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amphtaminedreams · 3 years

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Why Ethical Fashion Doesn’t Need to be Boring (In the Words of a Shopping Addict): Lookbook no.14

Hi to anyone reading,

Arghhhh.

I never know how to start posts when I literally just uploaded the other week because I tend to follow the very formulaic approach of summarising what I’ve missed due to sporadic posting…I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m still posting sporadically, it just so happens I’ve had more content to get up recently-sometimes lightning strikes twice, ya know, and I have a brief, if chemically fuelled, reprieve from the permanent state of exhaustion. It’s not like there isn’t stuff to talk about- the last month has seen a horrific murder and public outcry in response. There are a lot of important conversations going on about women’s safety and misogynistic violence that I really cannot do justice to in a paragraph and feelings that have been brewing for a long time that I can’t articulate yet and will not attempt to offhandedly do so in this post. Right now I just wanna say that I stand in solidarity with all those with histories of experiencing violence at the hands of men, those who aren’t here with us anymore as a result of that violence such as Sarah Everard, and those marginalised women whose stories don’t make national news. It’s very telling the way Sarah’s vigil was responded to by the same police force that have allowed mostly male anti-mask protests to go ahead with protestors unscathed, and solidarity with the women who were treated with such an unjustifiable amount of force at the vigil too.

That being said, women’s rights are something I wanted to talk about in this post, with regards to the way it ties into ethical fashion. None of us are perfect and it’s easy living in a first world country to detach yourself from the issues stemming from fast fashion, especially when you don’t have the time or money yourself to be selective about where you buy from. Don’t get me wrong, I do treat myself to some new clothes from fast fashion companies like ASOS and Urban Outfitters a few times a year so this is NOT coming from a place of preaching, but I have drastically reduced that to buying about 90% of my new clothes either second hand from Depop or charity shops or clothing stores that are upfront about their outsourcing practices. I love putting outfits together and updating my wardrobe and I don’t want to abandon that as a medium of self-expression because it does bring me joy, but to continue to update my wardrobe with the frequency I do by buying from fast fashion retailers on such a regular basis I accepted was going against the things I care about; around 80% of textile workers on poverty wages in developing countries are girls and women (opensocietyfoundations.org), and whilst fast fashion companies in the West continue to outsource manufacturing to said countries to cut costs and there is little regulation enforcing employers to pay women the same amount as men or even adhere to a minimum wage, they will continue to be forced into these roles where they are subjected to horrific working conditions, impossible production targets and frequent abuse (according to an article published in the Guardian in June 2018, 540 incidences of abuse, often of a sexual nature, were reported by women working in factories supplying the retailers GAP and H&M when they were interviewed on the subject). There is no denying that the fast fashion industry depends on and perpetuates the subjugation of women and systematically prevents them from making steps towards gender equality in their countries, be it through greater financial independence or the freedom to pursue higher education; the popular current practice by western fast fashion companies of outsourcing manufacturing to factories unhindered by workers rights and gender equality laws by association condones the sexual and physical violence that occurs as a means of punishment for not meeting targets, the exploitative pay which affords women little independence from husbands and families dominated by patriarchal values, and the long, exhausting hours which women have little choice but to take in order to avoid their contracts being terminated and to put food on the table. No, one individual completely abandoning fast fashion isn’t going to put an end to these unethical practices but if all of us make a conscious effort to reduce our consumption at least a little and make it clear why we’re doing so, we put greater pressure on fast fashion companies to act in a more responsible way. There isn’t going to be any kind of miraculous change of heart, so to force them to change we have to hit the industry and the people at the top who benefit from such practices where it really hurts: their profit.

SO, for this post I thought I would highlight some of my favourite more ethical online clothing companies to buy from; the more popular these more socially responsible brands become, the more apparent it becomes to fast fashion companies relying on an exploitative business model that how they treat their workers is of growing importance to consumers. It’s all very well and good Missguided and PLT talking about empowering women and making “girl boss” slogan tees but we need to make it clear that we’re aware of the hollowness of the gesture, and that we want less hypocritical talk and more action to actually enhance the lives of the women that work for them, not just the ones they show in their flashy offices on TV. I’ve included my favourite Depop shops too, because if you can shop second hand, that’s even better; though I like to treat myself to new clothes now and again, I’m aware that the impact the manufacturing process in general, whether or not the company acts in an ethical way with regards to their employment practices, has on the environment is more often than not detrimental. Depop has really been my saving grace this past year-if you know what you’re looking for and have the time and patience, you can find so many gems, and at this point the balance of my wardrobe is tipped firmly in the favour of the reuse and recycle approach to shopping. In the vein of reusing fashion, I thought I’d also include a mini lookbook for a cardigan I got from one of my favourite online retailers, The Ragged Priest, just as a reminder that 1). The best way to be sustainable is to rewear and 2). That with tweaks, one piece alone can give you multiple completely different outfits. Like honestly, outfit repeating doesn’t have to be a literal repeat. Sometimes it’s worth spending a little bit extra on something that looks good with everything, and making that investment into your ability to fool people that you’ve got your shit together by wearing something cool as fuck.

Quickly before I get into it, I’m aware that some ethical companies are a bit out of the average consumer’s price range, and so I wanted to sort them into price point categories which will work as follows:

£= most of their stock is £40 & under ££= most of their stock is between £40-£100 £££= most of their stock costs upwards of £100

Now, in no particular order (and starting with online retailers before moving onto Depop shops), here’s the list!

1. THE RAGGED PRIEST

PRICE POINT: ££

Using recycled fabric to construct their pieces where possible and releasing clothing in small drops designed to sell out rather than following the typical fast fashion model of outsourcing the production of vast amounts of clothing overseas, the Ragged Priest is my absolute favourite clothing brand out there. It’s *semi* affordable and because they are all about those bold, in your face, your-grandma-will-probs-think-it’s-ugly kinda pieces, just one can do SO much for your wardrobe.

I recently bought this cardigan from their The Simple Life drop and had so many outfit ideas for it that I thought I’d put a few of them together for this post just as an example of how you can take the same piece over and over again and still make it interesting, even when you don’t feel like straying too far from your personal style preferences. While we’re at it, I also wanted to use this mini lookbook to point out how fucking great Depop is! Literally everything in these outfits is from there apart from the shoes and the jewellery, the leather blazer on the right I bought a few years ago and then the top and skirt in the outfit from the far left which are both from Ebay. The shoes with that outfit are from Koi Vegan footwear-I didn’t include them in this list because I wanted to keep it consistent and focus on ethical clothing companies rather than retailers that focus on one specific thing such as shoes or jewellery, but they are my favourite place to buy shoes from and focus closely on ethical production too so definitely recommend.

2. MINGA LONDON

PRICE POINT: ££

Towards the lower end of the ££ price point, Minga is probably the closest you’re gonna get to an ethical version of the Dolls Kill Deliah’s range. Their focus on being a socially responsible business is a huge part of their ethos and their pieces are put together in Portugal, where they're based, by a small in-house team; the majority of their fabric is sourced from local Portuguese businesses and even more amazingly, they recycle the fabric of the pieces they don’t sell in new designs. They are just a generally amazing company and I wish more people knew about them because their pieces are fucking adorable and wouldn’t be out of place (or overpriced) in your local UO.

3. ELSIE & FRED

PRICE POINT: £

A small, black owned business set up by 3 siblings from Coventry, Elsie & Fred have earned themselves a reputation as a staple provider of the festival season wardrobe. Being an independently owned business, they have strict standards that their manufacturers must adhere to and a close working relationship with the owners of the two factories who oversee production in Guangzhou, China, to ensure fair wages and a safe working environment. On the environmental side of things, Elsie and Fred are working to incorporate recycled fabric into their designs as much as possible and have this year introduced compostable mailing bags.

4. HOUSE OF SUNNY

PRICE POINT: £££

Follow enough British instagram fashion influencers and you are bound to have heard of House of Sunny in 2020-snagging what is probably my all time favourite coat from there in 2019 before all the hype is a humble brag I will allow myself on the basis that I haven’t been able to afford anything since, lol. Along with kooky, one of a kind designs, being decidedly anti-fast fashion is a huge part of their branding; HoS only drop 2 collections of limited stock a year, thoroughly screen suppliers and on their website you can find a tonne of information on how they’re working to offset their environmental impact too. If you can treat yourself to a piece from there at any point, the quality of the garments truly make the price point worth it.

5. JADED LONDON

PRICE POINT: ££

Similarly to The Ragged Priest and House of Sunny, Jaded London go the route of dropping limited collections on a less frequent basis intending to sell out (particularly popular pieces are occasionally restocked) rather than needlessly manufacturing vast quantities of garments to flog for whatever they can get and cutting corners with fair employment practices to offset any losses. By employing independent staff in the manufacturing plants with which they liaise to ensure fair, dignified working conditions and also by working closely with charities such as the Trussel Trust and Stand Up to Racism, Jaded London demonstrates a level of commitment to corporate responsibility that set them apart from a lot of similar online retailers. They are at the top of their game when it comes to daring and experimental yet wearable pieces and so it’s cool that they recognise the need to conduct their business in a considerate way too.

6. THE HIPPIE SHAKE

PRICE POINT: ££

Owned by UK based bohemian queen Naomi Hession, the Hippie Shake is not only a great small independent business to support but is also the definition of slow fashion. With a limited number of opulent 70s style pieces, I have always wanted to purchase something from here. I’ve yet to do so but I’m gonna make it my mission eventually.

7. VINTAGE HEARTS

PRICE POINT: £

An affordable, gorgeous array of quirky handpicked vintage pieces that would probably take you forever to find in a charity shop or that you’d be charged a small fortune for if you found it in a high street second hand store, Vintage Hearts is where you should go if you want a timeless statement piece that may have otherwise ended up in a landfill. The added benefit of vintage clothing is that it is, by its nature, great for the environment, but you can also look fab and groovy as fuck as you do your bit for the planet<3

8. WE ARE COW

PRICE POINT: £

Offering both original vintage pieces and reworked pieces using recycled fabrics, We Are Cow has both basic branded second hand items but also handmade streetwear style original designs all for a fair price. You can tell that it’s all high quality stuff consistent with their modern, functional aesthetic and it’s clear that the team behind the shop has a real vision in mind when they’re designing.

9. OUT OF THE ORDINARY CLOTHING

PRICE POINT: £

In the words of Corrie Davis, founder of OOTO "I start with the belief that fashion will be always be worn differently by the individual that wears it. Every collection from Out of the Ordinary is different to the last but undeniably Out of the Ordinary. I champion flamboyancy and embrace the cultures I've experienced around the world, merging the two and creating popular style trends in exciting textiles, prints and techniques to bring to you something a little Out of the Ordinary." That pretty much sums up the vibrancy, vivacity and bold elegance of the brand’s aesthetic perfectly, which is reflected by Davis’ commitment to ethical manufacturing based on relationships forged between the founders and family artisans and the sourcing of fabrics from textile markets around the world. Everything you need for a boujie summer holiday in the Mediterranean-when leaving the country is finally allowed again, lol, EVERYBODY GET YOUR FUCKING VACCINE-is here.

10. WILD THING

PRICE POINT: ranges from £-£££ depending on the brand

Probs the closest thing you’ll get to an ethical ASOS, Wild Thing brings together a host of sustainable and independent clothing brands and puts them all in one place to present to us all a collection of the sickest festival style fashion out there. Whilst it’s super cool that this already exists and a slice of humble pie for myself to remind me that I am not in fact the revolutionary marketing genius I thought I was, I’m bummed to know that my idea of said ethical ASOS style website is already out there. Fingers crossed for the next grand money making scheme that comes to mind that I can use to distribute some wealth (yeah, there probably won’t be any because very few original thoughts enter my head, clearly, tehe) xoxo

11. SHOPFLUFFY

PRICE POINT: ££

I know it’s 2021 and we all kind hate the idea of girl boss feminism and the connotations of privilege and exploitation that come with it but can we bring it back when we’re talking about women who embody what it was actually all supposed to be about? Because the owner of ShopFluffy, @lulutrixabelle embodies everything good about the term. Somebody who genuinely does (cue Ramona singer voice here) empower other women through her celebration of powerful female friendship and free spirited sense of personal style that should inspire every one of us to wear whatever the fuck we want (clashing patterns and over-accessorising be damned), Lulu handmakes all the designs on her site and very much places an emphasis on slow fashion by releasing only a few collections a year which you can clearly tell a lot of painstaking effort and talent went into. ShopFluffy is on the pricier side but the adorable crocheted coords LuLu specialises in, reminiscent of carefree childhood days and picnics in meadows picturesque enough to be the backdrop of a Jacquemus runway presentation, are a bold and beautiful expression of playful femininity worthy of departing with a bit more than you’d usually spend. After all, if you are gonna spend that money on a piece of clothing, supporting an ethical, independent woman owned business clearly built on carefully honed skill, passion and authenticity is the way to go.

12. SHOPEASYTIGER

PRICE POINT: ££

It feels correct to follow up the ShopFluffy mention with ShopEasyTiger given the friendship between the former’s owner with Tigerlilly Winfield (is that not the most wonderfully storybook character sounding name of all time?), owner of Easy Tiger. Up there with my most revered style icons, Tigerlilly’s designs are as flamboyant and glamorous and daring and dramatic as her own personal style, and again, they are ethically made! If you want to get that psychedelic rock n’roll groupie that’s actually way cooler than the band itself kinda energy too, her shop is the place to start.

13. HOTTTRAMP

PRICE POINT: ££

Founded by the incredibly hot Belle_hott_tramp on Instagram, HottTramp is a collection of both handmade pieces and carefully selected vintage finds that blur the lines between 90s Courtney Love style grunge and 70s summer of love hippy that make me want to start my own all girl rock band and hire a camper van to paint black and road trip through the American desert. Given my complete lack of hand eye coordination, I’ll most likely never have the instrumental skills to do that but I never said it was a realistic fantasy, okay?

14. LAZY OAF

PRICE POINT: ££

Is it just me that always thought Lazy Oaf was within the same kind of price range as The Ragged Priest? Because it’s a lottt more expensive than I thought. That being said, if you’re going for a playful, toned down Molly Goddard kinda look, anything bright and youthful, Lazy Oaf’s clothes 100% fit that brief. You are paying more, but part of that markup is reflected in their transparency when it comes to their ethical code, which includes ensuring that statutory minimum wage laws are adhered to in the supply chain as well as that all workers are of the legal working age for their countries and that their working hours do not exceed the legal limit. They are also steadfastly committed to donating a portion of their profits to charities dedicated to improving mental wellbeing such as Mind, Rethink Mental Illness, and Young Minds, something that is hugely important to me given my own experiences and the line of work I want to go into.

15. NEVER FULLY DRESSED

PRICE POINT: ££

Similar in their aesthetic to Out of the Ordinary, Never Fully Dressed is big on colour, print, and elegance. They have both specially selected second hand pieces on offer and original designs too and the about us section of their website clearly states how passionate they are about their ethical manufacturing process, which takes place both here in the UK and in China.

16. TUNNEL VISION

PRICE POINT: ££

Offering the dreamiest, one of a kind vintage 90s pieces, Tunnel Vision could just as easily be a grunge girl band come the craft themed moodboard as it is an online retailer. If the 90s isn’t for you-I mean, I don’t wanna question anybody’s taste levels but…-they also have the option of shopping by era, which I think is a really cool feature I wish a lot of irl vintage shops would incorporate.

17. LOVE TOO TRUE

PRICE POINT: £

Everything on Love Too True is fucking gorgeousss and it is no surprise that they manufacture their garments here in London because I feel their brand totally encompasses that stereotypical 90s East End punk vibe perfectly with a shit tonne of chunky boots and show stopping plaid pieces that makes my heart ache for a riot grrrl renaissance. Yes, when it comes to feminism’s place in mainstream culture, making sure the political goals and structural changes we’re aiming for are visible to all is by far the most important, but let’s have a resurgence of the grunge girl’s armour along with that and PLEASE let’s leave athleisure in the 2010s. No more Kardashian nude leggings, I beg (I AM being lighthearted, wear whatever you want! We’re not policing women’s clothes in this neck of the woods).

18. NINE LIVES BAZAAR

PRICE POINT: £££

Eurgh. Nine Lives Bazaar. I want it ALL. Their clothes give me all the Etro, Zimmerman, Torey Burch, modernised Stevie Nicks vibes on a slightly more realistic budget, though unfortunately for me said budget just isn’t realistic enough. You would think pieces being ethically produced is just a given when it comes to clothes within this price range but that’s not necessarily the case and Nine Lives Bazaar is one of the ones you can trust to actually be considerate of their employees needs when it comes to their approach to business. To anybody who can afford to shop here, I am insanely jealous. The rest of us, for now, can just browse the website n feel the fantasy, channel a Valentina level of delusion and pretend it’s just the import taxes from Australia that’s holding us back from making a purchase.

-DEPOP SHOPS-

1. @HOUSE_OF_EROTIQUE

PRICE POINT: ££

Everything handmade and latex and form fitting to make you the baddest bitch in the room, I’ve got myself a few pieces from this shop over the past couple of years. Customer service is a bit hit or miss and there’s been times when I’ve had to wait a while for my purchases to get to me but because they’re all one of a kind and custom made to fit, it’s worth it, and when they have messed up they were kind enough to add something to my order for free.

2. @SACREDHAWK

PRICE POINT: ££

If you picture raiding the wardrobe of a biker gang, snatching the Coachella bound suitcases of the Revolve ambassadors at Palm Springs airport, and then jumbling all those clothes together, that’s probably your best bet at getting an idea of Sacred Hawk’s aesthetic. Formerly an ASOS concession, the brand is now available on Depop and is a collection of the most lavish glam grunge pieces, all vintage or reworked vintage. Some things are a bit on the pricey side but I would say they are all priced fairly considering how unique and ornate a lot of the pieces are, and I reeeeally wanna be able to say I own something from there one day.

3. @IDENTITYPARTY

PRICE POINT: £££

I struggled with how to categorise this Depop shop in terms of price point because although there are some fairly low-priced pieces, the standouts are the vintage coats which are understandably a lot more expensive-if you want to fully immerse yourself in the Almost Famous Penny Lane fantasy, you’re gonna have to fork out a little bit.

