#I stand by trans link (I am projecting)

[dryya-doesnt]

Long time no see here are some botw/totk doodles from this week. Hope this makes your day better :)

#zelink #botw #loz fanart #totk #loz totk #I stand by trans link (I am projecting) #imagine if they let link cry during the dragon tears quest my god #thé zelink doodles are coming back really totk turned me into a zelinker #the legend of zelda #they are so comfort ship to me

[sophie-frm-mars]

I'm not sure how much people are talking about Aaron Bushnell having engaged with online leftist media, but the records show that they were a viewer of a bunch of different twitch streams, including mine, and subscribed to a bunch of patreons, including mine. I'm not going to inflate my importance here, the livestream link was sent directly to Talia Jane and Anark, so those are probably the voices Bushnell felt the most connected to and followed the most directly, like idk if they also subscribed to someone's patreon after watching a video abt Cars 2 or whatever, I'm not trying to examine whether social media drove the self immolation because I think that's disrespectful to the memory of someone who literally died screaming Free Palestine. I don't personally know of any leftist creators who directly advocate political suicide, and I know that we all share in the political understanding that underscored Bushnell's decision.

I've already made a point of telling my patreon server that my politics are about growing into each other and supporting one another and that if anyone asked me if I thought they should do what Bushnell did I would say no absolutely not.

I'm ruminating a bit on the nature and meaning of the protest, because a lot of people are engaging with the image of a man in fatigues on fire, standing proud and declaring "FREE PALESTINE", while I've seen others talking about the fact Bushnell's username on several platforms was LillyAnarKitty, mourning the loss of a potential trans sister, talking in depressive terms about the act of suicide, to which I think the people who are engaging in the more macho interpretation of the protest are saying "no it was cool and masculine, it wasn't suicide in the conventional sense it was about principle!" I think there's room for plenty of both. For the record LillyAnarKitty used he and she pronouns in discord servers.

Andreas Malm's approach to self-sacrifice and self-endangerment is that we as subjects of the imperial core are in a sense, precious. Valuable. We are supposedly what it is all for. The imperialist project must be doing it for the citizens of the imperialist nations because if it isn't, then it has to nakedly admit that it is doing it all for the intense power and wealth consolidation of a tiny tiny number of soulless ghouls. Therefore when we put ourselves in harm's way in a way that says you would have to destroy me to get to the thing I care about, we leverage the implicit value of ourselves for our principles. A planned protest by Palestine Action against the London Stock Exchange was allegedly going to involve locking the actionists' necks onto the mechanism of the door into the LSE making it impossible to enter or leave without probably killing them, for example. I think that Bushnell's self immolation sits on a sort of dissonance, my life is precious and my life is worthless. My life is precious and so you should care about the obvious tragedy that I am enacting and my life is worthless if thousands upon thousands of Palestinians are killed as part of the project that enables the life that I lead.

There is also the way that people have debated the meaning of "complicit in genocide" - Bushnell worked in USAF Intelligence and the US has active troops in Palestine, it's possible that they were already culpable in an unknowable number of deaths without having set foot there.

In one sense it's a little pointless to debate the fine details of the meaning of Bushnell's protest in the same way that it's pointless to pick over any feelings of responsibility that I and I know other people that we know they watched are feeling. When I first saw the video I was struck by the language, by their concise and astute analysis and I knew, without knowing just how closely that they were plugged into the same intellectual and political milieu as us. In that same sense I think that they already described what they did the best that any of us are going to be able to:

“My name is Aaron Bushnell. I am an active-duty member of the United States Air Force, and I will no longer be complicit in genocide.”

“I’m about to engage in an extreme act of protest. But compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it’s not extreme at all. This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal.”

"Free Palestine."

[hychlorions]

hi hello do you have any totally not self projection (haha twirls hair) headcanons for apollo thee justice or klavier babygirl gavin,,

hahaha…. oh yes…. all of my headcanons are totally. not self-projection…. so let's start with saying i've already posted some here and here (the first one isn’t really hcs specifically but there are some sprinkled in there)

anyway. i have no idea how to. yk. format any of this so i’m just gonna give a list (with pictures also).

this got long so under the read more once again !

so first up are the ones for apollo. we have a lot for him bc he’s just like me fr 🥴:

i am finally going to elaborate on the boxed milk that’s mentioned in the second link

used to cry at seeing strays bc he felt sorry for them and wanted to take them in

just absolutely hates cucumbers. can't stand them at all. he even remotely tastes one and/or bites into it and feels cucumber texture he will Gag

what is apollo justice’s greatest achievement and why is it getting the highest score in his class on his philosophy exam on only two hours of sleep

usually forgets he’s scared of needles until he needs to get a vaccine or a blood test and then it’s too late—

scared of mascots. usually forgets about this too until there’s a mascot in front of him and then it’s too late—

scared of frogs. he wasn't always though. he's still not sure why he developed the fear

would actually genuinely want to dress like klavier but never really has the time or the eye for picking out the wardrobe and is honestly scared abt buying styles that aren’t tried and true on him (bc if it DOESN’T LOOK GOOD then he WASTED MONEY). but once he does get the right clothes and he goes out like that it’s like. oh god why did i do this. then he gets home and it’s like. why was i so worried. i’m HOT

he definitely just got into astrology bc he confused it with astronomy as a kid trying to relate to clay. actually he doesn’t even really believe in that stuff it’s just something interesting to read about when he’s bored

THIS ONE. there’s actually more to it but it’s more klavier-focused than apollo so that’s between me, god, and my friend

some gender things bc i ended up elaborating a lot on this once: • here’s a quote from something unfinished, said to trucy and athena as they talk about things they never got to do as kids (such as sleepovers and makeovers, which they wanna drag apollo into. inevitably.): “I mean… after growing up in Khura’in I never really thought about makeup,” Apollo admits. “But then I moved here, and I got older here, and then it used to feel like something I had to learn so I could fit in. Then, you know… I didn’t need or want it anymore. So I’m decent! Out of practice, but decent.” • i like to think that apollo's trans experience has been largely rooted in gender euphoria rather than dysphoria? as in he's never felt connected to his agab so being referred to as such before he transitioned (socially or otherwise) has been :/ at most but when a store clerk called him sir by accident once it was like a eureka moment

ok now klavier time:

when they were kids kristoph once made up a game where he would throw rocks at klavier. that’s it that’s the whole game. like this

he had. so many teeth problems. he got braces as a kid and he ended up almost needing them again in his early 20s but nah he ended up just getting like. veneers and retainers.

will spend half an hour picking bell peppers out of his food if he has to. just to get rid of them all. terrible stuff and the taste is always so overpowering

absolutely obsessed with food as a metaphor for love

collects soaps and perfumes and colognes. basically anything nice-smelling he will absolutely love so it's easy to get him birthday gifts when you don't know what else to get him

you can put him in a situation where all of the signs will point to a very obvious conclusion regarding another person (can be about anybody) and he’d be like “unless they confirm that themselves i’m not gonna act on it >:(“ this has always led to more situations. naturally. he's not stupid for this btw there's just a lot of self doubt going on

scared of restringing guitars. those high-e strings are no joke :”)

“so what instrument do you play?” “well guitar of course. a recorder if it counts. i taught myself some songs on the piano, i know a bit of bass, the ukulele, some violin training, the melodica but that’s just because i know piano—“ “okay, okay, i get it.”

for his highschool music class he aced a hearing test and people thought he had perfect pitch. it was actually because he was comparing all the notes to the opening g note in welcome to the black parade—

oftentimes he picks up hobbies that kristoph tries out bc he thinks it’ll make kristoph think he’s cool. ends up being better at it than kristoph lol

when he first found out he was bi he cuffed his jeans soooo much bc he thought it was a cool identifier. no babe it’s just a dumb thing people say……

accidentally figured out gender in the cemetery once. then like. only realized he did that about 10-ish years later? yeah 🥴 has anyone else been both everything and nothing and something else entirely all at once. klavier has. and he still is

u didn’t ask, but klapollo all together:

apollo: why does my back hurt so much i am so young and so healthy… also apollo: sleeps like this

(side note that while i may have drawn klavier but even if you remove him from the equation apollo will still sleep like that. klavier does hog the bed a lot though)

this one.

klavier has this hair routine once a week where he has to sit in the shower and wait for the product to set for like 10-15 minutes. before they move in together he'd have apollo to text while waiting bc he's the only other person who's awake since klavier likes to shower early. when they move in together... klavier still texts him lol he has no shame

jacket-stealing/giving is something that can actually be so personal. sorry i've just been obsessed with klavier giving apollo his jackets lately. later he'll find out he can steal apollo's hoodies too bc he buys them in XL (they're comfier)

one last. discord screenshot.

#ask #anonymous #sorry this took so long i had to pick and choose and scour discord to Remember some stuff #sorry (2) if this is incomprehensible it's like two in the morning

[autisticempathydaemon]

For the RedactedAudios match-up!

What song are you fixated on at the moment? 

Cease Cesse by Clou and Slim Pickins Does The Right Thing And Rides The Bomb To Hell by The Offspring, maybe True Trans Soul Rebel (classic lol) by Against Me!

What lyric or verse, and why?

From Promiseland by MIKA- "I kept my promise, man, show me the promiseland"

What is your Enneagram type?

Type 8, followed closely by 3.

Do you love gargantuan Youtube video essays, and if so, which is your favorite and why?

Occasionally, if I'm interested in the topic. I like to learn about things. Personal preference is to watch video essays about the process to make something (eg. Weaving, crocheting, sewing) or about history.

Tell me about your childhood imaginary friend.

I had a fox as my imaginary friend, but barely remember it.

What is your go-to way to fall asleep?

