#the hex is a queer commune

[villainsposting]

DE emphasizing that every character in the 1999 hub, even Arthur, will be dateable suggests they can be dated regardless of the MC's gender. From this I can only surmise that the Helminth infection turns you bisexual

[hex-stone]

Update! Long over due photo 😘

[breelandwalker]

PODCAST RECS - Debunking and Fact-Checking for Witches & Witchcraft Spaces

A collection of podcast episodes fact-checking, debunking, or just providing some clarity on modern myths, misinformation, and conspiracy theories that are frequent flyers in witchcraft and pagan spaces, both theories mistakenly touted by community members and some of the utter drivel spouted by non-witches that still affects us today. Check out these shows on your favorite podcast app!

(Updates to be made whenever I find new content. There will be some crossover with my Witches In History Podcast Recs post and some of the content will be heavy. Blanket trigger warning for violence, abuse, bigotry, sexism, antisemitism, and mistreatment of women, queer people, and children.)

[Last Updated: October 17, 2024]

This post is broken into three basic sections:

Historical Misinformation

Modern Myths and the People Who Create Them

Conspiracy Theories and Moral Panics

List of Cited Podcasts, in alphabetical order

American Hysteria

BS-Free Witchcraft

Dig: A History Podcast

Hex Positive

Historical Blindness

History Uncovered

Morbid

Occultae Veritatis

Our Curious Past

Our Fake History

Ridiculous History

Stuff You Missed In History Class

The History of Witchcraft

Unobscured

You’re Wrong About…

Historical Misinformation

General History of Witchcraft

Historical Blindness - A Rediscovery of Witches, Pt 1 & 2 Oct 13, 2020 & Oct. 27, 2020 A discussion of the early modern witch craze and the myths, misconceptions, and theories about witches spread by academics. Topics of discussion include the works of Margaret Murray and Charles Leland, the founding of Wicca, the emergence of the midwife-witch myth, and folk healers as targets of witchcraft accusations. Sarah Handley-Cousins of “Dig: A History Podcast” supplies guest material for both episodes.

Hex Positive, Ep. 36 - Margaret Effing Murray with Trae Dorn July 1, 2023 Margaret Murray was a celebrated author, historian, folklorist, Egyptologist, archaeologist, anthropologist, first-wave feminist, and the first woman to be appointed to the position of lecturer in archaeology in the UK. So why so we get so annoyed whenever her name is mentioned in conversations about witchcraft? Well, it all has to do with a book Margaret wrote back in 1921...which just so happened to go on to have a profound influence on the roots of the modern witchcraft movement.

Nerd & Tie senpai and host of BS-Free Witchcraft Trae Dorn joins Bree NicGarran in the virtual studio to discuss the thoroughly-discredited witch-cult hypothesis, Murray's various writings and accomplishments, and why modern paganism might not have caught on so strongly without her.

BS-Free Witchcraft, Ep 03: The History of Wicca October 06, 2018 On this episode, Trae digs deep into the history of Wicca, and tries to give the most accurate history of the religion as they can. I mean, yeah, we know this is a general Witchcraft podcast, but Wicca is the most widely practiced form of Witchcraft in the US, UK, Canada and Australia… so how it got started is kind of important for the modern Witchcraft movement. (And trust me, there aren’t any pulled punches here.)

BS-Free Witchcraft, Ep. 28: The Burning Times May 30, 2020 On this installment of the podcast, we tackle probably one of the more controversial topics in the modern witchcraft movement: The Burning Times. What were the actual “Burning Times,” where do we get that phrase from, and what really happened? Also, how has this phrase been used in modern witchcraft? It’s a heavy one, folks.

Dig: A History Podcast - Both Man and Witch: Uncovering the Invisible History of Male Witches Sept 13, 2020 Since at least the 1970s, academic histories of witches and witchcraft have enjoyed a rare level of visibility in popular culture. Feminist, literary, and historical scholarship about witches has shaped popular culture to such a degree that the discipline has become more about unlearning everything we thought we knew about witches. Though historians have continued to investigate and re-interpret witch history, the general public remains fixated on the compelling, feminist narrative of the vulnerable women hanged and burned at the stake for upsetting the patriarchy. While this part of the story can be true, especially in certain contexts, it’s only part of the story, and frankly, not even the most interesting part. Today, we tackle male witches in early modern Eurasia and North America!

Dig: A History Podcast - Doctor, Healer, Midwife, Witch: How the the Women’s Health Movement Created the Myth of the Midwife-Witch Sept 6, 2020 In 1973, two professors active in the women’s health movement wrote a pamphlet for women to read in the consciousness-raising reading groups. The pamphlet, inspired by Our Bodies, Ourselves, looked to history to explain how women had been marginalized in their own healthcare. Women used to be an important part of the medical profession as midwives, they argued — but the midwives were forced out of practice because they were so often considered witches and persecuted by the patriarchy in the form of the Catholic Church. The idea that midwives were regularly accused of witchcraft seemed so obvious that it quickly became taken as fact. There was only one problem: it wasn’t true. In this episode, we follow the convoluted origin story of the myth of the midwife-witch.

Dig: A History Podcast - Cheesecloth, Spiritualism, and State Secrets: Helen Duncan’s Famous Witchcraft Trial July 3, 2022 Helen Duncan was charged under the 1735 Witchcraft Act, but her case was no eighteenth-century sensation: she was arrested, charged, and ultimately imprisoned in 1944. Of course, in 1944, Britain was at war, fighting fascism by day on the continent and hiding in air raid shelters by night at home. The spectacle of a Spiritualist medium on trial for witchcraft seemed out of place. What possessed the Home Secretary to allow this trial to make headlines all across the UK in 1944? That’s what we’re here to find out.

The Conspirators, Ep. 63 - The Last Witch Trial Nov. 26, 2017 England’s official laws regarding the prosecution of witches dates back to the 1600s. Those very same laws would also remain on the books until well into the 20th century. In 1944, a psychic medium named Helen Duncan would gain notoriety by becoming the last woman to be tried under England’s witchcraft laws.

The History of Witchcraft Podcast, hosted by Samuel Hume Witches didn’t exist, and yet thousands of people were executed for the crime of witchcraft. Why? The belief in magic and witchcraft has existed in every recorded human culture; this podcast looks at how people explained the inexplicable, turned random acts of nature into conscious acts of mortal or supernatural beings, and how desperate communities took revenge against the suspected perpetrators.

Unobscured, Season One - The Salem Witch Trials Welcome to Salem, Massachusetts. It’s 1692. And all hell is about to break loose.

Unobscured is a deep-dive history podcast from the labs of How Stuff Works, featuring the writing and narrative talents of Aaron Mahnke, horror novelist and the mind behind Lore and Cabinet of Curiosities.

As with his other series, Mahnke approaches the events in Salem armed with a mountain of research. Interviews with prominent historians add depth and documentation to each episode. And it’s not just the trials you’ll learn about; it’s the stories of the people, places, attitudes, and conflicts that led to the deaths of more than twenty innocent people.

Each week, a new aspect of the story is explored, gradually weaving events and personalities together in chronological order to create a perspective of the trials that is both expansive and intimate. From Bridget Bishop to Cotton Mather, from Andover to Salem Town, Mahkne digs deep to uncover the truth behind the most notorious witch trials in American history.

Think you know the story of Salem? Think again.

