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gatheringbones · 1 year

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["Questions can be a portal into possibilities we hadn’t yet imagined. This deceptively simple question—what if queer and trans people loved going to the doctor?—was a kind of portal for me, because of how it gestured toward an audaciously different set of conditions from the ones we’re in now.

When I ask other queer and trans people this question they usually laugh, roll their eyes, or make a face that tells me just how unfathomable the idea of loving going to the doctor is to them. But then something changes. As they contemplate what it would mean to feel this way, their facial expressions shift. Their eyes light up and their bodies relax a little. I know because mine does, too. There’s something potent about this moment of shared imagining, even if we aren’t picturing the same thing.

Think about it: What if you loved going to the doctor?

I’m curious: What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you contemplate this question? How does it feel in your body? Maybe you’re already rolling your eyes at me or you instinctively put up a shield to protect yourself from potential harm. Sit with this question for a moment longer if you can. What kinds of possibilities begin to unfold for you as you let yourself imagine what it would take to be able to answer yes?

When I asked myself this question, it led me to other questions: What if queer and trans people had the resources we needed to create and sustain our own community-led forms of care and healing in ways that are expansively available to everyone who wants them? What if we could always trust in getting health care that felt good, accessible, and even pleasurable, wherever and whenever we needed it? What if it felt safe enough to bring our whole selves into the process? What if health care felt healing and helped us flourish?

What if all health care providers and healers genuinely honoured and valued queer and trans people, worked collaboratively with us, and trusted in our expert knowledge of our own bodies? What if health and healing were widely understood not as individual responsibilities but as processes that happen collectively in communities? What if all health care and healing was built on a foundation of antiracism and disability justice? What if the care we received was rooted in a commitment to our liberation and the liberation of all people?

What if?”]

from The Care We Dream Of: Liberatory & Transformative Justice Approaches to LGBTQ+ Health, edited by Zena Sharman, 2021

#zena sharman #trans literature #currently reading #oh this is going to fuck me up isn't it

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queerism1969 · 2 years

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Why would an atheist have homophobic tendencies?

I was an atheist, and I was homophobic, not as homophobic as say Catholic Church or Saudi Arab or Iran Or Pakistan but men kissing other men made me uncomfortable even though I myself was/is a queer. Why is that?

Because I grew up in a religious environment, I couldn’t suddenly turn off the teaching/indoctrination I got from my parents and the Islamic society.

Only explanation for gayness I got that “Gay people are mentally ill”

Our country is pretty isolated from queer rights stuff and when you are poor it's impossible for you to know anything other than what the government television channel tells you

I never thought or dreamt that you can be gay and have a stable, healthy life.

I think if I had internet access and my parents weren’t poor, I would have grown up to be a more healthy and well-rounded person.

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allseeingportrait · 23 days

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splitting off of prev post and kind of elaborating on my own thoughts just bc this feels derail-y BUT

there seems to be every few years this effort to sort the queers into Quiet Respectable Gay People and Queer Freaks by way of couching their sorting in leftist language. I’ve literally seen people use the concept of “being loudly queer doesn’t excuse you from being actively antiracist and acting like it does makes you disingenuous” to declare proudly how theyre Not A Cringe Loud Gay Who Would Do That as though being a loudly gay person is the thing that makes that a problem?

It’s like- remember the part of the hbomberguy plagiarism video where he goes really in depth into the fact that James Somerton couched his mysogyny behind saying his words were only ever directed at white cishet women to make them seem like acceptable targets? This is the same shit- finding a group of queer people you don’t like and declare that they’re the only ones who perpetuate the problem.

Nobody, no matter how loudly or quietly they’re queer, has an excuse to let their biases go unexamined and perpetuate bigotry. Transmysogyny, racism, sexism, and exorsexism in the queer community are problems ALL of us need to actively combat.

Using antiracism and anti-transmysogyny to do the “I’m not LOUD and CRINGE like OTHER gays” thing again betrays your own shallow sentiments and just makes you the same brand of hypocrite you pretend to rail against.

#walls do talk #sorry ive had this rant stored for a while

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solarpunk-0possum · 1 month

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white queers and antiracism

hi hotties. this is my second post written on the thoughts i've been having about the intersections of race and queerness in my community. I'd suggest you go read my first post so you have a little more context.

