#people-defined-as-human

[cheeseanonioncrisps]

Emotional scene from Muppets Star Trek.

#star trek #muppets #data tng #picard #tng #kermit #fan art #next gen #okay so like… #this is obviously mostly intended as a joke but also #human is arbitrary #especially in star trek where every other planet seems to have its own sapient nonhuman species #human is fucking arbitrary #data holds humanhood as the ideal because he was built by humans #but also because the qualities that are most often used to define him as 'lesser' are qualities that humans especially seem to prize #nobody's tries to claim that vulcans aren't real people because they don't feel emotion #or that ferengi don't show enough empathy to qualify #we don't get any betazoids going around saying that true personhood is defined by how good you are at mindreading #in a world where the enterprise was crewed by muppets #and data genuinely was the closest thing to a human onboard #Measure Of A Man would have been about Picard trying to prove that you can't have someone dismantled #just because they can't sing or travel by map

[posi-pan]

wayne brady is pansexual!!! 💗💛💙🥳

i’m pansexual. in doing my research, both with myself and just with the world, i couldn’t say if i was bisexual, because i had to really see what that was, especially because i really have not gotten a chance to act on anything. so, i came to pansexual because — and i know that i’m completely messing up the dictionary meaning — but to me, pan means being able to be attracted to anyone who identifies as gay, straight, bi, transsexual or non-binary. being able to be attracted across the board. and, i think, at least for me for right now, that is the proper place. i took pan to mean that not only can i be attracted to any of these people or types physically, but i could be attracted to the person that is there. i’ve dealt with the shame. a shame cake, just eating it every single day — and then worried about… people finding out. i’ve always had a wonderful community of friends who are in the lgbtq+ community, people that i’ve grown up with in shows, gays and lesbians, and, later in life, my trans relatives and my niece. i’ve always had that community, but i've always felt like a sham because i wasn’t being forthcoming with myself. i could speak out about black issues because i can’t hide that. and you can play at being an ally, but until the day that you can truly say, “this is who i am, and i wanna stand next to you,” that's not… i always wanted that day to come. i’ve told myself in the past, also, nobody needs to know my personal business. the world can absolutely go without knowing that wayne identifies as pan. but that gave me license to still live in the shadows and to be secretive. what does that feel like to actually not be shameful, to not feel like, “oh, i can’t be part of this conversation because i’m lying?” i had to break that behavior. i’m now trying to be the most wayne brady i can be. i don’t know about most, actually. i’m still coming together. but if i’m healthy, then i can go onstage at let’s make a deal and be the best wayne brady that everybody wants and expects. i can be the best dad that maile needs. i can be the best friend to mandie, the best son to my mother, and one day, the best partner to someone, because i’m doing this for me. not dating yet though! [laughs] i am single, but it’s not about being with someone right now. i’ve got some work to do still. then, wayne as a single, open-minded pansexual can make a decision and be free and open to other people.

i included more quotes from the article than just strictly pan related because it’s quite touching. good for him!!!! 🌈👏🥰

#wayne brady #pansexual #pansexuality #pan pride #pan positivity #long post #mine #text #and yeah his explanation isn't quite how pan is defined but he acknowledges that #and we really need to allow pan people the room and space to explain their pan identity in their own words how it makes sense to them #even if it isn't the textbook definition. other queer people are allowed that so why do pan people get held to a higher standard? #and we're fucking human beings!!! it's weird to expect us to do nothing but spit out preapproved technical impersonal definitions #*1k

[uovoc]

my sister and I both agree that one of the best parts about china was how there's food everywhere. And not just, like, bags of chips, but real hot, cooked, tasty food. You hike to the top of a mountain and there's a guy with a cart selling chicken skewers and freshly steamed corn on the cob. When you hike to the top of a mountain in america, what do you get? Nothing. An uninterrupted view of nature. Where did we go wrong as a country

