#it's orientation identity and both gender and gender expression for him

[tenok]

I love your tags on the post about transfem Thomas Lawrence where you say that Aldo is convinced that Thomas is also queer but he gets confused the more he learns about Thomas. That’s so compelling that Aldo would want to connect with Thomas because of this and he doesn’t understand Thomas because Thomas doesn’t even understand himself. Aldo is boiling alive in self understanding and I think he might want to shake Thomas to his senses a little bit

Haha thanks! I often headcanon Thomas somewhere on aroace spectrum and it works kinda the same (Aldo: so we both there because... we felt... isolated from our heterosexual peers // Thomas: yeah... // Aldo: so we both... have... this urges... // Thomas: no wait I thought we alienated because we doesn't have any urges?). Aldo fighting for his life trying to understand his friend and think that Thomas is either even more repressed than him or just really above this all. Which is true! But also it's different flavor of queer my guy, I beg you to do some research because God knows Thomas wouldn't.

And overall I think they know each other too long for their miscommunication (on any topic) to be simple. It needs to be something deep and *obliviously doesn't needed to be discussed because everyone feels/lives/raised this way*. That's where Vincent, whatever combination of pairings you find preferable, comes really useful, because he'll shake things up and make them reconsider things they thought as unshakable! Like, imagine Thomas going to Aldo to discuss how exactly person with uterus can *feel that he's a man* not because he's being -phobic but because he's old confused man (I'm imagining my grandma there lol) and in the middle of Aldo's passionate rant about our transsexual brothers and sisters in need of protection he just starts feeling really fucking weird /main theme of "I saw the TV glow" starts playing/

[andre-and-cal]

waiter give me caldre headcanons

Sigh I read Walter instead of waiter…

But bone apple teeth and eat up pookstah !! I hope that I did okay with these ones ‘cause I’m not trans but wanted these to feel realistic for my trans pookies,, so I did my best :3

I didn’t get to proofread that much so I’m sawry if there r mistakes…. 😿🙏

Caldre Headcanons

SFW

Transmasc Calvin !! Despite Andre’s curiosity toward him, he still accepts him for who he is, no matter his identity. It took Andre a little to get adjusted to referring to Cal as a male, and he did seem a little judgmental at first with the wording of his questions. Sometimes Andre can come off kinda rude when he doesn’t mean to. However, he wasn’t being judgmental, as he was trying to learn more so that Cal felt comfortable with him. And once Andre got the hang of it, he quickly realized that he doesn’t care about who Cal is— to elaborate, he doesn’t care about how Cal identifies, he cares about his presence. Not anyone else’s presence, just the Calvin Gabriel he met and quickly grew close to in middle school. After all, he feels like Cal is all he has left in the world, so the last thing he really cares about is Cal’s gender or orientation. Though, Cal struggles with dysphoria and a bit of discrimination— especially with it being the years 2000-2001. Kids were still a lot meaner and less accepting of queer people, so he faces issues with some bullying. Many of his peers shun him for being transgender, so as a result, Cal’s already quite low self-esteem plummeted. At times, he doesn’t really feel comfortable in his body. He feels like he just wants to crawl his way out of his skin in order to rid himself of the bothersome ruminating thoughts he deals with. But he tries to ignore the negativity and brush it off until it all bottles up— for which he seeks out that reassurance from Andre, wanting to be sure that the feminine features present on his body are okay. Which, they are, of course, and Andre tries to encourage him of this fact, even if briefly. Now, Cal isn’t as open about his dysphoria with Rachel, but he does talk about it with her sometimes.

Andre seems stern and stoic around other people, but he’s a lot different when it comes to Cal. With the promises they’d made to each other in the past, Andre’s constantly surveying Cal, especially when Brad or other dudes at school are being a dick to them both— but Andre often takes little to no notice of himself at times, frequently exhibiting intense defensiveness toward their bullies when they bother them because he just wants to make sure Cal is okay. His demeanor does impact how other people see him, with many of his peers seeing him as “having a short fuse” or “strange”. Andre knows Cal can very well handle himself. He’s not a baby, after all— he’s practically an adult now, and Andre tries to tell himself that, yet he can’t help but worry about him, even when he doesn’t need to worry. There’s just that little voice in the back of his head that prompts him to get a little bossy around Cal sometimes. Brad Huff calls Andre “Cal’s abusive boyfriend” in an insulting manner when Andre sticks up for him, which embarrasses and enrages him. Everybody thinks him and Cal aren’t dating, even though they are. Cal will kinda stay quiet, maybe mutter something sharp-tongued in response, but he doesn’t want to get Andre’s ass beaten. Andre’s own anxiety for Calvin causes Andre to kind of project onto him with irritability and frustration, even though he doesn’t truly mean it— he just wants to know Calvin is safe, that’s all. But he doesn’t know how to express that care healthily at times because he struggles with communicating his feelings.

Cal helps Andre with his homework sometimes, and Andre does the same. Andre tends to get annoyed when Cal doesn’t understand something after he explained it multiple times, or when he gets distracted and loses focus frequently due to his ADHD. Telling him to “get his head out of his ass”. He also organizes his folders and throws out loose papers for him since Cal is definitely an unorganized guy. But Andre doesn’t realize how much help he is for Cal, ‘cause he tends to do well on his quiz, test, or exam within a few weeks, even though Andre has to organize his shit for him once every few weeks. Now, Calvin’s approach when he helps Andre with his homework is a little different, but just as effective. He explains things for a while ‘cause he kind of gets into the whole “teaching” thing, and Andre tends to get bored, but still somehow taking in some of the information. But this is mainly because Cal helps Andre chunk his notes. Cal initially suggested that Andre be a tutor, but Andre brushed off his suggestion, not wanting to have to work with younger kids or potentially his peers at school. But since Andre already has his job at the pizza parlor, Cal decided to become a tutor instead. He makes some good money with it, but gets a little impatient with his tutees, like how he does with Andre.

Andre lightly baby talks Mel. Cal makes fun of him for it, sarcastically saying it’s not very “soldierly” of him to express his fondness toward his cat, as if he doesn’t do the same to Mel. Cal knows he’s a hypocrite but doesn’t dare admit it, he’ll just silently sink down to the floor beside Mel to play with her and give her attention. Andre has no shame in showing Mel love and attention, because he’s seen Cal get all wrapped up in cat heaven when Mel lays on him and makes biscuits on his lap. Even before Cal and Andre started dating, Andre casually referred to Cal as Mel’s “daddy” sometimes, and then himself as “papa”. Andre’s crush was well-hidden, but not covered up completely. He still does this, but now the confirmation that Cal is Mel’s second “father” remains unspoken yet understood by both boys, so Andre constantly calls him and Cal her “dads”.

In their gym class, some boys intentionally target Andre and Cal— especially if they’re playing an outdoor activity. When playing soccer, they’ll kick soccer balls toward the two of them— Cal has good reflexes, so he can usually can dodge the ball when he sees it coming— but Andre will get hit in the face and fall on his ass. He feels embarrassed and enraged when it happens, and one time he even got a bloody nose— so Cal took him to the clinic and cleaned it up for him, though he effectively hid his internal rage toward the boys for doing that. However, Cal usually gets hit in the chest when they’re playing football or basketball, and it knocks the wind out of his lungs. Andre doesn’t really say anything, knowing that doing so will just get him further taunted or pushed around, so he just shuts his mouth and helps Cal up— even though he’s seething inside.

Andre gets cold at night, while Cal gets hot. Andre gets real whiny when he’s half-asleep and when Cal pulls away from him at night, since Cal is kind of like a little heater for him while he sleeps. But Calvin gets sweaty, and pulling the sheets off is uncomfortable for him, so he tries to untangle himself from Andre— though Andre subconsciously tightens his arms around Cal to pull him a little closer to his chest. In the morning, Cal’s drenched in sweat, with his blond locks sticking to his face, so he has to blow his fan right on himself. He doesn’t really get all that hot during the cold winter months of the year 2000.

Cal likes to cuddle. Andre does, too, but he pretends it doesn’t really bother him that much. Cal likes to lie on Andre’s chest while Andre holds him. Other times, when Andre is spooning him, but they both wake up in the most uncomfortable positions, so they have to rub each other’s necks and backs after LMAO.

Sometimes Andre says “C’mere” before he kisses Cal. He also lets out small, content sighs when they’re in bed together or cuddling on the couch. Cal likes hearing Andre’s grunts and noises. It kind of gives him cuteness aggression, so he has to squish his cheeks.

Despite the good moments they do have together, though, they’re both extremely unstable, demented teenage boys. They argue a lot, and their fights get real heated, sometimes leading to physical altercations between them. Neither Andre nor Cal see domestic violence as a bad thing. Andre sees it as a way to get his anger out, and Cal sees it as a way to “teach Andre a lesson”. They bicker and grow hostile toward one another when they’re alone together, and their more worse arguments tend to be about upcoming Zero Day, among various other stupid shit. Andre and Cal get angry easily, and hold equal amounts of rage toward their peers at Iroquois, but it comes out differently for both of them. Yet even though they think they’re alone when they set each other off and become aggressive, Mel— Andre’s cat— is often sitting off to the side, like on Andre’s windowsill, watching the two. She doesn’t really understand what’s going on, with her being a small animal and all, but she does sense negative energy.

Adding on previously, Cal is a gaslighter. Whenever Andre tries to be civil with him and tell him about the things he does that piss him off, Cal doesn’t want to admit when he’s wrong. He asks Andre things like, “When?” Or “I didn’t do that,”. Sometimes it honestly makes Andre question himself, even when he knows he’s right deep down.

NSFW

Handling guns are awfully romantic. Sometimes Calvin and Andre will fuck in Andre’s car, after going out and shooting guns in the woods— excluding Chris, obviously. Chris is the one who has the guns, so Andre uses his dad’s guns when Chris isn’t available for Andre and Calvin to use his guns. When it’s just him and Cal, Andre likes to find a way to show his appreciation for Cal— since he doesn’t really say it that much, besides on Zero Day during their little intimate exchange, of course. But uhHh, sometimes Andre gets a sick sense of arousal when he sees Cal shoot. The way his hands clench around the grip, the way his eyebrows are knitted together in concentration— Cal isn’t normally one to wear tank tops, especially when he’s experiencing symptoms of his dysphoria, but he knows Andre won’t judge him, so he wears tanks when it’s them alone, since it does show off a little bit of his body. He wears these kinds of shirts most notably when they’re out in the woods shooting guns. Andre doesn’t have any shame in subtly checking Cal out, but he gets embarrassed and defensive when he catches him doing so. Moving forward with my point, all of this combined kind of— no, really turns Andre on. Andre doesn’t prefer having sex out in the woods, with the excuse that “the birds are watching them”; he prefers the privacy of his car. Cal really enjoys riding Andre, ‘cause he can feel the head of Andre’s cock grinding up against his folds, and then Andre can feel how wet he is for him.