On my front with one pillow. If it isn't silent I'll put headphones in to listen to rain noises.

If you had to change your name, what would it be, and why? (In tandem, if you have changed your name, why did you pick that one?)

I've changed mine for Trans Reasons! If I changed it again I'd like to choose something more adventurous though.

What is your favorite of Redacted’s audios, and why?

Comforted By an Arrogant Incubus and Your Owner Takes Matters Into His Own Hands [Project Meridian]. Gavin's comfort audio is a go-to when I feel down and overwhelmed but I think my favorite lore and audio wise is the latter of my two choices due to the copious metaphors and grey morality of everyone involved.

What Redacted boy holds no appeal to you, and why? Like, not the one you hate but the one who you don’t get the hype for. (I won’t judge, I promise.)

Caelum, if he counts. He's just not my type of character. If not, probably Elliott and Vincent, mostly because their storylines don't interest me.

Tell me about that one book/movie/tv show you know all the words to.

LOTR probably, or maybe I, Robot? For TV it's definitely Hannibal though.

Which Redacted boy are you platonically attracted to? Like- forget dating, which dude do you want to be your best friend?

Mannn, Damien and I would be overachiever besties. I think he'd push me to be my best self and encourage me in my studies.

Do you have a go-to thing you ramble about when you’re tired, and if so, what is it? (For example, my boyfriend knows I’m ready to sleep when I start talking about space.)

Not sure– I don't think so. 

Tell me your go-to gas station and drink combo.

I don't really have a go-to but I like Speedway and 7/11. When I buy drinks (rarely) I usually buy lemonade or fizzy water. If I'm sharing it, I'll get a slushie, and if I'm tired I'll buy a coke but I often find both of those too sweet otherwise.

Tell me about your favorite playlist at the moment. 

Cannot link them for anonymity purposes but it's a chronological playlist for a character's morality change arc over the course of their story.

What’s your guilty pleasure media, and why?

Mmm, maybe Criminal Minds or reality TV (usually cooking shows, occasionally survivalist ones). I find both of them a bit abhorrent in terms of what they stand for (copaganda, individualism, unexamined colonial co-opting of native aesthetics) but occasionally watch them when I need something which doesn't require a lot of mental energy.

Anything else: I'd consider myself chronically unable to take a break, extroverted, a bit blunt and flirty on accident. Probably socialist or other leftist leanings politically and often fired up about social issues. I care a lot about looks and am always looking to help people around me (unfortunately, sometimes at my own expense). Going into a STEM career. I have a lot of creative hobbies and like working with my hands in my free time.

Thanks for doing this, it's very fun! :)

I’ve said it before, and I’ve said it again. I love to pair a Type Eight with a Type Nine, an extrovert with an introvert, and you know who’s an introverted Type Nine? Lasko heckin’ Moore.

There’s lots of similarities between the two of you that I think makes it work, both big and little things. You’re both trans. (Lasko’s storyline is inherently trans, and Erik himself could not tell me otherwise.) You both love Lord of the Rings and Hannibal. (It’s fun to imagine Lasko having a surprisingly strong mind and stomach for gore despite his nervousness.) You’re both relentlessly passionate about social justice.

In tandem with that, your differences are also why you work so well. Where Lasko hedges and obfuscates, you get straight to the point and speak your mind. Where you, as a Type Eight, might confront and face head on, Lasko mediates and diplomacizes. It’s a wonderfully balanced pair that would keep y’all in check with one another.

Song:

I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop I love so much/ All of the while I never knew/ All of the while, all of the while/ It was you

I can’t tell you what it is about Lasko, but I just love imagining coffee-shop meet cutes for him. He’d be writing lesson plans or taking notes for his next DnD session. You’d be doing… cool STEM stuff. (I’m a baker; all my science is of the applied, edible kind.) A barista mixes up your drinks, and then boom! Love.

Runner-Ups:

Both you and Aaron have workaholic tendencies, but I could imagine you showing him a creative hobby of your, something handy, would be a lovely bonding experience for the two of you. He seems the type who’d relax better if his hands weren’t idle, you know? Anton, I like because there’s nothing better than a beautiful couple tackling the STEM world together. (I’ve read a lot of Ali Hazelwood; we love a power couple.)

Note: those copaganda shows are surprisingly enjoyable I know

Read this post and send me an ask if you’d like a match-up of your own! 💌

#redactedasmr #redactedverse #redacted asmr #redactedaudio #redacted audio #redacted #busybee matches

[usa-trans-support-resources]

@cumulohimbus here! I've been seeing a number of posts by US trans folks both asking for and offering information/resources/testimonies in light of recent and upcoming anti-trans legislation in various states across the country.

I really want to make an accessible and organized archive of these resources (it's the librarian in me). However, I am only one person with limited time and a limited pool of knowledge to pull from. I am not "popular" on Tumblr, and I can't really afford to blaze posts trying to recruit volunteers to this cause, but this feels deeply important and something I am equipped to initiate. Until I am able to put together a team to help me build something better than this, I'll do my best on my own with this blog. I will share any resource that crosses my dash and try my hardest to come up with a consistent tagging system so things are easily searchable (I'll add an index of tags to this post as I collect things).

PLEASE SUBMIT STUFF TO THIS BLOG!!! In cases like this more = better, even if individual resources aren't necessarily "the best". If there's a chance someone will find something helpful, then it's worth sending my way.

Submissions can include things like:

Links to trans and intersex friendly organizations, charities, and the like

Links to state-specific resources, such as government sites and medical facilities that provide sex and gender-related health care

Informative or testimonial posts about living in, moving to, or visiting a specific state or region (doesn't have to specifically about being trans and/or intersex either, it could be about the climate or culture of the place, etc.)

Informative or testimonial posts about continuing hormone care in states looking to pass legislation that would make it more complicated or downright illegal

Information and updates about the various laws and legislation that are (in the process of) being enacted

Anything else that could be helpful, especially to trans and/or intersex people, and especially to trans and/or intersex people who are marginalized in more ways than just being transgender and/or intersex. This blog stands for intersectionality, equity, and inclusivity! We support our trans siblings who are Native, Black, Latinx, Asian, Jewish, Muslim, disabled, and folks of any other additional marginalized identities!

Please do NOT submit:

❌ Personal posts requesting financial aid. While I wish I could accommodate these, I don't want this blog to be swamped with posts for individuals and potentially prevent visibility of info and resources that are applicable to multiple people. Depending on if/how this project progresses, maybe it's something I could allow in the future.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP ME IMPROVE THIS ARCHIVE:

DM me either through this blog, or my main blog @cumulohimbus or comment on one of my posts about this project. I could use help with things such as:

Compilation of resources and info outside of Minnesota

Organizing this blog or converting it to a website of its own

Coding and formatting help to make this archive more accessible

Personal testimonies and advice relevant to the themes of this blog

Resource vetting/moderators to ensure accuracy, functional links, and to make sure none of the resources harbor fascists, terfs, swerfs, or propaganda for other hate groups

#transgender #transphobia #anti trans legislation #anti trans laws #lgbt #community support #information equity #harm reduction

[lame2882]

About Me ✎

Howdy! Welcome to my blog!

I'm not great at introductions. I've been here for... a good amount of years and I'm just barely getting around to introducing myself on here.

Anyway, Hi! I'm an artist and a writer and have chosen this blog as the vessel of my machinations.

Basics:

☆ I mostly go by Lame! But some other names I enjoy are Mel, Lochland, Castor, and Gayl (yes, I have characters with some of these names too)

☆ I'm trans masculine! Still figuring things out right now, but the pronouns I use are he/they/xe/xem/ae/aer as well as some others that I'll clarify later down the post!

☆ I am an adult! Still don't try anything sketchy tho. I am taken.

☆ Dissociated daydreamer

☆ Although I am a writer, I don't like telling stories through... writing. I love unconventional ways to tell stories like... comics and video games. Y'know, things I don't know how to do

☆ I will talk obsessively about my OCs and fictional worlds and you can't stop me

☆ I am obsessed with The Legend of Zelda and have my own fanon universe/timeline for it. Is it lore accurate? Absolutely not, but have you seen the canon timeline?

Hashtags:

#lame reposts is a hashtag that I put all of my reblogs under, just to keep things neat

#lame art is for all my art!

#out of canon shenanigans is for all my stuff that isn't canon to any of my stories. Ranges from random one-offs to whole aus, which will also be tagged respectfully

#in canon shenanigans is for all my stuff that is canon to any of my stories. Usually concept art or short stories

#Foranon is for everything related to my fantasy world Foranon, one of my main wips that I post about... a lot

#BoSZAU stands for Balance of Shadows Zelda AU. It's my Fanon Zelda Universe/Timeline... which is basically an alternate universe for Foranon

#TRTS stands for “To Rewrite The Stars” which is a new wip about my persona Castor and his twin Pollux and how they navigate the world

#DTHS stands for Devil Towne High School, which is my interconnected universe of various wips. Most of the stories have been abandoned, but I might still use the hashtag from time to time for the stories that are still being worked on

I also have various hashtags for various OCs but we don't have time for all that. Just look up their names and you'll get it.

More information about me as well as where else to find me below the cut!

I'm trans masculine. I mostly use he/they pronouns, but have been doing some fuckery with neopronouns and even nounpronouns and they feel really nice so here's a full list of pronouns you can use for me!

☆He/Him

☆They/Them

☆Xe/Xem

☆Ae/Aer

☆Ey/Em

☆Star/Stars

☆Void/Voids

Please do not start discourse on my blog, thanks

I'm an artist and writer! I write original stuff, but the only stories I've actually managed to finish have been fanfics. I finished a whole trilogy of fanfics but can't focus long enough on my original stuff to finish anything.

