#queer folks being awesome

[hsavinien]

Pre-pub recommendation for a queer (f/nb) romance coming out in April!

Sweet, spicy, and believable, with a butch non-binary character and their pansexual bestie-since-childhood working out their feelings and issues. Standing up for yourself and asking for what you want are important skills. 👍🏻

[hsavinien]

[ID: photo of a partial page of text. It reads:

"...is guaranteed. Here the queer men meet the faggots. And here, without knowing it, the queer men and the faggots commit themselves to each other. "

In all caps, extra large type:

"Even weak links in the chain are links in the chain." /id]

This line about how even the other gay people you find annoying or sell outs or who live their life in the exact opposite way you do are still part of the tribe was written in 1977 but should be plastered on the internet today

[boydyke]

if a term for how you feel doesn't exist already, you can make up your own !

this is an awesome idea & such a sweet suggestion, thank you! ♡ maybe I will one day, i appreciate this ask a lot :)

[plaidos]

Something mildly interesting happened today. I'm in the car with my mother and for some reason we end up getting onto the topic of transmisogyny and its pervasiveness in USA society and culture. I forget exactly how we got there, but I'm talking about the cultural attitudes of transmisogyny and my mother brings up terfs. I'm like actually yeah you're right, and bring up Bechdel and Michfest and my mother just immediately goes "Oh yeah, I know all about that."

You see, my mother was in her 20s in the late 90s and actually knew people who went and also knew all about the discussions going on around their exclusionary policies during that time. And she's just like "Oh yeah no I get it Bechdel is 100% a terf" and like. I love my mother but she's a little out of the loop on queer issues, being 50 and her disabilities keeping her from getting out much, leaving her with a somewhat spotty education on current queer topics.

These people being like "oh but Bechdel can't be a terf" have less transfeminist politics than my mother, who doesn't even know a whole lot about transfeminism.

it’s literally that easy. people have constructed white cis butch lesbians from the 90s as this totally morally untouchable group, and in reverse, have constructed their idea of terfs to exclusively be the rabid crazy open nazis like Posie Parker…

it might sound wild to a lot of people now, but folks like Alison Bechdel are the original people the word “terf” was meant to refer to — it was literally coined to describe the people who attended Michfest specifically, how more straightforward does it get than that? — but the overton window has shifted to be so much more violently & aggressively transphobic that she seems like a trans activist in comparison to say, JK Rowling, because she has had the decency to be polite about trans people once or twice.

People don’t seem to understand that the general public is actually much more transphobic than they were fifty years ago; it was generally accepted that reassignment surgery would fundamentally make somebody their “desired gender” even if it was looked down upon, and the radical feminists Bechdel looked up to & took her politics from (like notorious OG terfs Adrienne Rich & Mary Daly) redefined womanhood as specifically people assigned female at birth, and she kept totally in line with those beliefs for decades even whilst she paid lip service about how trans people deserve to be treated nicer. even her so-called pro trans bathroom comic has the undercurrent of the very present terf belief that trans women are reinforcing sexism by presenting traditionally feminine, and that we are treated nicer by straight women for it — like that is fundamentally the punchline of her trans bathroom comic!

but as long as she’s still bragging about how awesome Michfest is in her books, i’m going to call her a terf, because that’s what the word means, so she still is one. i’ll stop when she apologises for being a spineless bigot for decades.

[indie-ttrpg-of-the-week]

Trans made TTRPGs

Due to… recent events that I would rather not talk about, today's post is a highlight of different tabletop games made by trans peeps! These games are fantastic in their own right, of course, but you can also know that they were made by incredibly cool and attractive people

(Also, these are flyover descs of the game, they'll get more in-depth singular posts later, this is because I am lazy)

Perfect Draw is a phenomenal card game TTRPG that was funded in less than a day on backerkit, it's incredibly fun and has simple to learn hard to master rules for creating custom cards, go check it out!

Songs for the dusk is fucking good, pardon my language, but it's a damn good post apocalyptic game about building community in a post-capitalist-post-apocalypse-post-whatever world. do yourself a favor and if you only check out one game in this list, check this one out, its a beautiful game.

Flying Circus is set in a WW1 inspired fantasy setting full of witches, weird eldritch fish people (who are chill as hell), cults, dead nobility, and other such things. It's inspired by Porco Rosso primarily but it has other touchstones.

Wanderhome is a game about being cute little guys going on a silly adventure and growing as the seasons change, its GMless and very fun

https://weregazelle.itch.io/armour-astir Armour Astir has been featured in here before but its so damn good I had to post it twice. AA demonstrates a fundamental knowledge of the themes of mech shows in a way that very few other games show, its awesome

Kitchen Knightmares is… more of a LARP but its still really dang cool, its about being a knight serving people in a restaurant, its played using discord so its incredibly accessible

https://grimogre.itch.io/michtim Michtim is a game about being small critters protecting their forest from nasty people who wish to harm it, not via brutal violence (sadly) but via friendship and understanding (which is a good substitute to violence)

ok this technically doesn't count but I'm putting it here anyways cuz its like one of my favorite ttrpgs of all time TSL is a game about baring your heart and dueling away with people who you'll probably kiss 10 minutes later, its very very fanfic-ey and inspired by queer narratives. I put it here because its made by a team, and the expansion has a setting specifically meant to be a trans "allegory", so I'll say it counts, honestly just go check it out its good shit

https://willuhl.itch.io/mystic-lilies

Mystic Lillies is a game inspired by ZUN's Touhou Project about witches dueling powerful foes, each other, and themselves. Mystic Lillies features rapid character creation and a unique diceless form of rolling which instead uses a standard playing card deck.

