#who more likely than not can't even IDENTIFY their local representative

[beemovieerotica]

an actual heroic boomer trait is when they are faced with a major mega corporation that doesn't care for its consumers, these old folks literally mobilize and band together to start writing letters appealing to congress holding town halls to run the chain stores out of their town threatening legal action and screaming to whoever will listen. no it's not being a "karen" when your opponent has more money than god, it's looking out for your community. young people need to start fucking standing up to giant corporate entities too.

[blog-sekai]

Unit Introduction: m4jor*REVERSAL

A group of four friends who take on a persona while they preform. Their music is often dark, tells a story or both...

*real quick: I can't draw for shit, so this is all going to be text and a bit long. Sorry :(

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About m4jor*REVERSAL:

The asterisk in their unit name represents a pentacle!

Each member is aligned with a tarot card (including the vocaloids) and as characters they tend to play off that card in interesting ways. Their card is also their stage name/alias and sometimes an alternate persona they put on for their music; that alternate persona is often called their "reversed", hence the unit name.

They all preform in costume and while wearing masks - originally as a safety/anonymity thing, now it helps them get into the headspace to preform.

Although they do street performances or take gigs for local venues, most of their work is online. Their MVs take a long time to make, because of all the recording and editing involved.

I don't have a clear genre/style for their music yet🤧in my head its very atmospheric/psychedelic? But I can't think of a clear example atm.

They're my oldest fan unit! I dusted 'em off a few weeks ago when I got back into pjsk and they're much more fleshed out now ^^

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"Even if it's only this once...please, let me be seen!"

Solomon Lucius - The Magician

Birthday: Nov 2

Height: 5'7" / 170cm

Hobbies: Tarot, People-Watching

Specialty: Rhythm Games

Favorite Food: Rose Shortbread Cookies

Least Favorite Food: Omurice

Dislikes: Hide & Seek

Despite his best efforts, Sol struggles with having presence most of the time. When preforming under his stage name, though, drawing attention to himself is effortless. He got into (western) esoterica/mythos/witchcraft in middle school, although it's more a casual hobby than a sincere belief. Secretly likes to be called nicknames, because he sees it as a sign people care.

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────••─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────••─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

"One day, I swear, we'll make a happy ending!"

Arthur Charon - The Hanged Man

Birthday: August 1

Height: 5'9" / 175cm

Hobbies: Parkour, Conlangs

Specialty: Brewing Tea

Favorite Food: Soba Noodles

Least Favorite Food: Citrus

Dislikes: Roller Coasters

Arthur likes to tell stories, but all of them seem to accidentally end in tragedy or horror. He and Solomon became friends in elementary school and are quite close, but since he has a one-track mind, Art often focuses more on his other friends without meaning to. His parents are a bit traditional, but they do encourage him in his hobbies & interests. He's arguably the best dancer of the group, likely because of how much he enjoys parkour.

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"It's important to stay connected to those around you, you know?"

Rowan Delphi - The Hermit

Birthday: March 20

Height: 6' / 183cm

Hobbies: Hockey, Crafts

Specialty: Identifying Plants

Favorite Food: Flan

Least Favorite Food: Coconut

Dislikes: Thunderstorms

Rowan's involved in a lot of school activities and has a very active social life, however, he's hopeless at doing things on the fly and has to keep a planner on him most of the time. He'd never say it aloud, but Rowan tends to find a lot of people overbearing. He hates being alone because that's when the gay thoughts Horrors catch up to him, but that's also when he makes some of his best work. He's a single child, and finds sibling dynamics really interesting.

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────••─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────••─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

"Eh? ...What was that, again? Sorry, I wasn't paying attention..."

Merlin Polaris - The Moon

Birthday: February 4

Height: 5'8" / 173cm

Hobbies: Reading, Stargazing

Specialty: Cold-Reading People

Favorite Food: Dumplings

Least Favorite Food: Tiramisu

Dislikes: Being Put On The Spot

Merlin has had the most prior musical experience, as he was in band for a few years in middle school & junior high. He's very popular with the girls at his school, since if you don't know him very well his aloof, spaced-out nature can be mistaken for mystique. Merlin is incredibly sharp, but he prefers to act otherwise as it takes less energy and effort, and it frees him from others' expectations. No matter the weather, he always wears long sleeves.

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Unit SEKAI: Maze

Unit Virtual Singers:

Miku - The World

In Maze Sekai, Miku is dressed like a princess. She carries herself with a noble mien that is replaced with bubbly enthusiasm when it comes to telling stories or solving riddles. She's surprisingly very grounded.

Luka - The High Priestess

Luka carries her self as a high-ranking advisor. She likes to playfully tease Miku with nonsensical riddles, and plays soft melodies to help her friends sleep. Luka seems to instinctively know where any possible book can be found in Sekai.

[talisidekick]

Came back from touching grass for a bit just to say: when you take a step back and look at things from a removed perspective ... transphobia and anti-transgender sentiment is just fucking dumb.

You've got a minority group that science, both biology and psychology, agrees is kind of really rare and unique but totally happens (after they sexually abused, harmfully drugged, and labotomized the shit out of a lot of people for a bit trying NOT to admit it) and the best course of action is to assist them in transitioning in whatever way the individual finds is most comfortable for them.