I am an avid daydreamer and I often forget about my surroundings because of it and I feel bad because it makes me oblivious to a lot of things. A lot of my stories come from my daydreams.

One of these stories is Foranon! I'd love to give a synopsis on it, but there's literally so much that would need explaining that I don't have time to put it all down here. It's mostly just a worldbuilding project right now with a narrative worming its way through it. I'll have to make an infodump post about it and I'll link it here eventually. For now, take the blog I made for it that I never touch @foranongame

I also have Balance of Shadows! Which is one of the many fanfics I mentioned in the paragraph above. It's a Zelda AU where I decided to mess with the canon timeline into something I find cohesive. The characters in this AU are kinda the same in Foranon as Foranon is basically just me repurposing fan characters for something more original.

I'm also hoping to return to my story Ghost Freaks! Which is a comic I've been planning for 4-5 years now. I published the prologue of the comic back in 2020 and then motivation killed me so I never touched it again. Hoping to revamp it and start on it again soon! Again, have the blog I never touch @ghost-freaks-comic

I'm... not good at synopses.

Social Media

You can find all my social media on my carrd here

All my stuff is some variation of Lame2882 or Lame.2882

Interests

As said before, I'm obsessed with Legend of Zelda, but some other interests of mine are:

☆Omori

☆Little Nightmares

☆Pin Collecting

☆Danganronpa

☆Astronomy

☆Night in the Woods

☆ROTTMNT

☆Don't Starve

☆Sky: Children of the Light

☆Ghosts and other supernatural stuff

And I think that's all you really need to know about me! Feel free to say hi!

#I stole this from my friend Val #I really don't know how to introduce myself to people #intro post #introduction #introductory post #intro blog #about me #lame2882

[lilliana-kendra]

Hello again! I'm the co-writer (and much more) of Absitnthia, the unapologetically queer indie JRPG in development by Team Bewitched, and I think it's time to meet our leading characters!

First, let meet Sera, our POV character.

When Josh and I were first revising drafts of the overall plot and character arcs, Sera wasn't planned to be a lot more than Freya's adopted little sister who learns to come into her own. But, after one round of revisions, it hit me that Sera is only primary character who never has any kind of romantic or sexual involvement with anyone, and I started wondering why that was. And then it hit me--Sera doesn't WANT any partners! That's right, not only is Sera learning how to be a badass warrior who can stand up to anything, she's also asexual, aromantic, and very happily unpartnered! And yes, it absolutely will come up as part of her character. Don't confuse that for being anything else, though. Sera is empathetic and wishes for only best for her friends and family in their own love lives, even hoping everyone else is enjoying their own adult fun time.

Now let's meet Freya, the protagonist who drives most of the action.

I'll say up front that I have absolutely loved shaping and writing this character. Freya is everything I always wished to have in a lady protagonist when I was young: beautiful but classy, badass but kind, resolved to her path but woefully imperfect, and also very sapphic and canonically transgender. Part of what I've loved about writing Freya is that she's complicated, as any real person truly is. Her outlook on life and her actions in the story are heavily motivated by personal experiences, but she's never 100% correct. In fact, sometimes Freya might just be absolutely wrong in some of her decisions, no matter how wounded she may be. I truly hope to return to future Team Bewitched projects to writer her further, because I am completely in love with how she develops throughout Absinthia.

Onto Jake!

When Josh told me in the early writing he was considering making Jake a trans man, but felt worried it would be too many trans characters in one story, I was beyond happy to give Josh a hard push into making it canon. And just like with Freya, it definitely comes up a time or two. One of the things I love about Jakes is that he really is just such a GUY. He's the living embodiment of the word impetuous, and exploring where some of that comes from has been a lot of fun. And even though parts of Absinthia's script are still under revision, it's been interesting and exciting both for me to write a same-gender romance from a man's perspective. Will Jake grow up a little and save his boyfriend some trouble in the future? We can hope.

Let's meet Thomas!

I don't normally write characters who are more reserved and analytical, but it's fun to break that mold sometimes, and Thomas has been a lot of fun to write. While I can't say for sure yet how it will come up in dialogue, Thomas is technically pansexual (and a POC to boot!) and loves Jake more for his personality than his parts. One of the things I find endearing about Thomas is how he really is about the only person who can handle Jake's energy, and it really is so sweet. And did I mention how much I love that Thomas kicks just as much ass as everyone else, despite not being a melee oriented character? Let's just hope that Thomas' patience for Jake holds out in the long term.

Onward to Ruthea! (Character bust not done yet)

Ruthea is such a fascinating character to me, in that she's evolved so heavily from not existing at all in early outlines, to being one of the most important characters in the story. She also provides a direct link back to Ruth and Gwen from Knight Bewitched, what we consider our flagship title. Some of the Ruthea-specific scenes are still under revision at this time, but I'm already so dearly fond of this character and I absolute cannot wait to see what happens to her by the end of Absinthia--and hopefully beyond! Just, please, Ruthea...don't break my daughter Freya's heart. (Again.)

And finally, our antagonist Lilith!

Sometimes you want to cut loose and write a bad guy who's bad, and Lilith has definitely scratched that itch for me. Lilith is sarcastic, manipulative, emotionally abusive, and completely unconcerned with the effects her actions have on others--and she loves every moment of it. She's been such a blast to help write that, despite being in her second game now, I kind of want to have her back as the bad guy one more time in future projects. But, two is probably enough, and it's been a lot of fun to see how she's evolved from her introduction in Celestial Hearts.

And those are the leading characters from Absinthia! I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it. If you like what you see and you'd like to see more, or potentially support our project, please head over to our Kickstart campaign and check out all further details there.

#LGBTQ #sapphic #gaming #indie games #video games #gay #asexual #aromantic #queer pride #trans pride #console gaming

[exhibit-of-the-century]

MON 29th JAN: Benin 'Bronzes'

Masterlist

BUY ME A COFFEE

Further reading: Annie E. Coombes, Reinventing Africa: Museums, Material Culture and Popular Imagination in Late Victorian and Edwardian England, ‘Material Culture at the Crossroads of Knowledge: The Case of the Benin “Bronzes”, 1994

Toby Green, A Fistful of Shells: West Africa from the Rise of the Slave Trade to the Age of Revolution, ‘Rivers of Cloth, Masks of Bronze: The Bights of Benin and Biafra’, 2019

More and Other

Building off artwork from around the world, art of Africa is rarely explored. Or when it is, it is mislabelled as being art when its purpose was something completely different. Or served as both.

The second part of our lesson consisted of looking at Benin Bronzes and going to The British Museum to look at them in person before the lesson. Now while it was beneficial to see them up close, it was hard to find and understand what you were looking at, especially without a reference point to the history.

These are examples of the Benin Bronzes:

Resources linked to a 2019 exhibition about trans Saharan trade.

Looking closely at this piece specifically reveals hidden information to us about the Benin Bronzes, especially what they were used for and part of decoration on columns and panelling on roof. Historians love pictures in pictures as it reveals greater insight into purpose and time period.

A big question that comes up when discussing them is: Should they be returned?

Another question that comes from looking at them, and after tackling the previous question asked is: How do we reconstruct it? Is there a way to?

Bronze is a high statues object and material; these Bronzes were taken from a palace.

A comparison visually has been made to Ancient Egyptian art but there aren’t a lot of compelling references and links. Although there are records of artists travelling between these countries. How do we compare different cultural and societal developments?

These Bronzes cannot be admired without discussing the deep-rooted colonial history that became part of them due to colonisation by the British Forces, and while this is a great point and history to them, the museum does a lot to make the Bronzes about the West and colonisation, rather than giving great details about the Bronzes and their purpose, and functionality etc.

While this may not be surprising to those more educated on the topic of colonisation/colonial power, an aspect that may terrify and surprise you, that our professor said he had an unfortunate encounter with a curator of the British Museum in the late 70’s saying proudly that “nothing that was in the Museum was stolen or acquired illegally due to those countries belonging to Britain”.

While this may have some merit, only in the fact that legality is flexible historically, when tackling historical artifacts. Which makes acquisition and keeping them complicated.

And while the British Museum has people advocating for it, that it’s educational…Well, I just wonder what the countries their stolen goods and artifacts come from have to study from and display for education or other.

A book on the topic of Museum perpetuating certain ideas and views: The Brutish Museums: The Benin Bronzes, Colonial Violence and Cultural Restitution, 2020 by Dan Hicks (an anthropologist)

Art History stands in a strange place when it comes to non-European art, as it is studied by Anthropologists and Ethnologists rather than Historians or even Art Historians.

Who are the artists we collect? And what do those artists represent and how do we perpetuate it?

While Anthropology museums can argue that they appreciate the culture and house it, it’s hard to defend a place like The British Museum (which I’m very much not going to do). I am an immigrant to England and we actually refer to The British Museum as the “Museum of stolen goods”, or “The British Empire Museum”.

"A photograph in an album in the National Army Museum, perhaps taken at Portsmouth or in London shortly after the return of some of the Benin soldiers, shows 45 soldiers and officers in blackface. They have raffia capes, wigs, clubs, staffs, spears, bows and arrows and drums, and one holds a skull aloft on a stick. In the foreground, the group look on while one of the ceremonial swords looted from Benin City is held to the back of the neck of a kneeling man, in a parody of human sacrifice. […] Benin was presented as ‘degenerate’.” (Hicks, 192)

Film theorist Bill Nichols argues that re-enactment ‘forfeits its indexical bond to the original event. It draws its fantasmatic power from this very fact’ (74). For Nichols, the re-enactment gains in force because of this lost bond. The ‘very act of retrieval’ does not retrieve the original event itself but rather ‘generates a new object’ (74). Nichols, Bill. ‘Documentary Reenactment and the Fantasmatic Subject’. Critical Inquiry, vol. 35, no. 1, 2008, pp. 72-89.

