes worry that year-end highlight reels like this one can make my life seem easy or glamorous in a way that doesn’t reflect what it’s like to actually live through it. I'm tremendously lucky to get to do what I do, but I also struggle a lot—both with the logistics of this career and with bigger questions about what value it brings to the world. My goal is to approach 2021 with a greater sense of intentionality. I want to be more thoughtful in my career choices, more purposeful in how I use social media, and more active in my activism and politics. I’d also like to do 20 push-ups a day everyday for the whole year, but we’ll see how long that resolution actually lasts.

Finally, on a sadder note, one other defining experience of the year was the loss of my dear internet friend Seb Patrick, who I’ve known for years through the Cinematic Universe podcast. Seb created a wonderfully positive nerd space online, and was a big part of my early quarantine experience thanks to the Avengers watchalongs I did with the CU gang in the spring. I’m so grateful for all the fun pop culture chats we got to have throughout the years, several of which are linked below. Seb is tremendously missed, and there’s a fund for his family here.

As we head into 2021, I’ll leave you with wishes for a Happy New Year and a roundup of all the major writing and podcasts I did in 2020. If you enjoyed my work, you can support me on Kofi or PayPal. Or you can just share some of your favorite pieces with your friends! That really means a lot.

My 15 favorite films of 2020

My 15 favorite TV shows of 2020

Op-eds, Features, and Interviews

Women Pioneered The Film Industry 100 Years Ago. Why Aren’t We Talking About Them? [Bustle]

2020 is the year of the Kind Movie — and it couldn’t have come at a better time [Polygon]

Make a grocery store game plan for stress-free shopping [The Takeout]

What’s Going On: A primer on the call to defund the police [Medium]

Doctor Who’s John Barrowman on the return of Captain Jack Harkness [The A.V. Club]

Episodic TV Coverage

Doctor Who S12

This Is Us S4 and S5

Supergirl S5

Stargirl S1

The Umbrella Academy S2

The Crown S4

NBC’s Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Musical!

When Romance Met Comedy

Is The Ugly Truth the worst romantic comedy ever made?

Working Girl’s message is timeless, even if the hair and the shoulder pads aren’t

You’ve Got Mail and the power of the written (well, typed) word

Love & Basketball was a romantic slam dunk

How did My Big Fat Greek Wedding make so much money?

America eased into the ’60s with the bedroom comedies of Doris Day and Rock Hudson

I can’t stop watching Made Of Honor

Notting Hill brought two rom-com titans together

It’s time to rediscover one of Denzel Washington’s loveliest and most under-seen romances

Something’s Gotta Give is the ultimate quarantine rom-com

20 years ago, But I’m A Cheerleader reclaimed camp for queer women

On its 60th anniversary, Billy Wilder’s The Apartment looks like an indictment of toxic masculinity

The Wedding Planner made rom-com stars out of Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey

After 25 years, Clueless is still our cleverest Jane Austen adaptation

William Shakespeare invented every romantic comedy trope we love today

Edward Norton made his directorial debut by walking a priest, a rabbi, and a Dharma into a Y2K rom-com

The forgotten 1970s romantic comedy that raged against our broken, racist system

His Girl Friday redefined the screwball comedy at 240 words per minute

Before Wonder Woman soared into theaters, the hacky My Super Ex-Girlfriend plummeted to Earth

Dirty Dancing spoke its conscience with its hips

The rise of Practical Magic as a spooky season classic

In a dire decade for the genre, Queen Latifah became a new kind of rom-com star

Years before Elsa and Anna, Tangled reinvigorated the Disney princess tradition

Palm Springs is the definitive 2020 rom-com

Celebrate Christmas with the subversive 1940s rom-com that turned gender roles on their head

The A.V. Club Film & TV Reviews

Netflix’s To All The Boys sequel charms, though not quite as much as the original