https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/141424/nobilis-the-game-of-sovereign-powers-2002-edition I… want to do a more general overview on Jenna K as an important figure in indie RPG design, but for now just know that Nobilis is good

https://temporalhiccup.itch.io/apocalypse-keys Apocalypse Keys is a game inspired by Doom Patrol, Hellboy, X-men, and other comics about monstrousness being an allegory for disenfranchisement. Apocalypse Keys is also here because its published by Evilhat so its very cleaned up and fancy but I love how the second you check out the dev's other stuff you can tell they are a lot more experimental with their stuff, this is not a critique, it is in fact a compliment

Fellowship! I've posted about this game before, but it is again here. Fellowship has a fun concept that it uses very well mostly, its a game about defining your character's culture, and I think that's really really cool

Voidheart Symphony is a really cool game about psychic rebellion in a city that really does not like you, the more you discover for yourself the better

Panic at the Dojo is a phenomenal ttrpg based on what the Brazilian would call "Pancadaria", which basically means, fucking other's people shit up. Character Creation is incredibly open and free, meaning that many character concepts are available

Legacy 2e is a game about controlling an entire faction's choices across time, its very fun

remember to be kind to a trans person today! oh also don't even try to be transphobic in the reblogs or replies, you will be blocked so fast your head will spin

[ruins-of-tragedy]

Will be actually watching RWBY instead of just keeping tabs on it 'cause I need a new personality for the foreseeable future.

Thoughts on the first trailers ahead...

- "Summer Rose: Thus Kindly I Scatter." That's a nice thing to have on one's memorial stone. Especially if you get cremated. Or in this case, can turn into flowers am guessing.

Red (Riding Hood):

- I too want to disappear in a flurry of roses.

- The lyrics of the song playing here give glimpses of Weiss, Blake and Yang... "White is cold and always yearning, burdened by a royal test. Black the beast descends from shadows. Yellow beauty burns... gold." NOICE!!!

- Blood turning into rose petals is a nice touch.

- The music here is making me want to go on a medieval adventure.

- The fuck. A gun that can turn into a scythe too?! 🤯❤️‍����👏🏻

- Ruby killing wolves when she is supposed to be inspired from Little Red Riding Hood makes me happy.

- Holy hell. Badass two-in-one weapon being wielded badassedly.

- The background score used had such a haunting quality to it. Much kudos to the people behind the piece.

White (Snow):

- I love that it starts with a quote. And a good one at that. Gods, am already falling.

- The Schnee are in total three siblings, if I remember right. When Weiss is singing, it begins with one shadow. Then two. Followed by there being three lights on her, and it gives the stage three folks beneath her own self. Am I reading too much into it?

- Weiss fighting a big knight-like figure. Snow White is delivered to the jungle by a soldier. Perhaps I am forcing the parallel, but I like it.

- The song in this one is giving me chills. Amazeballs.

- Okay, the fade to black got me for a second. I thought it would end here.

- Weiss really be regal elegance personified. Her fighting style is so put-together. That bitch-slap from the giant knight really drove it in.

- Her sword has colourful modes of varying prowess. Probably not queer coded but that won't stop me. ✨🌈💖

- The stepping bases Weiss makes out of thin air, are they snowflakes?! The designs on them look so intricate. WoWie.

- Huh. I thought the mark on her left eye was an injury bleeding. Apparently not. Whoa.

Black (And the Beast):

- This one also has a quote. Which makes sense 'cause she be very well read from what I have heard. I don't know why, but I think Yang's trailer won't have an opening line like this. Or if there is one, it would be something funny.

- The setting is extra beautiful here. Red trees. Ugh. Really does something for my brain.

- Oh my Gods. Blake turned to the guy and said okay and now I must protect her at all costs. Am sure she can do it herself, but still.

- Holy hell. The hilt of her sword can turn into a lasso gun?! Brilliant.

- So this is Adam. His katana-like weapon is the only thing I want of his. And maybe his shoes. And pants. And mask. And jacket without the embellishments. And shirt. And hair... Fuck. I will just kill him to get them all. 😤😈😶‍🌫️

- Already proving he don't deserve the good swag. The way he says he will set the charges... Doesn't inspire a lot of confidence. The crew members didn't do anything wrong. Thank you Blake for thinking of them.

- She looks to the side sadly and it makes me wonder if this isn't the first time such a conversation happened.

- Also, two different songs play for Blake's trailer. Both are awesome. And the second one feels like it's supposed to be for the Faunus species.

- Adam may look good, but the heart within is ghastly. That is why he is the beast who got left behind. YAYYYYYY!

Yellow (Goldilocks):

- Holy shite. Yang's quote hits the hardest for me somehow. I was so wrong and yet so happy about it.

- So this is the famous motorcycle am assuming. Coolio. It's making me want to learn how to ride a bike just so I could work this beauty. 🤩🤌🏻🫂

- Little umbrellas are one of the best things in life. I approve.

- "You can call me sir." And she has him follow through... Oh my Gods. I want to be her but since that's not possible, I want her to teach me her ways.

- Yang uses gauntlets for hand to hand combat which double as bullet shooters. And the way she reloads them... can she get any better?!

- Also, Junior is the bear. And is it just me or do Miltia and Melanie look like Ruby and Weiss wannabes?

- Yang's trailer is the culmination of all the songs used in the ones before, and then we hear hers... It's making me feel things.

- Super Saiyyan. AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! And her eyes turned red. Huh.

- Aye, we meet again. Ruby and Yang truly are siblings... "It's a long story." LoLLL! She will probably tell her what went down later. Keep the might of her legend alive.

The fight scenes are well-executed. The music is immaculate. The moon appears to be breaking into pieces. I am ready.

(Follow in the footsteps of my parents and refrain from spoiling me!

Also, someone should gift yours truly all of the weapons from this show. Pwease. And thank you.)