They ask for equality, anti-discrimination protections, and maybe a bit of education about them in schools so kids don't beat the shit out of and annihilate a child that might be one of them, us, whichever, on the playground because y'know, some kids can't take it and kill themselves from that kind of treatment.

And the response? Hatred, lies, social crucifixion, and a social, religious, and political campaign to wipe them and every other 2SLGBTQIA+ person off the face of the Earth. They liken the entire minority, globally, most members of which haven't even met eachother, to criminals, falsely accuse them of attrocious acts without proof, and scrounge for any possible act by any individual identifying as transgender that is bad to wholesale accuse everyone who is transgender of similar wrongdoing without provocation ... ignoring the members of their own groups doing much worse. They'll claim it's to protect women or children while ignoring the facts that they're actually doing more harm. Which when you step back, you can very plainly see it's not about anything other than hate.

Hatred for a group that's like 0.3% of the population. Sorry, but in a world where more people are closer to the line of poverty, or in poverty, hating on 0.3% of people asking to be treated like humans and not killed and who statistically represent no more of a threat at worst than the majority (to both individuals and society), is just ... so fucking pointless and dumb. Rallies were had, people threw money at other people to have them speak in other countries just to hate on 0.3%. Imagine how much that could have helped local food shelters. But fuck, nah, transgender people and drag queens and kings were the bigger issue apparently.

I'm going to go back to touch grass. Transgender rights are human rights.

[mamamittens]

Well, I've been pondering something for a bit now so I'll just jump right into it!

Obnoxiously self indulgent OC nonsense under the cut

So, obviously, one of the things you need to consider for writing romance is the why.

Why are these two (or more) in love?

Love is a hard thing to hold onto and in real life, rarely has a clear, singular answer. It's a fluid emotion that shifts constantly, which is why we have a very wide range of things that represent, compare to, and explain love beyond the clinical, chemical reactions. To love is a uniquely powerful experience, something that literally triggers a series of chemical reactions inside of you with no conscious input. So the why of it all is a very big and complicated question that few answer in its entirety.

Think "He makes me laugh" from Who Framed Roger Rabbit. It's obviously more than that but also... Isn't. For a woman like Jessica, that simple truth moves her to love the arguably very silly man that is Roger Rabbit.

Now, there are usually two approaches to this situation.

All at once or over time. First sight or after many nights. For certain characters one of these doesn't make sense.

Typically, love at first sight is believable in characters that are impulsive but self assured. They're wild enough that a single moment is all they need to just know and self aware enough to identify it without doubting themselves.

Over time is usually seen in characters who are a bit more serious but withdrawn. Even if they actually fall in love at first sight they'll deny it until the emotion is so overwhelming they can't ignore it a moment longer. Maybe they have a lot of self doubt or are so introspective they get lost in the weeds. These types of characters look before leaping even if they know it's the only option.

So, naturally, if I want to write a low-key romance, I need to decide where they are on this spectrum.

For Thatch, I'm fairly confident that he's not quite a "fall in love at first sight" kinda guy. Sure, he's quick to identify interest and make a preliminary gauge of what kind of interest he has, but he's not so naive or foolish to settle his heart so quickly. He's a good judge of character though, so it's not far behind if the chemistry is there. Gentleman enough to not be aggressive unless given a clear indication of interest.

Nikia on the other hand, would take a while to get there. Unwilling and unable to admit the depth of emotion involved for quite some time. Used to drifting out of people's lives, she'd likely ignore any interest at first, certain that it'll be moot soon enough. Or that it wouldn't be returned and is therefore useless to pursue.

So where the internal conflict between them would arise is in these two approaches to love. After all, I don't plan for there to even be a confession until after Marineford for extra angst lol

Thatch doesn't fall in love with Nikia at first sight. He sees her, thinks "damn that's a pretty lady" but it's only when he crashes at her place for like, a week that it really happens. I'm thinking he comes back from foraging for local ingredients and she makes him a hot drink and forces him to warm up before cooking. Settling a suspiciously warm blanket on his shoulders with a smile and he's just... Struck. It's a soft, quiet moment where he sees beneath the cool professionalism, feral barn cat attitude, and sees genuine care. She didn't have to, but she thought about him. His comfort. To the point that she gave him the blanket she was using before he came in and got a new one for herself from the cold closet storage. Her favorite, in fact, clear from how worn and soft it was and smelled like her so much his own shirt smells like she wore it for a day after close contact for barely an hour.

Nikia falls in love along the way. Grows fond after a trying week of cohabitating with another person for the first time in a very long time. Finds herself looking forward to his calls to the point that she predicts the times he calls and ensures she's in the lodge for them, even if it means taking patrol a little later or putting off her bedtime a bit longer than usual. Noticing how elated she is after his calls and thinking about their conversations well into the next week. And when she realizes it, she quietly puts it in a box, unwilling to pop the cozy bubble she's in. She can't ask him to stay and she doesn't think it's fair to expect commitment when he'll be gone for so long. So she stays friends and hopes if he does find someone, they can keep up with him and make him happy.