The Photograph only occasionally snaps into focus

Jane Austen's Emma gets an oddball, sumptuous, and smart new adaptation

Pete Davidson delivers small-time charms in Big Time Adolescence

Council Of Dads crams a season of schmaltzy storytelling into its premiere

In Belgravia, Downton Abbey’s creator emulates Dickens to limited success

Netflix’s Love Wedding Repeat adds some cringe to the rom-com

Netflix takes another shot at Cyrano de Bergerac with queer love triangle The Half Of It

We Are Freestyle Love Supreme is a feel-good origin story for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first troupe

Sara Bareilles’ melodic Apple TV+ series Little Voice is still finding itself

Netflix’s sexist rom-com sensation gets a minor upgrade in The Kissing Booth 2

With Howard, Disney+ movingly honors the lyricist who gave the Little Mermaid her voice

The Broken Hearts Gallery tries to find catharsis in heartbreak

Netflix’s ghostly musical series Julie And The Phantoms hits some charming tween high notes

After We Collided slides toward R-rated camp—but not far enough

Holidate is a bawdy start to Netflix’s holiday rom-com slate

Kristen Stewart celebrates the Happiest Season in a pioneering queer Christmas rom-com

Isla Fisher gets her own Enchanted in the Disney Plus fairy tale Godmothered

Podcast Appearances

Debating Doctor Who: “Orphan 55”

It Pod To Be You: The Wedding Singer

Reality Bomb: Defending Doctor Who’s “Closing Time”

The Televerse: Spotlight on Doctor Who Season 12

You Should See The Other Guy: The Ugly Truth

Only Stupid Answers: Stargirl’s season finale

Motherfoclóir: Ireland and the Hollywood Rom-Com

Called in to Nerdette’s Clueless retrospective episode

Cinematic Universe Appearances

Cinematic Universe: Superman IV: The Quest For Peace

Cinematic Universe: Birds of Prey

Cinematic Universe: Infinity War watchalong

Cinematic Universe: Endgame watchalong

Cinematic Universe: Terminator 2

Cinematic Universe: Josie and the Pussycats

Cinematic Universe: The Cuppies 2020 (Cuppies of Cuppies)

And here are similar year-end wrap-ups I did in 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, and 2013.

[chenoehi]

My thoughts on Grammys, BTS, and the Academy's supposed 'diversity'.

Can't do 'Keep Reading' on mobile guys so if you don't care about it keep on scrolling.

.

The only BTS music I thought might have a slim chance for a nomination was "Boy With Luv (ft. Halsey)" as a pop duo collaboration. That was it. Anything more than that was just wishful thinking.

The Academy (both Grammy and Oscar's) talk about diversity when controversy comes up, they give some Black artists and actors awards, they look like try-hards, and then the next year they repeat history. Each year more men continue to be nominated than women, even in years that women dominated the industry. Each year artists who push boundaries continue to be overlooked or less favored than more traditional artists. Each year recognition continues to be bulk awarded to the most basic artists with the most basic styles with the most basic music, often times the same (mostly white) artists each year. No one get me started on always having to award artists like Taylor Swift or Ed Sheeran or Adele each year they make music, despite whether or not what they put out is actually good, original, or better than what they did the year before. I'm not singling them out, but I think they illustrate my point. I will make one exception for Adele because she is a phenomenal singer, although I did not personally believe 25 deserved to sweep; I've been told by fans that Ed Sheeran is a good performer, so I'll give him that but I'll keep my thoughts of his music and the rest of my opinions to myself. But I get tired of artists like these getting nominated every time or almost every time they put music out and then getting awards every time they're nominated, hence sweeping. It gets tiring when the music that frequently-awarded artists put out sucks and they keep raking noms because of who they are.

There is absolutely nothing BTS or any other Asian et al. artists can do to beat that system. None of the criticism in the world has changed it thus far and I don't know that anything ever will. It's a hard institution to tear down. They will use "diverse" artists for ratings by inviting them and having them hand out awards and, in BTS's case, making such a big deal as to even display their Grammy outfits in the museum, and then they will refuse to nominate them.