Andre is a sucker for Cal’s little clit. He calls it a “button” because that was the first thing he thought of when he first saw Cal’s vagina. Cal found it cute, ‘cause he’d never really seen it that way— and it made him feel a little better about himself, therefore Andre continued calling Cal’s clit a “button”. Andre likes to lap at Cal’s pussy and suck on his button— he loves the taste of him, and plus, it essentially serves as a lubricant, which helps Andre when he gets to have his “alone time” with Cal. When Andre first started eating Calvin out, he was a bit sloppy and clumsy with his technique— after all, he’d never dated anyone before, so he was just as inexperienced as Cal was. They both learned along the way, and eventually Andre was able to get Cal to scream his name— after all, one of Cal’s favorite things is the feeling of Andre’s mouth on his pussy.

Cal essentially taught Andre how to eat pussy; Andre essentially taught Cal how to suck dick. Calvin helped Andre find his sweetest spots whenever he went down on him, and once he found those areas by tonguing his cunt alone, Cal cried out in pleasure. Now, with Andre, he helped guide Cal’s mouth down onto his member— the first time Cal blew Andre, of course. The mere sensation alone nearly made Andre spill his seed into Cal’s mouth, and Cal couldn’t even take him that deep down his throat yet. But after more practice— Cal thinks this is embarrassing, and he never wanted to admit it to Andre, but he tried to “reduce” his gag reflex by sticking popsicles and bananas down his throat when he was alone— he was able to take Andre nearly to his tonsils.

Andre likes to squish and knead Cal’s breasts when he isn’t wearing bandages around his chest. Cal frequently wraps bandages around his chest to conceal and flatten his breasts. He never told anyone besides Andre and Rachel, but even with Rachel he was hesitant, anxious about her reaction— yet when she responded in an accepting, caring manner, he felt better. Anyhow, Cal takes them off when he’s alone or when him and Andre are about to get intimate together. When Andre gets to see Cal’s breasts, he’s like a mutt in heat. His hormones affect him a lot, and seeing Cal’s body is kind of like eye candy. He doesn’t really show it much, but he truly admires Calvin’s body, and sometimes when Cal’s changing, he’ll let Andre touch his breasts, even though he was initially repulsed at the idea. Not at Andre, but to his own body. Andre didn’t see his fears as that big of a deal, admittedly he’d never really known why Cal was so self-conscious. But he’d seen Cal’s body in Cal’s own eyes; he doesn’t understand his dysphoria all that well. Nonetheless, Cal is now more open to the idea of Andre touching his chest, because he likes how it makes him feel. He likes how Andre makes him feel, and it honestly makes him wet when he feels his rough thumb pads gently rubbing his nipples, hands squeezing and rubbing his mounds. Andre had heard that breasts were sensitive, so he tried to be as gentle as possible. Cal’s nipples are quite erogenous and stimulating.

When Cal sits on Andre’s lap, it’s kind of a 50/50 chance of Andre getting hard LMAO. The first time this happened— Cal was trying to watch Andre play DOOM on his computer, and so he went and sat down on his lap, but accidentally sat down right on Andre’s dick. Andre tried to ignore the feeling of Cal’s ass against his growing bulge, but eventually Calvin found out. He didn’t know what to do at first, but since Andre wasn’t mentioning his… predicament, Cal decided to test it out by intentionally shifting around on his lap. And Andre’s erection only grew more painful, so he subtly placed his hand on Cal’s inner thigh and squeezed, trying to tell him to stop without actually saying anything. Unfortunately, though, Cal didn’t fucking listen. So Andre had mumbled in his ear, “Fucking stop that, you spiteful bastard,”. That made Cal stop for a moment, but then he’d replied, “Control yourself, then,” but his words held no malice— and he had a shit-eating grin on his face; he knew what he was doing. This really pushed Andre’s buttons, so he hissed out in his ear, “It’s not my fault you sat on it!” Which— essentially is true, but Cal still ended up responding with, “Aim your game, man,”. And then, right after Andre retorted, “I’ll aim it into you,” things got pretty heated between them. Andre wanted to touch Cal so fucking badly. He wanted those pink lips wrapped around his shaft. He wanted to hear Cal whimper. He wanted to hear him cry. He wanted to hear him suffocate. He’d never felt this way about anyone before, at least not this intensely— and his parents had always told him in the past that he’d find the right person for him. Which, he did, back in the sixth grade when he’d met Calvin. Before Andre started liking Cal, he was convinced he’d never find anyone and that he’d fuck everything up even if he tried. But he didn’t. Not this time. Going back to my point, though, Andre had stuck his hand down Cal’s pants, roughly rubbing him through his panties ‘till he got all wet for him— though, Andre wasn’t really all that great with masturbating Cal for him, either. So he was kind of fumbling until he was able to shove his hand inside his panties and start rubbing his slick folds… pinching his little clit between his fingers, too. With his free hand, he let go of his mouse and moved it up, slapping his palm over Cal’s mouth while grinding up into his ass. Their pleasured pants and grunts combined delightfully, and Andre leaned down to whimper against Cal’s ear. With all of that alone, Andre was able to get himself off even by dry humping Cal— and Cal, of course, came all over his fingers.

Andre likes to squeeze Cal’s ass when he’s facing away from him. Not necessarily in a playful way, or even in a suggestive manner, but instead as a silent way to show his appreciation for him. Like mentioned previously, Andre isn’t good with words, and he doesn’t like to be all sappy and shit like a normal guy would be— and Cal knows that. He isn’t really sappy either, but he is a bit more affectionate than Andre generally is. It kind of startles Cal when Andre caresses his ass cheek, but he doesn’t complain. He likes having Andre’s hands all over him.

Cal enjoys getting kissed on the neck. Not due to sexual stimulation, but because of how warm and giddy it makes him feel inside— mainly because Andre isn’t overly affectionate, especially not in public. It makes him feel genuinely happy— which is kind of a rare thing for him— when Andre gives him little neck and jaw kisses, or when he feels Andre snake his arms around him. Cal does like to spoon Andre as well, though, but he doesn’t return the neck kisses because he knows Andre does get quite aroused due to some areas on his neck. When Cal wants to have a rather nice, tender moment with Andre, he doesn’t kiss or suck at his neck. Instead, he nuzzles him. During sex, though, he likes to bite Andre and litter his neck in kisses and hickeys.

Andre never knew how much he liked to see Cal bloody until he walked in on him cutting himself. One night, at Calvin’s house, him and Andre were arguing, so Cal stormed off in what Andre could assume was an act out of pettiness or spite, so Andre just lingered in Cal’s room instead of going after him. He kind of snooped around and messed with his stuff out of curiosity until he heard some faint cries coming from down the hall. Which, Andre followed the noises and saw that the bathroom door was shut, and he saw the light on. Without knocking, he barged into the bathroom and saw that Cal had been cutting himself and reopening small, past scars. Andre wanted to feel horrible— well, believe me, he did, but in a different way. He got hard at the sight of Cal’s bloodied forearms and upper arms, and he felt extremely guilty as a result. He wanted to feel sick, to genuinely comfort him in the best way he could… the only way he knew how to. But he couldn’t, he liked it. But he forced himself to ignore his erection, no matter how distracting it was, and he ended up just helping him patch up his arms, scolding him for his actions.

But eventually, out of the blue, Cal asked if Andre could cut him. Andre didn’t want to, initially, for the shame practically ate him up at the idea. However, eventually, he gave in— and after he’d chopped up the skin on Cal’s arms, he scooped up some of his thin blood on his fingertips and shoved it into Cal’s mouth, forcing him to taste himself. The other hand went to his cock, and he palmed himself as he watched Cal suck on his fingers. Afterward, he’d stuck his hand down into Cal’s jeans, and he penetrated his pussy with his bloodstained fingertips. Then, Cal— with his hands rather bloody, undid Andre’s pants and jerked him off for him, then wrapped his lips around his cock, so that when Andre came, his lips had traces of both his own blood, and also Andre’s cum.

[mrabubu]

Heya! Ignore this if this is rude, sorry to just dump my opinions in your ask box like this!

About the Leosagi thing, it has a bit of a history in the tmnt fandom, that’s why it’s so popular now with the rise one. I’m not as knowledgeable as some older fans, but the Usagi comic book series and tmnt have been intertwined for a pretty long time. Crossovers and things have been happening almost every iteration, aside from rise. Each crossover tended to focus heavily on the friendship between Usagi and Leo, leading to a big chunk of the fandom shipping them in a bunch of the iterations.

The Usagi chronicles is widely regarded as a middle of the road show. It’s not amazing but it’s great to see the Usagi comic books get a show of their own! (in a, weird, several generations down the line way) The fact that it was released around the same time as rise, and that rise never got to have a Usagi crossover like most of the iterations before it, lead fans into taking the crossover into their own hands. It was tradition at that point, and those leading the charge happened to be the same ones who shipped Leosagi before rise, in 2003 and the like.

Leo being gay or trans has been a popular headcannon for a long time, probably because of the extremely queer fandom. Either way Leo in rise being more flamboyant than any Leo before him reinforced this I suppose. As someone who doesn’t mind the Leosagi ship (and is queer themself), I don’t think just because a guy is flamboyant or confident they’re gay. That’s a pretty small minded take and assuming that a guy can’t be flamboyant in any way without being “outside the norm” is a tale as old as time. But knowing this you can still have fun with flamboyant gay characters. I think some people can find comfort in head-cannoning a character as a confident, charismatic gay man!

But, aside from all of this, everyone should be allowed to do whatever they want with characters forever. People should not feel offended if anyone portrays a character as straight or gay, canon is fandoms personal playground and it doesn’t matter at the end of the day. I think your Y/N stuff is awesome and you should keep doing whatever you find joy in, because that’s what fandom is about. Try not to get too offended at the Leosagi shippers, tmnt has had this tradition long before rise, and it’s just the fandoms history moving forward with the newest iterations. Let the gay people go wild, doesn’t matter who they ship who with, if people are having fun and making art together.

I hope you don’t have to receive any kind of hate for the ship you prefer, you aren’t morally obligated to like anything, and this is your blog, you choose what happens here.

YOU are NOT being rude, anon, don't worry xd

Just in case, yeah, I know about history between TMNT and Usagi, and I know they had crossovers many times.

Again, I have no problems with people who enjoy their headcanons by themselves and don't touch anyone with it. You don't touch me, I don't touch you, simple as that. I'm not a fan of both these headcanons, so I just either keep scrolling or filter/hide them. I don't try to make people stop enjoying something they like because I have no right to do so.