Between the two of them, Thatch is the one that likely suspects returned feelings first. After all, if she actually hated him, she wouldn't answer his calls. If she wasn't fond of him, she wouldn't be willing to talk for well over an hour about anything and everything. But this isn't something you bring up over a phone/snail call. This is an in person kind of conversation.

So it's the second time they're meeting in person (uh, second visit to her island, the second meeting is at her lodge where he's a bit of a menace and realizes his feelings while she settles from feral barn cat to real fondness). Or rather, the second visit is when he realizes that she almost certainly has feelings but doesn't recognize it. He's seen enough forlorn lovers to recognize longing and love in a glance and it genuinely throws him when he figures it out. So, naturally, he's stuck in an awkward position of trying to figure out how to encourage her to face those feelings so he can return them without being an ass.

It's obvious to him, after all, that she's never felt like this before.

But it's also not very fair to her if he reveals his emotions because what kind of a first relationship is it when he has to leave for likely another year until his crew makes the rounds back? Most have a few flings closer to home and he can't give her that kind of commitment at the moment. Setting aside the issue that he's a pirate, a Yonko Pirate at that.

He can't force her to confess, but he also can't expect her to want to act on those feelings and spend most of the year totally alone, waiting for his calls. Hoping that he comes back or even makes it out alive of his arguably very dangerous career as a pirate.

Sure, some couples make that choice, but they're not usually grown adults already and one of them in a relationship for the first time. One of them constantly socializing with new people while the other sees maybe less than a hundred people over the course of a year, most of those she's related to.

So he has to leave it for her to decide if she's ready to make the leap, knowing all the issues they'll face right out of the gate, or try and pursue a less troubled relationship. Without the pressure of knowing for sure that he's willing to try, because it's easy for him to say that since he's the one with the more dangerous profession (that he knows of, he doesn't know the 'hunting' license doesn't apply to just animals). He's not the one who'd have to wait for a sign she's still alive. And if anything happens, she's more likely to catch the consequences of their relationship. Socially or otherwise, even on the Grand Line on an island not beholden to the WG.

He's got the least to lose for trying and he knows it.

So he leaves it alone, still calling every week or so because he is still in love, until the plot catches up.

Then they both get to see how seriously Nikia takes her feelings and commitment to his memory when everyone else fails to take the shot when they had the chance.

Sorry not sorry Ace and Whitebeard. If you wanted Teach dead for good, you shouldn't have even bothered squaring up. Just put him down like he deserves.

[praynmantiss]

SHORT OF THE WEEK REVIEW

This week i watched:

The Boy Who Couldn't Feel Pain directed by Eugen Merher 2023

In Grants, New Mexico there is a small-town legend of Chester, a street fighter who can't feel any pain. When Annie, a bowling alley employee who just moved into town, challenges him for a fight, things begin to change.

I enjoyed this film.

One thing I think the film nails is its setting. It really feels like a local story from a small sleepy town.

Here's what the director had to say about the setting of the film:

Ever since I was a teenager, I have been deeply fascinated with the United States and its culture. What captivates me most is the desolateness of some remote American towns that you could never find in Europe. I feel like it’s places like this where the most interesting and absurd things can happen, but nobody ever hears about them because nobody ever stays there for more than one night. With this short film, I tried to capture an intimate view on this world of trailer parks, deserts and bowling alleys in the form of a fictional myth, that locals could be telling passing travellers during lunch at the local diner.

The film was shot in Grants, a small town East of Alburquerque.

NITPICK- There's one thing I noticed- At the start, Annie confronts the shark gang who are having a fight in the bowling alley. She has a rifle and aims it at them when she threatens them. There is a moment when we hear the sound of Annie cocking the gun but we never see her making this movement in the shot. This could have been fixed by just removing the sound because it wasn't necessary to understand the scene.

ACTING

All the actors were well cast and directed. There is never a moment where someone feels out of place. Catfish Jean plays Chester. He doesn't talk much in the whole film but his eyes and expressions say a lot.

COSTUMES

One thing that stuck out to me was the costumes. I noticed the characters wore the same clothes throughout the film even though the story takes place over several days. It gives the film a timeless feel. The story is narrated by Annie so it makes it feel like a piece of literature where the everyday habits of reality aren't relevant to the story. However, i still noticed some symbolism with the costumes.

Chester wears a white shirt with faded black stripes. This is the same shirt he wears in his tramautic flashback sequence. These neutral colours are like Chester's life, lifeless and without colour. He can't feel pain because he feels dead inside.

Annie wears a colourful striped polo shirt. This is a way of symbolising the life and healing that she can bring to Chester's life. The colours also match with the colours in the background of the bowling alley. Our ability to feel things is what make us feel alive. Annie represents growth, life and change.

Nelson, the gang member who looks after Chester wears a yellow Hawaiian shirt with a white shirt. Nelson is the only one keeping Chester doing these fights. Yellow matches the colour of the dry grass and some of the old cars in the junkyard where the fights take place. Early in the film, we are told that all the Sharks have replaced two of their teeth with golden ones. This is how they are identified. Yellow and Gold are similar and so it makes sense that the antagonist would wear this colour. Yellow is meant to represent the street fight lifestyle and the feeling of restriction that the Shark gang gives him.

I'd give this film a solid 4/5.

