#canon gay characters! and an NB character confirmed!

[specterthief]

hello fellow fandom people on tumblr, i have a question as someone who is very autistic and has had a lot of conversations where i feel like there are miscommunications going on

talking purely about discussion of actual canon rather than headcanons, and specifically in terms of same-gender attraction (i.e. gay/lesbian/bi/pan/etc characters, just for the sake of simplicity in categories here, since conveying characters as trans/nb and aro/ace is a bit different, and trying to handle specifically separating out gay/lesbian characters and bi/pan/etc characters in one would also be messy):

i'd also be curious to know how old you are and what your main fandom(s) are (and what characters in those might fit this) if you feel like adding that in the tags as well, but no pressure!

[ladykailitha]

Look, considering I've only gotten involved in Stranger Things after season four and therefore haven't been around the fans during other new season filming starts, but my brothers/sisters/nb in fandom what the honest fuck is going on right now?

I have been a part of other fandoms when new seasons started filming and the worst I'd seen was BBC Sherlock. And you lot are behaving worst then they did.

And Jesus fuck, that's a fucking low ass bar.

(Again I am ship and let ship, kinktomato, and headcanon free for all)

But this is just what I've seen in my small deliberately secluded corner of the internet so forgive me if I get some things wrong.

Ronance fans have turned on Steddie fans.

Steddie fans are trying to eat each other over who tops and who bottoms between two horny, barely out of their teens, men.

Eddie is confirmed dead.

Dustin is trying to become Eddie.

People want Will dead because Noah Schnapps said some stupid shit regarding genocide.

And Argyle isn't coming back.

I'm going to give you my feelings on these so buckle up lets go:

1- Steddie and Ronance fans have turned on each other. And I know this because I doom scroll through steddie tag. That Ronance fans think Steddie fans are delusional and that they're going down after season five airs and there will be more Ronance fans because they're perfect for each other.

Where to even begin on this? First, never tell a shipper that their ship is never going to be canon because they don't care. Just ask all the Destiel, johnlock, and merarthur fans. Steddie fans are just going to ignore all but the most salient parts of season 5 if Eddie doesn't come back and write AUs for the rest of their lives. You know, like they have since the last scene on the Piggyback faded to black?

Secondly, I don't think I've seen much Ronance without Steddie. Granted I only read Steddie, but it seems that the two ships are tied pretty heavily together. The fruity four comes to mind. So maybe it's that they're getting tired of being a side ship next to a massive one like Steddie. Who knows. But apparently they're bitter.

And I say that because they keep tagging their anti-Steddie posts as Steddie to make sure we see it. Honestly, I just block them and go about my day. But seriously, I've never understood people's need to be shitty like posting hate on the tag for that thing. If you don't like it, fine. Block and move on.

Thirdly. Lastly. Maybe. I don't like Ronance. I saw the charms when I first joined the fandom and it was cute. Until the more I read and I realized that most of the time they don't bring up that Jonathan is even a person let alone Nancy's current boyfriend. That most of the time Steve is written wildly out of character about not caring that they're a couple and that he just wants them to be happy. Like, one Jonathan is severely under used in the fics I've read. Like Will doesn't have an older brother anymore. It's all Steve or Eddie. Which considering how you like your flavor of queer for Eddie or Steve (gay/pan/bisexual) Will talking to them about being gay makes sense, but Jonathan showed us in the last season that he is going to protect Will no matter what. Then blip! in fanfics, he's gone.

And then the whole Steve being okay with Robin not only dating an ex-girlfriend of his, but the ex. The one he thought he was going to marry. The one he dreamed a whole fucking future on. That was still hurt by two fucking years later. You either think very lowly of Steve or you just don't care. Because if you think Robin and Steve are the same person/share the same braincell/ride or die for life, there is no way even if Nancy threw herself at Robin would she even consider it. (I can write a whole ass post just on this by the way, don't get me started.)

2- This is the most recent bullshittery due to a current event about Sub Eddie. This is the worst discourse in any fandom and the worst offenders on either side tend say the most homophobic shit imaginable.

And it's pointless. Whether you think Steve is a top or bottom, whether you think he's dom or a sub. Same with Eddie. Everyone has their own flavor they prefer and they won't always match up with yours.

Personally I write them whatever feels natural for the story. But here's the major crux of the matter. I don't believe a little nerd in Bumfuck, Indiana has any idea what flagging is. I'm sorry. Left pocket, right pocket. Doesn't matter. The likely of him even knowing what BDSM is is pretty slim. I grew up in a small town. There will be some people that know, but that's because they know adults in the scene.

Don't like, don't read. Seriously, guys. Let people enjoy what they want to.

My personal feelings on the matter is that Steve is a bottom/sub because he deserves to be taken care of and Eddie would absolutely want to be that person for Steve, in and out of the bedroom. Again, you do you, beau.

3- The tombstone. Sigh. It was hard to see that. Not just because it confirms he's dead, but because it's been defaced. Most likely like fans have said, "BURN IN HELL" the poor bastard.

Having a tombstone doesn't necessarily preclude Eddie's return. There are several ways he can still comeback Kas! theory not withstanding. But the wank here is people jumping on Steddie shippers and Eddie fans in general pointing and screaming "see!"

Like we didn't have campaigns for Barb and Bob and (Billy). If someone's favorite character has died, don't be dicks when they want them to be resurrected a la Jim Hopper. Because that right there is the main reason people will still hold out hope until the final scene fades to black, okay?

I guess this one is just be nicer to each other, okay?

4- *sob* like holy fuck. Dustin you sweetheart. The long hair, the torn Hellfire t-shirt, the rings. The horns and sticking out his tongue. That poor boy needs several hugs STAT! And of course, people can't leave well enough alone on Facebook, I couldn't tell you how many of the comments were "steddie fans are going to make this all about them, aren't they?" Even though there wasn't a single comment by a Steddie making it about Steve/Eddie. But so many eye rolls. The other half were death threats against Noah Schnapp.

Which brings me to...

