#stonewall was incredibly important for us and that means something to me but it didn’t change the entire world

[cherry-pop-soda]

since its almost pride month im just coming to say if I see one more american acting like our queer history is universal I will be biting and killing. we are but a small fraction of all queer history and if people here dont get that thru their fucking heads i might go insane. this is not to say that our history is unimportant its just to say that it is not NEARLY all of queer history and I am tired of people here acting like that is the case. there is so much other queer history out there and even though I dont know a lot about all of it I do know that I dont want it to be erased.

source: i am also american

[littlemixnet]

To me, a good ally is someone who is consistent in their efforts – there’s a difference between popping on a pride playlist or sprinkling yourself in rainbow glitter once a year and actually defending LGBT+ people against discrimination. It means showing my LGBT+ fans that I support them wholeheartedly and am making a conscious effort to educate myself, raise awareness and show up whenever they need me to. It would be wrong of me to benefit from the community as a musician without actually standing up and doing what I can to support. As someone in the public eye, it’s important to make sure your efforts are not performative or opportunistic. I’m always working on my allyship and am very much aware that I’ve still got a lot of unlearning and learning to do. There are too many what I call ‘dormant allies’, believing in equality but not really doing more than liking or reposting your LGBT+ mate’s content now and again. Imagine if that friend then saw you at the next march, or signing your name on the next petition fighting for their rights? Being an ally is also about making a conscious effort to use the right language and pronouns, and I recently read a book by Glennon Doyle who spoke of her annoyance and disappointment of those who come out and are met with ‘We love you…no matter what’. I’d never thought of that expression like that before and it really struck a chord with me. ‘No matter what’ suggests you are flawed. Being LGBT+ is not a flaw. Altering your language and being conscious of creating a more comfortable environment for your LGBT+ family and friends is a good start. Nobody is expecting you to suddenly know it all, I don’t think there’s such a thing as a perfect ally. I’m still very much learning. Even recently, after our Confetti music video I was confronted with the fact that although we made sure our video was incredibly inclusive, we hadn’t brought in any actual drag kings. Some were frustrated, and they had every right to be. You can have the right intentions and still fall short. As an open ally I should have thought about that, and I hadn’t, and for that I apologise. Since then I’ve been doing more research on drag king culture, because it’s definitely something I didn’t know enough about, whether that was because it isn’t as mainstream yet mixed with my own ignorance. But the point is we mess up, we apologise, we learn from it and we move forward with that knowledge. Don’t let the fear of f**king up scare you off. And make sure you are speaking alongside the community, not for the community. Growing up in a small Northern working-class town, some views were, and probably still are, quite ‘old fashioned’ and small-minded. I witnessed homophobia at an early age. It was a common thought particularly among men that it was wrong to be anything but heterosexual. I knew very early on I didn’t agree with this, but wasn’t educated or aware enough on how to combat it. I did a lot of performing arts growing up and within that space I had many LGBT+ (mainly gay) friends. I’ve been a beard many a time let me tell you! But it was infuriating to see friends not feel like they could truly be themselves. When I moved to London I felt incredibly lonely and like I didn’t fit in. It was my gay friends (mainly my friend and hairstylist, Aaron Carlo) who took me under their wing and into their world. Walking into those gay bars or events like Sink The Pink, it was probably the first time I felt like I was in a space where everyone in that room was celebrated exactly as they are. It was like walking into a magical wonderland. I got it. I clicked with everyone. My whole life I struggled with identity – being mixed race for me meant not feeling white enough, or black enough, or Arab enough. I was a ‘tomboy’ and very nerdy. I suppose on a personal level that maybe played a part in why I felt such a connection or understanding of why those spaces for the LGBT+ community are so important. One of the most obvious examples of first realising Little Mix was having an effect in the community was that I couldn’t enter a gay bar without hearing a Little Mix song and watching numerous people break out into full choreo from our videos! I spent the first few years of our career seeing this unfold and knowing the LGBT+ fan base were there, but it wasn’t until I got my own Instagram or started properly going through Twitter DMs that I realised a lot of our LGBT+ fans were reaching out to us on a daily basis saying how much our music meant to them. I received a message from a boy in the Middle East who hadn’t come out because in his country homosexuality is illegal. His partner tragically took their own life and he said our music not only helped him get through it, but gave him the courage to start a new life somewhere else where he could be out and proud. There are countless other stories like theirs, which kind of kickstarted me into being a better ally. Another standout moment would be when we performed in Dubai in 2019. We were told numerous times to ‘abide by the rules’, which meant not promoting anything LGBT+ or too female-empowering (cut to us serving a four-part harmony to Salute). In my mind, we either didn’t go or we’d go and make a point. When Secret Love Song came on, we performed it with the LGBT+ flag taking up the whole screen behind us. The crowd went wild, I could see fans crying and singing along in the audience and when we returned it was everywhere in the press. I saw so many positive tweets and messages from the community. It made laying in our hotel rooms s**tting ourselves that we’d get arrested that night more than worth it. It was through our fans and through my friends I realised I need to be doing more in my allyship. One of the first steps in this was meeting with the team at Stonewall to help with my ally education and discussing how I could be using my platform to help them and in turn the community. Right now, and during lockdown, I’d say my ally journey has been a lot of reading on LGBT+ history, donating to the right charities and raising awareness on current issues such as the conversion therapy ban and the fight for equality of trans lives. Stonewall is facing media attacks for its trans-inclusive strategies and there is an alarming amount of seemingly increasing transphobia in the UK today and we need to be doing more to stand with the trans community. Still, there is definitely a pressure I feel as someone in the public eye to constantly be saying and doing the right things, especially with cancel culture becoming more popular. I s**t myself before most interviews now, on edge that the interviewer might be waiting for me to ‘slip up’ or I might say something that can be misconstrued. Sometimes what can be well understood talking to a journalist or a friend doesn’t always translate as well written down, which has definitely happened to me before. There’ve been moments where I’ve (though well intentioned) said the wrong thing and had an army of Twitter warriors come at me. Don’t get me wrong, there are obviously more serious levels of f**king up that are worthy of a cancelling. But it was quite daunting to me to think that all of my previous allyship could be forgotten for not getting something right once. When that’s happened to me before I’ve scared myself into thinking I should STFU and not say anything, but I have to remember that I am human, I’m going to f**k up now and again and as long as I’m continuing to educate myself to do better next time then that’s OK. I’m never going to stop being an ally so I need to accept that there’ll be trickier moments along the way. I think that might be how some people may feel, like they’re scared to speak up as an ally in case they say the wrong thing and face backlash. Just apologise to the people who need to be apologised to, and show that you’re doing what you can to do better and continue the good fight. Don’t burden the community with your guilt. When it comes to the music industry, I’m definitely seeing a lot more LGBT+ artists come through and thrive, which is amazing. Labels, managements, distributors and so forth need to make sure they’re not just benefiting from LGBT+ artists but show they’re doing more to actually stand with them and create environments where those artists and their fans feel safe. A lot of feedback I see from the community when coming to our shows is that they’re in a space where they feel completely free and accepted, which I love. I get offered so many opportunities to do with LGBT+ based shows or deals and while it’s obviously flattering, I turn most of them down and suggest they give the gig to someone more worthy of that role. But really, I shouldn’t have to say that in the first place. The fee for any job I do take that feels right for me but has come in as part of the community goes to LGBT+ charities. That’s not me blowing smoke up my own arse, I just think the more of us and big companies that do that, the better. We need more artists, more visibility, more LGBT+ mainstream shows, more shows on LGBT+ history and more artists standing up as allies. We have huge platforms and such an influence on our fans – show them you’re standing by them. I’ve seen insanely talented LGBT+ artist friends in the industry who are only recently getting the credit they deserve. It’s amazing but it’s telling that it takes so long. It’s almost expected that it will be a tougher ride. We also need more understanding and action on the intersectionality between being LGBT+ and BAME. Racism exists in and out of the community and it would be great to see more and more companies in the industry doing more to combat that. The more we see these shows like Drag Race on our screens, the more we can celebrate difference. Ever since I was a little girl, my family would go to Benidorm and we’d watch these glamorous, hilarious Queens onstage; I was hooked. I grew up listening to and loving the big divas – Diana Ross (my fave), Cher, Shirley Bassey, and all the queens would emulate them. I was amazed at their big wigs, glittery overdrawn make-up and fabulous outfits. They were like big dolls. Most importantly, they were unapologetically whoever the f**k they wanted to be. As a shy girl who didn’t really understand why the world was telling me all the things I should be, I almost envied the queens but more than anything I adored them. Drag truly is an art form, and how incredible that every queen is different; there are so many different styles of drag and to me they symbolise courage and freedom of expression. Everything you envisioned your imaginary best friend to be, but it’s always been you. There’s a reason why the younger generation are loving shows like Drag Race. These kids can watch this show and not only be thoroughly entertained, but be inspired by these incredible people who are unapologetically themselves, sharing their touching stories and who create their own support systems and drag families around them. Now and again I think of when I’d see those Queens in Benidorm, and at the end they’d always sing I Am What I Am as they removed their wigs and smudged their make up off, and all the dads would be up on their feet cheering for them, some emotional, like they were proud. But that love would stop when they’d go back home, back to their conditioned life where toxic heteronormative behaviour is the status quo. Maybe if those same men saw drag culture on their screens they’d be more open to it becoming a part of their everyday life. I’ll never forget marching with Stonewall at Manchester Pride. I joined them as part of their young campaigners programme, and beforehand we sat and talked about allyship and all the young people there asked me questions while sharing some of their stories. We then began the march and I can’t explain the feeling and emotion watching these young people with so much passion, chanting and being cheered by the people they passed. All of these kids had their own personal struggles and stories but in this environment, they felt safe and completely proud to just be them. I knew the history of Pride and why we were marching, but it was something else seeing what Pride really means first hand. My advice for those who want to use their voice but aren’t sure how is, just do it hun. It’s really not a difficult task to stand up for communities that need you. Change can happen quicker with allyship.

Jade Thirlwall on the power, and pressures, of being an LGBT ally: ‘I’m gonna f**k up now and again’

[tlcwrites]

Two Hearts Make a Whole

Prompt: “Kiss me again, like you mean it.” Photo prompt below.

Summary: NYC Pride is for celebration, and occasionally, long-overdue revelations.

Word Count: 2,001

Tags/Content warnings: Marvel. Stucky. If you have a problem with it, there's the door. SFW. Slight TFATWS spoilers so read at your own risk. Platonic Reader. Two idiots in love. Technically canon-divergent because I'm still in my everyone-is-alive-and-in-this-timeline happy place that I will never ever leave fuck you very much Russo brothers but not AU. Found family. All the feels. Complete and total LGBTQ+ support. Lots of bad language words because #me. Un-beta'd.

Author’s Note: Okay so yes this is technically 4 weeks late for @autumnleaves1991-blog's Writer Wednesday weekly challenge. BUT, it was incredibly important to me to finish this one before Pride month is over. Made it by the skin of my teeth.

Happy Pride, y’all. If you’re out, you’re amazing. If you’re closeted, you’re amazing. However you identify is valid and important. Trans folx are LGBTQ+. Bisexuals are LGBTQ+. Ace folx are LGBTQ+. Anyone who identifies or thinks they may be as queer is LGBTQ+. All are welcome in the family. You have the right to choose your pronouns and we have the responsibility to use them. Live whatever your truth looks like to you and love each other. Love is love is love is love. If your family doesn’t accept you for you, I’m your mom now and I’ve got mom hugs available on demand. Homophobes and TERFS can fuck off and roll in poison ivy. Always punch Nazis. Pride shouldn't be limited to the month of June. And don’t you dare forget that Black and Brown trans women were the ones who rioted at Stonewall, and we owe everything to their bravery. Don’t forget that much of popular ‘gay’ culture was appropriated from Black women. And for more facts about Pride that you should absolutely know, Rawiyah Tariq (@ mammyisdead on Instagram) has a phenomenally good overview.

“Oh my god.” You gasp loudly. "Oh my GOD. Is that-"

“What?!” Instantly in First Avenger Protective Mode™️, Steve surveys the crowd, wishing he had an actual shield instead of the screen printed one on his shirt. “What is it?”

You gasp again, smacking Sam’s arm repeatedly. “OHMYGOD IT IS HOLY FUCK.”

“First; ow.” Now-Cap rubs his bicep. “Second; clue in the class before Steve has an aneurysm, please.”

Vibrating with excitement doesn’t begin to describe your current state. “HER ROYAL HIGHNESS MISS LEMON MERINGUE IS STANDING RIGHT FUCKING THERE.”

With the finesse of a shampoo commercial, Bucky's dark locks fly as he whips around. “What?!”

“RIGHT THERE RIGHT THERE RIGHT THERE.” You abandon a relieved Sam and latch on to Bucky’s vibranium arm. “Oh my GOD I love her so fucking much.”

“She was robbed, absolutely fucking robbed,” he agrees, craning his neck to get a better view. “Divine Tension’s lip sync was shameful.”

Sam glances at Steve, who is slowly coming out of protector mode. “What the ever-loving hell are they talking about?”

“RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Nat flicks more confetti at both Cap-the-former and Cap-the-current. “They watch it every week.”

“Really, Steven, for a guy with enhanced super senses, you miss a lot.” Tony hefts a bedazzled Morgan higher on his back. The toddler, accompanied by Scott playing air-piano on the ground, sings along with the ABBA song being blasted at full volume through the street. Tony continues as if this is an everyday occurrence. “Why do you think both of your People disappear every Friday evening?”

Ears pink, Steve mumbles something.

“What?!” The only other one with hearing enhanced enough to hear a murmur over the cacophony of several thousand people belting out the chorus of ‘Dancing Queen’ at the top of their lungs, Bucky turns to stare at his friend. “You thought we were datin’?”

Steve’s blush extends down his neck.

You and Bucky stare at each other for a moment before you both collapse on each other, exploding into stomach clenching, thigh slapping laughter.

“I’m gonna guess that’s a ‘no’?” Clint confirms with Nat.

“Oh, a big ‘no’.” She watches affectionately as you and Bucky calm down enough to look at each other, breathe for a second, and both promptly dissolve into hysterics once more. “Like, the biggest ‘no’.”

Sam crossed his arms across his chest, his stoic stance so reminiscent of Steve it’s amusing (as well as a beautiful disparity to the sequined crop top he’s sporting. Oof, those abs.). “How do I not know about this?”

“Because you’re not a former super spy?” The usually-Black-but-today-Rainbow Widow tosses the last of her confetti at Tony, who spins a jubilant Morgan into it. “Or because you and that leggy barista from the lobby coffee shop are too busy playing hide-the-“

“-Baby Shark!” Morgan suddenly shrieks, flailing towards a guy on roller blades wearing a fin and tail (and not much else).

“Yeah,” Nat finishes with a smirk, “Hide-the-Baby Shark.”

Sam flips her a gesture that makes Clint laugh and Bruce sigh.

You and Bucky have finally managed to pull yourselves together. “Oh my god, Steven Grant,” you gasp, wiping tears from your eyes. “That’s the funniest fucking shit I’ve ever fucking heard.”