Since moving to SE Colorado, I’ve had the opportunity to spend time in communities with people that are new to me. I grew up in eastern Iowa. I haven’t had any experience living in a community that isn’t entirely white before moving to Colorado. Where I moved to, on the other hand, is very diverse. White people are a demographic minority here, with 43% of the town identifying as white. I’m thankful for the many opportunities I’ve had to listen to the Brown people I know here. I’ve learned a lot. Like a lot a lot.

Two times since moving here I’ve encountered organizations that claim to be all-inclusive, but end up being filled with white people. The first was a campus queer organization that I quit. The second is a volunteer organization that I’m definitely reconsidering my relationship with. For both organizations, I have asked the question- in a city that’s 50% Hispanic, why don’t our demographics reflect that?

The biggest thing I’ve found? Even after 2020, after the anti-racism work (performative or otherwise) we did, white queer communities still have a racism problem. It’s just more subtle. More than that, most of us (when I say “we” or “us” in this essay, assume I mean white queers) haven’t done enough decolonization work. Many haven’t even started it. We still live in bubbles of privilege, and people who don’t live that way can tell when we do.

What do I mean by decolonization? As a white AFAB person from the midwest, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the best person to define this. I beg of you, don’t let me be the only person you learn about this from. My experience with decolonization so far has entailed a willingness to learn, a willingness to stare privilege in the face, and a radical humility. The first aspect of my life I really worked to decolonize was my relationship with nature. (I strongly recommend reading Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Anything I have to say on the matter is better said by her.)

The thing about decolonization, though, is that it’s kinda like taking the red pill. (The Matrix was made by trans women. The red pill was intended as an allegory for understanding gender. I do not use this in a bullshit conservative way.) You decolonize one thing about yourself, and through that process, you find a whole lot more stuff to deal with. It’s a slow and uncomfortable process, that requires scrutiny of the most integrated and normal-feeling patterns of your life. It has changed my diet, my relationships with family and friends, my approach to education, my creative process, and much more that I don’t even realize. I’ve had to consider my own relation to race, gender, sexuality, work, ethics, everything! The harms and attitudes created by colonization are still deeply embedded in white American culture. While many white American queers have physically left the communities where this behavior originates, we have yet to decolonize our minds.

Let’s reference the cultural iceberg here. I use this all the time. I love it. It’s a great way to talk about leaving hurtful communities. When white queers leave their hurtful communities, it’s pretty easy for us to change the tip of our cultural icebergs. We start going to pride. We wear new clothes. We go by different names. The surface-level of our lives changes drastically. This is an important part of deconstructing one’s shitty past beliefs. It’s a vital first step, but it’s far from the last one. This is what a lot of white queers fail to understand. Just because you now visually fit into a new group, doesn’t mean you are completely free of the deep culture that you were raised with. While you look different, the shitty puritanical attitudes most of us white queers were raised with haven't gone anywhere. Therefore, there’s a bunch of white queers who are going around taking out their unresolved shit on each other. It sucks.

There’s a lot of ways this manifests in everyday life. Being of that culture myself, I don’t even notice it sometimes. It’s subtle and easy to miss if you don't know what you're looking for. I can only speak to my personal experiences, but I’ve spent a lot of time around white queers. I’m by no means an expert, but I do have pretty good pattern recognition. There’s some repeating behaviors I’ve noticed that I want more white queers to marinate on.

While there’s a lot of incredibly important discussion about the harms of colonization on the colonized, as white people, we need to discuss how it’s hurt us. Colonization, imperialism, and the shitty domination attitudes it brings has caused spiritual, mental, physical, and emotional sickness in white Americans. While we must decolonize for the sake of justice (and that should be reason enough alone), it’s just as important to decolonize for our own sake. In the process of creating a system that gives us white privilege, we’ve given up vital parts of ourselves. We’ve lost our connection to nature, to our pasts, to spirituality, all of it. We’ve sold our souls for the sake of comfort. We must give up that comfort for the sake of our own healing.

White queers need to be far more committed to anti-racism. In both organizations I reference, I have been the person to speak up about the whiteness. I’m one of the younger members of both of these groups. There are people with much more experience in advocacy than I, yet I am the one to speak up. I have a feeling that if I didn't say something about it, things would continue as they are. For people who claim to be so radical, they sure seem ok with the status quo. I’m a little ashamed of it, to be honest. White queers need to do a lot better. If we aren’t committed to decolonizing ourselves, any work we do is going to carry evidence of that, and people will pick up on it.