5- Noah Schnapp said some really shitty things about Zionism and the attack on Gaza. There is no escaping that. He said them. He double downed on them. And while yes it sucks he said those things, let's not forget he's still young and stupid. He's barely 18/19 years old. I remember being that age and saying stupid fucked up shit, and hoo boy does this make me grateful I was well into adulthood when the internet became a thing (24ish).

There are a lot of reasons to be upset by his comments and I get that. But death threats and calls for his dismissal/boycotts just seems excessive to me.

One, because the story began with a kidnapped little boy and a runaway little girl. If you get rid of one of them especially this close to the end it would fuck up the story. Now if there was more than one season left, sure. But this is literally the end. And for all we know, Will's character may already be doomed by the narrative. So calling for it now isn't go to do anything. Especially since they already had all the scripts written and would have finished filming if it hadn't been for the strikes.

Two, one person on the cast said something stupid and hurtful and you want to boycott the entire show for it? Like, what did David Harbor, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, Millie Bobby Brown and all the others do to deserve you boycotting their show? If the last season tanks it could seriously hurt their careers, but hey Noah Schnapp said something bad, so fuck them?

I'm going to stop there, because this is another one I can go on and on about, but yeah. Don't hurt other people in your rush to vilify an 18 year old.

6- Eduardo Franco recently said that he didn't get a call so he didn't think he would be back. He was sure that ship had sailed.

Fans are upset, naturally. Argyle was a sweetheart and deserves better than to be cut from the story like that.

But thanks to the incident with David Harbor and Jim Hopper supposedly being dead, a lot of fans are saying he's only saying that because it's a "secret" he's coming back. Which would make sense for Eddie or any of the other character died. Martin Brenner, for example, but not Argyle. There would be no need for subterfuge. Plus, he would already be out in Georgia if he was coming back.

It's sad that he was done dirty this way, but if they split up the filming like they've done before there is still a chance he might get to come back, but as far as the current filming is concerned, yeah Argyle isn't coming back.

***

Just... be kind to each other. Remember that the other people on the end of the URL is an actual person with feelings. That people can like what they like so if they aren't hurting you, don't hurt them, okay?

[askrainbowbug]

Ask Rainbowbug 🌈🦋🕷

The official name of this au is Pornstar Charlie AU! It follows canon up until ep 4 , where instead of asking to talk to Angel Dust after work, Charlie asks to film with him as a bonding experience since he hadn't been engaging with her attempts at the hotel. Valentino eagerly agrees, and afterwards he and Charlie make a deal: Angel can come and go from the studio as he pleases, as long as Charlie works for him.

Angel has just discovered that the initial incident ended up getting him pregnant and he is fearful for his future children's safety.

Lucifer went to give Valentino a warning for what he did to Charlie, promising not to kill him as per her wishes. Alastor sneaks in after Lucifer leaves the studio to finish Valentino off, effectively framing him for the murder.

FAQ below the cut 🌈

A: personal interpretation! I have semi-redesigns planned for the future that will probably start being used at a certain planned event. Mostly just new outfits to help separate the au from canon.

Q: Are Charlie and Vaggie broken up?

A: Of course not. Vaggie isn't mad at Charlie at all and they aren't going to break up.

Q: Why does x character's design look different? (Mouth color, minor design change, etc)

A: absolutely not, as a sa survivor , and because val reminds me strongly of my abusive father and ex. however, we know that a) Charlie believes ANYONE can change and b) she is against killing. she spared Adam, ffs.

Q: Are you a Valentino apologist? Why not just let him get killed?

Q: isn't Angel Dust gay/Vaggie a lesbian?

A: first, no, Vaggie isn't a lesbian. She is canonically sapphic, but no particular sexuality has been confirmed. Also, in blog canon, all 3 are on the nb spectrum (Angel is genderfluid/cassgender, Charlie is genderfluid, and Vaggie is a demigirl.)

and:

more questions will be added as needed!

❤

[smilingroadkill]

Hey, I didn't know if you knew this already, but Dr. Party is canonically gay /lh

I havent found the source for this yet, but if you do find it somewhere besides the wiki (wikis can be edited by the public) please show me.

But even then, all ships i have involving party are non-binary loving men or non-binary loving non-binary.

This may mostly be about uni, but it says in the official cometcare FAQ that uni is transfeminine NON-BINARY, not a trans WOMAN. Gay people can still date non-binary people, even if they're feminine presenting. Transfeminine is also not the same as trans woman. Transfeminine simply means a feminine presenting trans woman.

The same goes for party x carrie, since they're both non-binary. A gay nb can still date a lesbian nb, since they both identify as neither male or female, so they fit into both terms.

Funfetti is also genderqueer, meaning she doesn't fall under any binary gender distinctions.

I always make sure that my ships go along with the characters sexuality, but i appreciate you for reminding me and making sure. I'd still love to see if party being gay was confirmed anywhere by kneeby or a zcp team member :)

[guilty-queer]

Queer guilty gear characters (this is mostly a joke) (testament and bridget are real confirmed canon tho so don't get started with me) (besides that it's just for fun tho pls don't get mad or take it seriously):

bridget is trans

testament is agender

venom and robo-ky are gay for each other

happy chaos is omni... something

sol is bi and trans

ky kiske is bisexual

faust is aroace (his one true love is medicine)

potemkin is demisexual

axl is a demiboy

may is questioning/closeted/denial (she knows she loves johnny but she is kinda confused about other things)

jack-o is she/her nb

giovanna is demiromantic

goldlewis is questioning aroace

anji is gay

baiken is pan

chipp is bi

answer is ace

ramlethal is hella questioning

zato is heteroromantic pansexual

eddie is gay

I-no fucks

sin is ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (it doesn't matter he's 5 years old)

elphelt is closeted lesbian

johnny is bi

leo is too busy unga-ing and bunga-ing to worry about such trivial things as gender and sexuality

millia is bi

nagoryuki is secretly gay for happy chaos and he hates that about himself

slayer is a vampire, fill in the blanks yourself

if I missed any, feel free to let me know!

[mermaidsirennikita]

I feel like What We Do in the Shadows or Good Omens would be better recommendations for Our Flag Means Death fans. Re The Terror there's a lot of subtext but there's nothing explicitly gay to my understanding.