[zanzibarhamster]

fwiw my takeaway was that the ending was on two levels.

1) thematic. daniil sacrifices the town because he cares about the polyhedron, artemy sacrifices the polyhedron because he cares about the town. clara saves both by sacrificing her bound, not because she cares about either the polyhedron or the town as much as they do, but because miracles are what she does. it makes sense that she leaves, because the ideology she represents doesn't have a direct tie to the town like the other two healers. the endpoint for her religious ideaology isn't just to stop and be content being a local religious figure. it's to become something as extreme as a joan of arc figure in a holy war. otherwise she's not really pushing the ideology she represents to the level it needs to be to match the other characters. daniil blows up a whole town. artemy destroys the transhumanist ascension device. clara's ending needs to be at that level of impact.

2) she's the plague, and in the era the game was set, more soldiers died of disease caused by poor sanitation than combat. war is the #1 best place any plague could go to thrive. it's debatable how aware clara is that she's the plague, not least of all because she's being tugged back and forth by TPDB, leading to the existence of "good clara" and "bad clara", and also on top of it even good clara lies to others and/or herself. personally i like the idea of good clara having some inkling that she's the plague but lying to herself because she doesn't want it to be true. she can do miracles, she wants to help people, she identifies as someone who helps people, that can't be true. so she goes with block, because he more than anyone else makes clara believe she can help more people than she can help here. but, in reality, she will be spreading plague across the country, and that's also what bad clara/the plague wants (i don't think good clara and bad clara are actually two separate entities).

so you're right, i agree her heart isn't actually that big, she's not exactly selfish but her biggest motive definitely seems to be her getting to feel like a saint. i think she's increasingly desperate for self-actualization that she wants to help more and more people, possibly to try to confirm to herself that she's not actually the plague. and also because block is feeding her more validation than anybody else.

Okay, I have a question about Clara.

I may miss something crucial (I'm new and I've only played 1 time), but I don't really get why would she want to go with Block to stop the war. I personally don't interpret her ending that way, but a lot of people do, so I want to entertain this idea.

So... Why would she want to go with Block?

She already became a saint in her town, an Earth Mistress, and she can stay to fulfill this mission. If she rejects her role and goes to war, why? Does she want to be more than that? To preach to more people?

It's also not really stated what would she do there. Do be a spiritual support? To heal ppl (if she chooses her miracle worker side)?...

I also don't think her heart is that big that she will make her (most likely a deadly) mission to save more people in the country. I can't elaborate on that further for now and maybe it's just an impression I got bc of my own playstyle, but bc of her thoughts in the task windows and other stuff she did... She doesn't seem to me like a person who would care that much. She rather does things from her own desire for her self-actualization and moral understanding of the world than from compassion for others (but I may be wrong tho)

Is it bc Block is now her new the most important adult in her life? Just that?:/ It can't be that simple

Plz, correct me if I'm wrong or missing something and share with your thoughts. Again, I'm new and confused and I wanna know more

[acavatica]

Does voting make you anxious?

This isn't like me, but I'm going to give my fellow millennials (and younger) the benefit of the doubt: Are you not voting because you don't know how? Have you never done it on your own? Don't know where to start? Read on, I guess.

(This info only applies to the US, btw, I think the rest of y'all have it together better than us. I mean, maybe some of you don't, but I can't help you.)

Register to vote. Vote.gov walks you through the process. Note: There are primaries where each party chooses its finalists. Those happen before the main election in November. To vote in a primary, you have to be registered to one of the 2 real political parties. "Independent" doesn't mean you can vote for whichever one you like, it means you don't get to vote in the primary. I don't "identify" with the Democratic Party, either, but the fact is, any viable progressive candidate is going to be running as a Democrat and being a registered Democrat allows you to vote for people who represent you better. Do not register as an Independent. This doesn't matter for 2022, because primaries are over, but keep it in mind for the future.

Find your voting location. This time the tool is at vote.org. Right now, at least for me, my voting location hasn't been assigned. But when it is, you can put your address in here and find out where to go to vote in person. This page also has a list by state that takes you to your state's voting website. You can probably also do a mail-in or absentee ballot, but those rules vary state by state and I'm just some rando on tumblr. If you have going-outside-anxiety, google "absentee voting [the state you live in]." We are not allowed to vote online in the US.

Extra Credit for the Nerds: Look up who you'll be voting for. Put in your address, it shows you your ballot. Generally speaking, in a national (non-primary) election you can just vote down the party line of your preference, you'll usually only have two options, Democrat or Republican. It's really the primary where you can make the most difference, but we're here now, we vote for the lesser of two evils. But again, for the future, the less hype an election is, the more you can pick people you won't lose sleep over, we're talking local elections, midterm elections, primaries. When people only turn up to vote for the president, we get stuck with what we're stuck with. When people don't even show up for that, we end up where we are. I'm not blaming you. I have anxiety too. IMPORTANT: A lot of states have referendums for abortion rights this year. (California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, and Vermont.) The questions can sometimes be worded really confusingly. The links above go to each state's individual referendum so you can read the question and make sure you understand before you get to the poll.

