#warning: politics

[cookinguptales]

So I’ve been enjoying the Disney vs. DeSantis memes as much as anyone, but like. I do feel like a lot of people who had normal childhoods are missing some context to all this.

I was raised in the Bible Belt in a fairly fundie environment. My parents were reasonably cool about some things, compared to the rest of my family, but they certainly had their issues. But they did let me watch Disney movies, which turned out to be a point of major contention between them and my other relatives.

See, I think some people think this weird fight between Disney and fundies is new. It is very not new. I know that Disney’s attempts at inclusion in their media have been the source of a lot of mockery, but what a lot of people don’t understand is that as far as actual company policy goes, Disney has actually been an industry leader for queer rights. They’ve had policies assuring equal healthcare and partner benefits for queer employees since the early 90s.

I’m not sure how many people reading this right now remember the early 90s, but that was very much not industry standard. It was a big deal when Disney announced that non-married queer partners would be getting the same benefits as the married heterosexual ones.

Like — it went further than just saying that any unmarried partners would be eligible for spousal benefits. It straight-up said that non-same-sex partners would still need to be married to receive spousal benefits, but because same-sex partners couldn’t do that, proof that they lived together as an established couple would be enough.

In other words, it put long-term same-sex partners on a higher level than opposite-sex partners who just weren’t married yet. It put them on the exact same level as heterosexual married partners.

They weren’t the first company ever to do this, but they were super early. And they were certainly the first mainstream “family-friendly” company to do it.

Conservatives lost their damn minds.

Protests, boycotts, sermons, the whole nine yards. I can’t tell you how many books about the evils of Disney my grandmother tried to get my parents to read when I was a kid.

When we later moved to Florida, I realized just how many queer people work at Disney — because historically speaking, it’s been a company that has guaranteed them safety, non-discrimination, and equal rights. That’s when I became aware of their unofficial “Gay Days” and how Christians would show up from all over the country to protest them every year. Apparently my grandmother had been upset about these days for years, but my parents had just kind of ignored her.

Out of curiosity, I ended up reading one of the books my grandmother kept leaving at our house. And friends — it’s amazing how similar that (terrible, poorly written) rhetoric was to what people are saying these days. Disney hires gay pedophiles who want to abuse your children. Disney is trying to normalize Satanism in our beautiful, Christian America. 

Just tons of conspiracy theories in there that ranged from “a few bad things happened that weren’t actually Disney’s fault, but they did happen” to “Pocahontas is an evil movie, not because it distorts history and misrepresents indigenous life, but because it might teach children respect for nature. Which, as we all know, would cause them all to become Wiccans who believe in climate change.”

Like — please, take it from someone who knows. This weird fight between fundies and Disney is not new. This is not Disney’s first (gay) rodeo. These people have always believed that Disney is full of evil gays who are trying to groom and sexually abuse children.

The main difference now is that these beliefs are becoming mainstream. It’s not just conservative pastors who are talking about this. It’s not just church groups showing up to boycott Gay Day. Disney is starting to (reluctantly) say the quiet part out loud, and so are the Republicans. Disney is publicly supporting queer rights and announcing company-supported queer events and the Republican Party is publicly calling them pedophiles and enacting politically driven revenge.

This is important, because while this fight has always been important in the history of queer rights, it is now being magnified. The precedent that a fight like this could set is staggering. For better or for worse, we live in a corporation-driven country. I don’t like it any more than you do, and I’m not about to defend most of Disney’s business practices. But we do live in a nation where rights are largely tied to corporate approval, and the fact that we might be entering an age where even the most powerful corporations in the country are being banned from speaking out in favor of rights for marginalized people… that’s genuinely scary.

Like… I’ll just ask you this. Where do you think we’d be now, in 2023, if Disney had been prevented from promising its employees equal benefits in 1994? That was almost thirty years ago, and look how far things have come. When I looked up news articles for this post from that era, even then journalists, activists, and fundie church leaders were all talking about how a company of Disney’s prominence throwing their weight behind this movement could lead to the normalization of equal protections in this country.

The idea of it scared and thrilled people in equal parts even then. It still scares and thrills them now.

I keep seeing people say “I need them both to lose!” and I get it, I do. Disney has for sure done a lot of shit over the years. But I am begging you as a queer exvangelical to understand that no. You need Disney to win. You need Disney to wipe the fucking floor with these people.

Right now, this isn’t just a fight between a giant corporation and Ron DeSantis. This is a fight about the right of corporations to support marginalized groups. It’s a fight that ensures that companies like Disney still can offer benefits that a discriminatory government does not provide. It ensures that businesses much smaller than Disney can support activism.