I don't care for Good Omens personally (I get why other people do, and it's def a better rec than the other things lmao) but What We Do in the Shadows, definitely. Very similar sense of humor. A similar approach to queerness onscreen (ie not constant self-denial and suffering lol), and obviously both have a connection to Taika and Rhys.

I didn't dislike The Terror, it was just very slow and I struggle with a lot of slow things (whatever gives Tobias Menzies work though, I adore him). But yeah, I never heard of anything explicitly gay in The Terror?

For me, there's nothing wrong with subtextual queer content, and obviously there is a very long literary and cinematic history of queer coding--it was once all you could do. However, as a consumer, I think that in new content I don't want shit I have to squint and read into. If that is ALL I CAN GET, which with some projects it is, then that's not on the creator--it's obviously on the bigger powers that be, and I'm aware of that.

But let's be real, there are creatives who do very purposefully want to live in the in-between of baiting fans and keeping audiences who won't pick up on the coding (what's the word again? Hmm...). And so, with the vast majority of new content... I wanna see it explicitly done. That doesn't mean I have to see explicit love scenes or whatever, I just don't want ambiguity as to whether or not these two characters like each, whether this one character is gay, etc.

And that was something OFMD gave, you know? There was NO QUESTION. I got into that show midway through the first season airing because of Ed/Stede gifs I saw, and I was like "oh wow that looks WAY more textual than I expected???" But even then I didn't expect a kiss, I didn't expect feelings, I didn't expect it to be confirmed through Calico Jack that Ed slept with men, I didn't expect Stede to realize he was gay--all of these things I didn't expect at all. (I mean, I also didn't expect explicitly NB Jim because I had no idea based off the gifs that Jim existed, and though I don't love their arc in s2, Jim did offer really amazing rep for people in my life I dearly love, that they can't easily get basically anywhere else.) I think that's what will be hard to chase. Not IMPOSSIBLE, but tough, because even when there are explicit, canonically queer characters and arcs on TV, they're often couched in suffering.

... Or rather, the popular ones are. And the really, really popular ones often leave it ambiguous.

I think I'm especially off it at this point because I don't watch as much TV as I once did, and I do read so many romance novels, many of which do feature queer characters who are explicitly queer and have amazing HEAs (albeit after some angst!). That's become more of my standard, and I have less patience for TV

[night-dark-woods]

ok so the d2 national coming out day bgs (with the exception of saint) have been bugging me for a BIT but i finally put my finger on Why beyond an overall personal dislike of word-of-god confirmations for characters identities.

please note i am approaching this from a METAtextual perspective: these characters are fake they do not exist irl to have these sexualities irl, therefore it does not MATTER if they *could* have these identities or if these experiences/traits *could* belong to real people with these identities. i am not saying anything about the validity of these traits for Real Life People.

it matters to me why BUNGIE, who created them and decides how they will be used to interface with the fandom & how they will be described, chose to use these labels for these characters, and this is why:

saint: no problem here, literally just a fuck you to homophobic gamer bros who still insist he and osiris are friends. totally great and fine. happy for all the gay grandpa enjoyers!

cloudstrider: of fucking course the post-human / gmo human / technologically enhanced human is nb. of fucking course. (also. why no trans bg. i suppose we have no canon art of micah but STILL).

drifter: beyond any bi vs pan discourse, the decision to specifically label drifter, who is the like, outside of society weirdo who spends the most time interfacing with various aliens and iirc is implied to have had relations with aliens At One Point, as the pan one is. Okay.

eramis: while i agree shes a lesbian (note the icon ive had since. before beyond light released i believe???), of all the female characters who prioritize relationships with women (ikora w/ eris & chalco, ana w/ her canon girlfriend, petra w/ mara, among others im sure im forgetting bc there are SO many gay people in this game) to confirm as a lesbian its the one thats a) a villain b) very much NOT gamerbait or interesting at all to gamer bros, so is a "safe" character to make a dyke since it isnt "stealing" the video game crush for a huge number of gamer bros. speaking of:

mara: of FUCKING course. the skinny conventionally hot white girl whose entire visual design SCREAMS gamerbait, who ONLY has meaningful relationships (both romantic and platonic) with women, with the exception of her brother*, who textually is ONLY interested in women, is confirmed as bi. again. this is not anything about the experiences or validity of irl bi people- a relationship history does not define your sexuality for REAL people. but the narrative DOES for fictional characters, and the decision of bungie to confirm that *The* gamerbait character (on par only with cayde for a different audience), who textually only cares about women, Actually Likes Men Too, Don't Worry! pisses me off.

*she and shaxx are MOURNING HER DEAD GIRLFRIEND, that they both care about. others smarter and more knowledgeable than i have critiqued that mess, i dont need to rehash it.

[strangerthings1975]

Not sure if I will word this properly but I’m wondering your opinion on people deciding things for characters (I’m not saying this how I want too so I’ll try to explain)

Like deciding characters are gay or bi or nb or trans etc like I get it’s all fun but I also see some people really against certain things I wondering if you think it’s all like a free for all do whatever as long as it’s not creepy or do you think there should be limits?

I get what you mean. :))

I really don’t mind what people choose to think about characters, but I get annoyed when they push it on others or expect the entire fandom to agree. I’m a very open-minded person, so I can always see some validity to most headcanons. But when people think their headcanons are just *canon*?? I’m like…no… Starting arguments over which character tops and bottoms or who’s a dom or a sub (if they are even either?) or who’s what sexuality or who has what kink or who has what neurodivergency…none of it can ever be confirmed as canon unless canon confirms it. 😅😅 (except height difference when you can literally see it with your own eyes)

Same with pairings/ships. I don’t care what people ship, and nobody has to like everything. But just leave people alone about it. So I really see no point in arguing. Just find fandom friends who feel similarly, and talk with them.

I mean one girl on tik tok suggested that listening to Djo’s songs and thinking of Steddie during them was wrong and offensive because it goes against Joe Keery’s intended meaning. And I’m like…lmao are you dense? People can interpret music and art however they want. Of course we know he didn’t make his songs for Steddie. 😅

So my summarized answer is: people can think whatever they want, but they shouldn’t force others to agree or diss them if they don’t. Like it’s alllll OPINION. It’s fandom and supposed to be fun. But people get so pressed—either turning into psychotic stans or fuckface antis. Just be neutral lmao. That’s what I do. I stay under my rock.

