#polish stonewall

[saintarmand]

iwtv is insanity inducing bc every time you google some reference in it you find out theyre doing some 4d chess with the symbolism… like okay playing roosevelt's speech about the us joining ww2 in the background as claudia tells louis shes gonna kill lestat is pretty straightforward, and of course the chess game theyre playing foreshadows how she beats him in the next episode but doesn't "finish the game" ie burn him. and bc claudia later compares lestat to the nazis/hitler, that obviously makes lestat germany and thus claudia is poland and louis is the us/roosevelt in the speech we hear: "I had hoped against hope that some miracle would prevent a devastating war in Europe and bring to an end the invasion of Poland by Germany" etc. BUT THEN you get nerdy and google some of the chess terms lestat uses like the dutch defense and stonewalling which is pretty interesting and then you vaguely remember one of the writers said the scene was based on some famous chess game, and you realize it must be glücksberg vs miguel najdorf which turns out to be literally called the POLISH IMMORTAL. najdorf was polish and glücksberg is some unknown but based on the name likely german. this was najdorf's first famous game, at the beginning of his career when he was only like 19 or something although we dont know the exact details of the game (and ofc you watch a few videos on the polish immortal and they all heavily criticize glücksberg's moves which makes lestat's arrogance even funnier) and ALSO, in 1939 (literally at the same time as the chess scene takes place) najdorf was participating in a chess tournament in buenos aires and since he was not only polish but also jewish, he stayed there rather than return home. his whole family was killed in the holocaust but he lived a long life in argentina. why is this relevant? because BUENOS AIRES which btw lestat also calls "la reina del plata" so you google that and find the 1930 song by carlos gardel and the lyrics are literally— anyway so buenos aires is where lestat planned for them to move to in ep7. perhaps if they had indeed gone to argentina instead of europe… well… perhaps… perhaps…

[on-a-lucky-tide]

I was chatting to my uncle about his time in service the other day and what it was like in 2000 when gay people were allowed to openly serve in the military for the first time.

I didn't tell him I was researching fanfic, he just likes chatting with me about politics and history because I'm his Pet Socialist Nephew and it's like a whole new world for him.

(My aunt worked for MI5 and they met in Cyprus while both were deployed; I'm pretty sure they're the reason I got to the late stages - NePoTiSm - but then I disappointed them to become a Tofu-Eating Wokerati Teacher. Yes, I am an ex-Tory, let's not.)

He was a lawyer in the RAF and spent most of his time prosecuting soldiers for misconduct. There is shit he has to take to his grave, especially surrounding the Gulf War. But he remembers dishonourable discharges for "sodomy" and how distasteful he found the "whole sordid business" when there were people still serving who had done "unspeakable things", and he told me about the slow dismantling of those laws, with the help of Stonewall, and the impact it had on so many men and women in the service.

He recalled one particularly terrifying NCO who often ridiculed him for his belly (my uncle likes cheese and wine, a lot; we got through a bottle of Merlot each...I'm pretty sure he opened a second) kissing his partner of 16 years openly, in full uniform, at the 2008 London Pride; how this "incorrigible" man broke down in tears because for the first time he wasn't torn in half: he could love both his country and his partner openly.

Now, this story is a fucking gold mine for me... Cause...

Can you imagine the 141 going to 2008? They think they're going to support their pet bi-disaster, Soap. Figure they'll go in No2s cause they'll be drinking and walking a lot. Then fucking Ghost rocks up in full No1s, shoes polished to an inch of their life like he's turned out for the god damn Queen.

When Soap teases him about how Extra he's being for lil ol' him, Ghost simply sighs and says, "I've waited my whole life for this, Johnny... I'm doin' it right."

That's how Ghost "comes out" to the 141, because of course it is. He doesn't do things in half measures. Soap looks him up and down and tries to play it cool, but Price can see how he's vibrating on the spot and figures they should fall in before Soap executes an unscheduled halo dive on Ghost's dick...

Johnny gets his kiss; by the lions of Nelson's column, under the admiral's watchful eye. Ghost's beret clenched in fist, strong arms clutching him so close, like Ghost's worried the moment might still be snatched from him at any point.

Johnny won't ever mention the tears he tastes between their lips. Some things just need to be let go.

[nerdygaymormon]

Happy Pride

I want to wish a Happy Pride to:

Green Carnations

In 1892, Oscar Wilde had some of his friends wear a green carnation on their left lapels to the opening night of his show. An elegant and witty character in the play—who paralleled real-life Oscar Wilde—wore a carnation as part of his costume. Why green? It was an unnatural color for a carnation, Wilde chose this since it was said that homosexuality was unnatural. The green carnation became associated with Wilde and his flamboyant friends, and spread as a secret code to show others that you're gay.

"Be Gay, Do Crime"

The slogan "Be gay, do crime" has existed since at least 2011. The slogan suggests that crime and incivility may be necessary to earn equal rights given the criminalization of homosexuality around the world and a reminder that the Stonewall uprising was a riot. The slogan stands in contrast to the polished, corporate version of contemporary Pride, and shows that queerness has always been transgressive, regardless of its legal status. Part of being queer is being willing to push boundaries and protect one's self from the law since we have traditionally been attacked by it.

Peppermint Patty and Marcie

Peppermint Patty defied traditional gender norms. She played all sorts of sports at a time when it wasn't common for girls to do so. All the other female characters wore dresses, but Patty wears a t-shirt, shorts and sandals and the only other female character not to wear dresses is Marcie.

Peppermint Patty regularly flirts with Charlie Brown and has a strong bond with Marcie. While we don't know for sure, it certainly seems that Peppermint Patty is bi and her best friend Marcie is a lesbian.

I can imagine Peppermint Patty organizing the school's GSA or an all-inclusive dance, and loudly calling out any queerphobia. I like thinking of Patty getting a man's suit from a thrift store and going to Prom where she dances with both Marcie and Charlie Brown

Absolut Vodka

In 1979, Absolut entered the American market, but sales were slow. In 1981, Absolut starting targeting the LGBTQ consumer with the idea this group are trendsetters. Since 1981, Absolut has had print ads in queer magazines, sponsored events in gay bars, donated more than $40 million to queer charities and causes, sponsors the GLAAD Media Awards, and numerous major LGBTQ events in the US annually. Absolut has commissioned many openly gay artists to create ads, such as Andy Warhol, Nereyda Garcia Ferraz, David Spada, Keith Haring and Kenny Scharf. Supporting the queer community in 1981 was risky, but they have invested in the community and earned loyalty in return.

Pink Triangle

In the 1930s and 40s, just as Nazi Germany required Jews in the concentration camps to wear a yellow star of David, gay men, bi men, and trans women had to wear a downward-pointing triangle on their chest. The symbol was reclaimed in the 1970's by the queer liberation movement as a symbol against homophobia, and then was adopted widely by the LGBTQ community. The community took this symbol from the holocaust to show we are stronger than the worst done to us.

The pink triangle has largely been replaced by the rainbow Pride flag, and a reason for this is explaining why a pink triangle is the symbol of the community required an explanation of its dark past and therefore was about what others did to us rather than a symbol representing who we are and our hopes & aspirations. Although it isn't used much anymore, it's important to remember the pink triangle as the first widely-adopted visual symbol of the queer community

Ace & Aro Rings

Beginning in 2005, wearing a black ring on the middle finger of your right hand became a way for people to signify their asexuality. The material and design of the ring are not important as long as it is primarily black. It’s about carrying a reminder on our hands that there are others like us, and it's a way to identify each other. A white ring on the left hand of the middle finger is the aro equivalent.