Witchcraft and Other Magical Practices

BS-Free Witchcraft, Ep. 43 - “Lilith” Jan. 29, 2022 Host Trae Dorn discusses the ongoing debate over whether or not it’s okay for non-Jewish witches to incorporate Lilith into their practices. Is Lilith closed? Is it cultural appropriation? There’s so much misinformation in New Age and poorly written witchcraft books on Lilith, it’s hard for some witches to get a clear picture. It’s common to run into folks on social media talking about Lilith as a “Goddess,” which she very much isn’t. Let’s dive into the origins of the folklore surrounding this figure, and we’ll let you decide whether or not it’s okay to work with Lilith. But, uh, spoiler – we don’t think you should.

Historical Blindness, Ep. 106 - Lilith, the Phantom Maiden November 22, 2022 Host Nathaniel Lloyd explores the evolution of the figure of Lilith, from Mesopotamian demon, to the first woman created by God, and back to a succubus mother of demons. It’s a tale of syncretism, superstition, forgery, and a dubious interpretation of scriptures.

BS-Free Witchcraft, Ep. 55 - Lucky Girl Syndrome and the Law of Attraction January 28, 2023 Trae takes a look at one of New Age spirituality’s most toxic philosophies - The Law of Attraction. The history of the idea is discussed, where it came from, and how this dangerous combination of prosperity gospel, purity culture, and victim-blaming has come back in a major way to a whole new generation as “Lucky Girl Syndrome.” 

Hex Positive, Ep. 19 - The Trouble with Tarot August 1, 2021 Tarot and tarot-reading have been a part of the modern witchcraft movement since the 1960s. But where did these cards and their meanings come from? Are they secretly Ancient Egyptian mystical texts? Do they have their origins among the Romani people? Are they a sacred closed practice that should not be used by outsiders? Nope, nope, and nope.

This month, we delve into the actual history of tarot cards, discover their origins on the gaming tables of Italy and France, meet the people who developed their imagery and symbolism into the deck we know today, and debunk some of the nonsense that’s been going around lately concerning their use. The Witchstorian is putting on her research specs for this one!

Stuff You Missed in History Class - A Brief History of Tarot Cards Oct. 26, 2020 How did a card game gain a reputation for being connected to mysticism? Tarot’s history takes a significant turn in the 18th century, but much of that shift in perception is based on one author’s suppositions and theories.

Hex Positive, Ep. 23 - The Name of the Game November 1, 2021 Bree delves into the history, myths, and urban legends surrounding Ouija boards. Along the way, we’ll uncover their origins in the spiritualist movement, discover the pop culture phenomenon that labeled them portals to hell, and try to separate fact from internet fiction with regard to what these talking boards can actually do.

Our Curious Past, Ep. 20 - The Curious History of the Ouija Board August 18, 2023 Host Peter Laws explores the history of the “talking board,” which was wildly popular in the early 1900s, until something happened that would tarnish its’ reputation for good. 

Ridiculous History - Brooms and Witchcraft, Pt. 1 & 2 Oct. 13-15, 2020 Most people are familiar with the stereotypical image of a witch: a haggard, often older individual with a peaked hat, black robes, a demonic familiar and, oddly enough, a penchant for cruising around on broomsticks. But where did that last weirdly specific trop of flying on a broomstick actually come from?  Could the stereotype of witches on broomsticks actually be a drug reference? Join Ben, Noel, and Casey as they continue digging through the history and folklore of witchcraft - and how it affected pop culture in the modern day.

Historical Blindness, Ep. 116 - The Key to the Secrets of King Solomon  May 02, 2023 Host Nathaniel Lloyd continues his occasional series on the history and mythology of magic. In this installment, he looks at the development of the story that the biblical King Solomon was actually a flying-carpet-riding, magic-ring-wielding wizard and alchemist who bound demons to do his will. The origins and content of the legendary Key of Solomon are also discussed.

Dig: A History Podcast - Plastic Shamans and Spiritual Hucksters: A History of Peddling and Protecting Native American Spirituality July 24, 2022 In the late 20th century, white Americans flocked to New Age spirituality, collecting crystals, hugging trees, and finding their places in the great Medicine Wheel. Many didn’t realize - or didn’t care - that much of this spirituality was based on the spiritual faiths and practices of Native American tribes. Frustrated with what they called “spiritual hucksterism,” members of the American Indian Movement (AIM) began protesting - and have never stopped. Who were these “plastic shamans,” and how did the spiritual services they sold become so popular?

Historical Blindness, Ep. 145 - All Is Number: Pythagoras and Numerology May 28, 2024 In this installment of the ongoing Encyclopedia Grimoria series, host Nathaniel Lloyd talks about a cult leader who is remembered as a great mathematician, whose real lasting contribution to the world is the nonsensical divination "magic" known as numerology.

Holidays

Hex Positive, Ep. 28 - The Easter-Ostara Debacle April 1, 2022 Host Bree NicGarran puts on her Witchstorian hat once more to delve into the origins of both Easter  and Ostara and to finally answer the age-old question: which came first  – the bunny or the egg?

Historical Blindness, Ep. 28 - A Very Historically Blind Christmas Dec. 18, 2018 An exploration of the origins of Christmas traditions, with special guest Brian Earl of the Christmas Past podcast. (There is also some mention of Christmas witches!) Further installments of this series explore additional Christmas traditions and iconography which have been falsely claimed to have pagan origins as well as the myths surrounding the history of Christmas itself. (Eps. 47, 63, 84, & 132 in December of subsequent years)

Modern Myths and the People Who Create Them

Ed and Lorraine Warren

You’re Wrong About…Ed and Lorraine Warren w. Jamie Loftus Nov 8 2021 Special Guest Jamie Loftus tells Sarah about Ed and Lorraine Warren (of The Conjuring and Annabelle fame). Topics of interest include Connecticut as a locus of scary happenings, New England uncles, and psychic communication with a tearstained Bigfoot.

Dig: A History Podcast - The Demonologist and the Clairvoyant: Ed and Lorraine Warren, Paranormal Investigation, and Exorcism in the Modern World Oct 3 2021 In the 1970s, Lorraine and Ed Warren had a spotlight of paranormal obsession shining on them. In the last decade, their work as paranormal investigators–ghost hunters–has been the premise for a blockbuster horror franchise totaling at least seven films so far, and more planned in the near future. So… what the heck? Is this for real? Yes, friends, today we’re talking about demonology, psychic connections to the dead, and the patriarchy. Just a typical day with your historians at Dig.

History Uncovered, Ep. 92 - The Enfield Haunting That Inspired "The Conjuring 2" Oct 25 2023 The Enfield Haunting began with a bang. Literally. From 1977 to 1979, an unassuming North London home was the site of near-constant paranormal activity, from knocking sounds and moving objects to disembodied voices and the terrifying alleged possession of one young daughter of the Hodgson family. But how much truth was there to these happenings? And since the Warrens got involved briefly and subsequently touted themselves as experts on the case (and made money from talking about it), how much of what we think we know reflects the actual events?

Hex Positive, Ep. 042 - Extended Warren Tea with Jenn the Ouija Girl and Lorelei Rivers Jan 01 2024 Discussions about the careers and rhetoric of the Warrens make the rounds regularly in conversations about the paranormal among members of the witchcraft community. But who were the Warrens? Why do they inspire such ire even as the Conjuring franchise gains steam? How much of what we think we know about the supernatural comes from them? And why is it important to recognize - and refute - their rhetoric when we encounter it? Bree NicGarran sits down with Jenn the Ouija Girl and Lorelei Rivers to spill ALL the tea.