[cepodan]

About me!

. • °⛓✧༺ ༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚⛓

I'm 16 (well, 15 turning 16..) and go by they/he! I have an obsession with otome games (games directed towards a female audience where the mc has to develop a romantic relationship with the male characters), and I want to draw for them! I want to work for Otomate or Nitro+CHIRAL when I get older. For now, I'll do freelance!

I draw fake CGs that you would see in otome games but with my oc's, video game characters, and other people's oc (with their consent of course). This is where you can send requests!

. • °⛓✧༺ ༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚⛓

REQUEST RULES! YAAAAY

♤It must be SFW (nothing sexual)!

For example, the 2 (or more) characters can't be outright having sex☠️. Nudity is fine as long as the private areas aren't shown or being used in a sexual way. If it's something slightly sexual (intimate touching, kissing on the neck, leg, etc), then that is fine by me!

♡All the characters must have their age in common

To be more specific, I will not do LARGE age gaps like 20 year old x 15 year old. If it's like an 18 x 20 year old then that's fine since it's only a 2 year gap. Minors x adults will not be drawn by me! Two teens are fine!

◇Do not harass another user because of their request.

I draw any relationship (Gay, lesbian, nb×nb, polyamorous, etc), but some people may not be fond of this. If you aren't fond of some art requested, keep it to yourself, and move on hun. Love you <3

♧How many requests can you make? Do you have to pay?

The answer to the first question is, as many as you want! Got a tone of requests you want me to draw? Then send them! Send 500 requests if you want, the more the merrier love. The second answer is nope! If you want to pay me to draw, you can ask for my commission information, but this account is just practice for a career that I really want to pursue, I wouldn't want to make people pay to help me get there.. If you want to support me, then ask for a commission!

Other information that may be useful..!

I want you to draw for my game, do I need to pay you?: No, you don't have to pay me, even if the game is paid. I don't think my mom wants me to receive money from strangers online, even with permission. If you really want to, it doesn't hurt for me to ask!

Can I use your art as my pfp, background, or header? Can I repost it? Yes, and yes! As long as you credit one of my social media's (doesn't just gotta be Tumblr), then use it! But, please do not claim it as yours or use it to make AI art, that's where the line is crossed, sweety..

Can you draw ship art with an oc and a canon character (ex: Spider-Man x oc)?: Yes! I don't mind these requests at all (as I do it myself, lol). If you want me to draw an oc x vtuber, though, I need to know their shipping rules with oc's first! You can simply tell me, or if you wanna go above and beyond, send a clip or screenshot of them confirming this is okay.

Okay, goodnight! また明日!

[vintage-bentley]

I can't send a pic but he's very glam. I made yellow his favourite color so all his outfits are in that. I got good use of vintage glamor. I have wonderfulwhims installed and all the guys in that house find him very attractive. And Morgyn is canoncally nb. The devs confirmed he a he/they and I'm pretty sure he's female.

No problem, that sounds really cool!! Vintage glamour is kinda fun when you find a use for it. And I love theming a sim around a colour.

They can’t just make a gnc man, huh? Is that so hard? 🙄 I don’t get why every gnc character in everything has to have some sort of gender identity, it’s very annoying. It’s like, this guy isn’t being a guy properly, so he must not be a guy!

Canonically in my game and in my heart he’s a gay man with a very cool boyfriend who visits him at work 😊 the devs and gendies can pry that from my cold dead hands

(Also, I once genderbent him to see what it would look like if he had a twin sister, and she was adorable. I might do that again in my current save)

[spacerockband]

if ur not already watching kipo... this is my offering to you.. go watch kipo joan jett voices a gay punk rocker snake

[v23-flow]

The trend of showing same gender attraction in show for kids and teens is great, especially when it's protagonists, but I think it's really weird that they're all girls. I've never seen any male main character or secondary character liking other boys.

[still-a-morosexual-help]

Regarding the new characters in obey me; im super happy their giving us more gender diverse characters. We love that representation

However… to be blunt about it- While i like how the mc can be imagined to be any gender, ethnicity, sexuality, appearance, etc; if they were really going for inclusivity and diversity, they shouldve already had female, non-binary, trans, etc characters from the start and not just adding them in later on. It just feels cheap to do that now. There are characters in the cast that couldve been female or non binary or even trans and the story will be unaffected if not even better. Hell, it would make so much more sense if asmo was gender fluid or enby.

I can understand how some people who didnt pay attention think that this was just any other otome game targeted to a mainly female audience because the entire cast is composed of all cis males. (Unless canon states otherwise and i missed it) but its not. It really infuriates me how petty some people become with just seeing a feminine silhouette. We dont even know much about the new characters and their role in the story yet.

Tldr; solmare should’ve given us the women and enbys from the start of the game. This drama couldve been avoided. But its better late than never i guess.

Sorry for making you read my rant, Thank you and goodnight

Ps: I dont know if this is a real hot take or i just need to chill. But oh boy do i have alot of grievances to the story and gameplay already

Okay so about Solmare not giving us nb, female and trans LIs from the beginning- I completely understand your frustration and I would have loved that However:

Look, I'm not trying to defend Solmare or whatever but you gotta consider their side of things too:

1.) I genuinely don't think they had a concrete plan to add more LIs than the brothers. The game advertises romancing the 7 brothers and that's it. Usually an otome game would advertise their large variety of male LIs. I don't think they expected OM! to grow so popular in such a short period of time (specially considering they have loads more games that never reached this level of popularity). They probably did have a plan of maybe making the side characters dateable but I feel like 13 and Mephisto were both (relatively) rushed jobs?

