#respect your elder queers

[tuttle-did-it]

Was in a zoom meeting and had my pronouns (they/them) listed. Got a private message from I'm guessing someone (let's use the name Harry, not real name) in early-mid 70s, asking what that meant. Briefly explained why I use them and what it means to me.

Harry replied 'okay.'

A few minutes later, Harry asked if that also included wearing clothes of the opposite gender. I replied that some people do, and some people don't, but I don't think of it as 'opposite gender,' as I don't really fit either binary. So I'm both and neither. That it didn't have to be a yes or no.

Harry replied 'okay.'

I continued working for another twenty minutes or so before Harry wrote back asking if anyone can be a they/them or not because the things I said resonated and felt true, or if there were requirements to meet.

I told Harry there were no real rules on this and if anyone wanted to, that was okay.

Harry said 'okay.'

Went back to writing. Put everything on mute, worked for a while, head down. When I came back, Harry had exited the group, and returned with they/them pronouns in their zoom name.

Harry, wherever you are (probably not on tumblr), I wish you all the best. May your journey continue.

[demareth]

not me laughing at the 13 year olds who dont remember what our actual roots are getting angey about cecilsweep

[konbarts]

Not me thinking about Ray being the first young justice member to come out as gay but Tim keeps getting all the credit

[gaypirateslife4me]

There's something so depressing about watching s1 con panels from before Con officially and publicly came out. Nathan & Kristian & Vico & even straight (ymmv) (?) guys like Rhys & Taika & DJenks received heaps of praise for all the queer love and rep.

Meanwhile, Con is an older queer man in the arts who literally survived the REAGAN administration, a veritable death sentence for mlm. [I realize that Con is not from the US, but the US government's response to the AIDs crisis helped inform and reinforce the (lack of) response and stigma surrounding the "gay-related immune deficiency disorder" (yes, this was the official name for years)]

Give Con the most love. Let him say all the words. Listen to him. We queers are only here and living - arguably far better, despite the recent aggressive resurrgence of anti-queer, specifically anti-trans legislation - because of men like Con paving our way.

[milimeters-morales]

Miles: Do you wanna know what your pony name would be.

Miguel, barely alive after throwing himself through a window:

Miles: Gaey Slurr

Miguel: *death rattle* fuck you,

[octalien]

with side order out and acht canonically being our homophobic queer representation (in english at least) can we finally let the homophobic cuttlefish jokes die

[poprockspillage]

just saw someone call older ocelot a poorly aged twink… girl??? i love phantom pain and snake eater ocelot as much as the next guy but . imagining thinking mgs1 and onward ocelot is not the cuntiest guy alive

[birb--birb]

It's important you know that I'm not only depressed, but also gay and a lil bit dumb

[homoangel]

i wanna tell misha he can co op our struggles actually

like go ahead cishet gayboy you earned it

@ mishacollins (not actually gonna @ him)

[borderline-purrsonality]

When I see people complain about “baby queers” and say shit like “respect your elder queers” I feel like we’re bringing back the boomers vs millennial + gen z argument

[frumdyke]

im never gonna get over this. i fucking love those lil meerkats and can't believe he would do them dirty like that

[reallyndacarter]

Hello team Lynda. I hope you’re having a pleasant day/evening/whatever time it is as you’re reading this. I just want to say thank you to Mrs. Carter for being such an outspoken ally to the LGBTQ+ community. My homophobic mom’s favorite show growing up was Wonder Woman and it was a big motif in my house—my mom was Wonder Woman, my Dad was Superman. It’s one of those strong character association things, to the point that I can’t think of Wonder Woman without thinking of my mom.

My mom didn’t react well when I was outed as a lesbian. I still have a strained relationship with her to this day. But seeing you, the original Wonder Woman, the one she grew up watching and the model she used to aspire to, speak up on behalf of me and all my queer siblings? It’s so healing, every single time. Like the spirit of what my mother should have been stepping in to defend me. Obviously I know you aren’t my mom and Wonder Woman isn’t real, but I don’t know how else to explain it, so I hope that makes sense. I’m very grateful to you–both for your allyship to the community, and for that little bit of personal healing I feel every time you show your support for us. So thank you. And thank you for taking the time to read this, if you’ve made it this far. It means a lot to me.