[bi-dykes]

Bi women, you should never feel ashamed. Never.

Of being bisexual. You are not greedy, you are not looking for attention, you are not actually just gay/lesbian or straight, you are you, and that is beautiful.

Of liking women. You are not a sinner, you are not impure, you are not being sexy or fetishized for men, you are not following a “trend”. You are not broken, you are you and that is beautiful.

Of liking men. You are not faker, you are not a traitor to the queer community, you are not putting on an act or lying for attention, you are you and that is beautiful.

Of liking nonbinary folks. You are not secretly pansexual. You are not “defying the definition of bisexual” (the definition of bisexuality has attraction to nonbinary folks anyways) you are you and that is beautiful.

Of being a woman. You are not made to just take care of the house and kids (but if you want to that’s okay!) you are not a sex object, you are not weaker than men, you are you and that is beautiful.

Of being a feminist. You are not too loud or angry or dramatic, you are not hateful, you are not “unnecessarily political”, you are not shrill or annoying, you are you and that is beautiful.

Please never feel ashamed. Please treat yourself kindly. Stay hydrated, give yourself a hug, remember that you are awesome. Please love yourself. If you are having difficulties doing so, be patient with yourself, and just try to love yourself. Do it for me. Because I have felt shame for all of these reasons and I’m finally happy with myself exactly as I am. If I could do it, so can you

[thelostgirl21]

Sooo... Let me get this queer...

*Spoilers alert for "Sirens of the Deep".*

Agloval really went "Screw being the very last of my bloodline and rightful heir of my kingdom. Imma go leave everything behind to marry a mermaid for love, because the sex and the cuddles are that awesome!"

Does he not realise the kind of precedent this set for Jaskier, and the types of expectations that bard now feels completely entitled to?!

Plus, they don't need words to communicate! Seriously! They've got that whole body language thing down, and words aren't a barrier to any relationship!

To Jaskier, princes are slightly waffling hopeless romantics struggling to fit in with their own families, waiting for love to finally give them the opportunity to escape the senseless cruelty and violence of their own world!

Everyone would be like "Radovid can't marry you. He's the last of his bloodline and needs to find a princess to make babies with her to make sure it doesn't end with him", and he'd be like "Pffft! I'm from Bremervoord! If the last of our royal bloodline swam off with a mermaid, and the kingdom didn't suddenly collapse or implode just because we needed to start a new bloodline, Redania will be fine!"

Oddly enough, I wouldn't be opposed to Jaskier being the one to ultimately "make a little sacrifice" for Radovid this time around, though.

Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but I remember Hugh Skinner mentioning that one of the reasons that drew him to the role of Radovid was that he's always enjoyed playing an outcast.

And since, in the world of "The Witcher", you see queer characters mentioning their wives or girlfriends without anyone seemingly being shocked about it, I've sort of been wondering if what makes Radovid a bit of an "outcast" or "outsider" doesn't go much beyond his sexual orientation.

Sure, in his case being gay is seen as "seed wasting", but that's because his sexual orientation is perceived as "strategically inconvenient" by Dijkstra and Philippa, rather than "socially unacceptable", I think.

Vizimir's wife is "as barren as the Korath", and Radovid favors men. I could see their frustration.

But still, if queerness is generally well socially accepted on the Continent, then that alone wouldn't technically make Radovid that much or "an outcast" in his own world.

So, my brain always goes back to him immediately blurting out to Jaskier that "Song of the Seven" is his favorite.

And Jaskier - assuming he's just another rich human noble benefitting from the current system - sort of dismissing the statement as being "slightly ironic".

But then, when Radovid asks his brother to let him go, he makes it very clear to Vizimir (and to the audience) that he simply doesn't fit within the current system.

He's not a spymaster, he's not even a good prince, the way monarchy works, right now, doesn't suit him. He needs to be free to love and help those he loves.

To have Jaskier recognize how skilled Radovid is at seeing the big picture and taking into consideration everyone's needs - instinctively striving to go for the "least bad options" for everyone involved, seeking to collaborate, and reaching for "carrots" rather than "sticks", etc.

So, a part of me can't help but hope that Jaskier might actually be the one to convince Radovid to be strong enough to fight back against those seeking to control him, and grow into his role as a king, because he actually is someone that could help Redania and the North become less oppressive of the common folks and of other races, among other things.

I really wouldn't mind Jaskier realising that Radovid truly has the potential to become a great king, perhaps especially because he's never wanted to wield that sort of power over anyone in the first place.

If it had been up to him, he'd have made the choice to leave it all behind to be by Jaskier's side and offer him love and support in the most desperate of times.

Agloval could afford to leave his world behind while his father still sat on the throne. He could afford to let him deal with the whole issue of needing someone else to succeed him.

And they are going to continue to need him. Because Radovid is someone that knows how to listen, make people feel valued and loved, and help them heal.

Radovid had a bloodied crown put on top of his head at a time where Redania was at war and his people needed him!

And after the war, the world is likely going to be in desperate need of more love and healing!

Those are qualities I'd easily imagine Jaskier would be able to see in Radovid. And I could also imagine Jaskier choosing to face that future with Radovid, rather than abandoning him to his own fate.

He's the Sandpiper, after all.

I could imagine Jaskier choosing to love Radovid's people alongside him, and to share those responsibilities with him as best he can, too.

Loving people, being sensitive to their plight, and trying to bring some light into their lives in times of darkness is also what he does.

And, as much as "A Little Sacrifice" was perhaps meant to foreshadow the upcoming "Sirens of the Deep" movie, it also paralleled Jaskier and Radovid's own story arc in Season 3.

Jaskier sang the lines "For if your goal be paradise, a life with your true love, ponder all your wants in life, and make a little sacrifice," to Ciri to help her fall asleep right before his own prince, Radovid, came knocking on his door, leading to their first kiss (and off-screen sexy times).

