#Lead with inclusion

[kakief]

Beyond Buzzwords: Why DEI Matters for Everyone, Not Just Some

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) often get dismissed as corporate jargon or initiatives that only benefit certain groups. But DEI is more than a buzzword—it’s about building workplaces and communities where everyone can thrive. When done right, DEI fosters innovation, strengthens teams, and creates opportunities that lift all of us.   So, who truly benefits, and what’s at stake when we…

[handaons]

"the trauma code was too unrealistic to be enjoyable" lol okay my guy. the genre is fiction

[yautjalover]

I have been taking my sweet time to finish my fanfic “Star Child”. It’s coming together beautifully and I’m honestly sad to put Dhare and Ashaki down. 🥺 They’ve been my babies for almost two years now. It feels like losing a part of myself! It’s wild how attached you can feel to characters who live in your head.

If any of you have been looking for a story with a black protagonist, then you would definitely love my fanfic “Star Child”! It’s an epic enemies to lovers romance between a human woman and an Elite male Yautja. There’s drama, there’s angst, steamy smut, and lots of action! Check it out here (Ao3) and on WattPad! I really hope you love it!

Tags include: Idiots in Love, Wrongly Perceived Unrequited Attraction, Bisexual Male Character (Dhare is a Bisexual!), Plus Size mc (Ashaki), Miscarriage, PTSD, Near Death Experience, Eventual Smut, Fluff, etc.

The WattPad Cover ❤️

I own this cover. Commissioned by me to Cyvorg.

[vamptoll]

What if your favorite video game series became a major discussion point in queer game studies, and oh no everyone got it entirely wrong

[dzthenerd490]

Random Poem

First they came for the foreigners, but I did not speak up because I'm not a foreigner. 

Then they came for the protestors, but I did not speak up because I'm not a protestor.

Then they came for the media, but I did not speak up because I'm not with the media.

Then they came for the shelters, but I did not speak up because I don’t go to a shelter.

Then they destroyed the communities, but I did not speak up because I don’t belong to a community.

Then they tore up the families, but I did not speak up because I don’t have a family.

And you know what? They never came for me… And now I’m all alone.

[nerdygaymormon]

A transgender person - including those who have undergone hormonal treatment and gender reassignment surgery - can receive baptism under the same conditions as other believers "if there are no situations in which there is a risk of generating public scandal or disorientation among the faithful".

An adult who has undergone hormone treatment and gender reassignment surgery may be a godfather or godmother.

On the question of whether same-sex parents who adopt or use a surrogate mother could have a child baptized in the Catholic Church, the Vatican said a priest's decision would have to be based on the "well-founded hope that he or she would be educated in the Catholic religion".

There was a similarly nuanced response to a question whether a person in a same-sex relationship could be a godparent at a Catholic Church baptism. It said the person had to "lead a life that conforms to the faith".

American Jesuit priest Fr James Martin, who is a supporter of LGBT rights: "This is an important step forward in the Church seeing transgender people not only as people (in a Church where some say they don't really exist) but as Catholics."

[petercushingscheekbones]

sometimes a piece of media gets praised too much that I loose some appreciation for it (maybe because it raises expectations). The star beast however, is a piece of media which I love more every time I see it criticized on mainstream social media

[cogentranting]

One thing I think Hook does really well is the way it intersects with the original story's ideas on growing up.

In the original, the major idea is that yes, Mr. Darling was being restrictive and trying to make Wendy grow up too fast BUT that growing up and maturing are ultimately good and necessary things.

Hook follows up on this idea by saying that the problem is NOT that Peter grew up-- the problem is that he lost sight of what growing up truly means and what it's for. And in so doing he's lost joy and bravery and adventure. Peter's path went wrong growing up and so he has to go back and recapture childhood to remind him of those things. But he can't stop at that regression to a childish Peter Pan. Becoming childlike and learning to play and all that with the Lost Boys is a mid-point towards his true maturity at the end (because he doesn't need to be a kid again, he needs to be a better grown-up).

So the old forms aren't enough for Peter. The things that give the Lost Boys their happy thoughts (bugs and birthdays and whatnot) don't work for Peter. Instead, his happy thought is becoming a father. That's when he's able to fly. And being brave for its own sake-- as a game and for ego-- doesn't matter. Being brave matter so he can protect the people he cares about. That's why when he's about to fight Hook, he walks away when his children call him and want to go home, and only actually turns back to the fight when Hook says he'll keep coming after them. And at the end adventure is not flying or fighting or dying (the line from the original about 'to die would be an awfully big adventure' is echoed multiple times earlier) but Peter says 'to LIVE would be an awfully big adventure' and that's focused on the idea of living as a husband and father. Peter had, like George Darling and Hook, come to see joy as something childish and bravery and adventure as all about 'success' or ego. But by going back to the best parts of childhood, he is then able to take these things into their maturity.

