#sapphic underground

[yourdailyqueer]

Sapphic Underground

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Lesbian

DOB: N/A

Ethnicity: White - British

Occupation: Youtuber

[girl4music]

Subtext only seems gayer than actual text because it’s blatant. It’s put there purposefully. But what you have to figure out is what it’s put there purposefully for.

There’s a huge motherfucking difference between subtext used for queerbaiting and manipulation over an actual legitimate subtext. Xena does not fall into the category of subtext for wrong or selfish reasons.

It was severely censored. They COULD NOT do it.

But if you watch the show - you’ll quickly realize that it doesn’t even fucking matter that they’re not canon.

The creators agree with you anyway that they are.

The reason why it’s still the gayest TV show ever is because the relationship between Xena and Gabrielle is the most realistic depiction of love and therefore the best lesbian or WLW representation that there is. Part of the reason why is because they are the main protagonists. They’re the MAIN characters of the show. That may exist but it’s extremely fucking rare. The other part is that the creators see them that way. You get a legitimate lesbian love story because IT IS.

So it doesn’t matter that they’re not textually canon. In fact you could ever say it’s better that they’re not.

Because in a weird, ironic and hilarious way - the fact the show is censored helps a hell of a lot because the creators used the censorship to their advantage. They were clever and creative in getting around the censorship. They built on the relationship through it. And so it’s because it’s censored why it feels so real.

You don’t get canon text like “I’m in love with you”, “marry me” or “I want to have sex with you.”

You get: “It was like I was in a dream too. I forgot everything. But even though I didn't remember you..., I felt your presence. And knew that I would never be complete unless those shadows were brought into the light.” and “Gabrielle, if I'd only have thirty seconds to live, that's how I'd want to live them, looking into your eyes.”

Which is 1000x gayer than anything you’ll get today textually, subtextually or basically any romantic dialogue in a TV show said to another character ever.

Xena is just THAT GAY. It’s extremely gay. It’s a fucking queer show about queer characters. And it is that way because the creators made it that way. They purposefully made it that way. For the right reasons!

So don’t compare it to shit like ‘Supergirl’. The creators/cast/crew ridiculed you. They didn’t represent you. They baited you in and laughed at you. Xena do the opposite. They validate and love you.

[mclennonlgbt]

My father, complaining that I don't want to watch a documentary about 2nd World War with him: You are not interested in history at all!

Me, watching a video essay about the sapphic history of old Hollywood: Excuse me, what?

[sabypoo]

"The good news is...[picture of the kiss]. The bad news is...everything else" S.U., thanks for the summary.

[woman-for-women]

Sapphic Underground is a gender-critical lesbian YouTuber! Her suggestions might be of use.

Hello! 💕 Could you recommend any lesbian books that have no heterosexual content at all? I know this might be almost impossible I’m just so jaded and would love to be able to go into a book assured there won’t be any hetero sex.

I feel you, it’s very frustrating to read a book that’s marketed as a lesbian romance or praised as having “good sapphic representation” only to find out that one or both main characters has a boyfriend/husband or fucks a man. We really need more books that are actually about lesbians.

Here are some books in which the main characters don’t have hetero relationships or hetero sex:

The Abyss Surrounds Us duology by Emily Skrutskie Affinity by Sarah Waters All Good Children by Dayna Ingram Ammonite by Nicola Griffith Beyond the Screen Door by Julia Diana Robertson Bleeding Earth by Kaitlin Ward The City of Woven Streets by Emmi Itäranta Compass Rose by Anna Burke + Departure from the Script by Jae Fingersmith by Sarah Waters Fire Logic by Laurie J. Marks + Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett + Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir + Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri + Just Physical by Jae Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo The Last to Let Go by Amber Smith A Line in the Dark by Malinda Lo Love by the Numbers by Karin Kallmaker The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling Matrix by Lauren Groff Monstress: Awakening by Marjorie Liu * + On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden One Summer Night by Gerri Hill ** Requiem for Immortals by Lee Winter * Shaken to the Core by Jae The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley * Teixcalaan duology by Arkady Martine Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson ** + The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood The Warrior’s Path by Catherine M. Wilson + Wildthorn by Jane Eagland

* I enjoyed these books but they contain scenes of female characters engaging in violent, abusive behaviour that dampened the reading experience for me. They’re still good overall, I just think it’s fair to warn you in case that turns you off reading them.