It's a back handed compliment to non-Western artists. The Academy is saying they're good enough to help win over a predominantly younger and more diverse generation of viewers but they're not good enough to be awarded for their achievements.

What's worse is, the only expectation I had was for the Academy to invite them as performers despite whatever minuscule nomination they might have garnered, because it's been clearly hinted they would attend another Grammys and the Academy would frankly be fools to not have them perform after the shitstorm going on the pop industry rn. If you know anything about the Taylor Swift situation (you may not be able to tell which one because there are always so many) who knows if she will be performing this Grammys, and her medley of her songs was supposedly going to be a highlight; something's always stirring things up so who knows if certain artists don't end up going at all or bow out of performing. Ariana Grande bailed on the 2019 Grammys because the Grammy producer wouldn't let her perform songs she wanted to, and these kinds of disputes happen and artists who are nominated become no-shows. So, the opportunity to invite a group with a huge following, who have already proved to increase ratings, seems like a sure move right?

But BTS can't exactly perform at the Grammys if they're not nominated for a Grammy; I don't see them doing a tribute any time soon either. And if the Academy even dares to invite them at this point for a performance it will be an insult and a transparent ratings grab. BTS may still go to avoid appearing as if their pride has been wounded or just because they want to go regardless. They know better than their fans how it feels to lose, to be discarded, to be overlooked. This is happening to them first and foremost, not us. And if they decide that they will deal with this the same way they dealt with all their other struggles, to push on, perform for their fans, and use the opportunity of exposure for what it's worth, then support them and their decision. I, for one, won't be watching it live regardless of whether they are there. If all the Academy wants is ratings from BTS fans when they are fine with treating them like garbage, they won't get ratings from me.

I fully believe that the Academy is not only discriminatory to non-Western, non-white artists but that failing to nominate BTS for any award at all is out of fear. Fear that their traditional, safe artists will be offended and boycott the awards if they lose out on a nomination, fear that their fanbases will retaliate, but more importantly, fear that BTS or any other gigantic force of a non-Western artist may be a shoe-in for whatever award they are nominated for and potentially sweep if allowed to compete with all other artists. This comes after BTS won Best Group at the Billboard Music Awards this year. Their first time being nominated for a major U.S. award category. It wasn't even a Best New Artist schtick. It was a main category and they were up against established, popular, Western groups like Imagine Dragons and Maroon 5. It comes on the heels of Super M earning number 1 debut album and beginning a successful tour they are on right now. It comes after Blackpink performed at Coachella and toured the country. It comes after NCT 127 and ATEEZ toured the country. Even TXT, a months old group, had successful showcases in major U.S. cities.

The Academy is too racist and xenophobic to acknowledge Asian artists--they always have been and they always will be. The most diversity we'll see is the nomination of Black artists, but still only 2 were nominated for SotY whereas 4 were nominated for RotY. I don't know the exact numbers, but any time I've ever kept up with the awards I don't see very many other diversity groups being represented in nominations either, such as artists with disabilities or LGBT artists who have different gender expressions and identities or sexual orientations that impact their music, performance, and artistry. Halsey's intimate performance at the BBMAs with that female dancer was huge because that's just not something that's really done. Still. And any time it does happen it's a Britney and Madonna moment all over again, it's a fetish to everyone. Progress has been made but it's very minuscule in comparison to the 'diversity' touting approach they've taken.

I'll just leave the words of this morning's Rolling Stone article here:

So, the Academy selectively extends its diversity goodwill just as they always have. No shade to the artist, but just using this example of Lil Nas X versus BTS, you have a young Black, gay artist who started his career in late 2018. He's nominated for some of top Grammys with a minimal discography--an 18-minute EP. This is groundbreaking, it's great. BTS, a 6-year-old established group of young Korean artists who break nearly every record there is and dominated Western charts this spring, and they continue to chart Billboard and Western streaming platforms. They earn no nominations.