“Language!”

Steve glares at Tony. “One. Time. It was one. Time.”

Bucky slings his flesh arm around Steve’s shoulders. “Oh, punk. You may have perfect vision now, but sometimes you’re still as blind as you were before.”

Visiortn himself nods sagely. “Humans can be quite unperceptive when it comes to matters of the heart.” Vision casts a fond smile at Wanda, who is using her powers to make Pietro’s tinsel wig fly on and off. “Sometimes you have to look harder to see what’s right in front of your nose.”

A confused frown on that handsome face, Captain Clueless looks at Bucky. “Why do I feel like everyone else knows something that I don’t?”

His bestie sighs deeply. “Because, Stevie, almost everyone else on this planet knows that my tastes tend towards tall, blonde, blue-eyed knuckleheads who have zero sense of self-preservation.”

“And an ass you could bounce a quarter off of,” Scott helpfully supplies.

“And that,” Bucky agrees.

Steve frowns.

You press your palms to your eyes in vexation. “You, Steve. He’s talking about you.” (Seriously, how has this idiot survived for over a century while being so dumb?)

Whatever he was expecting, it was certainly not that. “He-“ The Man With A Plan gapes as he turns to his oldest friend. “You-“

“Me,” Bucky says gently.

Even though you’re slightly surprised that Bucky is going to do this in such a public forum, you can’t help but be so proud of your friend. It has taken a long time for Bucky to believe he deserves to be happy. There are days he still sinks into that dark place, where his inner demons whisper that he should have fought harder against his Hydra captors, and that his past actions were still somehow his fault. Those are the days no amount of baking or Modern Marvels will bring him out of his funk. You, Steve, Sam, and Nat have all held those strong shoulders as they shook with sobs, overwhelmed by the shame and horror at what his hands had done without his consent.

But he’s here. He’s free. And he’s smiling nervously at his best friend.

“I-” Steve is short-circuiting. “Me?!”

“Stevie.” With the kind of tender patience that can only be born of a lifetime of keeping (or attempting to keep) an idiot such as one Steven Grant Rogers from flinging himself headlong into every fight he comes across, Bucky moves his flesh hand to the back of Steve’s neck. His face is full of such soft affection that you almost want to look away for fear of intruding on this suddenly intimate moment. “What do you think ‘til the end of the line’ means, you idiot? You’ve been it for me since I was thirteen-years-old.”

Blue eyes are locked with blue eyes as Steve processes this revelation. “I-” He shakes his head as if to declutter his thoughts. “This whole time?”

“Since the first time I saw that asshole knock you down, and your scrawny ass climbed right back up.” A wry chuckle escapes as Bucky reminices. “You were ninety pounds soaking wet, and you stood there, against a guy who was three times your size, and never waivered for a second. It was magnificent.”

“I don’t like bullies,” is Steve’s quiet response.

Bucky’s grin is adoring. “I know, sweetheart.” He gently strokes the back of Steve’s neck with his thumb. “You’ve always had a heart way bigger than your brain.”

Steve is still back on the first part of Bucky’s admission. “If you’ve felt- if you-” He’s practically pleading. “Why didn’t you say anything then?”

Bucky shrugs, attempting and failing nonchalance. “It was a different time, you know?” He’s uncharacteristically unsure of himself, the subtle waiver in his voice revealing the anxiety born of a lifetime of being forced to hide his truth. “I mean, you remember how it was; you didn’t talk about, no one talked about- about being- about people like...” He swallows thickly.  “And I was so scared you didn’t, that you weren’t-” His voice breaks.

Even though you’ve all been emotionally invested in this love story for years, the entire team respectfully pretends not to listen as the former Winter Soldier quietly admits his deepest secret to his closest friend. It’s enraging as Bucky confesses yet another way he's been a victim of his circumstances, and denied his right to live freely without derision. Once more, you’re awed by his resilience.

“-it was a risk I couldn’t take,” Bucky finally gets out, that stubborn fire back in his eyes. “I couldn’t lose you, Steve. I couldn’t chance it. I could live with just being your friend and only your friend so long it meant you were in my life.”

Stunned silence meets the end of his confession. Steve’s face is impassive, those cerulean eyes uncharacteristically inscrutable.

You can all tell Bucky is heading steadily towards dread and heartbreak the longer Steve takes to respond. You and Sam exchange a look, both ready to intervene if Steve demonstrates any of the abhorrent attitudes that were so prevalent in the society of his youth. It would be completely out of character for him, but...

Finally, Steve speaks. “You’re telling me,” he says, his words slow and deliberate, “that you made me wait ninety-three years to tell me you’ve felt the same way about me as I have about you since the day you picked me up out of that alley?!”

The whole found family breaths a collective sigh of relief as Steve pulls Bucky even closer, broad chest to broad chest.

“Okay, to be fair, you were an ice cube for most of that time and I wasn’t exactly available for a relationship.” Bucky’s grin stands in contradiction to his mullish defense. “But yeah, that’s the gist of it.” There’s the Bucky you all know and love, biting his lip with those perfect white teeth. “Now, punk, I’d really like to kiss you now, but first I need you to say you want me to.”

“You-” Steve’s throat works as he attempts- and fails- to rein in his emotions. “You jerk.”

And then the Star Spangled Man seizes the president of the Sometimes-Former-Assassins Club by his ridiculously perfect face and crashes their mouths together.

At any Pride event, seeing two men kissing is, obviously, to be expected. But seeing The First Avenger and The White Wolf attempting to swallow each other’s tongues is not at all routine. As people realize what is happening, the crowd is whipped into a frenzy the likes of which is usually reserved for the aftermath of sporting events and elections that defeat fascists.

Watching the two men embrace, Scott sniffles loudly. “I’m gonna cry, I’m so happy.”

He’s certainly not the only one. Wanda has a watery smile as she wraps her arms around Vision and Pietro; Pepper, Tony, and Bruce are watching with fond parental energy; you and Sam sandwich Peter between the two of you, grins practically splitting your faces. Even Nat’s eyes look suspiciously shiny and she and Clint sling their arms around each other with platonic affection. And that’s not counting the several thousand people who are cheering for love being love being love being love.

When they finally break their embrace, the Centennial twins are startled to see they’ve collected quite an audience.

“Uh, so…” Suddenly bashful, Steve glances back to his- partner? Boyfriend? Soulmate? Is there a word that can accurately describe two people who have found each other time and again in a world that seems hell-bent on keeping them apart?- his ears practically maroon with embarrassment. For a guy with one of the most-recognized faces in the world, Steve is still incredibly and endearingly uncomfortable with attention. “Buck?”

Bucky seems just as stunned as Steve.

Thankfully, the masses demonstrate the usual support that’s the hallmark of Pride. “LOVE IS LOVE!” someone screams in the crowd. It’s quickly echoed, and chants fill the park.

The attention momentarily off them, the former Winter Soldier and his giant himbo of a soulmate look back at each other. You pretend not to watch through the happiest tears as they embrace again, bringing their foreheads together. The relief they share is palpable, as they’re finally able to show the world- and each other- the love they’ve each hidden for so long.

Bucky’s voice is so soft you have to strain to hear it. “You have no idea how much m’in love with you, Stevie.”

“Pretty sure I do,” Steve answers, bringing a hand up to carefully wipe the tears from Bucky’s face. “‘cause it’s as much as I love you, Buck.”

Bucky's answering grin can only be described as saucy. “Then kiss me again, like you mean it.”

And Steve, for once in his long life, does exactly as ordered.

---

A/N: “The Sometimes-Former-Assassins Club” is from Starry_Emerald173’s BRILLIANT The Avengers Wrangler over on AO3. If you haven’t read it yet, drop what you’re doing and do so immediately. Make sure you're not drinking any liquids, or your keyboard/phone may be in peril.

[where-theres-smoak-2]

Barchie 5x06 Review.

So I usually just do one reivew for an episode but I have so many thoughts on this episode that I decided to split it in two otherwise it’ll be way too long, I figured two smaller reviews will be easier for people to read than one novel of a review. So in this part I am just going to be talking about the Barchie content. Then I’ll post a second half covering the rest of the episode later on today. As always these are just my own interpretations and opinions and naturally there are spoilers. So if you want to know my thoughts on Barchie this episode read on.

The Teacher’s Lounge

The first scene we get of Barchie is the one where they are in the teacher’s lounge. Now I have seen some people who are disappointed or using the argument that Barchie have become only sex and that they never talk. To me though I don’t think that is true at all and this scene is proof of that. When Archie first approaches Betty they are talking about the Polly situation. Betty is confiding in her friend about what is going on in her life and is sharing her worries with him. In return he tries to reassure her and comfort her when he reminds her that Alice had said Polly would disappear for days at time before showing up again. Another thing I’ve seen some people worry about is that Barchie are just using each other as a distraction. Again I totally understand why some shippers might be worred about that. But to me I’m kinda like well yeah they are. I mean maybe I misinterpreted the situation but I kind of thought that’s what their whole friends with benefits arrangement was about. It’s a friend that you can use to help you work out your frustrations and to be a distraction for a little while. Also this idea of using sex as a distraction and coping technique is hardly a new thing to riverdale both v*rchie and b*ghead have used sex in the past to distract themselves from their problems and they were both long term established relationships, them using sex that way didn’t negate from their very real feelings for each other. So I don’t think that just because Barchie are sleeping together in an attempt to escape for a moment, that means they are doomed or that their relationship is shallow and only about sex. If anything its a good thing because it shows that when they are feeling stressed and worried its each other that they choose to turn to. I think we often get so distracted by the sex part of the arrangement that its easy to forget about the friends part of friends with benefits. 

What I did love about this scene was how cute it was. Like when he calls her Ms Cooper and just the fact that he came to check up on how her day was going in the first place was adorable. And of course I loved that little hand touch it was just so soft. I also thought their smiles and that playful look Betty gets when she’s thinking about a plan for where they can hook up was really funny.

The Titanic Sails Again.

Growing up Titanic was my favourite movie and in my young mind it was the most romantic of movies, so naturally I was thrilled about that iconic titanic moment being recreated for Barchie. At the same time I couldn’t help but laugh a little at it too. That being said there is no denying that the scene was on fire.I mean I don’t know if its just Barchie and their chemistry or if its because they’re depicting adults now or a combination of both but is it me or do these sex scenes seem so much more explicit than they used to be? I mean holy firecracker.

 I also thought the song choice was perfect. I’ll be honest I had never heard it before but I do think the lyrics and also what the song is about is significant. I talked about songs a bit before and how in tv shows the lyrics can often hold significance because the producers have to shorten the song to fit the scene, therefore they have to chose not just a song that will fit the scene but which lyrics specifically work for the scene. Obviously it was a sexy scene so they wanted a sexy song to go with it. But the song, by the writers own admittion, is a love song. Bazzi said this about the song and I just think it is so in line with Barchie at the moment  "It became more than just a love song to a girl I was with…Lyrics were just flowing out, because I had felt this certain love and acceptance from this girl, and I wanted to take that and on a bigger scale give that back to people." This is exactly how I see Barchie’s relationship, its about love and acceptance. They have always loved each other, whether that’s romantically or as best friends or both. Also they have always been supportive and accepting of each other. 

So what about the lyrics that are actually in the scene. Well like I said some of them I just think are because they go with the whole sex of the scene. I mean lyrics like ‘hit it from the back and drive you wild’ and ‘hands on your body.’ Those don’t really need much analysis, pretty damn obvious why those lyrics were chosen. I mean you can look at it as simply its a song about sex and they are having sex, its not that deep. But I actually think there are some lyrics that could indicate that there’s something deeper to Barchie. The lyrics ‘girl I lose myself up in those eyes’ for example is actually a rather romantic line about how he is enamoured with the girl and I do feel like that’s how Archie feels about Betty and always has. Also the line ‘I just had to let you know you’re mine.’ Again this to me seems deeper than just sex. I do wonder if on a subconcious level they both see each other as theirs but that they aren’t willing to admit to themselves or each other. My favourite lyrics though are ‘feels like forever even if forever’s tonight.’ To me this makes me think that when they are together they let themselves feel all of those feelings they have for each other. Just for those moments they aren’t hiding, they just feeling it all and it feels like something that can last, it feels like forever. But neither one of them is ready to confront that so instead they just settle for tonight, they are willing to take what they can for now. 

I also feel like when they choose a song they probably do so knowing that either the audience have heard it before or that they will go and listen to it in full. So maybe there are some more clues as to where Barchie are heading in the rest of the song? (Probably not, its probably me just over analysing everything as per usual but hey let me live in my land of denial a little longer, its fun here.) In the full version of the song it starts out with a speaking part where the guy announces that he’s had a bit too much to drink and now he needs to tell her how he feels. I do wonder if this will be how Archie ends up confessing how he feels, like he has a bit too much to drink maybe at this point Glen has shown up and he’s feeling some jealousy and so he just goes to her and admits to how he’s feeling? Anyway back to the song, he then goes on to talk about how much he loves her smile and how he gets lost in her eyes. Again really romantic notions that we often associate with being in love. Later in the song there’s another similar lyric ‘Even when it's rainy, all you ever do is shine.’ Again this idea of someone being the sunshine in the rain is a very romantic notion and again I do feel like this is how Barchie feel about each other and kind of ties into what I was saying above about how when things are bad they turn to each other. I mean those scenes when they are together they look happy, they are both each others sunshine when things are getting stormy. 

Throughout the song there is also alot of the idea of belonging with the other person and this idea of a long term relationship. Outside of the obvious ‘you’re mine’ lyrics and the title of the song itself. I talked a little about the feeling like forever lyrics too but there are some other lyrics that I think are important. For example ‘Man, this feel incredible, I'll turn you into a bride, you're mine.’ Again this lyric isn’t about sex its goes deeper than that this is talking about being together forever not just a fling. But I think another even more interesting lyric in the song is ‘Swear to God, I'm down if you're down, all you gotta say is right.’ I’ve said before that I think that Archie is the one that is more willing to explore a relationship than Betty right now. I do feel like this line reflects how Archie is feeling like all Betty would have to do is say the word and I think he would be all in. Now I am fully aware that I could be reading way too much into this but I just find it interesting that they chose a song for a Barchie scene that is talking about how in love a guy is with the girl he’s with and how that guy is longing for more. 

So like I said earlier there is no denying that this scene was all kinds of hot so naturally I was very amused when the fire alarm started to go off. I don’t know I just found that really funny, like a literal fire broke out whilst they were doing it. Of course this is because some Stonewall Prep footballers set a fire in the school. One thing worth noting though is that obviously those two guys saw both Archie and Betty there at the school I can’t help but wonder if they’ll go back and tell Reggie this. I mean I don’t think they will but its possible they could do some scenario where Reggie tells Hiram and considering how Archie later tells everyone that he was alone and out running when he discovered the fire, Hiram is going to know that Betty and Archie are wanting to keep things quiet and maybe he or Reggie will use it to try and blackmail Archie. Like stop what you’re doing or we’ll tell everyone about you and Betty. I mean Betty didn’t do her blouse up all the way when they came out so I think the students probably would be able to guess what they had been doing. I’m not entirely convinced on this theory but the thought did cross my mind. Speaking of Betty’s state of dress, that leather skirt and the heels with the blouse, our girl came all dressed up for Archie and I loved that outfit. Also I really loved the scene where Archie was trying to explain why he was at the school in the middle of the night to see the fire. I mean Archie does go night jogging, he has in the past at least so the excuse was a believable one but his delivery was far from smooth.

