#two queer interracial relationships

[moonlit-lake-sys]

Just saw Strange World, and honestly, I only had one gripe with it. But it's also a huge one.

Disney? You didn't fucking market this thing. At all. My mom is a HUGE Disney fan and she didn't know about the movie's existence until two days ago when I showed her the trailer.

I went to a theater to see this movie. I went with my mom and one of my brothers. There were maybe around 4 or 5 other people in the entire room. That's it. And this theater isn't small by any means. It's an Emagine. It's a good place.

Sure, it's a late Wednesday night and Thanksgiving is tomorrow, but COME ON. Less than 10 people in the theater? Are you joking?

It's clear to me that this movie was poorly advertised due to its actually good and inclusive rep. An interracial couple, who has a gay teenage son. Their son being gay isn't a lil thing that's mentioned once, it's brought up multiple times and it is more than clear that the son is crushing on another boy. It's treated no different from any other relationship.

Disney, good on you for having a main character be canonically gay and have it be very clear, but also not in-your-face the whole time. You made an actually good queer character.

But Disney? Fuck you for this lack of marketing. You wanted to see this movie fail. If it does, I'll never be over it.

Either way, I'd recommend this movie. I loved watching it tonight. Definitely gonna rewatch it sometime.

[tiredmoonslut]

I just finished S1 of Heartstopper and dare I say it....dare I say it....

I'm gonna say it. This is the sweetest piece of queer media I've ever seen. I'm sure there's more out there, but by god I am floored. Alice Oseman, can I please give you a hug?

I've never seen a show weave so deftly between my expectations. I expected a cute love story, and I got it. But what I did not expect was for the story to be so...graceful.

I'll be honest, at first glance I had low expectations for this show. The growth of queer media since the release of Love, Simon (especially MLM media) is a fantastic thing, and I'm so happy it's happening, but part of becoming mainstream is that a lot of mediocrity will come to fill the gaps. Having no prior awareness that Heartstopper was a comic series (my bad), I'd shallowly judged it as such.

Holy fuck was I wrong oh my fucking god

This show is a gift. And what makes it amazing is, as I said, how gracefully executed it is.

This show writes itself. Two teens meet-cute and have a sweet forbidden love. We all know how that goes. We even know how the gay version of that goes. But Heartstopper? It said "we see you, and raise you this". It is two teens meet-cuting and having a sweet forbidden love. But the show takes one look at all the potential tropes inherent there, and says, "nah".

Case in point. Nick. Fucking. Nelson. You are a national treasure, and I will thank Alice Oseman eternally for bringing you to me, you sweet, sweet boy. Nick's story could have been very traditional, as far as gay stories go. Masc athlete discovers he likes guys and has a crisis. Cue the internalized disgust, angry outbursts, emotional victimization, and relationship toxicity, followed by a hasty resolution that "fixes" the relationship and offers only a mildly satisfying conclusion. But what Heartstopper did so, so beautifully, is make Nick Nelson kind.

It sounds so bare minimum when viewed that way, but that is the problem. Too often in queer stories, it is either A) about the suffering of being queer, or B) about the aftermath of the suffering. Neither is uplifting, optimistic, or even nice to see represented, all the time. We've all lived it. Seeing it told so callously on a screen isn't vindicating. It's rude. Nick Nelson flies in the face of that phenomenon, simply by being kind. He is a masculine athlete who finds out he likes guys and has a bit of a crisis. But he never lashes out at Charlie, never scoffs and says "I'm not gay!", never shouts Charlie down or shames him.

From moment ONE, Nick is completely self-aware. He knows his own confusion could do harm to Charlie, so he doesn't make it Charlie's responsibility. He's proactive. He talks to people. He gets honest with himself. Soul-searches. Opens up to his feelings. Why? Because he wants to be happy, and because he is committed to kindness.