** I disliked these books but they fit the criteria so...yeah, slim pickings. But taste is subjective so just because I don’t like them doesn’t mean you can’t.

+ First in a series

One additional note: Most authors don’t label their characters as lesbians so I can’t be sure that all the main characters in these books are lesbians. And since some of these books are in a series that I haven’t finished and/or that the author hasn’t yet completed (marked with +), I can’t be sure that future books in a particular series will not contain hetero content. So just be aware of that possibility!

I had actually been planning to make a list of book recs like this so I’m glad someone asked. I intend to update this list as regularly as I can. Let me know if you want any more information about any of the books already on the list.

[munadrawson]

🐙🦑🍓🍓🍓💕

Click and Open image for HQ! [Commission OPEN] | [Cheap-bi Commission OPEN] | [Ko-fi] | [Twitter] | [Instagram]

Here are some more of them being sillies. And I can't draw chibis.

[not-so-secret-nerd]

Where are my sapphic/lesfic readers jonesing for a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in 2003 NYC?

More details below the cut!

Drowned by men. Saved by a monster.

The last place Alexandra Bailey expects her routine life of domestic journalism to lead is being sucked into icy floodwaters below New York City with a knife in her ribs. Headlines like this happen to other people, but it's real, and she knows she's dead. Which makes the circumstances of her survival as impossible as the woman who drags her from the water. 

Saved but hardly safe, Alex wakes in the Underground, a world of misfits and monsters thriving below the streets. It's a journalism goldmine. One Alex can't resist digging into after learning her beastly savior is Leanna Farrow, adopted daughter of an infamous and "presumed dead" scientist. But Alex's curiosity, coupled with her rapidly developing feelings for Leanna, put both women in danger when Alex’s inquiries pique the interest of a powerful family with bloody secrets connected to the Underground. 

If Alex wants to unravel the secrets of the world below she'll have to walk the razor's edge, but some mysteries are better left buried.

🕮 Over 1700 copies sold  🔖 750k pages read on KU ⭐ 200+ Amazon reviews 🏆 2 Awards 🎖️ 4-time Indie Ink Award Finalist 🔥 One hell of a #sapphic read

 So what are you waiting for?

Link below:

Undergrounder by J.E. Glass

[willemdaflutist]

Guess we’re back to hiding our community like we did in the renaissance

I wonder if they had secret ways to find other queers.

[queerism1969]

[wondereads]

Review of The Absinthe Underground by Jamie Pacton

Summary

Sybil and Esme are best friends, roommates, and maybe a little bit more. They are also poster thieves, though Esme only reluctantly plays lookout. One night, they are caught by Maeve, the owner of the Absinthe Underground, the premier nightclub in the 1920s-inspired city of Severon, and she offers them a deal; the funds to do anything they want with their lives in exchange for stealing the jewels of the Moonshadow Queen, Mab. And who could resist such an offer?

Plot 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Unfortunately, the plot of this book, while it boasts an intriguing presence and beautiful setting, is very rushed and never really takes the time to build tension. Throughout the book, Sybil and Esme must steal three items to then help them steal Mab's jewels. There's a lot of potential for each of these heists to be a clever, hair-raising scenes, but each of them lasts maybe five pages each. While Sybil is portrayed as a daredevil poster thief, she definitely doesn't have the skill set for these high security heists, and Esme absolutely doesn't. They get through these situations far too easily, and it causes the tension to fall flat.

The worlds of Severon and Fae are very aesthetically pleasing, and there's nothing really major excluded in terms of worldbuilding. However, there are some questions I just generally wish were answered, like some things concerning Sybil's family and what the actual power of the jewels is; if there is anything.

Characters 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

The characters are definitely the saving grace of this story. Esme and Sybil have greatly distinctive personalities and pretty decent development. Esme in particular learns to stand up for herself, and their relationship, even just platonically, grows a lot. Despite the lack of plot tension, there is good romantic tension, and the romance is very cute. It was probably the most enjoyable part of the book for me.

There is also a good side romance and some good side characters, but I will say that there are some side characters that really aren't well developed. Their personalities are flat, and their motivations seem to be curated just for the main characters to have aid in their quest.

Writing Style 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

I'd say the writing for this book is pretty average for a YA novel. The descriptions of Severon really hit that 1920s, art noveau aesthetic, and, like I mentioned, there are quite a few scenes with some good romantic tension. Unfortunately, there is a general issue with telling instead of showing, especially concerning the main characters' thought process. There are many times when the characters explicitly explain why they think something or their reasoning for doing something instead of trusting the reader to draw their own conclusions.