On a less fun note I have seen some people comparing the Barchie car scene with the one with Miss Grundy and that’s just not ok. They are very different situations one scene is between two consenting adults and the other was a person of authority and an adult manipulating a teenager into having sex with them. The fact that people are using that scene as a way to prop up their own ship or to try and say its evidence that Barchie are wrong is quite frankly disgusting and disturbing so please just stop.  

The Shallows.

So this was on the surface such a small scene but in truth I actually think in terms of Barchie’s relationship it was one that held the most significance. Whilst Veronica sings the lines ‘Tell me something boy, aren’t you tired of trying to fill that void.’ It zooms in on Archie’s face and you can see he is feeling some things. He is clearly got some things on his mind that have been stirred up by those particular lyrics. I said before the episode aired when I saw the clip of them in the teacher’s lounge in the promo that I wondered if Archie was already beginning to get tired of sneaking around and after seeing this episode I do think that’s the case. I think Betty and Archie have been in love with each other since the pilot, maybe even before, but they’ve spent so long pushing down those feelings and ignoring them that I’m not sure they know how to do anything else. But as a result, I think not acting on these feeling has left a void in their lives/ hearts. Now they’ve reunited and they are both single and they’ve realised those feeling are still there, but like I said, I think they spent so long denying their feelings its become second nature to them. I think they both fear losing the other if they take it to the next step and it doesn’t work out, then they’ve lost their best friend. But I also think this void they’ve created is becoming too much so they instead try to fill it by sleeping together hoping that it might be enough to make them feel more complete.

When Veronica sings the next line ‘Or do you need more?’ this time it zooms in on Betty who you see gets a little sad and looks down at the ground, like Archie those lyrics have got her thinking and feeling things. Again these lyrics are so significant and I think the mesage is pretty clear. Barchie want more with each other, as much as they are enjoying the whole FWB thing they’ve got going on they’re realising that its not enough. They are also probably feeling a lot of fear and uncertainty around that revelation. The next line Veronica sings is also very meaningful. ‘Is there something else you are searching for?” What’s really interesting to me is obviously I think this lyric is suppose to indicate that yes Barchie are searching for something other than the FWB deal they’ve got going on. But I actually think the writers show us exactly what it is Barchie are looking for. At this moment they zoom in on Kangs. I think its important that at this moment they show us a happy, stable couple, who have a deep relationship and who fell in love when they were in high school and who still had those feelings for each other all these years later. This is what Barchie want with each other.

Also the song talks about the shallows. Shallow water is indicative of safety as oppose to being in the deep end which makes you think of being out of your element or in danger. Barchie has always been associated with safety, Betty on several occasions has talked about how they feel safest with each other. I also feel like they feel safe with the whole FWB arrangement. The song continues to go on to say that they are ‘far from the shallows now’ and talking about ‘I’m in the deep end, watch as I dive in.’ This line is talking about willingly throwing yourself into the deep end, to embracing the unknown and just going for it. I do think this is suppose to tell us that this is what Barchie will do. That eventually they’ll take that leap of faith for each other and just dive in. A large part of the reason why I think this song is about Barchie despite it being sung by Veronica and Chad (well truthfully I think it had signifcance for a few couples but I’ll cover that in the other half of the review) is because one the fact that they zoomed in on them both. But two because right when the song finishes Archie immediately turns to look at Betty and she flicks her eyes to his. I think this shows that they were thinking about each other during that song. 

The Porch

Ok so now I want to talk about the scene that seems to have caused some differing opinions within the fandom. A lot of shippers are saying that the scene where Betty comes to the door and they kiss, that Archie had a strange look on his face as he closed the door after she suggested they go upstairs. Now I agree there was a strange look on his face. I did see a lot of people speculating that this was because Archie was jealous over Veronica and Chad and was distracted by that so wasn’t really that enthusiastic about hooking up with Betty at that moment. Respectfully I am going to completely disagree with that reasoning. I was actually kind of surprised when I saw so much speculation that Archie was jealous of Chad, particularly over on twitter because me personally I didn’t see any indication that Archie was jealous. He was definitely wary and suspicious of Chad and obviously still protective of Veronica but I don’t think that situation was the reason for the conflict Archie seemed to be feeling. However whilst I don’t think that Archie was jealous I do think that at some point some element of V*rchie is going to come back into play and that was being set up in this episode. One thing I noticed as I’m sure many others have is that so far the time jump has had a lot of parallels and throwbacks to season 1. But the interesting thing about these parallels is that they each have different outcomes then the original parallel. For example the scene in 5x04/05 when the core four reunite at Pop’s. This scene parallels the one, I think is in 1x02, where the core four sit together for the first time, the one where Betty and Veronica are there and then Juggie and Arch come in and Betty offers for them to join them. Both scenes are very similar but the outcomes are different, in the original scene the four of them are relaxed and laughing together, in the season 5 scene they are a little tense and its awkward. Well I think the V*rchie and Barchie storyline is going to parallel the one in season 1. I think Betty will once again feel jelaous of Veronica and Archie. I could also see Archie get confused about whether his concern for Veronica is old feelings returning or just a friendly kind of concern and whether or not what he feels for Betty is deeper or just an attraction. Basically Archie is going to find himself in the same situation he was in in season 1 but in reverse. In season one he was confused about whether what he felt for Betty was just a friend thing and whether what he felt for Veronica was something deeper or just attraction. Now I think it’ll be the other way around. Back in season 1 ultimately Archie chooses Veronica, sort of, especially after Betty shuts him down during his ‘a part of me always thought’ speech. What else I find interesting is there is another kind of role reversal here between Betty and Archie. In season 1 it was Betty who had feelings for Archie and believed he didn’t have feelings for her. I think in season 5 its Archie that has feelings for Betty but believes she doesn’t have feelings for him. I think they’ll hint at V*rchie but I don’t actually think they will put them back together. I think how it will go is Glen will show up and Archie will feel jealous when he realises that there was something between Glen and Betty. As a result he’ll start spending more time with Veronica which in turn will make Betty jealous. Evenutally in 5x10 it’ll come to a head and Archie having one too many will show up at Betty’s door and declare his feelings. But I don’t think anything will happen right there. I think Betty will just look after drunk Archie and it’ll be the next day that they’ll talk about their feelings and then get together because this time Archie will choose Betty. 

Speaking of parallels that brings me back to this porch scene. Obviously I feel like this porch scene is a parallel to the porch scene in the pilot where one has shown up at the others door. Last time it ended in rejection but this time they kiss and sleep together. Also I couldn’t help but notice that during this scene and the one where they a laying in bed together the theme playing is the same one that was played during that first porch scene, which can’t be a coincidence. Ok so what about that strange look? If its not about Veronica then what was it about. Well I think it was because Archie wants more with Betty but feels like she just sees him as a hookup. 

There was another parallel between this scene and the one earlier in the episode in the teacher’s lounge. In both scenes it starts out with Betty talking about how she is worried about Polly. Again this is showing that friends element of their relationship and how they still go to each other for comfort when things are troubling them. Archie in turn confesses that he himself was feeling crazy and frustrated and whilst I do think some of that relates back to Veronica and Chad, I mean Chad had been a huge dick to him right before this, some of it also probably had to do with Reggie and that situation, but I also think some of it is that he is frustrated about where his and Betty’s relationship is, which was brought on by him hearing Veronica sing shallow. Another parallel between the two scenes is in both it is mentioned that Jughead is out and at work. In the first scene Betty says its too risky for them to be together at Archie’s even if Jughead is out. But this time she doesn’t seem worried about it. I think she just wants to be with Archie and so just doesn’t care what the risk is. I do think this is a small indication that things are changing between them. There are more little hints in this scene too. For example unlike after the scene in the teacher’s lounge where we next see them going at it in the car, in this scene they don’t show them in the act. Instead they show them after. I actually really loved this scene, even more than the car scene. Because here they were just cuddling together, it wasn’t about sex in this moment, they just wanted to be near each other and were taking comfort in each other. I am going to come back to this moment in a bit but first I want to go back to the porch and talk some more about that. 

After talking about how he is feeling frustrated, Archie and Betty kiss. But this kiss to me seems different from the others they’ve had post time jump. For one the others were during their hookups and so were passionate and urgent. This kiss however was just so soft. I also think its worth noting that when I first saw the scene I thought it was Betty that initiated it but I actually think it was Archie. Archie takes a small step towards Betty but also as Betty moves forward you can see Archie’s shoulders move almost like he is pulling her too him. Now I feel like if it was a case of he was distracted by Veronica and wasn’t that into being with Betty he wouldn’t be the one pulling her too him for a kiss. Also Archie is the one that deepens the kiss too. Another thing worth noting is that despite Betty’s concerns about the risk and that they up until now have been very careful about not getting caught. Well they kissed each other on his porch with the door wide open. Literally anyone could have seen them. But again in that moment I don’t think they cared, I think they just wanted to be together. Also despite Betty aksing to go upstairs after I don’t feel like that kiss was meant as a prelude to sex, or that it has anything to do with sex. The kiss wasn’t passionate or heated. It was a much more romantic kiss and maybe I’m projecting but to me it seemed to be more fuelled by their real feelings for each other than by desire or lust. And this is exactly why I think Archie had that look on his face as he closed the door. I think he poured his feelings into that kiss hoping she would know and to me the look on his face was one of frustration and I think its because when she wanted to go upstairs he felt like it was a case of her only seeing him as a hookup option. However I think judging from the look on her face as she looks at him after they kiss I don’t think that is true. Again I could be projecting but to me she just looked so in love with him. 

Ok so going back to the scene where they are cuddling in bed together. Like I said they both have pensieve looks on their faces but the really sweet thing is that Archie is stroking Betty’s shoulder and Betty is stroking Archie’s side and I don’t know why but those little details made me feel all soft and gooey inside. When Betty’s phone goes off Archie is just staring at her the whole time with such a loving look, he looks completely besotted by her. Also there is that moment when Betty says that she has to go and then says ‘but this... was really nice.’ That hesitation before she says really nice, to me, showed that Betty was trying to think what ‘this’ was exactly and it seemed like she couldn’t quite find the right words to define it. Again they both just looked so in love when she was saying it. Also as a FWB type arrangement I’m not sure it was necessary for her to kiss him goodbye like that. Like the kiss on the porch it wasn’t a heated or lust fuelled kiss it was soft and tender, again as if there were real feelings behind it. Also as she goes to leave you can see Archie almost reach out to stop her and say something. It’s pretty obvious in this moment that Archie doesn’t want Betty to go and wants to say something, maybe about his feelings for her, but he changes his mind and again looks deep in thought. 

Overall I thought this was a really good episode for Barchie and I do think that they are moving more towards becoming something more than just friends with benefits. I know that there is a possibilty they might go back to the original couples but as of right now I don’t see that happening anytime soon. I do feel like as a fandom us Barchies have been let down so many times that we just expect to be disappointed but for now I’m staying optimistic and I’m just going to enjoy speculating and enjoy any scenes we get.      

[officerrxyes-inactive]

Fox’s Pride Round table Discussion Highlights

feat. Brian Michael Smith and Rafael Silva

This isn’t perfect but it’s my rough take on what Brian and Rafa talked about in the stream. I highly recommend checking it out on your own if you have the time! Besides what’s mentioned below, the other guests had some incredible things to say as well and I think it’s really important everyone checks it out. It’s available on Fox’s pages on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, and Hulu!

See my notes under the cut (I wrote them on my phone so and I have capitalization turned off and I’m not going through and fixing it... there’s also probably some spelling mistakes oops. Also this was just my take on what they said but if you got something else and find any of my paraphrasing incorrect and/or disrespectful please let me know!)

•brian talks about being a black trans actor on a major primetime tv show and what it was like to experience it, especially with it being pride month. it was a lot of what he said in his live with ronen. he explains how monumental it was on a personal and collective level. he also talks about the people who have reached out to him; parents of trans youth and trans people themselves, some out, some still in the closet. they tell him how much it means to them that kind of representation his character has brought to television, and that the character is played by a trans actor. he mentions growing up he didn’t even know there were other people like him. he grew up loving and watching film and wanting to do that but feeling like that’s not possible. even when he started acting he thought he would only be able to get background work or facing the fear that he may be outed and face violence. but now to be able to see better representation of real trans experiences, mentioning laverne cox on oitnb, he realized there was a way to tell trans stories in a way that was authentic. once he realized that was possible, he decided that’s what he wanted to do since that’s the skills he’s aquired in life and that’s what he’s lived through. he wants to use the talent he was given in acting and storytelling to bring something that many other people might not have seen and that they need to see. he is so grateful to be able to play a trans character on a such a large scale. he says that film is one thing but television is in your living room, in your home, so to bring that sort of representation into the homes of people that may not have otherwise seen it, or be able to relate to it, is going to change the way they relate to people in real life and how they respond to news. it will feel personal and he is happy to be apart of that.

•rafa talks about what pride means to him. he shouts out the people that came before him that fought so he could be here today (directly and indirectly). he also talks about the importance of self reflection and self education because we need to recognize and learn about those who have come before us and allow us to take the stand that we currently do. he says the pride is the recognition of everyone, whether he knows them personally or not. he mentions that it’s important to recognize stonewall and the aids crisis when reflecting on our history. he identifies himself as out and gay (we knew he had a husband right and previously said he was in the lgbtq community but this is the first time he labeled himself correct?). he talks about ryan murphy, and how he makes television for everyone who has been oppressed. he says that pride is also embracing everyone in the lgbtqia+ community. he says that as a community, we do a great job at advocating for ourselves in but there are other issues that need to be addressed such as racism and transphobia that still exist within. he says that who are we to tell other to accept us if we don’t accept ourselves fully and we need to take responsibility. pride is calling people out, calling people in, bringing it to the light, self education, and celebrate who you are.

•brian talks about how you don’t have to be an activist or an expert to contribute or be apart of this. there are people out there who have dedicated their lives to advocating for change and building the framework for the stuff we are seeing now so you don’t have to be an expert in something to contribute. just by having conversations with friends and family, or calling out people when they say/do something problematic or by educating yourself can have an impact. he also talks about ways to use your position or talent to create a path for someone who has the experience to come in an amplify the message. he says it’s important to recognize when to step out of the way and let someone’s voice be amplified if it’s not your place to speak on their behalf. he says you don’t have to be an expert or have the skills bc there are people around you who do and will step up.