Eyebrow Slits

Eyebrow slits was a trend in the hip hop community in the 1990's and called "eyebrow cuts." The trend fell out of style, but was brought back in the 2010's by some male artists and models as an edgy fashion statement. Lesbians quickly adopted this trend, perhaps as a way of showing they aren't beholden to gendered fashion rules, and it quickly grew in popularity on social media as a way for members of the queer community to express themselves and signal to each other. It seems natural that a fashion style containing an underlying rebelliousness appeals to a group who are marginalized by society. The eyebrow slit trend largely has faded except among the LGBTQ+ community, and so has become associated with us.

Nautical Star Tattoos

For centuries, sailors would get tattoos, often of images with symbolic meanings, such as the nautical star (which represents the North Star) which was believed to ensure a sailor’s safe return home. In the 1940s and 50s, lesbians were navigating the choppy waters of societal norms and expectations, and this five-pointed star tattoo became their compass, helping them find others like themselves. They'd get this tattoo on the inner wrist because it could be covered by a watch strap during the day, allowing women to hide their identity when necessary for their safety or professional lives, but could reveal it in safe spaces. This symbol was revived in the 1970's and is still used by some to this day.

Online "Am I Gay?" Quizzes

A common experience of people who are gay, bi, and pan, is they find an online quiz that will ask a few questions and then determine whether you are gay, or will reveal how gay you are (as though this can be graded like a school test). Sometimes the questions are lighthearted, while others try to be more serious. Here's the thing, more than any quiz results, searching for this type of quiz is probably the biggest indicator that a person experiences attraction to people of their same gender. It can be helpful for someone to have a "confirmation" of how they're feeling, and thus these "am I gay" quizzes will remain a rite of passage many.

Subaru

In the early 1990's, Subaru was struggling. Sales of their dependable but plain cars were in decline. Subaru knew teachers, healthcare professionals, IT professionals, and the outdoorsy types bought 1/2 their cars in America, and they targeted advertisements at those groups. Soon they realized there was yet another core group, lesbians were 4 times more likely than the average American to purchase a Subaru.

Subaru began printing advertisements that made subtle nods to lesbians in a way that slipped past the notice of other Americans, such as having the license plate "XENA LVR" on a car. Many ads had taglines with double meanings. "Get Out. And Stay Out" could refer to exploring the outdoors in a Subaru—or coming out as gay. "It’s Not a Choice. It’s the Way We’re Built" could refer to all Subarus coming with all-wheel-drive—or an LGBTQ identity.

Subaru noticed a group of customers and created ads for them, a group which often felt unwelcome and invisible. The campaign was so successful that it became a stereotype that lesbians drive Subarus, even leading to the word "Lesbaru." Polls show that the queer community views Subaru as the most queer-friendly brand.

[perplexingly]

hey! i love your ‘Books’ piece and it got me interested in old european gay literature (as i honestly forgot that such a thing could exist). Do you have any recommendations for books in english? (or russian?)

Hmmm I think rather than recommending specific books, I’d urge you to check descriptions and read the ones that sound interesting to you. A lot of the influential early lgbtq novels live only in the subtext, and when it’s textual they often end tragically, or depict pederasty, and there are these that end in a happy romance but wich weren’t necessarily impactful, so I find it difficult to recommend something…

You can start with these helpful wiki articles:

(Don’t mind the mention of Stonewall - it lists novels from all over the world)

(This one sorts novels by centuries)

The biggest issue with these lists is that when it comes to novels from outside the Western world they only feature books with textual homosexuality (somehow these lists don’t fail to mention the western subtextual ones, but let me not be too bitter)

So um another thing I found useful is essays and anthologies written by queer studies scholars. Eg in Polish we had “Dezorientacje: Antologia polskiej literatury queer” published in 2021 which lists our earliest queer writers and the queer subtext in early Polish lit.

I’m sure that there are attempts at documenting queer history in every country, so please do try to look into it !

[kirstysedgman]

The Reasonableness Theory of Good Omens

I’ve never done a Tumblr post before, but I’m going to have a go at it now, because the heaven/hell logics in the original Good Omens book (see also: the tv show The Good Place and also Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series generally) were foundational to the development of my theory of human behaviour – and I think it now explains A LOT about the Aziraphale/Crowley ending of Good Omens 2, and also what’s going wrong with us as a society.

So long story short – I’m a Cultural Studies academic at the University of Bristol, and I recently published a ‘smart thinking’ book called On Being Unreasonable: Breaking the Rules and Making Things Better (in bookshops now with Faber & Faber!). Here I explain how demands to “just be reasonable!” have been weaponised throughout history to halt social progress, from the suffragettes to Stonewall to the Civil Rights movement, up to the uproar over Black Lives Matter and Just Stop Oil protests today. Basically, what I think biblical-satire shows like Good Omens and The Good Place are satirising is exactly this: the inherent moral UNREASONABLENESS of the ‘reasonable person’, who wants things to be better but isn’t willing to break any rules to achieve it – even if those rules are bafflingly unfair and nonsensical (like the Job plotpoint, where Aziraphale began to realise this for the very first time).

When I say the ‘reasonable person’, I’m talking about the ‘moderate’ whom Dr Martin Luther King famously described in his Letter from Birmingham Jail as being almost worse than the ‘evil’ side of the out-and-out racist. This is the so-called ‘good’ side, who talk the language of progress whilst getting in the way of any attempt to realise it because they are “more devoted to ‘order’ than to justice”. In On Being Unreasonable I trace an overarching tendency to value the APPEARANCE of reasonableness (calm voices, shiny smiles, dapper suits) over the messy impoliteness of standing up and fighting back. In other words, rather than Heaven being the good guys and Hell the bad guys, Good Omens exposes how BOTH sides end up doing bad things because they’re unwilling to rebel against authority, break unjust rules/laws, and actually do what is RIGHT. We saw this especially clearly, I think, in the hell fire/holy water scene: one side might be ugly and the other side beautiful, but both sides are shown to be monstrous. “Just shut your stupid mouth and DIE already!” is still evil even though it’s said through a smile rather than a scowl.

This is where Crowley comes in. Crowley sees Heaven for who they really are. And this is why he resents being called ‘nice’ – because the qualities of niceness have historically been used as cover for tremendous evil – like how God’s ineffable command to kill Job’s children was morally horrifying, but how the Angels’ smiling promise to replace them with new children made a terrible thing seem like an act of divine grace. In many ways I’m saying nothing new here at all, I know – ‘omg the good side are actually the baddies! gasp!’ is hardly a novel literary interpretation. But it’s a bit more complicated than just that. What I’m talking about here is the specific sociopolitical mechanism by which reasonable appearances have been confused with actual moral goodness – and how this impulse to see ‘nice’ and think ‘good’ has historically been weaponised against us. It’s this that Good Omens really exposes. As I say in On Being Unreasonable, we can see this everywhere. “Think about the honeyed gentility of the American South, where smiling courtesy provided cover for simmering racial violence. Think about the buttoned-up laced-down aggression of the white imperial invader, sitting on their verandas in the Indian sunshine sipping tea. Think about the polished performances of the Nazis, with all their approving 1930s newspaper articles about impeccable manners and rarified tastes in art and dress”. In fact, there’s even an adjective for this: ‘Minnesota Nice’, which is often used as a backhanded compliment to refer to people who avoid confrontation in favour of a veneer of false politeness, and for whom calling out homophobia/racism/misogyny/etc is unforgivably rude. Nice, in this sense, can never be good, because it is being used to advance evil.

In Good Omens, what we saw is how deeply Aziraphale longs to break free from this logic, but how he can’t yet quite manage to free himself from that sense of reasonable idealism – the belief that surely the ‘good’ side of this broken system can be reformed from within. Meanwhile, Crowley is clearly being depicted as a fallen Angel in the true sense – someone who realises that the system itself is rotten to the core, and is willing to ask the hard questions and break rules in pursuit of truly moral actions, even if it costs him everything. Crowley has bitterly learned never again to make the mistake of confusing order with justice; this is a lesson that Aziraphale still needs once and for all to learn.