We really need to figure out how to communicate with each other in healthy ways. I don’t know what it is, but the white queer communities I’ve been in have been notably marked by the most annoying, pointless drama out there. In one org, a lot of people like to joke with each other, but sometimes jokes have gotten mean enough that they’re not funny anymore. As members of an emotionally sick society, we must realize that we’re emotionally sick, too, and we must do the work to be better. We have to take accountability for all of our behaviors.

The definition of “safe space” needs to be fundamentally reconsidered, especially among white queers. I am of the opinion that there is no such thing as a truly “safe space.” We don’t know how to create safe spaces because many of us haven’t experienced one in the first place. We carry unresolved traumas from the past (often ones that are direct consequences of fucked up colonizer behavior, and it's commonly generational) and instead of taking accountability for them we enact them on each other. I’ve been on the receiving end of this multiple times. It is unbelievably soul crushing when a place claiming to be “safe” actually isn’t. In fact, it was places calling themselves “safe spaces” where I have been the most hurt. We say somewhere is a safe space and close our eyes, plug our ears, and whenever someone has an issue we say "BUT THIS IS A SAFE SPACE!" without doing any real work. It's performative. If that's not annoying-ass white people shit, I don't know what is. We need to put our money where our mouth is. Just because a place is safe for white queers doesn’t mean it’s a safe place for others. We really need to figure that shit out.

If we are truly seeking justice, we must understand solidarity. In fact, we must be radically committed to it. My liberation is fundamentally wrapped up in the liberation of everyone else. Even if I as a white queer person can live a life with relative freedom, if someone else doesn’t get that, my freedom is at risk. If one person isn’t free, than none of us are free. Even if we have perceived freedom, what we call freedom is actually privilege. If systems of injustice exist anywhere, than any of us can have our rights taken away. To be the best allies we can, white queers must accept that systems of injustice are still alive and well in our communities. We will not be liberated until everyone is!

We have to do the work. It’s not easy work- like I said earlier, it really does involve a fundamental reassessment of your whole paradigm and way of life. We have to look our privilege right in the face, really sit with that discomfort. That’s not easy. Through that work, we will be able to truly see the dynamics of our privilege. It is not any of our faults that we have privilege, but it is our fault if we are complacent in it. White queers must go beyond being aware of privilege. We must decide how we are going to use our privilege to dismantle the system that creates it. It isn’t comfortable, but it’s worth it, and it’s the only way we can find genuine, sustainable, long-term healing.

I am reminded of a quote from Mindfulness in Plain English, by Bhante Gunaratama. (Total side note, this book is great, the way they teach meditation was the first thing that worked for me!) It goes “Ignorance may be bliss, but it does not lead to liberation."

Ignorance is a privilege that not everyone has. If we truly want liberation, we must understand this an make a radical decision to give it up. It might not be comfortable, but do you know what’s more uncomfortable? Being a Brown person in a room of ignorant white people who think their queerness exempts them from antiracism work. I'd rather deal with the emotional discomfort of decolonization than make someone else go through the discomfort of dealing with my ignorant white ass. It's a privilege to be ignorant. Don't be a jackass.

I think it's good practice to leave some advice on decolonizing yourself, to turn this from complaining about problems yet doing nothing about it, into complaining about problems and doing something. Do your own research for sure. I'm no expert. Just a jackass on tumblr with some big feelings about how my fellow european americans are really failing to be good antiracists. I mentioned Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer earlier, but honestly, just set a priority to learn from Brown people. Read books written by Brown authors. Look for diverse entertainment. Make it a radical priority in your life to seek out the opinions of all marginalized groups no matter the issue. The people who are being fucked over by the system usually have the most valuable insight on how to fix it. Humble yourself, shut your mouth, and listen. You will have time to yap later. People are usually pretty down to share their thoughts with you if you approach the situation with humility and a willingness to learn.

#solarpunk #antiracism #intersectionality #queer #seriously guys it's not that hard #you will learn more and be more effectively challenged by listening to people different than you. always #and know the discomfort this causes is pretty temporary. because then you get the benefits of decolonizing ur mind #and trust me it's pretty worth it #my life is better all-around because i am committed to decolonizing my brain. i feel better

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queersatanic · 2 years

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Do you know of any Satanic group that isn't terrible? I heard the Satanic Church was bad so I avoided it, and am just now discovering that the Satanic Temple is also pretty bad XDn

Basically, as a subculture we have some serious fucking problems, most (but not all of them) traceable to Anton LaVey and The Church of Satan.