The two artists ironically happen to have a collaboration in the form of Old Seoul Road.

Congrats to Lizzo and Lil Nas X (that's not shade at Billie btw) but this tweet from the New York Times is so unbelievably misguided because the Academy's conception of diversity is like seasoning with mostly salt, a little pepper and no cayenne (hate to use that analogy but am I wrong?):

I do appreciate that some artists who don't get nominated a lot got nominations, but looking at the list of top awards I just can't imagine how some of those got through. And I listen to a lot of different music and some BTS stans may have know idea who the fuck Bon Iver is and I'm not saying they don't deserve nominations period, but when you look at the list it's just mind boggling how a song like BWL that was listened to and appreciated like a summer anthem would be could not be included in that mess. (Vampire Weekend for Album of the Year, what, who the fuck, is that, they've been around since 2006, that's when I listened to nothing but metal and rock and I don't, know who the fuck this obscure band is? I may have heard of them once eons ago but they apparently made no impression? I'm sorry). I won't go as far as to say BWL was a Western summer anthem because much of the gp still doesn't know them, this is true. But apparently that's never stopped the Academy before. Bonus, anyone remember Bon Iver winning Best New Artist over Katy Perry all those years ago? No, just me? Good times. (Respect to Bon Iver, I'm just making a point that a lesser known artist won that award over a popular artist and the public went "waH?" Bon Iver being nominated for Record and Album of the Year this time honestly has the same effect as before because what is Hey, Ma even. I listen to Indie music so. What it is.)

Anyway. That's my thoughts. Expect nothing and you won't be disappointed is a myth. You will always have room to be disappointed in humanity.

Edit: while I'm at it, a big, massive fuck you to the Academy for never nominating Halsey for Without You.

[parabelled]

Can you explain why Anne Elliot is your favourite Austen heroine?

Surely! (This literally took like, two and half hours of writing and editing. What is my life).

Background:

So, essentially, to get into this analysis, I have to preface this with Persuasion being written in 1817, near the end of Austen’s life and published six months after her death. Really, if you compare the type of satirical protagonists she was writing at the beginning of her career (see Northanger Abbey, which convinced my entire English Literature 2 class in university that Austen was insipid despite being prefaced as a gothic parody), to later, Pride and Prejudice, to Persuasion, I think it really traces the development of Austen as a writer (Austen referred to her in one of her letters as “a heroine who is almost too good for me.”)

Not to say she didn’t have more ‘mature’ protagonists early on; Elinor Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility is really my second favourite protagonist from Austen’s works, and she is essentially the one person in the Dashwood household who keeps everything together; without her, the entire operation would fall apart. It’s the reason why she’s the ‘sense’ in the aforementioned title.

But where Anne Elliot differs I think, is that Elinor, despite being the ‘older’ sister, is never really seen as being devoid of prospects in regards to her future and marriage, despite the family falling on hard times. Anne, on the other hand, is actually a marked difference from Austen’s usual protagonists. Whereas her other protagonists are usually concerned with climbing the social ladder of society (or essentially, scorning the playing of this game in society, but still knowing it’s expected of her anyway (See Lizzie Bennet), Anne is from a noble family that due to her father Sir Walter Elliot’s vanity and selfishness, is on its descent down on the social ladder, a caricature of the old, outdated, titled class in a world of new British industry. 

Sir Walter Scott, and the Changing Ideal of The Gentlemen in Society:

This is another place where Jane Austen differs in her characterisation and brings up an important contrast that is lacking in her other work to an extent in terms of her other main heroines: while the other heroines are more concerned with upward mobility through marriage because that is what society has expected of them, Anne Elliot’s father (who’s will dominates her own), is concerned with DOWNWARD mobility. The idea that he will be seen as ‘lesser than’ for allowing his daughter to marry someone she loves. 

The difference is, is where you have CHOICE to an extent in a burgeoning middle class family, even if you were marrying for money, you have that upward mobility. You have opportunities. When your family is so focused on maintaining the facade of an untouchable deity, you are literally frozen into that mold, even if you want to be a part of that changing world and changing model of what should be considered an ‘ideal’ match, or a modern pairing.