"Paranormal" Literature & Media

You’re Wrong About…Winter Book Club - The Amityville Horror, Pts. 1-3 Dec 20 2021 - Feb 6 2022 Sarah tells guest host Jamie Loftus about the Amityville Horror, how it’s a Christmas story, and buying murder furniture might not be such a great idea. Further highlights include Jodie the Demon Pig, poor insulation and terrible parenting as evidence of a haunting, lots and lots of sunk cost fallacy, and how the book kind of debunks itself.

MORBID, Ep. 610 - The Amityville Horror Conspiracy October 17 2024 The supposed experience of the Lutz family at 112 Ocean Avenue served as the basis for the iconic haunted house story, “The Amityville Horror,” and the countless films adapted from or inspired by the original novel. However, unlike most other stories of paranormal experiences, “The Amityville Horror” became a phenomenon that influenced everything from Ronald DeFeo’s criminal defense during his murder trial to the American public’s belief in the supernatural. Yet for all their talk of it being a genuine story of demonic activity, in the years since the publication of the popular novel, a large body of evidence from skeptical evaluations to court records and interview transcripts suggest that America’s most notorious haunted house might not have been quite so haunted after all.

American Hysteria, Ep. 125 - I Was A Teenage Poltergeist October 14 2024 Sarah Marshall, host of “You’re Wrong About…,” transports us to the old world of British Hysteria to reveal the mysterious story of the Enfield Poltergeist and joins host Chelsea Weber Smith at the seance table to discuss the great unknown and the ghosts they know.

You’re Wrong About… - Michelle Remembers, Pt. 1-5 March 26, 2020 - April 30, 2020 Intrepid hosts Sarah and Mike delve into one of the foundational texts of the Satanic Panic - “Michelle Remembers.” A young woman spends a year undergoing hypnosis therapy, which uncovers repressed memories of shocking and horrifying abuse at the hands of a Satanic cult. The book became a foundational text for both mental health professionals and law enforcement attempting to grapple with an alleged nationwide network of insidiously invisible child-abducting cults. The only problem is…none of what Michelle remembered ever actually happened.

You’re Wrong About…. - The Satan Seller, Pt. 1-5 June 28, 2021 - August 9, 2021 Sarah and Mike return to Camp You’re Wrong About for another Satanic Panic story hour. This time, the summer book club explores Mike Warnke’s 1972 “memoir” about joining a demonic cult, rising through the ranks of Satan’s favorite lackeys, his sudden downfall and redemption, and the California hedonism that made him do it. This is followed by a discussion of the Cornerstone Magazine exposé that brought the facts to light and thoroughly discredited Warnke’s story.

American Hysteria, Eps. 64-66 - Chick Tracts, Pts. 1-3 March 20 - April 03, 2023 In his own lifetime, Jack Chick was one of most prolific and widely-read comic artists in history. His company, Chick Tracts, published hundreds of millions of copies of pocket-sized bible comics, filled with lurid illustrations of cackling demons, wicked witches, and sinister cults, all hell-bent on corrupting any hapless mortal they could get their hands on. These tracts were meant to be left where they might be found by a sinner in need of salvation, with a scared-straight morality-play approach to Christianity that contributed in no small part to the period in the late 20th century we now call the Satanic Panic. (There’s also a follow-up two-part episode about one of Chick’s “occult experts,” who claimed to be, among other things, a real-life vampire.)

History Uncovered, Ep. 95 - Roland Doe, The Boy Who Inspired "The Exorcist" November 15, 2023 In 1949, priests performed an exorcism on a boy referred to as "Roland Doe," aka Ronald Hunkeler, in a chilling ordeal that became the real-life inspiration for William Peter Blatty's 1971 book, "The Exorcist," and the movie adaptation released in 1973. But what really happened during this alleged exorcism and was there any proof of the claims of alleged demonic paranormal activity surrounding the events?

You're Wrong About... - The Exorcist (with Marlena Williams) December 27, 2023 Marlena Williams, author of "Night Mother: A Personal and Cultural History of the Exorcist," joins host Sarah Marshall to discuss the little possession movie that changed America forever. Was the set cursed by Satan himself, or plain old 70s misogyny? What makes a country going through a cultural upheaval embrace stories about the Devil? And - the most critical question of all - do Ouija boards really cause possession?

Frightful, Bonus Episode - Is the Paranormal Like A New Religion? June 25 2024 Since the early 2000s, paranormal content has exploded in popular culture. It seems we can't get enough of ghosts (and hunting for them). What could be behind this enthusiasm for spooky things? Host Peter Laws shares a theory - that the paranormal is a clever way for us to be religious...without being religious. (This is less a debunking than a discussion of a personal hypothesis, but it deals with the pervasiveness of cultural religious themes, the influence of social media on modern mythmaking, and the sense of community surrounding paranormal belief.)

Conspiracy Theories and Moral Panics

Ancient "Mysteries"

Historical Blindness, Pyramidiocy, Eps. 146-151 June-July 2024 Host Nathaniel Lloyd delves into the great pyramids and the various myths and misconceptions surrounding them, some of which, despite vast amounts of historical evidence to the contrary, endure to this very day. Further related segments on this topic may be found on the show's Patreon, including a highly interesting July 2024 minisode regarding "Books of the Dead," which examines claims about H.P. Lovecraft's "Necronomicon" and its' supposed relation to the Egyptian Book of the Dead and the Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus.

History Uncovered, Ep. 117 - The Real History Behind the Mythic City of Atlantis June 12, 2024 First mentioned by Plato in Timaeus and Critias, the lost city of Atlantis later became a widely debated topic among historians. But is Atlantis real? (Spoiler: No. No it is not.)

Hucksters, Secret Societies, and Antisemitism

Historical Blindness, Ep. 14 - Bloody Libel December 12, 2017 An exploration of one of the most destructive myths in history - the blood libel, or the false accusation that Jews of the Middle Ages and beyond ritually murdered Christian children, a lie that host Nathaniel Lloyd traces back to its’ roots in medieval England and the murder of one Young William of Norwich.

Historical Blindness, Eps. 56-57 - The Illuminati Illuminated September 15-29, 2020 A contemplation of the modern conservative conspiracy theory of a “deep state” leads host Nathaniel Lloyd back to the dawn of the modern conspiracy theory, the Enlightenment, when the ultimate conservative conspiracy theory was born as an explanation for the French Revolution: The Illuminati!

Historical Blindness, Eps. 38-40 - Nazi Occultism, Parts 1-3 July 2-30, 2019 An exploration of the dark roots of Nazi occult philosophies, from a neo-paganism preoccupied with the Nordic Pantheon, to a folksy back-to-the-land movement that evolved into a nationalist sentiment, to an ideology of racial supremacy all tied up with contemporary myths and pseudoscience. (The host is careful to note with clarity and vehemence at the start of each episode that this series IN NO WAY approves of, promotes, or supports this ideology and Nazism is roundly condemned at every turn. It’s not an easy listen, but understanding how and why this bigotry continues to be a problem in pagan spaces and how to recognize it is very important.) TL;DR - Fuck Nazis. No tolerance for genocidal fuckwads.

DIG: A History Podcast - Werewolves, Vampires, and the Aryans of Ancient Atlantis: The Occultic Roots of the Nazi Party Oct 17, 2021 Modern movie plotlines which portray Nazi obsessions with occultism might be exaggerated for dramatic effect, but they aren't made up out of wholecloth. The NSDAP, or the National Socialist Worker's Party, was a party ideologically enabled by occultist theories about the Aryan race and vampiric Jews, on old folk tales about secret vigilante courts and nationalist werewolves, and on pseudoscientific ideas about ice moons. In this episode, the hosts explore the occult ideas, racial mythology, and 'supernatural imaginary' that helped to create the Nazi Party.