In the conclusion to On Being Unreasonable I set out a kind of matrix of behaviour to explain all this, where the Unreasonably-Unreasonable people are – like Hell! – “the deliberate contrarians and hate-speech purveyors and greed-is-good libertarian individualists, who think they can say and do whatever they want without consequences no matter the harm to anyone else”. Meanwhile, like Heaven, a lot of self-professedly progressive people seem to have become “so determined not to be like them that we’ve become something just as bad” – namely, Unreasonably-Reasonable people, “obsessed with tone-policing and respectability politics and endless toothless debate, happy to act the devil’s advocate and platform hate-speech and injustice so long as everyone appears to be doing it politely”. What I think we’ll see unfolding in Good Omens 3 is the revelation that what the world ACTUALLY, desperately needs is more people like Crowley, the Reasonably-Unreasonable people on whom social progress has always depended: “those who understand that civic dissent and smashing down racist statues and no-platforming bigots might sometimes be the only way to make the world a better place”.

So if God (and Neil Gaiman) really does have an ineffable plan then maybe it was this. Crowley needed to fall then, and Aziraphale needs to try to reform Heaven and fail spectacularly now, in order for us all collectively to rid ourselves of that morally-unreasonable urge to seem reasonable in the face of great injustice forever.

[swampstew]

𝔸𝕥 𝔽𝕚𝕣𝕤𝕥 𝕊𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 - 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟟

Welcome to Raven's Reading Nook - a small corner of this blog dedicated to cozy story times. Take a seat next to the log fireplace as we begin this in-progress, spicy/smutty reader insert story starring YOU (AFAB Reader) and the Kid Pirates. Powerade and snacks are provided! You can find links to the mini-series on Wattpad and AO3 at the end of the post. Minors DNI you will be blocked - for mature audiences only.

Spicy smut in this one😘 warnings: vaginal penetration (reader is AFAB), and creampie.

Y/N was relaxing on the deck, up the ramp over the helms room, lounging around with the women crew members and Heat. They drank chilled beers and talked amongst each other quietly, all wearing sunglasses, looking more like their own posse instead of pirates despite the fact that the group was roughly 86% pirate based.

Kid was silently seething. Pissed he was missing out. Upset he wasn’t invited. Tired of being punished for his mistake.

It had been how many weeks? Two? Three? He didn’t even know anymore.

His bed felt alien and uncomfortable, gotten so accustomed to a body keeping his warm throughout the nights. He felt like an addict going through withdrawal. Which was insane. She was just some woman. Why was she fucking with his head this much?!

He sighed miserably and removed himself from the display, seeking refuge in his workshop to brood in private.

Everything sucked.

Nothing could lift his mood.

He used his power to mash metal together and throw it around, smash it down and rebuild it. Did that for an hour before he laid down on the couch, stewing in loneliness.

Kid had no idea how to fix any of it. Killer was hopeless, too torn up about having harmed someone they pretty much considered a…friend, with some really great benefits, to be any help whatsoever. He covered his face with his greased palm, a despondent groan tore from his throat.

Without removing his hand, Kid almost reflexively activated his power, letting his mind flow freely to make something…simple. Soothing. The tinkling clinks of metal tapped in the air as bolts, nuts, screws, and panels rotated around each other. Clicking into place. Molding into desired shapes and angles. Until soon there were half a dozen metal death moths with ghoulish skulls lazily flying around the workshop. He watched them drift in and out of his sight as he quieted his mind, engaging in the rare activity of introspection.

If only for a few minutes.

Someone knocked on the door, breaking his peace. The small creatures fell from the air as Kid deactivated his power like a battery switch.

“Enter,” he rasped.

Y/N stepped through the threshold, “Didn’t mean to interrupt. Left my polishing kit here and I didn’t realize how much I neglected my weapon.” Her tone was impassive, almost bored. Had been for weeks and he was over it. So resentful of how much he craved her warmth, her affections once more.

Being stonewalled sucked. Kid now had sympathy for anyone who had to endure him when he did the same. Making a mental note to be better towards Killer in the future.

Without waiting for Kid to acknowledge her, she walked inside to where she last remembered using the kit. Stopping short when she found the remains of the death moths he dropped. She picked up the pieces, turning them in her palms and then, somehow, intuitively piecing them together until it was mostly reformed. Not perfectly like Kid could make but enough to make it recognizable.

“Didn’t know you could make something so elegant.”

Well that was nice to hear.

“S’lot you don’t know about me,” he grumbled.

“Touché,” she almost sounded regretful. “We should be getting close to the next island soon. Then I’ll be out of your hair and you can once again have whatever peace you had before I came along.” The droll of her aloof tone back. It irked him to no end.

“…Wouldn’t say I had peace then. Had it recently for a bit… I think,” he muttered, moreso to himself.

“Is that so?”

“Aye,” his voice was strained. “I’m sorry.”

“Wh-what?”

He sat up, “I’m sorry for scaring you. For taking you and putting you through what I did. And for acting like a twat after it happened. Expecting you to fall in line with what I wanted.” His flesh hand was bouncing nervously over his thigh as he spoke.

Y/N’s eyes widened in shock, “Thank you. I genuinely thought you would have drowned yourself first before I ever got an apology from you.”

“It’s not off the table.”

She placed her weapon on the work table and slowly walked to the couch. Standing in front of him, “Well don’t. Your crew needs you,” she tutted softly, using the rag towel she pulled off the table to wipe his face free of residual grease.

Kid scoffed, “I know they do.” Taking the towel, he cleaned his hands and stared at the ground. Wishing with his entire being that something would give. Anything to have her back in his arms. His smoldering eyes looked up and burned into hers, “You don’t. Wish you did.”

Her breath caught in Y/N’s throat, her eyes dilated as she took him in. Seeing him truly remorseful as he sat below her, all pride and bravado gone.

“Just so we’re clear. This is a one time thing because I’ve been feeling…stressed. Nothing more,” she bent down to his ear, nearly whispering the words..

He nodded his head, not even fully comprehending what she said, just wanting her forgiveness in any manner she was willing to give it.

Forgiveness came in the heavenly warmth of her gushing, throbbing pussy engulfing his neglected, starving cock.

“Y/N!!” Kid gasped, hips bucking sharply.

Her walls clenched on him in response. She rocked her hips on him as she straddled his pelvis to grind herself flush against his pelvis. Her clit grinding against his pelvic muscles, she moaned throatily as she hastened her pace.

She’d been starving too. Her pussy greedily took him in and hugged him close, not allowing much room for him to retreat from her sopping cavern. Not that he wanted to.

He felt himself twitch as he fought the urge to cum right then and there. Felt like he might have failed as he felt like some cum managed to bypass his control and dribble out in a short rope as her rutting pushed him against her cervix.

Y/N lifted her hips, gripping his cock as she pulled away and it slowly slid out of her cunt, only to slam herself back down, shaking her hips to drive him deeper until he was nearly crying out loud in pleasure. One hand on his scarred chest and one hand behind her on his upper thigh to support herself, Y/N set a rapid pace of bouncing on his cock with full strokes that rubbed her sweet spot. Her ribbed walls coaxing his ecstasy to the surface; his hardness making her inner muscles quake and spasm.

Quickening her pace, desperate to snap the taut rope of pleasure inside her lower belly, her slick made squelching noises as she rutted on the massive man’s impressive girth, Y/N began clawing at his skin. Kid groaned pathetically as his raised his hips to meet her thrusts, drunk on her tight pussy.

Her orgasm peaked as she fucked herself on his cock, stroking her throbbing walls until they clenched repeatedly on his thick, veiny member. Not stopping, her hips switched directions until she was throwing her ass back on his thighs, grinding him into her.