Make a plan. Find out if you need ID (bring it just in case). Arrange transportation. Get an accountability buddy. Put it in your calendar. My polling places are open 6AM to 6 PM and if you're in line at 6PM you're guaranteed to be able to vote. The list from Step 2 should get you to your state's voting FAQ. If you are scheduled to work on November 8, 2022 (or some voting day in the future), know that 30 states require employers to give their employees some amount of time off for voting. Many states offer paid leave for voting. My state offers 4 hours unpaid, but hey, that's half a day off work. 🤷‍♀️

Vote on November 8, 2022. Here's what to expect: you walk into a school or a church or a retirement home. There are signs pointing you to the right room, and there are tables where poll workers might do some of the following: find your name in a book, check your ID, make you sign next to your name. You will either be given a pen and paper ballot or you will be directed to a computer ballot station. The ballot will probably look much like we practiced in Step 3 (this is where you get your extra credit). If you're voting via computer you might get to time travel to ipod controls times. Either way, it only takes a few minutes, you submit your vote, get your sticker, and then you go home or maybe get yourself a little treat.

This feels pretty cheeseball, honestly. I'm as disillusioned as any other progressive, and I think politics are fake 80% of the time. But I do work in government (in a library), so I know how to do these things, and I know a lot of people don't or are stressed out or intimidated. You don't have to love who you're voting for. You don't have to be enthusiastic about it. You don't have to expect anything to change because of it. But if you're scared, you don't have to be.

My ask box is open and anon is on if you wanna ask specific questions. ✌

[hellomynameisbisexual]

When we say something is biphobic, what do we mean? Many people are familiar with homophobia, but is there a specific different 'biphobia'? And do bisexuals face homophobia too?

Teenagers calling things they don't like "gay". Musicians writing lyrics urging the killing of "faggots". People using sexuality as a slur in the press. We're all increasingly familiar with what is meant by 'homophobia'.

The lobby group Stonewall defines homophobia as:

Homophobia is the irrational hatred, intolerance, and fear of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people.

These negative feelings fuel the myths, stereotypes, and discrimination that can lead to violence against LGB people.

From www.stonewall.org

What many people don't expect, and the above definition does set out, is that bisexual people suffer from homophobia too. The idea that identifying as bisexual is a way to avoid homophobia, or easier/safer than coming out as gay is a myth.

The people who hate us don't distinguish between us. In fact it's entirely possible to be discriminated against and bullied for being gay without actually being LGBT at all - it's about the perception (here's an example - Stephen English) that the bullies have of us. We're "wrong", "unnatural", "filthy". These people often don't distinguish between homosexuality and bisexuality - it's "not-heterosexual" and therefore to be feared, hated, distrusted. As a blanket term, some people prefer "heterosexism", and instead of biphobia "monosexism", but these aren't in common useage - perhaps because 'homophobia' is so widely known but also because they aren't as clear: 'monosexism' sounds like a version of sexism (maybe for people who believe there's only one gender?) whereas 'biphobia' is clearer that it relates to bi people.

In homophobic environments, whether schools or offices or households, bisexual people are scared to come out, because they'll be seen as "them" and "other".

There's an International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia every May 17th.

How is Biphobia different?

But as bisexuals we face biphobia too, both from people that are homophobic and from ones who aren't. It's possible to be biphobic without being homophobic, as sayings like "you're either straight, gay or lying" make clear.

Our Bisexual FAQ tackles the most common myths about bisexuality, each of them is a biphobic statement. And people who subscribe to these are discriminating against bisexuals.

If, for example, bisexuals are unable to make up their minds, or commit to being 'straight' or 'gay', how can we be sure they're certain about other things? If saying we are bisexual is seen as a denial, what else are we lying about?

This is why these seemingly innoccuous statements like "People just say they're bi to appear cool" are harmful - they don't just upset us when we hear them but they damage other people's attitudes to us on other topics. People who perceive us as being confused, or in denial or lying about our sexuality think we're the sort of people who get confused, get into denial or are comfortable with lying. Should they ask a bisexual to commit to a project, they can't even commit to a sexuality! Should they ask us how we feel about another topic, when we can't even get our heads straight on our own sexuality!

Biphobic attitudes from gay and lesbian people have made many bisexuals unwilling to come out to them, preferring to remain 'under the radar' and pass as lesbian or gay in just the same way that other people pass as 'straight'.

A lot of this website deals with spotting biphobia, but these two pages are the best place to read up on it:

Our Bisexuality FAQ lists the main biphobic myths

The most common myth is "It's Just A Phase" - when a celebrity comes out as gay they are trumpeted in the press but when they come out as bi it's often that they are "allegedly bisexual" or "now says she's bisexual", because everyone knows bisexuality is a phase, is just confusion.

Bisexual erasure is rampant. We're gay when we have same-sex partners, straight when we have different-sex ones. (Yet, oddly, neither gay nor straight people become asexual when single). As soon as a previously thought-of as "straight" celebrity has come out as bi and they're then seen with someone of the same-sex, it's described as a "gay fling" or they've got a "lesbian crush".

We've always been a part of the LGBT scene (the first ever Gay Pride festival anywhere was the idea of a US bisexual activist - Brenda Howard) but the assumption that everyone there is homosexual, and the attitudes towards bisexuals, keep our achievements silenced and pushed down. As recently as 2010, London's LGBT Pride didn't fund a bisexual working group, and listed among their event goals "fighting homophobia and transphobia" (but not biphobia, or lesbophobia).

