#LGBTQIA+ Issues

[unclevladscorner]

On sock puppets, pen names and Freydis Moon

First, lets talk about the difference between a pen name and a sock puppet becauese lots of authors use pen names. This includes me.

I use two names- Uncle Vlad is for my games and erotic short stories on itch. I do not intend to take this name off of itch or Tumblr. I will publish Sword of the Voivode under T.G. Joye. This is mostly because my legal name is used by several entities to publish other work already, and I don't want to be mixed up with unrelated works that are not my own.

Sock puppets are almost exclusively online handles used to harass and manipulate people. Freydis used both- sock puppet accounts often tended to also be pen names for other styles of writing.

While neither of these things is a crime per se, some of those alternate personas engaged in digital brown face. While also not a crime per se, it is in very poor taste.

Here's where things get absolutely FUCKED-

Freydis is an award winning latinex author who is; by all accounts, not a latinex person. Freydis also engaged heavily in multiple forms of bullying, which I have been on the recieving end myself. This bullying largely targeted minorities who are underrepresented in fiction- allowing Freydis to boost themselves as a supposedly marginalized author as they harrassed many trans, non binary, and people of color out of publishing own ownvoices work.

I've seen the effects of Freydis's predatory behavior first hand on transmasculine writers- many were afraid to leave their sphere of influence after becoming attached to Freydis, in spite of the bad behavior. Many more were harrassed off of various platforms- like Discord and Twitter- cutting them off from a small but tight knit community.

I am one of those people who was harassed off of Twitter, and have not made any inroads into the digital writing community b/c I feared backlash from Freydis. I've spent the last two years trying to figure out what I was going to do once I released Sword of the Voivode. While not erotica, I still felt fear to publish on Amazon due to Freydis's past harassment. It is a miracle the book has come this far in the process and I will be publishing it later this year.

Many, many more people were manipulated into believing Freydis with an unwavering, cult-like fervor, making it impossible to even have a conversation about years of abuse and manipulation going on behind the scenes.

The Takeaway-

We need to be better to one another, both by being more supportive of those within our own communities and by questioning our loyalty to any one person. We talk about believing victims, but never in the context of bullying and I think that has to change here and now.

We also need to boost each other like there's no tomorrow. Many ownvoices works have been left languishing in obscurity because Freydis took up so much space in multiple minority communties. Boost those books you felt unsafe to do so before. Boost your own. We need to lift each other up and engage with one another more readily to really undo the hurt done to us.

Be safe, and be kind to one another,

-Your Uncle Vlad.

[istoppedlurkingforthis]

There are many days I am horrified by what comes out of uk politicians mouths.

But then something like this appears on my YouTube recommended viewing (what sins have I done to get the Daily Mail recommended to me?) and I have to recalibrate again. Because apparently the bar is so low in 'stupid things politicians seem to genuinely believe' it has to include "some places will Legally Kill you for being gay and that isn't enough to be a refugee" as being one of those stupid things.

Like I'm not an expert on asylum, I know very little. But. I'm going on common sense (foolish) and what I've read over the years in news coverage. And the UN act that Braverman has badmouthed covers people seeking freedom from persecution or risk to life as far as I'm aware. So the fact she's quoted as saying:

"But we will not be able to sustain an asylum system if in effect, simply being gay, or a woman, and fearful of discrimination in your country of origin is sufficient to qualify for protection."

Is. Insane.

Wtf.

How do you care so little about people? How?

Look, I don't like people. I feel were all needlessly complicated and I don't understand us. But. People should be allowed to be safe. People should be allowed to escape to somewhere else to be safe (arguments can be had as to how safe the UK wants to be/is considering The Fucking Stupid Bullshit The Government Keeps Saying And Doing). People should have access to food. People should have access to safe shelter.

People shouldn't be stuck on boats against their wills.

Like, its not hard. I don't like people. But that doesn't stop me caring about them or wanting them to be safe, fed, sheltered and as happy as is possible given the circumstances.

Fuck this government for thinking they can say this.

And, I guess fuck us for letting them get comfortable enough that they can.

[fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-liar]

Queerbaiting = media teasing/using the possibility of queer representation as a way of drawing in an LGBTQ+ audience, only to not actually deliver on the promise of having queer characters/rep; a copout for gay representation, essentially

Real people cannot queerbait. Real people don't "promise" their audiences/fans an expectation of being queer and then go back on it because sexuality is complicated and fluid and it's never something absolutely definitive.

If you feel entitled to police and speculate on people's identities, get the fuck off my blog.