•rafa talks about coming out in hollywood and if he felt pressured to keep his identity a secret when he was starting out. he says that growing up in brazil, it was ingrained to be strong and not talk about it (he says some specific word but i can’t pick it out). he came out when he was 19, right after college and he didn’t know what he was doing when he came out but he needed to get it off his chest. coping with coming out and having just moved to nyc, he says the shame was always there since it was happening in the most formative years of ones life. he does feel pressured to conform to a certain type of behavior, then and now. but also recognizes that he feels this way and he doesn’t have to. he says that he tries to own up, be himself, and say the things that he wants to say (and if that’s gay, than nice, that’s the point :) he says that as soon as you own up to the way you feel, power is bound to happen. he says that being yourself, you aren’t sure how that will impact other people. when you help yourself, you allow others to do the same. he talks about how the blm movement encouraged to own up to who he is as an immigrant, latinx, gay man in this industry and outside of it.

•brian talks about his hope for the future with regard to fox’s tv for all. he says it’s phenomenal that he’s black trans man playing a series regular on a major tv network. he also notes that it’s a positive representation, playing one of the most heroic positions in society. and by putting a black trans person in that position is beyond significant. he wants to continue to see that expansion with more normalization. he praises ryan murphy for doing a good job bringing these stories to light. he wants to continue to see the representation of people who are nonbinary, genderqueer, disabled, and older trans people on tv. he notes that these roles should be significant as well, not just minor or side characters. many people feel alone in the community and their connection is through what they watch so it’s so important to show that in media. he says that kids need to see this kind of representation and that if he had seen a black trans father on tv as a kid, he would probably be on a very different path.

•rafa shared his last thoughts, saying how easy it is to act on emotions and go with the crowd when everyone else feels the same way and the same time. he thinks that the way to keep it going is when all the emotions are gone and we are left with rationality, is when we need to be strongest and push for change. when it’s not easy or comfortable, that’s when the growth will start.

[path-of-my-childhood]

Jonathan Van Ness Mostly Wore His Own Clothes for Taylor Swift’s YNTCD Video

By: Paul Chi for Vanity Fair Date: June 18th 2019

When Jonathan Van Ness arrived with his Queer Eye costars on the set of Taylor Swift’s new music video, “You Need to Calm Down,” the singer had just one piece of direction. 

“She was like, ‘Honey, have fun and be your gorgeous, normal self. And we did have so much fun with our cute tea party and our little cakes and treats. It was very Joshua Tree vibes. And then she was like, ‘Sweetie. You’re killing it.’ She made it easy. We all had cute chemistry together with her, because we’re just being ourselves.”

Van Ness and his costars — Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Bobby Berk, and Karamo Brown — joined a bevy of gay icons and famous names in three-and-a-half-minute video, from Broadway and Pose star Billy Porter to Swift’s onetime rival Katy Perry. 

“She surprised all of us with the invitation. When I first found out, I was like, ‘Am I hallucinating?’ Getting to work with her was a surprise and actually being there with her was surreal. Like we turned and she looked up and she was there. We spent about an hour together between shooting. We talked and took some cute, next-level pictures. It was my first time meeting her, and she was very warm and gracious and sweet. At the same time, she’s so fierce as a performer and an entertainer. She knows how to work it.”

The “You Need to Calm Down” video features some bold ensembles for everyone, Swift included, who worked with stylist Joseph Cassell Falconer. Van Ness was pleased with the shimmering multicolor, floor-length cape that he wore and loved his dramatic crown — the only part of the ensemble that didn’t already belong to him. 

“I learned this term called ‘model zone’ which means it’s like your own outfit. So my whole outfit in the video was model zone except that cape and that headpiece. I had this little Fosse vibe when I arrived. I had on a little black crop top and tights and with heels — I just happened to be wearing that on that day. But that cape and that hat was certainly not mine. It was from the costume department. I just thought it was hilarious that what I was already wearing just so happened to be perfect to complement what I wore on the shoot. Taylor liked it. She wanted everyone to wear something they felt comfortable in.”

The video, filled with Pride flags and a shout-out to GLAAD, ends by asking viewers to sign a Change.org petition that urges the Senate to pass the Equality Act, a bill that extends civil-rights protections to gay and transgender Americans.

“I am really proud of her for being so vocal. What she’s doing makes the issues be seen and heard and that can lead to positive changes in our country.”

Swift has become more politically vocal in the past year, from supporting Democratic candidates in the 2018 elections to her surprise performance at the Stonewall Inn over the weekend. None of this comes as a surprise to Cara Delevingne, a longtime friend of Swift’s who received the hero award at the TrevorLIVE Gala for her work supporting L.G.B.T.Q. youth. 

“It’s just not that she never believed it. It’s more that I don’t think she realized how much they need it. We were talking today and she was like, ‘You were one of the people that helped me to get to this place and why it is important to do these things.’ It’s amazing to see a friend stick with a community that I believe in.”

Delevingne didn’t make a cameo in the “You Need to Calm Down” video, as she did in 2015’s similarly star-studded “Bad Blood,” but she’s definitely a fan. 

“I cried and I’ve been texting her all day. I was about to show up to that video, which sadly I did not. But, she is incredible and I think what she’s doing is brilliant. It’s just the beginning. Most of those people who are in support just don’t realize how important it is to say it out loud. So I think it’s just incredible.”

[incarnateirony]

Hey! What's your take on the opinion that Romance isn't a part of the core SPN themes (family, brotherhood etc etc)? Or would the fact the SPN is a soap opera negate this opinion entirely? (I mean one of its listed genre is Drama after all). Thanks (preemptively) foe the answer!

First answer: Complicated.

Most of the time this is a smoke screen being run by an anti choosing to skip context like this show didn’t start with lovers burning on the ceiling or haunting them on the street and like they didn’t have multiple relationships over the show and like the original endgame wasn’t domestic with Lisa (and don’t get me started on shipping culture moving the LGBT goalpost where Lisa’s original ending would have counted even without S6 but the literal DeanCas mirror of it right down to Never Too Late doesn’t, Because Reasons.)

Romance has always been part of the show. The problem is it isn’t a *focus* of the show. Even when it comes down to straight sexytimes, for example, we haven’t seen a real Dean sexytime since season *eight*, or seven years ago, unless you count Deanmon which was literally used to highlight the problems going on with Dean. And even that was 5 years ago now. Dean’s implied hookups since? “Just subtext! Maybe they went and played Paper Football! We Just Don’t Know!!!!!!!”

So is it fair to say it isn’t a *focal* point of the show, especially modernly, wherein for the last, IDK, half the fucking 15 year run of the show Subtext has been enough Canon Common Sense But Only When Straight? 

One of the biggest complaints that is counterintuitive in fandom is the whole statement “’That isn’t what the show is about’ is a bad cop out”, which looks REALLY fuckin’ great on paper until you realize even the straight romances or even straight physical hookups have all been communicated in subtext and body language for the last two fucking showrunners.

SPN is a genre piece. That genre is not romance. That does not mean a genre piece can not sub-genre in romance for certain arcs, and it’s like kindergarten logic when people break that out. And SPN has been doing so for *years*.

The real struggle, however, is the premise of putting two leads together in a romantic relationship; let’s pretend, for a second, that we didn’t pretty well know there’s a giant corporate issue attached to this which I’ve covered the origins of before, and that there was no stonewall.

Even if they were opposite gender leads, to put them together in a relationship before the end *does* legitimately risk fucking up A LOT. And I don’t just mean people’s take on who’s ace or bi or repulsed or aromantic or How Fandom Has Headcanoned Things Need To Be, but I mean just on general story. 

Generally the method to do this would be to just write a loudly suggestive scene like any other het moments the show has had in years, and then write it as an established relationship quietly thereafter, if you don’t want to completely genre-toss us. And an established relationship of two male warriors that are incredibly masculine in presentation is not necessarily going to be the performative thing a fandom wants, especially when unfortunately the loudest voice box available for them is from LGBT+ women. And it’s LGBT issues, yes, but relationships and cultures and experiences and manners vary and that’s why intersectionality exists.

I’ve seen suggestions like “Well you could divide them and then make them have to pursue each other to extend the tension!” Okay but the second you LOUDLY frame that as exclusively romantic you are tilting the genre already, and once you make that your central mytharc, you’re done. And *fuck* if Dabb isn’t *already* pushing that line *right now* with Cas’ deal and everything else floating around in the Divorce Season.

Now, if you wanted to, say, not move the goalposts – and recognize S10 was about their inevitable union via Cain (and was even louder pre-cut), and S11 was pining/connected hearts, and somewhere in there something got established before arguing about being unthoughtful or unappreciative, or before trading famous courting gifts like mixtapes, or “he came in my room and he played me” to get the item that was secretly under his pillow that he knew for rEAsOnS was there even when Sam didn’t, or that S13 was the grieving widower arc/reunion/never too late/lisa mirror//kinda honeymoon, and S14 was the domestic season where they’re just a family, until the divorce kicks off, that even TVG and soap reporters are calling a breakup like? That’s where we are. And if people recognize the threshold of romance in this show and apply the het bar the same as they apply the LGBT bar, and shipping culture stops fucking us up by manufacturing goalposts to argue with irrelevant antis the GA doesn’t give a FUCK about, suddenly… *jazz hands* Hey look the show isn’t about romance but we still have romance, and working adult brains. 

Hell the only main cast kiss in the last umpteen years was John and Mary. MOST ROMANTIC PAIRINGS ARE CODED BY HAND HOLDING IN THIS SHOW. 

Like can you imagine for a second if, instead of doubling down on old opinions, bitter takes and personal demands, everyone went and reviewed everything from Dabb era 11+ and just didn’t talk each and every individual instance down, be it loud mixtapes, lingering touches, major mytharcing, bold set design and directing, textual affirmations of love being talked down, just brushing under the rug that even hell gossips about it, just like heaven did too, and to stop reading everything that’s gay as a laugh track? Can you imagine, IMAGINE if this bitter ass fandom actually reviewed the content instead of competing with a collection of losers online that managed to, with the full force of the fucking internet and a bazillion fans online, make a little mob of 40 asshats that for some INEXPLICABLE reason the fandom feels they need to argue with even when TPTB ignore/openly mock them?

So yeah. The show isn’t about romance, but it can, and does, and even currently includes romance, and it is what it is.

Are visibility issues important, yes, I’m not taking away from that, but this is a multifaceted and heavily nuanced issue even in a world where we were talking about overt canonization, and we can’t just disregard the business ramifications on the product either. But “Good LGBT rep” is not synonymous with “The line that is our canon story”. Hell there’s a lot of shitty LGBT rep that’s loudly canon and proliferates bad stereotypes, that doesn’t mean it isn’t in their respective shows. Stop merging these things.All you’re doing is building new goalposts for yourself and yourself only that isn’t, and won’t, and hasn’t, and never will impact the actual canon content the GA is consuming.

[arlenesgrocery-blog1]

“Pride always exists. It’s something that we constantly have to nurture and honor.” Cory Wade is giving us the perfect end to Pride.

By: Carey Ozmun

I had the absolute pleasure of meeting with musician, activist, and model, Cory Wade this week to talk about his upcoming video premiere party at Arlene’s Grocery on Monday July 1st. As fellow members of the LGBT community, we talked Pride, music, and the human experience as a whole. Cory released his debut album in 2017, and is bringing new life to the song, Love This Hurt. Join us for a beautiful Pride send-off! Buy tickets for the live screening and performance here! 

Carey: “Was your decision to release your new music video on July 1st made with Pride in mind?”

Cory: “It absolutely was. I love this time of year, you know? It’s a time for celebration, and it’s exciting to go to spaces that aren’t traditionally queer and have an awesome party that is inclusive… that is for everybody… that people don’t feel like they have to be afraid to show up at. Yeah, I just think that it was the perfect opportunity to kind of do something Pride oriented.”

CO: “Yeah, I saw that. I had talked to the team at Arlene’s, and have been wanting to have more queer (LGBTQ+) bills, and have it be a more inclusive and more diverse space. And they were all on board, so when I found out about your show happening right after Pride weekend, I was so excited to see such an unapologetically queer artist take the stage.” 

CW: “Every show that I do is a Pride show in essence. All of the art that I am involved in has this undercurrent of “Be yourself with reckless abandon, don’t give a - what anyone has to say about it.” But, this particular time of year, it’s just important that we...all check in. I do emphasize the importance of pride and celebrating Pride. I know so many will say, “we shouldn’t sanction our pride off to one month of celebrating, but that’s not really what we’re doing. What we’re doing is we’re emphasizing it, we’re checking in. We are making a conscious decision to remind ourselves the importance of pride, because there are so many forces out in the world trying to take that away from us.”

 CO: “Exactly. In that space, being a queer person, every day is this struggle. I am so happy to be queer, I wouldn’t want anything else, but it’s a difficult life. We are walking around and we are different!”

CW: “And it’s on us to remember that we are valid in this life. And nobody else is going to give us that validation. That is an inner dialogue. That’s something that we have to find on our own terms. It is hard. And so a Pride celebration allows for that door to open.  It’s a conscious awareness of your dignity. That’s what Pride is.” 

CO: “Yes, and it brings freedom! It brings freedom from this month on to the rest of the year. It brings us forward. It’s World Pride in NYC this year.”

CW: “It’s magical! So we’re gonna celebrate, and we’re gonna have an amazing Pride weekend, but this show is really a send-off. My goal with this show is to leave people in the knowledge that Pride always exists. It’s something that we constantly have to nurture and honor. It’s like a plant that we’re constantly giving life to, and paying very close attention to, because it can so easily be taken away from us. I would really love for it to be… a cute little button on the pride festivities!”

CO: “I love it! So let’s shift the focus a little bit to your new video release for Love This Hurt. This song is coming from your debut album from 2017. It’s got this masochist flare to it, and I’m just curious as to what we can expect as far as how that will be presented in the music video, and in your performance on Monday?”

CW: “It’s definitely got a masochistic flare. That’s something that’s very easy to pick up on in the subject matter, and the video is beautiful. We play with a lot of S&M and bondage themes, but it’s also very fantasy. It’s actually a virtual reality simulation. That’s the theme. It’s about finding the beauty in painful experiences, really. We’re using sexual imagery to...provoke this thought, right? But there’s a deeper meaning to it. This song...this video is really a celebration of pain because pain is so essential to our human experience. And I thought about what it might feel like to have this conscious awareness in the heat of a painful experience, to realize in that moment that that pain is actually helping you. To celebrate that pain. In the heat of that emotionally painful experience, if we had that conscious awareness, we would be so powerful! Nothing would be able to stop us because we would be able to say, this sucks right now, but this is so  important to my growth. This is beautiful. This is what I need.”

CO: “Exactly, the growth aspect of that pain is incredible. And it’s so in the spirit of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. I love that that message shines through.”

CW: “It’s a salute to our pain, it’s honoring that struggle, because that’s everything that we are and it’s so important.”

CO: “Tell me a bit about your goals for your future in music. I know you’re an activist, and model, and you wear many hats. But it’s so cool to see a focus on your music as well. Are there other projects in the works as far as your music goes?”

