#what if we framed our critiques in ways that didn't just make us sound thirsty to inflict our suffering on others in their turn | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

aeide-thea · 3 years ago

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defending h*rry styles is really, really not the hill i want to die on—i'm not even a fan of his!—but i gotta say, i'm really tired of the line of discourse i keep seeing that's like, 'he hasn't suffered enough to deserve credit for being gnc' or whatever the fuck, as if that were even remotely how these things work. like. there are a lot of good and important conversations to be had about the role of privilege in the kind of press he gets—maybe we could have those conversations without sounding as though we resent that he's not getting beaten up instead, as though that would somehow improve things???

#like. having this shit get safer and more normalized is. *literally the goal* actually #and yeah‚ that progress happens unevenly‚ and that sucks #but like. the unevenness is a structural problem‚ not a 'this guy didn't get bullied enough' problem #styles should probably have cited b*lly p*rter but honestly p*rter should equally have cited his own influences if we're going there #there's 100% a conversation to be had about how privilege plays into all this and other people should probably have gotten vogue covers 1st #but honestly the way people talk about styles reminds me of the b*cky alb*rtalli et al shit all over again #he's been very consistent abt being a little gnc and waving pride flags at concerts and declining to define his sexuality #and the way people really visibly want to call that queerbaiting or what the fuck ever is just like. i see you #if you're gonna be like 'stop calling chris fleming cis' i do think you also have to stop calling styles definitely straight #like if we're going to make space for people to explore and try queerness on a little without having to like. declare for one side right off #then we have to *actually give them that space*#and like. styles doesn't imo come across as a terribly deep thinker or someone who wants to be massively political‚ but the thing is #you don't actually have to be a deep thinker or be vocally deliberately political to be queer #lots of queer ppl are and i love that for us but like. being dumb and viewing gender presentation as yr playground are also ways we get 2 be #idk. it's a nuanced conversation and i'm not saying styles shouldn't get critiqued for anything ever bc he definitely should #like. has he ever said anything publicly abt race? not sure he has‚ and like. getting to avoid that issue is privilege in action #but i just feel like.#what if we framed our critiques in ways that didn't just make us sound thirsty to inflict our suffering on others in their turn #anyway i don't really trust ppl with this post so i reserve the right 2 delete it but. some thoughts for now.

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