#answrs is queer

[answrs]

mom: complains about they/them pronouns being SO HARD to remember

me, barely refraining from telling her about the existence of neopronouns:

[not-goldy]

Well I wouldn't know about that but she's an army since 2016 wings era and Jkkr in 2018 or 19. I started following her in 2020 and she was a very hardcore jikooker, who used answr curiouscat asks on twt and always try to prove others than Jikook are queer and dating, very active on twt making jkk romantic moments threads etc. Even on tumblr, commeting on asks to give opinion on queer pov long term relationships. Now few years forward she thinks they are only cute bros lol. There must be a big reasons why she changed her opinion right ? Especially when Jikook enlisted together, a travel show is coming up and we just saw them cooking and spending time in home? Rather than those things contributing to her beliefs she posted she doesn't really think they are a couple and only moment confusing her is their RB moment which happened 5 years before ? she realized that none of things they does are not actually romantic and they might not even be queer especially JK 🤔

Great. Find her and ask her all that I can't speak for her anymore than she can speak for me or other jikookers.

[im-tempted]

im givi g asks to u from the oens i rbed feel free to skip ones u dont want to answr

🍁 - When did you first realize you were queer?

🏳️‍🌈 - Do you enjoy the colors of your preferred flag? Do you incorporate it into your outfits, decor, etc.?

sun ⇢ name 5 things you like about yourself?

IC ⇢ do you think you had a good childhood? (jus for the lolz)

aries ⇢ are you an impulsive person?

9H ⇢ what languages ​​would you like to learn?

🌟 my favorite piece of art I’ve made

freesia - are you still friends with the person you considered your best friend two years ago?

snapdragon - favourite mythical creature?

crimson: if you could have only one photo or poster on your wall, what would it be?

cardinal: what is the first song that made you cry?

pomegranate: favourite and least favourite fruits?

4 - fav shade of green?

18 - fav constellation?

It was never really a realization because I didn't change at all

It was more that I kinda figured out marriage was real and a thing people did not just to buy houses

And went 'wow everyone else is crazy glad I'm still normal' and never considered it again

Personally me being queer is both important but I also hope the least interesting thing about me

I don't give a shit about pride flags don't care about the colors (I do think the aro/ace one is shit)

Funny-alive-my thoughts-hands good at working-cupida bow

😑

Yes

Latin I'm fuckin trying

Nothing by Bruno major animatic

Yes I've known my best friend for almost seven years and they can't get away yet

Vampires

I don't like things on my wall so??? Uuuuuuh idk??

Never had a piece of art make me cry

Pomegranates idk if that's a fruit and dragon kiwis look fucked up

I don't like green bad connotations for me but maybe really bright my childhood walls used to all be green screen green

Orion IG stop asking me questions about favorites I don't have those but it's the only one you can see. Where I live

[ofieugogyshz]

Oh jeez did i really just say something that reminded me of something my husband says in masters.....

Yes, I really did.

Damnit sweetheart, stop reminding me to be an adult.

[ptw30]

as someone who's only been watching this sh-t show from a distance (and don't actively follow the twitter/social media besides what I see cross-posted here, so who knows maybe they actually /did/ already) can I say how at this point it's completely plausible to me for a fan to say how harmful it is to constantly yell how you hate and want to (and HAVE) kill the single canonically queer character in the entire canon, and have the lovely duo of VLD snap back (1/2)

how not only are they exempt from the Bury Your Gays trope and completely immune to any effects or consequences of it, but that “we’re actually TOTALLY EVEN MORE SUPER PROGRESSIVE becuz gay kuron being totally 120% evil shows that gays can be villains too uwu u just dont understand it duh get on our level sweetie!” (2/2)

I had the privilege to attend the “The Future is LGBTQ” panel at NYCC.*  Marguerite Bennett, a queer comic book writer, spoke about issues she had when writing DC Bombshells. She was accused of having written harmful queer tropes by a few fans, to which she replied, “The majority of the cast was queer. Angst is going to happen to queer characters with a queer cast.” (I’m paraphrasing.)

Contrarily, the majority of Voltron: Legendary Defender’s characters is not queer. And many of the terrible events in the script were reserved for the queer characters. 

Below the cut, an exploration into the BYG trope and how Kuron being evil feeds into it. 

Canonically - there are four queer characters. Shiro is the only main cast queer character, but Zethrid, Ezor, and Adam are also queer. If you listen to the EP interviews, then you also know Blatyz is queer. 

Every canonical queer character has been killed. 