CW: “It’s a fight to stay in music. And it’s a choice that I have to make because in my career, I’m so often times pulled away from it because of the opportunities that come my way in fashion and in other areas of entertainment. I do consider myself a multimedia entertainer, but music is something that is so special to me. It was my first passionate pursuit. It allows for me to communicate in a way that I really can’t through my modeling or even through my activism.  There are things that I’m able to say in an artful way, with a finesse that I really can’t (say) without music.  I do believe in the spiritual side of music, it’s just a different energy. It’s very hard to describe, but I really do love the language of music, the alchemy of music making. It does a lot for me. I’m never going to stop making music, I can’t. 

“Even if it’s not what most people know me for, it really is me checking in with myself. It’s kind of like that inner dialogue that we were talking about. I have that constantly flowing through my music. I think I would lose myself if I didn’t have it. It’s kind of a conversation with myself. The only way that I can do that is through music, honestly. My goals for it? I don’t know. I did this album way back in 2017 out in London and I’m doing this music video to give this particular song - that I love so much - new life...because I don’t think it got the life that it really deserved. There were a lot of other songs on the album that people attached to because they were very commercial and cute, so they worked. They ended up in different publications - Them. (the Condenast publication) picked up one of the songs, and the song There For You got a great video with Rain Dove, and people really loved that one. But this song is one that I really resonate with, and it didn’t get to fly the way that I always wanted it to.”

CO: “So with music being so close to you, and your part in activism, how would you say that you see your activism in your music?”

CW: “Um...it’s there in the music for the simple fact that our existence as queer people is the resistance. And my music is unapologetically queer. It’s how I perform it, and how I present, and what I wear, and what I say when I’m on that mic! And the very rebellion of us as queer people taking our power and doing something creative...where we are as music makers, in an industry where so many people are quick to shoot us down because of our queerness, I know that. I’ve experienced that in the commercial realm of music as I’ve tried to navigate that. You know, it’s activism because...it just is by default! And that’s a shame, I will say. I don’t think it should be that way. I was talking to another gay artist who just got signed to Sony and I’m not gonna name him… and he literally was told that his label didn’t want him to come out. They didn’t want people to know that he was actually gay. He was told to subdue that to just put on some sort of neutral, hyper-masculine vibe until people got to know who he was and then he would have the freedom to be himself. And I just find that so sad that we’re in 2019 and artists are still struggling to find their authentic voice. And music should be the most free thing, it really should. It’s a medium for us to really communicate in our most authentic voice. And yes, obviously the lyrical content in a lot of the songs is very- “Be Yourself!” and I try not to sound too preachy, but that just comes out naturally.”

CO: “Do you have any other last thoughts for fans that you want to present for the show, for the video release, or anything else?”

CW: “I’m excited for people to see it! I want to encourage other queer artists out there to make their shit! Through everything, just to focus on what they love and to do that. I want to encourage every art maker out there to maintain that relationship with their art, especially when the outside forces try to pull us away from it.”

[annieintheaair]

Once I get a car that don’t stall in the morning, I can make it anywhere I want.

When was the last time you were truly happy? Like really, truly happy?

I’ve been watching the world fall apart around me. 2020 seems to be awful for so many people. I thought it would be the same for me.

Once I get a little older, I won't worry Then you get older and it don't feel like it should

The last ten years have been hard, and I mean really, truly, hard. The last ten years have found me with my heart broken, my mental health in a really bad place, job changes, friend losses, and the works. I graduated from college, I moved around, and relocated half way across the country. There has been so much change.

I found myself crying a lot during the week of my 31st birthday last month. I’m tired of waiting around for life to happen and for things to get good. Sometimes it’s so hard to live in the now but if you can dream it, you can do it. Visualize what you want and make it happen.

Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about my future and what I see for myself in the next five to ten years. Considering how far I have come in the last ten, I can’t imagine where I’ll be and what I’ll be looking back at when I turn 41 (oh shit!).

I’ve always been a dreamer. I remember riding my bike as a kid and imagining myself living in different houses in different neighborhoods and then one day, my family moved to a new house. I then imagined myself going to college early, and I did. I graduated from college early, too. People will shoot you down for being a dreamer, for living in the clouds, for imagining things that don’t yet exist. Don’t let them steal your sunshine. if we don’t have dreams, we have nothing.

I'm thinking once I learn to grow right where I'm planted Maybe that's when life starts getting good

Well, thinking about the next ten years, I’ve been picturing myself, still single, with an adopted child. I’d love to adopt someday and that’s something that has really been on my heart. I love my dogs so much and I know I’d love an adopted child even more. When I imagine this life, there is no man in it. Sometimes I think I want a relationship and to get married someday but I’ve been so rundown by love and dating that it’s honestly very discouraging. Every time someone breaks my heart, I wonder if any of it is worth the inevitable pain in the end. I’ve learned a lot about what I want and don’t want when it comes to having someone in my life.

Once I fall in love then I'll be happy But then you fall in love and there's still a hole

Recently I dated a guy (Ryan) who I thought had a lot of potential but then it came crashing down. Looking back, I should have seen the red flags-- that he couldn’t open up to me and kept so much hidden and didn’t seem interested in letting me meet his son and with his son in town, he acted like he suddenly had no time for me at all. I so badly want someone who actually has time for me and makes time for me because there’s no such thing as “too busy” because people make time for the people and things they care about.

I'm thinking once I learn to soak up every moment I'll realize my life's already good

Last week I was in Jackson Hole, Wyoming for work. I was there for three nights. I was playing around on Bumble and matched with a guy (James) who is actually from Texas but just moved there in January. He offered to meet up and I thought, oh what the hell. I went out and we had such a great time getting drinks together that he asked about going out again the following night. The following night he took me to the top of a mountain where we had drinks and then we went to Grand Teton National Park where we walked to Jenny Lake and watched the sunset. My breath was literally taken away. I couldn’t get over how clear the water was and how beautiful this world really is and how God made it that way. He really is an artist.

What I learned from two days with this guy-- well, I learned more about him in two days than I did about Ryan in almost two months. He was able to open up to me and said I was easy to talk to. My therapist has reminded me how important it is to be vulnerable in relationships, especially if you want them to get anywhere. You can’t expect to have a relationship with someone if you don’t open up to them at all. I guess I had ignored the signs with Ryan but that’s one more thing I now know I need-- someone who is willing and able to open up to me and not stonewall me and completely shut me out from huge parts of their life.

Once I get a car that don't stall in the morning I can make it anywhere I want, just wait But I can see it right now sitting in my driveway Afraid if I take it out, I'll chip the paint

When I got home on Saturday, I was flying high. I felt weirdly positive. I ended up negotiating a killer deal on a new car. Guys!!! I’ve been driving my old 2007 Honda Civic for over ten years! I got the Civic used so it’s actually 14 years old now. It has its problems but I decided to keep it for work so I can keep my brand new Volvo XC40 in my garage, safe at home. I had been dreaming about the Volvo for the last few years and recently, as I drove in my Civic, I pictured myself driving a Volvo. Well, it became a reality on Saturday. It has been so surreal these last few days, like I’m living in some weird dream where my dream came true. I have to check my garage every hour to reassure myself that I’m not still imagining the Volvo and it’s real and it’s mine.

The Civic holds a lot of memories, both good and bad. I remember when my parents brought it to me for graduation, right before my 21st birthday. My mom put a big pink bow on it. I drove it for the first time that night to dinner and the next day drove it to graduation. I’ve loved that car so much. I can’t help it, I’m sentimental. While everyone around me has gone through so many cars in the last ten years, I’ve kept my Civic. It has gotten really beaten up, especially at work, and just last week, I was driving through Dallas when a TIRE came at me out of no where and got stuck in my front bumper and basically ripped it off. It’s now taped up and looks awful but I did get some matching duct tape! Haha.

See, the Civic was the car I had when I went through one of the worst patches of my life. It’s the car I basically lived in when I had no home after my boyfriend dumped me right before my 22nd birthday. It’s the car that was with me when my dad drove it and me back to NJ as I bawled my eyes out because I felt like such a failure being cheated on and dumped AND losing my job the week of my birthday. It’s the car that I drove to Texas when I made the move and my brother spilled his Chick-fil-a strawberry milkshake all over the center console. We’ve had a lot of crazy times together, which is why I’m not ready to give it up just yet. It has some brand new tires and it’s running for now so I’ll hang onto it a little longer.

Despite my love for my Civic, I can’t lie, I’ve been loving my new Volvo. Driving it is so much fun that I actually WANT to drive. I haven’t wanted to drive for years. It has the coolest features and this incredible sunroof that covers basically the entire car. It’s the next best thing to a convertible. I can’t wait for all of the adventures we’ll go on together and the memories we’ll make over the next few years. New car smell is my favorite, too. Just like new airplane smell and new house smell (fresh wood, yes!). New everything smells good.

Today I went to see my ear doctor to talk about replacing my Cochlear BAHA with the new Osia. I was shocked but he said YES! So while another surgery in my life isn’t great, I’m really excited to get a new device and hear even better and I am super excited that my insurance company will pay for it 100%!

So where am I getting with all of this? Well, I also recently hit my goal weight, too. I haven’t been this weight since HIGH SCHOOL. I’m making my dreams a reality lately. Being able to fit into clothes that were too tight before has been amazing. I finally have my dream car, I’m living life in a house I love, with my two dogs that I love so much, I work at a job that I love, and while I may still be single, I’m okay with that. I’m okay if I’m alone and I’m okay if I end up meeting someone great someday.

This life has been an adventure over the last ten years. I’ve been beaten down so hard by life that I forgot that things can actually be good. Maybe I need to visualize more. I need to see myself in the life I want and it will become a reality. Maybe if I want to be with someone, I need to start imagining my life with someone that I love. Maybe that person isn’t in my life just yet but that’s because I haven’t allowed them to be there.

As I sat and ate my salad and drank some iced tea tonight, I felt like I was smiling. Nothing was happening, I was just sitting in my dining area smiling. I can’t remember the last time when I was really, truly happy. It’s like everything just clicked. My mom was right, 2020 just might be MY year. It’s the year of the underdogs. It’s our time to shine. It’s our turn to finally have good things come to us. The world isn’t falling down around us, despite how it may seem sometimes, especially lately.

Happiness. Pure and utter happiness. Happiness is when good things finally come together for you. Happiness is when you’re living a life you love. Happiness is being with the ones you love. Happiness is driving around in your dream car, jamming out to your favorite songs. Happiness is watching the sunset in a beautiful place while you appreciate the world around you and the people in your life who helped you to see it. Happiness is here, you just have to see yourself being happy. Maybe that’s what I missed these last ten years...

I was so busy looking back and seeing myself and how sad I was and how hurt I felt. It wasn’t until the other day when James was telling me about getting his heart broken when he was cheated on by his ex-girlfriend that I realized that we’re in this together. Your heartbreak might be the lifeline that someone else is looking for in their own life. Our heartbreaks can bring us together. Hearing him tell me his story and seeing the look on his face made me want to cry. I hurt for him in that moment. I mean, he was basically a stranger and he told me his story and it hit me that I’m not alone. I don’t need to be sad about my past. I’m not the only one who got hurt and I’m not the only broken person on this planet. Maybe we need to take all of our broken hearts and use our broken pieces to come together. In time, we’ll feel whole again. In time, all of those heartbreaks will lead us to our happy endings. Whether that happy ending is with someone else or you, on your own, put back together by everything you learned and everyone you touched. We are never alone in this life.

I hope you’re feeling that complete and utter happiness today and everyday. Don’t let this world beat you down. Never, ever let anyone steal your sunshine. I’m a dreamer, just like my mom, and that’s one of my absolute favorite things about myself. I hope you find happiness in every form.

xoxo

Annie

[sejinpk]

It still really worries me that the alt-right is intentionally trying to win converts by manipulating the insecurities of vulnerable people, and is literally trying to sneak their entire ideology by the general public.

It’s incredibly worrisome that their reaction to repeated general pushback against their ideas and goals is to think that they just need to make those ideas and goals more palatable to the general public. They don’t seem to realize that the fact that their undiluted worldview and desires are so unpalatable to most people might just mean that there’s actually something wrong with their ideology. The worst part is that a good chunk of the basis for their worldview is actually shared in a sense by a much larger portion of society, as it comes from fundamental assumptions and expectations about the way things are that many of us have sort of osmosed simply by growing up in a society that was started by people who had these assumptions and expectations as bedrocks of their own worldviews. That seems to be a big part of why this stuff is so insidious.

Because these assumptions and expectations are so ingrained in society as a whole, addressing them isn’t just a small matter of calling out a fringe group on the far right of the political spectrum. Challenging these ideas and changing society accordingly requires a very large swath of the entire society to challenge multiple assumptions and expectations that have become so internalized and automatic to them that it’s like breathing air. It’s not the least bit simple or easy. We’re literally asking millions upon millions of people to willingly do cognitive behavioral therapy on themselves on their own time for benefits they may not even recognize or agree with. I get the feeling that many, many people on the left may not realize just what they’re asking of so many people. And while I understand why people on the left may not have sympathy for this, ignoring or downplaying just what, exactly, we’re asking so many people to do makes it that much harder to actually accomplish our goals.

Which is why I get so put off by a lot of the masturbatory derision of the alt-right by people on the left. When you do that, you’re literally just giving them more fuel in a way that does nothing to further your own cause. They can, and will, literally take those circle-jerks and use them to recruit vulnerable people and further entrench their own ideology. They are very much a literal cult in how they prey upon people. Probably the point that most resonated with me in Contra’s video above is her wish that the left approached things more strategically and deliberately, the way the alt-right is doing. I mean, you can clearly see how well this has worked for them by simply looking at who is in the White House right now. As a portion of society, the alt-right is rather small, but because of:

1) how much they’ve worked to make their message more palatable to a general audience;

2) how they’ve intentionally utilized the generalizations individual people make about their own ideologies and the ideologies of other individuals, and how those generalizations cause people to identify more closely with some groups and against other groups, even if they’re not fully part of the group(s) they identify with;

3) how they’ve twisted the backlash against them to try to make themselves seem like the victims; and

4) how they’ve taken advantage of some of our society’s bedrock assumptions and expectations that are bought into by a group much larger than themselves,

they’ve been able to have a much larger effect than their size would lead you to think they could achieve. We need this kind of logistical implementation of our ideology on the left (well, minus all the sleazy, malicious, manipulative stuff).

This is why I’m so conflicted about how to actually deal with the alt-right. Yes, we definitely need to constantly, repeatedly push back against their ideas and their actions. But, if we’re not careful and thoughtful about how we do that, we could just be giving them more fuel for their arguments, which they can, and will, use to their advantage. Further, because of how they’ve successfully manipulated how people generalize their own ideologies and identify with or against groups as a result of those generalizations, they’ve been able to successfully sow a ton of division. In turn, this division is literally threatening to ruin the U.S. This is why I tend to be more centrist about how to actually deal with the alt-right, while my views themselves are further to the left for the most part, especially when it comes to social issues.

I’m still not sure what can be done to successfully navigate all of this. The only things I’ve been able to think of are:

1) We need to be very thoughtful and specific about how we criticize people for their ideas, or else we risk pushing them away. Among other things, we need to actively work to not engage in the kinds of unproductive circle-jerking I mentioned above.