4. @RETRO_RAIL

PRICE POINT: £££

Retro_rail is of a similar vein to IdentityParty, in that the standout pieces are the vintage coats which are usually upwards of £100-if you’re looking for one-of-a-kind statement outerwear to invest in, I can’t recommend this shop enough. If you’re like me and you’re looking for something more within the £ to ££ price range, Retro Rail is still worth a browse as inspiration for the kind of styles you might wanna try and find elsewhere on Depop.

5. @5THSEASON

PRICE POINT: £

Most of the quirky vintage pieces you’ll find on offer on this Depop shop are within the £25 to £40 price range and though you’ve got coats similar to those you’ll find on Identity Party and Retro Rail and they are sill slightly more than the tops and trousers and dresses on sale etc., they are more modestly priced than the other 2 listed.

6. @DREAMERSREBELS

PRICE POINT: £££

Another v pricey one, dreamersrebels specialises in the daintiest, most whimsical 60s style co-ords I’ve ever seen. Handmade upon purchase, which in turn guarantees little textile waste, you can find the kind of pieces you’d expect to see on a 21st century incarnation of Audrey Hepburn, all the soft pastels and timeless, retro silhouettes you could possibly wish for. I mean, wishing is pretty much all I can do rn but anyone with a near minimum wage retail job knows you need something to aspire to, lol. I managed to budget enough to treat myself to a Selkie dress so I’m manifesting that same level of self-discipline to get me a dreamersrebels piece next.

7. @AWKWARDPHASE

PRICE POINT: £

Very affordable vintage pieces that range from cutesy mid-century style dresses and coats to grungy 90s jackets, perfectly styled and presented too in a way that will have you wanting to order something for yourself to replicate that modern spin on old staples and give them a second life.

8. @EVIEHALLOWS

PRICE POINT: £

Another Depop shop where the clothes are styled so well, it’ll have you thinking you can make anything from a floral 1950s housewife style cardigan to a lycra jumpsuit look very intentionally on trend.

9. @JAHOOLI

PRICE POINT: £

There’s also Jahooli, which I will just say ticks all the same boxes as the other two aforementioned stores to avoid repeating myself.

10. @LOVELYANDLOVELESS

PRICE POINT: £

In terms of price, I would put Lovely and Loveless into the same category as Jahooli, Awkward Phase and Evie Hallows, the difference being that the clothes available are more on the dainty, classically feminine side. People who have a Pinterest board dedicated to the cottagecore or light academia aesthetic (whew, the gen Z is showing), this one’s for you.

11. @CHLOESTJOHN

PRICE POINT: £

Finally, we have the ChloeStJohn Depop shop and it’s definitely a good one to end on; picture the wardrobe of Carrie Bradshaw if she’d lived in Camden instead of New York in the 90s and hung out with a slightly edgier crew than Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha and there you have it, the vibe of the pieces on offer. Does it belong to a girl who probs lives near Primrose Hill and has access to all the boujiest second hand clothes shops available which she most likely routinely raids to resell on Depop? Potentially, but hopefully not because I am very here for this whole red wine in one hand and a cigarette in another back when people were allowed to smoke inside bars aesthetic. I’m sorry that the gen Z part of me once again jumped out in such an aggressive fashion with that last sentence, but I know you know what I mean.

And that’s everything!

I did wanna close off the post with a reminder of how nuanced a discussion this is-having the time and money to be more conscious about your ethical footprint when you’re buying clothes is in itself a privilege; fashion shouldn’t be an interest reserved for only those who have the means to pay extra or spend time scouring the internet. It’s also important to be aware of the lack of size inclusivity-a lot of the “trendy” sustainable fashion brands tend to not stock anything larger than a size 14 and attempt to deflect attention away from this by categorising clothes as either XS, S, M, or L, which is in itself a bit of a pisstake considering that 12-14 is the average clothing size here for women in the UK, and so in no way large. Shopping from Depop and Ebay is hard too when so many brands fail to understand how to fit a non-straight size body which in turn necessitates trying stuff on before you buy it, something that isn’t possible when you’re shopping second hand. A lot of Depop shops fail to offer returns and even with those who do, chasing up that return can be a time-consuming and generally all round frustrating process.

Basically, when we’re having these kinds of discussions it’s important to consider everyone’s situations and avoid sitting on some kind of high horse. I feel like things have become even more complicated lately- with the recent closure of once popular high street stores such as Topshop and Miss Selfridge, it has got me thinking a lot about just how many people’s income here in the UK is dependent on fast fashion retailers too and their popularity. The job scarcity resulting from these kind of closures, which are often all that is available to a lot of people with the demands of the job market seemingly becoming more and more impossible each day even for those who have been in higher education, is clearly an issue when the kind of support you can expect from the government as someone out of work is so woefully inadequate and likely to become even more so as the conservatives push for further cuts to UC and PIP. The past year has really shown us just how shaky the ground that an intensely capitalist society stands on is and how quickly everything can go tits up when we don’t invest in a safety net for those who are struggling. People seem to have realised more than ever the extent to which those whose jobs we deem “low-skilled” are actually the backbone of society, and yet even here, whilst the situation may not be quite as desperate as it is elsewhere, we still haven’t seen pay rises that reflect that. Turns out all the clapping WAS an empty gesture, who’d have thought it (for fuck’s sake)? Fair wages really are a global issue that starts with paying people enough for them to comfortably live on and in time should lead to a shift in consciousness away from the concept of profit before everything else and towards an equal playing field for everyone, something we should take every opportunity to speak up about and demand from our “leaders”, however shit a job so many of those leaders do. It’s frustrating how the focus on making ethical purchasing choices is so often on the overconsumption of things that women historically are more actively interested in such as clothes and accessories and make up when the reality is that the wealth of every industry titan on this planet, NOT just the ones who dominate the fast fashion sphere, depends on them continuing to get away with exploiting people-we should be looking at how we can show our dissatisfaction in all areas. Maybe I’m perpetuating that with this post, since a lot of the online retailers I mentioned only sell women’s clothing, but that being said, I’m not about to do men’s work for them, lol-they should make the effort, if possible, to research into sustainable clothing alternatives too.

Anyway, that’s the end of this post! If you read to the end, thank you so much! If I’ve made any errors in my research or there are more sustainable clothing brands that I could’ve mentioned, feel free to inbox me them too, and I can add them to this post if Tumblr allows. It’s usually a little bitch when it comes to editing long posts but I’ll try my best:) Again, thanks for reading! And if you are, I hope you are safe and well!

Lauren x

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coochiequeens · 3 years

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If your a woman and your not furious yet, you‘re not paying attention.

A massive new study of economic data found that women's income share hasn't changed much in 30 years.

This is despite the fact that women's educational attainment has surpassed men's in many countries.

Part of the reason for the gap is that women spend "substantially more time" doing unpaid care work.

Worldwide, women only make about a third of all labor income, but that doesn't mean they work less.

This number has barely changed since 1990, even though the amount of college-educated women has outstripped that of men in many countries since then.

Overall, women's share of global labor income was about 30% in the early 1990s, and today, it's just under 35%, according to the World Inequality 2022 Report, the first report of its kind, written by leading experts on economic inequality including Thomas Piketty, Gabriel Zucman, and Emmanuel Saez.

"In a gender equal world, women would earn 50% of all labor income," the team wrote. "In 30 years, progress has been very slow at the global level, and dynamics have been different across countries, with some recording progress but others seeing reductions in women's share of earnings."

There are a number of structural reasons for why the labor force is so gender unequal throughout the world: sexism that keeps women from advancing in certain industries, or that shuts them out from certain careers completely. Women also perform a disproportionate amount of care work, such as for children and elderly family members, which precludes them from seeking paid jobs.

The following chart from the report highlights just how little progress has been made in three decades:

"I think that this report in particular, it just shines the light that it's clear: Women's work is undervalued," Jasmine Tucker, director of research at the National Women's Law Center, told Insider. "Women are underpaid and the wage gap is sort of pervasive around the world."

Despite women often being more educated than men, the report identified the key factors to closing the gender pay gap. The first major issue is the different value placed on different types of work and the limited career growth opportunities available by gender.

In both cases, the issue is access. Certain industries exclude women, and certain industries hinder the achievement potential of women once they get there.

Women take up a low number of entry-level positions in the automotive industry, for example, a McKinsey report found in 2016: just 26%.

Technology is similarly forbidding: McKinsey found women hold 37% of entry-level roles in the sector.

And in healthcare and pharmaceutical companies, women are overrepresented at the entry level (59%) but represent a minority of those promoted.

Why women are getting paid less — and where in the world progress has stagnated

The gender inequalities chapter of the report, which is based on the research of T. Neef and A.-S. Robilliard, found that not much of an increase in the places where women's share of labor income has gone up from 30 years ago. In North America, for instance, the share has increased from 34% to 38% over three decades. In China, it's actually dropped.

The following chart from the report shows just how the share of women's labor income in different areas of the world has changed:

"There are things that we need to be doing to make sure that we're moving in the right direction, that women will make up at some point 50% of all of the earnings, and we have to make it so that they can work if they want to," Tucker said. This includes things like raising the minimum wage and paid leave.

Part of the reason for persisting gaps worldwide is that women spend "substantially more time" than men doing unpaid care work, for children, for instance. This is true across regions.

"Women's labor is devalued across the world. Women are disproportionately taking on caregiving responsibilities across the world, and all of those things are playing a factor in women's wages," Tucker said.

The pandemic has only made things worse with women taking on more caregiving roles and in some cases even having to exit the labor force because of childcare issues, such as no spots for their child at a daycare. Tucker said the US can be "doing more" to support women who want to work.

"That would bring in earnings for tons of families or bring in more earnings if women have only been able to be part-time workers or if they've had to drop out of the labor force temporarily due to the pandemic."

#Women in the workplace #little has changed in 30 fucking years

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strangertheory · 4 years

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I'd love for Will to be able to have the power of reality alteration because him being the most powerful one would be a very nice plot twist. But. Do you really believe they make him more powerful than El? I keep finding crazy comments on social media, suggesting it's the "El show" 😪 *sigh*. And I know some people who say it'd be anti feminist since Will is a boy. Thx

That’s a lot of interesting questions to think about.

I’ll attempt to address each thought that you’ve shared one at a time and provide you with my own opinions and theories about each:

You said: “I'd love for Will to be able to have the power of reality alteration because him being the most powerful one would be a very nice plot twist. But. Do you really believe they would make him more powerful than El?”

I have a lot of conflicted feelings about the way that the fandom often talks about characters’ powers and supernatural abilities in Stranger Things. (I also really dislike the way that the fandom has decided that they can’t appreciate and support both El and Will’s happiness and that their happy endings and successes are somehow mutually exclusive, but I’ll address the topic of their powers first.)

Fans often focus on the abilities and superpowers of characters as something desirable and cool but fans rarely spend time considering what it cost those characters to develop their abilities in the first place. Neither El nor Will suddenly woke up one day and had superpowers that they had conscious control over.

Certain impressive skills that people have in the real world might also be developed under extremely traumatic and undesirable circumstances and not because they wanted them: the powers represented so far in Stranger Things are very much like that variety of skillset.

El’s powers and her ability to control them are canonically shown to have manifested during her imprisonment, abuse, isolation, and manipulation at the Lab. As Kali says “They stole your life, Jane!” Due to El’s isolation from society and from love and affection and from having a family and from everything else in the world beyond the Lab she has a significant amount of early childhood social and psychological development that was stolen from her that she can never truly get back. A healthy, loving, safe environment for development and self-actualization that children deserve to have was not provided to El and she has suffered so much and she has had significant delays in her opportunity to grow and become her own person because of what was done to her. So yes, El has psychic powers that give her a variety of unique abilities that are very useful. But at what cost? If El were given the choice to abandon all of her powers in exchange for a loving family, a community of friends that she’d had the opportunity to know and spend time with since early childhood, a variety of passions and hobbies that she chose for herself over the years as she was growing up and engaging with the world, an extensive understanding of the world outside of the Lab based on her own exploration of the world and not only what people tell her or what she sees on television, and most importantly a sense that she is treated kindly because people truly love her and not because they want to exploit her and her powers for their own purposes: wouldn’t she make that trade?

Do I currently agree with the theory that Will’s subconscious mind created the Upside Down, the Mindflayer, the demogorgon, and even most probably created many other characters and fantastical plotlines that exist in the story? Yes. But I believe it has (so far) been unintentional, entirely subconscious, and is a mental coping mechanism in response to extremely traumatic circumstances that Will has faced throughout his life. Would Will’s subconscious mind creating significant parts of the Stranger Things universe represent a certain level of “power” that is greater than El’s? I don’t personally think they’re comparable. There are things that Will can probably do that El cannot, and vice versa. They will surely each have their own strengths and weaknesses and their own limitations that we may or may not always be shown in the series.

But what does "more powerful” really mean to us, and why does that question even matter? It was not El’s choice to have powers and it was not Will’s choice to have powers. Much of what I believe Will has incidentally created is creating a lot of confusion and suffering for him and for others that he cares about. If the story were about real people I’d be offended at the question of who’s more powerful and feel as though that question and debate is the sort that Dr. Brenner and his colleagues would have: “How useful is this child to me? Which child is more powerful?” I dislike the question because it feels like asking a parent which child is their favorite. I care about them both, and I don’t care about them because they happen to have superpowers: I care about them because they are nuanced characters that are very well-written and that I can empathize with as if they were real people. I respect why it’s a popular thing for fans to debate over which X-Men is the most powerful, for example, but that’s never been what draws me into scifi and fantasy stories. What characters choose to do under unusual circumstances and with unique resources (such as superpowers) is far more important to me than the nature and intensity of the powers themselves. I believe that the Stranger Things fandom does these beautifully written characters a disservice by focusing too heavily on their abilities and not enough on their feelings, choices, relationships, dreams, goals, and experiences that humanize them.

I love Stranger Things because of the humanity of each of the characters and not because some of them can throw cars through walls.

You said: “I keep finding crazy comments on social media, suggesting it's the "El show"”

El is definitely an important character in the story at this point in the show and she has some really fascinating abilities in the Stranger Things universe that often give her iconic moments and provide her an opportunity to be in the spotlight.

I believe that there is a reason that the writers have decided to develop many characters in the story and in my opinion it can seem hard to pin-point a “main” character at times. I think this is absolutely intentional on the part of the writers, and I predict that we will learn how Will’s, Hopper’s, and El’s storylines intersect in season 4. I think we will learn something new about each of the characters.

I do not personally believe that it is the “El show” any more than it could be argued that this is the “Steve show” or the “Hopper show.” But I do appreciate that fans have grown to love El’s character.

I strongly disagree with anyone in the fandom that insists that Will is not important. I can tell that the way that he was quieter in season 3 inspired some fans to dismiss his role in the series entirely, but I think they’re mistaken. Quiet and less assertive doesn’t mean irrelevant in a story like this one. I believe that much of what Will has been through is at the heart of the entire series, and I think that he will play a very critical role in future seasons. If some fans passionately dislike Will then they might need to steel themselves for some severe disappointment.

You said: “And I know some people who say it'd be anti feminist [for Will to be more powerful than El] since Will is a boy."

I would argue that El embodies many traits that are often presumed to be stereotypically masculine by certain incorrect and outdated schools of thought: assertiveness, the ability to win in combat, determination, resilience, and bravery (among others.) There were eras in which these traits were not always valued and respected in women, and arguably there are still many circumstances under which they still aren’t. El is a complex character who is not written as a gender stereotype and I think that is powerful and important.

We need more characters of many different genders that are written as people. Complex, multi-faceted, and capable of many different things regardless of their gender.

Yes. Will is a boy.

Will is a young boy who has been bullied for having certain traits that are very often stereotypically seen by society as feminine. As being “womanly.”

I believe that feminism needs to be intersectional and seek to address the ways that all people and all genders are harmed by a society that devalues women and devalues traits, work, and skillsets that are associated with femininity.

Feminism should not be reduced and oversimplified to “girl power.” Anyone that reduces feminism to that does not, in my opinion, understand feminism.

“Feminism is the belief in the social, economic, and political equality of the sexes.”

Devaluing admirable traits when someone of one gender expresses them but then deciding to value those exact same traits when they are expressed by a person of a different gender is prejudiced and anti-feminist because it maintains the false idea that certain traits only have value in people if they are a specific gender.

El is a wonderful, empowering character and I appreciate that she is very well written and admired by many fans. But I worry when certain fans are more willing to appreciate a kick-ass fictional young woman that defies outdated and incorrect gender stereotypes but are not also willing to embrace gentler, more sensitive, less stereotypically masculine young men like Will with similar enthusiasm and affection.

Will is bullied and devalued by his small-town community for having traits and interests that are perceived as feminine and therefore, according to closeminded bigots like his dad, not allowed and are deserving of abuse and bullying. Will is arguably also devalued and dismissed by the Stranger Things fandom because he has traits that are perceived as feminine and undesirable in a young teen guy in the eyes of certain fans, too.

The devaluing and dismissal of gentle, kind, emotional young men is a feminist issue.

A character doesn’t have to be a girl in order to represent feminist ideals within a story. I know that there are probably plenty of feminists that will disagree with me (because there will always be people with their own opinions) but I strongly believe that Will's story is feminist as it has been explored so far (just as El's is.)

Anyone in the fandom that considers themselves a “Feminist” but that spends significant amounts of time criticizing Will Byers by dismissing him as “boring” and criticizing him for being quiet, sensitive, gentle, and emotional should take a good look in the mirror and reflect on what their personal brand of feminism stands for and whether their goal truly is “the equality of the sexes” or if their goal is simply hating men and only valuing and promoting stereotypically masculine traits in our society.

Feminism’s goal is not to make women more powerful than men or to make men less powerful than women, it is about the promotion of the “equality of the sexes.”

Stereotypes are constructs our society has built and that impact the way we all currently relate to each other. Until society stops treating traits associated with society's currently constructed idea of femininity as something weak or bad then it is important to appreciate these traits in characters of many different genders and to value these traits in men (both in real life and in fictional stories) too. Anyone of any gender can be sensitive and sensitivity should not be seen as a weakness but rather as a strength and as something that's a valuable aspect of our humanity, and the same can be said for many other beautiful traits that society has wrongly decided to put into boxes and assign gender stereotypes to.