Out of all the deaths in VLD, Adam’s was truly horrific. He screamed out in pain as he was killed, compared to Thace, who closed his eyes and surrendered to the blast; compared to Antok who accepted a blast, groaned, and fell to the side; compared to the Druid, who received a sword in the chest, muttered, and disappeared; compared to Zarkon, the Evil Emperor of the Universe, whose labored breathing ended and his bayard stopped glowing; compared to Trugg and Ladnok, whom we actually didn’t see die; compared to Keith’s dad, whose tombstone symbolized his death.  

Adam’s death deserved a trigger warning. While I do not agree with Hypable’s most recent season review, I am grateful to Donya for spoiling his death. On August 10th, I was anxious about Adam’s impeding demise, but even knowing - I was horrified when it came. 

The EPs are not exempt from the BYG trope or the consequences of its use. 

The issue with VLD is its treatment of its gay characters. All Lotor’s disabled and queer generals were killed. The only general to survive and turn “good”? The straight, non-disabled one. The only paladin to return home to absolutely no family? The queer paladin. Keith found his family in space. Hunk, Lance and Pidge had family. Even Allura is shown with Romelle and Coran. 

Shiro? Absolutely no family. 

I don’t even believe Adam and Shiro should be together - 

(Tangent - as a former caretaker of someone with degenerative disease, I can tell you that most people who say they will stick around to the end, don’t, and if Adam wasn’t willing to wait for Shiro to return, then he wouldn’t have stuck around to take care of Shiro. Furthermore, Adam and Shiro made the decisions that was best for them, which is mature and thoughtful. Even if we disagree with Adam, he broke up with Shiro, and Shiro, by choosing to go to Kerberos, broke up with Adam. But that doesn’t mean Adam deserved to die.)

- but I’m not going to argue whether Shiro and Adam fulfilled the BYG trope. Each person can decide for himself/herself how they feel about Adam’s demise - but Zethrid and Ezor are unequivocally the BYG trope. A touching moment, a promise for them to be together, and then they die. 

There’s no way for the EPs to escape that, technicality or not. (Another point - I don’t care for technicalities. The spirit of Adam and Shiro’s relationship wasn’t written in good faith, especially since the EPs wanted to kill Shiro - so they don’t win any points here.)

Now, I will give the EPs credit that Kuron is not your traditional “queer-coded” villain, but Kuron being evil doesn’t make them or the story progressive. In fact, it makes them either woefully ignorant or actively offensive. 

In “The Strange, Difficult History of Queer-Coding,” Tricia Ennis writes how during the 1950s and ‘60s, conservative groups in America discouraged queer characters in films. These characters were still written but in subtext, and actors were told to play these characters as gay. 

Even dangerous LGBTQ tropes rose out of this time period as the depictions of pulp noir femme fatales and other deadly women rose in popularity. These women were usually written as promiscuous and sexually devious, both with men and sometimes with women. They were also evil and usually met their end as a result of their sins. While depictions of LGBTQ characters were frowned upon, depictions of them in this specifically negative light were not. You were not endorsing an “alternative lifestyle” if your gay characters always met an untimely demise. Instead, they were merely paying for their poor choices. This trope would eventually give way to what we now refer to as “Bury Your Gays.”

Thus, Shiro/Kuron being the only queer paladin, the only paladin to have his bond with his lion broken, the only paladin to turn “evil” and to be killed twice - Shiro’s body and Kuron’s soul - the EPs are not progressive. In fact, they fed the trope they so adamantly denied using. 

Coupled with Shiro being announced as no longer being a paladin in the same season that he was revealed to be queer, in the same season it’s revealed he has/had a degenerative disease, in the same season his one-time partner was killed - one can even make the assumption all this happened to Shiro because the EPs and DreamWorks do not support LGBTQIA+ rights.  

Rounding back - the EPs aren’t exempt from repercussions. 

Joaquim Dos Santos and Lauren Montgomery came from DC Comics as directors, became showrunners at DreamWorks, and went onto Marvel, back to the director chair. That is a demotion. DreamWorks cleaned house - even before Season 8 premiered - and though I think the messages were offensively underwhelming, JDS apologized on Twitter the Monday after Season 7 was released, and LM expanded upon that apology at NYCC. 

The damage is done, though, as many people found Season 7 so harmful that they will not watch more DreamWorks’ show and definitely not projects with JDS and LM. The best thing DreamWorks can do is to apologize (an exec this time), admit there were issues with Season 7 - including the BYG trope, plus the racist, sexist, and ableist themes, as well - and promise to do better in a Voltron sequel and in all their shows by creating diverse teams and an inclusive environment in which to create inclusive shows. 