#patter #actually I do know why it's different. it's different traditions of nature appreciation #American wilderness appreciation which is defined by lack of visible human activity #versus going somewhere to see one specific landscape feature that people have been writing poems about for thousands of years #so long as certain features are preserved it doesn't really matter if there's a McDonald's behind you

[uncanny-tranny]

The obsession with "natural = good" isn't truly rooted in what is "natural" but is rooted in complex politics based on what is deemed "natural" by others - those in power. The whole "natural is pure, is right, is morally just" has not historically applied to the marginalized because of our supposed proximity to the "unnatural." Our bodies, our behaviour, our lives and souls will continuously be defined as "unnatural" so long as "natural" remains seen as pure and godly, so long as "natural" is equal to power.

#politics #genuinely don't know what to tag this as lol #definitely have talked about this before but. shit like this continues to affect me and others y'know? #and this especially affects me on a trans scale - where trans can never be defined as 'natural' so long as natural means cis (and het too) #natural/human nature politics also has strong roots in christianity too but i don't think that aspect is *necessary* #but it does affect how people are defined if they are in a culture which values christianity i've noticed #shit that's part of the reason my medical transition was delayed and threatened because it was 'unnatural' and a 'privilege' i must 'earn'

[steppesliver]

true detective: the long bright dark / disco elysium: jamais vu (derealization)

#in my true elysium slash disco detective universe forever #i have talked about this already but its funny that this quote was marty's breaking point. who has not felt about their hometown like this? #rust does not know this city well however which makes the feeling different but somehow still universal to the experience of growing up #in places that have to change to survive (be it bc of its economy or bc its simply outdated) #but the town in TT s1 appears to be decaying. at least to rust #imo one of the best shots and most defining of the show is that of the church abandoned and left to rot in nature with the factories #in the background. past and progress shown in one shot you know #but with the eps passing i would say that it is the people and their humanity that is decaying instead of the town #after all the town seems quite alright in terms of infrastructures #but the description of it as a jungle really does fit very well #both with the landscapes shown and the animals (men) lurking where you least expect them #true detective #rust cohle #marty hart #mine

[aq2003]

ten

#i have series 4 on my computer now. but i have not started it. i am scared of it. #tenth doctor #dr who #ten is so he is soooooo. god. the doctor is so very defined by his loneliness. how he outlived everyone he cared abt #and what i love so much about nine is that you see him growing closer to rose. letting himself be happy #and post-timewar and losing all of his people (and blaming himself/being responsible for it?) that's so important for him to have #ten is like the opposite of this. he was created out of nine's love and sacrifice for rose. his personhood is basically defined by it #so you have his memories of losing his people in the timewar clashing with his inherent need to Be Next To Someone. #so losing people just breaks him. even after nine (ten? does timewar doctor count?) previous lifetimes of seeing death #when i saw ten's wiki blurb w him being described as one of the most human doctors. after watching christmas invasion i was like. 'what' #But Now I Know. they were talking about how he feels grief and pain so acutely. in a way a human might and not a 900y/o near immortal alien #10 era

[prince-liest]

I just wanna gush bc omg I love the 666 series so much. I think it made me realize I might be... furry-ish? adjacent? I just find it so satisfying how you go into detail about the unique body features of both of them, the way it feels to have deer ears or kiss a TV and just generally how much thought is put into the way their bodies work, and I've realized that my interest in that kind of idea is a pretty good reason to partake in more explicitly furry media lmao. Anyways

I'm also really in love with how you maintain the balance of each of their personality traits. Vox is simultaneously so pathetic and cringefail (also your dialogue for him is perfect, I can hear it crystal clear in my head) but also he has vastly more emotional intelligence than Alastor, no doubt at least in part because he has to deal with Val, and he's able to marginally calm down with his obsession to deal with sticky situations, but even then he still retains his personality and bumbles things sometimes because of the flaws in said personality! It's great. I also really appreciate the balance you've struck with Alastor, I feel like often Alastor is either written to either soften up so immediately that it feels disconnected from his character or is written overly mean and heartless for my liking and the way you've written him is such a delicious balance between softer aspects such as the prey instincts or moments of vulnerability and his untouchable and manipulative self, and also the way this side of him is neither written as wholly a front or wholly his real nature and the complex ways this makes him struggle with his increasing vulnerability. TL;DR arghgr your characterization is so good it makes me go a little feral