This complicated topic is incredibly important to me as a fan of both El and Will. I believe that both El and Will are feminist characters and that the series is very empowering and is challenging society’s gender biases through both of their stories. I hope that my response to your question was successful in communicating how I feel and resonates with you and with perhaps other fans who also care about El and Will and feel their own experiences, feelings, and identities validated by their story arcs.

Will some fans still whine and cry “sexism” and attempt to brand Stranger Things as “anti-feminist” if their hope that El will be the solo main character of the story and not have to share the spotlight with a boy is dashed? Sure. But I think they’re wrong, that their concept of feminism and sexism is incorrect, and that their priorities and their understanding of El’s value as a character is unfortunate. El is more than her superpowers. El doesn’t need to be “the strongest” or “the most powerful” in order to be an inspiring, complex, well-written, relatable, and empowering character.

Thank you for your Ask! I hope you don’t mind how long this response is. You mentioned a few things that I have some very complicated opinions about.

#will byers #el hopper #stranger things #stranger things analysis #stranger things theories #will byers is a feminist character #el hopper is a feminist character #feminism is for everyone

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patriotsnet · 3 years

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What Percentage Of Republicans Are On Welfare

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/what-percentage-of-republicans-are-on-welfare/

What Percentage Of Republicans Are On Welfare

Democrats Return The Favor: Republicans Uninformed Or Self

Republican States Are Mostly on Welfare

The 429 Democratic voters in our sample returned the favor and raised many of the same themes. Democrats inferred that Republicans must be VERY ill-informed, or that Fox news told me to vote for Republicans.;;Or that Republicans are uneducated and misguided people guided by what the media is feeding them.

Many also attributed votes to individual self-interest whereas GOP voters feel Democrats want free stuff, many Democrats believe Republicans think that I got mine and dont want the libs to take it away, or that some day I will be rich and then I can get the benefits that rich people get now.

Many used the question to express their anger and outrage at the other side.;;Rather than really try to take the position of their opponents, they said things like, I like a dictatorial system of Government, Im a racist, I hate non-whites.;

Average Spending Of Welfare Recipients

Compared to the average American household, welfare recipients spend far less money on all food consumption, including dining out, in a year. As families with welfare assistance spend half as much on average in one year than families without it do, there are some large differences in budgeting. Families receiving welfare assistance spent half the amount of families not receiving welfare assistance in 2018.

The Gop Push To Cut Unemployment Benefits Is The Welfare Argument All Over Again

The White House is on the defensive over accusations from Republicans that expanded federal unemployment benefits, which were extended through Sept. 6 as part of Bidens $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, are too generous. The GOP argument is that people receiving the $300 weekly benefit have little incentive to return to work. The criticism from Republicans has gotten louder in the wake of a disappointing jobs report.

Its an argument that echoes similar claims conservatives have been making about government assistance programs for decades that people are taking advantage of the system in ways that allow them to collect checks while sitting back and relaxing.

As Washington pays workers a bonus to stay unemployed, virtually everyone discussed very real concerns about their difficulties in finding workers, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday. Almost every employer I spoke with specifically mentioned the extra-generous jobless benefits as a key force holding back our recovery.

But Democrats counter that millions of Americans need that money to get by. More than 20 million jobs were lost in the early months of the pandemic; 10 million American workers are currently unemployed, the Labor Department says.

Democrats say the sudden demand for more workers from businesses is outpacing the number of workers that can get back into those jobs, especially since many schools arent fully open, and many workers cant afford child care.

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The Politics And Demographics Of Food Stamp Recipients

Democrats are about twice as likely as Republicans to have received food stamps at some point in their livesa participation gap that echoes the deep partisan divide in the U.S. House of Representatives, which on Thursday produced a farm bill that did not include funding for the food stamp program.

Overall, a Pew Research Center survey conducted late last year found that about one-in-five Americans has participated in the food stamp program, formally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. About a quarter lives in a household with a current or former food stamp recipient.

Of these, about one-in-five of Democrats say they had received food stamps compared with 10% of Republicans. About 17% of political independents say they have received food stamps.

The share of food stamp beneficiaries swells even further when respondents are asked if someone else living in their household had ever received food stamps. According to the survey, about three in ten Democrats and about half as many Republicans say they or someone in their household has benefitted from the food stamp program.

But when the political lens shifts from partisanship to ideology, the participation gap vanishes. Self-described political conservatives were no more likely than liberals or moderates to have received food stamps , according to the survey.

Among whites, the gender-race gap is smaller. Still, white women are about twice as likely as white men to receive food stamp assistance .

How Democrats And Republicans Differ On Matters Of Wealth And Equality

A protester wears a T-shirt in support of Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont who is part of … a group of Democrats looking to beat Trump in 2020. Photographer: John Taggart/Bloomberg

If youre a rich Democrat, you wake up each day with self-loathing, wondering how you can make the world more egalitarian. Please tax me more, you say to your elected officials. Until then, the next thing you do is call your financial advisor to inquire about tax shelters.

If youre a poor Republican, however, you have more in common with the Democratic Party than the traditional Wall Street, big business base of the Republican Party, according to a survey by the Voter Study Group, a two-year-old consortium made up of academics and think tank scholars from across the political spectrum. That means the mostly conservative American Enterprise Institute and Cato were also on board with professors from Stanford and Georgetown universities when conducting this study, released this month.

The fact that lower-income Republicans, largely known as the basket of deplorables, support more social spending and taxing the rich was a key takeaway from this years report, says Lee Drutman, senior fellow on the political reform program at New America, a Washington D.C.-based think tank.

Across party lines, only 37% of respondents said they supported government getting active in reducing differences in income, close to the 39% who opposed it outright. Some 24% had no opinion on the subject.

Also Check: Democrats News

Bases Of Republicans Antidemocratic Attitudes

shows how Republicans antidemocratic responses in the January 2020 survey were related to education, political interest, and locale. These relationships provide only modest support for the hypothesis that allegiance to democratic values is a product of political activity, involvement and articulateness, as McClosky had it . Although people with postgraduate education were clearly less likely than those with less education to endorse violations of democratic norms, the overall relationship between education and antidemocratic sentiments is rather weak. Similarly, people in big cities were only about 5% less likely than those in rural areas to endorse norm violations, while people who said they followed politics most of the time were about 7% more likely to do so than those who said they followed politics hardly at all. Given the distributions of these social characteristics in the Republican sample, the most typical antidemocrats were not men and women whose lives are circumscribed by apathy, ignorance, provincialism and social or physical distance from the centers of intellectual activity , but suburbanites with some college education and a healthy interest in politics.

Social bases of Republicans antidemocratic attitudes.

Key indicators of latent dimensions

Political bases of Republicans antidemocratic attitudes

Translation of ethnic antagonism into antidemocratic attitudes in Republican subgroups

Welfare Accounts For 10% Of The Federal Budget

Many Republicans claim that social services expenditures are crippling the federal budget, but these programs accounted for just 10% of federal spending in 2015.

Of the $3.7 trillion the U.S. government spent that year, the largest expenditures were Social Security , health care , and defense and security , according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities .

Several safety net programs are included in the 10% spent on social services:

Supplemental Security Income , which provides cash support to the elderly and disabled poor

Assistance with home energy bills

Programs that provide help to abused and neglected children

In addition, programs that primarily help the middle class, namely the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit, are included in the 10%.

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At Least 60 Afghans And 13 Us Service Members Killed By Suicide Bombers And Gunmen Outside Kabul Airport: Us Officials

Two suicide bombers and gunmen attacked crowds of Afghans flocking to Kabul’s airport Thursday, transforming a scene of desperation into one of horror in the waning days of an airlift for those fleeing the Taliban takeover. At least 60 Afghans and 13 U.S. troops were killed, Afghan and U.S. officials said.

Welfare Spending By President And Congress From 1959 To 2014

Republicans’ Facts About Welfare Are “Not Factually True”

America faces many problems today. The current economic recovery has been the slowest since the Great Depression, the national debt has surpassed $18 trillion, and the federal government continues to spend more than it collects. While its not unusual, unethical, or unconstitutional for the federal government to operate with deficits at times, the question is why does Washington continue to overspend? Is there a legitimate reason or is it neo-politics? In this article, well take a look at spending on welfare programs during each presidents term from J.F.K. to Obama. Well also look at the party in control of Congress. Which one was the biggest spender as it pertains to welfare programs?

The Dark Side of Social Benefits

Politicians love to sing their own praises and for a very good reason. Otto von Bismarck, the first Chancellor of Germany, made an astute political observation in the 1880s when he stated, A man who has a pension for his old age is much easier to deal with than a man without that prospect. Bismarck openly acknowledged that this was a state-socialist idea and went on to say, Whoever embraces this idea will come to power. Thus, the strategy of using legislation to gain votes was forever embedded in the political landscape.

Welfare Spending

Lets take a thorough look at federal welfare spending from 1959 through 2013. The following graph includes spending for two data points:

Democrats in control: 13.7%

Republicans in control: 3.5%

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What Is Governments Role In Caring For The Most Needy

Nearly six-in-ten Americans say government has a responsibility to take care of those who cannot take care of themselves. Do these views vary depending on whether the respondent has personally benefited from a government entitlement program?

These data suggest the answer is a qualified yes. Overall, those who have received benefits from at least one of the six major programs are somewhat more likely than those who havent to say government is responsible for caring for those who cannot help themselves .

When the analysis focuses just on just the respondents who have received benefits from at least one of the four programs that target the needy, the gap between entitlement recipients and other adults increases to eight percentage points .

Some larger differences in attitudes toward governments role emerge when the results are broken down by specific program, though in every case majorities of both recipients and non-recipients affirmed that government has the obligation to help those most in need.

For example, nearly three-quarters of those who ever received welfare benefits say government has a duty to care for those who cannot care for themselves. In contrast, less than six-in-ten of those who have never been on welfare agree.

Similar double-digit gaps surface between non-recipients and those who ever received food stamps and Medicaid .

How Come We Are Red And Blue Instead Of Purple

Republicans to live outside of urban areas, while Democrats tend to prefer living inside of urban areas.

Rural areas are almost exclusively Republican well strong urban areas are almost exclusively democratic.

Republicans also tend to stress traditional family values, which may be why only 1 out of 4 GLBTQI individuals identify with the GOP.

63% of people who earn more than $200k per year vote for Republicans, while 63% of people who earn less than $15k per year vote for Democrats.

64% of Americans believe that labor unions are necessary to protect working people, but only 43% of GOP identified votes view labor unions in a favorable way.

The economics of the United States seem to have greatly influenced how people identify themselves when it comes to their preferred political party. People who are concerned about their quality of life and have a fair amount of money tend to vote Republican. Those who have fallen on hard times or work in union related jobs tend to vote for Democrats. From 2003 to today, almost all of demographic gaps have been shifting so that Republicans and Democrats are supported equally. The only true difference is on the extremes of the income scale. The one unique fact about Democrats is that they are as bothered by their standard of living as Republicans tend to be.

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States Have Shifted To The Right

Democrats are floating a plan to tax stock buybacks.

Even excluding health insurance which some experts argue should not count people in this patch of Appalachia draw between a fifth and a third of their income from the public purse.

Perhaps the politics of welfare is changing up to a point. Democrats made big gains this year in elections for the House and several statehouses, running largely on the promise that they would protect the most recent addition to the safety net: the Affordable Care Act, including the expansion of Medicaid in many states. But championing the safety net does not necessarily resonate in the places that most need it.

Take Daniel Lewis, who crashed his car into a coal truck 15 years ago, breaking his neck and suffering a blood clot in his brain when he was only 21. He is grateful for the $1,600 a month his family gets from disability insurance; for his Medicaid benefits; for the food stamps he shares with his wife and two children.

Every need I have has been met, Mr. Lewis told me. He disagrees with the governors proposal to demand that Medicaid recipients get a job. And yet, in 2016, he voted for Mr. Trump. It was the lesser of two evils, he said.

About 13 percent of Harlans residents are receiving disability benefits. More than 10,000 get food stamps. But in 2015 almost two-thirds voted for Mr. Bevin. In 2016 almost 9 out of 10 chose Mr. Trump.

Program Goals And Demographics

Larger group differences emerge when the results are broken down by age and income levelsdifferences that are often directly related to the goals of specific benefits programs.

For example, adults 65 and older are nearly three times as likely to have received an entitlement benefit during their lives as those adults under the age of 30 . Thats not surprising, since nearly nine-in-ten older adults have received Social Security and78% have gotten Medicare benefits. Both programs were specifically created for seniors with age requirements that limit participation by younger adults.

Similarly, Americans with family incomes of less than $30,000 a year are significantly more likely as those with family incomes of $100,000 or more to have gotten entitlement help from the government . Again, this difference is not surprising, as assisting the poor is the primary objective of such financial means-tested programs as food stamps, welfare assistance and Medicaid.

Also Check: Why Do Republicans Wear Blue Ties

Which Party Are You

The average Republican is 50, while the average Democrat is 47.

55% of married women will vote Republican.

GOP candidates earn 59 percent of all Protestant votes, 67 percent of all white Protestant votes, 52 percent of the Catholic vote, making them a Christian majority party.

Only 1 out of 4 Jewish voters will support Republicans.

If you are white and have a college education, there is a 20% greater chance that you will be a Republican instead of a Democrat.

American Republicans have been found to be among the most generous people on earth, and not just financially. Republicans also provide more volunteer hours and donate blood more frequently.

Here is what we really come to when it comes to political party demographics. It doesnt matter if youre a Republican or a Democrat. What matters is that everyone is able to take advantage of the diversity that makes the United States so unique. Instead of trying to prove one way is the only correct path, both parties coming together to work together could create some amazing changes for the modern world. Until we learn to compromise, however, the demographic trends will continue to equalize and polarize until only gridlock remains. If that happens, then nothing will ever get done and each party will blame the other.

Taking The Perspective Of Others Proved To Be Really Hard

The divide in the United States is wide, and one indication of that is how difficult our question proved for many thoughtful citizens. A 77-year-old Republican woman from Pennsylvania was typical of the voters who struggled with this question, telling us, This is really hard for me to even try to think like a devilcrat!, I am sorry but I in all honesty cannot answer this question. I cannot even wrap my mind around any reason they would be good for this country.

Similarly, a 53-year-old Republican from Virginia said, I honestly cannot even pretend to be a Democrat and try to come up with anything positive at all, but, I guess they would vote Democrat because they are illegal immigrants and they are promised many benefits to voting for that party. Also, just to follow what others are doing. And third would be just because they hate Trump so much. The picture she paints of the typical Democratic voter being an immigrant, who goes along with their party or simply hates Trump will seem like a strange caricature to most Democratic voters. But her answer seems to lack the animus of many.;;

Democrats struggled just as much as Republicans. A 33-year-old woman from California told said, i really am going to have a hard time doing this but then offered that Republicans are morally right as in values, going to protect us from terrorest and immigrants, going to create jobs.

Recommended Reading: Did Trump Say Republicans Were Dumb

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track-walk · 4 years

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Just letting you know that this blog is not free of Carlos content.

___

Do you remember Hasan Minhaj’s How To Survive 2020? We can’t possibly care about all of the issues all the time because it’s like having 50 tabs open in our mental browsers and we’re about to crash. Give yourself a break, pick a couple of things to not care about. Don’t shut down your browser, just close a couple of tabs. If you haven’t seen it, do yourself a favour and watch it now - link.

// FORMULA 1

When it comes to F1, I decided to close political views tab. I know, so un-woke of me. Or even ironic, when you know that I spent half a year writing European project to train young people how to respond to right wing propaganda on social media. Or maybe that’s exactly why: there are so many worse things than driver’s likes on Twitter (even though I understand that everything’s connected). So yeah, in life, I still care about environment, violence, gender equality, better work conditions, LGBTQ+ rights, economy, etc. But political views of racing drivers are just not my thing. At least, not for now.

It doesn’t mean that it’s not important for others and I totally respect and understand that. But I personally just want to enjoy dumb boys driving fast cars without feeling the need to constantly check their social media or guess what they think about certain topics. It’s really really tiring. This sport already has so many flaws that this is just… I don’t even know.

// CARLOS SAINZ JR.

Going back specifically to Carlos, I am not defending him. I understand that there are huge concerns. And it probably makes me a bad person. But well, on Tumblr I prefer to be bad than miserable. Firstly, I don’t know enough about politics in Spain to have a strong opinion and I’m not gonna form it by reading Tumblr posts. I lived in Spain eight years ago, I live here now, no one ever tried to warn me about flag being a worrying symbol and even people with liberal views are proud to be Spanish even though, of course, they are deeply concerned about current situation. Secondly, about his racist story. I didn’t see Estrella Galicia video myself. From what I’ve read on Tumblr, I think Carlos is dumb. So dumb that he doesn’t even understand that his story is racist. That’s why there is no apology – even real racists, most of the time, try to fake apologize. And yes, he’s old enough to know better but at the same time, I don’t believe that dragging him on Tumblr helps anyone. If you actually care, Tumblr is not the site to highlight the flaws of any famous person. And I am sorry for those of you who touches it personally. You totally have all the rights to be angry. But at this point, I guess I’m too old and will leave this fight against drivers to the youth.

// SCUDERIA FERRARI DRIVERS

This being said, I'm still not a fan of Ferrari, but I’m actually excited for their 2021 line up. Of course, we’re heading to one more season of disappointments, lack of logic, strategies that don’t work, misunderstandings, maybe one more collision of teammates, probably, verging on the limit of breaking the rules, and other stuff that I wish wouldn’t be related to any big F1 team.

However, I still like the drivers for various reasons:

Carlos is a good driver with years of F1 experience. Of course, not the same amount as Vettel but I think it’s good for Ferrari – experienced but at the same time fresh. Also, he doesn’t come to Ferrari with some huge expectations (I never heard him talking about dreaming of Ferrari? but I might be wrong) so that’s another good thing, even though, of course, everyone wants to win.

I believe that Carlos and Charles will push each other just enough while still keeping it respectful.

All the Ferrari photos will be sooo pretty. Yes, I do watch F1 for other reasons, but I’m still a girl with eyes who sometimes likes to watch at pretty boys, sue me.

I also like that both of the drivers are touchy-feely (thanks to Spanish-ness of Carlos and spending-a-lot-of-time-with-Italians Charles). They can’t express that properly with their current British / German teammates but my guess is that they will become comfortable around each other very quickly. Even now, when I was searching for videos of the two of them in order to make gifs, in half of the videos at some point they touch. And I like to see that – men that are not afraid of physical contact.