Our Fake History, Eps. 66-68: Who Was the Mother of the Occult? May-June 2018 An exploration of the life and works of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, self-described sage, medium, guru, author, and one of the founders of Theosophy.

The Satanic Panic

American Hysteria - Satanic Panic, pt 1 & 2 Dec. 10 2018 - Jan. 07, 2019 This two-part episode covers perhaps the most mystifying moral panic in US history, the 1980s and early 90s ‘Satanic Panic.’ For this episode, Chelsey covers the rise of organized Satanism beginning in the late 60s, as well as the adversarial countercultures of the hippies and the metalheads, and their apparent Satanic crimes that would be hailed as proof of their evil, as well as proof that teens, as well as children, were in serious moral peril. Satan was allegedly hypnotizing the youth with secret messages in backwards rock songs, teaching them occult magic in Saturday morning cartoons, and causing suicides through a popular role-playing games, all while helping religion blur into politics for good.

For part two, Chelsey will cover what came next, a serious investigation into an imagined network of Satanic cults ritually abusing children in daycare centers all over the country. Chelsey will try to understand this shocking decade in history, why it really happened, and the cultural issues it was really about.

BS-Free Witchcraft, Ep 10 - The Satanic Panic April 27, 2019 The Satanic Panic of the 70s, 80s, and 90s shaped the Modern Witchcraft Movement in a lot of unexpected ways. Its effects still ripple through a lot of our sources, so in this installment of the podcast we’re digging into this extremely weird part of American history. It’s a bit of a doozy, after all.

BS-Free Witchcraft - Ep. 32: A New Satanic Panic? February 27, 2021 A couple of years ago, we did an episode on the history of the Satanic Panic of the latter half of the twentieth century, but recent events have led us to ask - could it be happening again? It’s very possible that we are at the start of a new wave of satanic panic, and QAnon is just the latest symptom of a larger problem.

Occultae Veritatis, Case #014: Satanic Panic of Martensville Jan. 28, 2018 Today the hosts cover one of the various Satanic ritual abuse scandals that happened close to them. Is it full of hot air and false allegations? Yes. Yes it is. 

Occultae Veritatis, Case #097A & B: Dungeons, Dragons, and the Satanic Panic Dec. 07, 2019 - Dec. 15, 2019 Dungeons & Dragons, introduced in 1974, attracted millions of players, along with accusations by some religious figures that the game fostered demon worship and a belief in witchcraft and magic.

[Last Updated: October 17 2024]

[the-silence-in-between]

When I sift through my heartbreak about the Agatha All Along finale, the thing I keep coming back to is what a terrible choice it was to make The Road a con.

Now, I've seen folks theorizing (with evidence) that Billy subconsciously created The Road for weeks now, so I'm not going to say that the twist came out of nowhere. The hints were there.

But thematically, episodes 1-7, were about womanhood, sisterhood, and community. We saw Agatha deeply long to be part of a coven, even though she didn't trust anyone and felt so obviously, deeply uncomfortable sitting around that campfire in episode 4.

Episode 8 seemed like it would be continuing that same theme, but once we get to The Twist, episode 9 necessarily has to be all about Explaining The Twist. And so, even though the flashback scenes in episode 9 are truly beautiful, they feel like they belong to another show.

Agatha's Character Development

Think back to everything that episode 1 set up. We've been teased with Agatha and Rio's relationship since the very beginning, but we get nothing about how they met and virtually no backstory for Rio. I had zero illusions that we were going to get some sort of happily ever after for them as a couple, or that the show would be all about them. But this was a seminal relationship in Agatha's life, and given how much the actors were talking things up, I really expected more.

Episode 1 also seemed to set up so much more with regards to Agatha's backstory. There was so much about the Darkhold (and it came back up again in episodes 2 and 3, too), but we never found out how or when Agatha attained it. At one point in episode 1, Agnes tells Rio that every case is always about the specific small town and the secrets buried beneath it, but we don't find out anything new about Agatha's life in Salem or why she was nearly executed, nor do we learn why Evanora thought Agatha was born evil.

In fact, when we look at all nine episodes, Agatha really doesn't have a character arc. Once she breaks out of Wanda's hex, she doesn't grow or change. She doesn't make peace with Rio, or with what happened to Nicky -- she literally chooses to become a ghost because she's too afraid to face him in the afterlife. She clearly longs for sisterhood, but Sharon, Alice, and Lilia are dead, and despite Agatha and Jennifer being incredibly similar as characters, they never make peace with each other. Episode 8 presents Agatha choosing to sacrifice herself for Billy at the last minute as "growth," but she literally drank poison for him way back in episode 3. This was already something we expected her to do.

So we end episode 9 with Agatha in the same position she was in in episode 1, only translucent and filmed through a thick layer of Vaseline. Yes, I know she forms a "coven two" with Billy, but after all the earlier focus on sisterhood, the fact that it's just Billy feels really insufficient. And yes, I know that Agatha will likely return in other MCU titles, but this was her show, damn it, and it felt like a miracle that we even got a show starring a queer character played by a woman over 40. And if Agatha can't even get a character arc in her own show, how am I to believe that she'll get one as a side character?

(On a personal note, I think I have always loved seeing a villain do a heel-face turn because I find something so hopeful about seeing a character overcome and grow beyond behaviors and characteristics that only harm them. I've identified really strongly with Agatha's desire for sisterhood and difficulty opening up and trusting others, and for this show to essentially end with "the only change Agatha is capable of making is dying" is just ... honestly devastating on a truly embarrassing level.)

Breaking the Spell Cast by The Ballad

But beyond the way the need to explain The Twist short-changed Agatha's development, it also retroactively cheapens the ~magic~ of The Road and The Ballad. The Road was presented as a journey that sisters in the craft would embark upon together -- the comics have a really moving storyline where Wanda actually meets her biological mother on The Road -- and in singing along with the ballad, it felt like we the audience were part of that sisterhood, that journey. But now knowing that The Road never existed, and only exists now because of a teenage boy who can't control his magic, it feels like the spell Jac Schaeffer spoke about casting on the audience with The Ballad has been broken. It's no longer something I can sing to make me feel like I'm a powerful witch -- it's something darker and less than what we were promised.

Two Halves That Don't Fit

Because of the shift that had to happen once The Road was revealed to be Billy's creation, so much foreshadowing and character development that were begun in the first seven episodes really seemed to just seemed to have no resolution by episode 9.

Maybe this is the story that the writers set out to tell, with The Twist firmly in place from the beginning. But it just feels like at the 11th hour, someone was like "OMG what if The Road is another hex?" and they shoved it in, sprinkling some breadcrumbs backwards so eagle-eyed fans could spot the clues, but not stopping to make sure that the themes they laid out in the early episodes came to a resolution by the end.

And hey, maybe they originally did that, and Marvel/Disney execs came in and removed stuff at the end to fit better with other MCU properties. (Though if that is what happened, I have very little hope for anyone trying to tell an interesting story within this universe.)

This was obscenely long, and I've begun to ramble. There were parts that I liked about both episodes 8 and 9, but over all I just felt so let down after six weeks of falling in love with this show and the story they told us they were telling. They came so close to perfection and really just dropped the ball at the end.