2) Sort of as an extension of the above point, I think it may be useful to separate people from their ideas. I got this idea from a Marriage and Family Counseling* class. Separating a person from their ideas/behaviors helps us to address the idea/behavior without automatically condemning the person, which makes it easier to actually have constructive discussions about the idea/behavior. Because you’re not demonizing the person, there’s a greater chance that they’ll be willing to consider what you’re saying.

Which leads into the next point.

3) We need to humanize both ourselves and the people we’re arguing/fighting against. If we dehumanize the alt-right as a whole, it is impossible for us to reach those of them who aren’t yet hopelessly entrenched in their ideology. In humanizing ourselves, we can expose the alt-right to the fact that we aren’t some faceless, antagonistic group. Just like them, we’re people with hopes, dreams, fears,  and anxieties who are going through life as best we can. From what (admittedly little) I’ve read about people leaving hate groups, getting those people to see the people they’ve been taught to hate and dehumanize as people is absolutely crucial.

I think this approach is really hard to swallow for a lot of people on the left, and I understand why. However, I fear that simply continuing on as we are has a good chance of making things worse, especially in the long run, and won’t serve to heal our societal divisions. With all the vitriol I see in comments online, from people on both the right and the left, I really worry if an approach like what I’ve suggested is even possible.

If my heartfelt appeals aren’t convincing, maybe this will give you some pause: The alt-right is doing what the left supposedly takes so much pride in: empathizing and sympathizing with vulnerable people, giving them a sense of belonging, and working to change society so that they and their children will have a better lot in life. It’s just not the same kinds of vulnerabilities that the left seems to deem important, and not the same view of what that improved society should look like. The problem is that the alt-right then gradually indoctrinates these people against everything the left stands for. In this sense, the alt-right is quite literally beating us at our own game. Only that it’s not a game, and that it has major real-world consequences for a LOT of people.

--- *I think separating the person from their ideas/behaviors on an individual basis, like is recommended when one person in a relationship wants to address a behavior their partner has that really bothers them, is a very useful framework through which to discuss social issues with the alt-right.

I think that, because their ideology is something we dislike and disagree with so strongly, it’s very easy to couple it with them as people, and demonize the whole package. But what we’re really fighting against are their ideas. Their ideas, and the actions they take to make those ideas a reality, are what make us dislike them. If they didn’t have those ideas, and didn’t act on them, we wouldn’t dislike them, at least not the way we do now. If they didn’t have the ideas that make them alt-rightists, they wouldn’t be alt-rightists; they’d be something else (maybe even leftists). This pushback and fight against the alt-right that’s going on is really a pushback/fight against their ideas much more so than the people as divorced from those ideas, if that makes sense.

We tend to habitually couple people to their ideologies, and though I understand why we do it, I think it may be useful to decouple the ideology from the people. If nothing else, that makes it easier to address the ideology without getting caught up in various personal accusations and defensiveness, which tend to immediately stonewall constructive discussion. I think such decoupling would also really help with the humanizing I mentioned above.

[phanwritings]

Send A Postcard

Tittle: Send A Postcard

Word count: 1.4K

Summary: Dan and Phil were two teenage boys living in the 1960s. Oh, and they kissed at a time where homosexuality was illegal.

Warnings/TW: Use of the q**** slur, mentions/implications of sex, birth control mention.

A/N: I have done so much research for this and I found out a lot of cool things. First, FrostyO's were an actual cereal in 1963 (idk when they came off market) and it was basically honey nut cherrios covered in sugar. Incredible. Second, women weren't allowed birth control! A lot of protests for birth control were going on during the time that this fic takes place. Third, homosexuality between guys was illegal (I knew this), but not between lesbians. Kind of weird, right? It was just heavily disapproved between the gals. Also, I'm not the proudest of this fic but I want to post it anyways. I would feel bad letting it go to waste. Sorry for the super long a/n.

*

"Hush, they can't hear us or we'll be caught," Fifteen year old Dan said, pulling his best friend, Phil, through his window. It was 1967 and the boys were doing what they did every Saturday night. "Come on, don't wake my parents up."

Phil finally made it into his room, his chest collapsing against Dan's as he held him up. They were doing their usual night routine - sneaking into each other's rooms on the weekend and kissing until midnight. It was illegal and risky, but they were teenagers, what did you expect them to do?

Phil stood up properly, still as close as ever to Dan. They backed up to his bed, falling onto it.

It was a practiced routine, one that had been perfected over time.

*

Phil always left by midnight. They were always at risk by just sneaking into their houses, they couldn't risk falling asleep in the same bed.

Dan opened his eyes slowly, automatically stretching as he woke up. The sun was pouring into his room and the clock on his nightstand told him he had only thirty minutes until he had to leave for church. Dan didn't dislike church, he believed in God and figured that He didn't hate him for how he felt for Phil. He just didn't like getting up earlier than he had to on Saturday to go sit in a stuffy church for a few hours. The good part was that Phil's family (the Lesters) always sat next to his family. It made things more enjoyable.

He got up and picked out his best clothes, slinging them over his arm and walking into the bathroom. He quickly showered and washed his face, slipping into his clothes afterwards. He rushed downstairs to have a bowl of FrostyO's - his favorite cereal - before climbing into the car with his brother and parents.

The car ride to church was only ten minutes or so. He spent most of it gazing outside of the window. They came to a stop at an intersection. Dan looked through the wind-shield where a cluster of women - and some men - were marching with signs. "Oh, I wish they wouldn't protest on a Sunday," His mother mumbled. "It's the Lord's day, they shouldn't be asking for birth control on a Sunday of all days." His father nodded as he drove the car around the mob of people and continued on the road to the church. Dan looked at everyone as they drove by. He kind of wished he could be with them.

They finally reached the church and sat down in a pew. Phil came in a few minutes after them and service began shortly after that. The preacher droned on and on like he did every Sunday and after an hour and a half they closed with a prayer and they were dismissed. Dan and Phil eagerly asked if they could go outside and play with the other boys in the field outside the church. Once given permission, they rushed outside to play ball.

"There was a big march on the way to church," Dan commented as he threw the ball to Phil. He caught it and tossed it back to him. "I kind of wish that I could've joined them."

"My dad said they shouldn't be marching at all," Phil replied. "He said they should be happy enough that they can still work after the war. He thinks they should all stay at home and take care of the children." Dan rolled his eyes, catching the ball as Phil threw it again.

"Why are women any different though?" Dan asked, really thinking about it. His mom wasn't even allowed a credit card, it was a bit crazy. He didn't really understand.

"It's because they get crazy, you know? At least that's what my dad said." Phil said.

"You should try thinking for yourself, I'm sure your dad isn't always right." Dan retorted. Phil laughed and Dan threw the ball again.

"Don't let him hear you say that, he'll have more reason to dislike you." Phil mentioned.

"I thought he liked me?" Dan questioned, not realizing that Mr. Lester held something against him.

"He doesn't dislike you, he just thinks you're a queer." Phil mumbled, making sure the other boys didn't hear.

"I mean, he's not wrong," Dan muttered, matching Phil's quiet tone. "What does he think about you?" Phil shrugged.

"I don't know."

*

Another week passed and this time Dan was the one squirming through the window. They didn't always make-out, sometimes they would just talk more. They were in the same classes at their school and endless tales of gossip.

"Did you hear that Ms. Wright got fired for being a dyke?" Was the first thing that Dan said when he landed on Phil's bed, which was pressed against the wall underneath the window. It made climbing in and out a whole lot easier.

"I thought she got fired for something else," Phil said as he continued to read his book.

"No, and that's not even the most important part," Dan said, feeling smug when Phil finally looked at him. "The school is taking the case to court because she claims its illegal to fire someone based on who they sleep with. It's not illegal for girls to sleep with girls."

"Lucky." Phil muttered.

"Phil, that's not the point!" Dan inched closer to Phil, to the point where they were side by side. "People are starting to fight for queers rights, this is important! It might not be illegal anymore." Phil didn't bother with a reply and instead just kissed him. Dan took what he could get.

*

"Why are you here so early?" Dan asked, surprised to see Phil crawling through the window.

"Guess you didn't want to see me then?" He said, teasing.

"No, I just don't want to risk getting caught," He replied. "We haven't even had dinner yet." Phil waved away his concerns and pulled him by his hands to his bed. Phil sat on the edge of the bed, Dan kneeling between his legs. Their mouths lined up perfectly when they sat like that.

They kissed for a few minutes, ears practically deaf to the world. They were so into it they didn't hear the door creaking open.

"Dan - woah, Dan?" Said his older brother. Dan pulled back from Phil, eyes wide.

"Don't tell mom and father, please, I'll do anything, just don't tell them." He begged, standing up to walk close to his brother.

"I won't, but why are you kissing Phil, he's a boy?" Dan shrugged. He couldn't really explain it.

"Just don't tell anyone." He said quietly.

*

It was a year later, they were both nearly seventeen and still climbing through windows on the weekends. It was the summer of 1968 and more and more women were starting to protest the unfair way they were treated. Dan admired them for what they were doing.

Phil and Dan hadn't done anything other than kiss and say "I love you," but Dan had a feeling that would probably be changing in the near future.

*

Every newspaper was reporting on it: The Stonewall Raid. Dan's father openly bashed the queers that were caught in the raid. Dan instead was empowered by the articles. He told Phil everything he had learned - which was a lot - and clipped out parts of newspapers to hide under his bed.

"Phil, we could run away to New York City. They ave these things that they call 'gay villages' there, we could pretend to be roommates or something!"

Phil looked at him with a sad smile on his face. Dan could feel his heart drop. "Dan, you know I can't. My father already thinks that I might be queer, I don't need to give him more reason to believe that. If I went with you I would basically be disowning myself from my family."

"You don't need your family, you have me." Dan argued, grasping Phil's hands. Phil shook his head.

"I'll always be here for you, but I'll be here. I can't go to the city with you, I'm sorry."

Dan looked at his best friend of five years, his boyfriend of sorts for three years. He wanted to stay with him, he really did, but he couldn't stay here. He took his face in his hands and kissed him on the mouth.

"Okay, I love you," He said, waving to Phil as he climbed out the window. "I'll send a postcard."

Phil just gave him a watery smile, waving to him.

The next day Dan packed most of his belongings into two suitcases and bought a train ticket. He had money saved from working in a McDonald's.

He was determined to live in New York City. But, he would miss Phil.

[argotmagazine-blog]

Still Standing: Celebrating Pride When You Don’t Feel Like It

I’ve been giving a lot of thought about what I want to say about Pride this year, or whether or not I need to say anything at all. The truth is that I’ve been wallowing a bit lately, specifically about what my life would look like if the current state of our world didn’t feel so bleak. With climate change, impending war, reproductive rights restrictions, it can feel like every day comes with a new wound, a new barrage of thoughtless comments, and injustices to deal with.

As someone who cares a lot about my writing, this often means thinking about how much more I could accomplish if I didn’t have to deal with the daily awfulness that comes from witnessing the rise of public acts of homophobia, racism, and sexism.  

Of course I recognize how privileged I am. I can pass as straight, and I am lucky enough to call     two really special cities home. New York and Los Angeles can be more inclusive than most places in the United States. However, over the past four years, it doesn’t always feel that way. This year has been particularly tough with random moments of aggression. As I was leaving the local grocery store in my normally very warm neighborhood, a passerby called me something incredibly racist and sexist. Recently, a Pride flag was burned outside of a gay bar near where I live. 

While moments like these are rough, what stuck out this time was the fact that, when I got home, it was difficult for me to focus on anything else. I was exhausted from the experience. An encounter which only took about 30 seconds ended up wiping me out for the rest of the day. 

And I’m one of the lucky ones! There are people who are dealing with oppression based on class, education, gender identity, and disability who have to deal with so much more than I do. 

One of the things that people tend not to factor into their understanding of the reality of inequality is the amount of emotional energy it takes just to get through the day. That moment of racism (even a casual one) takes time to process and move past. Living as someone different in this world means having a lot of baggage to carry, whether I am carrying the weight of something that happened to me, something that happened to a friend, or something I have heard happen on the news.

 As reports of hate crimes are rising in New York and the Trump administration is rolling back Obama era legislation, just getting through each day seems to be the best thing we can do. But I’m still stuck on the question of what we could be capable of if we didn’t have to bear the staggering weight of injustices that most everyone else refuses to acknowledge? 

There’s been a lot of talk about what Stonewall 50- World Pride is supposed to be on the anniversary of a riot led by brave trans women of color putting their lives on the line, specifically on whether or not it is appropriate for the leather community to attend or for there to be so much corporate commercialization of the event. These are really important conversations to be having, and I’m glad that they’re being had. But my mind hasn’t really been there. Instead, I’ve been thinking about what Pride represents for me.

My first Pride took place on the morning after the Pulse shooting in Orlando. I had only been out for a couple years at that point, and it was the first year that I felt ready to reach out and be a part of the community. In a lot of ways, it ended up being a funeral march, and I realized that being a part of this community means feeling and facing adversity together.      

Over the past fifty years, New York Pride has grown to become something celebratory, which I think is wonderful. In world that flattens our difference, I think it is important to have a time to celebrate our complexity in the varied lives we lead. But I haven’t been feeling very celebratory. I’ve been feeling tired. 

I was pretty conflicted when deciding whether or not I should go to the big Stonewall 50- World Pride event this year. I could just picture the amount of difficulty it would be to get downtown, to brave the heat and the inevitable Bad Experience that always seems to happen when so many people gather in one place (DC Pride’s recent active shooter scare for example). More importantly, I wasn’t quite sure what the point of my attending would be. I normally do tabling work for a non-profit I volunteer for, but this year there isn’t going to be a table. And I don’t      want to go with friends and end up being a dampener their celebration because I don’t feel like wearing glitter this year. 

 Yet, after remembering my first Pride and the importance of experiencing things together, I’ve decided to go anyway. I’m still not sure how I will feel when I attend, but I ended up realizing that it’s okay to have mixed feelings.  

Our lives are going to be filled with good and bad days. We can’t sit around waiting for the bad days to end before we begin our lives because of the possibility the bad days will never really go away. Addressing those bad days together with our community will always be better than addressing them alone. 

It’s important to take time to mourn the parts of ourselves that are lost because of what we sacrifice to survive. However, it is equally important to recognize in the face of violence, societal inequality, homophobia (both external and internalized), racism, and sexism, we’ve created our chosen families. We’re resilient and we exist despite all the people who want us to go away. 

We’re still breathing and singing and writing and living. And whether or not it feels like a win in the moment—it is, and we should take the time to acknowledge that and celebrate it.      

So that’s my theme for Pride month this year.

And since I just went to see the truly splendid Rocketman, this is going to be my theme song.

Tiffany Babb is a New York based writer. Her poetry has been published in Argot Magazine, Third Wednesday, and is forthcoming in Cardiff Review. Her comics criticism has been published in PanelxPanel, The MNT, and Women Write About Comics. You can find more of her work at www.tiffanybabb.com

[marymosley]

Recap: 50 years of LGBTQ+ Revolution Across the Globe

Before talking about the LGBTQ revolution, not more than 20 percent of the world’s population is aware that this abbreviation, commonly referred to as the ‘LGBTQ’ is not just it, it actually is LGBTQIA+, where Q stands for queer, I stands for intersex, A stands for ally, and the plus symbol that has defeated stereotypes is for anyone other than these category, worthy of living a life as a normal person and not to be looked down upon by the society.