While unadvantageous matches are dismissed in other Austen works, it is often due to the person having some fault of character (I.E: Philanderer, drunkard, etc.) that’s obviously not going to change anytime soon, and what someone is, to an extent, able to control. People are able to control whether they cheat on someone or not; people are able to control showing up and embarrassing themselves at social functions if they have an inkling of self-awareness. And these matches are usually rejected outright because of the family’s concern for the daughter’s feelings (See Lizzie and Mr. Collins, for example, even though it would be an advantageous match (-INSERT LADY CATHERINE DE BOURGH QUOTE HERE-)

But the sad thing in Anne’s case, I think, is that it shows the dying breed of noblewomen, who, once they get ‘older,’ have nowhere to go but down socially if they don’t become a ‘spinster’ or completely devoted to their family household and name. These older, more distinguished families during 1817, were slowly and surely becoming more and more obsolete, and I think it’s VERY astute of Austen to recognise that. Men could now make their fortune at sea- they COULD be “new money.” More and more, these noble people who didn’t work and didn’t have a profession besides being a member of the landed gentry, were becoming more and more dated in the movement of England towards mechanisation and the new Victorian age of industry. 

‘Captain Wentworth is the prototype of the ‘new gentleman.’ Maintaining the good manners, consideration, and sensitivity of the older type, Wentworth adds the qualities of gallantry, independence, and bravery that come with being a well- respected Naval officer.

Like Admiral Croft, who allows his wife to drive the carriage alongside him and to help him steer, Captain Wentworth will defer to Anne throughout their marriage. Austen envisions this kind of equal partnership as the ideal marriage.’

Meanwhile Sir Walter does not present this same sort of guidance for the females in his life. He is so self-involved that he fails to make good decisions for the family as a whole; his other two daughters, Elizabeth and Mary, share his vanity and self-importance. While Anne is seen as a direct parallel with her good-natured (dead) mother, she still has to deal with these outdated morals, before coming her true self. She still has to learn to support her own views, even if they are contrary to those in a position of power in her life, and essentially, dominate her day-to-day dealings and her actual character of how she defines herself.

Becoming One’s Self: Learning Self-Assurance and The Positives of ‘Negative’ Qualities:

The one thing I do love about Anne is that she doesn’t have a ‘weakness of character,’ contrary to Wentworth’s bitter words which are clearly directed at her when they first meet again after so long. That’s one thing I usually see (predominantly male) commentators say Anne’s fault is as a female protagonist is as simple as a reading of the title; namely, that she’s too easily persuaded.

However, that’s an overtly simplistic view. Often people directly correlate an individual being persuaded as simply being ‘weak-willed.’ Anne Elliot is anything but. She constantly rebels against the vanity of her father and the stupidity of her sisters, at the same time being aware of the social structure in which they must operate. She is the individual at the beginning of the novel who is dealing directly with money; and while this was at the time often seen as a ‘man’s’ role, it is Anne taking control of getting their family back into good stead and out of debt after her dippy father gets them into debt and remains completely useless throughout the entire procedure except to complain about who they might let the house out to, simply because they ARE ‘new money.’ She IS open to new roles in society, and new conventions. 

This leads directly to the biggest criticism levelled against her at the beginning of the novel: that after being dismissed by Anne, Captain Wentworth basically publicly declares (because #bitteraf) that ‘any woman he marries will have a strong character and independent mind.’

The funny thing is, Anne already has these. She never lacked them. ‘What ‘persuasion’ truly refers to is whether it is better to be firm in one’s convictions or to be open to the suggestions of others.  