And then, the ending of the song doesn't really fit the ending of Sh'eenaz and Agloval's own love story in the movie at all!

I mean...

"For if your goal be paradise,

Just give your love a firm nudge,

If he sinks to darkest night,

Embrace his little sacrifice!"

Agloval didn't sink to any dark depths in the night when he chose to trade feet for fins!

He soared high with his mermaid, and was readily embraced by her world!

It was a happy ending for them both, that lacked all the dark, ominous, dramatic tone of the ending of the full song (as Freya Allan sang it).

Jaskier's "firm nudge", however, made Radovid see that his place wasn't at his brother's court, and that he belonged with Jaskier and his family/people.

And, on his very first attempt to swim away to join him, here's what happened to him that night:

Radovid is the prince that "sank to darkest night" once he realized his place wasn't amongst his own kind, not Agloval.

I was initially disappointed that Jaskier didn't sing the whole song on the "Sirens of the Deep" soundtrack; but, after having watched it, I think that's because it slowly starts to transition towards a "poetic retelling" of Jaskier's own love story with Radovid around this point:

The tide is low, now they both know

"But where they lay, they cannot stay

A swap for turf

A trade for surf

For if your goal be paradise

Who'd turn and let go

A life with your true love

Ponder all your wants in life

And make a little sacrifice

His choice was made aside the sea

A twilit red horizon

His place among the sirens

For she had finally made him see

He knew what it's worth

A trade for surf

To trade foot for fin

Just give your love a firm nudge

For if your goal be paradise

If he sinks to darkest night

Embrace his little sacrifice!"

In the end, Radovid genuinely tried to "make a little sacrifice" for Jaskier by prioritizing Jaskier's needs and happiness with his family regardless of the risks involved for himself out there.

I like to interpret "embrace his little sacrifice" as meaning that Jaskier will be able to recognize that Radovid's effort to "trade foot for fin" and come "join him at sea" was genuine.

And therefore, that he'll refuse to let him sink alone, but choose to face that "darkest night" with him instead.

[kalinara]

So recent posts have got me thinking about the Throuple, and how I personally feel about it. And I'll be honest. I dislike it and I love it.

I dislike it because, ultimately, there really isn't much there. A couple of suggestive panels, a house schematic, one scene of expressed attraction between the guys, one scene that seems really heavily implied that they'd intended to go to bed together (I'll post that later, it's from early X-Force and it's pretty suggestive, IMO), and a few cameos in pride issues.

If Marvel was advertising this relationship, I'd call it queer-baiting at best.

But I always kind of wonder about the background of things. And I tend to assume that the Throuple was never intended to be a thing by the suits and higher ups. I think maybe a few creative types kept slipping things under the radar.

It does mean, unfortunately, that, in terms of actual story or emotional development, it's lacking. I mean, look, biased Scott fan that I am, I would have REALLY liked to see Logan apologize for basically everything AvX onward before those two characters hopped into bed together. I'd like to see Jean get to have opinions about everything that happened while she was gone (many things that she'd now remember from her younger self's point of view), before that happened too. These are characters with a lot of history.

So in terms of execution, the Throuple is a fizzle. (Hell, even the Jean/Logan side barely got off the ground. Some bits where she kept him alive when he was trying to save Xavier through time - which she'd have done even if he were just a friend. And one sex scene in the hot springs. That really feels like a satisfying culmination of decades of yearning. If I were a Jean/Logan fan, honestly, I'd probably feel cheated.)

But you know, I do love it for other reasons. Because however shitty the execution, the IDEA is firmly planted and that idea isn't going away.

All you have to do is go on reddit or tiktok and see anytime one of those toxic masculinity fanboys starts bitching about how Logan is 100% straight "blah blah woke agenda", and you get at least three people jabbing back "yeah, except on the moon".

And that's the genius of it. Because NO one likes those particular fans. And so even people who are utterly indifferent to the idea of the Throuple. Even folks who dislike the execution are very pleased to troll that hypothetical dude at every chance.

Marvel can say what they want. Brevoort (whether he believes it or is just Marvel's spokesperson) can say what he wants. The fact that the annoying fanboys go "I'm so glad he didn't walk back his denial and cater to the wake agenda" are just admitting that there's something TO deny.

I'll be honest, I suspect the issue is Logan's fanbase. It's the largest by far and Marvel doesn't want to alienate the straight men in the crowd. But the thing is, they're aging out. And younger generations of fans are more openly queer than we are, and definitely more than our parents were. This is going to be a non-issue. Especially when the new generations start running the asylum.

It'll take a long time, of course, and there'll be a lot of bullshit before then. But you can't put the genie back in the bottle. The idea is out there. And like Kitty, Rachel, Betsy, Bobby, Mystique and Destiny, Rictor and Shatterstar, EVENTUALLY we'll get to the point where Marvel admits what we all know. (And we knew for a while. The Throuple didn't come out of nowhere.)

Marvel's most famous and popular X-Men character is queer.

More than half of the Original X-Men, that earliest dream that creators never seem to be able to stop revisiting, are queer*.

The flag ship pairing of the X-Men involves a woman and a man who are queer*.

That's pretty awesome.

(*I know technically we're talking about an MMF throuple and it doesn't rule out Jean being straight, but let's be honest here. Jean's got more than enough suggestive interaction with Storm, Emma, Lorna and Wanda to make a strong enough case for bisexuality in her own right.)

[so-i-did-this-thing]

Hello! I'm a young trans guy and I just wanted to say thanks for being here and also out online; being a figure for so many younger queer people. You're awesome! Also oboe? sick as hell. Sax player myself, but I can only wish to go pro.