About Leo, there was already a comment that I agree with, and I hope they don't mind if I quote them here:

"There's a difference between being flamboyant and being gay. Being flamboyant does not make you or someone gay. This is a common stereotype that can be harmful to the LGBTQ+ community. Being flamboyant is a way some people express themselves and their identity and trust me, it does not determine their sexual orientation or gender identity."

I have a little personal history with thing that is different, but has the same core, because I'm half-blood. One of my parents was from another country, and because of that some of my actions and personality have been judged based on my ethnicity.

Again, you headcanon Leo as gay? Okay, just please, don't try to make people believe it's canon. Because I've seen cases like this, and there's a whole video where a person basically says that Leo is gay and if you don't agree, "heck, you're wrong! And the fact that you don't agree only proves that it's canon" and a bunch of other "proves" that mostly made out of thin air. Like, wth...? Who gave you right to say something like that? You're not the creator of the show. And because of people like this there are a bunch of those who actually believe this headcanon to be canon.

For me it turns into a problem when people are crossing the line and start shoving their headcanons into your face, trying to prove/make you believe that it's canon, and simply being rude if you don't agree or just say that you don't like it. If a person didn't do anything to you personally, who said you have the right to being rude to them or even harass them?

If this behavior crosses the line of my interests, why do they have the right to be offended by my disagreement, but I have to ignore them if it hurts me?

Not to mention how bad I feel for RIse creators who are still being constantly pressured by people with all this which is NOT okay and shouldn't be okay.

Just in case, all this isn't directed personally to you, anon. I'm sorry for so much text again xd

[justinssportscorner]

Arin Waller at LGBTQ Nation:

During a press conference on April 22, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced his filing of a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration and the Department of Justice (DOJ). The suit challenges the president’s anti-trans executive order directing agencies to withhold federal funding from educational programs that allow transgender girls to compete on women’s sports teams, under the claim that it violates both constitutional rights and Title IX of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. On February 20, Ellison issued a formal legal opinion expressing concerns that complying with the executive order entitled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” would violate the Minnesota Human Rights Act (MHRA). The order in question, signed February 5, attempts to bar trans students from competing on school sports teams matching their gender identity, by revoking federal funding from public schools that don’t comply. However, the MHRA prohibits discrimination based on protected classes like sexual orientation and gender identity—a clear conflict of interest.

But the DOJ responded by sending a letter five days later threatening to sue Minnesota if the state did not comply. The department continued to threaten the state in an April 8 letter and, and in an April 16 press conference, the DOJ stated it would seek “judicial resolution” and withhold funds from Minnesota if they refused compliance. Recently, Ellison called their bluff and took the first shot, announcing that Minnesota would sue the DOJ and the president in his official capacity on four legal claims. “I’m not gonna sit around waiting for the Trump administration to sue Minnesota,” Ellison said during the press conference. “Today, Minnesota is suing him and his administration because we will not participate in this shameful bullying—we will not let a small group of vulnerable children who are only trying to be healthy and live their lives be demonized, many of their parents are here today, and I thank them for their presence. The bottom line is: In our Minnesota, everyone is included in the circle of our compassion, and no one is out of our circle of protection.”

Glad to see Minnesota sue the Trump Regime to protect trans kids in sports competitions from the hateful bullying of 47 and his minions.

See Also:

Erin In The Morning: Minnesota Goes on the Offense, Sues Trump to Protect Trans Kids

[pinchinschlimbah]

On "Coming Out" and Noel Fielding

I mentioned forever ago that I had this post in mind and then never got around to it, but now with the new interview quote I was yelling about recently it feels like a particularly good time to get it out of my brain and onto the page! tl;dr: musings on the concept of "coming out" as it has evolved over time, whether it's something that should continue to be necessary or expected of queer people, and why Noel is particularly inspirational to me in that regard since this is, after all, my brainrot blog. This may be extremely long and a bit disjointed but I hope some of y'all will enjoy it!

So a while ago myself and several friends were discussing the concept of coming out. All of us are some flavor of queer both in gender and orientation, but each is in a different place along their self discovery and identity journey, with some being long since out and proud, and others just starting to dip their toes into exploration past the expected cishet.

This discussion actually was prompted by a different discussion about Noel, spurred by comments we'd come across slamming him as being homophobic/transphobic on Bakeoff for making comments suggesting he has romantic or sexual attraction towards Paul, referring to himself with female-centric terms, playing female characters in the skits, and a particular moment where he brings up Old Gregg while talking to KimJoy and says "he was a sea transsexual....quite a demanding role for me" while laughing to indicate that that last part was said in jest. Hey fellas, is it homophobic/transphobic to be a little bit gay and trans? This got us talking about how the current culture of queer identity has evolved to the point where "coming out" feels more like something the public feels they're owed in order for them to view one's expression as valid, rather than its original purpose as something one does for themself in order to live most authentically. I don't think I need to go into detail about how many artists have been harassed by their "fans" into coming out before they were ready because people wouldn't accept the validity of that person's work without knowing exactly how that person identified, there've been plenty of articles and video essays and better written tumblr posts about that, but it's definitely a concerning trend. It can be particularly dangerous when it comes to people who aren't feeling confident or safe enough to come out, who end up being criticized and shunned by the queer community as being somehow problematic for not being able to fully articulate to a group of strangers the ways in which they're experiencing their identity. In this situation, the people who are struggling the most end up with the least support. Forcing people to either declare an identity or get out just leads to more people staying closeted out of fear of doing it "wrong" and never getting the chance to explore the most authentic and joyful versions of themselves, or even worse, feeling the need to out themselves before they're in a safe place to do so and suffering the resulting consequences. Questioning or cautious people deserve space in the community to experiment even if they haven't yet or maybe never will come out! My high school's Gay Straight Alliance was comprised entirely of "straight allies" when I was there. There was not a single "out" person in the school at the time. Nearly all of us in the GSA ended up being some flavor of queer or trans years later after graduation. But whether it was intentional closeting or just feeling an innate affinity towards something we couldn't quite pinpoint at the time, we all knew we belonged there and made that space for ourselves and others like us. Back when "coming out" first became a concept in the public consciousness, it was during a time where cishet identity was not just considered the default, but the only option. By coming out, queer people were giving genuinely revolutionary representation for themselves and others like them by telling the world that, as the old saying goes, we're here, we're queer, get used to it! Nowadays, we're lucky to live in a culture that is much more cognizant of queer identities being a thing, so in many cases coming out has become less about having to explain to those around you the basic concept of queerness existing, and moreso about which specific identity you fall under, and that's where things get messy.

My friends and I shared our own thoughts and experiences. One is currently identifying as "unlabeled" because they haven't found a term that feels correct yet, and therefore hasn't come out because they wouldn't know what to say. One spoke about how when they first came out they were much more insistent on what terms or pronouns people used for them but as time has gone on they've grown to find joy in being inscrutable and letting others wonder what they're perceiving. One expressed that given the state of the world they've been retreating somewhat back into the closet for safety reasons rather than being super outward with their queerness like they used to and is working on learning to embrace those parts of themself again. One said they felt like they'd already been existing as queer and expressing that queerness "before I even had the terms to come out to myself" and is now working on catching up on the conscious end of figuring out what's what. I myself never really had an official "coming out", I just became increasingly visually/socially/vocally queer as I became more and more confident in who I was and what I wanted to be and who I had on some level always been, and decided if people didn't get the hint that's their own problem. I came into consciousness of my queerness during the early 2010s original tumblr MOGAI microlabel boom, where there was a ton of focus on figuring out the hyper specific identity labels that exactly described what you were experiencing. I did a lot of digging and soul searching and experienced a lot of unnecessary stress trying and failing to find my perfect labels and landed on clumsy terms like "full time drag queen" because it was the closest I could get to what I was feeling about my gender, only to be told it was problematic for me to call myself that as an AFAB person because drag "belongs to cis gay men" (don't get me started on that statement, that's a whole other essay lol) It was a real wake up call once I distanced from these aggressively labeled and segmented online spaces and made my way into real world queer communities where I was relieved to find that in fact no one there asks to check your membership card before letting you in, if you feel like you belong there you're welcome no questions asked.

I had other people in these communities referring to me as "queer" and "fag" and "gay" and "queen" before I felt comfortable doing so myself based on online Discourse I'd experienced over who is Allowed to use certain terms, and having these community leaders I respected recognizing those things in me and welcoming me in like that gave me the confidence to really find my own footing in ways that attempting to find my exact correct identity label so that I could officially proclaim it never did. Once I could answer the question of what I was with a shrug and "queer I guess!" things became so much easier. Microlabels can be incredibly helpful and liberating for some, don't get me wrong if it works for you that's great, but let's not pretend that everyone is going to have the same experiences.

So anyway, back to Noel. Noel has never, to my knowledge, ever had any sort of official “coming out” or explicitly referred to himself as queer. So I know there are people out there who will disagree with me considering him to be queer. But so much of what he’s said and done throughout his several decades long career has indicated to me that this is clearly someone of queer experience navigating the world as such, and just as the queers in my local community welcomed me as one of them before I knew to do it myself, I extend that welcome forward. 