What might be the new object generated by this re-enactment in 1897? Perhaps some form of rebirth or rediscovery?

"Immediately after Benin forces ambushed and killed the Acting Consul-General Phillips and most of his entourage, the Illustrated London News of the 23 January 1897 published an article denouncing Benin society as having 'a native population ofgrovelling superstition and ignorance', together with an apparently unrelated photograph entitled 'A Native Chief and His Followers', showing a group of women sitting around the single figure of a man (fig. 3). The group of figures seem, from a contemporary European perspective, to be impassive and static. In the foreground, two women are literally arranged to frame the image. While the 'native chief' is the central figure compositionally, it is the women who predominate and who arrest the eye. The nudity of the foreground women is both masked and accentuated, because their objectification is reinforced by the fact that this is clearly not a natural posture. They have evidently been 'put' there. To cement this objectification, their bodies signify as the human equivalent of the 'trophy' display which was so popular at this time with both ethnographer and big-game hunter alike (fig. 4). This is a recurrent feature of representations, not only of the Edo but other African women, in the British illustrated press.” (Coombes, 12)

5.’Benin girls with aprons of Bells’, Rehquary, vol. VI (October 1900) “a photograph in the Reliquary, a serious antiquarian publication with a readership of archaeologists, ethnographers and folklorists, employed the same motif ostensibly to illustrate bells on Benin women's girdles. The bells seem a rather precarious alibi for voyeurism since they are difficult, if not almost impossible, to make out. It is again the body which is actually held up for inspection. The 'scientific' aegis of the journal operated here in a specific way in relation to the image. Together with the same compositional framing device as the previous illustration, this photograph's additional status as 'document' rendered even more respectable such overt nudity and any sexual connotation implied, in much the same way that the familiar convention of mythologising the nude in western fine art supposedly masked the sexuality of the sitter sufficiently to render nudity inoffensive to bourgeois sensibilities.” (Coombes 12-13)

Images were often adapted, reproduced, replicated — thus circulating in several forms and in varying contexts. For example…

(Left) Joseph Holland Tringham, Chief Dore and Three Other Natives Drawing a Rough Plan of Benin City with Matches, Paper and Cork on the floor of the ViceConsulate, New Benin, before the Vice-Consul and Commander Bacon, engraving, published in the Illustrated London News (27 March 1897 (Right) “W.H.O.”, Drawing a Plan of Benin City, illustration in Commander R. H. Bacon, Benin the City of Blood (London and New York, 1897), p. 30.

Images in public circulation, e.g. in the illustrated press Are images constitutive or reflective? In other words: do they create new perceptions, or do they reveal existing ones?

Some quotes from the gallery

“Sainsbury African Galleries dedicated to Henry Moore OM CH”

“early Western accounts of Benin and the size and splendour of its capital, Benin City, were highly favourable. However, as Western interests encroached on the area in the late 19th century, Benin was increasingly depicted as a place of oppression and human sacrifice.”

“When the British attacked Benin City in 1897, the plaques were found in a storehouse, having been previously removed from the palace walls.”

Interior of the Royal Palace during looting, showing Captain Charles. Herbert Philip Carter, ‘E.P. Hill,’ and an unnamed man in February 1897. Pitt Rivers Museum, accession number 1998.208.15.11

“The Benin plaque is no mere work of art but rather the residue of a vast cultural experience that is now decontextualized. It was removed from its proper place in the aftermath of a mass killing, amid the stench of human bodies. It emerged from a landscape with a burning city. To describe it was being part of the “Robert Owen Lehman Collection”—to center its history on its having been purchased at auction by a wealthy American—is to suppress the plain truth of why such a thing is in other people’s keeping. To speak even of a ‘punitive expedition’, as is commonly done in the literature on Benin, is to accept the British version: that vengeance for the deaths of five or seven white men justified the destruction of the life-worlds of hundreds of thousands of people. It is to tacitly accept that the mission to ‘civilize’ Benin was worth the destruction of Benin’s civilization and the mass murder of its people. […] We know not to touch objects in museums. We are all obsessed with preservation and we revere scholarship and curation. But we have not been concurrently taught to value the life-worlds of others, their autonomy, their ancestral rights. Particularly if the people in question are from the African continent, their ingenuity can be appreciated, their artifacts can be acquired and subjected to analysis, but their actual lives cannot be valued. What does it mean to care about art but not about the people who made that art?” Teju Cole, Tremors (2023) — in which the narrator is speaking about the Benin “Bronzes” in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

#art #art gallery #artwork #writing #art tag #essay #paintings #art exhibition #art show #art history #colonial violence #colonization #colonialism #artists #history lesson #historical #history #world building #world #world politics #words #essay writing #writers #writeblr #writers and poets #drawings #lecture #dark academia #colonial history #colonial art

[dreamtydraw]

hiya!!

I'm just here to check in and ask how you're doing! hopefully, the stress isn't too much!

personally, I'm fine, I'm gonna meet up with my childhood friend tomorrow (*^-^)

Oh! and also to answer your question, I don't know if these count as red flags (they are more things I don't like in vns) but I don't like it when the story outside of the romance aspect (if it's a romance vn) lacks depth and lore (or just makes no sense), and when there are no trigger warnings for heavy themes in a game!

(I'm really curious about which game you you're talking about >.< )

ANYWAY! I hope you have a great evening!

lots of love! <3

~🌿

happy to hear you'll have a good time plant !

I'll admit it's currently 02:02 in the morning and I have Premier Pro open with the video essay I was supposed to edit for today's project presentation which I completely forgot about making- SO STRESS IS HERE!

Kids, I'm giving you some advice: procrastinating IS NOT WORTH IT-

And about the vn ! I rather not give a name because the game is currently having a Kickstarter and I don't want to badmouth it when the dev is making an effort to finance but here is my rambling :

This game was recomanded to me by multiple moots who said they were obssess about it but the writting is mid. There is no scenaristic hook in the demo, nothing that particularly stands out for a storyline, and characters who are ( at least from their introduction ) very stereotypical in their role ( the rich ashole, the shy one, the energic one, the cute one, etc- ).

That in itself doesn't make a game bad, I mean hey Harem Otome is popular for a reason. My ick is with some choices made for two of the characters specialy.

The only dark-skinned character has multiple very visible scars ( in what is marketed as a slice-of-life game ) which is a trope that has been pointed out as racist since most of the time only POC characters will have scars even when their white counterpart should have too ( I won't go on detail here exactly on why this specific trope is linked to racism, I'll maybe explain another time if asked )

Important to say: I don't believe the design of the character was chosen with malicious intention but this was a red flag for me.

Another of my ick is that one of the li has a trans pins. Why would it ick me you may ask ? The character is the most feminine coded guy of the li group. Again, on itself alone this wouldn't be a problem but it gives me the vibe that if the character is in fact trans, his identity ( if explored ) will be linked to stereotypes.

Other dislikes I had ( which are purely personal taste here ) are: making the MC blush/having romantic reactions without given choice to the player to choose said reactions. + Having a li that is the stereotypical "aha I am heavily hitting on you cause I'm a player" character.

I'm talking about this game not because I think it's special, to me it's a very basic game that I simply won't play ever again cause I disliked it. I'm talking about it because I'm disapointed that the game my moot has been hyping up as being a banger is actually mid on the limit of possibly bad rep-

Thank you for taking the time to read and I wish you a good day.

#plant anon #anon ask #ask answer #dreamty's ramble

[sultai-sleeper]

Trans-edh personal project

Recently I finally got the chance to change my name legally. With a few issues left and right and a hell of a drop of money I have achieved 12 year old me's life dream. In theory through, I am an adult now. Which is why I want to make my experience something I can use to help others understand and share. This is why I am making the weirdest deck idea I have ever had.

I play a lot of card games, specifically loving Commander in MTG. That being the case I have a deep love for finding inclusion where it exists in these mediums and, with my mission now done, I am going to do something I super excited about.

This deck has two little additions to it. The budget upper limit is how much it cost for my name to be changed (in my state that worked out to around 210$, assuming the cards stay the price they were when I designed the deck a while ago) . The second twist is that every card in this deck will one day be signed.

While having famous people or artists themselves be the signatures, I need this project to represent what it means to me. This is about names. Ones we choose for ourselves. Every card in this deck will one day be signed by a trans person, using a name they chose and they love.

In this mission I have aimed to make the deck actually decently powerful, and needed an appropriate character. This made me decided to use one of the incredibly few and far between trans characters in MTG, specifically the art designed by the amazing Winona Nelson of Alesha, Who Smiles at Death.

Alesha, like many of us, chose who she wanted to be. This card shows the incredibly important message of community support alongside a trans elder being the face of it. If you haven't, I highly recommend reading the interview from last year with Winona https://media.wizards.com/2022/downloads/sld_pridezine/SLD_PrideZine_J9Q6qnF7vm.pdf (this PDF was so hard to find for simply no reason)

My hope is that this deck can stand as a message. Our names are powerful, they will outlive us this way, weather those who want to erase them like it or not. As we push into one of the scariest times to be a trans person, I wanted to have something that, at least for me, represented a major value for the trans community. Hope.

If you wanna look over the deck its here: https://www.archidekt.com/decks/4271276#Trans_edh

I also wanted to link to a few resources if anyone could make use of them.