“Oh oh oh fuuuuuck,” Kid panted, the new sensation sending hot erotic bolts of lightning straight to his cock. He felt his balls rise as they slapped against her cheeks. With a final slam of her ass on him, Kid’s cock railed Y/N’s cervix and he came with a loud, needy moan. Ropes of thick cum shot from his engorged head that was positioned right on her secret entrance, flooding her private garden with his sin.

Y/N’s moans were voiceless as her head hung back and she rutted on him. Milking him. Feeling the need to step up, Kid attached his metal arm and secured her seat on his still-swollen cock that was the only plug to keep his cum from leaking out. He pressed his calloused, organic thumb on her clit and began rubbing circles.

Letting out soft shrieks, Y/N’s hips buckled at the overstimulation. Clenching on his hard-again cock as he quickly built her up with swipes, flicks, and pinches to her swollen bundle of nerves. Rutting shamelessly, Y/N’s shrieks turned into panting moans and yelps as Kid rubbed and teased her, edging them both on as he milked all the physical affection he could get from her.

They both craved the orgasmic rush of lust, her hips slammed against his as his metal arm helped her rapid thrusting as they peaked. They came at the same time, breathlessly. Convulsing against each other as their juices flooded, lips crashing together for the first time in weeks, not breaking apart until their hips stopped moving on their own accord.

Falling right back into kissing in heated passion even after they stilled. Y/N finally pulled away desperate for air and tucked her face into Kid’s neck, wrapping her arms around him to anchor herself. Kid panted lightly, swollen painted lips nearly wiped clean.

“Y/N?”

She hummed in response.

“Are—are you afraid I won’t like you or somethin dumb like that if I find out about your past? I don’t…give a shit about who you were or where you came from. You coulda been the princess of your entire island and I wouldn’t judge you…much. I just want to know.”

Sighing heavily, “No, its not that. Kid, I don’t want to tell you because I don’t trust you. I’ve been burned by the people I have put my faith in whom I’ve known for far longer than I know you. What makes you think you’d be the exception?”

He numbly nodded at the logic in that, “I want to be.”

“I wanted you to be too,” she whispered so softly he went to discretely pinch himself to make sure he hadn’t dreamt the entire damn affair up. His suspicious were confirmed when she lifted herself off him, the cold grip of loneliness made him hiss as his cock lost her warmth. Y/N started dressing herself and Kid fought the urge to fucking beg her.

Don’t go.

He followed suit and pulled his pants back on, fixing their appearances in silence. She grabbed her items and walked towards the door. Kid let out a strangled, choked sound he covered up as a cough.

“Y/N!”

The woman stepped into the hallway, not turning around, “Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”

“Look at me!!”

Y/N flinched and he thought he could hear a shaky gasp escape her lips. Gingerly, she turned on her heel and stared at him with glassy eyes.

I’ll treat you better! I’ll do whatever you need or want to accomplish your goals! Please don’t leave me! Don’t leave me to be alone again!

Words he wished he could will himself to say. Words he did not utter. Words too inappropriate to come from a man like him.

“I just—” he struggled to form the words.

“I know.”

His hairless brows furrowed, “You know?”

Y/N nodded, “I liked the peaceful feeling I had with you. With Killer too. It made me feel less lonely. That’s not my fate in this life. I don’t get to have nice things like that.”

“Says who?”

She smiled sadly, “Everyone I’ve ever cared about is dead. I don’t like those odds. Do you?”

He couldn’t argue. Watching with sad eyes as she left him alone. A stab through the stomach would’ve been less painful. He thought back to when he read her journal entry, the first page that told the story of her parents love story.

‘They’d kiss each other and I’d run away screaming like a brat. Going to my room and daydreaming about the day someone would tell stories like that about me.’

Kid didn’t believe in things like fate or deserving things. He knew firsthand the only way to get anything in this miserable life is to take it or make it himself.

Still.

It made something toil in his gut. The idea that some silly little girl with whimsy daydreams would never get her happy ending…it didn’t sit well with him. Not for something so simple as yearning for good, ole’ loyal companionship. She could stand to dream bigger, but it was…admirable.

She suffered enough, hadn’t she? Fuck he knew so little about her and yet from what he could tell, she more than earned the right to have people who wouldn’t betray her, who would appreciate her, who would make her feel…lucky to be alive.

Sitting at his workbench, Kid mulled over his thoughts as he collected his moths. Noticing one was missing. The one she had put back together. A small smile perked on his lips. That was what he wanted.

To make her want to have those dreams again.

He decided. He would win her loyalty and trust, and in the end have her join the crew as his. Give her the best goddamn life she had ever dreamed of, on top of the world as the King and Queen of the Pirates. How could he not win?

Grinning to himself, Kid sat on the bench and started crafting a new project. In the air behind him, more metal death moths began to spawn, fluttering in whimsical circles as the redhead worked.

Y/N sat atop the dinosaur skull, sharpening, and polishing her borrowed longsword. She had always loved sitting on the figurehead or in the crow’s nest of a ship, letting the salty air breeze infiltrate her lungs and cleanse her mind. It had for at least two hours. As she took another gulp of regenerating air, she suddenly felt something sour. Like rotten seaweed that had sat on the beach for too long. A sickening feeling in her stomach.

Swiveling her head, she tried to detect which direction the ick was coming from but the weather had been slowly shifting from slightly overcast to darkening skies and a bit of fog. Stowing her items in the helms room, Y/N sprinted across the deck and vaulted up the rickety steps to the crow’s nest, slamming the door open and startling Killer.

“What the?!”

“I need your telescope!”

The blonde handed it over, pulling out a new one from a small box next to the door. Y/N scanned the horizon until she could vaguely make out the blip silhouette of something in the water. After a minute, the shape grew in size as it drew nearer. Another ship.

“I’ll alert Kid. Stay here and see if you can make out any markings or clues on who that is.”

“Got it!”

Thankful she was alone, her eye strained against the glass as the tall mast toting the ship’s main sail came into view. She gulped.

It was them.

Or at least one of their ships. It wasn’t her ship. The sail design was an obnoxious logo that came from the world’s most pompous, self-deluded asshole. Scumbag. This meant that the small fleet was on time to meet on the designated island, just as Luciano had said. Brian was supposedly stretched thin trying to find a specialist in order to sell a hot item. He had ordered his men to split up and find anyone who would cooperate, even under duress.

“Y/N!” Kid hollered from the deck.

She skipped steps in order to reach the ground faster.

“Who are they?”

“My prey.”

A sickening smile grew on Kid’s face, “Good timing. Wanted to see you wield these in battle.”

Y/N gave him a confused look as he placed gauntlets with wicked claws on each end.

“Give ‘em hell.”

“Thanks Kid,” she gave him a grateful smile. “You were wrong, you know.”

Kid’s fury welled on his face before she could finish.

“I do need you. Without you, I couldn’t have gotten here.”

“Haah?! Oh! Yeah, no big deal,” he brushed it off, face as red as his hair. “We -ahem- we good then?”

“Yeah.”

“And me?” Killer stood shoulder to shoulder to Kid.

“What have you done for me lately?”

“I do all your chores now!” he whined.

“Learn from your Captain then,” Y/N clicked her tongue. She sheathed the long sword and strapped the gauntlets over her hands. A perfect fit. It was made of a dark metal alloy shaped into human bones, bones of the hand actually, and fit the back of her hands and fingers perfectly. The metal metacarpal bones sat over her fingers snugly, the middle to distal phalanges covered her digits entirely. At the ends of each digit sat long, curled claws. She lightly dotted the pad of her pinky and drew blood, “These are elegant.”

“HMMPH,” Kid wore his proud grin loudly, only turning to begin shouting orders at the crew to prepare for interception.