Let’s take a look at some of the facts. In the public span of his career, Noel has.....(in no particular order, also if anyone wants to add additional instances of note in the reblogs or comments please feel free, this is by no means a fully comprehensive list) -repeatedly called himself "the woman of the Boosh" or Julian's/Howard's "wife" in ways that suggest that's how he actually felt about it rather than it just being a punchline that he was mistaken for female in the show [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] -referred to himself at the GQ "Man of the Year" awards as "never been a man" and "a sort of girl, he/she" -been referred to by Sandi Toksvig as being "on the cusp" in regards to gender, to which he reacts with amusement and acceptance -consistently expressed excitement and appreciation when others refer to him with feminine terms or say he looks like a girl [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] -said "I love being a man-woman, it's much more interesting than being one or the other" and expressed that the loved shooting the Boosh Electro episode for this reason -referred to Vince Noir (a character who he's been pretty open about being based on himself) as "wasn't seemingly one gender or the other" -expressed that he felt most free and happy when presenting femininely [2] -had Julian, one of the people closest to him, express that Noel and Sandi (an out lesbian) may have "real sexual chemistry" because Noel is "all over the shop, he's a different sex" -used the "Confuser" line of "Is it a boy? Is it a girl? I'm not sure I mind" to refer to himself rather than Vince, and express that he's had to work to find new ways to feel as androgynous as he'd like now that he's older -referred to himself as a lesbian [2] -said that he "sometimes looks in the mirror and sees a woman", in the same interview that Julian implies that Noel is in fact a girl -referred to himself as a "girl/boy" -consistently referred to himself with feminine terms on panel shows and bakeoff -made a joke on bakeoff about not being a testosterone-based person -responded positively when asked about the ways Boosh had influenced queer and nonbinary youth -has said he's "quite obsessed with the man/woman mixup thing" -has said if he was an animal he'd want to be a seahorse because the males get pregnant -Had Lee Mack, who Noel used to live with, refer to him as "the little transsexual one, yeah I think she's fantastic" in a Boosh documentary and "a young lady who came out here happy to be herself" in response to Noel's Wuthering Heights drag performance -had his own mother refer to him as "the daughter I always wanted" -described his own appearance as that of a "transsexual witch" and when an interviewer attempted to make fun of him for calling himself "a transgender witch" by showing Noel a drawing the interviewer clearly found repulsive, Noel responded that the interviewer was "holding up a mirror" and called the image his passport photo

And I'm not even going to bother citing sources on the countless times he's made comments suggesting romantic or sexual attraction towards men. Literally just watch any non-character appearance he's ever done, it's kind of his whole thing??? Not to mention his penchant for picking up explicitly queer and gnc character roles, and also just [gestures vaguely to everything Noel and Julian have said about each other suggesting romantic and sexual tension between them and how they used their characters as an excuse to explore those feelings in a less scary way, again that could be a whole other essay on its own but ooh boy] I also think there's something interesting to explore in the idea of Noel repeatedly referring to his appearance as transgender or transsexual rather than identifying himself as such- at what point does the appearance of something become reality?

It all begs the question- is it even a joke anymore if it's that consistent? Either it's not a joke and it's an authentic expression of his real feelings and experiences, or he for some reason really really wants everyone to believe that he's queer when he's not, with this behavior spanning back to a time before the concept of queerbaiting was on anyone's minds and when being publicly queer could mean the end of your career. Which scenario do you think is more likely? And, does someone who’s been conducting themself like this for their entire career really NEED to come out? Honestly, I find this level of simultaneous authenticity and inscrutability aspirational.

In this Velvet Onion interview from 2012, Noel compares his penchant for dresses to both Grayson Perry and Eddie Izzard. This is interesting because those two people represent pretty opposite intentions behind their presentation- Grayson identifies solidly as cis male, and for him the shock value of crossdressing is the point, saying “I signed up for a gender and I want them to be very clearly delineated so I know I’m dressing up in the wrong clothes.” This doesn't seem particularly in line with where Noel is coming from given him famously referring to himself as "the Confuser" and stating in that same Velvet Onion interview that he "never even bothered giving it a label, I never went oh I'm a transvestite, I just went yeah if I fancy wearing a dress I do, never really thought about it really" Eddie on the other hand has famously said "They're not women's clothes. They're my clothes, I bought them." indicating that they were a genuine part of her authentic expression rather than a crossdressing costume, and has subsequently over the years identified more and more solidly as transfemme. I find Eddie's trajectory particularly fascinating because it's been so non-linear. In the 90s when the language for transness was much less public knowledge, she referred to herself consistently as a transvestite- a cishet man who enjoyed dressing as a woman, as well as using terms like "male tomboy" and "male lesbian" and "a full boy plus extra girl". Despite doing most of her standup shows in femme looks, most of her acting jobs were male-presenting, and there was a period of time in the 2010s where she dropped the femme presentation entirely in an attempt to be taken more seriously as the "crossdressing" was seen by many as a gimmick. Swinging back around more recently, Eddie has been explicitly identifying as genderfluid and transfemme, and in recent years has made the decision to "be based in girl mode from now on", and use primarily she/her pronouns. Since this announcement, in her trans advocacy work Eddie has described herself as being "out" as trans since the 1980s despite all of the above. She always knew who she was, it's just she's gotten access to more accurate terms over time to describe what she was experiencing, as well as feeling more safe to do so the more that transness became a known and accepted concept in the public eye.

The interview I mentioned at the very start of this post isn't really a coming out from Noel. And I don't think we'll ever really get one from him. In my opinion Noel has spent the past several decades conducting himself as someone who is in fact already out- it’s pretty clear Noel knows and is proud of who he is regardless of how he chooses to describe that identity. At this point, making some sort of official statement would just be for the benefit of others looking for clarification on their own perception of him and people who want to be able to put him in one box or another, and that’s not what coming out should be. The statement in the new interview is not "I am genderfluid", its "I've always been genderfluid", simply putting an accurate name to what's always been publicly visibly true now that he's got the terms to do so.

[deadplushies]

Can we have a masculine werewolf rage holder and ocd symptom holder? We’d also like if it had a dark, red theme and is abrosexual (could be between specific identities or just abro in general)

- WEREWOLF RAGE & OCD HOLDER BAH

feel free to pick and choose whatever work for your system!!

one .. two .. three

- name(s): lupin, dexter, grim, max, oz, brutus

- pronouns: it/its, h✦/h✦m, he/him, wolf/wolves, howl/howls, 🌙/🌙s, ly/lycan, blood/bloods, 🫀/🫀s

- gender(s): transman, werehonum, queerwerewolf, parangerfeelic, hostiliwolf, coffeinvica

- presentation: masculine

- orientation(s): abrosexual, demisexual, bisexual & homosexual

- species: werewolf

- roles: BFRB holder, compulsion holder, persecutor-protector

- emoji(s)/sign off: ♥️,🌙, 🐺,🫀,⛓️,🩸

- personality traits: harsh, closed-off, cynical, observant, self-important

- aesthetic: crust punk werewolf sorry not sorry

- likes: punk subculture & music, playing cards, bittersweet treats, picking fights, tattoos, cooking, sports (it releases extra energy) psychology

- interests: making "bad" music, playing solitaire, collecting and making patches, customising clothes in general

- dislikes: fucking up/making mistakes, being the centre of attention, storms, (perceived) disrespect

- hand writing: ((h✦ also replaces Os with Xs when emotional, while usually opting to use 0s instead, also ly also likes to capitalise words to express howlself better))

- favourite song: wolfsmensch - schandmaul

- appearance: usually decked out in crust pants, battle vests, and band t-shirts when in human form, it can be seen with his red overgrown buzz cut with the sides shaved, with olive skin and yellow eyes. has a stout and short physique, having both chub and muscle, wolf carries himself confidently. while in werewolf form (h✦s preferred form), 🫀is a bit taller, with dark brown fur the same as his natural hair colour, it usually sports an bigger vest 🌙 made for this form, some shorts and nothing else, both of those only being there for howls comfort.

[coochiequeens]

Another example of an older man who switched to competing against women instead of staying in the men's division where he would be competing against younger men.

 by Andrea Mew  December 13, 2024

Five times a year, female Sabot sailors of all ages on the California coast participate in a regatta, or series of sailing races, through the Southern California Women’s Sailing Association (SCWSA). In 8-foot, 1-person sailboats known as Naples Sabots, competitors 18 years of age and up vie for the best score in their respective divisions. 

This year, the SCWSA’s female sailors were forced to compete against a 66-year-old trans-identifying male, who entered into the Women’s B division after previously competing and winning against male sailors. Unsurprisingly, the male went on to win the women’s competition as well.

Pictured: DesCombes (left) winning the Women’s Fleet B Perpetual Trophy with roses.

Susan Jennings, a longtime female sailor and SCWSA secretary, exclusively revealed to IW Features that this man, who goes by the name Jennifer DesCombes, gained access not only to women’s sailing events, but also to the female all-ages locker rooms in the various yacht clubs where competitions are held. The SCWSA does not determine the clubs’ restroom or locker room policies.

To add insult to injury, because the male sailor won each SCWSA regatta, he was able to take home the Women’s B Fleet perpetual trophy, an award that had been given only to women for more than 50 years. 

It all began in 2023, when Jennings said the man first expressed interest in sailing at her club. At first, he sailed in the “Mixed C” category as Jeff DesCombes, where less experienced men and women race together. DesCombes ended up winning this category.

Pictured: Jennings (left) presenting DesCombes (middle) with the Mixed C Trophy in 2023

But then, ahead of the SCWSA’s first regatta of the year in March 2024, DesCombes sent a letter to Jennings’ group announcing his transgender identity and new name and sharing that he was on hormone therapy. He then began sailing in the Women’s B Fleet.

As captain of her club’s A Fleet, Jennings said she had several concerns, especially regarding his presence in the women’s bathroom. After all, at the various yacht clubs which host SCWSA events, girls as young as six years old use that same restroom, and the shower area has little to “no privacy at all,” she said. DesCombes has used the women’s facilities at most yacht clubs he has competed at, according to Jennings.

Making matters worse, Jennings alleged DesCombes told another sailor he was not planning to get sexual reassignment surgery. 

Jennings raised this concern both to DesCombes and her fellow SCWSA members, many of whom agreed but worried they’d be inviting legal trouble if they tried to prevent him from using the women’s facilities. 

“Everybody has to tell him he can use whatever bathroom he wants. I mean, he’s got free reign to go into the shower area,” Jennings said. “Everybody is running scared for the potential of a lawsuit that we’re ‘discriminating’ against a transgender.”

The threat of a lawsuit is all too probable, thanks to California’s progressive anti-discrimination laws. In 2003, California adopted statewide protections against discrimination based on gender identity or expression and sexual orientation. This law makes it illegal in the state to prohibit individuals from using public accommodations, including restrooms, on the basis of their gender identity or sexual orientation. 

DesCombes did not respond to IW Features’ request for comment.

Before the first regatta, Jennings said she tried to rally the Women’s B Fleet to refuse to sail against DesCombes. She said a number of them agreed and chose to protest.

But that meant if they wanted to compete at all, they had to instead sail with the A Fleet, which is made up of more experienced sailors. As a result, several women chose to stay and compete in the B Fleet. They all lost to the trans-identifying male, who had the highest running score after the fleet’s final regatta on Nov. 9. 

After winning the Women’s B Fleet, DesCombes will now move on to sail in the A Fleet next year, according to Jennings. But she refuses to compete against him. So in 2025, Jennings said she plans to downgrade herself from A Fleet to B Fleet voluntarily. 

“I’m not going to sail with a man,” she said. “I think he’s not a woman, and I won’t put myself in that position to sail with him. I just strongly believe that.”

Her grievances are justified. According to Jennings, men have several advantages in Sabot sailing, though it might not seem that way at first. 

Since Sabot boats are small, the heavier and larger you are, the slower you risk going. Jennings said this has led several female Sabot sailors to let their guard down when competing against the male. 