Highlighting that turned Heartstopper from a predictable gay love story into something life-giving, and warm, and adorable, and so unapologetically queer. This was underscored by Elle's storylines. Seeing a black trans girl like myself fit so perfectly into the main cast of characters and be treated with the utmost respect the entire time added years to my lifespan. Seeing an interracial lesbian couple navigate their relationship with such grace was beautiful.

And seeing all of those unique perspectives blend so easily into a unified, unapologetically queer friend group was so accurate to my own experiences as a queer individual that I found myself tearing up as I watched. This is the gooey, dramatic, teeny-bopper queer love story every queer kid deserves to be able to watch, and I literally cannot wait to get my hands on the graphic novels and the next two seasons of the show. I love it so much.

[the-crooked-library]

"You and I Have Begun to Blur"

This is eating my brain from inside, so here's the thing: one of my favourite aspects of Hannigram as a ship is their balance - the way they mirror and complete each other, functionally two halves of the same whole; but what is even more fascinating is that, in a literary sense, Hannibal and Will are, in fact, inspired by two opposing aspects of the same man.

It all begins (like many other things) with Lord Byron; specifically, the summer he spent with a group of friends at Villa Diodati in Geneva, and the dare, that each member of the group would write a ghost story - one of which was Dr. Polidori's The Vampyre. This novella, which introduced the vampire legend to Western popular culture, defined its archetypes for centuries to come; and as such, Polidori's Lord Ruthven, who was based on Lord Byron, became a blueprint.

He is dark, foreign, seductive, dangerous, hypnotizing, hedonistic, possessive; his relationship with the main character, Aubrey, is markedly homoerotic - and these qualities endure as the archetype is passed down the generations. From Ruthven, we get Carmilla, Dracula, Lestat - and, indeed, Hannibal Lecter.

From this:

To this:

he is still, recognizably, a Byronic villain. Whether he operates within an overtly supernatural genre, or a psychological thriller, he is still confident, dominant, manipulative, and always representative of forbidden (queer, interracial, extramarital, etc) desire and temptation.

However, The Vampyre was not the only piece written for the same dare, not the only piece that left a legacy within popular horror, and, most importantly for this context, not the only piece that featured a Byronic character. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein introduced a second such archetype into the gothic genre - inspired by her own understanding of Lord Byron; so, while her Victor Frankenstein shares the same dark hair and pallor as Polidori's Ruthven, there is an ocean of differences between the two.

Victor Frankenstein is a Tortured Genius. He is odd and wild, passionate, prone to isolation; a misfit from the start, always lonely despite the few connections he has, and never truly understood. His intellect is both a gift and the source of his ruin, and he is plagued, in equal measure, by both pride and guilt.

In both looks and character, he passes almost unchanged - from this:

To this:

Even centuries later, he is still the smartest man in the room, he is always tormented, and his counterpart is always a Monster. We see him pop up throughout horror media - as poets, composers, detectives - reflected in Edgar Allan Poe's Roderick Usher, Lovecraft's Henry Wilcox, or Spencer Reid of Criminal Minds. Unlike those of Ruthven's lineage, these people are usually either frail or sickly, socially awkward, uncertain of themselves except for a specific area of expertise, and their sanity commonly tends to be in question.

Despite such differences, though, all these characters are Lord Byron's legacy, weaving their way through history - on the page, on the stage, on the screen, it matters not. By the time they meet again in NBC's Hannibal, they are as separate as two entities can be - yet entwined more closely than any other genre would allow.

Frankly, it drives me feral.

There is so much here to unpack - they are a whole, and yet separate, each with his own archetypal history. Does something within Will Graham's bones remember Frankenstein when he stands in the forensic lab, surrounded by corpses?.. On the Doylist level, does that inform the acting - however subconsciously - in any way?.. Does Count Hannibal Lecter have Lord Ruthven's smile - or Lord Byron's?.. Does he know?

How much is reality?

How much is fiction?

How much is lost through interpretation? How much is remembered? How much does anyone ever really Know us, truly, when two of Byron's closest friends saw entirely different people in him?

I don't know. We can never know. What is evident, though, is that Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham are two halves of the same soul - and that this soul aches to be complete.