P. S. Sorry if “Mrs. Carter” is too formal for tumblr, I’m from the south and it feels strange to address a respected elder by just their first name lol.

In these types of situations, I find that it's best to model the love and acceptance you hope the next generations could use. I'm sorry you didn't get that at home, but home can be the future. It can be the people you haven't met yet who will love you as you are. Take care.

[ohnoitstbskyen]

Caelan Conrad: Drop the T - The Deadly Consequences of Gay Respectability Politics

This is a genuinely essential watch, I think. I have often lamented that younger generations, who are otherwise more open and more likely to identify with and embrace queer identities, simply don't get educated in queer history, and the many generations of elders who went before us and paved the way to the world and the understanding that we have.

That education simply isn't easily available, it gets cleansed out of school systems by white supremacy and conservatism, and it gets suppressed on the internet by algorithms that are programmed to understand queerness as "advertiser unfriendly."

So thank Freja, Frigg and Frej that people like Caelan Conrad and their many collaborators are doing the heavy work of making up some of the difference. This video focuses on assimilationist- and respectability politics in the queer community, the false wedge that is being driven between gay people and their trans and queer siblings, and the long history of reactionary forces using exactly that tactic to try and stifle the drive for queer liberation.

Hear your history, so you may know who you are.

[ayashitetsuko]

An open letter to David Jenkins

Some fans believe that we should not vent our anger and frustration to show creators. I don’t believe that. The thing about being a professional is that receiving criticism is part of your job—especially if you have done a terrible job.

OFMD went from groundbreaking to disappointing overnight.

There was a momentum to create a queer media that is smart, fun, sexy, and most importantly, respectful. In the way they are writing these queer characters. Especially older and disabled queer characters, a reflection of a generation of marginalised communities that have gone through so much. To give audience a glimpse of hope in their escapism.

But sir, you choose to Remus Lupin him instead.

This is not just about killing off a character. Hell, I might be willing to accept it. After all, I have read and even written fics with MCD in it—involving my favourite character.

But I want you to know that this is a special case. It is not just another popular character being killed off to drive plots.

I have issue with how you kill off a queer character that represents many marginalised communities in his arc.

Izzy is an abuse survivor who becomes disabled as a result of it. Izzy is a queer elder. Izzy is suicidal but manages to overcome it with the healing power of love and community.

Having him killed off just like that is a huge slap for fans who have gone through what he has gone through. Turns out, even in fiction, in our escapism, there is no joy. Only despair.

Also. Father figure? Where does that come from? Ed has never been shown to have any level of respect for Izzy. So let me ask you again. Where does “father figure” come from?

You have an opportunity to make a difference with OFMD; to be remembered in history for the right reasons. Yet somehow you choose not too. You choose to turn this into cheap, sensationalist entertainment where death and torture are thrown around for shock value.

It is like you have no idea how much power you have by being a professional storyteller.

Let me break it down to you. For you as a writer, perhaps killing off Izzy is nothing but an artistic choice. A plot point to figure out. But for audiences in marginalised groups, stories are mirrors. They see themselves in stories. That is how stories give them hope. This is why OFMD has never been “just a pirate story”. Perhaps this is hard to understand if you have never been part of an underrepresented community in the mainstream media, but this is how many are feeling about your work now. Your legacy.

OFMD has truly become an overnight failure. I don’t know how this happened. I would like to blame budget cuts, but your Vanity Fair interview makes me realise this is all deliberate choice.

So, what is next for us Canyonites?

If anything, this convinced me that queer and disabled people should write. And continue to write.

We can no longer trust major media to speak for us. We definitely can never trust David Jenkins again. Any form of progressiveness that he showed earlier was just coincidence, apparently. Even worse, it was fake.

As my friend Sam beautifully puts it, Izzy belongs to us now. We reclaim that character and give him all the happy endings he deserves in our fic, our art. We transform the works. We write about queer, disabled, suicidal characters the way the deserve to be written. If being a published writer is the path you choose, make sure you make wiser decisions than David Jenkins.

Thank you, sir. It was good while it lasts.

But this is a terrible job that you’re doing.