The Victoria Punk sailed straight towards the vessel. Their target tried to evade them using the thickening fog but they couldn’t catch the wind. The Kid Pirates caught up to them in under three hours.

“We have no quarrel with you!” The Captain of the vessel shouted out as Kid used his powers to drop their anchor, creating multiple metal fists to seize their ships wheel and rudder too.

“Well I have beef with you all!” Kid retorted. He held their attention while Y/N observed the ship personnel from the crow’s nest with Killer.

“How much is the original crew?”

“About 10, so the rest must be with Brian. Don’t know who that Captain is. I’m not aiming for anyone that wasn’t my original crew so you all can do what you will to the others.”

“Thanks for the permission,” he scoffed.

“You’re VERY welcome that I’m sharing my pool of revenge, serial killer.”

A laugh and growl cross fired and got caught in his throat. Choosing dignity over retort, Killer followed her down the ladder to join Kid.

“What’s the plan?” Kid asked her.

“I’m going to take down everyone that was on my crew. I’ll kill the ones that I know won’t have any information and hack down the ones who do for later questioning. Luciano said Brian’s crew was out searching for a specialist so they may have some valuables on board. I’m looking for something personal.”

“The hot item?” Killer attached his scythes to his gauntlets.

“It’s a personal item,” Y/N insisted.

“What’s so special about it?” Kid took her hand and inspected the gauntlet, making sure it was on properly.

“My dad forged it. It’s the last thing I have to remember my family by,” she said sadly.

Must be the family legacy that asshole Donnie talked about. “I see. I understand why it’s important for you to take it back,” the redhead nodded solemnly. “C’mon, let’s go kill a bunch of bitches.”

Read on Wattpad | Read on AO3

[jazzypizzaz]

[When Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb. colorful sorta-modernist book cover with a silhouette of an angel with coat and old-timey hat and NYC skyline in outstretched wings. also the silhouette of two women's faces facing each other. several book award stickers include Stonewall, Jewish Literature, and P(?)]

"A queer immigrant fairytale about individual purpose, the fluid nature of identity, and the power of love to change and endure."

so I need everyone to know about THIS AWESOME BOOK I just listened to!!!!

an angel and a demon who are centuries old friends (Talmud study buddies) immigrate to America from their small Polish village and help various humans along the way, while discovering more about themselves and their place in the world. Featuring Pratchett-like engaging prose, quiet love & evil plots & gentle moments, grounded historical setting with supernatural twists, and so so much humanity. Audiobook narrator is great as well.

(I guess its Good Omens time again on the tumblogs (?) and there's the obvious similiarities here, but fyi it's 100% its own thing.)

[dreamiara]

Hello! Happy June! It's Pride and I have another question (2/30)

It is well known that the first Pride in June 1970 took place one year after the Stonewall Riots in 1969, but do you know who organised it originally? Her name was Brenda Howard, and I think she is best described by the bright pink pin she always wore, which said "Bi, Poly, Switch - I know what I want." She was friends with many of the people involved in the original riot and first organised a one-month anniversary riot in July of 1969. Then, one year after Stonewall, she and a committee planned Gay Pride Week and the Christopher Street Liberation Day Parade. Because of this, she is often referred to as "The Mother of Pride" and her original idea eventually transformed into the New York Pride celebration we see today.

One of the committee members L. Craig Schoonmaker is responsible for coining the word "Pride" in this context, and said in 2015 “A lot of people were very repressed, they were conflicted internally, and didn’t know how to come out and be proud. That’s how the movement was most useful, because they thought, ‘Maybe I should be proud.’”

Though the parade started off with only a few people showing up at the set time of 2pm, by the end of the event they had thousands of people filling 20 blocks of the city. Today, New York Pride regularly exceeds 2 million people!

So my question today is: have you ever attended a Pride parade? And if so, was it like you expected?

Happy Pride 🌈 🎉

hello pride anon!!! unfortunately ive never been to one because i suffer from the condition called being polish AND a coward hahah maybe one day though 😇 also as a little fanfact, in poland we call them "parady równości" which means "equality parades" rather than "pride parades" :3

[rthko]

Can I ask what city you're in? (Or at least city size)

I followed when you said you live in Indiana, and I was like "woo shitty Midwest state gang!" But I'm wondering if you're in the gang or not, because in my mind, people who live in like St. Louis, Chicago, Indy, etc, don't count because they're more like enclaves of the coast as far as culture goes.

I live in Indy these days, but I grew up in a town of less than 5,000 people. It’s such a cliche to say this but our town made the most of what we had. Shitty? Absolutely. But the local teens turned the Circle K convenience store into the hot hangout spot. I had proximity to parks and open space that would have been considered downright luxurious in a big city. The first time I showed physical affection with another boy was when we held hands walking down the railroad tracks, where trains hadn’t run in years. It felt illegal somehow, but so reassuring to know I didn’t have to move to a bigger city to experience it. I’m not the person I would have been had I lived in Indy the whole time, or somewhere like Carmel. I like how I turned out.

I wouldn’t discount Indy, though. When I made that “smoking shitty Indiana weed with my gay friends” post I was actually thinking about my time here, in the back patio of this bar after a drag and burlesque show. I make it sound cosmopolitan, but the ambiance was no less down to earth than my old hometown tavern. The performers weren’t afraid to be provocative and, well, ugly. I don’t mean that as an insult in the slightest—I think we shouldn’t need to be polished all the time. No one had Drag Race aspirations, or even plans to leave Indiana as far as I knew. We had personally made sure of the fact that we didn’t have to leave to experience gay culture or find our people. I’m strongly of the opinion that you can find your people anywhere. The mid sized Indiana city where I went to college has a gay bar that has been around since before stonewall, and I’m sure even in New York I could find gay people who aren’t so goddamn high strung and beautiful all the time. You should come to Indy sometime!

[asterdust]

i get that some are upset bec will didn't have a coming out scene in s4. but i had time to contemplate why, will, as a character emotionally can't.

and it's not because it's the 80s, we don't have queer people in 80s etc etc

it's exactly why it's the 80s why will can't just confess and would rather project his feelings on el and would prioritize the happiness of the one he likes. or the reason why, when jonathan told him he could open up to him like they're used to, will almost broke down instead of telling him. he was always on the verge of crying whenever he thought about himself. and it's pretty damn hard for a freshman in high school in the 80s.

where a town hunts u down just for being a fucking freak.

altho i was half expecting he'd be able to tell his brother. but then that, too, is damn hard. it's easier to tell strangers some honest truths than open up with your loved ones. (if that doesnt sound like me... no one in my family knows im gay and I'll die not letting any of them know i guess).

didn't we, like, agree that it's time to drop coming out scenes in media and treat queerness as normal? like coming out should never have been a thing. plus, the reason why coming out was a thing was it's because what's been happening back then. especially in the 80s. (i watched a polish film about the police hunting gay people and filing an entire record of them in 1980s poland and it was so heartbreaking.)

what we know is, will is indeed gay. but it's not 2022. it's not goddamn 2015 where same sex marriage has been legalised. heck my country is still so traditional as fuck, we'll never have what you guys in other countries have.

the fight for rights started in 1965. the stonewall riot was in 1969. the first pride was in 1970.

will is a 14-15 year old boy in 1986. AIDS were a thing. hunting freaks were a thing and we've all seen that. you could not just be LOUD and PROUD and OPENLY QUEER. plus, he doesn't know any other queer people around him that can make him feel safe. oh god i want him to meet robin so bad.

and we'll never know, but he's probably still denying it himself.

[submissiveacademy]

Today is my first day.

I've been awake since 4am and I'm absolutely nervous. I thought Sir and Madam were joking about sending me to a Submissive Finishing School to learn to be more sophisticated and classy, instead of just being my natural chaotic pain brat self as I've always been with them, when they taught me it's okay to let myself go, in a safe space and environment, such as their home and their trusted friends' homes, as well as other places we 3 frequented.