Combating Biphobia

When we talk about fighting biphobia, it's important to realise that we need to fight homophobia too. It's no good hearing someone being homophobic and then asking them not to include you because you're "only bisexual".

We here at the Bisexual Index believe one of the main causes of prejudice is ignorance. It's important to realise that a lot of prejudice isn't conscious, it's the result of long-standing attitudes that people may not have ever dismantled and examined.

The easiest enemy to hate and fear is the enemy you never meet, like the monster under the bed. We think the best way to make the transition from "them" to "us" is to come out as bisexual. We've got a page dedicated to that if you want some advice - Coming Out as Bisexual.

Celebrities and television drama caricatures of LGBT people are easy to ridicule and feel unfamiliar to the people mocking or hating them. But when "Them" includes work-colleagues, other people at school or church, the shopkeeper, the next-door-neighbour, or even Aunty Beryl then suddenly we are a little bit less alien and removed. Suddenly we're not "Them", but a bigger and more diverse "Us".

We should also stand up to negativity. We're not undecided - we've decided on bisexual. We're not confused, except by their prejudice. "Gay sex" isn't dirty, or a sin, or spreading diseases, and nor are bisexuals spreading diseases between the perceived gay and straight communities - it's actions that spread HIV, not identities.

What if you're not bisexual? Then you can still spread the word, correct biphobic myths, and support bisexuals. Help create a positive mood, support people when they come out and don't treat them like weirdoes. (Constantly asking your bisexual work colleague for details of their wild weekends, for example. We have the same lives as everyone else! It's all X-Factor and knitting...)

Biphobia and homophobia together make our society into one where bisexual people don't want to come out, even to other LGBT folk. We need to stand up to it, we need to disprove the myths, we need to start recognising bisexuals.

I'm facing biphobia, what next?

If you find yourself the victim of harassment at work or school, please tell other people. At work you should tell your manager, union representative or HR department (who may have a contact specifically for equal opportunities issues). Stonewall has a good summary of the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 which we recommend reading if you find yourself being bullied or harassed at work. ACAS has some really good advice and information too.

At school we recommend talking to a teacher, but also to your parents and your friends if you're out to them - get support and don't allow the behaviour to be silently encouraged. You might also consider Schools Out which is a national charity.

In your family, tell your friends. Find a member of your family you can trust, and tell them.

You can also try local advice lines, citizen's advice bureaus, and local LGBT support groups. Maybe you have a local Bi Group you can turn to?

There's support out there when you need it. Please don't suffer in silence.

Bisexuals - We're Just Like You, Only More Bisexual!

[me-on-set]

Harrowingly Strange

When was the last time you had to face a moral dilemma? I am still reeling. I actually just got home. I think I invented a new selfie style. I wanted to take a photo of my makeup on and off.

As I currently write this, I am not an actor but instead have been doing background work for the past year. I've occasionally been a featured extra and was a body double once.

It's fascinating, seeing and doing the work that embodies being on set.

A couple of days ago, I received a message from a casting agency that had my headshot asking to submit my photo for a featured non-speaking role with a local production company. It was a one or two day shoot at $200 per day. I said yes and I got the gig.

When you are cast, you get an email the night before with details about the set location, start time, special instructions, and wardrobe. This show I booked was for a reenactment TV series about real world events. The exciting news was that this particular episode revolved around a crisis that occurred in my parents' homeland. I was to play someone at home seeing the news on television, and then in a second scene complain to police of their incompetence. I was asked to bring leisure clothing one would wear at home.

When I first started being an extra, I would bring my clothes in a backpack, trying really hard not to care too much. That behavior did not last. I found my interest stumbling forward into a natural evolution. I started taking luggage to neatly carry my wardrobe options. I found that I would mostly get cast as a mid-30's businessman. This led me to comfortably bring my outfits in a garment bag. It's funny how familiarity can grow your views.

For today, I packed shorts, sweatpants, t-shirts, a hoodie, a pair of runners, and a pair of flip flops. I got these flip flops during my last vacation with my mom overseas in her hometown. I also brought some henley shirts and arrived on set in khakis and a short-sleeved polo because there was also a mention of button-ups being an option.

The majority of work involved as an extra is waiting. It's a good idea to bring a book, although in this day and age, occupying oneself with a smart phone is a much more fulfilling time killer. I didn't end up using any of the clothes I had brought except for my belt and my runners. After my hair and makeup were done I decided to satisfy my curiosity by searching keywords of this specific production. I searched the name of the character I was to reenact. Adding quotations to strict strings of words, I had soon discovered the event I was going to portray. This was when my moral dilemma began.

I was born and raised in North America by immigrant parents who arrived in their early 20's. The typical experiences had by people of color paint a relatively positive mural that represents my upbringing. Having visited my ethnic country many times throughout my life, I felt, and still feel, a deep connection to the motherland. This connection is common for others like myself, powered by identity in a time where life will sometimes present it as a limitation. Conversely, this only strengthens cultural pride.