2.) I don't what the situation is like in Japan - ik being gay is not illegal but I don't know what the actual situation is like there when you're creating lgbtq+ media. I do however live in an Asian country and I do know that getting any type of lgbtq+ media that isn't all awfully stereotyped is hard. I do know that even in Western countries where things are supposed to be generally more accepted that creators can struggle to get lgbtq+ relationships out there. That (though this is somewhat outdated) they had to fight to let Asami & Korra hold hands, or to let Ruby & Sapphire get married (& that in certain dubs Ruby was voiced by a man), that they had to keep hints of Catra & Adora and Marceline & Bubblegum subtle until the last episode. That the producers of Gotham (the tv show) kept referring to two female characters who were canonically in a relationship and who had slept together on the show, as "best friends" despite the writers insisting they were girlfriends, that they had a canon gay character and his possible love interest referred to "as brothers" within the show itself. I have no idea who heads Solmare or who greenlights these games but I can't imagine it wasn't an uphill battle.

3.) Look at the end of the day OM! is an otome game and they are known for having a tiny fair skinned MC with long brown hair. Anime itself is not really the most inclusive of lgbtq+ relationships (and though this has changed recently and there have been more realistic portrayals of them - for the most part they have been either a.) completely ignored b.) used as the butt of a joke c.) grossly fetishized d.) weirdly noncon/dubcon for no reason). So OM! first of all giving us a MC without a confirmed gender who uses they/them pronouns within the game is huge!? I played this game thinking it was gonna be about another petite girl and that I would delete it after about a month and when I realised MC used they/them pronouns within the actual game it felt like I got hit by a speeding train? It was amazing. And now they're adding a nb character with a feminine aesthetic as a LI????? Like hello??? Is no one else impressed? If OM! keeps getting popular they may follow wizardess heart and add more LIs (after all Michael still isn't there yet) meaning potentially more diverse characters. Maybe it's because of what the situation is like where I live (aka being gay is still illegal and - though the law has never been implemented - punishable by 10yrs in prison) and so maybe I have low standards but to me this is a lot and I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and let them have their slow start (specially considering Solmare has never done anything like this before and they're breaking their own mould and I'm generous enough to let them stumble and take baby steps. Hopefully other new otome games will see om! and its popularity and follow in its footsteps while also improving and picking up OM!'s slack)

Yeah I've been annoyed at people too cause of how they're reacting to a feminine silhouette but I don't really think you can blame anyone else but those people if:

a.) They have no reading comprehension when the game clearly states in the description that it was for all genders

b.) They can't read the note next to the silhouette which says the new character is for people who would prefer them and that they're not there to steal away the other LIs

c.) They're facing some weird internal misogyny/bigotry and are now demanding that anyone who wants a variety in the LIs' gender should get their own game. <- Look if someone is saying this I AM NOT gonna blame Solmare or the OM! team. I'm gonna blame that particular person for being a grade A asshole

Here's a link to a post I made about people feeling anxious about 13 and reasons why they don't have to be, it also touches on some of the stuff I said here -> here

EDIT:

Tldr: all my points basically add up to this ->

[chezlevi]

a list of good podcasts i've listened to with canon, confirmed in-show queer characters!! no hcs or out of show confirmations are included

This Planet Needs a Name. Follows an ensemble cast of characters who are establishing/colonizing a new planet, very emotional & heartfelt with very in depth content warnings in each episode's description. This podcast is extremely queer so I might miss some but includes major characters who are pan, bi, gay, lesbian, aroace, trans, nb, and poly.

The Strange Case of Starship Iris. About a scientist who is picked up by smugglers after her spaceship is mysteriously destroyed and the rest of her crew lost, very fun but also sweet and emotional, with general content warnings at the beginning of each episode. Main character is wlw, and there are wlw, trans guy, and nb side characters.

Moonbase Theta, Out. (I'm only on s2 of this one) The first season is a communication officer's logs as Moonbase Theta is shut down, and the second season is a retelling but from all the others characters perspectives, super emotional and suspenseful, with general content warnings at the beginning of each episode. The main character is mlm, and side characters are aro, trans, nb, poly, mlm, bi, and one uses neopronouns.

The 12:37. Nora, a scientist, accidentally boards a mysterious time travelling train, suspenseful with lots of mysteries, and has general content warnings at the beginng of each episode. Main character is a lesbian and there is a bi side character.

EOS 10. Dr. Ryan Dalias is sent to a large space hub to help sober up the head doctor, very funny but also super emotional at times, no content warnings but features gore, addiction, medical procedures, violence, and nsfw. Main character is bi, and there are three mlm side characters, one of which is confirmed gay.

Wooden Overcoats. (my favourite podcast) British sitcom about two rival funeral homes on a small island in the English Channel, very funny and just so emotional sometimes, no content warnings but features discussion/jokes surrounding death and murder. Has a bi side character, two gay supporting characters, and a wlw minor character.

will update as i listen to more!!

[justmenoworries]

Not Up For Interpretation - An Essay On Nonbinary - Erasure

(Trigger Warning: Misgendering, Transphobia, Nonbinary-phobia)

If you’ve been following me for a while, you probably know this was a long time coming. I’ve made several posts about my frustrations concerning this topic and how much it hurt me just how socially accepted erasing an entire identity still is. While representation marches on and things have become better for nonbinary people as a whole, we still battle with a lot of prejudice - both intentional and unintentional.

In this essay, I want to discuss just how our identities are being erased almost daily, why that is harmful and hurtful and what we all can do to change that.

Chapters:

What does Non-binary mean?

Nonbinary- representation in media

So what’s the problem?

How do we fix it?

1. What Does Non-binary Mean?

Non-binary is actually an umbrella term. It includes pretty much every gender-identity that’s neither one or the other so to speak, for example, agender.

Agender means feeling detachment from the gender spectrum in general. If you’re agender, you most likely feel a distance to the concept of gender as a whole, that it doesn’t define you as a person.

There are many identities that classify under non-binary: There’s gender-fluid (you feel you have a gender, but it’s not one gender specifically and can change), demi-gender (identifying as a gender partially, but not completely) and many others.

Sometimes, multiple non-binary identities can mix and match.

Most non-binary people use they/them pronouns, but like with so many things, it varies.

Some nonbinary-people (like me) go by two pairs of pronouns. I go by both she/her and they/them, because it’s what feels most comfortable at the moment. But who knows, maybe in the future I’ll switch to they/them exclusively or expand to he/him.