Thank you so much!

As for playing the sax, there are loads of semi-pro groups out there if you still want to keep on playing. If you're in the US, join your local AFM (American Federarion of Musicians) union and get to know folks -- people throw together wind groups for funsies all the time and need players.

[punkitt-is-here]

I hope this is not intrusive, but I'd like to know since I'm going to college for animation in a few months: what did you pursue in college, and would you say the experience of college is worth it? Why or why not?

I had a fucking blast in college! It's been awesome. People shit talk it all the time because of the price and the job market or whatever, and I genuinely 100% get it, but for me it was a chance to be in a different space after being in a literal village for 18 years in my life and I met some of my best friends ever. Having the schedule of college really helped get me out of my shell, and the film and theatre programs here let me meet some of my favorite people on the planet. I'm queer, so that really factors into it, but I had a great time meeting other queer people my age in the departments and all my instructors were super kind and talented. I still had issues with the experience, but I'm going to miss it deeply and I'm really glad I went through with it. It's dependent on the folks running the program and the ones in it, but the film and theatre departments here rocked and I'm so sad to leave those folks behind next week! You get out what you put in, and I hope whatever you pursue goes excellent for you :>

[zith-ipeth]

Dog Days Diary: Pardon the dust

Hey creatures of the land sea and sky

It’s been a doozy of the past few days, a lot of animality nonsense, plurality nonsense, political nonsense, but let’s break it down.

I talked to my coworker about therianthropy and leftism. It started with normal talk about prison abolition and both of our experiences with partly being radicalized by realizing the way the system treats those who commit crime. Both of us with first had experience around sexual assault. Both of us not wishing prison or punishment on the men who did those things to us. We then got talking about world building and how some folks are genuinely so uncurious about how to make a utopia. Talking about how you need to envision a future and take steps towards it in the present. SO I WAS LIKE IM SUPER PASSIONATE ABOUT THAT WITH ME BEING A THERIAN. And my coworker was just like oh yeah that makes sense. And we started chatting about like intersections with queerness and stuff it was awesome! While I was working an old lady complimented me on my collar and tag WHICH ROCKED. One of these days I’m gonna wear my ears in I swear.

My plurality has been being explored more. Clover found a new show she likes (Kipo age of the wonderbeasts, amazing kids tv honestly) and got emotional and wrote me some stuff THAT MY PHONE DELETED. So I went and got us a note book. I chose the phrase on the cover becuase of a big breakthrough that I had in therapy about me being a “part” as much as she is, that we are two objects of equal mass effecting one another. A Mutual Orbit.

Therapy also opened up some weirder shit for me tbh, because I’m almost certain that Clover is a whole child, and honestly that scary but it won’t stop me from fighting to make her life the best it can be (also yeah don’t worry she doesn’t do tumblr much, yall won’t see her here, it’s chill)

ALSO ON A FUN NOTE, glass blowing update, the piece came back and OMG, it’s so pretty, very gender I love it a lot

Anyway, idk, live folks, get out there and live, tommorow I’m going on a date with a friend of mine and I’m super excited, two trans therian ladies going out to eat, it’s gonna be awesome.

Be yourself, and just keep, idk, being, I guess

Don’t give up

Run fast, bite hard, bark loud

Peace, love, and gratitude

-Zith Ipeth

//Clover Brooks//

[downbadspanishlad]

WARNING: Some of the following content may be slightly triggering due to discussion of abuse and trauma. Please don't read further if reading about that stuff could possibly hurt you! You're valid!

Masculinity in Baldur's Gate 3:

As a trans guy who didn't have friendly male rolemodels growing up, the male companion characters in Baldur's Gate 3 mean so much to me.

While Astarion is clearly my favorite, I have a huge amount of love and appreciation for all the companion characters (male and female). But it's the several types of masculinity the male companion characters have that offer something for male and/or masculine folks like me to aspire to (in some way or another).

Disclaimer: I've unfortunately not had the time to interact much with Minsc, therefore I won't be including him in this post, but he seems like a lovely and cool dude overall, so please don't take his absence as a sign of me not liking him.

Astarion:

Astarion's interest in murder/violence and being mean at times are definitely not things to aspire to, but I do understand why he does what he does. His trauma is no excuse for his actions, but they do explain a lot (He also becomes much kinder as you progress through his story, revealing that he's actually a pretty kind hearted dude that puts up a rough exterior as a method of defense).

I really like Astarion for a lot of reasons. The first reason is the fact that he is a masculine character that is ALSO an explicitly queer, slightly effeminate man with trauma.

In terms of being "explicitly queer," I mean this clip from this video:

As someone who doesn't neatly fit into the stereotype of being a "MANLY man", let alone society's expectations of what it means to be a "real man," Astarion's effeminate nature is something I deeply appreciate. 

(Note: That's not me trying to insinuate that trans guys me aren't 'real men.' It's solely about commenting on how men who are trans, hell - even cis dudes who are gender non-conforming, are often told they're 'not real men').

Astarion's very theatrical in his demeanor, and it's one of the things I love most about him. He's hilarious, he's fun, and he's able to be the way he is without being shamed and emasculated for it. I grew up and currently live in an area where being as theatrical and fun as Astarion is something that can get you shamed or even physically hurt for not being "man enough" in that way. 

I've also often felt very insecure in my masculinity for being queer and possibly being "not masculine enough" for people. Don't get me wrong - being gay is epic (and gay people are epic), but it has absolutely nothing to do with a person's gender or how they express themselves. Toxic masculinity, however, is something that suggests otherwise, and I'd be lying if I said I'd never felt insecure in my masculinity because of my sexuality (I admit that it's something I'm still working on too). But that's exactly why I love the fact that Astarion lives in a world where he can be as flamboyant, expressive, and as queer as he wants while still being seen as masculine.