[artemissc17]

Agatha All Along Episode 5 spoilers (and Wandavision)

So especially after this episode I think a few things about Agatha’s backstory are more cemented maybe? Obviously might be wrong but here’s what I’m thinking so far:

I think Agatha’s power might be one of two things: either she was born with this ability to absorb magic/power from others, or she somehow got it. 

I’m leaning more toward the former. I think it just fits more with the themes of the show in some ways. Like, if the idea of witches as a whole is that the witches are an Other to "normal people/society”, then who or what is the Other to witches? I think if you consider witches like a community, or as they call it a sisterhood/kin, then they will have an Other. 

And to that point, something stands out to me from the flashback of the Salem execution scene. They more or less in Latin say “death to the monster of nature” which is really specific and intriguing phrasing. 

I might be looking too much into it but, what would be a monster of nature to people who have magic? If “normal society” or non-magical people would consider them a monster of nature, what would the monsters of nature consider a monster of nature? 

I think it would be someone who is born to have the ability to steal/take/absorb magic from other witches/magic users. 

So especially with what Agatha’s mother said this episode, which was basically: “I should have killed you right after you were born” ; I think Agatha was born with this innate power. 

Especially with the detailing that Kathryn Hann (bless this woman’s acting ability it destroys me) has put into her performance, I do think Agatha has very little control to no conscious control of her siphoning ability.

In the execution scene in the Salam flashback from Wandavision, she is clearly being affected by the attempted execution right up until some reflex or survival instinct kicks in to save her.

'Cause, I would say that the murder attempt is working pretty well here considering the VFX of it. It looks like they're burning her alive from the inside out with energy

But then the purple kicks in

So, kind of like maybe baby Wanda hexing the missile not to go off? So if it is Agatha’s innate power and she can’t control it, that reflex lines up with that narrative. Similar with Agatha absorbing magic/power from Alice this episode, she didn’t seem in control fully. At least not consciously, I don’t think. For a few reasons:

She seemed to genuinely be in mild shock after she got snapped out of the reflex or whatever it was and it stopped

After she fled (again like she did after the execution scene in Salem) she seemed distraught over something. I don't think it would be Alice's death if she was trying to kill her and take her power

3. Kathryn’s performance consistently. 

And by this I mean that so far the times we’ve seen Agatha absorb power like that, she seems to be almost euphoric from it. Like she’s relishing it and the feeling of it. I imagine it’s probably something like an adrenaline or serotonin rush. 

So if it is, that seems like it’s maybe something that just happens. Like a reflex. Like her magic or power has this hole in it and it wants to fill it, but can’t until she’s attacked. But once she is, that’s a one way street. It becomes like a combination of a reflex plus her own mental state of being power hungry becomes a cycle that’s almost subconsciously of how it pulls the power out. 

Especially because we still haven’t seen these two shots from the promo teasers

I could keep rambling abut this show forever but I just feel like this ability to take magic/power from others who attack her first is something she was born with.

It would play into the idea of making Agatha the Other even among her own kind, even among witches. And it sorta plays into the idea of queerness that the show has maybe? With how queerness was/is often considered the Other within societies.

How do you make Agatha the most outcast outsider?

Maybe have her have the innate ability to take magic/power from others who pride themselves on this magic/power, have her legit being in a situationship with Death itself, AND have her be at the very least bisexual, if not lesbian or pansexual (I think there’s an argument to be made about Death being all of the above, both, or none of the above)

[enbysiriusblack]

sirius who doesn't care when he realises he's gay. it's something that's heard of (his uncle alphard is out as gay), just not super common. he knows his family won't particularly care as long as it doesn't get in the way of him having children (magic gay pregnancy totally exists, guys). and he is aware it is deeply frowned upon in the muggle world, but that there are still large communities of people like him- and he finds that idea compelling anyway. he's never one to shy away from who he is & he immediately accepts himself once realising.

remus who gets extremely upset when he realises he's bisexual. he wants nothing more than to be normal, to be the average 'joe', to fit into society. he's aware it's more accepted in the wizarding world than the muggle world, but it's still not the norm. and he wants more than anything to fit the norm and it's just one more thing pulling him away from being normal. i think he'd absolutely hate himself for it, denying it and pushing the feelings down as much as he can. and he'd always struggle with showing public displays of affection with another man.

james who doesn't care when he realises he's bisexual. in my head, his mother is bisexual and out anyway, so he grew up with that being a very normal thing. he'd always tell his parents or friends his crushes on anyone with ease. he'd never even thought of it as something to be embarrassed by. and he knows that some people may look down on him or hate him for his bisexuality but screw them anyway, he can always just hex them.

peter who kinda just panics when he realises he's gay. his mum is a lesbian in my head, and he grew up in a queer community but they were poor and outsiders, and he knew the successful, powerful people weren't like them. and he'd always hoped to be just that. so in realising he's gay, it's more panic and frustration. he's aware james is outwardly and unashamedly gay, which makes him feel a bit better, but the other cool kids aren't.

[justjasper]

Creation of the Pan Flag

Copied (with grammar/spelling mistakes) from my twitter thread about it for posterity.

I was going to do this for Pride weekend but you know, life, so: I wanted to talk about a thing. I created the #pansexual flag, a thread.

Back in 2010, I was 20 and tumblr was my main social playground. I was active in various spheres, and I was learning.

I'd been IDing as bi since I was 13, but moved away from bi as an identifier and took up pansexual soon after discovering the term, bc I felt it fit better.

This is mainly bc the simplicity of pan being defined as attraction to any/all genders was extremely appealing to someone really coming into this new way of expressing their orientation like tumblr allowed. It felt right for how I wanted to relate to and express my orientation.

The bi communities I had access too often saw heavy discussion related to attraction parametres of "bi" - convos at the time I didn't really recognise for what they were: bi people working hard to define bisexuality on their terms, tackling intra-community transphobia, (cont)

(cont) and developing within a social space where more expansive gender experiences and identities were becomes more well known and understood.

My switch of labels was about finding something that felt truly right for me, but it would be dishonest to pretend the decision wasn't impacted by the politics and "discourse" I was involved in at the time.

There was no popular pan flag, and the offerings were frankly... ugly. To me. Various shades of purple, P letters, P symbols incorporating gender symbols, infinity symbols. They didn't feel consistent with the other pride flags.

So on a whim, I decided to design one. I designed it to be pretty, honestly. That was a primary function of it, to have s/t I liked to represent my identity. No point pretending I was trying to be super innovative and deep: I wanted something pretty to plaster on my blog.

Pink, yellow, blue. A strong magenta, a strong gold yellow, and a light cerulean. The pink not too purple, the yellow not too bright, the blue not too cyan. Hex FF1B8D, FFD900, 1BB2FF.

Pink and blue, because of their gendered traditions, and yellow, a generally non-gendered colour, to represent nonbinary folks etc.

I created it anonymously, on a side blog away from my main handle. I was already running LGBTLaughs which was proving very popular in tumblr and didn't want to monopolise queer blog space, I suppose.

I didn't expect it to take off. It proved popular on tumblr, and for a few years the flag kept getting added to the Wikipedia 'pansexual' page and then removed. Eventually it snowballed and ended up in use well beyond tumblr.

As I've got older I've realised a lot of people would be interested in knowing this part of modern queer history, and more about modern flag creation in general, and that it's worth documenting. Not for credit so much as for posterity.

So, that's that. The first time I saw a pansexual flag in real life at my city's Pride parade I may have had a little cry.