Trevor project general info: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/

Name change information: https://transequality.org/documents?gclid=Cj0KCQjwwISlBhD6ARIsAESAmp5ENso2RgytQW0sMyEb9MhEmpPjJBubW_7m55RnFfW3aB63FkP23p4aAkRPEALw_wcB

One of many Name Change Projects: https://transgenderlegal.org/our-work/name-change-project/

Also the Trans Lifeline Microgrant page: https://translifeline.org/name-change-microgrant-application/

#trans #magic the gathering #Mtg #commander #lgbt mtg #name change

[ldss-interactive]

At Alter’s End: A CYOA Novel

Overview:

Trentworth, Maine. A town of ten thousand southeast of Ellsworth and North of Bayside. Its only bragging point since its conception in 1867 was being a shoreline city and cheaper than any of the other big tourist towns. Nothing ever happened here, besides the occasional drowning or fishing trip accident, until the killings started. They lasted five years in total and 48 people were lost to the killer’s sick desires. Robert Hall terrorized this small town, slipping under the radar by focusing on those considered “undesirable”; sex workers, orphans, drug addicts, and the like. Now ten years later, ten years after the killer has been put behind bars, murders have begun again. A copycat killer has come to Trentworth. And they seem to be targeting the ones left behind, still trying to pick up the shattered pieces of their lives…

You take the role of a highschool senior; your parents having died in a home fire shortly before the killer was put behind bars and now under the care of your workaholic aunt. Make allies of your classmates or attempt to go it alone, clear your parents’ name from their believed involvement with the killer or fight to put the past behind you, deal with the skeletons in your closet and mind or bury them deeper... Oh, and make sure your history project is turned in on time. With two young siblings depending on you and a whole host of problems a highschool student should never have to deal with, can you survive this nightmare made real?

Trigger Warnings: This game will go into very heavy topics including the following; murder, death, various mental health issues (such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety), abandonment, gambling, various types of drug addiction, self harm mentions (not happening to the MC or shown in graphic detail), suicide, sex work, child abuse (mental, emotional, and physical), and dangerous situations. This is a murder mystery/thriller, it is NOT intended for audiences below 18.

Hello! Thank you for showing interest in At Alter’s End. This is a Choose Your Own Adventure style novel in the Thriller and Murder Mystery genres. It would also fit nicely in the Drama genre as well, but Drama is not the focus. This will be a rather lengthy project, with fifteen chapters plus a prologue and epilogue planned.

You take on the role of a senior at Trentworth High. Join an after-school activity, take care of your younger siblings, prepare for finals, get a part time job, find a date to homecoming, and survive your worst nightmare come to life. The copycat killer is targeting the students of your school and no one is safe. With the police dragging their feet, no help coming any time soon from any higher up law enforcement, and the locals refusing to acknowledge the possibility of a copycat killer, it’s up to you and your classmates to find the person responsible...before it’s too late.

- You can play as female, male, nonbinary, or trans!

- You can be straight, gay, or bisexual!

- A highly customizable MC including hair color, eye color, skin color, hair length, height, and personality and interests!

- The ability to choose which mental illness the MC suffers from due to the trauma of their past from the following:

Anxiety, Depression, or PTSD.

- The MC is deaf in their right ear ear due to the way in which their parents died; this is not something that can be changed.

- Choose from 7 different official after-school activities! Trentworth Volunteers, Up and Coming Artists, National Debate Society, National Honors Society, Co-Ed Varsity Basketball, Creative Writing, and Trentworth Gardeners!

- Bond with your classmates, explore your town, and help raise your younger siblings!

- Rescue your parents’ bakery from corporate clutches or let it go!

- Find the killer, stop the murders, and put a stop to the rumors that have plagued your every step for 10 years!

Vanya: Oldest adoptive twin sibling to MC’s adoptive siblings, 6 years younger than MC. Strong-headed, intelligent, and always getting into trouble. She looks after her brother and MC in the ways she can.

Ajay: Youngest adoptive twin sibling to MC’s adoptive sibling, 6 years younger than MC. Nearly completely blind since birth, he enjoys painting and other artistic endeavors. Obedient yet opinionated.

Aunt Emma: The workaholic aunt that takes custody of MC and their younger siblings after the death of their parents. Well meaning but absent most of the time on business trips or at the office.

Kwan Hall: An adoptive relative to Robert Hall; aloof, intelligent, and completely ostracized by Trentworth as a whole. When the killings start again the town’s attention is immediately turned on Kwan. He’s the first to begin investigating the killings when the police prove their incompetence. He is of Korean descent, standing at 5’6” with dark hair and dark eyes. His most notable feature is the long scar that stretches from his forehead’s hairline, down his left temple, and ends just below his jawline and the constant disinterest on his face. He is asexual in that he doesn’t experience sexual attraction at all. He is also bisexual.

Alessia D’Agostina: Trentworth High’s school president. She’s clawed her way tooth and nail up to earn the respect of both the school faculty and her fellow classmates; she’s strong-willed, dependable, and always looks at things through a logical lens. When she sees her classmates dying, she takes it upon herself to try and stop this once and for all. With dark skin, deep brown eyes, long braided hair, and standing at 5’8” her confidence and sense of self always make sure she stands out from the crowd. Alessia is bisexual.

Georgiy Kuzmin: Twin brother to Anastasiya Kuzmin; he is, in the kindest way possible, not the brightest bulb in the box. Yet he always means well and is more than willing to offer a helping hand. As the co-captain of the basketball team, captain of the baseball team, and the star of the swim team, Georgiy is one of the most popular and well beloved students at Trentworth High. When he realizes his friends are in danger, he willingly throws himself into the investigation to do all he can to help. With fair skin, dirty blond hair, bubbly green eyes, and standing at 6’1” he cuts an approachable figure to anyone who knows him. Georgiy is gay.

Anastasiya Kuzmin: Twin sister to Georgiy Kuzmin: she and her brother are alike in so many ways apart from just appearance. Anastasiya, who goes by Ana more often than not, is head of the Co-Ed Varsity Basketball team, the Girls’ softball team, and the Tennis team. Just as popular and loved as her brother, Ana may not be the smartest but she makes up for it with passion and dedication. Like her brother, she has fairer skin, dirty blond hair, and bright green eyes. Also like her brother, she felt she couldn’t just sit around while her friends were put in danger and agreed to join the investigation. Ana is gay and demiromantic, meaning she only gains feelings for someone after having a strong relationship with them.

Lillian Triano: A quiet, withdrawn girl who mainly keeps to herself. Due to the fact that Trentworth High demands for every senior to be apart of an elective, she is mainly seen in afterschool reading club run by Ms. Habeeb. She’s MC’s closest friend, having been one of the only people who didn’t believe the rumors that MC’s parents were assisting Robert Hall in his murders. She has an olive complexion, brown eyes, a heavy dose of freckles, and stands at 5’1”. Lillian is gay.

Jasmine Abernathy: Jasmine is Trentworth High’s self proclaimed “Best news source!” After the school newspaper was disbanded, Jasmine took it upon herself to keep freedom of the press alive. She’s fierce in her pursuit of the truth and never one to back down from a fight, though her rash attitude can get her into some sticky situations on occasion. With vibrant red hair, dark brown eyes, and standing at 5’3” she puts the term “fire” in Fire Signs. (She’s an Aries in astrology!) When the copycat killings began, it was no surprise when she took the case head on. Jasmine is bisexual.

Asa San Nicholas: Asa is the oldest of a set of triplets; they’re the type to march to the beat of their own drum, often not listening to what anyone has to say about themselves or their interests. Asa is a firm believer in the paranormal and it isn’t uncommon to find them indulging in their interest in various ways. “The spirits are distrubed. These deaths aren’t meant to happen.” Asa’s reason for getting involved seems to tie directly back to their “connection” with the spirits of the town. Asa has black hair, most often tied in a ponytail, hazel eyes, and an olive skin tone. At 6’4” they tower over most everyone...something they seem to enjoy a great deal. Asa doesn’t see gender and is interested in people regardless of how they present.

Leo San Nicholas: The middle of the triplets. They are genderfluid, okay with any pronouns. Leo is, for lack of a better word, eccentric. A bit of an adrenaline junkie, you can often find them cliff diving or giving their siblings heart attacks by playing russian roulette with a chocolate gun. To them, it isn’t fun if there isn’t a little danger involved; naturally, an investigation into a serial killer scratches that itch quite nicely. Their black hair is clipped short, multiple piercings visible on each ear, and their heterochromatic hazel and green eyes are often stated to stare through a person. Although Leo is genderfluid, they are only interested in people who present as female.

The demo is upcoming! When it is available I will make a post announcing it! I will also update this post with the link! This game is written in choicescript; the demo will be published on Dashingdon and the final game will be published for free on itch.io. I am open for questions regarding this game/novel and once the demo is published I will also be publishing a link to my Ko-fi! Until then, please don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions!

#interact if #interactive fiction #choicescript #Choose your own adventure #At Alter's End #CYOA #Author Speaks

[lochnessies]

ok here’s a dissection of a post an anon sent me the link to and bc i have the worst time management possible and i completely forgot i had it lol so sorry anon here you go ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

I am constantly thinking about how Edelgard just doesn’t seem designed to appeal to cishet men.

i hate to be the one to break this news to you op but just because a character doesn’t show skin like charlotte fire emblem doesn’t mean she isn’t designed to pander to men. she’s very much designed to pander to the (majority straight male) player base with her ‘uwu i only trust you professor omg did u see that rat? pls don’t look at my painting of you uwu’.

then there’s the whole edelgard c support in japanese where byleth makes reference to having come to her room for ‘yobi’ which is

there’s also the scene where byleth can make an unsolicited comment about edelgard’s breast size. which is… uhh… gross.

edelgard also has cipher cards that go from slightly fanserviceie to full on suggestive

and also her breast armor that my sister relentlessly mocked lol

and here’s a chart from the 3h subreddit about gender/sexually in regards to edelgard and edeleth. it’s extremely straight male. op might have just overlooked this since they probably don’t go on reddit and stay on tumblr (which unlike reddit is mostly female and has a high lgbt demographic).