DreamWorks hasn’t completed that final step yet, but the fact that the EPs are no longer a part of DreamWorks and are not working on a VLD sequel, despite the show being “popular” and what I would say, an overall “success,” says DreamWorks did take notice. Now it’s up to us, as fans, to continue the conversation and not to stop discussing. We need to keep telling DreamWorks and others content creators to create inclusive stories until we get shows with true and empowering representation. 

* I highly recommend any fan of any fandom to attend a few educational panels at each con. They’re included in the price, and they are welcoming and informative for writing true representation in your stories. 

[carrotkicks]

Today has been so validating as a tim fan and a bisexual. (Like I know it's only mlm confirmed but its heavily implied that he will be labeling as bi.) Like, as a long term comics fan the fact that they made a brandname HERO - not an antihero or villain - part of the lgbtq community means so much to me.

yeah yeAH (i meant to answr this one yesterday but here)

I think it's so great that DC really went and made ROBIN, one of their most popular characters lgbt. And it's even more important because of Tim's pretty extensive history of both queer coding, and questioning his identity-- something a lot of lgbt fans can resonate with. I don't understand the argument that this is ruining Tim's character, because if anything, it's a recontextualization of his entire history and confirm what a lot of people already believed. And it actually mirrors a lot of how some lgbt people realize they're not straight.

Now listen, I think it's super important to support pre-establishsed lgbt characters, but having a major player in the dcu get confirmed mlm after years is SUCH a big win. It shows how dc's willing to take risks and listen to fans to have better representation, yanno? I feel like Tim is going to be handled pretty well actually, since he is a high profile name. Oh and the reason they didn't give Tim a codename change is because marketing. Robin being lgbt is a huge headline. It was a power play, lets be real. Not that i'm complaining.

[answrs]

gotta say, the way the LGBT community center in Cleveland convinced what seemed nearly 80% of people to wear masks was kinda brilliant, and definitely made me feel a whole ton more safe at the craft show.

the papers on the walls and in the flyer booth said masks heavily recommended (which holy fuck just even THAT was a relieving change to like. all of my literal doctors offices (including ENTs!) saying masks are unnecessary and refusing to wear them even for immunocompromised patients)

but most importantly AT THE DOOR! they were offering free rainbow face masks to everyone! which meant SO MANY PEOPLE took one to put on! because heck yeah rainbow on my face! and also fuck you, megaphone protestors outside! which meant I could sit in a chair in my n95 and look around and see actual masks on (most) people's faces!

not gonna lie, I almost cried at that. mostly as an at-risk disabled person, but also as a queer walking back to the car and seeing so many rainbows lighting up the street blocks.

[answrs]

anyway if y'all ain't on chickensmoothie this month you really should try it out. the pride ratties are fuckin adorable as hell and I need more people to trade with lmao

(there's like 20 flags available from the set but I'm doing my Triple-A collection of these three specifically)

[answrs]

playing Scarlet for a giveaway and doing shiny hunts in the crater and was reminded from my first time coming down here there's something about how the machines in this abandoned facility - housing an android completely isolated from humans, even her own son that she's not allowed to speak to except by proxy through you, who's entire identity was built by her creator to be a perfect replica of herself, memories and form and all, to literally Become Her after the original died - is the only healing station to address your pokemon by their names, rather than the more clinical designated species.

i dunno, maybe it's just the trans name and identity stuff I've been dealing with lately but like. it definitely made me feel a certain way back then when i first saw it, and especially makes me feel a way to see it now.

[answrs]

got this lovely sticker from SpareRoomDesignCo on etsy (link in replies) and am now really wishing I had a dedicated travel mug to slap it on instead of my 5 mix&matched uninsulated soda cups. might need to grab some of the black & white versions and keep this one on my sketchbook :Vc

[answrs]

I’ve never done a (purposeful, minus the OG gold coins for that pps dragon dressup) themed item hoard, but I just finished both of these hoards with matching pride flags and I’m super psyched about them! :DDDDD

here’s the Queen Triple-A ratties that sparked the idea

and the queer dragons that swap back and forth with progress/queer flags because I couldn’t decide which one to use ^^” (could only fit the topmost 4 on the screen, it’s a full page of 20 pets)

i love them and am also never doing this again it’s too stressful holy heck. had some super generous users gift me flags but I’m not gonna beg for free stuff and even just finding people with them fr trade was oof

[answrs]

[answrs]

I've been thinking about names lately.

like, I don't *dislike* my name, I think? but it's like. as I get older and come out to more people while still looking like I do and keeping it and it feels like people don't take me being trans as seriously, kinda? and it just starts to grate, if that makes sense? so like, in a vacuum I'd probably be fine with it, but I feel like I resent it in a way now.