‘The conclusion implies that what might be considered Anne’s flaw, her ability to be persuaded by others, is not really a flaw at all. It is left to the reader to agree or disagree with this. ‘

Anne is not stupid in that she is convinced or persuaded by any Joe Schmow who comes along; she considers the opinions of those she respects. She ultimately comes to the right decision in marrying Wentworth later in life, but it’s understandable how a nineteen year old would doubt this decision when advised by those adults around her. It is now that she is older, in considering other people’s opinions, that she is more likely able to come to her decision herself, rather than letting other people’s opinions overweigh her own.

‘Anne is feminine in this way while possessing none of what Austen clearly sees as the negative characteristics of her gender; Anne is neither catty, flighty, nor hysterical. On the contrary, she is level-headed in difficult situations and constant in her affections. Such qualities make her the desirable sister to marry; she is the first choice of Charles Musgrove, Captain Wentworth, and Mr. Elliot.’

Ageism: Austen’s Hinting at an Age-Old Philosophy against the Modern Woman:

At twenty-seven, Anne is literally considered a woman ‘far past her bloom of youth.’ She is constantly surrounded by younger women, both demonstrating interest in her father and in Wentworth. While ageism wasn’t clearly developed as a recognised societal practice in the 19th century, I think it demonstrates, when Jane wrote this so close to her death, and having never married herself, the pressures on women in society even later in life. This is seen more bluntly in the character of Charlotte Lucas in Pride and Prejudice, but I think the fact that people constantly remind Anne of something she cannot control could arguably draw parallels to social status and how birth status cannot be controlled, by a more modern reading of the piece. Women cannot control ageing, any more than a man can control being born into a lower class. But while men could continue to marry for upward mobility or money (up to ridiculous ages and with ridiculously younger wives), women don’t have that luxury once they are ‘past their prime,’ even if they also have the avenue of upward mobility through marriage (see Charlotte Lucas again).

Lost Love, aka THEY TOTALLY MIGHT HAVE BONED BUT PROBABLY NOT:

“There could have never been two hearts so open, no tastes so similar, no feelings so in unison, no countenances so beloved. Now they were as strangers; nay, worse than strangers, for they could never become acquainted. It was a perpetual estrangement.” 

The best thing about Captain Wentworth and Anne Elliot’s love story is that we already knew they WERE in love; as opposed to all her other stories, which involve individuals arguably falling INTO love rather than HAVING been in love (Looking’ at you, Mansfield Park), Wentworth x Anne Elliot was a THING. They were a hot and HEAVY thing. 

I essentially have nothing to add here except that makes their entire story 10000000x more painful when they clearly still have feelings for one another and have to run in the same social circles.

That is all.

Separate Spheres: AKA LETS ALL HELP EACH OTHER MMKAY AND BE EQUAL PARTNERS IN LOVEEEE:

Lastly, Austen also considers the idea of ‘separate spheres.’

‘The idea of separate spheres was a nineteenth-century doctrine that there are two domains of life: the public and the domestic. Traditionally, the male would be in charge of the public domain (finances, legal matters, etc.) while the female would be in charge of the private domain (running the house, ordering the servants, etc.). 

This novel questions the idea of separate spheres by introducing the Crofts. Presented as an example of a happy, ideal marriage, Admiral and Mrs. Croft share the spheres of their life. Mrs. Croft joins her husband on his ships at sea, and Admiral Croft is happy to help his wife in the chores around the home. They have such a partnership that they even share the task of driving a carriage. Austen, in this novel, challenges the prevailing notion of separate spheres.’

As mentioned before, from the beginning of the novel, as a noblewoman, Anne is already crossing the line of separate spheres by undertaking financial and legal matters since her father is essentially too much of a pussy to do so (this antiquated ideal of gentlemanly qualities). She has already made a discreet step into the public domain by her actions, without ever really truly making a bold statement. 

By the insertion of the Crofts within the narrative, it really foreshadows how this sort of relationship can work as equals, and how such an amalgamation of the spheres should not be looked down upon. It’s a subtly progressive message that none of the other books really deal with (besides perhaps a tad in Sense and Sensibility with Elinor), and I love her all the more for it.  ♥