Worlds of places I never thought possible to be real, but they are. Places of secret knocks on boring looking doors, magnetic key card entries on certain parts of unnoticeable walls, but my favorite place is the one where we slide down a fire pole into a ball pit opening up dance club where nearly anything goes and no one under 25 allowed. Lucky me my birthday was a few weeks before they saw me for the first time, and I'll never forget that shiver down my spine when it happened.

You see, I'm very, "uptight", as I've been called. I've always had to keep control of myself, all the time. I'm hyper-rational, highly logical, and I plan every minute of my day, because if I don't, I will lose myself in disassociating. Everyone talks to me how they want to, and when I talk to them, it comes off as abrasive, without any heart in my voice. I don't like small talk. I don't see the point. Say a sentence, a statement, get a retort or signal the conversation is continuing until points are said, conversation over. Simple and to the point. That's what life is to me, a line to the point, then the next point, till life ends.

One day when I was at Stonewall Caffe, probably like my 5th time there, I noticed them. It was like stones in the walls purposely positioned themselves to reflect the fire light from the wall candles placed all over the room. The fireplace just far away enough from the booth they sat it, it made their shadows dance on the wall behind them. They were always talking. Their shadows were always dancing, as if they were living 2 realities at the same time, conscious of both.

Him, in suit, expensive looking, perfect red pocket handkerchief folded to look like a flower, a sharp flower, matching the red pinstripes. The black wood and red leather upholstery matching him and her. His salt and pepper hair, short enough to comb and part, long enough to look like he could brush her face with it while on top of her during passionate times. His beard was combed, straightened, styled and shaped, accentuating his jawline up to his perfectly styled hair.

She was face to face with him sitting down and it was adorable how they looked at each other eye to eye, nose to nose, lips to lips, when they'd go in for a kiss after a great laugh at something one of them said.

A red satin spaghetti strapped dress, loose enough to not need to be sewn on, tight enough in the right places where she knew there was no else worth looking at in any room she's in. She had these red heels I've never seen anything like before, must have been 6 inch heels, but I didn't see a sole, yet she had red rope on each leg going up to her knees perfectly braided and organized like Greek goddess shoes in renaissance art I've seen at the museum a few streets down from here, like the shoe heels were tied to the heels of her feet, nearly barefoot but not quite. The red rope expertly placed and knoted shown off her magnificent calves and mile long legs, she could "snap someone's neck from across the room" type legs I thought to myself. I bet it's a tippy toe work out walking with just stilettos tied to the bottom of your heels. Strangely enough, the balls of her feet nor bottom of her toes weren't dirty at all, freshly showered clean, as if they still smelled nice, as if her carried her everywhere they went. Her red nail polish was as shiny as his red pocketchief. Her black hair pulled up into a messy bun with a few pencils in to hold it together, and sometimes she'd pull a pencil out, write something down, show him, and he would laugh like it's the funniest thing his mind ever registered, and she'd would slide it back in her hair. I liked her black frame glasses, simple yet says, "I can see into your soul with these, and recite your Dewey's Decimal Number of exactly where your heart is". Her eyes were black, yet the whites of her eyes were glowing, like she was brighter inside, than everyone else is on their outside. They looked ageless and comfortable, as if the rest of the happening world went around them like fog barely even worth acknowledging.

I had happened to be glancing over at them, their laughter caught my attention so as normal people do, I look. That's when our eyes met. Her Black Eyes, like a great white shark, and her mid-laugh smile so beautiful pearly yet so sharp, "she could eat the world", I thought to myself, and snap back to reality and looked away in nonchalant panic.

A bead of sweat, formed on my forehead, I could feel it. A few moments later I felt a tap on my shoulder, trying not to flinch with anxiety I look up to a server, Jessica, a nice looking blonde girl I've interacted with a few times, saying, "didn't mean to startle you, Mr. & Mrs. Flashburn would like to offer you anything on our menu. I know you usually get your black coffee and frangelico with a strawberry muffin, but if I were you I'd get the pasta tonight", and she winks at me with a life changing smile.

In a panic unbecoming of me, I gather my things and stuff them in my oversized purse on my way out as fast as possible without trying to cause a scene while putting my coat on.

It was the first time in my life I felt like angels noticed me.

______

They told me I don't have to go if I don't want to go to this school, and I know I'm the one that asked if it's real or not or some inside joke between them, but I said yes, and here I am.

I trust them wholeheartedly and their judgement, they've earned it, I've never been commanded to do anything, I've never been hurt by them, emotionally, mentally, nor physically.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 8.9

48 BC – Caesar's Civil War: Battle of Pharsalus: Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus and Pompey flees to Egypt. 378 – Gothic War: Battle of Adrianople: A large Roman army led by Emperor Valens is defeated by the Visigoths. Valens is killed along with over half of his army. 1173 – Construction of the campanile of the Cathedral of Pisa (now known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa) begins; it will take two centuries to complete. 1329 – Quilon, the first Indian Christian Diocese, is erected by Pope John XXII; the French-born Jordanus is appointed the first Bishop. 1428 – Sources cite biggest caravan trade between Podvisoki and Republic of Ragusa. Vlachs committed to Ragusan lord Tomo Bunić, that they will with 600 horses deliver 1,500 modius of salt. Delivery was meant for Dobrašin Veseoković, and Vlachs price was half of delivered salt. 1500 – Ottoman–Venetian War (1499–1503): The Ottomans capture Methoni, Messenia. 1610 – The First Anglo-Powhatan War begins in colonial Virginia. 1810 – Napoleon annexes Westphalia as part of the First French Empire. 1814 – American Indian Wars: The Creek sign the Treaty of Fort Jackson, giving up huge parts of Alabama and Georgia. 1830 – Louis Philippe becomes the king of the French following abdication of Charles X. 1842 – The Webster–Ashburton Treaty is signed, establishing the United States–Canada border east of the Rocky Mountains. 1854 – American Transcendentalist philosopher Henry David Thoreau publishes his memoir Walden. 1855 – Åland War: The Battle of Suomenlinna begins. 1862 – American Civil War: Battle of Cedar Mountain: At Cedar Mountain, Virginia, Confederate General Stonewall Jackson narrowly defeats Union forces under General John Pope. 1877 – American Indian Wars: Battle of the Big Hole: A small band of Nez Percé Indians clash with the United States Army. 1892 – Thomas Edison receives a patent for a two-way telegraph. 1897 – The first International Congress of Mathematicians is held in Zürich, Switzerland. 1902 – Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark are crowned King and Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 1907 – The first Boy Scout encampment concludes at Brownsea Island in southern England. 1925 – A train robbery takes place in Kakori, near Lucknow, India, by the Indian independence revolutionaries, against British government. 1936 – Summer Olympics: Jesse Owens wins his fourth gold medal at the games. 1942 – World War II: Battle of Savo Island: Allied naval forces protecting their amphibious forces during the initial stages of the Battle of Guadalcanal are surprised and defeated by an Imperial Japanese Navy cruiser force. 1944 – The United States Forest Service and the Wartime Advertising Council release posters featuring Smokey Bear for the first time. 1944 – Continuation War: The Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive, the largest offensive launched by Soviet Union against Finland during the Second World War, ends to a strategic stalemate. Both Finnish and Soviet troops at the Finnish front dug to defensive positions, and the front remains stable until the end of the war. 1945 – World War II: Nagasaki is devastated when an atomic bomb, Fat Man, is dropped by the United States B-29 Bockscar. Thirty-five thousand people are killed outright, including 23,200–28,200 Japanese war workers, 2,000 Korean forced workers, and 150 Japanese soldiers. 1945 – The Red Army invades Japanese-occupied Manchuria. 1960 – South Kasai secedes from the Congo. 1965 – Singapore is expelled from Malaysia and becomes the only country to date to gain independence unwillingly. 1969 – Tate–LaBianca murders: Followers of Charles Manson murder pregnant actress Sharon Tate (wife of Roman Polanski), coffee heiress Abigail Folger, Polish actor Wojciech Frykowski, men's hairstylist Jay Sebring and recent high-school graduate Steven Parent. 1970 – LANSA Flight 502 crashes after takeoff from Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport in Cusco, Peru, killing 99 of the 100 people on board, as well as two people on the ground. 1971 – The Troubles: In Northern Ireland, the British authorities launch Operation Demetrius. The operation involves the mass arrest and internment without trial of individuals suspected of being affiliated with the Irish Republican Army (PIRA). Mass riots follow, and thousands of people flee or are forced out of their homes. 1973 – Mars 7 is launched from the USSR. 1974 – As a direct result of the Watergate scandal, Richard Nixon becomes the first President of the United States to resign from office. Vice President Gerald Ford becomes president. 1991 – The Italian prosecuting magistrate Antonino Scopelliti is murdered by the 'Ndrangheta on behalf of the Sicilian Mafia while preparing the government's case in the final appeal of the Maxi Trial. 1993 – The Liberal Democratic Party of Japan loses a 38-year hold on national leadership. 1999 – Russian President Boris Yeltsin fires his Prime Minister, Sergei Stepashin, and for the fourth time fires his entire cabinet. 2006 – At least 21 suspected terrorists are arrested in the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot that happened in the United Kingdom. The arrests are made in London, Birmingham, and High Wycombe in an overnight operation. 2007 – Air Moorea Flight 1121 crashes after takeoff from Moorea Airport in French Polynesia, killing all 20 people on board. 2013 – Gunmen open fire at a Sunni mosque in the city of Quetta killing at least ten people and injuring 30. 2014 – Michael Brown, an 18-year-old African American male in Ferguson, Missouri, is shot and killed by a Ferguson police officer after reportedly assaulting the officer and attempting to steal his weapon, sparking protests and unrest in the city. 2021 – The Tampere light rail officially started operating.