Yet, when males compete against females in Sabot, the male sailor will almost always win, Jennings said. In fact, in the Junior Sabot Nationals, where young boys and girls compete against one another, just five female sailors have won since 1948, she pointed out. 

From faster reaction time, to larger hands, to superior grip strength, and more, Jennings explained that male sailors have a notable advantage against female sailors. 

That’s why World Sailing, the international governing body for sailing, issued its Transgender Participation Policy in October 2024, effective January 2025, stating that males who have undergone male puberty cannot compete in the female category of an event or participate in a mixed category as a “female athlete.” 

U.S. Sailing, however, still allows sailors to “self-identify and compete as his/her identified gender” upon providing one form of documentation that proves “the sailor’s gender in his/her ‘everyday life’ matches his/her racing gender.” The SCWSA follows the U.S. Sailing policy regarding gender identification.

Nationwide, stories of young male athletes taking advantage of these looser gender policies, winning female trophies, and earning college scholarships meant for females, are piling up. However, Jennings argued her story proves this issue is affecting all women — not just school-aged girls and collegiate athletes.

“This concerns women of all ages,” Jennings said. “If you are a female of any age, this is probably going to affect you at some point in your life, either directly or indirectly.”

Though the fight to keep women’s sports female has seen increased awareness, Jennings added that many women may not recognize what’s at stake until they’re forced to confront the issue head-on. 

“When it affects you personally, you take a whole different view on this. Suddenly, it’s your kids, your grandkids, and yourself that have to share the space with a man,” she said. And no matter what that man might say, she added, “he’s not a woman.”

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Trudy Ring at The Advocate:

J.D. Vance, Donald Trump’s pick for his vice-presidential running mate, has been a U.S. senator for just a year and a half, but that’s been long enough for him to compile an extensive anti-LGBTQ+ record.

Vance, from Ohio, was elected to the Senate in 2022 and was sworn in last year. He is best known as the author of the best-selling book Hillbilly Elegy, a memoir of growing up in a Rust Belt town that was made into a Netflix movie. He has been a lawyer and venture capitalist. He was once a fierce critic of Trump, privately likening him to Adolf Hitler, but eventually became an ally. Vance’s record is one of homophobia and transphobia. Here are some of the highlights — or lowlights — compiled with the help of GLAAD, the Human Rights Campaign, and others. Before Vance took office, he said he would have voted against the Respect for Marriage Act, which wrote marriage equality into federal law to protect it against future negative Supreme Court decisions. “The religious liberty piece of this is very bad,” he told anti-LGBTQ+ group Mission: America in July 2022, even though the legislation didn’t directly address religion, and no church or clergy member in the U.S. is forced to officiate or recognize a marriage that conflicts with their beliefs. Both houses of Congress passed the bill in 2022, and President Joe Biden signed it into law in December of that year.

In the Senate, Vance introduced a ban on gender-affirming care for minors called the Protect Children’s Innocence Act. “The act includes an array of far-right, anti-transgender buzzwords and ‘bans’ a variety of medical procedures, none of which are a part of transgender healthcare for minors,” GLAAD notes. Violation would be a Class C felony, and conviction would come with a prison term of 3.5 to 15 years. The bill has not passed. He also infamously said Democrats want to bring immigrants into the U.S. to turn them transgender.

In 2022, he tweeted, “I’ll stop calling people ‘groomers’ when they stop freaking out about bills that prevent the sexualization of my children.” He has also “repeated false rhetoric to inaccurately claim that bills censoring classroom conversation about LGBTQ people are about ‘parents’ rights,’” GLAAD reports. He has stated that he does not believe antidiscrimination laws should cover sexual orientation and gender identity. When running for Senate, he criticized his Democratic opponent, Tim Ryan, for voting for the Equality Act, a national ban on anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination, as a member of the U.S. House. The act has yet to pass into law.

Ohio Senator and Trump VP choice J.D. Vance has a very troubling record on LGBTQ+ issues, such as expressing support for Don't Say Gay or Trans laws, introduced a bill that would lead to a nationwide ban on gender-affirming care for trans youths, libelously called LGBTQ+ community advocates "groomers", and would have opposed the Respect For Marriage Act and the Equality Act.

[wanderingchronicle]

ask game, 3 & 5 for Grady and 21 in general?

3. How did your oc discover themself? Did something cause them to question, or did they always know?

Grady, face down screaming into the carpet: I AM A FRIVOLOUS DECADENT PERVERT OF A HUMAN BEING WHY AM I LIKE THIS I DON'T DESERVE NICE THINGS <- girl who is not just like this about gender or who she's smooching, growing up on the Heliopause with emotionally neglectful parents did a number on her

Grady basically only admitted she was trans because she realised she absolutely couldn't picture herself as an adult man and the awful envious yearning she felt towards women and womanhood and femininity was in fact not how everybody felt about women.

Then when she's sorted THAT out for herself she realises she's bisexual and proceeds to become 90% molten embarassment over how horny she is by volume. Grady has internalised a lot of shame over wanting things that are frivolous, or luxurious, or too nice for her.

Working out polyamory was a frankly mortifying experience that involved a conversation with Nimbus Grady was CONVINCED was going to end up them breaking up and worked herself into a guilty anxious frenzy and Nimbus is just like "None of that is a crime, furthermore if you want to date me and another person you can do that?" and she just about bluescreens. She knows polyamory exists, it just shrimply did not occur to her that she could do it.

Nimbus ends up very good for her in the long term because the more comfortable Grady gets talking to him the more she digests that she would never judge anyone else for the things she flagellates herself for wanting because she says stuff aloud and then realises she sounds absolutely insane.

[nimbus voice] grady stop kinkshaming yourself and also me [grady voice] sure sure fine HOLD UP A SECOND

5. How did you figure out your oc's identity?

Grady's orientation was partially a narrative choice, for reasons that will hopefully become clear but are partially a mirror to some canonical characters -- Vace in some ways, Anemone in others.

But also she just kind of emerged that way as I was writing her. There's a joke I cut from "when the lights come up, don't want to be a flower" on the wall which made it explicit that Grady is transgender and that was the moment I realised Grady is transfem.

Grady being trans is thematically congruous with everything else going on with her. Grady is learning not to punish herself for wanting more, or for wanting things that aren't what she thinks she should. Her identity is a microcosm of the rest of her life, and her ability to accept the things she wants is larger than her gender and who and how she loves.

21. Free ramble card wee

While I'm on the topic of Grady, some of the reason she's Like This is that there's a fair few people I know and love IRL in Grady and those people deserve to see themelves in romantic leads. I also love romance, but I don't think anyone writes enough M/F where both parties are neurodivergent little queer freaks.

Grady's relationship with Nimbus hits a lot of beats from romantic comedies and shoujo manga, because I love those story beats and want people who are like me and my loved ones to have them. She can't believe a guy like him would notice her. He can't believe his cool smart crush actually wants to hang out with him. Etc etc. Look, I read Kimi ni Todoke at a formative age, what do you want from me.

Also, it annoys me how often women are asked in romantic settings to chose between love and ambition. In the long run, Grady's arc is about reaching for more -- for love, yes, but also for every other thing she thought wasn't for her: the respect of her peers, for responsibility and autonomy, for self-expression and fulfilment of all kinds. She doesn't have to choose between ambition and love, they feed into each other.

[absolutehomosexuals]

After all the backlash we received, we decided to expand our opinion on BG3's approach to companions's sexual orientations – or lack thereof, along with the not so mysterious reason behind this choice.

TLDR: Playersexuality was a marketing choice, due to the creator's own admission. Given the lack of a canon sexuality for any of the companions, our interpretations are just as valid as yours.

No matter how many arguments we make for our case, both times we analyzed a BG3 character's behaviour on the matter of their sexuality, many of the answers we received were fixated on the same rhetoric: "Larian planned for every character to be pansexual".

We're going to look into this matter specifically, to see what Larian stated precisely and what the reasoning behind that choice is.

We want to dig deeper into one of the infamous interviews* with Larian Studio's writers (Corcoran and Law) and narrative designer (Welch) that always gets brought up when someone dares to interpret any companion as anything but pansexual/bisexual.

The title speaks for itself already: Larian always took player's opinions and preferences for the game heavily into consideration when designing BG3, and never tried to hide this, making this feature of their writing and designing process a badge they wear proudly.

One example we can think of is quoted very early in the article: Halsin's role being expanded to a romance option after fans expressed their attraction to the druid.

But let's see what the interview actually says about the companions.

The question we're going to examine focuses on the MC's identity being the focal point of this feature.

So what do the interviewees have to say on this matter? What is the main thing they took into account when making this choice?

Law immediately expands on what the interviewer hinted at. Her main interest is being true to DnD's inherent sense of freedom and self expression, allowing the player to make every choice they desire to live their gaming experience as close to their fantasies as possible.

Of course she also brings the idea of all companions being pansexual to the table: but not only she attributes it to their "values", an argument that feels icky to say the least, implying that being attracted to all genders is a value, a moral principle, rather than a neutral characteristic some people have – but her main focus clearly seems to be not limiting the player's imagination to design choices.

Corcoran also centers his answer around player's freedom being the default of Larian's designing process, stating that assigning their characters "fixed roles" (like a game-impacting sexuality?? as if sexuality is a "role", ffs.) makes the game less dynamic. Yet again, what matters the most in the writers' view is allowing the player to portray their own story however they see fit.

Welch's answer is the only one that detaches itself from the other two's perspective, concentrating on how sexuality interacts with each character's identity. The "player-sexuality" that is so hated as a concept in the BG3 fandom is ironically quoted as the design choice for every companion's sexual orientation.

All three answers help us to draw a single conclusion: the companions' sexualities were taken into account as a consequence of the design choice to give the player as little limits as possible, rather than as a character trait that is independent from Tav and that expands each character's being as a person.

Of course, we don't think that this conclusion is absurd, from a marketing point of view especially: videogames that came out some time before BG3 confirmed that players dislike feeling "limited" in their romance options.

We can think of examples like Cyberpunk 2077, whose fans are still furious because of Judy's romance being available only to female V's, or Dragon Age Inquisition, whose canonically gay character Dorian made some female fans very upset by the impossibility to romance him if your character isn't male.

And surely these aren't the only games that left gamers unsatisfied by this design choice. These situations made the same point we got from this interview: players want to be free to fantasize about whatever character they like and to feel less limited as possible by any character's traits.

So Larian is right, players much prefer to be free to romance whoever they like with every MC they want.

After all, it's glaring that the game doesn't focus on representing bi/pansexuality as an authentic trait that the companions share.

Some characters tell the players about their past relations involving only people of their same sex, like Astarion and Minthara, while others don't talk about/never had any relationship at all, like Lae'zel and Shadowheart, and Gale has never been with anyone besides Mystra. Halsin is the only exception in this matter.