Also while I'm here, I'm curious whether you can give an answer to the degree to which Alastor is touch-averse. There's obviously a lot of ways in which he fundamentally dislikes touch but it also seems like there's at least some kinds of touch where he doesn't dislike the touch itself so much as he's afraid of the way it brings about feelings of caring and/or enjoyment being cared for. I'm curious how much, in general, you would say his touch aversion comes from either cause and possibly what kinds of touch do/don't provoke those flavors of aversion

Omg, what a lovely ask to receive. Honestly, everything you said that you enjoy about how I characterize these two is very much what I've been actively gunning for, so it's an absolute delight to see it outlined back to me. Success!!! Thank you so much!

And ahaha - I'm not a furry but I fucking love inhuman characters. Being raised in the pits of Homestuck fantroll RP made me enjoy the whole "they're bug/fish aliens" thing and it definitely rears its head again any time I encounter characters with inhuman qualities. I love writing Vox's TV/computer-ness and Alastor's deer and radio bits, and integrating them into who they now are as people.

As for Alastor's touch-aversion: It's funny that you ask about this, because the next chapter of 666 is going to dive into it a bit. Specifically into the fact that it's not, like, a set of boundaries that is consistently defined, and I write him that way on purpose. The very first time he and Vox sleep together, Alastor bottoms. He becomes significantly less amenable to touch after he goes through an uncomfortable rut cycle that gets sexual. By the time Vox convinces Alastor to fuck him, Alastor would never let Vox do that again and frankly only agrees to topping because Vox gave him an option that didn't involve getting his dick out. Then in the next episode, they're having clothes-off sexual contact. So, what gives?

Things that play into Alastor's willingness to touch and be touched as far as Vox is concerned:

How does he see Vox at that point in time? Disgustingly entitled (ew)? Hilariously beneath him (haha who cares)?

Does he care about what Vox thinks of him? Does Vox touching him draw his attention to positive or negative assumptions he has about Vox's perspective on doing so?

What value has he attached to this particular touch in the power balance of their relationship? Is he humoring Vox? Does he assume Vox thinks he's owed this? Does he perceive it as something Vox is genuinely doing for him?

Has he tried this particular kind of touch before? He's pretty willing to experiment, but that doesn't mean he'll do something twice without a compelling reason if he didn't like it the first time.

Is he getting off on this situation sexually? If so, is it fully willing (read: not a byproduct of uncomfortable hormones) on his part? That only really happens when he's in a submissive role and Vox is hitting a few very specific kinks, a major one of which is basically CNC tilted 30 degrees to the left.

Is he enjoying the touch in platonic ways? How does he feel about that? Is it a vulnerability to want something? Is it feeding his ego to be catered to? Is he worried that what he enjoys platonically is being read into in ways he doesn't like?

Is he fucking drunk? Things that bother you when sober often seem like a non-issue when you're not, both on a physical and emotional level.

How much touching has been happening recently? Has he hit his limit? Did he deliberately put himself into a situation earlier to have his limit be hit and surpassed, and now he's in the aftermath?

He does have a certain fundamental purely physical dislike of touch, but it's something that is really affected by how he perceives each individual situation as well as his relationship with Vox at that time, and his previous experiences!