[optimysticals]

This Pride and every Pride we must remember that our rights were won not through respectability, but hard won with riots and direct action.

Our Pride Brick charm calls back to the Stonewall Riots that lead into the first Pride celebrations.

We've 3-d designed these charms and cast them in house either in pewter or sterling silver. Sterling charms are a bright white-silver while pewter charms are a darker grey-silver. Charms are polished but each have some remaining surface texture, because they're bricks; they shouldn't be perfectly smooth.

Charms are just under 10mm tall (not including loop) and about 5mm wide. They are roughly 3mm thick.

Sterling Pride Brick earrings have Sterling Sterling Silver earwires. Pewter Pride Brick earrings have surgical steel earwires.

These are now online, and we’ll have them at Columbia County Pride on Saturday!

[lboogie1906]

Krystian Legierski (born April 22, 1978) is an LGBT activist, entrepreneur, and member of the Greens 2004. He won a seat in the Warsaw City Council, thus becoming the first openly gay politician elected to a political office in Poland.

He was born in Poland, to a Polish mother and a Mauritanian father who was in Poland as an international student. He studied law at the University of Warsaw. He has been active in the LGBT movement. He co-authored the first draft of a law on civil unions sponsored in the Polish Senate by Maria Szyszkowska; the law was passed by the Senate but was not considered by the Sejm. He has been involved in another effort to introduce civil unions into the Polish legal system. He co-hosted Lepiej późno niż wcale - an LGBT radio program on TOK FM.

He founded his first club called Le Madame in the Warsaw Old Town. Le Madame was a nightclub, but a cultural center, providing space for alternative theatre, music, drag queen shows, art exhibitions, and political debate. It was closed by the acting mayor of Warsaw, shortly after Lech Kaczyński, Kochalski’s predecessor who had a history of banning Gay Pride events in Warsaw, became President of Poland. The closure was met with protests, which came to be labeled as “the Polish Stonewall”. Along with Le Madame, he founded a gay club Tomba Tomba as well as M25 - a nightclub and a theatre scene.

He was among the founding members of the Polish Green Party Greens 2004. He ran on a Social Democratic ballot, following an official electoral agreement between the Greens and the Democratic Left Alliance. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[n0resistance]

People Pleaser

I never fought with my mother. Most girls do; probably starts when they are teenagers and lasts until one of them grows up. I would hope it stops after 30s where you see each other as adults. I never experienced it, I fought with my dad (always lost, and his tactic was stonewalling; very effective), fought with my siblings, even some friends, definitely ex-boyfriends. I was 12 when my mom died and even though I was a kid and even though she got mad, for numerous things. Like the house not being clean, us being annoying, being late to school, watching too much TV. If she said I was wrong I always accepted being wrong.

   I never felt grown enough to have an ego to say, “hey mom, you’re wrong”. Which I would assume is why girls fight with their mothers in the first place. The result of never fighting nor growing up with her, I never had to live my entire life after her death resenting her. She never took away my freedom, or shattered my dreams, I was too young to do anything so I never had her being overly protective to the point I would regress. 

     Being half Polish American and half first generation Filipino, my culture was segregated and confusing. My family accepted each other, loved each other from a distance, but they never understood each other. I don’t even think my parents even got each other fully. Love and compatibility are super different. My dad came from a family who didn’t show much emotion. A typical American household where after you’re 18, you tend to see each other on Holidays and sometimes birthdays. There weren’t things in his house like hugging or kissing. He began that after my mom died and doing therapy. There was a lot of prayer though, my father had 3 siblings, not much change occurred frequently. My grandmother on his side still currently lives in the house they grew up in.

    My mother came from a family where even though you fought, you’d probably be living in the same house with each other. Family is loyal no matter what, they spend a lot of time together, at one point there was 10 of us living in the house in Jersey. Her mother who I called Mommy Leonie, took care of all of us kids as her own. Lots of kisses, food, singing, dancing, hugs, and simple days of watching tv together and playing outside. Family was celebrated on weekends where we had Filipino parties. Sense of community was super strong and huge. She had so many friends from all over. She immigrated a lot of her family to NJ. It was difficult that half of the family was on the other side of the world and the other half was here. 

    My Filipino side overpowered my Polish side being that my mom came to America in her 30’s. Even though my sister and I look white, we feel Filipino and American. People will always think we’re Spanish or Italian, mainly something we’re not.  We would visit the Philippines whenever we could. Eat rice every day. Make some Filipino friends, my mom had a group of friends who had white husbands, and our values were similar. I appreciate my culture. I wouldn’t be who I am if it weren’t for it. Specifically, you learn to be very clean, educated, you really respect your elders. You learn to put people especially family first. All my siblings brought me everywhere with them, even if they didn’t want to.

   Since going to therapy, I learned a lot of the things that I would get praised for doing, kind of hindered my life as an adult. I come from a customer service background. Although I’m an artist I never did well in a lot of jobs. A lot of the demands of full-time jobs gave me anxiety. I know I could never do anything medical, I tried working in a office and it wasn’t for me I would try again but am unsure if it fits my personality. Connecting and helping people has been part of my calling instead and I think I learned it from my family’s culture. 

     Although our culture is diverse with music, community, dance, Food, and not to mention the most beautiful islands in the world. We are also hospitable people. I grew up traveling all over the world staying at my mom’s friends’ places. Including Japan, Canada, Germany, and I learned when I have people stay at my house to give up my bed, have food ready, and to clear my schedule to entertain them. I never learned an important thing though called boundaries until a year ago. 