I also love that bi/pan erasure is (overall) not a thing regarding the ladies of the BG3 fandom. Astarion is especially popular amongst the girls and the gays, and I think that's EPIC! I really love that Astarion lives in a world where he doesn't have to worry about people saying that his sexuality isn't a real or valid thing. It's really awesome, and I love that the women of the BG3 fandom (straight and LGBT) are completely cool about it.

And I definitely don't want to equate my trauma with anything Astarion has been through (especially as someone who isn't a survivor of sexual violence or physical abuse), but I also really love Astarion as a character because I find a lot of comfort in how Astarion's trauma is dealt with in his story.

So long as you (the player) treat him with the respect and dignity he deserves, Astarion is never shamed or made to feel "less than" for his trauma. The story of his trauma is treated with proper respect and care, and I absolutely love that. 

He makes me feel less alone and weird for how my own experience with abuse has left me with inner demons that I've yet to overcome. Like him, I experience night terrors due to my trauma. It's a very scary thing to deal with. And as a man, it makes me feel very small, ashamed, and pathetic. But seeing Astarion go through it and not having that be something he's shamed for is something I deeply appreciate. I know he's fictional, but seeing a character as cool as him going through that too makes me feel less alone and weird for it.

Wyll:

Wyll is a close second favorite character of mine. He's just an awesome, epic, badass guy! He's the kind of man I aspire to be. He does everything he can to help others, he cares deeply about doing what's right, he's a huge nerd/dork, and he's got the biggest heart amongst the companion characters (which says a lot in my opinion since he's got Karlach and Halsin as stiff competition for that category). He's very cool and lovely, and I really hate seeing how underappreciated he is as a character.

I absolutely love the meme of people saying that Wyll was the only origin character to dust himself off and head back to doing what he was doing before getting kidnapped and infected by the mindflayers. This man is too selfless and rad to take a break from teaching the tiefling children in Emerald Grove.

I do want to give credit for this meme to this cool dude called Azeem (aka Black Purist).

As well as this post here on Tumblr.

Gale:

I'll admit, I didn’t really care for Gale at first. But the more I got to know him, the more I realized that this dude is (most certainly) on the spectrum. That's not a canon thing, but I absolutely believe that he is. It's not a bad thing either (and I say that as someone who is also autistic). Honestly, realizing that many of his traits are autistic recontextualized certain things about him and helped me like him way more.

I'm not happy to admit this, but I think I didn't like Gale much at first because he reminded me a lot of myself (due to his autistic characteristics). That's some internalized ableism that I need to work on lmao. Anyways, after doing some self-reflection and giving his character a proper chance, I realized that Gale is actually really cool.

I really appreciate how straightforward Gale is as a communicator. The dude puts everything out in the open, for better or worse. He has no ulterior motives and does his best to make his intentions very clear. Love him or hate him, Gale is a dude you're not afraid of (unless you're a bad guy or something).

I also appreciate how passionate the man is about the stuff he's dedicated his life to (magic, which is most certainly his special interest). Gale is also very kind and open-minded, a good example of this being what he has to say about Astarion's vampirism.

Overall, Gale is an excellent man, and I really appreciate the sort of masculinity that his character represents.

Halsin:

So long as you save him and the Emerald Grove, Halsin is totally chill with you from the first moment you meet him. He's very kind, upfront, and non-judgemental, which is pretty cool.

I also really appreciate how much he cares about consent. Halsin is polyamorous, and if he expresses romantic interest in the player character and the player character happens to already be in a relationship, he makes sure to not pursue anything without the expressed consent of both the player character and their partner. 

I know caring about consent is a bare minimum thing to do, but unfortunately there are still a lot of people irl who don't care about it, which is why I greatly appreciate how Halsin (and also BG3 as a game) treats consent as an essential, inherent part of romantic and sexual relationships. Very cool, indeed!! 😎💖🌟💫

[waitmyturtles]

I haven't written an Old GMMTV Challenge update in SOOOOOO long, and I was just about to write a short screed compelling folks to think about taking up The Miracle of Teddy Bear, which I'm watching now for the project. I've also made some changes to the list, which I'll report below:

1) I paused Miracle for a couple of weeks to catch up on 2022's Triage, the second in a trilogy of shows by the Y novel writer, Sammon (most recently known for 4 Minutes, and better known for premiering with 2019's Manner of Death). I wanted to catch up on Triage before Spare Me Your Mercy airs, the third show in the MoD/Triage series trilogy. (Sammon has been posting on Twitter recently in anticipation for SMYM, thus my urgency in watching Triage.)

I wasn't intending on including Triage on the OGMMTVC syllabus, but I am, not even indulgently, but because I think if someone's going to situate themselves as a student of Thai BL, then this show should be watched as simply a TOTALLY REMARKABLE queer drama that plays not just with some BL tropes, but with a ton of other television tropes as well (as so wonderfully listed by @dragonsareawesome123!) TRIAGE IS SO FUCKING, FUCKING, FUCKING AWESOME, and I screamed in my liveblogs about it, so fuck yeah, I'm gonna review it soon (after I finish and review Miracle for the sake of chronology).

2) After I get reviews of Miracle and Triage out, I'll finally review GAP, which I watched this summer, and I'm glad I've given myself a lot of breathing room to think about GAP and its longterm impact, because I was gently unhappy with the show as it ended and how its script worked. I know some Idol Factory shows, like The Sign, are known for being bloooated, and I don't think GAP was bloated per se, but it was messy enough for me to think about it more critically than I expected in regards to celebrating Thailand's first GL. (It seems like The Loyal Pin is faring better by way of being a better script? But I haven't conversed with anyone about this yet.)