The role I was to play was an international representing their countrymen against the very country I identify with. Pangs of uneasiness flooded my body. There was another featured role performer who had an earlier call time. We sat together in the holding area. He was cast to play the part of a family member learning the news of the event. What surprised me more was the fact that he was a recent immigrant from my country of ethnicity. Us both, cast in roles of coincidental conflict of interest?

When it comes to acting, the only other time I recall having feelings of apprehension was during a big budget movie filmed in a church. I was a church goer among a sea of church goers seated in church pews. We were instructed to portray the enjoyment of a church service. Some of us were selected to stand and sway to the Christian music. Some had their eyes closed, head tilted to the ceiling, palms facing up to the heavens. As easy a physical task that is, I instead opted to clap along to the band and pretend to really feel the sounds of my favorite music. I know it's just acting but I was driven by the thought of my mom seeing me do anything other than that on camera. So, I coursed the music through my veins. I know the history of the band members, the albums, this music moves me, pretend.

I received my paperwork and read it over a cup of coffee from craft services. It was standard paperwork that I've filled out over a dozen times before. I looked at the inviting exit door. I was parked right outside. This is not that big of a deal, is it? I imagined this TV episode making its way to the news overseas, the citizens all over the world deeming me a traitor for perpetuating a negative image, not merely through action but through representation against them. Against us. Am I selling out? For two hundred bucks?

I thought about getting up and leaving. I thought about all of the hard work that people have put into this specific production. If you haven't been behind the scenes before, it is quite the trip. An assortment of heavy duty cables line the floors, taped in place. Racks of props in designated areas. The backstage crew zip around in sync, bursting with walkie-talkie sounds and hollers of instruction. There is a commonality in the many interactions, their minds tuned into the goal meant to be achieved. This is their career.

This is my hobby. I am a prop. Would leaving this put a blemish on my record in the local film community, or the film industry as a whole, because I wasted everyone's time being sensitive? As I languished, I get a message from my best friend and I tell him I'm on set. I tell him:

For some reason, that makes me feel better. I just might be able to work with that mentality. The other guy has finished. He returns his wardrobe and collects his belongings. I ask him if he knows what this show is about. We speak in our language among the English-speakers. I ask him if he thinks people back home are going to be mad at us. I ask him if he knew we were going to be doing this. He seems ok with it all. He said he was there during the actual event. He's new to the industry. We laugh about how we can pass as different races. This is his first time being on camera. He said he enjoyed the experience. I ask him if he'll continue. He said yes. I hope he does.

Finally, wardrobe is set and I am wearing a navy blue golf shirt and some gray slacks. I want to feel good, like the other times I've worked. How can I get that feeling? They're calling me on set. They adjust the lighting while I sit in front of the camera. A fog machine fills the mock living room belonging to my character. When the camera rolls, there is a fake TV in front of me that I am to watch casually at first and then grow increasingly interested as the live footage I am pretending to watch unfolds. I am supposed to build up into a frustration with the host country. My country. As I understand it, the real guy is being interviewed and I am the reenactment; the illustration of his side of the story. I do the scene. Twice. Filming took less than 5 minutes total. The whole time I was thinking about my mom. I can remember it still, a few hours ago today, the director describing the gradual transpiring of the footage to guide me. To help me see a reason to be frustrated on camera. It wasn't helping. It's not his fault. I don't think it's anyone's fault. I don't think they even knew why I would be uncomfortable. I don't think they knew much about the countries involved in the event. They even spelled the city name wrong. I don't even think the takes were that bad.

I wish it wasn't about my country. If it were different, I feel like I could have given more - like I had done at the church.

It's unsettling to perform make-believe, but for myself I have managed to apply a mental exercise that immerses me into a character; to actually be the person. The trick is to relate. To tie the emotion to a real memory and relive it. If it had only been about another country, I'm sure I would have enjoyed the process a lot more.

I'm writing this and I was hoping it would help me shake away this dread. Thoughts of regret imagining if I had only researched the keywords sooner. Maybe I would have cancelled. But that wouldn't have been better. I would be blacklisted and never cast as another role again. Or maybe I'm being dramatic. Hey, that's good for this line of work, right?

I honestly hope the final cut looks great. This is the biggest role I've ever been in. They gelled my hair funny like a nerd, I had on large framed glasses, just like the portrayed, and they put makeup on my upper lip to hide my dark, clean-shaven stubble.

When I got home, before I washed my makeup off, I took a before and after mirror selfie because my face looked comedically smooth. Taking the pictures reminded me of when I was sipping coffee in the holding area. I had taken pictures of my paperwork. I remember my mind racing. The feeling was like gathering license plates and insurance information after a collision. You know, just in case I have to stand trial, my cultural membership in jeopardy. I can review my situation with a lawyer to see what I can and can not say during a variety show interview that is getting my side of the story after viral, captioned screenshots of me flood the internet with embarrassing memes, stamped into history. Jesus Christ, that would be the worst. Here I go again with extreme maybes. It's an entertaining curse that I will forever be engulfed in my own hypothetical torture.

Anyway, here's that selfie I invented:

Yeah my bathroom mirrors are dirty.