Like the joke is that Bleagles is the Gay House, but everything about her feels deliberately non-hetero.

i don’t like where this is going…

She’s dressed in sharp outfits covering her upper body, with proportions that don’t seem exaggerated.

so women who cover up must be lgbt because straight women are naturally more revealing? oh y i k e s

Her poise and the way she effortlessly flourishes her axe exhibits an air of coolness. While titties out =/= character of no substance, Edelgard being dressed more modestly suggests that she wasn’t designed with male-centred fanservice in mind.

“titties don’t equal no substance but here’s my post on how she has more substance because she doesn’t show titties” ok

And she still looks absolutely stunning in her more modest attire (like seriously, I haven’t felt the need to return to cosplay in years but I want to do her academy look so bad). 

yes she does. amazing design 10/10. i have a feeling this is the only part i’m going to agree with

Edelgard is intense. She does not mince her words and she is constantly evaluating you. Though she tries, she has a difficult time understanding her peers initially. Early on, she talks about how she would sacrifice herself and others in the name of some greater good. She is terrible at communicating with her peers. She has to be seen as infallible. Her heart has been hardened for years and she assumes she has to stay that way. She also assumes everyone mourns the same way she does - which is why she (kind of insensitively) insists you move on when Jeralt dies. Because to her, grief has to be channeled towards action, or else you’ll get lost in it. This attitude is demonstrated time and time again as she presses on. It can make her come off as cold and unfeeling - but look closer, and she’s anything but.

don’t really have anything to say at this part. it is pretty on the nose though i would slightly disagree with that last sentence a bit. i wouldn’t say she’s as i feeling as hubert is but all of her talks of the war boil down to how she feels and never her victims.

Her story is ultimately about her realizing that to achieve her goals, she needs to let people in and allow herself to want things like cakes and tea parties and lazy days in peace. 

????? what ????? her goals include imperialism, ethnic and religious targeting. her story is about having a set of beliefs and mowing down anybody who stands in her way. that has nothing to do with tea, friends, and lazy days. also am i supposed to be sad that she has to get up everyday and work? i do that and i didn’t start a war and only throw a pity party for myself

The game leaves the player guessing as to how involved the Flame Emperor was in each Part I event, makes you feel hurt by her betrayal, and leaves you with a choice: do you follow the orders of the woman who tried to make you a god without your consent, or a young girl with questionable morals about to throw the world into upheaval?

this isn’t an ideal situation but i think i’m going to stick with the woman who tried to make me a god since i’m not selfish and i know it’s not only my desires and life at stake here. plus the green hair slaps ngl

Choosing her of your own volition (not for completionist reasons) requires the basic ability to sympathize with a woman’s pain. It also requires the player to read beyond her unwavering will and dubious methods to get a sense of how deep that pain goes and how the theme of humanity relates to her differently in each route.

i’m not going to touch this since @nilsh13 made a post on it that i’ll link here. i agree with everything he said so to repeat it would be redundant.

The player must be able to see a young woman’s desperate resolve to change the world so it stops exploiting people and ruining lives. They must be able to accept the fact that women can make the same morally wrong and ambivalent decisions that complicated male characters get to make all the time and still be the one to root for.

literally the same reason i love rhea lol her goddess experiments are dubious at best but her reasons are the same you mentioned. i would say that i like this quality in edelgard too if her ending, while bloody, actually ended in a good outcome for fodlan.

This is not unique to LGBT+ people, but this population is likely to understand why Edelgard feels so strongly about why she has to change the system. 

i understand wanting to change a system, i really do. like edelgard, i’m an opinionated bisexual woman (who’s also physically disabled) so yeah i get it. and change can be good but it can also be terrible. even if the church was the boogeyman edelgard treats it as she still replaces it with her own shit regime. so it’s the same circus just with a new conductor.

I don’t think “Edelgard gets undue criticism because she’s a woman” captures the full picture. An important aspect of her treatment by certain parts of the fandom is that she’s a radical woman.

or maybe she does some pretty fucked up shit and it goes unacknowledged in her own route. and yeah she’s radical but in all the worst ways.

Her hatred of the Church and the Crest system resonates way harder with people who have been hurt by institutions that are deeply engrained in our society. 

and what about people who have been hurt by systems where their ‘merit’ didn’t measure up and they were left behind? what about people from nations that experienced imperialism?

Siding with her means siding against the Church - which, while different from real world religious institutions, still invokes language about “sin” and “punishment.

yeah the ‘sins’ and ‘punishments’ are used in relation to attempted murders which i think everybody can agree is a bad thing that needs to be condemned.

Choosing Edelgard will likely hit different if homophobic and transphobic Christians used that rhetoric against you.

it has literally nothing to do with ‘sins’ and ‘punishments’ in regards to being gay or trans. that’s you projecting. especially since the church has 2 canon gay characters and two coded ones.

like i can understand why having a church condemn you can be uncomfortable but i’m begging you to please look at the context of what’s happening.

I’m willing to go out on a limb and say that the reason F/F Edeleth is the more popular iteration of that ship because most people who would choose to S-support Edelgard are LGBT+ themselves. This is not a revelation. To anyone in the community, it’s fairly obvious. 

i was talking to nilish and he said

so yeah… while there is definitely sapphic femleth shippers out there, there’s still a whole lot of weird fetishizing going on from straight men about edelgard.

Crimson Flower was my first route. I went into the game knowing absolutely nothing. I played it during the last week of 2020 and hoo boy was it cathartic. 

i can tell. this wasn’t supposed to be a dig but it came out that way and i’m not taking it out.

I felt like I was living out a gay revolution power fantasy, where I could truly change systems of oppression while fighting alongside a group of troubled students I’d shaped the lives of.

so a gay revolution power fantasy (cringe) goes hand in hand with imperialism and installing a dictatorship? also the war had nothing to do with sexuality.

Through your unwavering support, Edelgard learns that she needs to be human, that she must listen to her friends, and that she’s allowed to enjoy the world she’s creating.

edelgard gets to learn how to be human all while hunting those who don’t. and she doesn’t listen fo her friends. she doesn’t even trust them. she’s willing to talk to byleth but keep the people who’s been by her side for five years in the dark about everything. and yeah she gets to enjoy her new words since she’s on top. hate to be a commoner under her rule after she burned down my village in her war.

I love this character so much.

clearly. and i honestly don’t care if somebody likes her. i do as well even if my sometimes scathing words can make it seem otherwise.

It has been six months since I first played and I am still analyzing her,

me too. please help me escape i’m losing my mind

because there’s so much depth. Yet so many people fail to see that depth and dismiss her as evil,

i mean, she does some fucked up shit that goes beyond any of the less than desirable actions of the other main characters and does an extremely poor job in trying to make herself seem innocent. i personally don’t think she’s pure evil but i completely understand where the people who say she is are coming from.

because they never had the will to understand complicated women in the first place. 

that’s big talk from somebody who implies that a gay pope is comparable to homophobic and transphobic irl religions and that leads an oppressive regime all because she uses the vague terms of sin and punishments that you have to gay power fantasy your way out of

#i finished this at 1am so sorry if i’m incoherent #mine

[tunedtostatic]

[Image Description: The crew of the Iris 2 made with picrew. Detailed image descriptions under the cut. End Description.]

If using picrews is cringe now I don’t wanna be right. Loving this particular picrew by grgikau, thanks everyone who’s been putting it on my dash!

(Edit: Tumblr is still hiding posts with links, apparently. It’s at picrew dot me, /image_maker/426722.)

Outfit meta also under the cut, because if you’re not gonna overthink character picrews what’s the point:

[Detailed Image Description:

Line 1: Image 1: Violet is slightly chubby and has dark loosely wavy hair either nape-of-neck length or pulled back with only tendrils showing. She has a septum piercing and is wearing a white t-shirt and grey hoodie. She looks slightly alarmed. Background: Bi pride flag.

Image 2: Arkady has a third of her head buzzed at the top; the rest of her long flyaway hair is pulled up in a high ponytail. She has an angular face, several cartilage piercings and one eyebrow piercing. She’s wearing brown eyeshadow, a black top, and a brown leather jacket. She is smirking. Background: Offwhite with rectangular ace pride flag frame.

Line 2: Image 3: Brian has close-cropped flyaway brown hair and a beard. He’s wearing classic rectangular glasses, a yellow button-down shirt and a red hoodie. He’s grinning. Background: Offwhite with circular trans pride flag frame.

Image 4: Krejjh is depicted as a light-skinned human (but with pointy ears). Their purple hair is styled into a faux hawk on top of their head, with sideburns, and is long in the back, swooshing through the background. They’re wearing dark green eyeshadow and a red varsity jacket over a sweater with an angular turquoise and yellow pattern. They’re grinning and raising one eyebrow. Background: Orange with black stars.

Line 3: Image 5: Sana is wearing a pink hijab, a beige sweater with a green and white pattern around the collar, and navy overalls. She is wearing large-frame glasses and smiling with a hint of a smirk. Background: Grey with white stars.

Image 6: Park is wearing a white t-shirt with a red neckline, buzzed hair, and a green ballcap. His forehead is lined and he has stubble on his angular jaw. His eyes are closed and he has a small smile. Background: Yellow with offwhite rectangular frame.

Line 4: Image 7: McCabe is wearing a black jacket over a button-down shirt that is offwhite with narrow dark stripes. They have curly red hair in a ponytail, a narrow face, and freckles. They are scowling. Background: Black with circular nonbinary pride flag frame.

Image 8: Blue stars on a lavender background.