Twitter Drama

Best viewed on the original twitter thread, for the full documentation (I may update this with fuller documentation down the line) but here's a rundown of drama surrounding the flag.

First, to set the stage:

posted about designing the pan flag

said i was cool with bi/pan lesbians

said i was cool with kink at pride

Thus followed, in varying intensity 2020-2022:

misgendering

suicide bait

general harassment/pile-on

"called out" on r/pansexuals

blasted on sapphics for satan (fb)

now sworn enemy of of lesbian kpop avi twitter

claims the original pan flag was transphobic in meaning

multiple "new" pan flags designed to displace the one i designed

claims i stole the flag from a medieval indian kingdom, and subsequent vandalisation of wikipedia for the actual state of kerala

vandalisation of the wiki page for the pan flag, resulting in it having to be locked

[doggogills-but-worse]

okay listen. i love jrwi, i really do. i love riptide and prime defenders, and the community has been pretty good, i have a lot of mutuals that are super cool. but the attitude and ferocity in which people defend the lgbt rep in the show? mh. not it.

podcasts as a medium have been incredibly full of queer creators making wonderful stories, including ttrpgs. especially ttrpgs!!! most of jrwi’s lgbt rep has been behind a paywall (and that was a joke for 90% of the series), or a joke (i’m looking at you fnc canon kiss), and the rest is vaguely implied. correct me if i’m wrong on this, i’m not caught up. i don’t really care about what the folks say off mic about characters, to be quite honest. there has been little indication of the actual queerness of characters in any form beside an npc who wasn’t even fully created by the showrunners. and that is my point. the lgbt stuff that people latch onto are things that have either been questions answered off mic, or things that the fan community has expanded upon that were only hinted at in canon, or just headcanoned.

im not saying that this is wrong, or the series is bad because of it, but the attitude that the fandom has towards it is... a lot for what is actually there on screen in earnest. it’s not the most lgbt podcast with fantastic rep that you say it is. there are so many podcasts with the kind of representation and characters that you are looking for. again, it’s not a bad podcast because of this, but we’ve gotta stop acting like it’s queer as hell.

so here are some podcasts with fully fleshed out, explicitly queer characters (with their corresponding vibe):

Dungeons & Daddies (s1: riptide, s2: pd)

The Broadswords (apotheosis)

All My Hexes (admittedly unfinished but still good)

A Horror Borealis (bitb)

Bombarded (riptide)

Fantasy High (of course) (pd)

Wildbranch High (pd)

Kollok 1991 (pd, bitb)

Monster Hour (s1: pd, kinda apotheosis)

$2 Creature Feature (pd)

Dice Crisis (riptide)

Hope’s Hearth (i haven’t started this one yet, but it’s on my list)

The Storyteller Squad (pd)

Dangerous Times at Chillhaven High (soooo much pd vibes)

Shrimp and Crits (bitb)

Pest Control (s1: riptide but modern, s2: early pd)

The Unexplored Places (they have many seasons, i can rant about them for hours tbh)

The Monster’s Playbook (pd, kinda bitb)

and that’s just the actual plays

again, i love jrwi, but we have got to stop hailing it as an exemplar of lgbt actual play podcasts because it just isn’t.

[lily-s-world]

A few weeks ago scrolling through Instagram, I saw a reel about an upcoming queer book called "The Nightmare Before Kissmas." I decided to give this book a try because the idea of Holiday royalty falling for each other sounded different and fun. And I'm so glad I did because it was so romantic, sexy, fun and super queer!! The type of romcoms I adore.

I think my favorite part was the fact that from the first chapters, they tell you "hey, I'm bi, and so is my best friend Iris and my brother is definitely not straight but also not into labels." And I love them for it, especially how none of them make a big fuss about it. It was just a part of who they are.

There is one thing I had noticed in M/M books, and I think a lot of people will agree; about the constant fetishization of these types of relationships. I had tried a lot of queer series, just for them to end lacking any kind of female and sapphic characters, and the writing to be more fitting for a p0rn movie. I'm not saying you aren't allowed to write sexy scenes in books, but there is a difference between adding a few scenes here and there, than filling your book with extremely explicit descriptions of the act instead of an actual plot.

And this book avoided all of that by giving you an interesting plot about Coal (the protagonist) working to create a better future for his family and Holiday. All while waxing poetic about the Halloween prince. Coal describing his feelings for Hex are probably the most romantic paragraphs I had read in some time. I was swoning by how much these boys adored each other and how well they communicated.

I went and politely slided into the writer Instagram, noticed she is also going to write a story about Kris (Coal's brother), which is cool because I like him. So I asked about Iris, and she was kindly enough to reply and said that Iris is also getting his sapphic story 🩷🩷

I'm gonna be obsessed with this trio for the time being.

[original-character-championship]

Bracket C Round 1

Poll 2

Hellion (@transjackkennedy) vs. Jindřiška Kovářová (@mist-the-wannabe-linguist)

131. Hellion (@transjackkennedy)

he/it/xe/rot

hellion is like really pathetic and toxic. he hit someone in the head with a rock and gave them amnesia because he was gay for them. hes canonically queer. he's a town mystery. he's the aromantic agender disabled rep no one wants. he walks out without paying his diner bills. he just took someone's house and left them to die in the woods and NO ONE noticed. he collects playing cards and pool balls. he's just some guy but if you made that guy terribly bad at understanding his emotions and let him nearly kill someone. he commits tax fraud and is the worst person in town,but at least he respects women. not enough to pay his DINER BILLS for them though. fucking asshole.

hellion is a pale humanoid with a horned sheep skull for a head. xe has a red sweater, tan pants, and a long brown coat. xe also has a stereotypical devil tail with a spade tip.

132. Jindřiška Kovářová (@mist-the-wannabe-linguist)

she/her

Jindřiška, or Jindra for short, is the daughter of the village blacksmith from a small village in Southern Moravia in the 1830s. She and her many siblings grew up around the forge and all were trained in the blacksmiths' art from a young age and Jindra is particularly proud of their trade. But though she loves her home, she longs to get out into the world as a true apprentice like her brothers, and she gets that chance when two rather odd travellers stop by to have their weapons repaired. Monster hunters, they say. Sure, why not - she directs them to a local tormented ghost, and after they help the unfortunate soul find peace and prepare to move on, she decides to join, captured by the promise of adventure. Jindra becomes an invaluable member of the team, as the two are foreigners unfamiliar with local folkloric beasts and human customs alike, she becomes their guide, translator, weapons repairer, and of course a fellow hunter. Things become temporarily a bit complicated on the revelation that one of her new friends is really a vampire and the main reason of their travels is the hope of somehow breaking his curse, but soon enough all three grow to be inseparable companions willing to give their life (if immortality allows) for each other.

A blacksmith by heart and soul, her skill is not limited to the forge and like many other persons of her trade as far as history remembers, Jindra is able to use certain simple spells and hexes, though if anyone asked her, she would deny doing any magic. To her, it's just ""something her da taught her.""

Jindra is almost never seen without her gigantic draft horse Saffron, she loves dance, resorts to making flower crowns whenever she needs to keep her hands occupied and there is no hammer and anvil in sight, has an ever growing collection of colorful ribbons, and as a Catholic, her typical method of facing dangers of the supernatural kind is such - first try the cross, then try the crossbow. She fears few things, but there is one being that is always sure to send chills down her spine. Ever since the tragic loss of a younger sibling, you never find her out in the fields at noon, as she does not want to risk coming face to face again with the one who people call Polednice.