I also like the fact that they have the same name just in different languages.

I hope that Ferrari will keep their online challenges for social media / promotions. They’re not very good, the technical part needs some work, but I’d like to see the boys going against each other in guessing songs or teaching each other their languages.

Even though Ferrari is not my favourite team, I will be celebrating their first 2021 double podium like I was waiting for it for a long time.

It’s a two year contract. We don’t need to worry about next silly season. At the same time, it also gives us hope to see any of FDA boy in F1 very soon.

So… filter “carlos saiz jr” tag or unfollow me – whatever makes your experience here better. Because my experience is better when I don’t dive too deep into personal life of the driver I like or their actual personality traits, and instead enjoy their superficial features that I partly created in my own imagination.

#carlos sainz #carlos sainz jr #charles leclerc #f1 #formula 1 #scuderia ferrari #long post #sometimes I talk

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benkouji726 · 4 years

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Oil and rain and grass and pine cones

Summary: Alex doesn't do Alphas. But Michael is also not your average type of Alphas.

Warning: ABO Universe. With Alex being Omega, and Michael being Alpha. But there was almost no sex scenes and their dynamic is not like traditional alpha-omega ones. Some curse words and discussions about sex tho.

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Alex hated all Alphas with a passion. Well, almost all Alphas with the exception of Maria DeLuca.

But other than her, in all twenty eight years of his life, during which he suffered through his childhood and his teenage years, enlisted so he could escape his war at home, survived three tours albeit losing a leg and discharged honorably, he almost never met an Alpha who was humble, kind or truly believed in equal rights. If he was being totally honest, he’d say the majority of his misery was in one way or another linked to some Alpha douchebags in particular or just the whole Alpha worshipping society in general.

Besides, almost all Alphas reminded him a little of his father, so his hatred was really justified.

And now, sitting in Wild Pony, nursing his second beer, Alex’s annoyances with Alphas reaches an all time high.

You see, when he was in the military, there were regulations to reign the Alphas in line. They were not happy about it, sure, but soldiers followed orders, and the Equal Rights Act meant they were ordered to behave respectfully towards Omegas, even if they didn’t want to. And truth be told, when they were at war, little things like who smelled like what didn’t matter anymore, what mattered was who could watch your back. And Alex was very good at watching other’s backs. With his intelligence, his fierceness, and his unwavering loyalty, he was soon recognized not as the only Omega in his unit, but a leader and a comrade. After he lost his leg, received the medal and became a very young captain, even the whispers about him being some petite Omega were gone.

But when he was sitting at the bar, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, his hair a bit longer, every Alpha in Roswell seemed to see right past his hard work and his tough owned honorable discharge, they took a sniff of him, and saw nothing but an unmated Omega. Even the ones in the parade they threw him when he came home didn’t behave any better.

It grazed on his nerves, SO MUCH.

He was debating whether he should just call it a day and go home, or stay a bit longer until some unfortunate fool irratated him ever further and ended up with a fist to said fool’s face when his decision was being made, by SOME FOOL.

“Well well, do you smell good”. The guy, the Alpha drawled, crowding into his space, half his face hiding under a black cowboy hat so he didn’t even have the courtesy to meet Alex in the eye, and honest to God SNIFFED, right under Alex’s left ear.

Gritting his teeth, Alex turned to him. He put on a big smile, all teeth, took off the man’s hat unexpectedly, which surprised him, judging by his wide eyes, and leaned forward to SNIFF BACK.

“Sadly the same can not be said about you”, he said, a bit condescendingly, “what is that? Oil and rain? That’s a weird combination. And not a good one.”

Alex expected the guy to be angered and maybe launch an attack, or at least snarled at him. He did neither of those things.

He laughed, wholeheartedly.

“Maria is right. You ARE interesting.” He said, with amusement. His eyes were crinkling because of the laughter, and when he looked at Alex closely, they were filled with interest and kindness.

Alex was taken aback, to say the least. His anger was replaced with curiosity.

He looked at the guy, this time really looked. And OK, maybe Alex still hated Alphas, but this Alpha was maybe the hottest he had ever met.

And his eyes BY FAR the prettiest.

“Wait, you know Maria?” He totally blamed the guy’s unfair attractiveness for his way slower than usual realization.

“Yeah, I’m a regular here”, the guy smiled. And he was even hotter when he smiled, damn him. “And Maria wouldn’t shut up about you whenever you guys contacted. ‘How brave of Alex to enlist, you know, as an Omega!’ ‘He really made a change for all the Omegas out there!’ ‘He is the most wonderful person I’ve ever met!’ I mean, we get it. Your best friend is a living legend, can I get another drink?”

Alex blushed. He was never one to handle praise well. So he changed the subject quickly. “She told you about me, seems like you’re more than a regular.”

The guy shrugged. “We used to date for a while, didn’t work. I’m Michael Guerin by the way, I feel like if I don’t voluntarily offer up that information you’d never ask.”

Alex ignored the flirty bit. “You used to date? But you and Maria are both Alphas, no?”

The guy, OK, Guerin shrugged again. “What does it matter? I liked her, she liked me. We decided to give it a try. We didn’t split up because we were having gender problems, but...”

“But because you were a jerk who hit on Alex even if I specifically told you not to?” Maria appeared out of nowhere and startled them both.

Which really said a lot about how much Alex was affected by Guerin, because one, he didn’t startle easily, and two, when had he begun to so invest in Guerin’s words he forgot to notice his surroundings?

He NEVER forgot to notice his surroundings.

He shook his head, and ignored that too.

“It can hardly be called ‘hitting on’ if you ask me. An offensive comment maybe, not even close to flirtation.”

Guerin instantly turned his full attention to him again, which was a little flattering. “Ouch!” He even POUTED. He was ridiculous.

He was also very cute, Alex kinda hated him for that, because he couldn’t seem to look away from his ridiculousness. And to make things worse, Guerin was staring right at him too.

Maria coughed. “Should I come back?”

Alex had to shook himself out of it, whatever it was. And reminded himself what a bad idea this was. “No, actually, I was planning to head home just now. See you at the fair?” Maria nodded.

He then turned to Guerin. “See you around, I guess.”

Something like disappointment and wistfulness flashed through Guerin’s eyes, but he quickly smirked, all emotions well hidden, “Not if I see you first.” He WINKED.

Honestly, he was RIDICULOUS.

————————————

He should be surprised by Guerin’s appearance at the fair, but somehow he was not.

He WAS surprised by Maria’s sudden departure when Guerin showed up though. She didn’t even make up a good excuse, just vaguely pointed at something (or someone) far away, and muttered “I gotta go”, then she was gone.

Alex stared at Maria’s disappearing figure, unbelievingly.

“What the fuck was that?” He demanded.

To his credit, Guerin was a bit bashful this time. “I may have begged her to give us some alone time”, he wrinkled his nose, “her execution is to be improved though.”

Alex was having a headache. “What do you want, Guerin?”

Guerin was visibly hurt by that. What the fuck, he thought Alphas didn’t give a shit about what Omegas thought of them. And his hurt look did something to Alex’s insides, which, double FUCK.

He forced himself to be gentler. “I’m sorry if I’m being too harsh. But I don’t do Alphas. That’s like my number 1 relationship rule. So you shouldn’t waste your time on me.”

Guerin relaxed a little, and turned curious. “So what, you just date Betas?”

“Or Omegas.” He had a very brief relationship with an Omega once, they parted on friendly terms.

“Let me guess, you’d rather not talk about why you don’t wanna date Alphas.”

Alex shrugged. “Not so much to talk about. I just have had enough bad experience with Alphas and I don’t wanna deal with them anymore.”

Guerin considered that for a minute. “But you are best friends with Maria.”

“Yeah, well, we grew up together. And she was pretty much the only exception. Besides, I don’t want to date her either.” Not because she was Alpha, Alex didn’t say, but he was only attracted to men, no matter what their ABO gender was.

Guerin pushed on. “Your father and two of your brothers are Alphas too.”

Alex was immediately going into defense mode. “So? You don’t have crappy family members?”

The silence that followed stretched an uncomfortable amount of time, but Alex refused to back down.

Eventually Guerin said, in a quiet voice. “I don’t technically have any family member.”

Shit. But still. “Technically?”

Guerin smiled bitterly. “I have two siblings who are not related to me. We grew up in the system together for a while, and they got adopted by a nice family, but not me. We are close now. But TECHNICALLY I don’t have any relatives.”

Alex didn’t know what to say to that. So he didn’t say anything.

After a while, Guerin shook his head, and muttered. “This was a mistake.”

He put on his hat, and left.

This time, Alex was the one feeling disappointed.

—————————————

He met Michael the next time, VERY awkwardly, in a sex shop.

His heat was getting nearer, and he didn’t have anyone to spend it with. He COULD look for some Alpha in a bar and every one of them would gladly help him out, but again, not doing Alphas.

So he was at the sex shop, trying to buy something that would help him dealing with the upcoming situation, when he spotted Guerin, inspecting something huge and purple.

It was a dildo. Just like the one Alex was holding. What the odds.

Alex was so surprised he didn’t even notice Guerin spotted him too.

They stood in mutual shock, staring at each other. Both HOLDING A DILDO.

Guerin acted at last. He coughed, nodded at Alex, and turned to leave. He disappeared quickly into the other room. Where the shop stored various porn.

Unfortunately that was the direction Alex was headed too.

So he stood there, had no strategic plans to navigate this whole situation, when someone approached him from behind.

“What are you doing with this hideous thing, sweetheart?” Alex rolled his eyes at that. An Alpha who thought his knot was way better than any artificial ones. Great. “I bet I can give you whatever you need.” The Alpha was looking Alex up and down in a very suggestive way, which was just gross.

Alex was ready to give the guy a piece of his mind when Guerin reappeared, apparently already selected his porn of the day. He somehow felt the need to speak up on Alex’s behalf.

“With your small knot? I doubt it. At least the dildo wouldn’t give him some unspeakable disease.”

Alex wanted to sigh. So hard. He glared at Guerin, as if to say “really? Going after the SIZE? That’s your best move?” But Guerin didn’t even look his way, he was busy being in a staring contest with that man. Some macho shit Alex did not want to tolerate even a bit.

He walked up to the man, stood before him, until he looked back at him. He then said in a calm and peaceful voice. “What I NEED, is none of your business. And if you ever so much as look at me again, YOU will need some good lawyer, and maybe some doctors too.”

The man looked like he wanted to riot, but Alex stood his ground, and stared him down. Eventually he backed away. He spit on the floor, threw out an “omega bitch” and left, tail between his legs.

All bullies were just cowards. Alex was almost tired to be proven right yet again.

He turned back to Guerin, about to lecture him about how the “knight in a shining armor” behavior was outdated and so not necessary, when Guerin said, in awe.

“That was so hot.”

Alex was stunned. Meanwhile Guerin seemed he wanted the floor to open up and swallow him whole. So Alex blurted the first thing that came to his mind.

“Why are you buying a dildo?”

That was a wrong move. Because now ALEX wanted to disappear and never come back.

But then Guerin smirked, and replied in a flirtatious manner. “What, just because I have a big knot, doesn’t mean I don’t want to be fucked in the ass now and then. I thought you were woke, man.”

OK, so he was not like any Alphas Alex had known. Maybe that was why he flirted right back.

“If you say so.” He deliberately looked at Guerin’s crotch when he said that.

The shop suddenly became warmer under Guerin’s heated gaze.

————————————————

He went through his heat thinking about Guerin’s big knot and fantasizing how he would take the dildo up in his ass. The heat lasted three days, he had the most intense orgasms in a long time, and he felt extra lonely when it was over.

He ran into Guerin the next day after his heat at Crashdown. He knew he was still reeking sex and leftover hormones, but he was craving the pie, and he was just going to order a pie to go. But when he went out of the diner, Guerin was going in.

He was obviously happy to see Alex, and he had this big smile on his face. Then he stepped closer, and got a sniff from Alex. His pupils immediately dilated.

Before Alex could say anything, he turned around and walked away.

Frustratingly, Alex felt aroused again.

———————————

Despite their awkward encounter at the diner, things got better between them. Alex met his two siblings, and Max turned out to be Liz’s boyfriend, who was the other member of the “inseparable three” alongside Alex and Maria. The six of them quickly formed some sort of friend group, with the addition of Kyle Valenti, who was Alex’s high school bully and Liz’s high school sweetheart, but now a friend to both of them.

They hung out a lot, either in the diner or at the bar. With all the friends around, Alex and Michael were able to put their mutual attraction aside, and became good friends. As they spent more time together, Alex found out that Michael was really not your average Alpha. He might appear that way, but he was gentle and kind inside, he didn’t always want to show his vulnerability, and sometimes he was frustratingly stubborn, but Alex was also having problems to open up, so he couldn’t exactly fault Michael for that.

The most surprising part in their friendship, was how they understood each other. Sometimes they didn’t even need to talk, just one look, and they got it perfectly.

After about three months, they started to hang out outside the group too. Alex would go to the airstream after a long day of work, and sat in front of the fire pit with Michael, both holding a beer in their hands, talking about nothing and everything. They found out their mutual interest in music, and soon enough, they were sitting in Alex’s front yard, writing music or just playing some tunes together. By the end of the fifth month since they knew each other, Michael fixed everything that was not working properly in Alex’s house, and Alex learned how to navigate through Michael’s small kitchen in his airstream.

Alex still spent his heat alone. He stopped looking for company altogether.

———————————————

The touches began around the half year mark. At that time, Alex felt like he was always happy and grounded around Michael, and he felt this deeply seeded needs to be near him or touch him all the time. And whenever he felt unease or worked up, a touch from Michael would effectively calm him down. He also noticed he had more or less the same impact on Michael, like right now, they were having a after work get together, the six of them. Michael was late because he was caught up at work. When he showed up, he was visibly upset. He went straight to their table, ignored the others, sat right beside Alex, and buried his head into the junction between Alex’s neck and shoulder. He took a deep breath there, which was COMPLETELY not appropriate considering they were a pair of unmated Alpha and Omega. But all Alex felt was concern and softness, so he put a hand in Michael’s curls, and gently massaged his scalp. Michael seemed to melt into him, he let out a small moan, and moved closer to him. He even put his arms around Alex, hugging him tight.

When Alex looked up, the whole table was staring at them.

Alex wanted to ask what was wrong, but he thought of the amount of time they spent together, the way they always looked after each other, the connection between them either when they were talking or simply be together, the constant needs to be near and touch each other, and some part of him already knew the answer.

Isobel gave the answer anyway. “You are bonding, aren’t you.” It was not a question.

Michael looked up at him then, his eyes big, hope and fear tangling in them, and Alex felt his heart stopped for a second.

“Yeah, I guess we are.” He didn’t know how to feel about it.

—————————————

He was going into heat in thee days, and he had avoided Michael for four.

Every minute of the four days was excruciating. They were already bonding, a bond this new couldn’t handle this much separation, he was crawling out of his skin.

So when Michael showed up at his door, at the ungodly hour of 2am, he thought at first he was hallucinating due to his lack of sleep and the fact that he was missing Michael like crazy.

But Michael wouldn’t be this exhausted and fragile in his hallucination, he looked like he was only holding himself up by the last power of his will.

They practically collapsed into each other, kissing fervently and desperately. They might have exchanged a few words like “you dumbass you scared the shit out of me” from Michael and “shut up and kiss me” from Alex, but it was all in a haze. Alex didn’t even realize they moved until he found them on his bed, panting to each other’s mouth.

Until he felt wetness between his legs and heat and lust consuming him.

Shit.

He managed to pull back a little, and said, a bit panicky. “I think I’m going into heat.”

Michael was at once sobered by that. “I thought it wasn’t for another three days?”

“How did you...”

“Come on, Alex”, Michael was blushing now. “Every time your heat was over, I couldn’t stand near you for like a week. You smelled so good and it killed me because you chose to spend it with someone else.”

Alex couldn’t believe it. “You’re kidding, right? You didn’t notice I always smelled just like myself, no trace of other people on me?”

Michael blushed even hard. “I didn’t dare to smell you more than I had to, you know? It was hard enough for me to control myself on a normal day, when you came out of a heat, you smelled incredibly good, like some combination of grass, pine cone and earth. But also sweet. It drove me crazy that I couldn’t bury myself in it.”

He inhaled deeply, now having permission. “Like now, I’m this close losing myself because of your scent.”

He looked like he was already losing it. Eyes dark, face flushed, cock hard.

Alex was losing it himself too. But he needed say this before they went further.

“I lied. I told you when we first met, that your smell of oil and rain was weird. But in fact it attracted me immediately. I denied my feelings and desires for you because I didn’t want to believe in Alphas. But you proved me wrong, and God, I’ve never been so happy that I was wrong.” He said in a rush because he was having more and more trouble to formulate coherent thoughts by the minute.

Michael smiled, he was hard as a rock, but he stopped everything to look at Alex with all he’s got. “Is this your roundabout way to tell me you love me?”

Alex was so drunk in love he didn’t even care anymore. “Yes.”

Michael softened and kissed him, again and again. “I love you too.”

They stared at each other for a minute before Michael bent down, and gently bit Alex on his throat.

Bond complete.

#Malex #malex fic #my fic #abo universe #my first abo fic #yeah #unbeta'd #because im exhausted #and its 2 am here #maybe ill check it tomorrow for grammar mistakes or sth

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gunslingertales · 4 years

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Saving grace || A.M - Chapter 2

Story summary: Arthur struggles with his guilt and his loyalty towards the people he always thought of as family. He starts questioning the life they’ve been leading lately and wonders if there’s still a place for him somewhere out there in a world that’s so quickly chaning. Then he meets a woman with fire in her eyes and gold in her heart who seems equally lost in the great unknown that’s life.

Chapter Two: “ Dreams” Find the other chapters on my blog under /masterlist

Chapter summary: As he rides into Valentine, Arthurs plans on having a drink or two with young Lenny and then returning back to camp. He doesn’t expect running into a familiar face. And spending the next day with that person. And learning about her childhood and her dreams.

Likes, comments and especially reblogs are more than appreciated ♥

[additional note: I am German. Sometimes I get the tense wrong or make mistakes. I am useless when it comes to punctuation. Go easy on me, please.]