Earlier, Q meant “questioning” for the people who were uncertain of their gender identity and sexual orientation, but with time, it has casted off its dergoatory essence and has started to be termed as ‘queer’. These letters were an advancement or evolution so to speak towards incorporation – a development in the language used to identify a divergent cluster of people that had regularly quite recently been classified “the gay community.”

Fifty years back,  the now positive LGBTQ development groups burst onto the scene. Mass displeasure at the suppression of LGBTQ individuals had been rising under the surface. It detonated at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City’s Greenwich Village. A standard police strike on June 28, 1969 swelled into a five-day rebel movement in the lanes that sent resonations of “Gay Power” over the world.  Roused by the gigantic movements occurring in the public arena at the time with the dark opportunity and female’ freedom developments, the Stonewall mobs fought a battle against the framework for the privilege to live straightforwardly and securely. Stonewall was a defining moment for LGBTQ battle in the U.S. Moreover, Stonewall was not the first of these mobs; earlier instances of rioting by comparative clashes between the LGBTQ people group and the police over the U.S. all through the 1960s, incorporating encounters in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Philadelphia.

Stonewall was a critical point of change in this political network. It plotted the scope of political issues of LGBTQ activists during the 1960s, including harrasment by police, abuse and exploitaion, oppression of homosexuality and the bad form of sodomy laws. It likewise called upon the mass of the LGBTQ group to get politically included, seizing on Stonewall as a motivation to rally – and subsequently encouraged us to better comprehend, after 50 years, the importance of that rebellion and the need of the hour. It was anything but a start, as it appeared  however it was the beginning of something new.

On Saturday, June 27, 1970, Chicago Gay Liberation held a walk from Washington Square Park to the Water Tower at the crossing point of Michigan and Chicago roads, which was the course initially arranged, and after that a large number of the members spontaneously walked on to join the march. The date was picked in light of the fact that the Stonewall occasions started on the last Saturday of June and on the grounds that coordinators needed to achieve the greatest number of Michigan Avenue interestees.The following year, Gay Pride walks occurred in Boston, Dallas, Milwaukee, London, Paris, West Berlin, and Stockholm. By 1972 the active urban communities included Atlanta, Brighton, Buffalo, Detroit, Washington D.C., Miami, and Philadelphia, just as San Francisco.

The month of June was picked as LGBT Pride Month to celebrate the Stonewall riots, which happened towards the last days of June 1969. Therefore, many pride occasions are held (now even with active participation in our own country, India) during this month to perceive the effect LGBT individuals have had on the planet.

Active Opposition

Spain– In a 2008 meeting for the book ‘The Queen Up Close’ by Spanish columnist and author Pilar Urbano, Queen Sofía of Spain started off a debate by voicing her objection to LGBT pride notwithstanding her official obligations as an individual from the Royal Family by rebuking the Spanish Law on Marriage.

Turkey– In 2015, after the police faced itself defeated in front of the mob, they used tear gas and rubber bullets as a peacekeeping move. Similarly in the consecutive year, the Governor Office in Istanbul did not allow pride parades to be held under the pretext of securing national peace and security.

Such instances are countess, disheartening and aggravating.

In the wake of recognizing that circumstances are different significantly for its own betterment, there are still “guardians who feel their gay children are genuinely sick or mental”, andl therapists over the world who stick to the old view that homosexuality is a “psychological sickness”.

The Indian Perspective 

Today, although the Supreme Court of India, has in a landmark judgement in the case Joseph Shine v. Union of India, has decriminalised homosexuality under section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, it is only a first stepping stone towards acheiving acceptance of homosexual people by the Indian society. Following is the summary of some landmark cases in which the judges have opined in favour of the LGBTQIA+ community.

In the case- National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India and others, it was laid down that “gender identification is an essential component which is required for enjoying civil rights by the community. It is only with this recognition that many rights attached to the sexual recognition as ―third gender‖ would be available to the said community more meaningfully viz. the right to vote, the right to own property, the right to marry, the right to claim formal identity through a passport and a ration card, a driver‘s licence, the right to education, employment, health and so on

Joseph Shine v Union of India- The then Chief Justice of India, Justice Dipak Misra said, “Section 377 is irrational, arbitrary and incomprehensible as it fetters the right to equality for LGBT community. LGBT community possesses the same equality as other citizens. The right to privacy as part of right to life applies fully to the LGBT community.”

“Punishment under Section 377 made the LGBT a closeted community, destroyed the identity of members and reached their dignity, all part of right to life. The state has no business to get into controlling the private lives of LGBT community or for that matter of any citizen.”- said Justice D. Y. Chandrachud.

Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India- Navtej Johar, a dancer who identified himself as an individual belonging to the LGBT community filed a writ petition before the Supreme Court, challenging the constitutionality of section 377, and demanding “recognition of the right to sexuality, right to sexual autonomy and right to choice of a sexual partner to be part of the right to life guaranteed by Art. 21 of the Constitution of India”.

The bench delivered a judgement relying on the principles of “transformative constitutionalism and progressive realization of rights to hold that the constitution must guide society’s transformation from an archaic to a pragmatic society where fundamental rights are fiercely guarded”. The bench further stated, “constitutional morality would prevail over social morality”.

In recent times, the Courts have laid emphasis on the fact that being a homosexual is not an aberration but a variance of sexual orientation. So what if a person is not “straight” and belongs to the LGBT, what is the logic behind not accepting him or her as a normal individual. Who has given the society the right to seclude such people, violate their fundamental rights, and look down upon them?

Unnoticed, yet essential facets of the LGBTQIA+

LGBTQ+ individuals have dependably been at pop’s gunpoint, as entertainers and spectators. The historical backdrop of popular music is strange history. Blues originators like Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith, both transparently and openly bisexual, helped plant the foundation stone of what might move toward becoming R&B and rock’n’roll.

During the end of the Great Depression in the mid thirties, the people in charge closed down many of the gay clubs and officially criminalized gay sex at a scale that had never before been seen.The “coming out of the closet”, which hadn’t even existed as everyone knows it now, slammed shut. Nevertheless, it did not stop musicians from shaping the pop LGBTQ culture. Following is a list of songs that have had an impact on a landmass of people who used to be stereotyped-

Roberta Flack -“Ballad of the Sad Young Men”

Wendy Carlos- “March From a Clockwork Orange”

Madeline Davis- “Stonewall Nation”

Lou Reed- “Walk on the Wild Side”

Donna Summer- “I Feel Love”

Fanny- “Charity Ball”

“Rufus was singing to a man. I knew before the song even started. I didn’t have to guess or hope, I didn’t have to work with or bend his music to find myself in it. This was so foreign to me at 16 and was such an incredible, full body-and-spirit relief. He even sounded gay. Beyond what it meant and still means to me, it’s just a brilliant and beautiful record.”

Mike Hadreas on Rufus Wainwright’s “In My Arms”

Sources

https://bbc.in/2WY6164

http://bit.ly/2QTZVhe

http://bit.ly/2WJniQj

    The post Recap: 50 years of LGBTQ+ Revolution Across the Globe appeared first on Legal Desire.

Recap: 50 years of LGBTQ+ Revolution Across the Globe published first on https://immigrationlawyerto.tumblr.com/

[marymosley]

Recap: 50 years of LGBTQ+ Revolution Across the Globe

Before talking about the LGBTQ revolution, not more than 20 percent of the world’s population is aware that this abbreviation, commonly referred to as the ‘LGBTQ’ is not just it, it actually is LGBTQIA+, where Q stands for queer, I stands for intersex, A stands for ally, and the plus symbol that has defeated stereotypes is for anyone other than these category, worthy of living a life as a normal person and not to be looked down upon by the society.

Earlier, Q meant “questioning” for the people who were uncertain of their gender identity and sexual orientation, but with time, it has casted off its dergoatory essence and has started to be termed as ‘queer’. These letters were an advancement or evolution so to speak towards incorporation – a development in the language used to identify a divergent cluster of people that had regularly quite recently been classified “the gay community.”

Fifty years back,  the now positive LGBTQ development groups burst onto the scene. Mass displeasure at the suppression of LGBTQ individuals had been rising under the surface. It detonated at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City’s Greenwich Village. A standard police strike on June 28, 1969 swelled into a five-day rebel movement in the lanes that sent resonations of “Gay Power” over the world.  Roused by the gigantic movements occurring in the public arena at the time with the dark opportunity and female’ freedom developments, the Stonewall mobs fought a battle against the framework for the privilege to live straightforwardly and securely. Stonewall was a defining moment for LGBTQ battle in the U.S. Moreover, Stonewall was not the first of these mobs; earlier instances of rioting by comparative clashes between the LGBTQ people group and the police over the U.S. all through the 1960s, incorporating encounters in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Philadelphia.

Stonewall was a critical point of change in this political network. It plotted the scope of political issues of LGBTQ activists during the 1960s, including harrasment by police, abuse and exploitaion, oppression of homosexuality and the bad form of sodomy laws. It likewise called upon the mass of the LGBTQ group to get politically included, seizing on Stonewall as a motivation to rally – and subsequently encouraged us to better comprehend, after 50 years, the importance of that rebellion and the need of the hour. It was anything but a start, as it appeared  however it was the beginning of something new.

On Saturday, June 27, 1970, Chicago Gay Liberation held a walk from Washington Square Park to the Water Tower at the crossing point of Michigan and Chicago roads, which was the course initially arranged, and after that a large number of the members spontaneously walked on to join the march. The date was picked in light of the fact that the Stonewall occasions started on the last Saturday of June and on the grounds that coordinators needed to achieve the greatest number of Michigan Avenue interestees.The following year, Gay Pride walks occurred in Boston, Dallas, Milwaukee, London, Paris, West Berlin, and Stockholm. By 1972 the active urban communities included Atlanta, Brighton, Buffalo, Detroit, Washington D.C., Miami, and Philadelphia, just as San Francisco.

The month of June was picked as LGBT Pride Month to celebrate the Stonewall riots, which happened towards the last days of June 1969. Therefore, many pride occasions are held (now even with active participation in our own country, India) during this month to perceive the effect LGBT individuals have had on the planet.

Active Opposition

Spain– In a 2008 meeting for the book ‘The Queen Up Close’ by Spanish columnist and author Pilar Urbano, Queen Sofía of Spain started off a debate by voicing her objection to LGBT pride notwithstanding her official obligations as an individual from the Royal Family by rebuking the Spanish Law on Marriage.

Turkey– In 2015, after the police faced itself defeated in front of the mob, they used tear gas and rubber bullets as a peacekeeping move. Similarly in the consecutive year, the Governor Office in Istanbul did not allow pride parades to be held under the pretext of securing national peace and security.

Such instances are countess, disheartening and aggravating.

In the wake of recognizing that circumstances are different significantly for its own betterment, there are still “guardians who feel their gay children are genuinely sick or mental”, andl therapists over the world who stick to the old view that homosexuality is a “psychological sickness”.

The Indian Perspective 

Today, although the Supreme Court of India, has in a landmark judgement in the case Joseph Shine v. Union of India, has decriminalised homosexuality under section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, it is only a first stepping stone towards acheiving acceptance of homosexual people by the Indian society. Following is the summary of some landmark cases in which the judges have opined in favour of the LGBTQIA+ community.

In the case- National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India and others, it was laid down that “gender identification is an essential component which is required for enjoying civil rights by the community. It is only with this recognition that many rights attached to the sexual recognition as ―third gender‖ would be available to the said community more meaningfully viz. the right to vote, the right to own property, the right to marry, the right to claim formal identity through a passport and a ration card, a driver‘s licence, the right to education, employment, health and so on

Joseph Shine v Union of India- The then Chief Justice of India, Justice Dipak Misra said, “Section 377 is irrational, arbitrary and incomprehensible as it fetters the right to equality for LGBT community. LGBT community possesses the same equality as other citizens. The right to privacy as part of right to life applies fully to the LGBT community.”

“Punishment under Section 377 made the LGBT a closeted community, destroyed the identity of members and reached their dignity, all part of right to life. The state has no business to get into controlling the private lives of LGBT community or for that matter of any citizen.”- said Justice D. Y. Chandrachud.

Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India- Navtej Johar, a dancer who identified himself as an individual belonging to the LGBT community filed a writ petition before the Supreme Court, challenging the constitutionality of section 377, and demanding “recognition of the right to sexuality, right to sexual autonomy and right to choice of a sexual partner to be part of the right to life guaranteed by Art. 21 of the Constitution of India”.

The bench delivered a judgement relying on the principles of “transformative constitutionalism and progressive realization of rights to hold that the constitution must guide society’s transformation from an archaic to a pragmatic society where fundamental rights are fiercely guarded”. The bench further stated, “constitutional morality would prevail over social morality”.

In recent times, the Courts have laid emphasis on the fact that being a homosexual is not an aberration but a variance of sexual orientation. So what if a person is not “straight” and belongs to the LGBT, what is the logic behind not accepting him or her as a normal individual. Who has given the society the right to seclude such people, violate their fundamental rights, and look down upon them?

Unnoticed, yet essential facets of the LGBTQIA+

LGBTQ+ individuals have dependably been at pop’s gunpoint, as entertainers and spectators. The historical backdrop of popular music is strange history. Blues originators like Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith, both transparently and openly bisexual, helped plant the foundation stone of what might move toward becoming R&B and rock’n’roll.

During the end of the Great Depression in the mid thirties, the people in charge closed down many of the gay clubs and officially criminalized gay sex at a scale that had never before been seen.The “coming out of the closet”, which hadn’t even existed as everyone knows it now, slammed shut. Nevertheless, it did not stop musicians from shaping the pop LGBTQ culture. Following is a list of songs that have had an impact on a landmass of people who used to be stereotyped-

Roberta Flack -“Ballad of the Sad Young Men”

Wendy Carlos- “March From a Clockwork Orange”

Madeline Davis- “Stonewall Nation”

Lou Reed- “Walk on the Wild Side”

Donna Summer- “I Feel Love”

Fanny- “Charity Ball”

“Rufus was singing to a man. I knew before the song even started. I didn’t have to guess or hope, I didn’t have to work with or bend his music to find myself in it. This was so foreign to me at 16 and was such an incredible, full body-and-spirit relief. He even sounded gay. Beyond what it meant and still means to me, it’s just a brilliant and beautiful record.”

Mike Hadreas on Rufus Wainwright’s “In My Arms”

Sources

https://bbc.in/2WY6164

http://bit.ly/2QTZVhe

http://bit.ly/2WJniQj

    The post Recap: 50 years of LGBTQ+ Revolution Across the Globe appeared first on Legal Desire.