    I finally learned how to say no at an old age, as well as not lie, gossip, or over exaggerate, as well as eat healthier. When I was younger witnessing my mother’s anger and how she would argue with people; I devoted a lot of mental energy to never argue. Was actually crazy afraid of it. I just acted like my dad and became quiet, or would say yes, or show no reaction. Try my best to not get stressed because it can eventually cause illness and kill you. If I had partners where we were consistently fighting, I knew this needed to end soon. I have to end this some way somehow. Being such a people pleaser and afraid of breaking up, I would do something crazy like move to LA. There’s a lack of consciousness with this kind of behavior and I believe it’s passed down generation to generation. 

    There are tools out there especially for people who grew up in Asian households. A normal Slovakian thing to do I noticed was men bottled a lot of things up and out of nowhere explode in anger. It’s so weird because the silence was there for so long and then you can see how they feel all at once in anger, then act like nothing happened. My dad would do this constantly as a child and would leave; 5-10 minutes later he would come back to my room and apologize, where I would never take the anger too seriously. If I talk about it to anyone who’s Polish or Slovakian, they know exactly what I’m talking about. 

   I’m very lucky to have a father who loves me no matter what. I’m an artist, not married, no kids. He is okay with it as long as I’m happy and self-sufficient. I’ve been paying my own bills since 21 without help and I have independence to the point that I call my father just because I want to, not because I need him. If I ever needed him financially, he developed boundaries and would say no. Especially when I was taking a lot of risks when I was younger, he would say, “you can figure it out”. If I ever needed him emotionally, he would be there sometimes. He has taught me to put myself first and I appreciate that. He prioritizes helping people like my sister and grandmother which is really important to our family.

    My mom did too. My mom was highly independent with her own business and would travel to the Philippines without my father a couple months out of the year to not be around for the winter. Which is exactly where I get it from. It’s not that we want to punish our significant others, just we want to be in the hot, where everything’s cheaper, with family especially during the cold winters where the nature of our chosen business doesn’t make much money. What’s the point of sticking around if you get sick, don’t make much money, and don’t want to go outside. Might as well get pampered in good weather and spend time with family.

    I learned how to be a minimalist living in New York and also because both of my parents were hoarders. After my mom passed away, we had two houses filled with her stuff to get rid of. I would go through every item with tears feeling like this was the end of her. She kept everything to exercise equipment, VHS’s, to her school uniform from 8th grade. Designer bags, clothes, and shoes. I always say I could live out of a suitcase if I wanted to. The only things I want to keep are my pictures and instruments. The rest don’t mean a thing. Being a minimalist helps if you travel, move a lot, or live with your partner to be honest. 

    There’s so much de-conditioning I have to do in order to achieve a really great life in my future. I think if I master all the work now, I can really have an incredible decade in my 40’s. The need to take care of people has to stop. I always go out of my way to do that and it makes me uncomfortable a lot of the time and sometimes I make people uncomfortable by overly extending myself to make them happy. Doesn’t help that I work in a field where I get paid to do just that.

    Sometimes it’s nice and it’s good to do but pick and choose who’s worthy of it. Being a yes person needs to stop. If you give your energy all away, how will you have any for yourself. I say I want to be the person who can say no, without an excuse. Stop believing that the only way to success is through my job. Just the fact that my jobs allow me to be creative, pay all my bills, and doesn’t feel like torture. I feel like I hit the jackpot.

   That buying a house, having kids, and getting married makes you successful. I mean right now I feel successful because I don’t fight with my boyfriend, we have a great relationship, and we’re both going after our dreams. I need to learn to create a bubble (imaginary bubble) so I don’t take other people’s energies and moods as my own. I also have held back a lot of feelings so I don’t “fight” with people; but I learned that I’m a “fearful avoidant person”. I learned I can say how I feel without yelling. I can just say it, I can talk, and I can use my words.

   When you realize you are in fact traumatized. That you have been living this way your entire life (by default) and there’s definitely a better way to interact with the world. Life does get easier. I mean it’s not perfect. Stressors of life happen that you just can’t control but reading about stoicism can change the way we think about it. The most important thing is how you respond to everything. To be a calm cool collective person that you naturally are. Knowing everything is going to be okay is half the battle. Everything else will fall into place. Even though I have trauma, like all humans do, I actively am trying to break cycles, and live the life I deserve. Maybe people who feel the same can feel empowered to do the same. 

    The steps it takes to stop people pleasing I learned it to first really think about do I want to do it or do I just want to so yes because I feel like I have to. Then, if you’re like me and want to do everything but physically can’t. Start prioritizing what you would regret missing. We are always sacrificing something. No choice is wrong, only if you truly feel like it is. I don’t want to feel like I have to pay for everything anymore. I can never be in two places at once and pick the place I would regret not being at the most. I look if I can financially afford doing this right now. The most important thing is that I’m mentally and physically happy and healthy. My boyfriend and I work a lot, him even more than me. We’re tired. I want to create. At the end of the day, if I can help it, I just want to spend time recharging myself or dating him. It’s hard, it’s a forever journey, but it’s important. Especially taking other people’s energy as your own. I learned that wearing a turquoise stone has been protecting me from that. 

[dhallwallinguk]

Stone Walling in Stockport: Adding Style and Value to Your Property

If you're looking to add style, elegance, and value to your property, you may want to consider investing in stonewalling. Stonewalling has been used for centuries as a building material and remains a popular choice for homeowners and property developers looking to create an impressive exterior.

Stockport, a historic town located in Greater Manchester, is home to many beautiful buildings, including several listed buildings, which often feature stone walling. This architectural feature not only enhances the aesthetics of the property but also offers functional benefits such as security and insulation.

Here are some of the benefits of stonewalling in Stockport:

Aesthetic appeal Stonewalling can add a touch of elegance and sophistication to your property. The natural look and feel of stone can enhance the beauty of your landscape and give your property a unique character that stands out from the rest. Moreover, stone walling comes in a variety of colors, textures, and styles, allowing you to choose a look that complements your property's style and enhances its overall appearance.

Durability One of the most significant benefits of stonewalling is its durability. Stone is a naturally strong material that can withstand harsh weather conditions, heavy foot traffic, and impact from external factors. Unlike other building materials that require regular maintenance and repair, stonewalling is low-maintenance and can last for decades or even centuries without losing its aesthetic appeal.

Security Stonewalling can also provide an added layer of security to your property. It acts as a barrier between your property and the outside world, deterring potential intruders and providing a sense of privacy and safety. Stonewalling can also withstand the impact of vehicles and can prevent accidental damage to your property.

Insulation Stonewalling also offers excellent insulation properties, keeping your property warm in winter and cool in summer. The natural thermal properties of stone can help reduce your energy bills and keep your home comfortable throughout the year. This can also reduce your carbon footprint and contribute to environmental sustainability.

Stonewalling can be used in various ways to enhance the beauty and value of your property. Here are some popular types of stonewalling:

Dry stone walling Dry stone walling is a technique that involves using stones without any mortar or cement. Instead, the stones are carefully placed to create a stable structure that is both functional and aesthetically appealing. This type of walling is commonly used in rural areas, but it can also be used in urban areas to create a rustic and natural look.

Mortared stone walling Mortared stone walling involves using mortar or cement to hold the stones together. This type of walling is commonly used in urban areas and can be used to create a more formal and polished look. It offers excellent stability and durability and can be used for a variety of applications, including garden walls, boundary walls, and retaining walls.

Stone cladding Stone cladding involves attaching stone panels to the exterior of a building using a bonding agent. This type of walling is commonly used to enhance the aesthetics of a building or to create a feature wall. Stone cladding comes in a variety of styles and colors and can be used to create a modern or traditional look.

Conclusion: Stonewalling is an excellent investment for homeowners and property developers looking to add value and style to their properties. Its durability, security, insulation, and aesthetic appeal make it a popular choice for many property owners in Stockport. With a variety of styles and techniques to choose from, you can find the perfect stone walling solution that complements your property's style and enhances its overall appearance.