Little to no effort was put in making all the different companions feel truly attracted to both sexes. Most of the time, the only representation of this "identity" depends, of course, on the Tav the player decides to make only.

What does this mean for our argument then?

If anyone's free to imagine "their" companions to be whatever they want them to be, because this is the liberty that was intended to be available to any player, then how is reading someone like Astarion as gay, like Lae'zel as lesbian or like Gale as straight any different than imagining all of them as bi/pan? If this is the spirit of the game, to let anyone act out their dream campaign without any limits, then everyone's personal reading on the companion's sexual orientations is equally worthy of respect.

*https://gaymingmag.com/2023/08/how-community-feedback-has-shaped-baldurs-gate-3/

If a character being homosexual for example is what we see being more consistent with their story, their experiences and their expression of themselves... it wouldn't be true to Larian's project, the same one that allows a lot of you to see every companion as pansexual, to aggressively deny us the possibility to share this theory with others that may enjoy it and prefer it.

[hauntingofhouses]

Probably you have spoken about it earlier (sorry if so), but how do you think that Taigen will know Mizu's gender in the series? And how would you like it to happen? I would like it to be intentional, but regarding the amount of wounds Mizu constantly have, who knows...

Hello! :D And no I don't think I've ever written about it publicly on this blog, and to be honest I've never thought much about it.

To preface, I've not always been the type to properly sit down and theorise about future narrative decisions. When it comes to these things, I'm very "big picture" oriented, where I'd usually be fine with anything happening in the story as long as it touches on certain themes, remains in character, and adds something meaningful to our protagonists' arcs.

For example the only reason I came up with the Mizu's mom theory was because knowing exactly who Mizu's mother is (whether she is white, or royalty, or anything else), could, depending on the different posible outcomes, drastically alter Mizu's sense of identity and how she perceives herself, as well as morph the core themes and message of the overall story.

On the other hand, when it comes to the particulars of the inevitable gender reveal, I'm not picky at all, and I'm open to all the possibilities of how it would play out. This is because the outcome to all of it remains the same (in which Taigen finds out Mizu's gender), with only the process to get there differing, and in that regard, the question is then mostly on personal preference on tropes and avoiding cliches, and speculating future plot beats that would allow the gender reveal to happen in the first place.

Like you said, it could happen by way of Taigen trying to stitch Mizu up while she's unconscious or at least half-conscious, which would thus likely involve a big battle happening prior. A similar instance that comes to mind is Mizu's face off with Chiaki and the Four Fangs; iirc it's the only time Mizu is unconscious and vulnerable in front of Taigen. I'm not counting the time after they both fell out from Shindo and Fowler's fortress, because in that case, they'd both been completely KO'd. So anyway yeah, to get back on track, post-Four Fangs battle, if Ringo was not a factor, Taigen would've likely been the one to bring Mizu to safety and patch her up. From the framing of the scene, and Taigen's expression upon noticing Mizu look so vulnerable (because at this point he'd still believed Mizu to be nigh invincible, as we see from his daydream of him battling a giant Onryo in Episode 2), it's almost like the show was teasing us with the possibility of a gender reveal right there and then. But then of course, Ringo comes in and puts a stop to that happening (and thank God for that, because neither Taigen nor Mizu, on a narrative level, are ready for such a reveal yet).

Other than a Taigen-patching-Mizu-up scenario though, and outside of Mizu confessing to the truth herself, another possibility is that Taigen deduces the truth on his own. And this an idea that Ioana (@saessenach) and I were discussing, assuming a scenario where Taigen did not follow Mizu on the boat to London, but remains in Japan to do his own thing. In this scenario, all four of our protagonists are separated throughout Season 2 to have their own arcs: Mizu in London, Akemi in Edo, Ringo in Eiji's forge, and Taigen? Well, absolutely zero hints were given on where Taigen's going to go after S1, so everything's up in the air. The reason for this could be just some network/authorial reason whereby the writers are leaving it open because they themselves aren't sure what to do with Taigen.

Or, if they'd pre-planned everything early on, the complete lack of Taigen's presence at the end of the finale could itself be an indicator of where Taigen, and his arc, are going. What I mean is, Taigen in Season 2 might be a Wanderer, also known as a Ronin. Remember, he was disgraced and cast aside by his Lord, has lost his station and place in his Dojo, and him witnessing the "humiliating" death of the Shogun could be reason for Lady Itoh to want Taigen gone. He has nowhere to go. Plus, with him beginning on a journey of unlearning his prejudice and confronting his wrongdoings so he can properly change for the better (with the scene of him in Kohama in Ep7 being only his first steps), it's possible that his arc next season will be something along the lines of Zuko's from Zuko Alone in A:TLA. If you haven't watched A:TLA, what I'm referring to basically involves going from village to village, seeing that the status quo and society is cruel and unjust, trying to help people but having it kinda blow up in your face because of the fucked up status quo, and also facing the past you've been running from your whole life (through the form of flashbacks and introspection).

Thus, should a Taigen Alone arc really happen, it's possible that Taigen also gets wrapped up in some plot involving the black market dealers in these towns he visits, which would help tie in to the main story happening with Mizu and Akemi, because the white men (on Mizu's end) and the corrupt officials in the palace (on Akemi's end) both have ties to such black market dealers that Taigen may encounter. So it's possible that while investigating these people and tracking them down, Taigen gets wind of some rumours about the huge bounty on a half-breed blue-eyed girl. And, well, you can guess where it goes from there. Taigen deduces the truth, and when he reunites with Mizu later on, there'd be all this tension because now he knows. And this would be a very interesting outcome because this scenario wouldn't lend itself to a huge heat-of-the-moment argument that everyone's expecting, whereby Taigen finds out the truth while Mizu's right in front of him. Instead, in this case, Taigen finds out on his own, gets time to stew in the revelation, and likely drive himself mad in the process, and BOY THAT'D BE JUICY AS ALL HELL!

So basically, yeah, between the two scenarios I just presented, I'd favour the latter more, but I wouldn't mind the former either, or anything else the writers might throw our way.

However, I do still kind of hope Mizu could be the one to reveal the truth to Taigen herself, as I feel she should be allowed the choice in the matter, rather than having Taigen find out against her will. Plus, being the one to tell him herself would be such a huge step for her, signifying how she's opening up to people again, and would also be a big sign of some pre-established trust in their relationship.

BUT like I said, I'm not all too picky, and I also live for the drama, so, in conclusion: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Also I just realised just how much I typed up, and I'm so sorry that I can never be concise with my words, but I hope it's still somewhat legible. 😭 Thank you so much for this question by the way! I love rambling about this show, and I'm grateful for any chance to ramble about it even more <3 <3

[when42-0fallasleep]

About: Blanche Quinn // "Phantasma"

― Well, denial is a river in Egypt, my dear, especially when we all wield some magic here. I ain't no smartass, but there is no real concept to normal, at least to that.

Note: Some of the information comes from the DC fandom database. I might update this post in the future.

Profile:

Name: Blanche Quinn.

Alias: (unofficially) Phantasma.

Pronouns: he/him.

Birthday: November 22nd.

Birthplace: Manchester, England.

Ethnicity: English.

Age: 21.

Family: John Constantine (first cousin, once removed).

Height: 182cm - 5'9".

Weight: ??kg.

Biological gender: Female.

Gender identity: Transgender male.

Gender expression: Feminine.

Romantic orientation: Panromantic.

Sexual orientation: Pansexual.

Occupation: Full time university student, Fashion Design major & minor in Cultural History. Part time Justice League's call handler & unofficial informant.

Power: Magic

Blanche is not an outstanding sorcerer, but he is capable of many ghosts & spirits related magic. He states that he can only cast "standard spells that every magician can do", but sometimes he is shown to use high-leveled summoning spells. His mana is quite ghost-adjacent so it has has a greenish hue.

1. Logomancy

Logomancy is the ability to speak a spell backward to initiate a supernatural effect. Zatanna taught Blanche the basic of logomancy in his teens, and it has been one of Blanche's two main type of spells in use.

2. Dark Magic

Dark Magic is a dangerous and malevolent type of magic that is known to come at a high cost to its practitioner. This is the first type of magic that Blanche learnt, although he doesn't usually use it.

3. Spirit Magic

Spirit Magic, also called Ghost Magic, can be seen as a combination of Dark Magic and Soul Magic. Unlike Soul Magic which steals power from the souls, Spirit Magic let the user borrow the abilities from them, both temporarily and permanently, through deals and contracts. This allows the user to view one's aura, learn the knowledge of a soul, recharge mana by grazing through other's souls, and more. Blanche was taught this magic by the ghosts of wizards he befriended with, and now this is another main type of magic he uses.

Abilities:

1. Occultism

Blanche has a large source knowledge of magic and the supernatural - having learnt from John, Zatanna, Raven, and all the shades and ghosts he interacted with.

2. Deception and negotiation

Unlike her cousin John, who mainly uses deception to make deals, Blanche tends to secures his deals more straightforwardly, since his contractors are mainly ghosts with a kinder heart. This might not actually mean that he doesn't slip a couple of deceits into them...

3. Indomitable will

Having interacted with ghosts for most of his live, Blanche has developed a very strong willpower to resist possessions, hypnosis, and temptations.

4. Information gathering

Blanche lives up very well to his nickname as "Phantasma the Ghost Gossiper", with the ability to gather information from his talks with both the living and the dead.

e. Hand-to-hand combat

Blanche knows basic defends thanks to having worked with some of the Bats, mainly Red Hood and Red Robin since they are close of age.

Close relationships:

1. House of Mystery

a. John Constantine

John is Blanche's first cousin once removed, but their relationship is more akin to drunk uncle and his nephew. John was also Blanche's first magic teacher, and they were quite close when he was young, since Blanche's parents died when he was 10. They only meet up once in a while now, due to the nature of their jobs.

b. Zatanna Zatara

Zatanna was Blanche's second magic teacher, and they got closer since Zatanna married John when he was 19. They sometimes catch up by online calls since Zatanna is always on a mission or a tour.

c. Rachel Roth

Raven is like a little sister to Blanche. Since Raven was rescued from Trigon when she was 10, they have been living in the House of Mystery together ever since. With John and Zatanna have to focus on their jobs more and only occasionally drop by as they grow up, the two get along with each other like a house on fire.

d. Boston Brand and Rory Regan

They are the most usual guests to the House of Mystery. Blanche finds them to be quite endearing.