The small town of Valentine is an awfully dirty place. Both figuratively and literally. You don’t even have to take two steps and your shoes are already coated with mud. Like the sweltering humidity of the Lemoyne swamps that cling to your skin or the grimy winds coming from the mines of Annesburg that settle on your lungs, the dirt lies upon the town like a thick blanket you just can’t shake off.

Arthur thinks it’s ironic, how the people turn their noses at him and the gang and their way of living. Of their makeshift camps and on-the-go lifestyle. They scowl at the thought of their tents and bedrolls yet voluntarily move to a town like this where you can’t tell if you’re wading through mud or your neighbors’ shit.

Then again, Arthur doesn’t care an awful lot for other people’s lives. His own is chaotic and confusing enough, what good could it possibly do to rack his brain about other people’s choices? Least it ain’t quite as bad here as it is in Saint Denis. That place is a cesspool of every single thing Arthur has an unprecedented disdain for. Too many people pretending to be above everyone else just because their jackets got fancy gold buttons.

He can’t picture himself ever living in a place like that. Though to some it might be a place of comfort, of safety, to him it only feels like a cage. And he’d rather die than give up his freedom.

Mouse slows down to a gentle trot as they approach the Valentine Saloon. A golden glow shines through the newly fixed window of the building and laughter and song echo through the room and flood out into the streets. Lenny hitches his horse next to Mouse and gives Arthur an expectant look “Just one of two, right?”

“Sure. Just a drink, no drama”

None of the men are getting lots of chances to wind down. Sure some of them are perpetually drunk to some extent but to really get a night off to - to have fun, that’s not a chance that presents itself very often. Living a life like they do, you always have to be alert. Life ain’t your friend so you gotta look out for yourself and your people.

There’s quite a few people inside, drinking and eating and laughing. Sometimes Arthur wonders what his life would be like if he had married Mary and given up on the gang. Would he spend his free time here drinking away his sorrows and his feelings of inadequacy compared to Mary and all she could’ve had? Or would they wander into town every once in a while, grab a bite to eat, and enjoy each other’s company?

He shakes his head to push the thoughts away. There’s no use in getting lost in what-ifs. They’re just another reminder of what he can’t have and what he messed up.

“You,” the Barkeeper approaches, pointing at Arthur as he leans against the bar “ I don’t want no trouble!”

Arthur raises his hands in mock surrender “And you ain’t getting none from me. I was just defending myself.”

Though his eyes still hold a hint of doubt the barkeeper seems to be satisfied with that answer. Something tells Arthur that he isn’t the first person butting heads with that damn Tommy guy.

Lenny regards the exchange with a smirk playing on his lips as a shake of his head.

“What?”

“Nothing. Just … do I wanna know?”

“Nah don’t think you do.”

They share a laugh and receive their drinks and for a moment, Arthur’s heart feels a bit less heavy. For a second the weight of the world doesn’t rest inside his chest. Like he can be unbothered for just a night.

Two drinks in he leans his back against the bar and lets his eyes wander around the Saloon. Drunk fools stumbling over each other, a piano player belting out melodies, smiles upon smiles and songs, and music.

In the furthest corner of the place, a woman sits alone by a table, a plate untouched in front of her. She seems too fancy to end up in a dump like this. Her hair is pulled up in intricate braids and her blouse has frilly lace in the front. Something about her intrigues Arthur.

The first time he ever laid eyes on Mary an electrical current surged through his system like waves crashing to the shore. She was beautiful and smart and she spoke like she knew the world belonged to her. He never felt deserving of her and he never was but for a while she let him believe it. She was beautiful and soft and she wasn’t … she wasn’t what he’d known all his life. And maybe that’s also part of what intrigued her when it came to him. The excitement and the unknown. But that novelty wore off for her rather quickly it seems. The night she broke the engagement and his heart, he doesn’t remember that night but he does remember the pain.

Looking at the woman in the corner, he doesn’t feel the excitement or the sense that he needs to have her in his life, the way he did with Mary. That doesn’t mean he’s unaware of his intrigue. As much as he doesn’t want to get involved with other people’s drama, he sure likes to hear their stories. After all, ain’t that what our life is made of? Stories. One after another. Sometimes you’re the main character and sometimes an onlooker. Sometimes your the hero and sometimes - sometimes you ain’t.

When she lifts her head though, a strange sensation floods through him. Though the dimly lit room doesn’t allow him to get a perfectly good look at her, Arthur can immediately read the sadness on her face. It’s radiating from her. He knows it ain’t his fault, at least not entirely but still, a pang of guilt settles in his stomach. A knowledge that he ain’t innocent in any of this either. Seeing her brings back all the heaviness and the weight that rests on his heart. It floods back in and clings to him like cigarette smoke.

He wants to leave now. Just get out of here and take Mouse for a ride through the fields and valleys and relish in the great wide somewhere. But he can’t. His legs feel like they’re stuck to the ground like flies on a honeypot. He feels guilt sometimes, about his deeds. Especially when the people don’t deserve his unkindness. He’s never really felt like this before. Then again, usually, they don’t have to face their doings again.

Drinking his third beer, he tries to ignore her. He genuinely does. It ain’t his fault and it ain’t his problem. Why should he care? No one asked her to pawn off her jewelry for a mistake she didn’t commit. Maybe that’s exactly the problem though, the knowledge that she’s a good person and the fact that Arthur voluntarily chose not to extend the same kindness towards her.

A commotion from the corner pulls his attention back towards her. A big burly man with a frizzy, unkept beard stands beside her table, leaning on it for support. A bottle dangles from his fingers and the sway in his posture tells Arthur that he’s way deep in by this point.

“I’m just tryin’ to be nice Miss. Ain’t no reason to get feisty on me.”

“Can you please let me enjoy my dinner in peace?”

“Come on sweetheart, lemme buy you a drink at least. Then maybe I can take you up to one of them rooms. How ‘bout that.”

“That’s disgusting and I said no!”

Though he can’t see her eyes, he’s sure they’re filled with the same fire and wrath that had been directed at him just a few weeks ago. With every moment passing, he gravitates more towards her, ready to jump in if the man got any more stupid ideas running through his head.

There’s a special place in hell for men who can’t extend a certain amount of respect towards the fair gender. He knows that even some men in his own group, his own family, often seem to forget that and Arthur is the first to call ‘em out on it. They call him soft for it but he doesn't think that’s him being soft as much as it’s him basically being raised by two men who value women for what they are. Smart and beautiful and human beings worthy of being treated with respect. Not objects for their own enjoyment and entertainment.

“Lady, I ain’t gonna be asking so nicely no more.”

“Is there a problem here?”

May’s eyes snap up towards Arthur as he approaches the table and he catches a glimpse of the flames, passionate and … pissed off. Though as they fall on him, a kind of calmness washes over her and he isn’t quite sure if he likes it or if it makes him nervous.

“Just a dispute between two lovers, ain’t that right Dove? None of your concern, buddy.”

“We ain’t lovers you delusional rat !”

Arthur can’t help but let out a laugh at her insult. It fits the guy, really, though his frame is broad and meaty, he’s got beady eyes and a long face.

“You better shut your mouth you-“

As the man lifts his arm, that’s when Arthur really sees red and takes a step in between him and May who, despite her best efforts, can’t suppress the worry and fear settling on her face.

“Nah, I suggest you shut up and get the fuck out of this place. They just fixed the window and it would be an awful mess if I had to break it again when I throw you out. Of course, I could also shoot or stab you right here right now but, I don’t think that’s in any of our best interests now, is it?”

Arthur’s voice is low and deep and though that’s both a result of bad genes and chain-smoking, it does come in handy every once in a while. Mary–Beth had once told him that it gives him a sense of perpetual danger and toughness.

The man stares at Arthur, unsure of what to do. His eyes then shift towards May, back to Arthur and back and forth one more time. Carefully he considers his next move and then — then he shrugs his shoulders in defeat, huffs out an annoyed sigh and turns around, leaving the saloon with the slam of a door.

“What a horrible horrible man.”

“Sorry about that”

May rests a gentle hand on Arthur’s arm and signals for him to sit down, which he does - reluctantly. Again she extends a kindness towards him he is severely undeserving of.

“What are you apologizing for? You ain’t don’t nothing wrong. “

“Oh, I’ve done plenty of things wrong in ma life.”

“I meant right then. What brings you here then, Mr. Morgan? Spending my money on a beer?”

Though she says it with a smirk and not a hint of malice, it still sends a sting to his chest though. He could ease his mind and tell her that he hasn’t sold the ring, hasn’t even put it in the camp’s collective. The earrings yes but not the ring. It still sits in his saddlebag waiting for — well he isn’t exactly sure what for.

“Just having a drink with ma friend over there and saving women from delusional rats it seems. What about you amiss Everly? What’s gotten you dressed up so fancy? You look like one of them ladies on the poster they hang by the theatre in Saint Denis.”

She scoffs then takes a bite of her lamb fry. “Glad you think so but unfortunately that ain’t no consolation to me.”

“What happened?”

He’s well aware that he has no right to ask her about it. They hardly know each other and yet she’s been so open and forward from the first second she opened her mouth that day he came around the Downes Ranch, it doesn’t feel strange asking her about it. It feels natural. Like the right thing to do.

“ Well since Thomas ain’t doing good and I’m looking for a new place of work I thought about finally taking a leap and making my dream come true. But, as you know, I am no woman of a big fortune nor do I come from a family of money. I was trying to get a loan from the bank of Valentine but …. no luck.”

“Huh, ‘m sorry about that.” He’s not exactly sure what he’s sorry about. The fact that Mr. Downes is dying or the fact that she wasn’t granted a loan. Or maybe both. Probably a bit of both.

“Ah,” she shrugs “I’d already expected this outcome. Some big-shot oil tycoon from Saint Denis already has his eyes on my piece of land anyway so the money is only the first obstacle.”

“Piece of land? You wanna become a rancher now?”

May lets out a sweet chuckle, “ No. I wanna be a teacher. I want to build a school for Valentine.”

“A school? What for?”

“Well … to teach. The world is changing, Mr. Morgan. We’re living in the age of progress but what good does it do us if we have machines taking us anywhere and everywhere when we can’t read even the most simple of instructions? We owe it to the children to start the progress with them.”

Arthur has never set a single foot inside a real school all he’s ever learned he learned on the road. From Dutch and Hosea. Reading and writing were never something he was particularly fond of learning but now that he’s older, even he can admit that it’s a big advantage in life.

“If you say so.”

“I do. I taught Archie to read. Edith too. I think it’s a luxury we should all be able to afford.”

“ Well, I ain’t gonna disagree with that. Let me buy you a drink.”

She takes the last bite of her lamb, then wipes up the remaining gravy with a potato, before softly tapping a napkin to her lips. “That’s very sweet of you but I should go. I have a room at the hotel for the night and I’m quite concerned that if I agree to one drink I will agree to more and then I won’t make it to my room and that’s just money wasted now ain’t it.”

For a second he wants to be brash. Wants to tell her that he wouldn’t mind making sure she gets to her room safe and sound. Wouldn’t mind joining her there. But while he lets himself think it, it just ain’t his personality to speak those words. Especially not to a woman who shows him kindness time and time again when all he ever does is disappoint and do the wrong things.

“Alright, Miss. You stay safe out there. I sincerely hope it all works out for you. With that school and all. “

May places her small hand on his stubbly cheek, warm from the alcohol coursing through his system and the gentle touch of a woman.

“Oh don’t make this sound like a goodbye. Our paths will cross again, I know so. Trust me, Arthur!”

He likes the way his name sounds falling from her lips. Likes her warm smooth skin on his. Like the sincerity in her eyes and the fire softly burning beneath it. He likes this girl and that’s one scary thought. Ain’t nothing good ever happened to the girls he liked.

“You have a good night, Miss Everly.”

As he returns to the bar, Lenny already fixes Arthur with a look of amusement and mischief. His eyes are glossed over from the drinks and his balance don’t seem to work quite as he’d like.

“So who was that pretty lady?”

Just the woman he hasn’t been able to get out of his head since he met her. The one he’s been sketching in his diary over and over again. The one he ain’t don’t right by. The one that’s way too good for him.

“No one. Just some girl. Now how about another drink, Lenny ma boy?”

The night goes by in a flash. It’s a blur of yelling and dancing and laughing and fighting. Of searching for Lenny, several times. Of walking into a room he has no business walking into. Of making friends and enemies. And then fade to black.

That is until the next day when the midday sun beats mercilessly down onto his tired body, slumped against the trunk of a mostly barren tree. It’s the sun that wakes him up. The sun and — her.

May stands before him like a goddess in an ancient story from a foreign country. The sun shines behind her veiling her in a golden glow, giving her a gleaming halo.

“Look at you, I told you our paths would cross again. Why are you down there?”

“Fell asleep.”

“On the floor?”

“It happens.”

His voice is rough with sleep and exhaustion from the night before. He ain’t as young as he used to be and nights like the previous one leave marks now. It’s something he doesn’t like to admit but something he has to come to terms with.

“I know it’s past noon but I can offer you some breakfast if you like,” May exclaims pointing towards her horse and the little wicker basket strapped to the saddlebag. “Well it’s lunch for me but breakfast for you. I got coffee too.”

Arthur rubs the sleep from his eyes and scratches his beard in contemplation. He’s got nothing to do today and he’s, he could be checking up on Dutch and his plans but with the way things are right now, he doesn’t really mind getting some time away from all that mess. Micah is also waiting for him in a cell in Strawberry but that’s so far down on Arthur’s list of things to do. That nasty son of a bitch can rot there for a while longer. Might do him some good, actually.

“Coffee sounds mighty fine.”

“Alright, you’ll have to follow me though. “

“Sure. Lemme get Mouse real quick. “

Arthur drags his tired body back towards the Saloon and a few minutes later he returns, now straddling Mouse and carrying a big bundle of fur on the back of his horse.

“What in the world is that,” May asks, swinging herself back onto Beans.

“Fur of a grizzly.”

“No way! You’re a hunter, then?”

The two of them fall into a slow trot next to each other with May walking just a tad in front of him leading the way.

“Ain’t much of a hunter. Just pure luck. Had help from my —“

What exactly was Hosea to him? His father, kind of but it wouldn’t feel right calling him that. He had had a father, albeit a pretty poor example of it. But he’s more than a friend. He’s family.

“ from a family member.”

“I think you’re allowed to take pride in this, Arthur. It’s a nice fur and it seems like it was one big fella. That’s something not a lot of people can do. Allow yourself to be proud.”

Pride, Arthur knows, makes men do foolish things. It makes them feel invincible. Makes them stop paying attention. It leaves them vulnerable. Pride ain’t doing no one no good.

“Whatever. Where we going anyway?”

“Oh, I’m just going to break my own heart real quick,” May says as if it’s a completely normal thing to exclaim.

They gallop on for a short while until she stops at the top of a small hill. Slowly, not moving her eyes away from the patch of land before her, she gets off of her horse and takes the wicker basket. “Come, let’s sit down by the trees.”

A row of oak trees provides some shade from the burning sun as they sit down on the warm prairie grass. For a moment the world is still. Not silent but still. Soft and comfortable. The scent of coffee fills the air, waves along with the desert winds. The mug May hands to him, it’s warm in his hand and for the first time in a long time, Arthur feels at peace with himself and the world.

“This is it,” May announces and, arms spread out wide, gestures to the land before them.

“Well I must say, this is quite impressive,” Arthur humors her, voice laced with sarcasm.

“Oh, you big oaf. Stop making fun of me. This is the piece of land I wanted to buy. The school was supposed to sit right there. Walking distance for the children of Valentine and the surrounding ranches. Now it belongs to Mr. Robert Montgomery and god knows what he’ll put here.”

“I’m real sorry about it. I ain’t ever really had a dream like that but I bet it’s not a nice feeling. It’s a damn shame too. Can see you teaching them kids some things.”

“Yeah?”

“Sure.”

She looks wistfully across the valley, a glimpse of longing sparkling in her eyes. “It’s all I've wanted to do since I was a little girl. My daddy never had much and he wasn’t a good man but he was honest and he was a hard worker. My momma was soft and sweet like honey. She made him more gentle. Made life sweet for him. They both came from nothing but when they had me they wanted to make sure they gave me everything I needed to survive in this world. To make something of myself. Momma learned to read and write from an older lady who lived across the street and taught it to me and my daddy. From him, I learned to fish, to hunt, to skin and prepare animals. I think with the way they gave me all this knowledge they wanted me to become good at something and make that my crime. Instead, I became passionate about sharing knowledge. About giving this education to other children. That’s where our future rests, ain’t it? The children?”

She’s right. Whenever he looks at Jack. Whenever he watches Abigail or John look at Jack, all he sees is the hope that he turns out better. That his life doesn’t rest with them. That there is more for him than robbing and plundering.

“Do you have children?”

It’s an innocent question but it manages to hurt him more than any other question probably could. It reaches all the dark corners of his heart he tries so hard to ignore. He doesn’t have children, but he had. Past tense. Ring a father, another role he failed at filling. He ain’t never been a good father to Isaac. He wasn’t there when it mattered. Wasn’t there when they killed him for a meager 10$.

“Nah.”

“Did you go to school?”

Arthur scoffs a laugh at that, imagining himself young and wild sitting in a classroom with a bunch of other rowdy kids.

“No. Never. I was taught how to write and read by my family. Like you.”

“See, I told you we ain’t so different.”

Her smile, it sends another shiver through him. Not uncomfortable but oh so scary. She doesn’t know the kind of person he is. The one he really is. A bad person. The goddamn villain of the story.

Everything in him screams at him to go. To leave her alone. To not get in any deeper. But for one day, just this one time, he wants to allow himself to relish in a what-if. So he stays and they relax in the shade as the sun fills the valleys with rays of gold.

They stay there for so long, that Arthur is sure the sun has turned his skin a shade of red. When they get back on their horses, he notices the crown of white daisies sitting on top of Mouse’s head. A crown matching the one adoring May’s. The white flowers shine atop her flowing red locks like little stars when the setting sun is coloring the sky a blood-red but the stars have come out to play already.

Her hair is down for the first time since he’s met her and she looks beautiful. Like the wilderness and the calm all at once.

“Thanks for listening to my dreams, Arthur Morgan.”