End Detailed Image Description.]

~

When it comes to fashion I headcanon Violet as a practical person who likes being comfy. Her picrew gently haunts me because once I hit on this t-shirt/hoodie combination her vibe became EXACTLY that of the lab grad TAs I had when I was in college. 10/10 would go to her office hours, she would help me decipher weird abstruse lab report instructions with no judgement

Listen, in my heart of hearts I don’t really headcanon Arkady wearing piercings on a daily basis; she’s just too paranoid and unnecessary-risk adverse to do something that would cause danger with combat, machinery, and so on. But do they give her picrew Edgy Arkady Energy? Yes. I enjoyed the flyaway hair options in this picrew maker and am generally delighted at how Arkady came out looking like a cat you’ve just extracted from somewhere she’s not supposed to be.

Brian! Also grad school fashion, but make it tacky colors. But boring tacky colors, not interesting tacky colors. Sorry Brian, I do not picture you as as having an intriguing fashion sense. I wore the same t-shirt all weekend so I’m allowed to both project this onto you and judge you for it.

Krejjh! No purple skin option, so I pinch hit with purple hair. Not all nonbinary people have an androgynous gender presentation but I definitely think Krejjh does, so I tried to find a hairstyle that worked for this. Their jacket and Brian’s hoodie are both red because they’re spouzzes and are outfit-coordinating, obviously.

I think marina-does-things’s painting of Sana in a coral pink work smock changed me as a person because I can’t imagine anything other than pink as her signature color. I am also standing on the shoulders of giants for the sweater and overalls combination; everyone who draws Sana in coveralls/a work smock/a boiler suit but also a sweater please know that at any given moment in time I am shaking you virtually by the hand.

Park! I didn’t want to erase his disability, and I’m not sure what the art ethics are of drawing on picrews, so I picked one of the options with his eyes closed. He is in a t-shirt and ballcap because he is a deeply boring person and I think he enjoys being able to wear boring clothes that are not business casual instead of boring clothes that are business casual. And not having to be clean-shaven.

I was originally going to give the disgruntled mouth option to Sana, but I’m glad I gave it to RJ. They are a ball of pure ire and, unlike Park, you won’t be able to pry their business casual away from them with a crowbar.

#the strange case of starship iris #described #meta #my writing #kind of #i also put excessive thought into balancing frame shapes and colors #this was my weekend project because i somehow got it into my head that tscosi was coming back next monday instead of this monday #and thought i'd create something for the last week of hiatus #surprise it is an accidental end of hiatus silly project instead #tscosi

[honey-dewey]

Lightning in a Bottle

Pairing: Trans Fem! Jack ‘Whiskey’ Daniels/GN! Reader

Word Count: 2,484 

Warnings: swearing, homophobia/transphobia, needles, hurt/comfort.

Permanent Taglist: @phoenixhalliwell @star-wars-hell​

It is week three of pride month! This is the third set of prompts that came from @flightlessangelwings and @autumnleaves1991-blog​ Pride writing prompts! I’ve never written Trans Jack before, and while I would typically headcanon him as trans masc, I thought this would be fun instead. 

Prompts: Glitter and/or “I’ll always be by your side”

You sighed, settled at Jack’s vanity as you organized her makeup. She was a menace when it came to organization, and more often than not, you were the one lining her lipsticks up in front of the mirror and putting the eyeliner pens back in their cup. After two years, you’d think she’d get the hang of this, but you’d be wrong. Even when she was away, like she was now, she couldn’t bother to put anything where it went before she left. You put her brushes back in their proper place in a drawer, absently checking your phone for the time or a text. Jack was due home any minute now, and even though she hadn’t been away for long, her absence had affected you. 

The front door creaked open, and you perked up, turning in the vanity chair so you could pay attention to the sounds coming from downstairs. 

“Hey babe!” Jack’s voice filtered up the stairs, and you smiled, hearing her take her boots off downstairs. “I’m home!” 

Standing, you abandoned the mini project you’d been working on in favor of walking to the top of the stairs to watch Jack shimmy out of her coat and hang her hat up on top of the coat rack. She was a picture of beauty, her back to you as she loosened the top buttons of her shirt and rolled her sleeves up. Turning, she caught sight of you, her face pulling into a wide smile. “There’s my baby!” She said, running up the stairs until she was on the landing. “Come kiss me. I missed you.” 

You ran down the steps, crashing into Jack and wrapping her in a hug. She’d been gone for two days, out on a mission for work. It was only two days, but you’d been grouchier than usual for those two days, and all you wanted was Jack cuddles. “I missed you too baby.” 

Jack scooped you up, carrying you to the bedroom and plopping you down on the bed. As you laughed, Jack pulled her skirt and petticoat off, leaving her in shorts and her button up. You smiled, gesturing her close. Jack didn’t argue, crawling across the bed so she could rest her head on your chest. It took a minute to find the best spot that wouldn’t send any of your limbs to sleep, but when you did find it, you knew Jack wouldn’t be getting up for anything. 

“Did you have fun?” You asked, gently tugging Jack’s hair ties out and undoing her two braids. “Where’d they send you? Wasn’t it Montana again?” 

“It was,” Jack said, eyes closed as you combed through her curls with your fingers. “Still as beautiful as ever. I’m gonna take you for our honeymoon.” 

You chuckled, blinking slowly. “If we ever get married,” you finished. 

“We will,” Jack promised, reaching up and trapping one of your hands in hers. “We absolutely will.” 

Almost an hour passed while you and Jack cuddled, both of you nearly falling asleep until you remembered something. “Ah fuck,” you grumbled, untangling your limbs from Jack’s. “I have to run to the grocery store. I forgot to do it yesterday. I was so hectic with this work thing, and then you called to tell me you were coming home, and it completely slipped my mind.” As you rambled, you pulled on a neater shirt, looking around for your shoes. 

“Can I come?” Jack asked, rolling over and sitting up. 

“When am I ever going to say no to that?” You pointed out, picking up Jack’s skirt and tossing it at her. “But you should probably cover your ass.” 

Jack laughed, leaving her skirt on the bed in favor of scooping up a pair of shorts. She loosely tucked her shirt into her pants, piling her hair up into a claw clip and watching as you finally found your shoes. “Big trip or small trip?” She asked, tossing you a pair of socks. 

“Medium trip,” you said. “I don’t need a ton, mostly just stuff for dinner and the odd thing or two. So we can go to Sam’s.” 

Sam’s market was a tiny mom and pop grocery store that hadn’t changed in decades, but you adored it. It was a ten minute drive, and you and Jack were there in no time. 

“Fucking love this place,” Jack said happily, reaching out to pet Claire, one of the resident cows. “Reminds me of my dad’s ranch.” 

You nodded, grabbing a basket and entering the store. Jack followed, immediately detouring to the pharmacy. You stayed nearby, half listening as Jack picked up her estrogen and made her way back to you. 

“I hate those things,” Jack said, putting her prescription bag in your basket beside a bag of dried apple slices. “They’re super gross.” 

You smiled. “You don’t have to eat them,” you said, linking your arm with Jack’s. “But I like them.” 

The trip around the store was quick, and in no time, you were up at the counter. Sam, the owner, grinned when you two came up. “Haven’t seen you two in a while,” he said. “How’s work?” 

“Good,” Jack said. “Just got back from a business trip, actually. It’s why I’m late on my prescription.” 

“Ah,” Sam said, pulling the bag out of the basket. “Jen was wondering why you hadn’t picked it up yet. It’s all still working out for you?” 

Jack nodded, opening her mouth to say something before a loud snort came from behind her. She turned, and so did you. Behind you was a young man with his arms crossed, looking between the two of you with a grin. “Did I interrupt?” He said in a thick southern drawl. “I’m sorry.” 

“No,” Jack said, drawing herself up to her full height and raising an eyebrow. “Do you have something to say?” 

The man shook his head. “Not to you, you freak.” 

Jack blinked, stepping back a tiny bit. She’d been passing consistently ever since her hair got long and she started to hit what she called second puberty, and it was rare anyone was able to tell right off the bat that she wasn’t a biological woman. You stepped in front of her, shielding her from the man. “You leave my girlfriend alone.” 

“That ain’t a girl,” the man jeered. “That’s a man in a skirt.” 

Your jaw clenched, and you were two seconds from punching the man square in the jaw when Sam stepped in. 

“Here are your purchases,” he said, handing you a bag. “And you,” he turned to the man. “Need to leave if you’re going to be harassing my loyal customers like that.” 

Jack gripped your hand as you quietly pulled her towards the truck. She was dead silent as you put your bag in the backseat and slumped over the steering wheel. “You okay?” You asked softly, not wanting to startle Jack. 

She shook her head, wiping away tears with the back of her hand. “I just wanna go home,” she said thickly, voice wavering. 

It took all of your willpower not to pull over when Jack’s crying didn’t stop, and when you were finally home, you immediately closed the distance between you and Jack, holding her tight against you. She collapsed into your arms, burying her face in your shoulder and sobbing. You rubbed her back, silently curing the man in the store. 

“Jack?” You said, still holding Jack close. “You know I love you, right? No matter what.” 

“But-“ 

“No.” You pulled away, putting your hands on Jack’s shoulders and making her look at you. “No! I love you, no ifs, ands, or buts. I will always be by your side Jack. I don’t care who you are or what you look like. I love you for you.” 

Jack bowed her head, face hidden by her hair. “You’re sure?” She asked, voice so small you almost didn’t hear her. 

“I’m sure,” you said. “C’mon, let’s go inside. It’s more comfortable than the bench seat of your old ass truck.” 

Jack stood, following you into the house. She trudged up the stairs, still holding your hand as she went. When you dropped the grocery bag by the bedroom door and tugged Jack inside, she didn’t protest, only looked at you, slightly confused. 