We've talked about this before, but while LaVey was not himself a white nationalist or a Nazi, boy, he sure was fond of white nationalists and fascism, something that goes all the way back to the proto-fascist work Might Is Right that he decided to crib from for The Satanic Bible.

Maybe even more so than, like, white pagans and occultists, you are going to need to see antifascism and antiracism built into whatever Satanic groups you're interested in. They need to be loud about it, and they need to be unequivocal about it.

Remember, the problem with "virtue signaling" is not the signaling of virtues but that it is where the action and commitment stops. So you have a two-part test, and the first one is just whether they are willing to openly repel fashies or not.

For a longer more general answer about our advice, see:

For a shorter, more specific one, with orgs we think are solidly antifascists, see:

But newer communities pop up all the time, like Hail Arizona, or return like Satanic Portland, to do local antifascist work. So what you're looking for, really, is people doing stuff you think is worth imitating while rejecting or otherwise setting aside elements that don't work as well.

#satanic antifascism #church of satan #the satanic temple #satanic temple #hail arizona #satanic portland

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shxwnski · 1 year

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ok hot take but sometimes ppl gotta be chill with what other ppl put in tbe tags when they REBLOG. tags are there so ppl can categorize posts for their own blog. if they put stuff in the tags when they reblog then its meant for them and not op, even if you can see it. like i understand when someone make a new post then tag something in a way that is harmful to the community (for example tagging posts about BIPoC empowerment as #racism or #tw racism when maybe it makes more sense to tag them as #antiracism. stuff like that then thats totally ok. but sometimes ppl see a fanart of character that reminds them of another and they reblog and tag them wrongly as their blorbo its not the end of the world. its for them not for u. or some ppl reblog and tag certain things as queer - "but not everyone who identity as x identity as queer" yes but its just their tagging system for their blog...

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volixia669 · 1 year

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Standing Strong in Current Political Climate

Alright, I mostly try to keep this to silly fandom and tumblr stuff, but with everything going on politically, it’s time for a serious post. About reality, about politics, and about how we survive. This is going to be about transphobia, queerphobia, and genocide, so I’m giving fair warning.

Buckle up.

Now, this is going to primarily US-Centric, as that’s what I’m familiar with, but make no mistake. There has been an authoritarian rise worldwide.

The UK has been Tory central for the past decade.

Australia has been putting climate refugees into concentration camps.

Israel has been using the pandemic to increase efforts to wipe out Palestinians.

Italy’s Prime Minister is Mussolini’s granddaughter (she’s proud of that btw) and is increasing queerphobia.

Russia is trying to recreate the USSR only with no fake pretenses of Communism (it was authoritarianism) this time around.

And the United States? Well the Republicans have been playing the long game since Reagan, and most of the Democratic party is perfectly fine with fascism since it makes them richer.

All this while the Earth becomes unlivable, people starve, and more. Oh, and covid never went away.

So.

The situation is...bad. Let’s just say it’s bad. There also seems to be a target on queer folks moreso than Jewish folks this time around, most likely since the Holocaust made most people a little twitchy about targeting Jewish folks, though that’s not to say those in charge aren’t perfectly fine with killing Jews.

Anyone who doesn’t conform to a mold is at risk.

But.

The situation is not hopeless.

I know it’s easy to read all that and think we’re all fucked, but I promise you, there is hope.

People have been unionizing, and striking at their workplaces.

Time and again, polls show that more people support queer people than oppose.

Time and again, polls show that the extremist view is a minority.

CPAC? That was practically empty this year.

More and more people are making it clear they want policies that help people and they’re tired of policies that help corporations.

People want to help the planet, they want to help other people. They don’t want to mass murder the “outsider.”

So what can you do?

Well, it varies depending on who you are, and where you are. Are you in Canada? Then vote and push for progressive policies, rather than right wing ones. In particular, you can join the push to allow asylum seekers to claim dangerous levels of queerphobia as their reason. This would help so many. Folks in other countries, I would reccomend the same. (Also maybe do something about that law preventing disabled people from immigrating to your country? Yeah, it’s a thing in a lot of countries. And there’s a lot of disabled queer people.)

You can join protests, and help local politicians canvas.