“Thanks for sharing them, May Everly.”

Her name sounds sweet on his tongue.

“Now don’t look so blue. We'll meet again, I know it. I was right last time, wasn’t I?”

“You were.”

And as she rides away, red hair flowing in the wind like the wings of a Phoenix, Arthur hopes she’s right again this time. He ain’t ready to let go of the way she makes him see the world and her and himself. Not yet.

#arthur morgan x oc #arthur morgan imagine #arthur morgan imagines #arthur morgan fanfic #arthur morgan fanfiction #red dead redemption fanfic #red dead redemption fanfiction #red dead redemption imagine #red dead redemption imagines #rdr2 fanfic #rdr2 fanfiction #rdr2 imagine #rdr2 imagines

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yibuo · 4 years

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love your hot takes! was wondering if you could give your two cents on shipping/rpf in relation to idol culture, how more often than not these pairings are subtly if not overtly used as a marketing tool etc. I’m all for freedom of expression / fandom consumption as long as the fourth wall is respected but given recent developments in c-ent I feel like we’re treading on thinner and thinner ice....

EDIT you asked for my two cents and i gave u my entire bank account. nice

ok i wasn’t sure how to answer this tbh without possibly getting attacked but i have a pretty strong opinion of rpf/shipping and how people take it to the extremes and i talked to oomf who validated me so here i go

tldr i mean people can take part in shipping/rpf if they want to and if they keep it lowkey but there’s a boundary as to how far shipping/rpf can go and there are too many instances of where people insert rpf/shipping in places that are unacceptable and this goes for all real ppl pairings

i’m not meaning to offend anyone, and in no way are my opinions discriminatory, but also, if you’re someone who’s gonna make HUGE stretches regarding to celebrities and push your favorite ships in totally unrelated things, maybe you should step back and think about how your actions can affect your favorite people

and i’m totally stealing this from oomf, but here’s a thought: if you ask yourself 'if i met this person irl, would i feel embarassed if they looked me in the eyes and i read this out loud to them' and if the answer is 'i would look like a pervert stalker' then like........maybe don't do what you’re doing?

pls respect ur faves is all n don’t make them uncomfortable ! ! and also pls don’t fetishize same sex relationships !

anyway

ok so let me start by saying i’m a seventeen stan and when i was 15-16 y/o i shipped svt members, read rpf, etc, but never really was into overanalyzing every touch or gaze. i obviously enjoyed my favorite pairings interact and i read romantic fics about them. i wasn’t really into reading smut because for me, personally, fics using the members’ names and personalities even in au kinda made smut feel like visualizing the members in a sexual context and i felt like i was crossing a fan boundary, like, would my idol be comfortable with me seeing them in a sexual context with another member they tell us they consider as friends/brothers/sisters? or just in general, would they be comfortable with me thinking of them sexually? but hey, if it was a good fic i would just skip over the smut because good fics are good fics. now idk if it’s because i’m older, or other changes? i don’t really do romantic shipping or read rpf, i stick to reading fics about fictional characters because that’s what makes me comfortable (like if i ever rb two members’ interactions on my main, i stick to just tagging the members instead of their ship name, same goes on here for real people) and i still very much am uncomfortable w/ real people smut literature and art, but that’s just me

ok you see shipping a lot in idol culture because idols are in groups and members spend a good 90% of their time together, so whatever cute interactions you see kinda lead to people shipping two (or more ig) members. i never really thought about idol shipping culture from a marketing perspective, so i asked some of my friends, and one of them made a really good point about how some ships are more popular than others, and these interactions on shows and stuff might be a strategic/marketing tactic to lure in new fans because of the “ships” being cute. i don’t know how true this actually is, but it kinda made sense. for example, in svt, mingyu x wonwoo is a super popular ship, compared to ships like the8 x vernon which no one ever talks about, even though we know that all the members love each other equally and wholeheartedly. so yeah, there probably is a subtle pushing of certain ships in order to gain momentum in attracting more fans to the group

also i’m gonna be using wonwoo and mingyu as examples but i’m not targetting anyone or anything, just hypothetical situations w/ an idol ship that i noticed to affect the members because how out-of-control SOME stans are

so as i said in my tldr, i don’t really mind romantic shipping, as long as it’s 1) lowkey 2) not pushed in places that it doesn’t belong and 3) not mentioned among the members

keeping it lowkey- pushing ships in everyone’s faces gets annoying. sometimes fans just want to enjoy idols’ content as they give it to us and frankly, it’s a little offputting when you’re trying to watch something or enjoy something and hoards of fans are fangirling over a gaze or a touch between 2 members. keep it on your private acct, or in a group chat, not in the youtube comment section of the video. but still, men and women are allowed to touch each other and show affection without it being romantic, and i feel like shipping culture kinda invalidates the platonic relationship. like unless a pairing is confirmed to be dating, why even bother with overanalyzing these gazes or touches. and no, it’s not homophobic for non-rpf fans to be annoyed, because sometimes fans just want to see the members as they portray themselves to be rather than finding a deeper (and unconfirmed) meaning behind every small thing. fans being like “bro it’s just the touch of two hands it’s not that deep” is not the same thing as fans going “ewww i’m’ not supporting them if they’re not straight” . and sometimes i feel like people try to twist non-rpfers words and call them homophobic if they’re not for shipping when sometimes people don’t wanna romantically visualize 2 people if they’re an unconfirmed couple. how can you use lgbt struggles, which is an issue in society, to fight against people who simply don’t do rpf?? how are you use that as a weapon and for what ??? (also a good amount of people who do this are lgbt fetishizers who aren’t lgbt themselves bye i said it) why can’t we all jus be friends dudes

ok but if you’re against your idols dating someone of the same gender, that’s homophobic and you needa get that checked

but that’s different from treating two members as friends rather than bfs

but this being lowkey concept applies to any pairing, straight or gay, just keep it lowkey dudes. (like for ex we see yibo and meng meiqi shippers, which also doesn’t make sense to me because it’s based off of literal crumbs but ok) it’s ok to be rpfer or non-rpfer as long as you’re respecting the idols and keeping their best interests in mind

respect ur faves pls

not pushed in places that it doesn’t belong- people need to stop bringing up ships and pairings in randomass places. for example, if wonwoo is doing a interview, with mingyu being nowhere in sight, and he’s talking about his hobbies and interests without ever mentioning mingyu, what’s the need to bring up mingyu?? people do it and it’s so... weird? like wonwoo can do things without being constantly associated mingyu? one of my BIGGEST pet peeves is when shippers make these ships such a HUGE part of a members’ identitiy, when the members are doing so much w/ their lives? like no, not every move wonwoo makes, and every breath he takes is related to mingyu, but people still wanna have the audacity to mention mingyu in something completely unrelated? what’s your point?

RESPECT UR FAVES

not mentioned among the members in an uncomfy manner- like if you’re interacting with a real person, why are you gonna bring up a ship they’re included in when you have so many other things to talk about?? like ok it’s one thing to ask someone on a livestream “hey this event you guys did on xxxx show was funny, what’s the tea behind that” but it’s not okay to just mention a ship with no relation and no context to the situation. again, this counts as rpf-ers and shippers attributing a single ship to an idol’s identity much more than what it actually counts as. no, wonwoo is not 70% made of mingyu lover and vice versa. we actually saw this between mingyu and wonwoo as people kept pushing meanie (the ship) to their faces, and we saw (and still see) a much more decreased amount of interaction between them compared to them predebut, because shippers couldn’t stay in their lane. so yes, out-of-control shipping DOES affect idols and can be harmful to their relationships if you don’t control it

^ so y’all see why i feel so strongly about this, because it literally can affect these idols’ relationships on screen

JUST RESPECT UR FAVES

again, this applies for any pairing of any sexuality, i’m just using wonwoo x mingyu as an example because it’s something i saw when i was into rpf. i love both mingyu and wonwoo and they are wholesome together. i have friends who ship them and i’m completely ok with that because they do it without posing any harm to the members, but some people just need to take a chill pill and a seat and calm down ????

so i completely understand that shipping/rpf serves as a creative outlet for lgbt+ folks and that’s completely fine, inspiration, love, cool cool cool. just don’t be so pushy about small interactions especially directly to idols. and as for rpf-ers, don’t let rpf give you a reason to start fetishizing same-sex relationships, that shits weird and problematic...pls

again, if you ask yourself 'if i met this person irl, would i feel embarassed if they looked me in the eyes and i read this out loud to them' and if the answer is 'i would look like a pervert stalker' then like........maybe don't do what you’re doing?

lol so this is why i’m much more comfortable w/ fictional shipping, because these people don’t exist in the real world and don’t have actual lives and relationships to protect

just respect ur faves omg and we’ll be fine

“given recent developments in c-ent” and me being a yibo stan and you sending me this strongly leads me to believe you’re referring to out of control bjyx cpf (yizhan shippers) LOL

i don’t follow much c-ent besides xnine, uniq, r1se, and sometimes unine and the nine percent members, and honestly im not too into the fan culture so i dont follow ships there? so i’ll focus on. this ship

to be completely honest, shipping for idol groups makes some sense to me because idol group members are with each other most of the time, that’s literally their job

shipping actors who haven’t confirmed that they’re dating/no proof doesn’t really make sense to me at all--they work on one project together, and they’re off to their next., with or without each other . we don’t know if they keep in contact every day, much less if they’re into each other, but each to their own! my opinions and takes aren’t perfect and as long as you’re respecting your faves, it is ok~

ok so i’ll start of with saying: obviously, i love yibo. i love xiao zhan. they’re cute nd wholesome and evidently had good times together and learned a lot from each other regarding acting and being in the industry and just developing as people together. good for them, we love character development. amazing

is pushing bjyx a marketing tactic? most definitely yeah by tencent thanks tencent. i think you can see this through the amount of bts videos there are with just bjyx in comparison to other bts videos/interviews, even though there are many more important characters apart from wwx and lwj in cql, we don’t see as much side cast interactions as bjyx, and if we do, there aren’t that many w/ other cast members and yibo and xiao zhan?? relatively speaking

so yeah i think pushing this yibo x xiao zhan thing definitely was a tactic to further the momentum that wangxian was already having to attract stans, and it worked. like i LOVE watching yibo and xiao zhan bts videos because they are two goofs. love them. love my boys. love their camaraderie. and if people wanna ship, then go ship. cool! just be casual pls

i think where this becomes a problem is when people start projecting wangxian’s relationship onto yibo and xiao zhan because...the latter are real people. yibo and xiao zhan =/= wangxian !!!!!! (ok first of all yibo is a gremlin how can he be the wang in wangxian in real life) what wyb and xz show us in videos is nowhere near what wangxian is hJKNDJNWD and i see so many people just equate the two pairings...nooo... and combining everything mxtx writes about wangxian in the novel and projecting that onto wyb and xz...i don’t think that’s the move dudes they have their own lives they’re not wangxian

my BIGGEST pet peeve is when people wholly credit wyb’s development as an actor and as a person to xz and vice versa. i cannot tell you how many times i see posts saying “wyb brought xz out of his shell” and vice versa and things like “xz looks like he’s having much more fun than he is when he’s with xnine, they’re soulmates” and etc

both wyb and xz have had years of industry experience before getting to know each other. they’ve gone through some of the lowest points of their careers before even getting to know each other well, and they’ve both found Their People in the industry before finding each other. to say that wyb brought xz out of his shell in a summer’s worth of filming based on some bts videos is just so unfair to the bonds xz has made with his other colleagues and xnine members and the accomplishments he’s had before cql. same with wyb and his career prior to cql. and his uniq members, his ttxs bros, and all his other colleagues. these 2 have gone through some shit with their idol groups and it’s just not fair for cpfs to erase the significance of their career prior to cql to support and find a leverage for their shipping. i’m not saying all cpfs do this, but there is a Good Amount That Do and it pisses fans like me off

they are not each others saviours bye

also “xz looks like he’s having much more fun than he is when he’s with xnine, they’re soulmates”, if you guys ever watch xnine videos, you’ll know that xnine is Loud. with members like wu jiacheng and peng chuyue being so loud and extroverted, it kinda makes xiao zhan relatively quieter. but he’s still a gremlin and troublemaker and it’s not like he isn’t having fun. he’s just louder w/ yibo because yibo is more introverted than xz. relationship dynamics are relative to the relationship cmon people !!!! this is basic knowledge !!!! anyway that was a side tangent but ya

but ya my point is, wyb and xz have their own careers and they’re doing their own things now, and it’s unnecessary to bring up xz in an unrelated wyb post/article and vice versa, and it’s just so so unnecessary to link them in everything??? like i heard that cpfs prevented xz from keeping his nomination for an award because yibo wasn’t nominated so xz lost the nomination ./rolls eyes

anyway my point being, if you wanna ship them then go ahead! just do it normally and don’t bring up the ship in unrelated places (like other dramas, tv shows, etc where they’re not together), don’t spam them with bjyx related things, don’t make weird stretches/connections?? the other day on twt i saw a twt about uniq wenhan’s drama, where he was being referred to as xiao zhan (little zhan) in the drama (different “xiao” and “zhan” characters than actor xz’s name) and i saw cpfs go “omg theYRE CALLING HIM XIAO ZHAN??? IS THIS FATE OR” like no it isnt maam it’s just a name stop reaching

ANYWAY UNNECESSARY SIDE RANTS BUT MY MAIN POINT is that people are allowed to be shippers and take part in rpf, but don’t make their identities “____’s lover”, don’t look past their current and past achievements for the sake of your ship, don’t erase their relationships with other people for the sake of your ship, stop bringing your ship into things that are only related to one person/aren’t related to your ship, stop saying creepy things about your ship (if you think the ship people would be uncomfrotable with what you say about them you probably shouldn’t be saying it)

just. respect ur faves pls no matter who they’re with ...just respect them ty

stan yibo stan xiao zhan stan uniq stan xnine

comment ur fav yibo and xiao zhan moment below

like comment subscibe

ok bye mic drop

#this is long please dont read #dont hurt me #bye #reply #if u make ur favs uncomfy im sending huo mala to eat u #Anonymous

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sowingseedsandshootinghoops · 4 years

Text

How to Find Ways to Acknowledge the Experience of an “Other”

Note on the text: Self Made Man: One Woman’s Year as a Man by Norah Vincent as published by Penguin Books in 2007

Everyone has probably wondered at some time or another what it would feel like to be a member of the opposite sex. That’s what pushed Norah to create the character of Ned, and for a whole year she got a taste of what it feels like to be a man in the modern world. Now as someone who is a man, none of her revelations really surprised me. What did surprise me was her humility, specifically her ability to admit that even after a year of going through the world as a male that she still did not fully understand what the male experience is.

Let me try to be more specific. We live in a world full of people who are struggling to understand and empathize with each other. It seems like a lot of people’s knee jerk reaction these days is to simply discount and/or ignore what they cannot understand. So if one person comes forward and talks about his or her experience of the world, and that experience does not line up with another person’s experience of it, that second person is liable to do whatever they can to discredit the experience of the first. To call them crazy, or say that they are somehow mistaken, or that there is a another, easier explanation for what happened to that person that does not involve radically one’s word view.

It’s not had to see real world examples of this. In 2017 when the #MeToo movement took it really exposed the dark underbelly of American society. Everyone, especially men, were deeply disturbed at the amount of sexism faced by women every day. More than the acts themselves however, these stories revealed just how different a woman’s experience of the world is from a man’s. How their perception of the world, as a result of those experiences, differs greatly from ours. For too long, men have found ways to ignore the women who were brave enough to come forward and tell their stories. The stories they were telling did not match up with our experiences of men, and who we thought men were, and rather than try to adapt ourselves in such a way that we could account for their world view we just ignored it. It was easier that way. It was easier to ignore what the women were saying than it was to admit that there was a possibility that we were wrong, or that at least our perception of what men were was somehow incomplete. So we said that they were exaggerating, or that they needed to dress more conservatively, or that they were somehow “asking for it”. We even sought to blame them for men’s lustful thoughts. Which is just terrible. We thought that because we live in the same world as women, and encounter the same men that they do, that we knew what their experience of the world was, and that therefore we had the authority to simply discount any account of the world that did not line up with ours. Which, in case it wasn’t obvious, we don’t. Every person has a unique perception of the world because of the way in which they experience it, and that perception of the world is neither better nor worse than anyone else’s. Everyone’s experience of the world is equally valid, and to simply ignore another person’s account of the world because it does not line up with our own is extremely unjust.

A similar thing happened more recently in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder and the Black Lives Matter movement. Although many people, including white people, were horrified when they saw the video of George Floyd, a defenseless black man, being murdered by a white cop, there were plenty of white people who struggled with who to incorporate what they saw on that video screen, and what other black people were telling them about their experiences with cops, with what they had experiences with cops were and what they “knew” cops to be. But again, rather than adapt their world view in such a way that they could incorporate what black people were saying about cops into their worldview regarding said cops, it was easier for those white people (again it was not all white people) to simply ignore the information that was being presented to them. They started saying things like “He must have done something to provoke those cops”, or “Racism? That’s not a thing anymore. We had a black president”. Again, any experience or worldview that does not line up with our own simply gets thrown out. Again, we assume that because we walk in the same world as black people physically, and even have experiences with the same cops that they do, that our experience with those cops must be the same as theirs and if it isn’t than it means that they are somehow wrong.

As a side note, before diving into the book itself, I’ve never understood how people can be so arrogant as to believe that they are right and everyone else is wrong. Such an extreme level of arrogance is both extremely infuriating and a more than a little confusing to me. I was in a record store once and stumbled upon a compilation album entitled “50,000,000 Elvis fans can’t be wrong”. Clearly there are people out there who disagree. But I’ve never understood how someone can be so confident in what they think they know that they are willing to completely discredit, and outright ignore, what is being told to them by tens of thousands of others. Do they really think that every black person, every woman etc in the world has gotten together and conspired to them all the same lie? Isn’t easier to assume instead that there must be some truth to what they are saying even if you cannot understand it? Doesn’t Occam’s razor apply as much here as it does anywhere else? I simply don’t understand. . . .