“I was going to wait until your birthday, because I know Statesman insists on that huge birthday gala for you,” you said, sitting Jack in her vanity. “But I think you should have this now.”

Jack watched you enter your closet, growing more confused by the second. “What is it?” 

“Close your eyes,” you said, grabbing a hangar. “It’s a surprise!” 

When you peeked out of the closet, Jack had her hands over her eyes, waiting patiently. You hung the hangar on the back of the closet door, smoothing out the garment and moving to stand behind Jack. You took her wrists gently in your hands, smiling. “Ready?” 

“As I’ll ever be,” Jack said, leaning back against your chest. 

You pulled Jack’s hands off her eyes. She gasped almost immediately, seeing the intricate and gorgeous dress hanging in front of her. 

“Happy early birthday,” you said. “I had Ginger help me with things like measurements, but it’s 100% custom made. I figured since you didn’t have a dress for your birthday party, I could get you one. What do you think?” 

Jack was speechless, turning around to hug you. “I love it,” she said, voice tight with emotion. “It’s perfect.” 

You smiled, kissing Jack’s cheek. “Every woman should have a fancy evening dress that makes her feel like royalty. Wanna try it on?” 

Jack was incredibly eager to put the dress on. You ushered her into the bathroom, carrying the dress and handing it to her as she ducked behind a privacy divider. 

“Oh my god!” You heard her say after you heard the zipper pulling shut. “It fits perfectly!” 

“Do you want shoes?” You asked, still not peeking around the divider. 

Jack was quiet for a minute. “Yeah. Those white ones.” 

You knew exactly what she was talking about and grabbed the aforementioned white shoes. Handing them to Jack, you waited while she finished getting dressed, barely managing to contain your patience. When you finally heard her heels on the tile, you looked up, fully breathless as Jack stepped out from behind the divider. 

She was gorgeous. The dress hugged her in all the right places, conforming to the curve of her waist and the slope of her hips as if it were a second skin. The heart shaped neckline and thin straps showed off what you and Ginger had both agreed was a very professional amount of skin, but still enough to make Jack feel sexy. The top of the dress was beaded with shimmering beads, each one catching the light and making Jack seem positively radiant. Even with minimal makeup and her hair haphazardly tossed up, she was the most beautiful thing you’d ever seen. 

“Oh Jack,” you said, standing in front of her. “I don’t- I can’t. You look. I don’t even have the words to say how beautiful you are.” 

Jack smiled, swishing the dress. “I love it,” she said softly. “Thank you. I feel like a princess.” 

“You look like a queen,” you breathed, putting your hands on Jack’s sides. “God above you look stunning.” 

You two stood there for a while, just holding each other, until Jack pulled away to take the dress off. You watched her go, silently gathering her pyjamas, knowing she’d want them. When you were done, you headed out of the bedroom, intent on putting away the groceries that had been left out in your eagerness to show Jack her dress. 

Jack came trailing down the stairs after ten minutes, wearing her Hello Kitty pyjama pants and an old Statesman distillery shirt that was a size too big. You kissed her and handed her a bag of apples as she entered the kitchen. “Put these away please?”

“Sure thing,” Jack said, moving around you to put the apples in the fruit bowl. “Can you grab my medicine?” 

You reached around Jack and grabbed her estrogen bottle and a syringe. She hopped up on the counter, tugging up one of her pant legs to give you easier access to her thigh. After having been shot multiple times, often fatally, needles were something Jack didn’t even blink at. Giving Jack her estrogen had been something you’d had to work up to in the first year, but now you could do it with ease. 

“Ready?” You asked, holding up the syringe. “Three, two,” you pushed the syringe into Jack’s leg. “One!” 

Jack made a face at you as you disposed of the syringe and pressed a Disney princess bandaid to the tiny puncture wound. “Your bedside manor is horrible. Could’ve at least waited until you said one to stick me.” 

You laughed. “You say that every time!” You said, taking Jack’s hands and helping her off the counter. “Bake Off or Friends?” 

“Can we watch Friends?” Jack asked eagerly, following you to the couch and grabbing the TV remote. “I’m in the mood to laugh.” 

“We can watch Friends,” you said, snuggling up next to Jack. “I’ll never say no to Friends.” 

While Jack cued up the show, you fell against her shoulder, already feeling sleepy. In a few hours, you’d have to get up and make dinner, and Jack probably had a report to write on her mission, but for now, it was completely calm in the house.

At some point during the second episode you watched, you must’ve fallen asleep, because one minute, you were sleepily watching Friends, and the next, you were opening your eyes to Jack holding two bowls of her famous cowboy mac-and-cheese. You sat upright, accepting the bowl with a small pout. “I was gonna make dinner.” 

“But you didn’t,” Jack pointed out, sitting beside you and taking a bite. “I swear, this gets better and better the more I make it.” 

“Don’t tell Tequila,” you said. “He would kill a man for this bowl of food.” 

Jack laughed. “He would,” she agreed. “Did you have a good day today?” 

“My girlfriend came home,” you said sweetly. “Of course I had a good day. What about you?” 

“Hm,” Jack hummed, pretending to think. “Well, I got to see my beautiful partner again, so that was good. But then a raging asshole yelled at me, and that was bad. But the dress made up for it, so all in all, a good day.” 

You smiled, leaning against Jack and gesturing to the TV. “I’m glad you had a good day. More Friends to finish it off?” 

“You know me so well,” Jack said happily, taking the remote again. “I love you.” 

“I love you too,” you said, turning your attention mostly to the TV. “No matter what.”

#Kingsman #kingsman the golden circle #agent whiskey #jack 'whiskey' daniels #agent whiskey x reader #agent whiskey x you #Pedro Pascal #My writing #writer wednesday #jey's pride celebration 2k21

[harpy-positivity]

So a couple days ago a former mutual on my main messaged me letting me know that I had reblogged from a terf (a post debunking the idea that non western cultures with separate “genders” for GNC people are more progressive). They told me this after they had reblogged the post and deleted it upon realizing it was from a terf, but said they found it interesting. I responded that I identified as nonbinary for many years but explained my recent interest in radical feminist and gender critical theory and a couple of links to my favorite posts and resources about it.

They then responded with this before blocking me:

“yeah so you’re a terf. and nonbinary and trans men can be terfs. the ultimate core of it is hating trans women. speaking from experience, you sound like someone who has a lot of regret and shame about your own personal experience and you are now trying to find answers by intellectualizing it instead of actually holding dialogue with yourself. it’s actually possible to be okay with formerly having identified as non-binary without guilting yourself for “wasting” those years instead of building the relationship with your body and identity that you would’ve liked.“

So now I’m just trying to process my thoughts about that and consider whether anything they said is true.

Do I have regret and shame about my personal experiences? I mean, I guess I do about some things. It’s called trauma and it’s something all of us have to work through to some extent.

But I feel like the core of my newfound beliefs is just logic. I think patriarchy is the domination of females/women by males/men. I don’t think that allowing people to pick whether they want to identify as man, woman, or nonbinary is an effective way to fight that anymore. I agree with the theory.

I mean there is an emotional component to it, sure. But it’s mostly rage that I’ve been made to feel ashamed of my femaleness (and therefore myself and my body) for so long and that a distancing from femaleness has been encouraged and modeled for me by so many people, and I have been culturally cut off from feminism and class consciousness. I suppose I do feel a little ashamed of the internalized misogyny I had in the past, as well as overall teen/young adult cringe. But I don’t think my internalized misogyny was just a personal problem, which I think is what my former mutual is implying.

I feel like I am okay with the fact that I identified that way. It was the identity that made the most sense to me at the time. And you know why it made sense to me? Because we are starting to define woman as “femininity” in progressive and lgbt spaces. Because female characters are portrayed as 1 dimensional support for male characters 90% of the time. Because women aren’t supposed to be complex human beings. Because identifying as “nonbinary”, a whole different thing, made me feel like I could signal to the world that I was rejecting my assigned gender role. I think the nonbinary label did give me permission to do this to an extent, so it wasn’t completely unproductive. But as radfems have pointed out before, it was an individual solution to a societal problem, and it didn’t go deep enough (I was still ashamed of being female, I was still worried that maybe all the stereotypes did apply to me). I wasn’t doing much to challenge the roles themselves, for everyone. I mean I thought I was, but I don’t think it’s the best way to go about it now.

I don’t necessarily feel ashamed. I think I had good intentions when I identified as nonbinary. I had basically the same intentions that I do now (gender abolition), except now I am prioritizing females and de-prioritizing males. Which I’m fine with, morally. Like I don’t hate all men and trans women, but obviously I hate when they stand in the way of female liberation. And that in and of itself has been very liberating for me. I feel like I can finally see clearly. I feel so proud to be female, when I never did before.

Maybe some nonbinary ppl are proud to be female and always have been. Maybe not all of us have put trans women on a pedestal like I have. Maybe not all of us have wished that we had male bodies and male socialization, that we had been encouraged to be assertive and bold and to take up space so it wouldn’t be so hard for us to do it now, and envied the trans women who did, even as they wore makeup and nail polish and women’s clothes (obviously it wasn’t the aesthetics of femininity that I hated the most, it was the hyper-objectified body and the behavioral expectations). But since gender/sex dysphoria is kind of the point, I imagine a lot of us do share this experience. I don’t think it’s a personal, individual problem that’s unique to me. I’m starting to be suspicious of anyone who says that I am overgeneralizing or projecting my own personal experience onto the world. I’m part of the world aren’t I?

#radfems do touch #radfems please interact #terfs do touch #terfs please interact #reidentified #reidentified woman #gender critical #long post