A rather short and strongly built woman with a round face covered with freckles and a long braid of red hair. Typically wears a traditional dress, a way to show where she comes from and to remind her of her home no matter how far she goes. Always wears a little silver cross on her neck, a gift from her grandmother when she was a baby. She considers it her main protective charm.

[thedrarrylibrarian]

Several people have been kind enough to let me publish their thoughts on fandom, community, and queerness to celebrate Pride in the Library. Today's piece comes from @writcraft.

The Local Government Act 1988 was enacted in Britain nearly a decade before the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the book that would eventually lead me to fandom. This odd piece of legislation covered a variety of things from pet licences to housing arrangements. It also contained the infamous Section 28, which had an enormous impact on LGBT Britain during the late 1980s and 1990s. 

Driven by a moral panic over the inclusion of a book called Jenny Lives With Eric and Martin in school libraries and the stigmatised nature of desire between men at the peak of the HIV/AIDS crisis, Section 28 was the product of a Tory government determined to eradicate any kind of perceived radicalism from education. One of the more famous clips from Thatcher’s 1987 speech on the matter is here if you have the stomach for it, primarily shared due to its eerie similarities with the agendas espoused by conservative politicians around the globe today.

My teen years were shaped by Section 28 and the HIV/AIDS crisis, a time of tabloid press sensationalism on the one hand and silence on the other. Media visibility was complicated by a single shared television in the family home and in those fleeting moments I encountered queer narratives, they often leaned into coded stereotypes, death tropes, loneliness and isolation. Intimacy between women was susceptible to the male gaze, whilst trans folks and bisexuals were largely invisible or negatively portrayed. Nobody in my school year or university class came out during their time in education. We were there, but many of us explored our desires only in the shadows. This climate complicated my same-sex experiences and gender ambivalence, making it all too easy to dismiss them as something other than queer.

My introduction to fandom was through academic research and archives like The Hex Files and The Silver Snitch. When I first met the people behind the stories it was, unusually, not in an online forum, but face to face at a fan convention, where I delivered a paper on the queer pleasures of slash. At the time I was ricocheting in and out of the closet in my day-to-day life and I had no connections with any queer community, just a disparate handful of people I was inexplicably drawn to who tentatively shared their secrets with me and I, in turn, shared mine with them. 

During the fan convention I set up my LiveJournal, made early connections that would blossom into decade long friendships and found myself immersed in a space filled with creative, queer, kink-positive people. The friendships I made, and the ones that came after, gave me the confidence to live a more public queer life, to show up in my local community as an activist, writer and researcher. I have travelled around the world and raised a glass with fandom friends in numerous queer spaces from The Stonewall Inn to Manchester’s Canal Street.

Creatively, fandom gave me the space to revisit, reflect and reclaim. Because canon is so devoid of explicit queerness, it leaves open the question of political and social attitudes towards gender and sexuality. Stories like Little Compton Street, The Beauty of Thestrals and Other Unseen Things, Pride, Harry Potter and the Bisexual Awakening, Born Sick and Secret Love Song allowed me to imagine how Harry and Draco might navigate a world that reinforces binaries and closets, exacerbates internalised homophobia, renders bisexuality invisible and complicates queer awakenings. It has been cathartic to pour queer hope and defiance into those socio-political climates and equally cathartic to explore queer pain, grief and longing.

I do not have a rose-tinted notion of fandom as a queer utopian space. I am well aware of the pervasive issues that marginalise fans of colour (see Squee From the Margins: Fandom and Race by Rukmini Pande). In this particular fandom with an author whose views I find abhorrent, I no longer hold any nostalgia for a franchise I have not invested in for years. What keeps me here is friendship, creative possibility, the understanding that my stories are not for everyone but the hope that some readers might find comfort in the exploration of themes I continually return to. If you made it this far, thank you for reading. Huge thanks to @thedrarrylibrarian for giving me the opportunity to share a little about my topsy-turvy queer journey during Pride month. If you have any questions about anything I have shared, my asks and DMs are always open.

Thank you, Writ, for joining me in the Library and sharing so much insight about earlier days in fandom. I appreciate that you took the time to discuss complicated topics and provided the opportunity for everyone to broaden their horizons and better informed participants in fandom. Most of all, thank you for taking the time to celebrate Pride in the Library with me.

If you want more @writcraft, be sure to check out their work on AO3! Writ has an unbelievable talent for combining history and the impact of real legislation into fic. She recommended some of her fics earlier, but I want to spotlight their fic, The Beauty of Thestrals and Other Unseen Things. I loved the way that they were inspired by Queer history in the UK, and I loved the gentle way that she explored that real heartache and bravery through Harry and Draco. This fic, like so many of Writ's fics, reminds me that there have been countless Queer people throughout history and I'm not alone.

🏳️‍🌈 Lots of Love and Happy Pride! 🏳️‍🌈

[thenightling]

Queer Horror

It's pride month so here is a (NOT complete) list of horror icons real and fictional who are of the LGBTQAI+ community. Writers / directors / Actors Oscar Wilde Clive Barker Caitlin R. Kiernan William Joseph Martin James Whale (director of Frankenstein) Ernest Thesiger (Doctor Pretorius in Bride of Frankenstein) Anthony Perkins Vincent Price David Geffen (producer of Interview with the vampire movie and Beetlejuice) Jonathan Frid (Dark Shadows) Louis Edmonds (Dark Shadows) Ed Wood Elvira (Casandra Peterson) Amanda Beares (Fright Night, 1985) Merritt Butrick (Fright Night Part 2) Roddy McDowall (Hell House, Fright Night, Fright Night: Part 2, and Carmilla) _________________________ Characters Mephisto (Faust, 1922) Countess Zeleska (Dracula's Daughter) Carmilla (The Vampire Lovers, 1970 and all film adapations of Carmilla) Louis, Lestat, Daniel Malloy, Armand (Interview with the vampire movie and show and The Vampire Chronicles book series) Claudia, Madeleine, Nicolas (Interview with the vampire TV series) Jerry Dandridge, Billy Cole, Peter Vincent, Evil Ed, and possibly Amy (Fright Night, original 1985 version) Regine and Belle (Fright Night part 2, 1988) Miriam Blaylock (The Hunger movie and novel by Whitley Streiber, along with its sequels) Marius (Queen of the damned movie and novels) Glen / Glenda (Seed of Chucky) Dracula (Marvel comics, Dario Argento's Dracula, Steven Moffat's Dracula, Frank Wildhorn's Dracula The musical) Alucard, Striga, Morana, (Castlevania) The Corinthian, Hal Carter, Wanda, Judy, Donna (Foxglove), Hazel, Alexander Burgess, Paul McGuire, Cluracaun, Mazikeen, Lucifer, Loki, Desire, Johanna Constantine, John Constantine, Rachel, Chantel, Zelda, Aristaeus the Satyr, Jim / Peggy, (Neil Gaiman's The Sandman) Echo, Ruin, Heather After (From Sandman spin-off comics) April Spink and Miriam Forcible (Coraline) Angela and Sera (Marvel comics) Sam Black Crow (American Gods) EVERYONE! - Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles EVERYONE! - Lost Girl (TV series)

Snow White (Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman) Dorian Gray, Lord Henry Wotton, and Basil Hallward (The Picture of Dorian Gray) Captain Shaekespeare (Stardust) Loki (all incarantions) John Constantine (All versions) Aziraphale and Crowley (Good Omens) Renfield (Original Dracula novel, speculated by scholars) Mephistopheles, Faust, and Satan - Dr. Faustus by Christopher Marlowe and Faust by Goethe. Carmilla and Laura (All versions of Carmilla) Eli and Oskar (Let the Right One In) Lily and The mermaid Queen (She-Creature, 2001 version) Radu (Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula) Lexington (Disney's Gargoyles, not canon until the comics) Dorothy and Ruby AAK Red (Once Upon a Tme) Tara and Willow (Buffy The Vampire Slayer TV series) Lorne (Angel) Ethan, Dorian Gray, Angelique, and Professor Lyle (Penny Dreadful) Thelma Bates (Hex) Joe (Midnight Texas) Skully (Scary Godmother) Mitch (ParaNorman) Henry Fitzroy (Blood Ties) Thomas Jerome Newton (The Man who fell to Earth) Any Clive Barker character NOT confirmed to be straight is presumed LGBTQAI+. There are many, many more but my fingers are starting to ache and these are the ones I could think of off the top of my head.