Unfortunately I can’t provide much info on what to do if you’re in most countries where being queer is either criminalized or being criminalized.

If you’re in the US though...

First off, for my white readers, are you familiar with the term antiracism? No? I recommend reading Ibram Kendi’s How to Be Antiracist. There’s a lot of racism in queer circles and it needs to stop. The way we solve these issues is through intersectionality, which means listening when black queer folks speak up. Listen. Learn. Improve.

This is important, because I need folks to understand that black queer folks are far more likely to be arrested, or worse. The cops will target black drag queens before they target white ones. They’ll target black trans folks before they target white ones.

Because this country is built on racism, and racism plays a key part in how laws are policed.

I’m not saying be careless if you’re a white queer btw, but recognize the levels of oppression here, work on improving yourself, but also? Use other people’s racism to protect black queer folk.

Weird sentence, I know, but let me explain, as this actually came up during the 2020 protests.

Say you’re at a protest, and the cops show up. The cops will try to arrest, injure, and/or provoke the black people there. But. If you’re white, you can stand inbetween the cop and the black person. If you get a bunch of other white people to join you, you can create a wall protecting multiple black people. And while you and the other white people aren’t immune from being arrested, injured, and/or provoked by the cops, you and other white people are more likely to come away unscathed.

There’s a bunch of situations this is applicable btw. Just don’t get all “white savior” about it, understand there’s a whole lot of history behind why black people might be wary of you and that’s okay, and ensure black people have the space to speak.

Alrighty, long spiel targeted to one particular demographic over. As for other things to be done? Be aware of the bills being passed in your state. Protest what you can. Make plans for escape if you need to.

Remember these things when crafting your escape plan: -Where?: This will effect everything else. A handful of states have passed bills making them trans refuge states, however getting to them may not be easy. You’ll also need to consider potential support structures that are there. -When?: This will depend on factors like what bills are being passed, how likely you are to be effected, and more. If you’re able to, consider making this a “normal” move rather than a last minute escape. -Finances: If you need to leave at the drop of a hat, can you? Are there any places you can cut back to save money? Are there any organizations that can help you? What about jobs? -Ease of escape: If you’re not in a position where you can move over the course of a month or two, this is where you need to really consider what you need and what you can leave behind. Also attempt to tie up as many loose ends as possible, and reduce the amount of objects you own as much as you can. Having a “go bag” can be extremely helpful. -Transportation: Can you drive? Do you have a license? Is getting a license feasible for you? What transportation is needed to get to the safe zone? Depending on the bills passed, you may want to have multiple options at hand. Documents: Linking back to finances and the go bag. What are your important documents? Where are they? What might you need in a new place and/or to claim asylum? Do you have a passport? Do you have a REALID? Currently you can fly domestically without one, but that could change swiftly. Keep everything together in a fireproof lockbox, until you need to throw it in the go bag. Lots of things to consider, which is why it’s important to think of this stuff ahead of time.

But it’s not all about escaping. Are you in a position you can help folks? Great! Look into mutual aid groups, find out what’s needed and how you can best help people.

So. This lengthy post is all to say the situation is bad, and we need to plan like it’s bad. But that doesn’t mean it’s hopeless. There’s places to escape, there can be even more with increased effort. We can work together to ensure that people stay safe, while also protesting.

And while I used the word “strong” in the title, it’s more complicated than that. You don’t have to be a bulwark. You don’t have to be stone. You can cry, and you can show weakness. This is stressful.

WHich is why, I want to be clear, this will not resolve in a short period of time. This may take years. The bills are passing incredibly quickly, but the resulting fallout? That’s the unknown variable.

The human body is not built to be stressed for years.

It’s just not.

That means the best way to remain strong against the tide of hate, is to have moments of joy. Watch silly videos, play silly games with friends, create beautiful art! Cry! Express your stress, and sadness. Then hold that ember of anger close to your chest, letting it motivate you, but not letting it take over until the moment is right.

Be prepared, be aware, but do not let the stress overcome you. On top of the multitude of negative physical effects, it can lead to snapping at those you love, or jumping the gun too soon. It leads to bad decisions at times those can be deadly.

But by having those moments of joy, you will survive. You will survive the hatred. Together, with the rest of us.

#cw transphobia #cw politics #cw genocide #cw: systemic racism #not a completely negative post btw!#i discuss hope and what you can do

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