Also, as I discussed in the plot section, the pacing is way too fast in this book. I don't often say this about a book, but it needs an extra 100 pages or so. The story would benefit so much from being taken more slowly, getting more spread out, especially the individual heists.

Overall 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed by this book. It has a great premise, the aesthetics really come through, and it's got a cute sapphic romance. The execution falls short with just the lack of space for the story. Things happen far too quickly when there are many scenes that really need space to breathe. It affects the tension and doesn't give much room for the side characters to show their personalities. The writing tends to tell instead of show, which may contribute to the rushed nature of this book. This book could have been quite good, but it ends up being somewhat mediocre.

The Author

Jamie Pacton: American, also wrote The Vermilion Emporium and The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly

The Reviewer

Hi, I'm Rose, this is my blog, Wondereads, and I review, discuss, and recommend books! You can check out my pinned post for more info :)

[purplebunnyreads]

🍀The Absinthe Underground🍀 by Jamie Pacton

I saw this book compared to Holly Black in the synopsis and Barbie and the Diamond Castle in the reviews, and I just HAD to give it a try. And it was very much worth it! I absolutely loved the first chunk of the book, especially getting to see the relationship developing between the two main characters and how they live their life.

The characters were definitely the highlight of the novel for me. Esme is so relatable, and honestly I just want to BE her. I also really liked Lucien! I loved his personality and I wish we had gotten to see more of him. He was probably my favorite character.

There were also some other characters that I wish we'd seen more of. For instance, towards the end of the novel there is a character named Chloe who I really wished we'd gotten to learn more about, and it felt like her part in the story was left unresolved. I'm really hoping this was intentional by the author and that we might get a book about her in the future.

I also really liked the setting! The world was so fascinating and magical and I wish the author had gone more into the details. I will definitely be reading the Vermillion Emporium soon because it's set in the same world and I cannot get enough of it. also believe there is a character in that book that appears in the Absinthe Underground and I just HAVE to know who it is.

I will say that the climax felt a little short lived, and overall it felt like the stakes weren't quite high enough, and the characters were able to get away with things unrealistically easily. But honestly these didn't really take too much away from the experience.

Overall, this was a fun read. If you're looking for a cozy sapphic fantasy with compelling characters and a magical world, I definitely recommend this!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-arc!

[jetwhenitsmidnight]

The Absinth Underground by Jamie Pacton

Source: Netgalley ARC

Genre: young adult historical fantasy romance

Release date: 6 February 2024

Content warnings: underage alcohol consumption, self harm for magic purposes, (temporary) imprisonment, blood, (past) death of parent

If you like: faeries, slowburn sapphic romance, 1890s Paris, heists/thieves, friends to lovers

Synopsis

Ever since Esme Rimbaud brought Sybil Clarion back to her flat, the girls have been everything to each other—best friends, found family, and secret crushes. While Esme would rather spend the night tinkering with her clocks and snuggling her cats, Sybil craves excitement and needs money. She plans to get both by stealing the rare posters that crop up around town and selling them to collectors. With rent due, Esme agrees to accompany—and more importantly protect —Sybil.

When they’re caught selling a poster by none other than its subject, Maeve, the glamorous girl doesn’t press charges. Rather, she invites Sybil and Esme to The Absinthe Underground, the exclusive club she co-owns, and reveals herself to be a Green Faerie, trapped in this world. She wants to hire thieves for a daring heist in Fae that would set her free, and is willing to pay enough that Sybil and Esme never have to worry about rent again. It’s too good of an offer to pass up, even if Maeve’s tragic story doesn’t quite add up, and even if Sybil’s personal ties to Fae could jeopardize everything she and Esme have so carefully built.

Review

A quick and easy read! I'm a little older than the target audience, so I found some of the plot to be a bit too simple, and I figured out the twist pretty early on, but I still had fun reading this.

There were a few things that frustrated me about this book. Firstly, other than the plot being simple, I felt that the stakes didn't really feel urgent enough. The characters get through each obstacle pretty easily, so I was never convinced that they were in any real danger. Additionally, the solutions that they come up with just don't make sense to me. No spoilers, but one of the characters is described as a brilliant thief, but all the plans she comes up with boil down to "make a distraction then grab the thing and run".