#ask #personal #Anonymous #t #hazbin hotel #my writing #666 live on air #I'm not a furry but the perils of being agender aromantic and asexual #aka the full complement of “none of the above” box checks LOL #means that a lot of the time I feel vaguely detached from the ways people tend to even subconsciously define humanity #I think that's where a lot of my appreciation for inhuman traits in very human characters comes from #(also my favorite SFF genre is “non-human entity struggles with very human emotions” as well a la murderbot and imperial radsch) #(ANYWAY. tangent.) #long post

[dyketubbo]

i remember seeing someone call tubbo a fully grown adult at 19 (obvs before he turned 20) and i gotta say. i think maybe some people have a really skewed idea of what constitutes as "fully grown". and also what constitutes as properly mature. thinking that at 18/19 (or hell even at 20/21) people are now fully grown and mature is insane to me like yall thats how you get people thinking their life is over at like 23 and that 30 year olds are senior citizens 😭😭 be fr

#this is a problem no matter where you look but i think a lot of ppl in the mcyt fandom esp seem to think once youre- #-considered an adult at all that it automatically means youre fully grown and mature and thats just nooottt really true for most ppl #which i think can lead people down to sort of dangerous paths especially because 'adult' is often defined by age of consent #and theres also some slight cultural differences like even just between the us and the uk where due to 18yr olds being able to drink in- #-the uk (and other places) i think it genuinely causes some dissonance #where i see often in the us that when youre 18/19 youre still treated (id say rightfully) as being rather young and not Truly a grown adult #hence. yk. the term Young Adult #but i think in places where the drinking age is younger it starts causing people to see younger people as more mature #which is also why a lot of predators like to push for the age of consent to be at a younger age like 15 or 16 #and why many lolicons try to point at japans age of consent (which for the record is complicated and not as simple as just 'age of consent- #-is 13') as a defense for how they act #because these sorts of milestones (having sex and drinking) are seen as marks of a true adult. which gets into a whole lot of other #complicated things #and often dangerous things and ways of thinking #ANYWAYS . basically 18/19 isnt fully grown 20 is also hardly fully grown itself #and theres ways to combat people infantilizing tubbo and other creators his age without acting like hes actually #fully grown and mature lol. i promise you humans are not fully grown at 20 years old are you kidding me 😭😭😭😭 #if youre in your 20s you still have a lot of time and space to grow i promise. do not fall for the idea that your life is done by like 23 #idk. im only 18 myself but it just feels insane to me that if i were a creator people would be calling me a fully grown adult #not that im not an adult but i dont think im mature enough to be seen as fully grown and i guess itssss. sad? #to see other people my age think that turning 18 means youre fully grown. just really not true #theres a lot of 30 year olds who still see early 20yr olds as being practically babies we have Not made it to full maturity yet i prommy #mask mews

[andromeda3116]

in network effect... it's probably going to be a small moment... but when they're trying to escape the hostile planet with art's crew...

and thiago goes back for seth

like.

these are total strangers. they barely even know art. they know nothing of its crew. they got dragged here entirely against their will. they have absolutely no emotional connection to these people whatsoever, except that they are also people, and they need help, and one of them has fallen behind.

and so thiago goes back to save someone he a) has never met before, b) probably doesn't even know the name of, c) has absolutely no emotional connection to, and d) was basically conscripted into coming into horrible danger to find, when he e) had every reason and excuse not to.

he could have kept running. he was leading the others to safety, he could have leaned on that excuse. he had nothing to gain from going back, and quite possibly very much to lose.

but he went back.

because humans, at our best, are the ones who go back for each other. even when it's objectively stupid. even when there's nothing in it for us.

not everyone will do it, but enough will. enough to be a defining trait of our species: we're the brilliant idiots who run into danger to save the wounded and bring each other out to safety. even if we don't know them. just because they can't get out on their own.

that's why it's such a Big Thing in stories when a character doesn't go back -- because this is ingrained into our dna. we have come this far because we build communities. because we build upon one another. because we go back for our wounded even when it's dangerous and we could have gotten out safely and we don't even know them. that's why it's a marker of an evil person or a horribly fraught ethical situation in stories. because that is not who we are. we are not the ones who leave someone behind.

i just. i love what these books say about the nature of personhood and intelligence and love, but i also love what they say about humanity. we're not all bad. we're not our worst impulses. we are the ones who care about a sentient robot because if it can think, it's not a thing, and it deserves to be treated like a person, even if it doesn't want to be a human.

we are the ones who care. that's what makes us human.