In any case, this breathing room, along with watching more shows from 2022, allows me to take the full step back I need to to celebrate GAP in its historical glory, notwithstanding the weak script, so that I'll do after I write up on Miracle and Triage.

(By the way. 2022 was a HELL OF A YEAR for Thai BLs. Bad Buddy ends, we got KinnPorsche, Triage, The Miracle of Teddy Bear as Thailand's first queer primetime drama, Secret Crush On You, The Eclipse, Moonlight Chicken is filmed but not aired, My School President premieres. 2023 and 2024 can only weep in jealousy, unfortunately.)

3) Finally, the real reason why I was going to put pen to paper today is that I am not done with The Miracle of Teddy Bear, and it's truly a HEFTY COMMITMENT to watch it, 16 hour-and-a-half-long episodes (meaning, 32 normal episodes) (New Siwaj drools in envy) but part of my thinking, as I start episode 12 tonight, is that I might need to compel my fellow Bad Buddy girlies to give Miracle a try.

If Bad Buddy was remarkable for existing in the no-homophobia-bubble, and using family rivalry and intergenerational trauma as sophisticated stand-ins for homophobia --

Miracle follows in BBS's footsteps as

1) not at all a BL, but a queer drama, Thailand's first major primetime queer drama,

2) a show that absolutely grabs all kinds of homophobia -- internal, external, social, familial homophobia -- by the neck, and reckons and analyzes each kind of homophobia through brilliant writing and character development,

3) a show that STILL, like BBS, grapples with intergenerational trauma, the trauma of adults coming from broken families and committing future harm on their children; as well as reckoning with the impacts of misogyny; as well as reckoning with the impacts of individuals standing up AGAINST social biases, including social homophobia, corporate demands against the environment, interactions with the police, so so much, and

4) a show that STILL commits to realistic development of romantic bonds among multiple couples, using flashbacks intelligently and sensibly, and leveraging romance often to sensibly lighten heavy moments.

I'll let y'all know how I fare as I get to the show's end, but let me just say at this point in time, before I dive into the show's last five episodes, that at least contemplating a watch of Miracle will be utterly satisfying for folks looking for incredible watches as we plod through a few mediocre shows at the present moment. I didn't think it would happen in the course of this syllabus, but I think Miracle is going into my top three of all Thai queer dramas I've ever watched, with Bad Buddy and He's Coming To Me at the top of that list.

[wanderingcritter]

Hello! I have some questions for you, if you don't mind.

What does transspecies mean to you?

How did you discover you were transspecies?

How do you feel about the myth that transspecies makes fun of transgender people?

How do you feel about the idea that transspecies should not be used or people who are transspecies should stay hidden because it can be used against the transgender community

(A controversial one) Why did rad-q takeover the transspecies term, how does that effect the alterhuman community, and how do you feel about it?

Hi thank you sm for asking hehe :3 I love getting to talk about this stuff (and knowing that others are interested in hearing about it lol)

Long ass post below the cut

1. To me, transspecies is the rawest, most direct way for me to express my nonhumanity. It cuts through a lot of the vagueness and nuance of some other nonhuman labels (not that there's anything wrong with that ofc) and gets straight to the point: Im not entirely human and want to be acknowledged as such by my peers and society at large. It emphasizes my desire to move through life as nonhuman, and that there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. I also like that it challenges the narrative of human superiority and the idea that species identity is purely biology based. For me personally, it also ties into my experience with being transgender, as I often see my gender as being partially nonhuman. Many things that are gender affirming are also species affirming and vice versa. But obviously you don't have to be transgender to be transspecies, one of my irl packmates and close friend is cisgender transspecies and she's awesome <3

2. It wasn't so much a "discovery" for me. My transspecies identity is very closely tied to my therianthropy, the species I identify as and see myself transitioning into are also all kintypes. So after I realized I was a therianthrope, it was kind of just a slow realization that it was also a label that fit my experiences well. Like most alterhumans I had heard the word used as a weapon against transgender people and alterhumans, so I had a very negative perception of it for a long time. I think the first time I ever heard it referred to in a not-outright-negative sense was in PDTherians "Trans-species?!" youtube video (which I do not recommend as a source of education at all it's a very flawed video that's riddled with misinformation) a few years back, and from there I slowly started to open up to the idea and yeah. The rest is history pretty much lol

3. To some degree I actually can empathize with the stance because I used to be in the same camp, and I know from experience that for a lot of folks it's just well intentioned but misplaced passion of trans liberation. But at the same time it's still a harmful belief and one I grew out of because I matured and learned more about the communities I was part of. Anytime you cast judgement onto a group of people with a harmless identity/belief/interest for the sole purpose of "they're too weird", that harms everyone, not just that group. In this case, hatred against transspecies folks implies that there is a right and a wrong way to be queer/trans, which is harmful not only to nonhumans but to all queer individuals.

4. I think it's bullshit lmao. Shying away from it and outcasting the people who use it does absolutely nothing but divide us further and make us an easier target for discrimination. Categorizing it as a community taboo just turns it into ammunition for transphobes and anti-alterhumans alike. Turning against each other and fighting over stupid shit like labels is exactly what oppressors want, a house divided against itself cannot stand. It also just doesn't make sense, species identity is socially constructed, similar to gender, so why should people be forbidden from using a word to describe that experience just because it's misunderstood?

5. I honestly have no idea why radqueers do anything at all lmaoooo. But if I had to guess, I think it's because on some level, they know that nobody with any semblance of social education or moral compass is ever going to be on board with their beliefs, so instead of trying to fight a losing battle they just barge their way into other small, marginalized, and outcasted groups (alterhuman, altage, paraphiles, etc.) and try to claim them as "part of them". It's a lot easier to tell a group of people "Hey you guys are actually just like us so you need to support our ideology because otherwise you're just fighting against yourself" than it is to try to convince them from scratch that you're not a horrible person.