I can't wait for my next job that I can cleanse my palate with. I really hope I can accept today as purely an actor's portrayal, and not a turncoat betrayal. This can't be my last go at acting. I ate some of my country's food for supper. I feel a bit better. I'm wearing a shirt that is emblazoned with our country's sports hero.

I have always been excited to see the final release of a production I am in, except for this one now. Uncontrollably, my perverse curiosity into the film world is only strengthening, so I don't think even the worst thoughts can slow my future participation. The silver lining is that the uncomfortable bar is set to a new level. I could reenact a murderous deviant now without batting a moral eyelash, I like to think. All for the sake of film.

- WSS, February 8, 2019

[occamsgalileo]

The Important Connection between Environmentalism and Black Lives Matter

Celebrating women this day we see so many young women on the ground fighting for others and it is inspiring to see especially these young women use their voices for those who haven't been heard.

Who is Leah Thomas? Leah Thomas identifies herself as an intersectional environmental activist, blogger and eco-communicator. The murder of George Floyd, ignited within her to garner support for Black lives from the environmental community. She posted online and explained what her position and title is and does.

“[I] really wanted to encourage environmentalists that I’ve stood alongside in climate protests to stand alongside me and all the Black people in America right now.” – Leah Thomas

Since that post Leah founded intersectionalenvironmentalist.com

COP26 gave A significant move but slow push in recognition of climate change--agreeing to the fatal destruction rather than pivoting to other topics or averting our attention there are now formidable plans to control climate change at this summit. This UN summit hosting leaders all over the world agreed on two important factors: limiting warming to 1.5°C has been formally recognized. A positive step toward ending the destruction of our forests: over 130 countries (representing over 85% of the world’s forests) committed to reverse deforestation and land degradation by 2030. A significant achievement, and a step up from promises made before, but the proff will be seen in the world evidently.

What is Intersectional Environmentalism and how does it relate to Black Lives Matters (2-3 paragraphs)?

Black Lives Matter is not just a slogan but has managed to do what no other cry for justice has--made the world look at the historical, systemic institutions and treatment of an entire race and culture. In a digital age where we now have the access to instant news and entertainment we also have the access to brutality and climate change in real time.

As a country we saw the life of a black man disintegrated before our own eyes and every mother, sister, aunt no matter what race was cut with the flame of empathy and anger all at once. It finally made sense these phrase we all have heard for decades and it made people finally listen.

Unfortunately, brutality, devastation is how we take notice of situations and enact change. As a people this has been our common way of operating. Not until a crisis happens or if it affects you do we "do something".

The inequities that counties, some entire continents that suffer greater and differently than the U.S. for example, like Kenya or the Sudan, intersectional environmentalism gives a light to how climate change offers a voice and justice for those whose impact of climate change if felt more deeper due to lower socioeconomic levels.

I am painfully reminded of the inequities just at a local level when I see a large gas guzzling Suburban Sedans at school drop offs and wonder just how much emissions and waste come from some of these million dollar homes that consume and dispose excess? As we see gas prices soar, will people help the cause by giving up these large cars that frankly having been almost sideswiped by one shouldn't be on the road! Or do they continue just like the COP26 had been and look the other way? I plan on trading in my car and using electric if that helps in any way. Those who can should and those who can't we must help even more.

Who is Leah Penniman? Leah Penniman who's background is quite fascinating of a Black Kreyol farmer/ a peyizan, mother, who considers herself an author, a soil nerd and food justice activist. Soul Fire Farm She co-founded Soul Fire Farm in 2010 with the mission to end racism in the food system and reclaim our ancestral connection to land. Leah is part of a team that facilitates powerful food sovereignty programs –Soul Farm is important to the climate movement because its mission is to make the playing field of the food systems equal and to educate impoverished families Her training with farmers all over the world like Ghana, Haiti, and Mexico offer her th eopportunity to show the most proficient and sustainable way to create, seed, and produce foods where possible that are healthy for families. She is offering education which is one of the most powerful tools in the under served population.

Making changes and their voices heard as well are young recent graduates like Kristy Drutman--she became part of the COP24 delegation and uses her platform to document how journey up to the delegation. As "Brown Girl Green" She is showing others who may image themselves in her how important it is to get involved on these matters. Her goal to be a gateway for disenfranchised communities offers another helping hand in access to information. Her foundation in mental well being through art, mindfulness, and relationship building are core tenets of sustainable activism and who she is as an activist. Here is her podcast to learn more:

Environmentalism reaches many areas of industries especially in farming. In this podcast How to save a planet, gives us different perspectives on working a farm, from a much smaller plot to a large commercial operation of one thousand acres. We hear these terms like regenerative farming which is better for the ecosystem because its purpose is to have a conservation and rehabilitation approach to food and farming systems. It focuses on topsoil regeneration, increasing biodiversity, improving the water cycle for example. One thing I was intrigued by is the open and raw honest dialogue as to why some people of color are averse to the idea of farming which is historical from the era of slavery. The push for the rights in reclaiming lands ones ancestors worked and died on often murdered upon through 40 acres and mule is not just reparations but to empower a new generation of Blacks in American for a lifetime. Spike Lee was a vocal advocate for social justice through his films and film company of the aforementioned name in the popular well known firehouse in downtown Brooklyn.