[what-the-fuck-khr]

I’m learning things as I read but number 1 is that Star and Stripe’s quirk is trans inclusive so happy pride month everyone

[gynkgobilobo]

Love how for feminism to be a mainstream thing it has to be a movement that also benefits men, almost as if the mainstream is patriarchal, following that, this so parroted male benefit is antithetical to the work of feminism itself

[pharawee]

A while back we got an announcement for a new BL called Eye Contact the series. But before even getting a cast announcement we get workshop clips and Bank is in this.

I don't even do Easter yet here I am getting showered in presents. Let's hope Bank finally got himself a main role. 🙏

[jukeboxhound]

So when I'm training the latest round of new advocates, we do this activity called simply Agree/Disagree. I share a statement that's meant to have nuanced response, but everyone HAS to pick agree or disagree and then defend that position. I use statements like, "I can change my partner," "Sex is a necessary part of a healthy relationship," and "I come first in a relationship." The point is to get the students challenging their own unexamined assumptions about intimate relationships. Maybe 2/3 of the students tend to be around college-age (although everyone has to be aged 18+), and social media is often discussed in the context domestic violence.

This time around, after getting a weird internal sense about some discussion that came up, I adlibbed a new statement: "Feeling sexual attraction towards another person is inherently dehumanizing or objectifying that person."

And BOY HOWDY did that one make people freeze in a way that none of the other statements had quite managed. People were split, though there were more on the Agree side than I had secretly hoped to see. It was SO INTERESTING to hear their perspectives, and you could see some 'agree' students' reactions of dawning horror** when my guiding questions led them so easily to explicitly TERFy conclusions.

(Thankfully, the final conclusion of the whole group was that it's how attraction is behaviorally expressed that matters, not the feeling itself.)

[distopea]

Ah, so the dash is once again very ugly ☠️

[curetapwater]

btw I made that playlist I was talking about before

It's effectively finished but I left a small buffer before reaching the 5000 video cap on YouTube playlists, to leave room for if I find anything else. Not all of these are media I have personally seen, but I thought it would be a neat way for me (and you!!) to get into more shows and stuff. I'm already falling in love with Princess Guinevere and the Jewel Riders for example.

[discourselover3000]

Actually, we do do that. Specifically, we use language such as "penis havers" or "people with testes" and similar. We do this when refering to situations where that is relevant, for example when talking about condom use, or testicular cancer checks. Similarly, we use language like "people who menstruate" when talking about menstral care.

Inclusive language isn't just for trans people. For example, "birthing person" is helpful for any person who is pregnant but not going to be a mother to that child. Yes, this includes pregnant trans men and non-binary people. But it also includes women who aren't going to be a parent to the child, such as in adoption or surrogacy cases.

The main goal of inclusive language is to be specific about the body parts and processes involved. Not all women menstruate (eg menopause). "people who menstruate" is more specific than "women". Not all men have testicals (eg, some types of cancer require an orchiectomy), so "people with testes" is more specific than "men".

There are a few things that make language inclusive:

1. It should use technical terminology. For example, "People with vulvas" is inclusive language. "Pussy havers" is not.

2. Inclusive language is only needed when talking about specific things. For example, "penis havers" is helpful when talking about condom sizes. "Penis havers" is not helpful when talking about what you do for work.

3. Inclusive language should be person first where possible. This can sometimes be a little clunky, so it's not always a requirement. But, for example, "people who menstruate" is more inclusive than "menstruaters"

Following this guide, you can see that "cock owners" and "ballsack havers" definitely aren't inclusive language due to the lack of technical terminology. "Ejaculators" could be alright, but "people who can ejaculate" would probably be better because it uses person first language. And, crucially, this language is only inclusive when talking about situations where those body parts and processes are relevant.

still thinking about the first time I got banned from instagram. I commented on a post about inclusive language suggesting we call trans women cock owners, ballsack havers and ejaculators similarly like we call women menstruators or birthing bodies. I think my suggestion was fair and kind, truly inclusive.

[theaspirationsinstitute]

Leading across generations requires understanding, empathy, and staying true to your own leadership voice. 

My latest blog explores how to bridge generational divides, adapt communication, and foster mutual respect in a multigenerational world. Discover practical insights to lead authentically and effectively. 

Read more by clicking the link above!