There is no one defining non-binary experience. Nb-people are just as varied and different as binary people, who go by one specific gender.

There are non-binary people who choose to go solely by she/her or he/him and that’s okay too. It doesn’t make them any more or less non-binary and their identity is still valid.

If your head’s buzzing a bit by now: That’s okay. It’s a complicated topic and no one expects you to understand all of it in one chapter of one essay.

Just know this: If a person identifies as non-binary, you should respect their decision and use the pronouns they go with.

It’s extremely hurtful to refer to someone who already told you that they use they/them pronouns with she/her or he/him, or use they/them to refer to a person who uses she/her.

Think about it like using a trans-person’s deadname: It’s rude, it’s harmful and it shows complete disrespect for the person.

Non-binary people have existed for a very long time. The concept isn’t new. The idea that there are only two genders, with every other identity being an aberration to the norm, is largely a western idea, spread through colonialism.

The Native American people use “Two-Spirit” to describe someone who identifies neither as a man nor a woman. The term itself is relatively new, but the concept of a third gender is deeply rooted in many Native American cultures.

(Author’s Note: If you are not Native American, please do not use it. That’s cultural appropriation.)

In India, the existence of a third gender has always been acknowledged and there are many terms specifically for people who don’t identify with the gender that was assigned to them at birth.

If you’re interested in learning more about non-binary history and non-binary identities around the world, I’d recommend visiting these websites:

https://nonbinary.wiki/wiki/History_of_nonbinary_gender

https://nonbinary.wiki/wiki/Gender-variant_identities_worldwide

https://thetempest.co/2020/02/01/history/the-history-of-nonbinary-genders-is-longer-than-you-think/

https://www.teenvogue.com/story/gender-variance-around-the-world

Also, maybe consider giving this book a try:

Nonbinary Gender Identities: History, Culture, Resources by Charlie Mcnabb

2. Non-binary Representation In Media

The representation of non-binary people in mainstream media hasn’t been... great, to put it mildly.

Representation, as we all know, is important.

Not only does it give minorities a chance to see themselves in media and feel heard and acknowledged. It also normalizes them.

For example, seeing a black Disney-princess was a huge deal for many black little girls, because they could finally say there was someone there who looked like them. They could see that being white wasn’t a necessity to be a Disney princess.

Seeing a canonically LGBT+ character in a children’s show teaches kids that love is love, no matter what gender you’re attracted to. At the same time, older LGBT+ viewers will see themselves validated and heard in a movie that features on-screen LGBT+ heroes.

There’s been some huge steps in the right direction in the last few years representation-wise.

Not only do we have more LGBT+ protagonists and characters in general, we’ve also begun to question and call out harmful or bigoted portrayals of the community in media, such as “Bury Your Gays” or the “Depraved Homosexual”.

With that being said: Let’s take a look at how Non-binary representation holds up in comparison, shall we?

This is Double Trouble, from the children’s show “She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power”.

They identify as non-binary and use they/them pronouns. They’re also  a slimy, duplicitous lizard-person who can change their shape at will.

Um, yeah.

Thanks, but no thanks.

Did I mention they’re also the only non-binary character in the entire show? And that they’re working with a genocidal dictator in most of the episodes they’re in?

Yikes.

Let’s look at another example.

These three (in order of appearance) are Stevonnie, Smoky Quartz and Shep. Three characters appearing in the kid’s show “Steven Universe” and it’s epilogue series “Steven Universe: Future”.

All of them identify as non-binary and use they/them as pronouns.

Stevonnie and Smoky Quartz are the result of a boy and a girl being fused together through weird alien magic.

Shep is a regular human, but they only appeared in one episode. In an epilogue series that only hardcore fans actually watched.

Well, I mean...

One out of three isn’t that bad, right?

Maybe we should pick an example from a series for older viewers.

Say hello to Doppelganger, a non-binary superhuman who goes by they/them, from the Amazon-series “The Boys”.

They’re working for a corrupt superhero-agency and use their power of shape-shifting to trick people who pose a threat to said agency into having sex with them. And then blackmail those people with footage of said sex.

....

Do I even need to say it?

If you’ve paid attention during the listing of these examples, you might have noticed a theme.

Namely that characters canonically identifying as non-binary are either

supernatural in some way, shape or form,

barely have a presence in the piece of media they’re in,

both.

Blink-and-you-miss-it-manner of representation aside, the majority of these characters fall squarely under what we call “Othering”.

“Othering” describes the practice of portraying minorities as supernatural creatures or otherwise inhuman. Or to say it bluntly: As “The Other”.

“Othering” is a pretty heinous method. Not only does it portray minorities as inherently abnormal and “different in a bad way”. It also goes directly against what representation is actually for: Normalizing.

As a general rule of thumb: If your piece of media has humans in it, but the only representation of non-white, non-straight people are explicitly inhuman... yeah, that’s bad.

So is there absolutely no positive representation for us out there?

Not quite.

As rare as human non-binary characters in media are to find, they do exist.

Here we have Bloodhound! A non-binary human hunter who uses they/them pronouns, from the game “Apex Legends”.

It’s been confirmed by the devs and the voice actress that they’re non-binary.

Nice!

These are Frisk (bottom) and Chara (top) from the game “Undertale”. While their exact gender identity hasn’t been disclosed, they both canonically use they/them pronouns, so it’s somewhere on the non-binary spectrum.

Two human children who act as the protagonist (Frisk) and antagonist (Chara), depending on how you play the game. (Interpretations vary on the antagonist/protagonist-thing, to say the least.)

Cool!

......

And, yep, that’s it.

As my little demonstration here showed, non-binary representation in media is rare. Good non-binary representation is even rarer.

Which is why those small examples of genuinely good representation are so important to the Non-binary community!

It’s hard enough to have to prove you exist. It’s even harder to prove your existence is not abnormal or unnatural.