Hell, it ensures that you can support activism.

The fight between weird Christian conspiracy theorists and Disney is not new, because the fight to prevent any tiny victory for marginalized groups is not new. The fight against the normalization of othered groups is not new.

That’s what they’re most afraid of. That each incremental victory will start to make marginalized groups feel safer, that each incremental victory will start to turn the tide of public opinion, that each incremental victory will eventually lead to sweeping law reform.

They’re afraid that they won’t be able to legally discriminate against us anymore.

So guys! Please. This fight, while hilarious, is also so fucking important. I am begging you to understand how old this fight is. These people always play the long game. They did it with Roe and they’re doing it with Disney.

We have! To keep! Pushing back!

[rednblacksalamander]

PS: for entertainment purposes only, of course

PPS: actual Washington Post quote

[notaplaceofhonour]

𝖂𝖊 𝖈𝖔𝖓𝖘𝖎𝖉𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝖔𝖚𝖗𝖘𝖊𝖑𝖛𝖊𝖘 𝖙𝖔 𝖇𝖊 𝖆 𝖕𝖔𝖜𝖊𝖗𝖋𝖚𝖑 𝖈𝖚𝖑𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖊…

[percypaints]

Trump survived. Here's what will happen.

Every media, news outlet will be showing this photo. Not of a convicted felon who was impeached, who summoned violent terrorists to the white house, who sexually assaulted many women, but of a survivor, a hero.

And Trump will win 2024. The Alt Right and his MAGA supporters will see this and be more motivated than ever to vote Trump. Centrists will see this and think "the left is so much more extreme than the right" and vote Trump. Fuck, even liberals, after seeing Bidens disastrous debate performance might vote trump. In their eyes, he's a survivor now, he's strong now, he's worthy now. If you don't believe me, wait and see the top comments of news articles, the Reddit posts, the twitter quote tweets.

It isn't if Trump wins, it's when Trump wins, Ukraine is Fucked. Palestine is extra Fucked. And of course, America is absolutely Fucked.

I don't like Biden, but Americans have to remember: you live in a two-party system.

It is Biden or Trump.

And I'd much much rather an old husk of a man that has done so much good for trans rights, social policies, and human rights in general, than Trump. Yes, Biden has sent aids to Israel. Do you think Trump won't do the same? Do you think Trump won't do worse?

"Vote for a third party, they're both awful" you might say. Come on, be realistic. This is about holding the line against fascism. It is going to be way WAY easier to change the system when you're up against milk toast Joe than an actual dictator. So,

For the love of god, vote Biden in Novermber.

[thedemonscrawler]

Read Chapter 12 Here!

The group is reunited, though tensions are a little high and trust has been worn thin. Everyone wants answers, but when the Daycare Attendant returns from Moon’s patrol, all they bring with them are more questions. Protocol. Programming. If the puzzle doesn’t make sense, are you sure you have the right pieces?

---

Ouugh, it's finally done! I sketched out this cover about a year ago, but their clasped hands gave me a ton of trouble and I shelved it-- until a couple of months ago, when I just banged out the hands and then kept rolling from there!

There's a decent bit of symbolism related to the chapter worked in here, as well as a lot of me learning how water works. Detail shots + textless versions below!

[chamerionwrites]

Possibly The most surprising thing I have discovered on the internet is the number of people who will unironically refer to others as "degenerates" without expecting anyone reading this to immediately assume that they are a straight-up fascist

[fuckyeahchinesefashion]

professional chinese cosplay-wig makers displays her products (cr: AAAA专业理发彩妆师琦姐)

[aratribow]

How renhengnyan invasion came to be😔

Again on side note sesame cake is called renyan and rice dumpling is called hengnyan in this au! :D

Also yes jy being the Disney princess he is, attracts all kinda wild ass animals to the house so renheng are pretty used to "racoon infestations"

[foldingfittedsheets]

My mundane super power is that I love blue heelers so much that every time I see them I ask to pet them and their owners always warn me they’re not overly friendly which I know because my boy Sly was also very aloof but every time the dog feels my infinite love and always greets me warmly.

[bacchuschucklefuck]

prayer of the day:

[tenpintsof-sundrop]

"Download all your fics before Project 2025 goes into effect-"

Shut the fuck up. Shut the fuck up. Shut up, shut up, shut up!!!!!