Secondly, the interactions between the main characters. They both dance around talking about their feelings for most of the book, which is fine, because this is supposed to be a slowburn romance. But what irked me was how secretive Sybil was. Like, I understand being scared of judgement, but she had multiple opportunities to open up to Esme, and she just chose not to. Which bummed me out, because it kind of made it feel like Sybil didn't trust Esme, and they're supposed to be best friends.

I'm aware that the above sounds like pretty harsh critique, but I did enjoy the romance! I liked the past glimpses of how Sybil and Esme first met, as well as their dynamic. The way Sybil jumps headfirst into situations, yet always needs Esme to back her up, and the way Esme is scared of risking danger, yet always follows Sybil because she needs to make sure she's safe, created tension in their relationship that I loved reading.

I also found the Fae rather interesting, and I wish we got to see more of them. The book establishes the main three Fae courts, as well as some of the lore/myths about the Fae, but the characters don't actually get to explore a lot of the Fae realm. Also, I'm always a sucker for Fae that are depicted as beautiful but also monstrous.

[girl4music]

“But without a doubt the most iconic on-screen lesbian representation to come from the 90’s and perhaps of all-time is unquestionably Xena and Gabrielle from ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’. A series which started airing in 1995 and spanned 6 seasons following the character of Xena, an infamous warrior on a quest to seek redemption for her past sins alongside the small town bard Gabrielle. It’s no secret that the writers for Xena purposefully implemented romantic subtext between the characters of Xena and Gabrielle from the very beginning. This subtext eventually bled into main text in the later seasons. Xena and Gabrielle were declared soulmates, they kissed on the lips more than once, and they even got married. It’s also been confirmed my the creator of Xena, Rob Tapert, in numerous interviews that the romantic relationship between the two was deliberate and carefully planted in the show. He and the writers had to contend with the censors - meaning that they were limited with what they could portray on-screen. Tapert has also said that they had written an episode where they actually outed Xena and Gabrielle but Universal told them that they couldn’t use it so they ended up having to do a rewrite. The show, at its core, is a piece of lesbian media but it’s a piece that is distorted by performative heterosexual elements for the sake of keeping the studio happy and to keep it marketable to as big an audience as possible. It’s been well documented that the writers faced a lot of barriers with the network desperately trying to censor any overt romantic implications between Xena and Gabrielle. However, the writers creative efforts to get around the censorship alongside the lightening in a bottle chemistry that Lucy and Renee had undoubtably created one of the most iconic lesbian couples of all-time. ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ is an example of lesbian representation that managed to thrive against censorship and it was a lifeline for a lot of lesbians and bisexual women in the 90’s who struggled to see that type of relationship and love between two women anywhere else. It really is a special show and alongside Ellen is absolutely one of the most defining pieces of lesbian media from the 90’s” - @sapphicunderground

Please check out this wonderful creator’s breakdown of the negative and positive lesbian representation of the 90’s. It is thoroughly educational and insightful and it affectionately gushes about my favourite TV show and WLW relationship of all-time. I still don’t know if can call Xena and Gabrielle a lesbian couple or relationship given I headcanon Xena as bisexual but I can say that it is absolutely the greatest lesbian representation that I have ever seen in my life. And I implore people who want to see proper positive lesbian or WLW representation to watch this show. Sapphic Underground also has a 1 hour long lesbian review of ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ on her YouTube that I would also recommend people to please check out.

When we talk of positive representation for LGBTQ media here on Tumblr or on any social media platform… I hate that Xena and Gabrielle are almost always ignored or even removed entirely from the conversation just because it was not explicitly textually confirmed as canon when it is easily one of the most authentic representations of WLW there is. Like,… in principle. Not just in TV but in any platform of art/entertainment that has ever been created. The creators for Xena went above and beyond expectations to provide something that was sorely missing in the landscape of art/entertainment media. Like if you watched it, you would understand what I mean with this. It’s revolutionary what they did with it.

[jameslongforjimshortforgabriel]

re-regueTON SUAVE LABIOS MORDIDOS 🗣️🗣️🗣️‼️‼️‼️🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 DAIAMNTES QUE LE BAJAN POR EL OMBLIGO 😍😍😍😍😍💎💎💎

y'all rlly need some Colombian lesbian regeuton frrr I love this song sm

[gaaaaaaaayypr]

Yo billies new gay song is corny af.

Gays are best at art when we are underground. I mean like middle earth level underground.

Once we became mainstream we became normies.

[flospurpura]

at the art gallery x

(these photos would have blown up in 2013 tumblr…..too bad)