If you’d like to further educate yourself on representation, it’s impact on society and why it matters, perhaps take a second to read through these articles:

https://www.criticalhit.net/opinion/representation-media-matters/

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/why-on-screen-representation-matters-according-to-these-teens

https://jperkel.github.io/sciwridiversity2020/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2019/05/22/why-is-equal-representation-in-media-important/?sh=25f2ccc92a84

https://www.theodysseyonline.com/why-representation-the-media-matters

3. So What’s The Problem?

The problem, as is the case with so many things in the world, is prejudice.

Actually, that’s not true.

There’s not a problem, there are multiple problems. And their names are prejudice, ignorance and bigotry.

Remember how I said human non-binary representation is rare?

Yeah, very often media-fans don’t help.

Let’s take for example, the aforementioned Frisk and Chara from “Undertale”.

Despite the game explicitly using they/them to refer to both characters multiple times, the majority of players somehow got it into their heads that Frisk’s and Chara’s gender was “up for interpretation”.

There is a huge amount of fan art straight-up misgendering both characters and portraying them as binary and using only he/him or she/her pronouns.

The most egregious examples are two massively popular fan-animated web shows: “Glitchtale”, by Camila Cuevas and “Underverse” by Jael Peñaloza.

Both series are very beloved by the Undertale-fanbase and even outside of it. Meaning for many people, those two shows might be their first introduction to “Undertale” and it’s two non-binary human characters.

Take a wild guess what both Camila and Jael did with Frisk and Chara.

Underverse, X-Tale IV:

(Transcript: “Frisk lied to me in the worst possible way... I... I will never forgive him.”)

Underverse, X-Tale V:

(Transcript: “I-It’s Chara... and it’s a BOY.”)

Glitchtale, My Promise:

(Transcript: (Referring to Frisk) “I’m not scared of an angry boy anymore.”)

Glitchtale, Game Over Part 1:

(Transcript: (Referring to Chara) “It’s ok little boy.”)

This... this isn’t okay.

Not only do both of these pieces of fan-art misgender two non-binary characters, the creators knew beforehand that Frisk and Chara use they/them-pronouns, but made the conscious choice to ignore that.

To be fair, in a video discussing “Underverse”, Jael said that only X-Tale Frisk and Chara, the characters you see in the Underverse-examples above, are male, while the characters Frisk and Chara from the main game remained non-binary and used they/them (time-stamp 10:34).

Still, that doesn’t erase the fact that Jael made up alternate versions of two non-binary characters specifically to turn them male. Or that, while addressing the issue, Jael was incredibly dismissive and even mocked the people who felt hurt by her turning two non-binary characters male. Jael also went on to make a fairly non-binary-phobic joke in the video, in which she equated gender identities beyond male and female to identifying as an object.

Jael (translated): “I don’t care if people say the original Frisk and Chara are male, female, helicopters, chairs, dogs or cats, buildings, clouds...”

That’s actually a very common joke among transphobes, if not to say the transphobe-joke:

“Oh, you identify as X? Well then I identify as an attack helicopter!”

If you’re trans, chances are you’ve heard this one, or a variation of it, a million times before.

I certainly have.

I didn’t laugh then and I’m not laughing now.

(Author’s note: I might be angry at both of them for what they did, but I do not, under any circumstances, support the harassment of creators. If you’re thinking about sending either Jael or Camila hate-mail - don’t. It won’t help.)

Jael’s reaction is sadly common in the Undertale fandom. Anyone speaking up against Chara’s and Frisk’s identity being erased is immediately bludgeoned with the “up for interpretation”-argument, despite that not once being the case in the game.

And even with people who do it right and portray Frisk and Chara as they/them, you’ll have dozens of commenters swarming the work with sentences among the lines of “Oh but I think Frisk is a boy/girl! And Chara is a girl/boy!”

By the way, this kind of thing only happens to Frisk and Chara.

Every other character in “Undertale” is referred to and portrayed with their proper pronouns of she/her or he/him.

But not the characters who go by they/them.

Their gender is “up for interpretation”.

Because obviously, their identity couldn’t possibly be canonically non-binary.

Sadly, Frisk and Chara are not alone in this.

Remember Bloodhound?

And how I said they’d been confirmed as non-binary and using they/them pronouns by both the creators and the voice actress?

It seems for many players, that too translated to “up for interpretation”.

(Transcript: “does it matter what they call him? He, her, it, they toaster oven, it doesn’t matter”)

(Transcript: “I’m like 90 % sure Bloodhound is a dude because he could just sound like a girl and by their age that I’m assuming looks around 10-12 because I’ve known many males who have sounded like a female when they were younger”)

(Transcript: “I don’t care it will always be a He. F*ck that non-binary bullsh*t.”)

(Transcript: “Bloodhound is clearly female.”)

(Transcript: “I’m not calling a video game character they/them”)

(Transcript: “exactly. The face was never fully shown neither was the gender so I’d say it means that the player is Bloodhound. So it’s your gender and you refer to “him” as yourself. It’s like a self insertion in my eyes.”)

So, let me get this straight:

If a character, even a player character, uses she/her or he/him, you can accept it, no questions asked.

But when a character uses they/them, suddenly their identity and gender are “up for interpretation”?

This attitude is also widely prevalent in real life.

Many languages only include pronouns for men and women, with no third option available. Non-binary people are often forced to make up their own terms, because their language doesn’t provide one.

Non-binary people often don’t fit within other people’s ideas of gender, so they get excluded altogether. Worse, non-binary people are often the victims of misgendering, denial of their identity or even straight-up violence when coming out.

People will often tell us that we look like a certain gender, so we should only use one set of gendered pronouns. Never mind that that’s not what we want. Never mind that that’s not who we are.

Non-binary people are also largely omitted from legal documentation and studies. We cannot identify as non-binary at our workplace, because using they/them pronouns is considered “unprofessional”. We don’t have our own bathrooms like men and women do. Our gender is seen as less valid than male and female, so even that basic thing is denied to us. I’ve had to use the women’s restroom my entire life, because if I go into a male restroom, I’ll be yelled at or made fun off or simply get told I took the wrong door. It’s extremely uncomfortable for me and I wish I didn’t have to do it.

And since non-binary people aren’t seen as “real transgender-people”, we often don’t receive the medical care we need. This often renders us unable to feel good within our bodies, because the treatment and help we get is wildly inadequate.