Recap: 50 years of LGBTQ+ Revolution Across the Globe published first on https://immigrationlawyerto.tumblr.com/

[marymosley]

Recap: 50 years of LGBTQ+ Revolution Across the Globe

Before talking about the LGBTQ revolution, not more than 20 percent of the world’s population is aware that this abbreviation, commonly referred to as the ‘LGBTQ’ is not just it, it actually is LGBTQIA+, where Q stands for queer, I stands for intersex, A stands for ally, and the plus symbol that has defeated stereotypes is for anyone other than these category, worthy of living a life as a normal person and not to be looked down upon by the society.

Earlier, Q meant “questioning” for the people who were uncertain of their gender identity and sexual orientation, but with time, it has casted off its dergoatory essence and has started to be termed as ‘queer’. These letters were an advancement or evolution so to speak towards incorporation – a development in the language used to identify a divergent cluster of people that had regularly quite recently been classified “the gay community.”

Fifty years back,  the now positive LGBTQ development groups burst onto the scene. Mass displeasure at the suppression of LGBTQ individuals had been rising under the surface. It detonated at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City’s Greenwich Village. A standard police strike on June 28, 1969 swelled into a five-day rebel movement in the lanes that sent resonations of “Gay Power” over the world.  Roused by the gigantic movements occurring in the public arena at the time with the dark opportunity and female’ freedom developments, the Stonewall mobs fought a battle against the framework for the privilege to live straightforwardly and securely. Stonewall was a defining moment for LGBTQ battle in the U.S. Moreover, Stonewall was not the first of these mobs; earlier instances of rioting by comparative clashes between the LGBTQ people group and the police over the U.S. all through the 1960s, incorporating encounters in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Philadelphia.

Stonewall was a critical point of change in this political network. It plotted the scope of political issues of LGBTQ activists during the 1960s, including harrasment by police, abuse and exploitaion, oppression of homosexuality and the bad form of sodomy laws. It likewise called upon the mass of the LGBTQ group to get politically included, seizing on Stonewall as a motivation to rally – and subsequently encouraged us to better comprehend, after 50 years, the importance of that rebellion and the need of the hour. It was anything but a start, as it appeared  however it was the beginning of something new.

On Saturday, June 27, 1970, Chicago Gay Liberation held a walk from Washington Square Park to the Water Tower at the crossing point of Michigan and Chicago roads, which was the course initially arranged, and after that a large number of the members spontaneously walked on to join the march. The date was picked in light of the fact that the Stonewall occasions started on the last Saturday of June and on the grounds that coordinators needed to achieve the greatest number of Michigan Avenue interestees.The following year, Gay Pride walks occurred in Boston, Dallas, Milwaukee, London, Paris, West Berlin, and Stockholm. By 1972 the active urban communities included Atlanta, Brighton, Buffalo, Detroit, Washington D.C., Miami, and Philadelphia, just as San Francisco.

The month of June was picked as LGBT Pride Month to celebrate the Stonewall riots, which happened towards the last days of June 1969. Therefore, many pride occasions are held (now even with active participation in our own country, India) during this month to perceive the effect LGBT individuals have had on the planet.

Active Opposition

Spain– In a 2008 meeting for the book ‘The Queen Up Close’ by Spanish columnist and author Pilar Urbano, Queen Sofía of Spain started off a debate by voicing her objection to LGBT pride notwithstanding her official obligations as an individual from the Royal Family by rebuking the Spanish Law on Marriage.

Turkey– In 2015, after the police faced itself defeated in front of the mob, they used tear gas and rubber bullets as a peacekeeping move. Similarly in the consecutive year, the Governor Office in Istanbul did not allow pride parades to be held under the pretext of securing national peace and security.

Such instances are countess, disheartening and aggravating.

In the wake of recognizing that circumstances are different significantly for its own betterment, there are still “guardians who feel their gay children are genuinely sick or mental”, andl therapists over the world who stick to the old view that homosexuality is a “psychological sickness”.

The Indian Perspective 

Today, although the Supreme Court of India, has in a landmark judgement in the case Joseph Shine v. Union of India, has decriminalised homosexuality under section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, it is only a first stepping stone towards acheiving acceptance of homosexual people by the Indian society. Following is the summary of some landmark cases in which the judges have opined in favour of the LGBTQIA+ community.

In the case- National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India and others, it was laid down that “gender identification is an essential component which is required for enjoying civil rights by the community. It is only with this recognition that many rights attached to the sexual recognition as ―third gender‖ would be available to the said community more meaningfully viz. the right to vote, the right to own property, the right to marry, the right to claim formal identity through a passport and a ration card, a driver‘s licence, the right to education, employment, health and so on

Joseph Shine v Union of India- The then Chief Justice of India, Justice Dipak Misra said, “Section 377 is irrational, arbitrary and incomprehensible as it fetters the right to equality for LGBT community. LGBT community possesses the same equality as other citizens. The right to privacy as part of right to life applies fully to the LGBT community.”

“Punishment under Section 377 made the LGBT a closeted community, destroyed the identity of members and reached their dignity, all part of right to life. The state has no business to get into controlling the private lives of LGBT community or for that matter of any citizen.”- said Justice D. Y. Chandrachud.

Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India- Navtej Johar, a dancer who identified himself as an individual belonging to the LGBT community filed a writ petition before the Supreme Court, challenging the constitutionality of section 377, and demanding “recognition of the right to sexuality, right to sexual autonomy and right to choice of a sexual partner to be part of the right to life guaranteed by Art. 21 of the Constitution of India”.

The bench delivered a judgement relying on the principles of “transformative constitutionalism and progressive realization of rights to hold that the constitution must guide society’s transformation from an archaic to a pragmatic society where fundamental rights are fiercely guarded”. The bench further stated, “constitutional morality would prevail over social morality”.

In recent times, the Courts have laid emphasis on the fact that being a homosexual is not an aberration but a variance of sexual orientation. So what if a person is not “straight” and belongs to the LGBT, what is the logic behind not accepting him or her as a normal individual. Who has given the society the right to seclude such people, violate their fundamental rights, and look down upon them?

Unnoticed, yet essential facets of the LGBTQIA+

LGBTQ+ individuals have dependably been at pop’s gunpoint, as entertainers and spectators. The historical backdrop of popular music is strange history. Blues originators like Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith, both transparently and openly bisexual, helped plant the foundation stone of what might move toward becoming R&B and rock’n’roll.

During the end of the Great Depression in the mid thirties, the people in charge closed down many of the gay clubs and officially criminalized gay sex at a scale that had never before been seen.The “coming out of the closet”, which hadn’t even existed as everyone knows it now, slammed shut. Nevertheless, it did not stop musicians from shaping the pop LGBTQ culture. Following is a list of songs that have had an impact on a landmass of people who used to be stereotyped-

Roberta Flack -“Ballad of the Sad Young Men”

Wendy Carlos- “March From a Clockwork Orange”

Madeline Davis- “Stonewall Nation”

Lou Reed- “Walk on the Wild Side”

Donna Summer- “I Feel Love”

Fanny- “Charity Ball”

“Rufus was singing to a man. I knew before the song even started. I didn’t have to guess or hope, I didn’t have to work with or bend his music to find myself in it. This was so foreign to me at 16 and was such an incredible, full body-and-spirit relief. He even sounded gay. Beyond what it meant and still means to me, it’s just a brilliant and beautiful record.”

Mike Hadreas on Rufus Wainwright’s “In My Arms”

Sources

https://bbc.in/2WY6164

http://bit.ly/2QTZVhe

http://bit.ly/2WJniQj

    The post Recap: 50 years of LGBTQ+ Revolution Across the Globe appeared first on Legal Desire.

Recap: 50 years of LGBTQ+ Revolution Across the Globe published first on https://immigrationlawyerto.tumblr.com/

[marymosley]

Recap: 50 years of LGBTQ+ Revolution Across the Globe

Before talking about the LGBTQ revolution, not more than 20 percent of the world’s population is aware that this abbreviation, commonly referred to as the ‘LGBTQ’ is not just it, it actually is LGBTQIA+, where Q stands for queer, I stands for intersex, A stands for ally, and the plus symbol that has defeated stereotypes is for anyone other than these category, worthy of living a life as a normal person and not to be looked down upon by the society.

Earlier, Q meant “questioning” for the people who were uncertain of their gender identity and sexual orientation, but with time, it has casted off its dergoatory essence and has started to be termed as ‘queer’. These letters were an advancement or evolution so to speak towards incorporation – a development in the language used to identify a divergent cluster of people that had regularly quite recently been classified “the gay community.”

Fifty years back,  the now positive LGBTQ development groups burst onto the scene. Mass displeasure at the suppression of LGBTQ individuals had been rising under the surface. It detonated at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City’s Greenwich Village. A standard police strike on June 28, 1969 swelled into a five-day rebel movement in the lanes that sent resonations of “Gay Power” over the world.  Roused by the gigantic movements occurring in the public arena at the time with the dark opportunity and female’ freedom developments, the Stonewall mobs fought a battle against the framework for the privilege to live straightforwardly and securely. Stonewall was a defining moment for LGBTQ battle in the U.S. Moreover, Stonewall was not the first of these mobs; earlier instances of rioting by comparative clashes between the LGBTQ people group and the police over the U.S. all through the 1960s, incorporating encounters in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Philadelphia.

Stonewall was a critical point of change in this political network. It plotted the scope of political issues of LGBTQ activists during the 1960s, including harrasment by police, abuse and exploitaion, oppression of homosexuality and the bad form of sodomy laws. It likewise called upon the mass of the LGBTQ group to get politically included, seizing on Stonewall as a motivation to rally – and subsequently encouraged us to better comprehend, after 50 years, the importance of that rebellion and the need of the hour. It was anything but a start, as it appeared  however it was the beginning of something new.

On Saturday, June 27, 1970, Chicago Gay Liberation held a walk from Washington Square Park to the Water Tower at the crossing point of Michigan and Chicago roads, which was the course initially arranged, and after that a large number of the members spontaneously walked on to join the march. The date was picked in light of the fact that the Stonewall occasions started on the last Saturday of June and on the grounds that coordinators needed to achieve the greatest number of Michigan Avenue interestees.The following year, Gay Pride walks occurred in Boston, Dallas, Milwaukee, London, Paris, West Berlin, and Stockholm. By 1972 the active urban communities included Atlanta, Brighton, Buffalo, Detroit, Washington D.C., Miami, and Philadelphia, just as San Francisco.

The month of June was picked as LGBT Pride Month to celebrate the Stonewall riots, which happened towards the last days of June 1969. Therefore, many pride occasions are held (now even with active participation in our own country, India) during this month to perceive the effect LGBT individuals have had on the planet.

Active Opposition

Spain– In a 2008 meeting for the book ‘The Queen Up Close’ by Spanish columnist and author Pilar Urbano, Queen Sofía of Spain started off a debate by voicing her objection to LGBT pride notwithstanding her official obligations as an individual from the Royal Family by rebuking the Spanish Law on Marriage.

Turkey– In 2015, after the police faced itself defeated in front of the mob, they used tear gas and rubber bullets as a peacekeeping move. Similarly in the consecutive year, the Governor Office in Istanbul did not allow pride parades to be held under the pretext of securing national peace and security.

Such instances are countess, disheartening and aggravating.

In the wake of recognizing that circumstances are different significantly for its own betterment, there are still “guardians who feel their gay children are genuinely sick or mental”, andl therapists over the world who stick to the old view that homosexuality is a “psychological sickness”.

The Indian Perspective 

Today, although the Supreme Court of India, has in a landmark judgement in the case Joseph Shine v. Union of India, has decriminalised homosexuality under section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, it is only a first stepping stone towards acheiving acceptance of homosexual people by the Indian society. Following is the summary of some landmark cases in which the judges have opined in favour of the LGBTQIA+ community.

In the case- National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India and others, it was laid down that “gender identification is an essential component which is required for enjoying civil rights by the community. It is only with this recognition that many rights attached to the sexual recognition as ―third gender‖ would be available to the said community more meaningfully viz. the right to vote, the right to own property, the right to marry, the right to claim formal identity through a passport and a ration card, a driver‘s licence, the right to education, employment, health and so on

Joseph Shine v Union of India- The then Chief Justice of India, Justice Dipak Misra said, “Section 377 is irrational, arbitrary and incomprehensible as it fetters the right to equality for LGBT community. LGBT community possesses the same equality as other citizens. The right to privacy as part of right to life applies fully to the LGBT community.”

“Punishment under Section 377 made the LGBT a closeted community, destroyed the identity of members and reached their dignity, all part of right to life. The state has no business to get into controlling the private lives of LGBT community or for that matter of any citizen.”- said Justice D. Y. Chandrachud.

Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India- Navtej Johar, a dancer who identified himself as an individual belonging to the LGBT community filed a writ petition before the Supreme Court, challenging the constitutionality of section 377, and demanding “recognition of the right to sexuality, right to sexual autonomy and right to choice of a sexual partner to be part of the right to life guaranteed by Art. 21 of the Constitution of India”.

The bench delivered a judgement relying on the principles of “transformative constitutionalism and progressive realization of rights to hold that the constitution must guide society’s transformation from an archaic to a pragmatic society where fundamental rights are fiercely guarded”. The bench further stated, “constitutional morality would prevail over social morality”.

In recent times, the Courts have laid emphasis on the fact that being a homosexual is not an aberration but a variance of sexual orientation. So what if a person is not “straight” and belongs to the LGBT, what is the logic behind not accepting him or her as a normal individual. Who has given the society the right to seclude such people, violate their fundamental rights, and look down upon them?

Unnoticed, yet essential facets of the LGBTQIA+

LGBTQ+ individuals have dependably been at pop’s gunpoint, as entertainers and spectators. The historical backdrop of popular music is strange history. Blues originators like Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith, both transparently and openly bisexual, helped plant the foundation stone of what might move toward becoming R&B and rock’n’roll.

During the end of the Great Depression in the mid thirties, the people in charge closed down many of the gay clubs and officially criminalized gay sex at a scale that had never before been seen.The “coming out of the closet”, which hadn’t even existed as everyone knows it now, slammed shut. Nevertheless, it did not stop musicians from shaping the pop LGBTQ culture. Following is a list of songs that have had an impact on a landmass of people who used to be stereotyped-

Roberta Flack -“Ballad of the Sad Young Men”

Wendy Carlos- “March From a Clockwork Orange”

Madeline Davis- “Stonewall Nation”

Lou Reed- “Walk on the Wild Side”

Donna Summer- “I Feel Love”

Fanny- “Charity Ball”

“Rufus was singing to a man. I knew before the song even started. I didn’t have to guess or hope, I didn’t have to work with or bend his music to find myself in it. This was so foreign to me at 16 and was such an incredible, full body-and-spirit relief. He even sounded gay. Beyond what it meant and still means to me, it’s just a brilliant and beautiful record.”

Mike Hadreas on Rufus Wainwright’s “In My Arms”

Sources

https://bbc.in/2WY6164

http://bit.ly/2QTZVhe

http://bit.ly/2WJniQj

    The post Recap: 50 years of LGBTQ+ Revolution Across the Globe appeared first on Legal Desire.

Recap: 50 years of LGBTQ+ Revolution Across the Globe published first on https://immigrationlawyerto.tumblr.com/