2. The Bats

a. Jason Peter Todd

He actually stumbled on Jason on his early days as Red Hood. They get along since they both have connections to the dead, and have developed a certain level of trust to one another.

b. Timothy Jackson "Tim" Drake

Blanche got to know Tim when Raven joined the Titans when she was 15 and Tim was 17 and became best friends. When Tim found out that Blanche knew Red Hood is Jason later on, they had a huge fight. They got along again when things has resolved, and Blanche became an usual guests of the Young Justice headquarter later on.

List of links about Blanche:

Blanche's playlist on Spotify!!!

Blanche's tumblr tag!!!

Blanche's character inspirations board!!!

[horoscope1078]

Turkish singer Tarkan chart pls

Tarkan 😇

Sun in Libra means Tarkan’s core identity is wrapped in grace, beauty, and balance. He likely has a magnetic aura; elegant, diplomatic, and peace-loving. Libras are ruled by Venus, the planet of love and aesthetics, which gives him a strong artistic streak (perfect for a performer). He probably values harmony in both relationships and his work, but can sometimes struggle with indecision or people-pleasing.

Tarkan is a bit of a free spirit. The Aquarius Moon adds originality, independence, and a cool, detached vibe to his inner world. He likely feels best when he's contributing something unique to the world or challenging the norm. While he may seem aloof at times, he deeply cares about collective progress and humanity.

His mind is deep, investigative, and intuitive. Mercury in Scorpio means he doesn't do small talk; he wants to get to the truth. He communicates with passion and often has a powerful way with words, likely reflected in the emotional depth of his lyrics. Can be secretive and likes to keep his cards close to his chest.

When it comes to love and beauty, he's a perfectionist. Venus in Virgo suggests someone who loves through service and attention to detail; he likely expresses affection in practical ways. This placement brings a quiet sensuality and maybe a bit of shyness in romantic matters. High standards, but also loyal and grounded in love.

Mars is all about drive and desire, and in Libra, it seeks balance in conflict. Tarkan may avoid direct confrontation, preferring charm or strategy to get his way. He might be more motivated by partnerships or aesthetic goals. Still, this placement can be a bit passive-aggressive when pushed.

Big growth comes through discipline. Jupiter in Capricorn brings success through hard work, persistence, and structure. Tarkan likely doesn’t rely on luck; he builds his own foundation brick by brick. Not flashy, but very capable of long-term achievement.

Saturn in Gemini suggests lessons around communication, thinking, and learning. Tarkan may have felt a pressure to be articulate or struggled with self-expression early in life. Over time, he likely learned to master his voice; literally and metaphorically.

Uranus in Libra placement suggests innovation in relationships and aesthetics. With Uranus close to his Sun and Mars, there’s a streak of unpredictability and a desire to break the mold; he doesn’t want to be boxed in.

Neptune in Sagittarius gives a spiritual or philosophical outlook. Likely drawn to global influences, exotic sounds, and visionary themes in art and music.

Pluto in Libra placement emphasises deep transformation in the realm of partnerships, justice, and harmony. Tarkan may have strong views about fairness and could play a role in shifting collective ideas about relationships or gender roles.

North Node in Capricorn means his soul’s path is to build something lasting; status, career, mastery. He’s meant to step into leadership and take responsibility, even if it’s uncomfortable at first.

Lilith in Scorpio adds an edgy, seductive allure. Tarkan probably exudes a mysterious sensuality and may be drawn to taboo or deeply emotional themes.

Chiron in Aries means Tarkan may wrestle with self-assertion or a fear of being seen fully, but healing comes when he embraces bold self-expression.

Fortune in Gemini means luck comes through communication, flexibility, and curiosity; great for a singer.

Vertex in Pisces means fated connections often feel dreamy, spiritual, or even artistic. He may meet important people through the creative world.

Houses

Tarkan comes across as refined, detail-oriented, and polished. Virgo risings give off an intelligent, humble, and sometimes shy vibe; but make no mistake, he notices everything. He's probably meticulous about his appearance, health, and work. Fans may see him as the “perfect” pop star; clean-cut yet soulful.

Sun in 2nd House = Libra placement screams: “I shine through what I create or own.” His self-worth is tied to his talents and material success. There’s a strong desire for financial security, beauty, and harmony in his possessions. He’s likely focused on building personal value; both literally (money) and symbolically (legacy).

Moon in 6th House = Aquarius means emotionally, he feels safe when helping others, working, or being of service. The Aquarius Moon adds a unique spin; he may be into holistic or unconventional wellness routines. He needs freedom in his daily schedule and likely does better when work feels meaningful and humanitarian.

Mercury in 3rd House = Scorpio means his communication is deep, intense, magnetic, and transformative. His words cut to the truth. This gives him a commanding lyrical ability; great for songwriting. He might have a piercing gaze and voice to match.

Venus in 1st House = Virgo makes him polished, stylish, and subtly sensual. He likely draws others in without even trying; especially with his attention to detail, graceful movements, or fashion sense.

Mars in 2nd House = Libra adds drive to earn money and build something of lasting value. He likely works hard, but in a tactful, strategic way. Passion comes through beauty, balance, and ownership; he might be super persistent when it comes to his craft or income.

Jupiter in 5th House = Capricorn blesses him with big talent, artistic luck, and a powerful stage presence, even in practical Capricorn. He might be cautious in love, but expressive and generous once he feels safe. Huge creative expansion over time.

Saturn in 10th House = Gemini is a classic placement for fame after hard work. Saturn here gives ambition and long-term career focus. In Gemini, he may have had to overcome insecurities around communication or public speaking; but once mastered, it becomes his superpower.

Uranus in 2nd House = Libra means there’s an unconventional relationship with money or values; he might earn in sudden waves, or through unique means (like breaking musical boundaries). He values freedom in finances and might invest in tech, design, or innovation.

Neptune in 4th House = Sagittarius means home life was likely dreamy, spiritual, or a bit unclear. Maybe he comes from a family that emphasised idealism or escape. He might romanticise the past or have an emotional attachment to places and memories.

Pluto in 2nd House = Libra means there’s deep transformation around self-worth and possessions. Tarkan likely went through powerful shifts in how he values himself, possibly early struggles followed by major empowerment. He uses beauty and art to reclaim power.

North Node in 5th House = Capricorn means his life purpose is to step confidently into his creative, romantic, and public self, and take it seriously. Not just performing, but mastering it with structure.

Chiron in 8th House = Aries means there’s an emotional wound around vulnerability, sexuality, or sharing resources, but healing comes when he learns to assert himself in deep emotional connections.

Lilith in 3rd House = Scorpio means his voice is raw, powerful, and seductive. He might stir things up through his lyrics or words; either feared or admired for saying the “unsayable.”

Part of Fortune in 10th House = Gemini means luck shines in his public image, communication, and career. His fame likely feels "meant to be"; his voice is literally part of his destiny.

Vertex in 7th House = Pisces means fated encounters may come through romantic or spiritual partnerships. He’s meant to meet soul-deep partners who inspire or challenge him emotionally and artistically.

[emeraldxsplash]

Alright, I've been meaning to post about Noriaki's gender & orientation for a while. Fair warning that this might get a little uncomfortable at times, so if you're sensitive to negativity around the topic, it might be worth skipping this one, although it's not going to be too bad.

He has understood the fact that he's nonbinary for a long time, and is at peace with it. Because of that, he's had a lot of time to work on tweaking his presentation and come up with something that satisfies him both from a personal standpoint and as a public display. As he gets older, the latter aspect will become less important to him, and he'll be a lot more comfortable expressing himself through his presentation from the get go.

He'll accept more gender neutral pronouns, but they're not an important aspect of his identity to him, so it's very unlikely he'd request it. What's more important to him is that he knows who he is and feels comfortable with himself.

His orientation is something he's spent far less time exploring, and as with so much else about himself, he isn't inclined to share that journey with others. That makes it trickier to come to an understanding about how he feels about these things, and necessarily, he's slow to come into acceptance of it as well.

To begin with, he finds romantic attachment simply unattainable and unfathomable. His standards are high enough to be nearly insurmountable, starting and ending with the potential partner being a Stand user. Even when he relaxes his requirements for acquaintances and even friends, this will not ever change. Furthermore... finding someone like that with real compatibility with him? He's under no illusion that he's easy to love, even to friends that he trusts. He has a volatile streak that can put off just about anyone, and he's not even remotely interested in changing his inner self just for the sake of others' comfort. That's what the public mask is for.

He hasn't given it very much thought, but he very likely does not have a lot of interest in women, if any. Coming into that realization is not easy for him, due to the stigma. He's also more hesitant to make any declarations towards a male partner for that reason-- although, in general, he's not one for PDA. He is very private, just especially so when it comes to his love life.

He's demisexual though, so. You know. Disregard.

[quitealotofsodapop]

LMK/JTTW gender headcanons & how they respond when asked about their identities:

Im he/they myself so some of these may be self-projecting. A lot are joking, but some are legit examinations. I also hc that gender is a lot more accepted as fluid amongst demons than in a lot of celestials. pls respond with your own thoughts:

Sun Wukong: "Oh I was born under the kun trigram, but I'm a guy a lot of the time." Has personally stolen every form of gender expression he's ever found like peaches from the royal orchard. Transmasc + Genderfluid, He/Him.

Macaque: "I was born under the Xùn trigram, so I guess I don't fall into mortal norms. I just take whatever role I can get really." Gender as fluid as the shadows he controls. Doesnt care what label is put on them. Happily takes feminine titles/roles as long as they are seen as equal to their male counterparts. Intersex + Nonbinary, He/She/They

MK: "I was born afab but I indentify as he/they. I first thought I was a really masc girl, but then a customer called me "A Fine Young Man" once and it changed my whole life. I have it all documented right here in my journal and-" *infodumps his whole journey of personal gender identity for the next three hours* Transmasc He/They

Mei: "I'm a ♡Girl♡. But like, mostly for the aesthetic." (✿◠‿◠) Wears her identity and orientation proudly on her sleeves. Transfem She/They/Neopronouns

Red Son: "Who dares limit the heir of the great Demon Bull Family to one gender!? I will personally claim each and every title for my own! Prince and Princess? Both mine! Go get your own gender, peasant!" Secretly has internal crisis on wanting to be seen as his father's heir/son, but also not wanting to just be seen as Male? Give her a minute to process. Any pronouns.

Bai He/LBD's Host: "Ummm... I dunno yet." *gets distracted by a cat* She/Her for now.

Pigsy: "Uh...?" *checks smudged handwriting on palm* "Mam-male? I guess? Stop distracting me while I'm cooking." Chubby transmasc swag (self-projection ahoy), He/Him.