It’s especially horrible for intersex people (people who are born with sex characteristics that don’t fit solely into the male/female category) who are often forced to change their bodies to fit within the male/female gender binary.

And you better believe each of those problems is increased ten-fold for non-binary people of color.

We are ignored and dismissed as “confused”, because of who we are.

Representation is a way for Non-binary people to show the world they exist, that they’re here and that they too have stories to tell.

But how can we, when every character that represents us is either othered, barely there or gets taken away from us?

We are not “up for interpretation”.

Neither are the characters in media who share our identity.

And it’s time to stop pretending we ever were.

For more information about Non-Binary Erasure and how harmful it is, you can check out these articles:

https://everydayfeminism.com/2015/08/common-non-binary-erasure/

https://www.dailydot.com/irl/nonbinary-people-racism/

https://nonbinary.wiki/wiki/Nonbinary_erasure

https://traj.openlibhums.org/articles/10.16995/traj.422/

https://medium.com/an-injustice/everyday-acts-of-non-binary-erasure-49ee970654fb

https://medium.com/national-center-for-institutional-diversity/the-invisible-labor-of-liberating-non-binary-identities-in-higher-education-3f75315870ec

https://musingsofanacademicasexual.wordpress.com/2015/05/11/dear-sirmadam-a-commentary-on-non-binary-erasure/

4. How Do We Fix It?

Well, first things first: Stop acting like we don’t exist.

And kindly stop other people from doing it too.

We are a part of the LGBT+ community and we deserve to be acknowledged, no matter what our pronouns are.

Address non-binary people with the right pronouns. Don’t argue with them about their identity, don’t comment on how much you think they look like a boy or a girl. Just accept them and be respectful.

If a non-binary person tells you they have two sets of pronouns, for example he/him and they/them, don’t just use one set of pronouns. That can come off as disingenuous. Alternate between the pronouns, don’t leave one or the other out. It’ll probably be hard at first, but if you keep it up, you’ll get used to it pretty quickly.

If you’re witnessing someone harass a non-binary person over their identity, step in and help them.

And please, don’t partake in non-binary erasure in media fandoms.

Don’t misgender non-binary characters, don’t “speculate” on what you think their gender might be. You already know their gender and it’s non-binary. It costs exactly 0 $ to be a decent human being and accept that.

Support Non-Binary people by educating yourself about them and helping to normalize and integrate their identity.

In fact, here’s a list of petitions, organizations and articles who will help you do just that:

https://www.change.org/p/collegeboard-let-students-use-their-preferred-name-on-collegeboard-9abad81a-0fdf-435c-8fca-fe24a5df6cc7?source_location=topic_page

6 Ways to Support Your Non-Binary Child

7 Non-Negotiables for Supporting Trans & Non-Binary Students in Your Classroom

If Your Partner Just Came Out As Non-Binary, Here’s How To Support Them

How to Support Your Non-Binary Employees, Colleagues and Friends

Ko-fi page for the Nonbinary Wiki

The Sylvia Rivera Project, an organization who aims to give low-income and non-white transgender, intersex and non-binary people a voice

The Anti Violence Project “empowers lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and HIV-affected communities and allies to end all forms of violence through organizing and education, and supports survivors through counseling and advocacy."

The Trans Lifeline, a hotline for transgender people by transgender people

Tl:DR: Non-Binary representation is important. Non-Binary people still suffer from society at large not acknowledging our existence and forcing us to conform. Don’t be part of that problem by taking away what little representation we have. Educate yourself and do better instead. We deserve to be seen and heard.

[boygirlbowie]

Do you have any recommendations for shows or movies with autistic rep?

disclaimer that I personally do not have autism so i am sorry if the things I mention may not be entirely accurate or these shows/movies are actually be bad rep-

i honestly haven't come across/heard of much media that includes autistic characters or portrays them well.. :/

Atypical isn't bad I think? it's a tv show on netflix, the main character, Sam(m, white, teenager), is autistic, and through him other autistic characters are shown in support groups and group therapy, but they're small characters. it does sometimes portray autism as a burden to the rest of the family. [EDIT: ok. so the rep is much worse than I thought it was. I mostly watched this for casey for gay & gender reasons and her plotlines but read here for why it is not good rep. however. it is  there]

Abed Nadir (m, palestinian) from Community im pretty sure is confirmed as autistic but if not is is extremely heavily implied

. now. if you want non-cannonical characters who seem like they have autism but it's never confirmed:

will graham (m, white, adult) from hannibal (netflix) is heavily autistic-coded. he is extremely empathetic, has trouble with eye contact, is socially awkward, has sensory issues, and stims (debatable). this is even more clear in the book, imo [EDIT: i actually just rewatched the first ep and they do reference him being “on the spectrum” “closer to Asperger’s and autistics than narcissists and sociopaths]

spencer reid (m, white, adult) from criminal minds (netflix, hulu, amazon prime) also autistic-coded. he is similar to will graham, also has special interests, hyperfixates on cases, and it is referenced by other characters that it seems like he has autism, though he nor the show ever confirms it. penelope garcia (f, white, adult) from the same show also displays traits common in autism, such as hyperfixations, hating change, and how she is nearly always shown with something in her hands like a clicky or floofy pen or other kind of toy... like a stim toy

lilo (f, hawaiian, child) from lilo & stitch (disney +). this one has been defended a lot i'll link you to this post that i think explains it well

tina belcher (f, white, teen) from bob's burgers (hulu)

newt scamander (m, white, adult) from fantastic beasts and where to find them (netflix)

charlie (m, white, teenager) from perks of being a wallflower (netflix)

klaus (m, white, teenager) & violet (f, white, teenager) baudelaire from a series of unfortunate events (netflix)

castiel (m [?], white, adult) and jack (nb, white, child) from supernatural (netflix) <333

uh. this is definitely bad rep but sherlock (m, white, adult) from sherlock (netflix)

i know i missed a lot who are canonically autistic or who are autistic coded so. this is a call to all my mutuals ig and anyone else to add characters. i hope this helps :)