Fandom is one of the only safe spaces for mental escapism that some people have right now, and fear mongering and spreading misinformation is helping no one. Fanfiction is not going to disappear off the internet tomorrow.

I understand that a geriatric orange beast winning the election is very upsetting and it has led to a lot of people mentally spiralling into doomsday scenarios, but the last thing that fucking cheeto is coming for is your fanfiction. AO3 is so fucking low priority - it's not even on their radar.

And even though you consider smut to be porn, by most legal definitions, it's not. If they would try to institute a porn ban (which would be incredibly stupid and would probably upset a lot of old Republican white men anyway, and we all know they don't do things that go against their own personal interests) - they would be going after visual media. Not written media. And while Project 2025 does talk about banning books, it speaks about banning mass produced, widespread books with certain subjects in them - not some indie fanfic with fisting with 100 hits on AO3.

The fact that AO3 is a non-profit and does not make any money and does not have any ads is usually what protects us in these legal situations. And like I said - scrubbing 10,000 gay Destiel fics from the internet forever is incredibly low priority (likely not a priority at all) for the Trump administration.

So don't panic download every fanfiction you've ever read, and please don't panic if you don't have 7 hard drives to download all of AO3 onto. Everyone is just upset about the results of the election and apt to believe that the world is going to change overnight, but it won't. If (and that is a big fat IF) the internet will be censored (which will be damn near impossible to do) and IF the future of fanfiction will be jeopardized, we will have more warning to prepare before it happens.

Carry on as usual.

PS: fuck you to everyone spreading the misinformation and speaking about this as if it's going to happen for certain tomorrow. You are only adding to the gloom and causing more dread and anxiety where there is more than enough.

[themadcapmathematician]

[ID in alt.]

[snapscube]

i started watching sailor moon (never seen it in my entire life) and usagi is so silly i love her

[sirenium]

shut the fuck up about how Trump is a 'sociopath' and a 'narcissist'. It all just feels like an excuse to be ableist rather than a simple observation. quit it with the armchair diagnosing of narcissism and antisociality. I'm tired of leftist spaces so flippantly throwing these words around as synonyms to 'abusive cunt' as if there aren't narcissists and antisocials/"sociopaths" in these spaces too, as if we aren't valuable and good enough for you people.

it's one thing to make an assumption based on Trump's behavior, but to act like THAT'S the reason he's a fucking scumbag, all while laughing at the very traits you pointed out as signs of a fucking PERSONALITY DISORDER, really shows your ass. this isn't just holding someone accountable; it's reducing a group of disorders to being an abuser.

people instantly stop being mental health allies when it comes to being fucking respectful to cluster Bs. y'all stop being the 'tolerant left' when someone has a 'scary' disorder, and yes this also includes psychotic and schizospec individuals. I know this post won't stop the ableist behavior among leftists, but I'm tired of it. Leftist spaces are just as unsafe to me as someone with NPD and ASPD as right-wing spaces are to me as a trans and queer individual of color. that's fucking horrific.

I'm not the first and I won't be the last to say this, but leftists need to do better. stop using 'narcissist', 'sociopath', and 'psychotic' as insults. I'm not going to coddle you and hold your hand for spitting in my damn face; pick up a dictionary, since you're clearly capable of reading pop psychology articles on 'narc abuse'. it's not that hard.

[mypastnow]

Taking a moment to post a POV about the upcoming election. My grandfather was a WW2 hero who spent two years in a Nazi prison camp after his bomber plane was shot down. He recently passed away. He was always Republican, that is until….Donald Trump. He spent his last few years of his life warning family members and veteran brothers and sisters of Trump’s fascism and the threat to Democracy. He knew. I know. And I suspect you do too. Vote for Kamala Harris! 💙

[destielmemenews]

The five men claim in a federal lawsuit that Trump knew he was acting with “reckless disregard” for the truth when he said during the September debate with Vice President Kamala Harris that they pleaded guilty to crimes connected to the beating and raping a woman in New York City, and that the five teenagers “badly hurt a person, killed a person” in the attack.

“Defendant Trump’s statements were false and defamatory in numerous respects,” attorneys for the men, now all in their 50s, wrote in the lawsuit filed in federal court in Philadelphia. “Plaintiffs never pled guilty to the Central Park assaults. Plaintiffs all pled not guilty and maintained their innocence throughout their trial and incarceration, as well as after they were released from prison.”

“None of the victims of the Central Park assaults were killed,” the lawyers for Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Antron Brown and Korey Wise wrote.

source 1

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source 3

The Central Park Five and Trump, Explained by NPR