(kinda like my tits actually now I post this. I don't wanna get rid of em nearly as much as the name (very much neutral/positive on them sometimes even and would not enjoy top surgery whatever) but. in terms of like, the connotations and assumptions they come with.)

except the easiest and honestly imo fitting normal name I could go by* (and even shares my signature initial), as well as the BACKUP to that name, were both used by my aunts as names for my cousins. (and no, not cousins we only theoretically know who are like 3rd-removed relation people across the country no one's seen in 20 years. rip.)

but yeah. maybe if we weren't super close it would feel less weird and I could justify it but like. we basically raised these guys and they're like. tweens already (terrifying thought). so no that name for me. which would be fine, if I could find any other names to even vaguely connect to that aren't of people I already know. :v

-

*look I respect the fuck out of y'all that go with names like Crow and Leaf. or other names based on you long-time screen names. but I'm in a Very Red™ ohio area and I'm not gonna go trying to explain to people why my name is Roadkill or Swr ('sir' - and yes I have actually considered that it would be fun and also fucking hilarious looking like a short fat customer service woman telling angry old men They Can Call Me Sir. :'))

-

I'm not even gonna think about my 'it's only been three years how can I possibly remember these They pronouns all the time' mom would react to a new name though. though saying that I honestly think she might have an easier time with it since she only really knows Transness™ as mtf/ftm and is super good with binary trans people? it's just.... me. not being female but not A Man now either. that she has issues with.

[answrs]

but yeah. of the ways to be outed to my grandmother this one was. not on the list.

[answrs]

i literally don't even have a plot this is just wholly self indulgent gender wish fulfillment lmao. Akari/Rei (Ari?) pops up in ancient times where everyone is much more concerned with surviving the next supply run than what's in the pants of the kid in a mask that just showed up at the gates. because look, being in the media spotlight since 11 when you defeated a cabal, immediately toppled the undefeated champion of the region, then got pushed into a frilly pink dress to dance in contests for ribbons (something even rl me is still bitter about, none of the other contestants in the game had to wear those things at all, just their normal clothes!), on top of constantly hounded by paparazzi about what legendaries you've battled lately… not much room or kindness for self exploration for poor Dawn. so having a completely blank slate with no prior expectations? just give a gender-neutral name and don't tell anyone anything. they're already suspicious of you anyway, what more can not giving a pronoun do? keep a mask on, give the occasional "not a girl" "not a boy" to certain people insisting on calling you that, utilize your journalist-dodging skills to avoid people asking questions. congrats, you're both a cryptid now and living your best life of Schrodinger's Gender. also in this the entire Nimbasa Trio is trans because i said so. Ingo is very private about it and Emmet pretty blase about people knowing (he doesn't care much, it's just who he and his brother are, doesn't really matter if people know or not to him, it's just a non-issue. Ingo very much doesn't like the harassment it can bring but they won't deny it if asked by a curious stranger). Elesa is very out and proud, so the twins are occasionally weedle-d (puns) into helping with trans positivity photoshoots and outreach. the Pearl Clan consider personal space the highest importance, so the most Ingo ever had to deal with for even vaguely fielding questions on the subject was the origin of the near perfect scars on his chest when he was first checked for injuries, which gets basically immediately brushed off because he A) doesn't remember, B) it kinda feels like an invasion of privacy for the healer to ask that, and mostly just C) they live in the literal middle of the Hisuian wilderness literally everyone has scars from pokemon up to and including children. he says he's a man, they aren't gonna strip him in negative wind chill to "check" or whatever nonsense. the two immediately adopt each other and have extremely private discussions about this… *waves hand* gender thing, and it's very nice to be able to talk openly about what one can only vaguely remember things about and the other just recently exploring.

[answrs]

finally found the wall hangers so I'm putting my flags up this morning! :DDDDDDD

they fill up the exact length of the wall I planned to hang them on so I'm going between a 2-1 with one on the other wall between the window and corner with more space between them or all in a line. probably the former but the hooks are removable so I can try both. order is still to be decided once hooks are on the wall. updates to come! :o