As for how it's impacted the alterhuman community, Im not entirely sure but luckily I think its effects have been fairly minimal thus far. The alterhuman community is significantly bigger and older than the rq community, I've only ever run into rqs on Tumblr and even here Ive met transspecies folks who had never heard of radqueers before. I think its biggest impacts have been on the transspecies niche specifically, since they often try to lump it in with transid's like "transrace" and "transharmful", which leads to the assumption from outsiders that they're inherently connected and that all transspecies folks agree with those stances as well. But I think as transspecies and alterhumanity as a whole slowly becomes less stigmatized and more widely understood over time, that belief will also fade and die off.

Sorry for the massive text wall lmao, I hope that wasn't too much info. But again thank you sm for asking ^^ I think it's super important that folks out there are interested in learning more about this stuff and that alterhumans are able to communicate their experiences to one another <3

[ingravinoveritas]

UMMMM DOCTOR AGREEING WITH DONNA SAYING ISSAC NEWTON WAS HOT?!!!!!!! AND THEN WHEN HE ASKS IF HE DOES THINGS LIKE THAT DONNA WAS SAYING SOMETHING ABOUT HIS SEXUALITY ALWAYS BEING ON THE SURFACE?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hoo, boy. Well, I just watched the second of the DW 60th anniversary specials ("Wild Blue Yonder"), and let me say...that was fucking awesome. As I've mentioned previously, I am a very casual Doctor Who viewer, but this felt so much tighter and stronger than "Star Beast" by several orders of measure. I know everyone talks about DW being owned by Disney now and how that has affected the budget, but this episode more than proved that you do not need fancy special effects or over-the-top action sequences when you have two actors who can just do what David and Catherine did.

I've only seen a few other DW eps, but I was amazed at how creepy this was, and having it be so intensely character-driven--that is, having the antagonists be copies of the Doctor and Donna and allowing David and Catherine to create two completely different other characters so that it felt like there actually were four different people on screen--was sheer genius. Absolutely brilliant and hilarious but also wildly unnerving at the same time.

Which then brings me to the moment you mentioned, which is thoroughly delicious on its own:

Right off the bat, what surprised me is how very not surprising this is, at least to anyone paying attention. We know the Doctor is an alien who transcends time and space, so there is no reason to think that he/she/they wouldn't also transcend sexuality. And again, not having seen as many episodes of other incarnations (Nine, Eleven, etc.), I have always seen Ten as being bi or pan, without any question. There was something about Fourteen saying this, however, that felt very akin to 57 academics punching the air, and I am just beyond thrilled that this made it into the show.

What's also been interesting to me is seeing the negative response to this development on Twitter, and the subsequent pushback to said response. I've seen a lot of folks saying the Doctor can't possibly be gay (nevermind that being into men doesn't necessarily make the Doctor gay, since bi/pansexuality is A Thing That Exists) because of Rose, and then other folks responding with examples from Ten's era showing all the ways in which Ten is not/has never been 100% straight. But as easy it is for these pushback people to see this as a possibility for fictional characters, they seem to have a very difficult time seeing that same possibility in real people.

To wit: I saw a tweet yesterday from someone who thought that Russell T. Davies was straight--much to my disbelief--and a subsequent reply on that tweet from another person who thought he was married to Julie Gardner. And sure, I'll grant you that not everyone is interested in the personal life of a DW showrunner/writer...but we are talking about the man who wrote the UK version of Queer As Folk, and gave the world Captain Jack Harkness, for crying out loud. The same man who made David/Ten look and act like the biggest bottom ever to bottom and earned the moniker "Russell T. Daddy" for a reason. Yet the grip of compulsory heterosexuality is so strong that all of these things (as well as the fact that he had an actual husband, who sadly passed away a few years ago) ceased to matter.

But...it also suddenly makes sense why so many people are oblivious to the fact that David (and Michael) are most likely not 100% straight.

If we are going to say that the Doctor is not necessarily automatically straight because of having previously dalliances with women, then it makes sense to say that David is not necessarily automatically straight for the same reason. I've talked previously on my blog about how assuming straightness when someone hasn't come out as straight or because someone is in a straight-passing relationship is a problem, and that people don't need to label themselves specifically to be who they are. Yet as willing as so many fans are to let fictional characters step outside of that confining box, those fans are equally willing to push the actors right back into it.

I still see people calling David a "straight man" when that very well might not be the case. When this year in particular, David has been more vocal than ever before about numerous facets of queerness in a multitude of forms (wearing badges, gay pride boots, t-shirts, etc). I've talked about how the clothes David wears seem to be reflecting who he really is more and more, and thinking about the roles he's played this year--Crowley, Fourteen--I see a similar pattern. And I keep thinking about that little boy in Paisley who was afraid to ask for a DW Leelah doll because he didn't want to be a "sissy." I keep thinking of David likely being told that his career would be destroyed if he was anything other than publicly straight, and especially while playing a beloved character like the Doctor.

For him to come back as the Doctor now--in the midst of a deeply charged period in history, with homophobia and transphobia spiking dramatically in the UK--and to mention finding another man hot in the most completely casual way is nothing short of astounding. And what better vehicle to potentially guide David toward opening up about himself than something he has loved for so long? What better show to serve as a lighted pathway, of sorts? Nothing Russell writes is not deliberate. Nothing being done in these specials is not deliberate. And if 900 years isn't too old to discover or become more open about a part of yourself, then why should 52 be?

So yes, those are my thoughts on this new DW 60th anniversary special, and this particular moment with Fourteen (Ten-Four) and Donna. It really does feel as though this is all leading toward something, and I am definitely looking forward to seeing the third and final special next weekend...