[sweaterkittensahoy]

Okay, so background on why I'm fucking tired and queer:

A couple of weeks ago, Candace "just as evangelical and awful as my brother but didn't make it my whole personality at 19" Cameron Bure announced that Great American Channel (GAC), which is like if Hallmark Channel spent even less money on movies and was very intentionally bigoted, would not make queer content because GAC "believes in traditional marriage." CCB is apparently the Chief Creative Officer at GAC, which tells you everything you need to know about exactly how hard they're ready to go for jerking off evangelicals and false "culture war" shit.

This led Neal Bledsoe, one of those NPC-generic good-looking white guys who makes bank as the romantic lead in Hallmark and GAC movies to cut his contract with GAC. His statement upon leaving was all about how his support for the queer community is unconditional.

Which. Dude. GAC didn't suddenly turn into evangelical fap fodder when CCB joined. She joined THEM because THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN LIKE THIS. There is no way you weren't at least somewhat aware of this when you signed a contract.

And, let me be clear, sometimes you gotta sign a contract as an actor you don't love because you gotta make rent. But if that's the case with Bledsoe, he didn't mention it in his inspo-porn statement about queer people being useful to him. He was utterly focused on how much he's learned, been helped by, and been supported by queer people. I want to believe he's sincere because it'd be nice to see it. But I am so fucking tired of queer people being treated as human fucking beings getting identified by straight people as, "OMG THE QUEERS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SO NICE TO ME. I SUPPORT THEM."

Listen here, you cis-het white man stereotype: We don't exist to support you. We don't exist to piss off CCB and Kirk the banana handjob king. We exist because we EXIST, and THAT'S ALL THAT SHOULD FUCKING MATTER. We exist. We are human. We deserve dignity, rights, and some fucking representation. I don't need that from GAC. And I knew the moment Candance signed on that GAC wasn't gonna do shit I was interested in. I was ready to forget them as soon as I heard about them (which was literally when CCB switched from Hallmark, which has the nerve to occasionally do queer shit and also does interracial stories (I'm not not calling CCB racist. But evangelicals...).

I wasn't gonna suddenly flip to GAC because DJ from Full House was in something.

And now, Danica McKeller, aka Winnie, aka Math PhD is saying that Neal is "misinterpreting" what Candace Cameron Bure said.

Which is very, very annoying but not actually surprising. Because Danica signed with GAC either right before or right after CCB, and given the Cameron family, Pureflix-level notoriety for evangelicalism (I think Candace and Kirk have both been in at least one movie), so she can't pretend like she didn't fucking know what she was signing onto.

But honestly, a soft bigot (Danica) and a hard bigot (CCB) are less annoying to me right now than Bledsoe, who clearly wants to get applauded for supporting the queer community in this tough time when none of us are fucking surprised CCB and don't need his "they've always helped me, so I'm helping them" support.

Like, it's not about you or who supported you dude. And it shouldn't be. Either I'm a human being, have value, and deserve rights and respect, or I'm not. That's literally the line. That's fucking it.

[thedepressedjuggalette]

The school proved LGBTQIA+ Artist's point.

[jarredlharris]

Live-threading my thoughts while listening to another Thereafter podast discussion with Transvangelical.

The following is a transcript of the live-thread I posted while listening to Thereafter podcast episode 101.

Hey look! There's a new @thereafterpodcast episode! And the snarky episode title already drew me in. Let's do this!

Here's hoping @thepursuinglife and @cortlandcoffey don't take umbrage at me characterizing the episode title as snarky. I like snarky. @thereafterpodcast

I think @thepursuinglife said she and @cortlandcoffey just recorded this episode with @transvangelical yesterday evening, so it's going to be fresh. @thereafterpodcast

.@thepursuinglife is talking about a book called "The Widening of God's Mercy." I've never heard of it. I also don't think I saw the social media discourse about it that Meghan is referring to. @thereafterpodcast

.@transvangelical says that Hays didn't really talk about trans issues and focused on homosexuality. How much of that is because a lot of evangelicals didn't (and still don't) really see the difference? @thereafterpodcast

.@transvangelical: "Why are we still caring what cishet white gays have to say?" Preach, sister! @thereafterpodcast

.@cortlandcoffey: "We talk about Shane Claiborne." Only if people make me! @thereafterpodcast

.@thepursuinglife is calling people who "see the light" to not forget or ignore the harm they've caused prior to their epiphany/change of heart and it's a powerful point. @thereafterpodcast

.@transvangelical is describing how we celebrate progress without celebrating the oppressor who did the bare minimum. Good stuff. @thereafterpodcast

Oh! So THAT'S why we ended up talking about what "ally" means to us in Deconstruction Coffee Hour this morning! @thereafterpodcast

.@transvangelical mentioned Matthew Vines in a tone of voice that suggests she and I have very similar opinions about him. @thereafterpodcast

.@cortlandcoffey: "Meghan isn't saying 'Shut up, white guys.'" No, but I may be at times. @thereafterpodcast