#the murderbot diaries #i paused to make this post so idk what the fallout will be of this moment but i was just like. #''you're crying over a space sci-fi novel about a sentient ai?'' #''the tiny moments that define humanity as the ones who are compassionate at the very bottom of things got to me all right'' #humanism #< i think that might be why i have loved these books so much #in spite of being told from the point of view of a non-human they are steeped in the concept of humanism #that when we have nothing else we still have each other #the universe is dark and cold and uncaring and many people are cruel and unfeeling but they do not rule our fates #we have the power to cleave to one another and stand fast against the darkness and the chaos and win

[bitchfitch]

I have the general rule that I just, don't let myself give a shit about other people's dumbass opinions but I have one pet peeve that I just. Can Not let go of. and it's posts that go

How to write [Minority Group]!

Step 1: Make sure all your characters are exactly like me the op, or are exactly what I like to see in media.

Aside: Anything else is impossible, unrealistic, bigoted and you'll go to hell forever.

Step 2: They also have to use the exact language I do to describe themselves btw, no matter the time period or setting. See the above aside for further explanation.

Step 3: you should never ever even think about the actual mechanics of what makes a trope problematic in its impact in the real world. J ust memorize this list of things that should be banned in all fiction (for being problematic because I don't like them/someone else I agree with said they should be banned)

Step 4: Nuances in identity don't exist <3

#this is specifically about the number of how to write acearos posts that dont recognize people can have motives outside their orientation. #or that demiromantics/demisexuals exist #They are also always Really particular about how its unrealistic for aro characters to be anything other than disgusted by romance #Hi im an ace aro who fucks often and adores romance #as like a genre and form of social performance #I like sex because I like attention thats socially simple and doesn't require the upkeep of a relationship #I like romance because im a human person who doesn't think every story has to be about me to be interesting. #I like new experiences and seeing the world from other perspectives i like the pagentry of dates andnthe aesthetics of love. #Whether im loveless or not is an ongoing question because my ability to process my own emotions is zilch. #Maybe im incapable of love (the chemialcal reaction) but still chose to love (the social contract) #its not unrealistic for people tobe different from you #it just Frustrates me to no end when folk try to define anyone who shares their lable but arnt like them out of existence.

[stackslip]

people seeing the fallout of the hbomb/somerton situation and acting like academia is free of all of these issues and doesnt have its own content mill source of horror. lol. lmao

#'in academia you have to cite-' yes. and lots of marginalized people also get their research stolen by supervisors #or by others who are deemed more worthy #there's a huge problem in stem research with unreplicable results #and financing by MIC and industry actors who want one result only #in the humanities funding is very pointed and defined by political goals too #and yes publish or perish is a real thing and bad/plagiarized work isnt caught nearly as often as it should be #look. putting this all on like. youtube 'bad actors' or even just youtube is doing a major disservice to the real underlying causes #and why said 'bad actors' have monetary and structural incentive to act the way they do #and get rewarded for it #eli talks

[aloeverawrites]

If you want to learn math, no amount of good intentions and warm feelings alone is going to help you understand math.

If you want to learn science you can’t just sympathise with a biology textbook without reading it.

If you want to learn another language you can’t just smile at the text until you understand it.

So if you want to learn how to be an effective ally, you have to learn about the people you’re trying to help and the bigotry you’re trying to fight.

It’s a nice attempt but you can’t purely affection your way out of the bigoted teaching that the dominant culture taught you.

You’re going to have to do some studying.