Regardless, I doubt anyone has gone through the same amount of trouble to put themselves in the shoes of another person as Norah did. For her to spend a year living as a male in order that she might be understand the male experience is extraordinary. So it surprise me to see the level of humility that she showed when describing what she experienced as Ned. She knew that her experiences were her own, that her perception of what it means to be a man were her own, and she didn’t use her own experience to discredit the experience of other people, especially other men:

Nothing I say here will have any value other except as one person’s observations about her own experience. What follows is just my view of things, myopic, and certain inapplicable to something [as] grand as a pronouncement of gender in American society. My observations are full of my own prejudice and preconceptions though I have tried as much as possible to qualify them accordingly. This book is a travelogue. . . a woman’s eye view of one guy’s approximated life, not an authoritative guide to the vast and variegated terrain of manhood in America (17).

In other words she knows and is willing to admit that, despite her intense amount of research and the way that she completely submerged herself in this research project, that she does not have the right to discount the experiences of others, especially other males, even if those experiences directly contradict her own. This is surprising especially when you consider the fact that there are a lot of people out there that are not willing to make the same concession despite the fact that they have never even tried to actually walk in the shoes of another person. Those people who discount the experiences of black people, women, members of the LGBT community etc, have never tried as hard to walk around in their world as Norah did to try and walk around in the world of men. To some extent, it would have made sense if she wanted to pound her chest and declare that she had learned something absolute about the world of men and that anyone who disagreed with her was wrong. The fact that she didn’t is extremely impressive.

It is high time to stop discrediting the experiences of those who are different to us. It’s hard sometimes to incorporate those worldviews and merge them with our own, but that does not mean that they should be ignored. No one person’s worldview is inherently better than another’s. They’re just different. There’s a story about a bunch of men who enter into a cave that is pitch black to touch an elephant. Every man touches a different part, one touches the tusks, another the ears, another the elephant’s feet etc, and when they get out they all have contradictory opinions of what an elephant is based on the part of the elephant that they touched. They all had a distinctly different experience of the elephant, but none of them were really wrong. They were just limited by the amount of information given to them through their experience, just as we all are. We are all limited in the number of things that we can experience about the world, and therefore are limited in what we can directly learn about it. That is why it is so important than we listen to each other and not simply ignore what the other person says. They might simply be touching a different part of the elephant called life

#norahvincent #metoo #blm #georgefloyd #experience #listentoeachother #everyoneisunique #selfmademan

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another-dr-another · 4 years

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Higa - Soccer Player

[He looks like a total academic type- he’s wearing a sweater vest over his dress shirt, and overall seems well-groomed]

Maeda, narrating - ...

Maeda - I kinda feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before...

Maeda - ...I spend a non-zero amount of time on social media, so that’s probably it.

Maeda - Which... raises the question of if he’s made some large intellectual breakthrough, or if he’s a celebrity.

Maeda - ...Either way, just looking at him... he kinda looks pretentious. I feel judged, and he hasn’t even said a word to me.

~*~

Maeda - Hello, my-

//The boys eyes snap to Maeda, immediately narrowing. His eyes slowly trail down, with the disgust on his face growing more and more apparent the more that he sees. The fact that he’s being judged is not lost on Maeda.

Maeda - ...My name is Maeda Yuki, I’m-

??? - Yeah, Lucky Student, I’m aware...

??? - Have you... looked into that program at all?

??? - Hopes Peak used to be a prestigious school, only for the best students in the world.

??? - You can still find the cream of the crop here, but...

//His disdainful expression turns more into one of contempt.

??? - ...God, there’s no way to diminish this-

??? - These attempts at “broadening the student pool, extending our reach” are really just bringing down the quality of the school.

Maeda - ...Excuse me?

??? - Don’t get upset with me for stating the facts; did you hear about the international expansion, in the United States?

??? - They start accepting lesser students, from lesser nations...

??? - It’s all just a stupid ploy to pander to those people who whine about how they’re not getting special treatment when they refuse to contribute to society.

??? - I mean, seriously... half the students here are either delusional, or disabled-

??? - This is worse than the discriminatory “equal gender acceptance rate” policy- at least that wasn’t coddling the cripples...

Maeda - Fuck, Jesus! What is wrong with you? Fucking... nationalist bigot, dear God...

Maeda - I don’t- what’s your name, and your talent?

??? - Higa Mitsuhiro, Soccer Player.

-{Higa Mitshiro, Super High School Level Soccer Player ~ 8th Student}-

Higa - You may recognize my family name- my father held the same title.

Maeda - No, you nepo-freak, because I’m not down on my knees for Hopes Peak’s history.

Maeda - I- something’s wrong with you, Higa. I don’t know where you got that bullshit from, but at the least, you should know not to start conversations like that.

Maeda - Like... social decency, if not respect for other people.

Higa - What, like anything I said was wrong?

Higa - And it’s not my fault if you take offense to that-

//Higa quickly looks Maeda over again.

Higa - ...

Higa - You know, despite the whole feminist outrage thing, most girls don’t want weak men...

Maeda - ...Wait, because of what I’m wearing?

Maeda - I- because of my clothing?

Higa - Yeah, you’re dressed like a queer-

Higa - ...Well, maybe you don’t care about how women feel about you-

Maeda - Oh my God, I just wanted to introduce myself-

Higa - Are you trying to make a move on me?

Maeda - Never. Never in a thousand years would I do that.

Higa - Uh-huh...

Higa - ...Wait, I read about you-

Higa - Are your clothes just hand-me-down? Is that why you’re dressed like that, because you couldn’t find anything decent to wear at Mode Off?

Maeda - Y-You’re... are you making fun of me because of my financial-

Higa - Mhm... I mean, there’s no shame in it- if you’re dressed so girly because you had to borrow your mom’s clothing, then that’s the way it is.

Maeda, stunned - ...

Higa - Yeah, thought so.

Maeda - Th-that isn’t true, you-

Maeda - You’re really fucking rude, Higa.

Maeda - It’s brave of you to be going around talking shit about literally everyone when Hopes Peak has policies against that, but your bravery is all you have going for you, and it honestly feels a lot more like stupidity.

Higa - What, like you’re going to go cry to teacher that I’m hurting your feelings?

Higa - This school is lucky to have me, and I doubt I’ll get any repercussions for refusing to be silenced.

Higa - I’m free to say whatever I want, and you can’t argue with the truth- I’m just saying what everyone else is too scared to say.

Maeda - ...Get fucked, man... I’m done talking with you, you’re just a self-assured asshole.

//Maeda starts walking away.

Higa - Yeah, go back to your echo chamber once you realize you can’t argue against my points.

~*~

Maeda, narrating - ...Did that actually just happen?

Maeda - I... is there any social issue he missed in that one conversation?

Maeda - ...

//He fidgets with his clothes a bit.

Maeda - Idiot... there’s nothing wrong with how I dress- it’s just what I want to wear.

Maeda - ...It’s hard to not get upset when people’s comments get so personal-

Maeda - Wait, speaking of how people dress: if he’s a soccer player, why is he dressed like such an academic?

Maeda - That’s...odd.

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insufferable-know-it-all-blog · 4 years

Text

A Ranking of the Gayest American Girl Dolls

When it comes to lesbian subtext in the American Girl series, there's so much to unpack. Today I'll be discussing the 6 girls I deem the gayest.

Honorable Mentions

Felicity

Tomboy and horse girl. Has a companion doll. She hates learning etiquette. The Jiggy Nye redemption arc in her series is better than Snape's redemption arc, in my opinion. You may think she’s gayer than an honorable mention, but I think her traits read as “see this is a good and interesting colonist! She’s not like other girls uwu” as opposed to gayness. I am open to debate on the matter.

Addy

Her stories are much higher stakes than most of the other dolls', so the most time we have for subtext comes in her short stories and in her relationship with her friend Sarah. For example:

An enemies-to-lovers fic where Addy and Harriet are grown up could be veeeery interesting though.

Certified WLW (women-loving women)

6. Molly

Molly's lesbianism is more quantifiable than some of the other dolls. Some contributing factors are:

- bad at math

- lots of internalized self-loathing

- obsessed with her teacher Miss Campbell/daydreams about how pretty she is/snoops into her love life

- her OUTFITS

5. Josefina

Josefina Montoya is a Historical Doll (now called BeForever) from 1824 living in what would later become New Mexico. She's a soft girl with aspirations of becoming a healer. She's scared of goats and has a cool aunt, Tía Dolores.

Much of her stories revolve around adjusting to life after the death of her mother, and her relationship with Tía Dolores.

I don't want to gloss over this: there's a lot of discussion (in the stories and in the historical information at the back of each book) of colonialism and America's treatment of the west and those who live there.

There's also a fair amount of domestic tasks, playing music, and admiring flowers.

tldr; Josefina was the original cottagecore lesbian

4. Julie

If Molly's gayness isn't quite subtext, Julie's is canon. She's so lesbian-coded by way of lesbian stereotypes that I'm surprised a pride flag doesn't come with her accessories.

Julie petitions to join the boys basketball team, becomes an environmental activist, runs for student body president, and attends a Presidential debate. Her mom also has some very gay vibes, being a recently-divorced woman starting a career by opening a resale shop.

Julie lives in 1970s San Francisco and uses her privilege to lift up the voices of others and hold those in power accountable. Julie and her pet rabbit said gay rights.

3. Lindsey

Lindsey is the first Girl of the Year, released in 2001. She was also the first Jewish American Girl Doll. The title of the second chapter of her book is "What a Mess!" A mood. She’s not as well known so I’m going to fill you in a little bit more than with other dolls.

Lindsey is a flaming ball of chaos that ruins everything important to her family (according to herself.) Her story kicks off with her being disgusted to learn that her school is holding a "pet parade," which entails dressing pets up in human clothes and parading them around. She prepares a speech for her class to tell them off, but her teacher shuts her down. Lindsey doesn't take this well. She snatches an iguana and climbs up a tree in protest.

She plays the trumpet in her school band. One day she asks her band teacher if he has a girlfriend and she's very sad to learn he's single. How can he be happy without a woman to take care of him? Projecting much?

Lindsey also befriends a girl who is often bullied in school, cries in the bathroom (a gay ritual), and is told by her uncle, while dancing at her brother's bar mitzvah (post-Matzo ball food fight) that she is not a worm, and despite her chaos, is very loved.

Lindsey knows what she values and will throw food at your face or climb up a tree if you disrespect her. She also craves validation because she feels like a failure due to her unconventional approach to life. A lesbian icon in the making.

2. Kit

Kit spends six books telling you to fuck off with your gender roles, thank you very much. There's a lot of focus on Kit's life as a reporter and what her growing up during the depression will mean for her future expression of identity.

One part of her books that highlights Kit's relationship with gender roles and heteronormativity is when Ruthie reads fairy tales because she likes princesses, but Kit reads Robin Hood because she likes how he steals from the rich to give to the poor and tricks a sheriff. While Kit could become a case of "I'm not like other girls," I think this is avoided by her close friendship with Ruthie. She doesn't necessarily look down on traditional women's roles, she simply has other ambitions.

So yes, this part of her story is important, but what really sells it for me is her longing for adventure and her passion for baseball and Amelia Earhart.

Also? Her bomb outfits.

At one point, Kit gets anxious and hides under her porch. A lesbian oasis.

Kit is a practical and clever young lady with a bright future ahead of her. Keep up the great work, you icon.

1. Samantha

I have read, with my own two eyes, people calling Samantha a homophobe. Please.... I am so tired. Do not underestimate her like that. Let's dive in to the biggest lesbian of the bunch: Samantha Parkington.

Okay so first of all her series begins with her falling out of a tree and sassing her sexist Grandmary. From there, she grows close to Cornelia, her Uncle's girlfriend, who is involved in the fight for women's rights in the city. Samantha is heavily influenced by her and through the books, develops many of the same opinions.

When an Irish girl (Nellie) moves in next door to become a servant to Eddie Ryland's family, Samantha befriends her and teaches her to read. She never speaks down to Nellie or looks at herself as a savior, she just acts on what she thinks is right. The "Looking Back" sections of Samantha's books cover topics like social progress for women, the wealth gap, the treatment of servants, and the disparity in education between classes.

While Samantha follows in Cornelia's path, she also forms her own ideas. For instance: Samantha wins an essay contest with her essay on progress in American factories, and why America is excellent for such progress. When she shows Nellie her winning essay, Nellie tells her that it doesn't represent the truth of factories. Samantha sets out to uncover the truth about child labor that many Proud Americans have kept hidden. She decides she can't read her winning essay, so she changes it and calls out those who condone unfair labor in factories.

Samantha respects every person she comes across and always sees herself as an equal, not a superior. (Except her asshole neighbor, Eddie Ryland. He can choke!) Like Julie, Samantha uses her privilege to bring accountability to oppressors and fight for what's right.

Samantha loves women and won't rest until they all live safe, healthy, and happy lives. She questions the status-quo. She seeks revenge on the men who have made girls' lives hell. And she really loves her Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia. And climbing trees.

I imagine Samantha growing up and moving to New York City, hanging out in lesbian-owned speakeasies, and becoming a Mae West stan.

I'd love to hear your thoughts about American Girl subtext on twitter! If you enjoyed this article, please share it with a friend or two! Thank you for supporting an independent writer and American Girl stan.

#american girl #*

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theliberaltony · 4 years

Link

via Politics – FiveThirtyEight

For the past few months, Alicia Wertz has barely seen her husband. Since schools closed in their northern Alabama town in March, they’ve been single-mindedly focused on a single goal: making sure that someone was watching their three kids. At first, Wertz tried working from home. But she wasn’t getting anything done, so they tried splitting the hours: Wertz’s husband watches the children in the morning, then a sitter comes to relieve him in the afternoon until Wertz takes over when she returns from work.

“When we’re not working, we’re by ourselves with the children. It almost feels like you’re a single parent. All you do is go to work and care for the kids,” Wertz said.

In her mind, Wertz is counting down the days until schools reopen. But there’s a nagging worry at the back of her head — what if they don’t open at all? “The thought of [my kids] not going back in the fall is devastating,” Wertz said when we spoke in early July. “It raises this question of — if one of us has to stay home with the children, whose job is more important? I think it was something that we did have conversations about before, but COVID-19 has made it much worse.”

Wertz isn’t the only working mother for whom the thought of the fall calendar sparks both relief and dread. And what comes next could have disproportionate — and long-lasting — effects on the careers of countless women across the country. Studies have shown that women already shoulder much of the burden of caring for and educating their children at home; now, they’re also more likely than men to have lost their jobs thanks to the pandemic. And the collapse of the child care and public education infrastructure that so many parents rely on will only magnify these problems, even pushing some women out of the labor force entirely.

“We’re in danger of erasing the limited gains we’ve made for women over the past few decades, and especially women of color,” said Melissa Boteach, Vice President for Income Security and Child Care/Early Learning at the National Women’s Law Center.

The crux of the issue: Child care just isn’t as available as it was before the pandemic. Data provided to FiveThirtyEight by the job-search website Indeed shows that child-care services have been much slower to hire again (a useful proxy for re-opening) than other areas of the economy:

Combine that with the news that many schools will remain closed in the fall, and it’s easy to see the crisis at hand. If polling is any indication, the vast majority of the fallout is being weathered by mothers, who were already doing the majority of household work even before the pandemic began.

In 2015, the Pew Research Center asked parents about how they divide family responsibilities when both work full-time.1 Some tasks were split relatively evenly: Twenty percent of respondents said the mother disciplined children more, 17 percent said the father disciplined more, and 61 percent said that responsibility was shared equally. For every task, however, more respondents reported that the mother carried a greater amount of the load than those who said the father did — including areas involving managing children’s schedules, caring for children when they’re sick and handling household chores.

Moms usually shoulder more of the load at home

Share of parents in households with two full-time working parents who say each parent does more work in a given category, according to a Pew poll

Share of parents who say… Category Mother does more Father does more Work split equally Managing children’s schedules/activities 54% 6% 39% Taking care of sick children 47 6 47 Handling household chores, etc. 31 9 59 Playing/doing activities with children 22 13 64 Disciplining children 20 17 61

Based on 2015 poll by Pew Research, with a sample size of 531 respondents. The sample included male/female married couples only.

Source: Pew Research center

Along similar lines, Pew also found in a poll from 2019 that 80 percent of women living with a partner who had children did the primary grocery shopping and meal-preparation duties for their families. And according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ American Time Use Survey — which tracks the average amount of time people spend per day on different categories of activity — married mothers with full-time jobs spent 56 percent more time doing childcare and housework than corresponding fathers. By contrast, fathers spent more time on work-related tasks, travel and leisure activities.2

All that extra time moms spend really adds up

Daily time spent doing various activities by married parents of children under 18 who both worked full-time, according to the American Time Use Survey

Hours spent per day Activity Mothers Fathers Diff. Household activities 1.87 1.23 +0.64 Physical care for children 0.59 0.28 0.31 Child care – other 0.36 0.22 0.14 Child-related travel 0.25 0.13 0.12 Education-related activities 0.10 0.06 0.04 Reading with children 0.05 0.03 0.02 Playing/hobbies with children 0.27 0.29 -0.02 Total 3.49 2.24 1.25

Survey data covers the combined years of 2015 through 2019 and includes both opposite- and same-sex couples.

Source: bls.gov

Even under normal circumstances, it was difficult for mothers of young children to balance work against the heavy burden of child care. The BLS found that in 2019, the labor force participation rate for women with children under age 6 was 66.4 percent, well below the rate for women with children age 6 or older3 (76.8 percent). According to a 2014 survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, 61 percent of women who were out of a job and have young children listed “caretaking” as a reason why they were not employed. Forty-six percent of women who were out of a job and have older children said the same. To put that in perspective, only 10 percent of all respondents who were out of work gave caregiving as a reason.4

A similar strain is apparent in working mothers’ decisions to take unpaid leave, or even part-time jobs instead of full-time ones. According to that same census survey from 2014, 30 percent of women who were part-time workers with young children — and 19 percent of women with older children — said caretaking was a reason they worked part-time. (Among part-time workers, the overall share is just 7 percent.)5

Now, with schools closed and day cares struggling to remain open, even more women may conclude that the best — or perhaps the only — choice for their family and their own sanity is to reduce their hours, or even press “pause” on their career.