.@cortlandcoffey is suggesting that when maybe privileged people should take a moment to interrogate why they feel the way about certain things when it comes to topics around marginalized people. @thereafterpodcast

.@thepursuinglife is talking about how privileged people talking about some of these topics aren't really "on the ground" seeing the harm being caused. She's right and that is frustrating. @thereafterpodcast

.@transvengelical is pointing out how some of these privileged people are risking a job by being LGBT-affirming while her physical safety is at risk. An important point. @thereafterpodcast

Since @transvangelical mentioned her tendency to make blasphemous jokes, I feel obligated to share her pinned tweet because I love it. @thereafterpodcast

Is Alan Chambers gay-affirming now? I pretty much lost track of him after Exodus shut down. @thereafterpodcast

Oh, @charlotteirene8 got a mention! Awesome! @thereafterpodcast

.@transvangelical is pointing out that policing people's feelings is still oppression. @thereafterpodcast

Another great episode! @thereafterpodcast

[queerism1969]

[genderqueerdykes]

now more than ever it's blatantly obvious that people go out of their way to erase trans men from communities and queer history. it's always been happening, but it's way easier to watch it in real time now thanks to the internet and social media. we are watching people basically gloating that they misgender trans men and don't see them as men. we are now watching people kick trans men out of queer spaces because they are often "femme and them" or "nonbinary and woman" support groups, conflating nonbinary identities with womanhood, and denying trans men or transmasc nonbinary people places to go. many of them get told that their presence would "scare" the lesbians, women and enbies because they have trauma.

where do the trans men with trauma go, though? we can't go anywhere. when i was struggling with domestic violence that ended up destroying my right leg, i was denied shelter in queer spaces and even women's spaces even though i have F on license. domestic violence shelters especially will turn trans men away if we pass. even if we partially identify as women, we can't go in because 'our voices are deep and scary and we're loud and aggressive and threatening and might prey on the defenseless scared women'

finding transmasc support groups is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. i've seen numerous organizations across the US have transfemme support groups, nonbinary/genderqueer support groups, and then nothing for transmascs. where the hell do we go when they won't let us go anywhere?

we try to exist online and they try to erase us from here, too. bickering and arguing about how we're not real men, sending trans men death and sexual assault threats, acting like they're saviors for kicking out the "dangerous ugly men" from the queer community, as if we don't belong to it at all.

i refuse to be erased. i refuse to sit in silence while people tell me my problems don't matter because now i "have male privilege". I don't. once people find out what my legal name is they view me as a woman. strangers however view me as a cis man and will deny me help, either through programs, or because i'm a "strong young man, i should be able to pick myself up by my boot straps." i'm not white. i'm not abled.

i'm proud to be a trans man and i will be here to fight for other trans men's rights to have a platform to speak, and spaces to occupy. i will not rest until trans men & mascs have safe places to be and meet other trans men.

trans men are queer. we belong here. we are taking up the space we rightfully deserve and we are not leaving.

[khairahcum]

The bulge kinda looks big. 🍆🤤🤭

[textk4kira]

No group of trans people has inherent power/privilege over another group of trans people.

Trans men are not your oppressors.

Trans women are not your oppressors.

Nonbinary people, regardless of AGAB, are not your oppressors.

It is important to interrogate your own biases towards your fellow trans people.

Oftentimes, a decent place to start would be to make friends with Other trans people. You'll probably find that you have much more in common with them then you realize.

I'm a transmasc demigirl, if you'd like to know more about our community and my experiences, please feel free to leave a comment, send a dm or send an ask.

Edit: June 8th, 2024 addition

Please do not cite classism or any other form of discrimination some kind of 'gotcha moment'.

I am well aware of how intersecting identities can compound to form unique forms of oppression.

Thank you for reading.

[bli-o]

ok but the “lgbtq groomers are indoctrinating children” narrative is so strange to me cuz like. i had it hammered into my head so hard that i was a girl that i thought i was, as a uterus haver, obligated to have my ear impaled at eight years old. I was so conditioned into heteronormativity that i thought my only choice in life was to grow up, marry a cisgender christian man, and have his babies. Like the adults in my life practically shipped me with this guy friend i had when i was like 6 to the point where i thought we had to date when we got older. you know who’s never made me feel anything like that? queer people. when conservatives say “indoctrinating” they mean “inspiring dissent that could disrupt the status quo we’ve forced upon everyone”

[animentality]

[silvart]

HAPPY PRIDE

Remember:

Intersex folk belong at pride

Intersex folk aren't a sub group of trans/enby

Respect trans folk

Bi and pan are different things

Aspec folk belong at pride (this includes alloaro and aceallo)

Aromantic is not a sub label of asexuality

Respect Xenogenders and xenopronouns

Love yourself