#you know how well intended disability allies will say “your disability is so inspiring it’s good you don’t let it define you #or how white allies will say “wow you’re so arcticulate! black people can speak properly. #about aave #if you don’t unlearn the bigotry you’re just going to keep spreading it but with good intentions and in a nice way #which is sometimes more frustrating #so you have to learn #human rights #disability #anti racist #antisemitism #trans rights #lgbt rights #intersectional feminism #today I was reading a post and poitingoit to myself the antisemitic state said by someone with good intentions #and then I read a Jewish poster explaining how it was antisemitic #the guy had good intentions but you have to study. me and him were both taught the same things and we have to unlearn it #and I have a lot of unlearning to do #you don’t have to study in a way that’s difficult if you mostly read posts follow people in a minority group that educate about bigotry #and get more resources from them #google if you’re confused #you can do it

[variousqueerthings]

smthin about this from julie gardner about when the doctor "gives" rose the other doctor: "...and of course our doctor can't say it. And why can't he say it? He can't say it because... he can't ever be completely human. And he has to be in pain."

ALSO this from billie piper: "when belle kisses the beast and he turns into a man, and you're really happy that he's human, but you're also really upset that the beast is gone. and I always felt like that at the end- I don't know where I'm going with this, but I always felt like she shouldn't be kissing that number two, and also he's not the same, it's all a bit weird."

I have so many! questions! thoughts even!

#SEE LOOK THIS IS BOTH ME BANGING MY DRUM ABOUT THE WAY ALLOROMANTIC PEOPLE (ilu judie gardner) CANNOT FULLY UNDERSTAND AROMANTICISM #AND SO THEY'RE STUCK WITH THESE LIMITED IDEAS BUT THEY'RE SOOO CIRCLING AROUND SOMETHING ALMMOST TRUTHFUL HERE!!! BUT THEY LAND ON 'ALIEN' #AND IT'S ALSO ME BEING LIKE: BILLIE AGREES WITH ME THAT THERE'S SOMETHING OFF ABOUT ROSE AND TENTOO!!!! #doctor who #dw #billie knows!!!! #rose tyler #the doctor #AND THAT IS ALSO INTERESTING FROM AN AROACE IDEA -- THAT TEN CANNOT GIVE ROSE WHAT SHE WANTS #AND EVEN WHEN TRYING TO -- BEING LIKE 'HERES BASICALLY ME BUT NOT' IT'S NOT WHAT ALLOROMANCE IS #AND SEE ROSE WOULD PROBABLY BE HAPPIER WITH A DOCTOR WHO'S LOVE FOR HER WAS DIFFERENT SLIGHTLY TO HERS #BUT STILL SO INTENSE BECAUSE OF ALL THEY'VE BEEN THROUGH #AND NOT SO EASILY DEFINABLE -- THAN SOMEONE THAT IS BASICALLY THE SAME BUT ALLOROMANTIC AND HUMAN #this is two different things ive been thinking about but it's in the same segment/connected so #wait im gonna have to rb this with further thoughts

[agentravensong]

we all bring our own stuff to the art we read/watch/listen to/play/etc., it's inevitable. and it's understandable that, when we pick up on a whiff of something that aligns with the ideas we enjoy thinking about most, our first response might be to grab onto that and tear apart the whole work looking for more of it, until we can reconfigure it into a collage that reflects all the stuff we like most.

but you've got to at least try to take each work of art you newly encounter on its own terms. to consider that it was made by a human being with a wholly unique life experience, with a likely very different perspective and opinions than yours. and even - especially - if that art feels like it's speaking directly to you or is something you would have made, it's worthwhile to seek out those points of friction, and to consider it from other angles. not every angle/lens will provide something fruitful (some stories are just Not About certain things), which is why you shouldn't limit yourself to just a handful.

because if you come to a work of art and immediately overwhelm it with all your ideas and everything you want it to be, then you might miss out on the chance to hear something new.

maybe to you prisons are an obvious metaphor for loneliness. that doesn't mean that every work of art that features a prison is about loneliness (and it certainly doesn't mean that any person who features prisons in their art is suffering from crippling loneliness).

tl;dr play (or watch an lp of) the beginner's guide. i am no longer asking.