“Sometimes I’ll get to a point where I’m like, ‘I’m so tired, I’ll have to go part-time to make it all work,’” said Lee Dunham, a lawyer who lives in Delaware. Since the pandemic started, Dunham has been mostly responsible for her 10-month-old daughter during the day — which means her work day doesn’t start until 8 p.m. and usually wraps around 2 a.m.. “I’m just basically not getting enough sleep because I’m watching the baby 40 hours a week and doing my job 40 hours a week. It’s really rough.”

Dunham feels she’s lucky to have an understanding employer who told her earlier this year that they’d be cutting all of their employees some slack because of the pandemic. But at the time, she added, everyone was assuming day care would be up and running by mid-summer. “It might be that I have to dial back my hours, which of course means I will get paid less.”

This kind of calculus already depresses women’s wages and makes it harder for their careers to progress. According to the National Women’s Law Center, mothers are typically only paid 71 cents for every dollar paid to fathers. In fact, a lot of recent research into the gender pay gap has found that much of it is simply due to the constraints on working mothers. For instance, a 2018 analysis of data from Denmark — which offers a counterpoint to the United States in terms of social safety net, yet still has a very large and persistent gender wage gap — found that women’s earnings drop significantly after having their first child, while men’s earnings aren’t affected at all. And crucially, several studies in the U.S. and other countries have found that the trajectory of wages for women who don’t have children resembles those of men, whether they have kids or not (although some research has actually suggested that becoming a father can contribute to men’s career success).

This disparity is particularly intense for women of color. Black mothers are paid only 54 cents for every dollar paid to a white father, according to NWLC; for Latina mothers, it’s 46 cents. Low-income women of color are also among the likeliest to have lost their jobs in the current recession. And they’re disproportionately likely to be the child-care workers who are being asked to come back to work, sometimes in unsafe working conditions, for low wages. “We’re in a vicious cycle where we need child care as one of the tools to get women to equal pay, and yet unequal pay is one of the primary reasons that women are pushed into staying home,” Boteach said.

Leaving the workforce, even if it’s just for a year or two, has ripple effects that can follow a woman for the rest of her life, even depressing her earnings in retirement. Finding a new job after a few years on hiatus can be very difficult for mothers, who may be stereotyped as less serious about their careers because they took time off to be with their children. One study from 2007 found that mothers were perceived to be less competent than fathers, and their recommended salaries were also lower.

During this pandemic, you can already see the disproportionate impact taking shape. The unemployment rate for women in April was 16.2 percent, higher than it has been in any month since at least 1948, before dropping to 11.7 percent in June — a percentage point higher than the rate for men (10.6 percent). Even more striking, labor force participation for women dipped to 54.7 percent in April before rising to 56.1 percent last month. Both of those numbers are reminiscent of the rates for women from the 1980s — back when the very notion of women in the workforce was still gaining momentum.6

Wertz has no plans to leave her job — at least for now. “I worked incredibly hard to get to where I am now,” she said. “I essentially paid my way through school with no family support. For years I worked entirely too hard for not enough money.” Already, she worries that she’s perceived differently in the workplace because she’s a mother. “Even if it was just a year, I know how that gap would look on my resume,” she said. “If I had to take that step back, I just don’t know if I’d recover from it.”

#IFTTT #Politics – FiveThirtyEight #politics #538 #Neil Paine and Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux

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gottawriteanegoortwo · 5 years

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Darkstache Day Six: Pride

A continuation of ‘Past and Present’. It would be recommended to read that first, but it’s not necessary.

Dark might be a being who is of an unknown age, but he still seems a little unnerved about their relationship. Wilford takes advantage of Pride taking place in the city to show him how things have changed.

Word Count: 1,532

“C’moooon, Dark! It’s a lovely day out! We can’t spend it in heere!”

“I’m not going outside. I can’t, Will.”

A familiar argument the pair have had ever since Dark admitted he was a little uneasy about their relationship as a couple. Wilford would insist that going out on a date would normalise things, but Dark seemed overly aware of people staring at them and what their reactions might be. However, Wilford was set on this task.

“C’mon. Just a walk. Nothin’ overly extravagant. We can go get ice-cream, have a little wander in th’ park, then walk home. We’ll be gone barely two hours. Deal?” He needed to get Dark into the city. The Pride festivities were taking place today, like some sort of miracle that might help Dark see that being in a same-sex relationship wasn’t the end of the world. Of course, he didn’t dare tell Dark this. He instead waited for Dark to give a response. The entity’s stern gaze was focused on Wilford, before it soon dropped into a sigh.

“... Fine. Let me get my coat.”

By the time the pair were leaving, Wilford was holding a small rucksack filled with various Pride accessories just in case this worked, but covered them with a large bottle of water and a plain scarf. They chatted casually as they strolled into the heart of the city. Dark had noticed the large amount of young people hanging around, but said nothing. It was only when they passed a rainbow flag did he speak up. He held back to look at it. The breeze had picked up enough to let the flag fly with gusto.

“That’s the fourth one of those I’ve seen on our way here.” Wilford, who had only noticed the absence when Dark spoke up, turned on his heel to go back.

“Pretty sure it’s a summer thing,” he lied. “Y’know, because ya see more rainbows when th’ weather’s nice?” It was a flimsy story, but it seemed to work, and Dark continued on the path with a comment about how it would be more fitting in winter when there was a distinct lack of colour.

There was a crowd at the ice cream parlour, and Wilford was afraid it would be enough to deter Dark. Yet, by some miracle, the bribe of chocolate ice cream was enough to keep Dark there. In fact, as they walked to the park, Wilford couldn’t help but notice how content Dark was. This might be the best time for Dark to experience Pride - before the chaos truly set in.

One of the main walkways in the park had been taken over for the day. There were stalls on both sides - snacks, handmade crafts, face paint, among other things - went as far as the eye could see. Wondering if it was a summer fair, Dark approached one of the artist’s stalls to admire their work. The artist noticed the couple, as well as the lack of accessories, and was about to open her mouth to say something. As though sensing this, Wilford whipped out a folded up piece of paper out of his pocket and, without Dark seeing, flashed it to her and tilted his head in Dark’s direction. It had one simple word: “Closeted”. Her eyes widened and she nodded in understanding.

“Hey, you know… You look like you need a little colour today,” she piped up with a smile. “I’ve been giving these out for free to people who’ve dropped by.” Before Dark could question her, a set of rainbow beads were put around his head. “There’s gonna be a lot going on today, but I hope you have a nice time. Remember to take lots of photos!” A matching set was given to Wilford, and the pair set off. Once they were far enough away, Dark turned to Wilford with a look of suspicion.

“You know more than you’re letting on. What is actually going on? There’s something you’re…” He trailed off. Two men walked out of a nearby coffee stand. They had a cup in one hand and their free hands were linked together. One man - who had a rainbow flag painted on his cheek - leaned over and quickly kissed the other on the lips before they carried on. Dark watched the exchange with a thousand thoughts running through his mind. There was no fuss about the action. No drama. No fear of being scorned. He glanced to the side and made his way to a bench where he could just observe. Wilford followed silently.

The longer the pair stayed there, the more Dark saw. People of the same sex acting as normal couples. Individuals who appeared to be dressed as the opposite gender (Wilford had leaned over and whispered something about ‘drag queens’). People who were prancing around like flamboyant peacocks. People who were shy and withdrawn, but with supportive friends. They all had various coloured combinations, but nearly all of them had that rainbow flag on their person.

“... Those flags have nothing to do with summer, do they?”

“Nope.”

“So what do they mean?”

Wilford turned his head to look at the entity. It was like the day that had started him on this quest to help Dark understand that this side of him was okay. He couldn’t back down now.

“This is a Pride festival. It’s a day where folks of th’ LGBT Community - er, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, an’ many others that I’ll explain later - come out an’ celebrate who they are. Was originally a bunch of protests, an’ many use it ta look fer equal rights. Days like these have helped raise awareness, an’ this whole month has been Pride Month.” The rucksack was slipped off his shoulders so Wilford could pull out two pins. They were enamel flags. He pointed to the one with pink, yellow, and blue bands on it.

“This one here is th’ Pansexual flag. That’s what I am. It means that I am attracted ta people regardless of their gender or any other factors.” Next, the second pin, with a rainbow flag. “An’ this is th’ Gay flag. It’s th’ symbol of Pride itself, but it’s also fer men who are attracted to those of th’ same gender… As I believe you are.” This was a sensitive topic, and Wilford was very careful to gauge Dark’s reaction. That reminder from Doc on making sure he didn’t “cross a line” was certainly working wonders. “I-I know this is a lot fer ya. I know ya probably hate me fer lyin’ but… I wanted ya ta see this. Sure, things ain’t perfect, an’ we gotta long way ta go before it’s all equal, but yer not alone. We can head back if ya don’t wanna stay, an’ I can promise not ta bring it up again. Just know… It’s yer choice.”

Dark’s eyes fell to the two pins in Wilford’s hand. There was so much to take in right now. All the fear and strain and isolation from nearly a century ago bubbled in the back of his mind like some kettle left too long on the stove. He wanted to rise up, scold Wilford for not taking his experiences into account and that he ought to know better… But how could he? Wilford was doing what he thought was best, and in as mindful a way as possible. They were two in a small crowd. No one was staring. No one was judging. That young lady had given him a set of rainbow beads for no reason other than he went to examine her wares.

He lifted one pin - the Pansexual one - and reached over to gently attach it to Wilford’s suspenders. It suited him (of course it did). His hand then dropped to Wilford’s and slowly curled it up. Whatever fears Wilford had faded when Dark flashed a smile overrun with nerves.

“Could you put it on me?”

They stayed out three hours instead of two. The pair watched the parade from a distance as Dark was a little overwhelmed with how much was going on. A young man with a rainbow flag tied around his neck like a superhero approached and nervously asked Dark to put out his right hand. When he did so, a stamp was placed on his wrist, leaving behind a neat, rainbow-coloured heart. Once Dark had his heart literally on his sleeve, he began to open up a little more. He took Wilford’s hand in his as they watched the end of the parade. Then, before they began the walk home, he kissed the reporter in public. He had never done that before. People cheered, and the entity was somewhat emotional at that positive response.

Only one photo was taken over the whole day. A selfie of the couple. The pins and beads were on display as Dark kissed Wilford’s cheek. It was simple, yet alive with love and colour. Once the photo was saved on his phone, it became Dark’s wallpaper so he’d always have that reminder that things were not as bleak as they once were for him.

Love is love, and he has the chance to experience it for himself.

#projectdarkstache #darkstacheweek2019 #darkstache #writersofmark #love is love #Cracked Mirror (Dark)#Rose Petals (Wilford)

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livvywrites · 5 years

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ILLUMINARA

General

Often referred to as “the city of light and learning,” Illuminara is an independent city state built into the side of a mountain. The city was founded by Talynth Lumina, though not intentionally so. His goal had been to set up a college away from the rest of the world—due to disagreements with the Circle of Magi. However, as people flocked with their families, a town grew up around them.

The mountain range they’re part of cuts through several kingdoms along the northwestern side of Eldora, and while several times these kingdoms have schemed to take over Illuminara, all of their attempts have failed. An all out assault has never been mounted, however, but between the city’s natural defenses and powerful magics, such a thing would be incredibly foolhardy indeed.

Illuminara’s pinnacle achievements are the Magus College (sometimes referred to as the College of Magus) and the world’s first airship berth. Talynth, in addition to founding the college, was also the first one to create a flying ship—two things that have secured him and his family line a place in Eldora’s history. (And, of course, it helps that his great granddaughter, Talitha, seems intent on continuing his legacy.)

While Common is the most spoken language in Illuminara, Parinaran is considered the city’s native tongue. [And, if you’ll parden the author’s note, is imagined by myself to be French. Essentially.]

Illuminara has a very large amount of wealthy families, with claims of nobility. Their “commoner” population is very small, and mostly comprised of either student families or visitors.

Their colors are gold and white. Their animal is the owl, and their symbol a silhouette of the college. Their flags and banners are traditionally done in cream, with their symbol and a border done in golden thread.

Government

The city is ruled in equal parts by the Archmagus and Viscount, with the Archmagus overseeing the (sprawling) college and the Viscount overseeing the city proper.

The Viscount’s position is passed down through family line, falling to the oldest heir. (Regardless of gender.)

The Archmagus position has remained in the Lumina family, despite no rule stating it has to. In fact, according to Talynth’s direction, the position ought to be passed to the most magically talented and learned scholar within the College, over the age of 25. Most would tell you that the Lumina family just continues to produce great talent, but there are whispers that perhaps the college is just intent on holding onto the name.

Outside of their intellectual pursuits, Illuminara is known for their somewhat odd way of dispensing justice. Crime is highly frowned upon—regarded as something those of “baser” intelligence must resort to—and the punishments can be quite severe. While this isn’t entirely uncommon, particularly in the area, what is uncommon is the method of dispensing the justice. Starting with the “most” wronged in the eyes of the court, three people are given the opportunity to mete out the sentence themselves. If all of them refuse, a headsman or other official will do it instead. These public punishments are a great spectacle, and people will turn up from all corners of the city to watch.

Religion

The people of Illuminara primarily worship Order, though many at the college are devout to Wisdom as well. And, because Order is rarely without his counterpart, there are many who worship Chaos instead—albeit in secret.

Wisdom has no true cathedral, though there is a room and fountain devoted to her inside of the college grounds. People make wishes at the fountain, and can even be caught kissing the statue for luck. You see a lot of praying around it and around the altars during exam time.

Order’s cathedral towers over the town. While it cannot compete with the high towers of the Viscount’s castle, nor the ornate walls and grounds of the college, it’s still a fantastic building, complete with clocktower and bells. It’s said to be built in perfect geometry, though many scholars dismiss this as pure nonsense.

Chaos is worshipped in secret—hidden rooms and basements, furtive meetings. While worship of him isn’t illegal, it’s highly frowned upon, and people suspected of it can be accused of crimes they didn’t commit by those devout. As such, it’s better to keep such things to oneself.

Death also has a presence here, though his temple is outside the city. It’s very small and humble, and one wouldn’t guess what it was if they approached. It’s built near the mouth of a cave system, inside which all of the dead are entombed.

Districts

The College District is the largest. It’s comprised of a library, several bookshops, places to buy quills and ink and paper, teachers and faculty offices, and of course, the classrooms. Many, many classrooms. There is also a kitchen and cafeteria area, and a garden which grows the herbs and reagents necessary for the alchemical classes.

The Noble District is the second largest. Made up of an elite marketplace, a beautiful garden district, bubbling fountains, and of course, many noble houses. It’s overseen by the Viscount’s manor.

The Port District is where all of the merchants offload and onload their goods. This is where many travelers get their first look at Illuminara. There are many taverns here, which cater to the sailors. There are also quite a few guards and an outpost there, to keep people from getting into trouble. And then there is a “first look” market place, though what you’ll find there isn’t often worth the price…

The Market District cuts right through the heart of Illuminara, touching all of the other districts at least once. Here is where you’ll find the bulk of what Illuminara has to offer—including quite a few street shows. It’s also entirely possible you’ll find your purse cut, or be swindled out of hard-earned money at a trick game of cards.

The Temple District is were most people live, returning home from the Markets or the College after a long day. Clotheslines are strung between buildings. People do their best to grow gardens in what little space is available. Banners and wreaths are hung on windows and doors, doing their best to make a homey touch. Despite the main temple being dedicated to Order, the street looks an awful lot like a study in chaos.

Jobs & Guilds

The largest guild present in Illuminara is the Magus College. Unlike the Circle of Magi, their recruits are not being recruited to fight or learn violent magics (though they can if they so choose). The only “higher purpose” found here is that of learning. Or so the creed says. People come and go from the college as they please, meaning most of the populace is transient. Still, there are some permanent members.

For instance, the Knights and the Rangers both have a guild hall within the city’s walls—and some outside of it. The mountains are dangerous, full of all kinds of creatures. These creatures often come down to terrorize nearby towns and villages, or even Illuminara itself. The Knights and Rangers are there to deal with that.

Because of these two guilds, there are also quite a few positions for blacksmiths—both weapon and armor smiths—as well as leatherworkers, furriers, and cobblers.

The nobles all require good tailors, of course, and jewelry workers as well. There is a bank, in which bonds and money is stored.

Herbalists, alchemists, tavern owners, merchants, and others are always welcome. Which means, of course, that the Merchant’s Guild has a place here.

There is a Thieves’ Guild, which occasionally plays host to assassins from up north. The Guild is made up of Chaos worshippers, who believe it’s their divine duty to sow dissent. As such, while there is quite a bit of actual thievery, mostly what happens is people being framed, which often leads to blood feuds and in-street duels.

And what would a college be without teachers? Librarians? Researchers? These people and more work together to ensure that the college can stay up and running, available to teach whoever is willing to learn.

Recent History

Recently, the Fathis and Lumina lines were wed—between Isabelle Lumina and Byron Fathis. Their eldest child, Talitha Lumina, was to take over the college; while their youngest, Lynette, was to become Viscountess. The city was pleased—particularly when the two girls showed great talent. Talitha in the realm of magical theory and enchanting; Lynette in the realm of healing.

Unfortunately, however, problems rose not long after Talitha turned 7. Isabelle began spending less and less time at home, under the guise of “recruiting” and “checking in on other locations.” When Talitha was 16, around the time she graduated from the college, she failed to return at all. Byron assumed control of the College as well as the city, and the laws became stricter and stricter.

Not long after Talitha turned 19, the two girls ran away from home. No one knows what sparked their disappearance, only that shortly after, Byron’s rule became nothing short of a dictatorship. It soon became clear that he had designs of ruling the entire span of the mountain range, and was prepping their people for war.

Byron made a grave mistake, however, in sending men to retrieve his lost daughters. Talitha had become something famous across the coast, known for daring escapades and non-interest in “traditional” piracy. Instead favoring studying the Anari, and making the world richer with her research. His soldiers caused the death of Lynette and her budding family, which ignited Talitha in a rage.

She returned to Illuminara six years after she had left it, on the bow of an airship. Her return sparked a revolution, which led to the downfall of Byron and his men—sorcerers unafraid to use mind magic on the people. She then reigned as Archmage and Viscountess for a handful of months, during which time her mother, Isabelle returned. With a new husband and young son.

Once justice was served—Byron and his generals beheaded in public spectacle—Talitha stepped down from both roles, shed her last name, and signed over all birthright to her young half-brother. She disappeared from Illuminara and has not been seen again since, though tales of her still spread through the city.

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