[hex-stone]

Date someone who never stops dating you, makes time for you regardless of how busy either of you are.

Date someone who'll love you on your bad days and either give you space if you need/want it, or try their best to work through whatevers going on, with you

Date someone who has both of your best interest in mind. Not just their own.

Date someone who cares about you, how you're feeling, how they're making/made you feel

Date someone who considers you in anything they do that can affect you as well as them

Date someone who gives a shit about you

Because I am telling you right now, I let someone who did not give a shit about me, about my financial struggling etc, for 3 years, he never once loved me, I was just easy to manipulate into thinking that

I've been out of that relationship for 7 months now, and I am in a thriving, domestic relationship with someone who actually cares. Who feels bad and worries if they do something to make me cry, who tries everything they can do within their power to make my life easier bc I make their life easier, and so much more

Like

If they don't at least hold up to what you expect out of a FRIENDSHIP, do not be in a relationship with them. If you let a partner do things that you wouldn't let a friend get away with (talking down to you constantly, belittling you, constantly hurting you, making you cry etc) then fucking leave them. Please.

If you wouldn't let a friend do or speak to you like X without issues (minus ofc like flirting, kissing other things that youd reserve more for a partner) then do not let your partner get away with it! That is supposed to be your BEST FRIEND

[deardarlingdevil]

In BG3 we get canon bi and pan characters in a queernormative society and now the biphobes and panphobes are coming out of the woodworks with their bigotry, accusing queer members of the community of being homophobes/gayphobes/lesbophobes, and policing people's "straight-passing" ships.

I am hexing ya'll. I hope your pillow is hot on all sides. I hope your noodles or pasta always turn out soggy. I hope you always wet your socks. I hope the people around you always chew too loud. I hope you squeeze out too much toothpaste. I hope your phone screen cracks. I hope-

[catofthenine]

Gothic Pursuit in Childhood

(Gothic Baby) @/rebysky on tiktok and instagram

Hey Ghouls!

I've been pondering on what to post next, and I feel like taking a break from the horror hosts may be a good idea. Before I continue with Elvira, I'll talk about the horror host between Vampira and Elvira: Sinister Seymour, who seems to be forgotten in the world of horror hosts.

ANYWAYS. Today, as I procrastinate from my finals, I'd like to cover the childhood pursuit of the gothic. In my personal experience, I have always been more in-tune with the macabre, and apart of that may be caused by being an outsider.

Many goths I know are somewhere on the autism spectrum or are otherwise neurodivergent- some of the people I've known have mood disorders like Bipolar, while others have learning disabilities like dyslexia; this can often cause a feelings of difference to manifest in children. This is why it is important to be welcoming and inclusive within the community; though gatekeeping is important to keep a steady definition on what is goth/gothic, many people find solace within being goth as they "embrace the weird".

From what I've seen, it is also pretty common for children to feel a connection to the eepy-creepy-spooky-ooky before they are exposed to goth music. Which like, kinda implies that it's more atmospheric than defining, but the community is connected through media, which includes music

I actually was afraid of Depeche Mode as a young child- my mom wouldn't be able to play Violator in the car with me because it would be so frightening.

I was a big fan of scene and emo aesthetics as well when I was younger, but ultimately I was very into supernatural mythology, creepypasta, Tim Burton, and Halloween-horror-esc vibes. I think this shaped who I became as an adult, and why it felt so finally validating when I first drew my eyebrows into a traditional gothic style.

One of my best friends is also super into the gothic subculture. We grew up besides each other and both had childhood interests in the supernatural (think aliens, monsters, werewolves/werecats, vampires, etc.) and in our tween and teen years we experimented in gothic and alternative styles, interests, and hobbies.

I've also seen many anecdotes from other goths that they were drawn to more "edgier" cartoon characters like Danny Phantom, Buttercup, Gwen, and The Hex Girls. Some people say that they preferred watching childhood movies and TV shows like Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated, Invader Zim, and Courage the Cowardly Dog for example.

Many people also say that some of these gothier characters were apart of their queer awakening; this makes a lot of sense because gothic expression has always been Queer; The androgynous expression, betrayal of western gender roles, and in some cases, the becoming the antithesis of Christian societal expectations for a wicked, sinister, and satanic-inspired outward expression will always be subversive of heteronormativity- this isn't to say that non-queer people cannot be goth, or that they can't celebrate themselves within the gothic community, but it is extremely important that in all areas of the subculture, queerness is in the seams.

And so, in many cases it seems that taking a liking to the gothic is almost innate to us, makes us feel home, and allows us to celebrate ourselves as different. Continuing off of this post, I think I'll be a little mean and critique the modern subcultural appearances, but we'll see how much work I get done this weekend lolz.

Song Recommendation: Creep Show by Plastique Noir

Thanks for reading!

Rest in peace,

-Cat (Catofthenine)

[lilliaace]

I hope to hell this helps explain why human sexuality is so complicated. Below I have the text on the image so it's easier on the eyes.

Image ID:

a 10 color gradient from white to black.

Text under image:

Text on image: For the sake of simplicity, let's say white here is the equivalent of a man or woman who is exclusively attracted to other men or women (aka "homosexual"), however one chooses to define that. Black is the equivalent to a man or woman who is exclusively attracted to the 'opposite' sex (aka "heterosexual"). The middle grey (5th color in the gradient here) is someone who is equally attracted to "men and women", regardless of what their personal identity is.

Now, The greys to the left and right of the middle grey could easily be interpreted as sub-types of bisexuality. HOWEVER, Look at the grey directly to the viewer's right of the totally white (hex code #e2e2e2). This is similar to 10% "cool grey" if we want to add a color name to it. It is understandable why this person might feel like they're attracted to the same sex for 90-95% of their time around other people, but in the RARE instance (and/or under very specific circumstances), they're attracted to a different sex. They, given their own personal journey with being queer, might still feel most comfortable calling themselves gay/lesbian because this exception is SO RARE that the general term "homoflexible" or "bisexual" just doesn't "vibe" with them because when they look at people who identify as such, the experience feels not very similar to what they in general experience.

This is why lesbian/gay is an umbrella. We also have multigender, non-binary, agender, neutrosis, transgender, culturally specific identities (like hijra, 2-spirit, etc.), asexual, and/or aromantic individuals that further complicates this. The same argument could be made for the dark color that's closest to the black (hex code color #1c1c1c).

Human sexuality is complicated, point blank. Very few individuals fit 100% into these pre-determined labels within the LGBTQ+ community.