Tang: "Demiboy. I live for the fear in people's eyes as they panic to refer to me by a gendered title. A student panicked once and called me Professor and it's stuck since." Has a catalog/dictionary of every gender identity in the world, mortal and demonic. He/They

Sandy: "What ever you can be! Your gender can be a huge part of your identity and how you interact with the world- Oh wait, you're asking for my pronouns? Sorry I got distracted. He/Him please." Like almost embarassingly supportive of gender expression and exploring one's identity. He/Him

Princess Iron Fan: "I grew up with so many sisters and I feared that I was never feminine enough to match up to the court's standards that I- I'm a woman, you idiot." It's complicated. She/Her

DBK: "I dunno man I just got here." Is aggressively supportive no matter what. Called Red his daughter once and panicked when Red started crying with joy, thinking he'd misgendered his son. Doesn't care for masculine norms. He/Him

Nezha: "What, are you a cop? I just like pink." Developed thoughts about his gender identity after his revival and has started to shift away from being aggressively masculine in behaviour just to appease the Jade court. Genderfluid, He/They

Lady Bone Demon/LBD: "Whatever I identity as will be insignificant once I've completed my goals." She/They

The Mayor: "Mayor." He/It pronouns

Spider gang:

Spider Queen: "What part of Queen did you not hear!?" Wukong was the first person to ever recognise her as a girl back in the day and it makes her thoughts on him really complicated. Transfem, She/Her

Hunstman: "What part of Huntsman did you not hear?" Violently protects the others when they get misgendered. Transmasc, He/Him

Strong Spider/Goliath: "Whatever can protect my friends better!" Is the one to de-escalate when Huntsman violently jumps to protect them. Any pronouns.

Syntax: "Syntax Error: Missing/Unmatched Parentheses." *laughs in math nerd* He/They

Spindrax: "Whatever kind of girl Mei is, I think. But like... a different aesthetics." She/They/neopronouns

Demon Gang:

Jin & Yin: "You blind, mate?" "We're clearly both-" (talking over one another) "Lasses!/Blokes! Wuh?! You're?! Oh bruv/sis I didn't know! Forgive me!" *both hug eachother in support* Both trans She/Her & He/Him.

Lin/Demon Accountant: "In this economy? I'm lucky to afford Me's and I's!" She/They/It/Neopronouns

Scorpion Queen: "GIRL!!! Oh, sorry! I'm a little new to this and I get a little overexcited. Tang calls it Gender Euphoria. I like it!" Transfem, She/Her

Tudi: "*indescernable, but delighted to answer*" He/They

The Brotherhood:

Azure Lion: "I am male, obviously. Why do you think I grow out my beautiful mane?" Transmasc; JttW accidentally outed him and he never forgave the author. Guanyin tried to cover for him by saying he was a "gelded lion" (canon), but he's still mad about it. He/Him.

Peng: "You do not know who I am? I am the great Golden-Winged Peng of Camel Ridge!" Canonically non-binary. They/Them

Yellowtusk: *just nods and returns to cup of tea* Any pronouns.

OG Pilgrims:

Tripitaka: "...It is impolite to inquire such things." Has a really complicated gender identity journey tied to their upbringing as a monk + their aroace orientation. Always thought there was something "broken" about them since they could not see themselves as either binary genders, but experienced euphoria when Wukong introduced them to non-binary identities. Agender, They/Them

Zhu Bajie: "Isn't gender one of those things Wukong stole from Heaven?" Has no idea what anyone's talking about, but trans and demi-women means more women for him no matter their body type. Cis, He/Him

Sha Wujing: "Yeah." *doesnt elaborate further* He/They

Ao Lie: "I'm a horse." :3 Any pronouns.

The Four Stalwarts:

Marshal Ma: "Girl, but only to tormet Wukong as his big sister." She/They

General Ba: "Just call me Granny, dear." She/Her

Marshal Liu: "Vengance." Is whom Macaque inherited their non-binary swag from. They/Them

General Beng: "Ah? What I am? Well... I'd consider myself... one with every model of gender life can provide. What were we talking about again?" Any pronouns

Bonus round! Au characters:

Ao Bing: "I'm like Nezha, but with light blue." Intersex + Genderfluid, He/They.

Chenxiang: "I did not go through a whole journey of finding my internal manhood to be misgendered." He/Him

Yinghuo/Fire Star/SWK's Lawyer: "I only include gendered titles and pronouns in my paperwork at the request of the cilent. My own should not interfere with these proceedings." Dislikes the automatic masculine association with Mars. Any pronouns.

Rumble & Savage: *chirp?" *chirp?" They are babies after all. He/Him & She/Her for now.

[toranoya]

ABOUT: Beifong twins (TLAK)

"You can try to keep up, or you can watch from the floor. Either way, I win." -Wei (hc)

Nationality: Zaofu, Earth Kingdom Ethnicity: Earth Kingdom Eye color: Olive green Hair color: Black Skin color: Light tan Occupation: Athlete

Wing Beifong Height: 5'10" (178 cm) Weight: 165 lbs (75 kg) Sexual Orientation: Bisexual (hc)

Wing Beifong is one of the twin sons of Suyin Beifong, the matriarch of Zaofu and a master metalbender. Alongside his brother Wei, Wing grew up in the artistic and technologically advanced environment of Zaofu, where innovation, individuality, and creative expression were highly valued. As a member of the Beifong family, Wing inherited strong earthbending and metalbending abilities and underwent rigorous training from a young age.

Wing is energetic, mischievous, and enjoys pushing boundaries both in training and daily life. His fighting style is acrobatic and fluid, often working in tandem with Wei to create seamless dual-attack strategies that highlight their close bond. While often seen as the more easygoing and impulsive twin, Wing has a deep sense of loyalty to his family and a strong moral compass.

As a bisexual individual, Wing is open about his orientation and comfortable exploring both romantic and platonic relationships regardless of gender. His outgoing nature and charm make him a popular figure in Zaofu’s social circles.

Wei Beifong Height: 5'10" (178 cm) Weight: 167 lbs (76 kg) Sexual Orientation: Homosexual (hc)

Wei Beifong, Wing’s twin, shares many of his brother's talents but often comes across as slightly more focused and level-headed. Like Wing, he was trained in metalbending from childhood and honed his skills under the guidance of his mother and the elite guards of Zaofu, the Metal Clan.

Wei complements Wing's impulsiveness with a more calculated and tactical approach during battles. Their twin bond is evident in combat, as they move with near-symbiotic coordination. Wei’s quick reflexes and precise bending techniques make him a formidable opponent in both sparring matches and real combat situations.

Wei is openly gay and comfortable in his identity, though he tends to keep his romantic interests private. Known for his dry sense of humor and perceptiveness, Wei is more reserved than his twin but just as loyal and brave.

Despite their differences, Wing and Wei are nearly inseparable, and their contrasting personalities only strengthen their dynamic as warriors, brothers, and individuals navigating the world beyond Zaofu.

HEADCANON Wing Beifong – Headcanons -Occasionally selfish, like when he took the fruits for himself at the dinner. -Occasionally has to share a bed with Wei, in which case he hogs all the pillows. -Likes starting fights when in a bad mood. -Sleeps on his back -Dabbles in recreational drugs, to his brother’s dismay Adrenaline Junkie Wing gets a thrill from testing limits—whether it’s extreme metalbending parkour, racing mecha suits through Zaofu’s towers, or exploring forbidden caverns. He’s always dragging Wei into high-stakes fun (much to Wei’s annoyance).

Surprisingly Artistic Inspired by his mother’s appreciation for the arts, Wing picked up sculpting. His metal sculptures are chaotic but expressive, reflecting his emotional depth under all the mischief. He even has an art exhibit in Zaofu under a pseudonym.

Bisexual Disaster Energy Wing flirts without even realizing it—charming everyone from Fire Nation nobles to Earth Kingdom guards. He’s had a few flings, but secretly wonders if he’ll ever find someone who can keep up with both his heart and his chaos.

Protective of Wei While Wing teases Wei constantly, he’s fiercely protective when anyone else tries. He once threatened a guy who ghosted Wei with a very artistic "accidental" metal sculpture falling on his rooftop.

Angel In one verse, Wing is in a relationship with an airbender named Angel @a-girl-named-angel

Wei Beifong – Headcanons -Sleeps on his stomach -Wei was born first The Quiet Strategist Wei is a master tactician, often the brain behind the duo’s success in sparring or missions. He keeps detailed journals, diagrams of battle strategies, and even blueprints for hypothetical city defenses.

Loyal Romantic Wei is more reserved in love, but when he falls, he falls hard. He once planned a full moonlight metalbending performance for a boyfriend who loved dance—and blushed the entire time.

Soft Spot for Bolin Wei developed a quiet crush on Bolin during their time in Zaofu. He admired Bolin’s kindness, goofy charm, and how he always made people feel seen—something Wei, with his more guarded demeanor, deeply appreciated. Though he never confessed, Wei would subtly linger when Bolin visited, always a bit more talkative (and flushed) around him.

Protective Older Brother Energy (with a Hint of Motive) Wei took a shine to Kai early on—not just because the teen had potential, but because Kai reminded him a little of a younger Bolin: scrappy, eager to prove himself, and hopelessly impulsive. Wei started mentoring Kai in metalbending basics (even though Kai wasn’t an earthbender), offering advice, training drills, and the occasional gruff “you’re better than this, don’t half-bend it” talk. Though he’d never admit it out loud, part of Wei hoped Bolin would notice how good he was with younger benders—maybe even picture him as part of a family.

Fashion Sense While Wing wears whatever’s comfortable, Wei lowkey loves fashion. His wardrobe is sleek, understated, and always tailored. Rumor has it he helped design Zaofu’s newest uniform line.

Coffee Addict Wei can’t function without his morning cup of coffee—black, no sugar. Wing teases him for being a “grumpy old man” before caffeine. Wei doesn’t deny it.

Shared Twin Headcanons -Both twins occasionally change their hair style to mess with people by disguising as the other twin. -Like to sleep in when possible, because usually up late working out. Twin-Fused Metalbending Technique The brothers develop a signature move where they fuse metalbending attacks into a single coiling strike—one distracts, the other constricts. It’s become legendary in Zaofu training circles.

Mental Link Wing and Wei share such a strong bond that they can often predict what the other is thinking in battle. They call it "twin intuition," and it works disturbingly well.

Pranking Suyin As teens, they had a running bet to see who could prank their mom without getting caught. Suyin always caught them but secretly admired their creativity.

Tattoo Twins They get matching tattoos of the Zaofu crest—Wing on his bicep, Wei on his shoulder blade. It’s both a tribute to their home and to each other.

Fierce Defenders of Family Both are ride-or-die for their family. When Baatar Jr. returns seeking redemption, Wing is hesitant but willing to give him a chance. Wei is skeptical but ultimately supports reconciliation—for the family's sake.