#narrative nonsense #my mutuals have already made (better) posts about this but sometimes you just gotta get words out of your head #if you have enough experiences and listen to enough people and interact with enough art #then you will realize that there is no One Definable Universal Element of Human Experience #**and that is a good thing!**

[wroteclassicaly]

Plus sized women are never fantasized about in media (unless they’re a size 4-16. And even that is pushing it, according to the mainstream). We’re the sidekicks, in secret, the background, the jokes. We are never the lead, we never get the hot guy or hot girl, we are killed off in a show, even shows that are supposed to represent us and be the most for us - they always exclude us. There’s no posters of us on any characters walls. Hollywood builds itself around seeing worth in only thin people.

Media, and even other people do it. If you aren’t thin, you aren’t desirable, you aren’t human, you aren’t even clean, according to the standards of media/the world. Doesn’t matter if you are healthy or have a health condition. If you’re a fat person, you’re already on the outs.

#thinking about what st did to it’s only plus sized characters #thinking about all the jk characters that are from the Midwest where plus sized women are respected and admired and more common… #its* #more common but excluded on film because Hollywood sucks #fat people shouldn’t feel less human or less desirable #we are sexy we are beautiful and we are just as worthy to be on walls lead movies or be a love interest #let us have nude love scenes with the hot guy or girl #let thin people take the sidekick role and the background for once #why does weight define anything? #sorry I’m just disheartened today #I shouldn’t have to lose weight to matter #no one should

[themthistles]

i think that while micro labels can seem useful and affirming ultimately they're isolating and kind of an obstacle to your understanding of self. that's because you can never find a word specific enough. there will never be a label or two labels or even ten, twenty of them to perfectly capture and describe all of your thoughts, feelings, experiences, preferences, needs, interests, identities, etc. because you learn more and more about yourself every day and then you change and your wants and needs change with you. having to hop between labels, fearing that you don't 'fit' into a label anymore (both in your own and others eyes), worrying how soon your current label will wear out, questioning if you'll ever fully fit a single one. all that causes a lot of uncertainty and anxiety which could be avoided by just picking a more general thing and molding it according to what it means to YOU. because words will always mean different things to different people, you will never be understood immediately and maybe never completely by anyone but yourself and that's fine

#another thing is that micro labels often feel like they fracture the community unnecessarily #idk how many times i've seen fighting over hyperspecific ace labels and what they mean and if people described in them even belong #and honestly i think this discourse wouldn't be so vile and neverending if people accepted the idea of falling under general umbrella #and accepted that you can't describe complicated weird and wonderful act of human existence with a couple of words #you don't need to explain yourself to anyone #i know in our present pronouns/sexuality/gender in bio carrd era it feels like you have to but you really don't #people aren't entitled to a short summary of your inner world and you can't speed run connection #also feel the need to say: i have nothing against people who use micro labels #if you feel like your micro label describes you perfectly? i'm really glad and happy for you #i'm just expressing my own thoughts and feelings that come from personal experience with exploring these things #at some point i started doubting if i could call myself a lesbian #i thought oh i'm not exactly what a lot of people generally think of when they hear that word #oh they'll misunderstand and i'm not being my 'true self' i'll find a word that fits me exactly if i just keep looking #and then i found out being aroace is a thing and boy did that add a lot of anxiety and confusion to the pot #i didn't feel like i fit in with both communities wasn't lesbian enough wasn't aroace enough #but at some point i just got tired of trying to justify myself to others and to myself #identities aren't houses you live in they're more like seas or rivers flowing into one another #and spaces where they intersect are vague and hard to define and they shift and change and this metaphor is getting away from me #basically #words are complicated #but they're the only direct way we humans can communicate #it is what it is #so make art #a lot of it #oh also unrelated but if you ever tell older queer folks that they're using wrong words to describe themselves i am going to jump you