[sleepynegress]

Your post about Loustat paralleling Ruby and Christina makes so much sense. I haven’t rewatched lovecraft in a while though what specifically would you say makes them relate?

Whew! Where to start. I feel I probably need to play catch up for Ruby/Christina's dynamic on Lovecraft Country because that's probably the one fewer people who follow me are familiar with so... This is Ruby and Christina:

Ruby is a rock/blues singer in the 1950's Chicago, and like our man Louis, she has done most of the work holding up her family. Also, like Louis, a lot of the challenges she faces are deeply racist, and because of her gender full of misogynoir as well, more than today because of the past setting of the story... Her shade and body type also come into play when compared to what her sister, who is lighter-skinned and thin could get away with in life. Christina is the daughter of the leader of a centuries-old white male-dominated magical cult, in which she is clearly the most talented in wielding magic but she has no say-so and cannot inherit the same privileges because of sexism, something that is *always* intersected with racism which that cult has deeply ingrained traditions in. Despite it all, these two fall in love. The biggest similarities I see in Christina and Lestat are...

both... are not just white but white-white blonde hair blue-eyes.

have a measure of self-loathing because of some trauma devolved from whiteness (Lestat stalked and tortured and piled into a bunch corpsed reflections of himself) and (Christina always considered a "protected" possession beneath white men and not an equal because of her gender)

are powerful supernatural beings, a wizard (I just feel that's the more likely adjective over witch for her) and a vampire

are narcissists

woo and manipulate, seduce, their partners into being with them, by lending their own privilege to give them protection or higher status, via whiteness

both are desperate to connect with their Black partner in ways that are impossible because of innate privilege deferential w/in the times they live and their own psychological shortcomings - Lestat opening the relationship and Christina going through the pain of a "lynching" to try to understand Ruby's day-to-day fear

are ultimately toxic to their partner and all other healthier relationships they have - Ruby's family especially Leti and Louis' family, most importantly Claudia

genuinely love their partner but just don't have the capacity or ability due to past traumas, narcissism, and that huge gulf in empathy for their very different lives.

The biggest similarities between Louis and Ruby are.. that they are broken by racism and the responsibilities of existing and maintaining for others while they are invisible in their plight. Both are uniquely beautifully human, vulnerable beyond what any other people in their lives "see" and that makes them both entrancing and vulnerable to the Lestat and Christina.

These are both queer interracial dynamics that take a really empathic and honest eye to render well, especially in this day and age. Both of these cultural spaces are riddled with discomfort, judgment, and fear, which mostly lead to dishonest depictions; and self-censoring, but they have subverted that for the most part.

Both I would say have been exceptionally well done and if really looked at critically beyond the chemistry and romance, I do think some interesting wider sociological conclusions/implications could be gathered from them. I think that's in part because of the freedom of the genre space. When it's supernatural or fantastical in some way, often the heavier issues are rendered more honestly. I'd absolutely love to read a dissertation really breaking it down.

[desdraculass]

Gotta say, as a black person from the US, i personally appreciate and kind of enjoy the inclusion and and treatment of race in the show. And i know relatability isn't the hallmark of a good character or show or whatever but it allows me to relate to, and feel more sympathy towards Louis as a character more than I could with him in the book because his situation is more complicated and soul-grating than Book Louis could ever comprehend, and I Understand.

And no shame, but if you're white and uncomfortable with race and racism being a factor, i think that is probably a good thing and you should perhaps investigate those feelings a bit. They made the choice to make Louis black and instead of shying away from the obvious tenison that a queer interracial relationship in the 1910s would create, they honored Louis' character and the experience of black people in the US, and embraced it.

I think there is something so powerful in having Louis finally be able to fight back after a life of forcing docility upon himself for the sake of his and his family's lives. It actually kind of reminds me of Gabrielle when she was turned in TVL; the impositions of human society no longer matter so she can dress how she wants, there's no longer anything to fear in the dark. There's nobody to have to make yourself smaller for. But, because Louis is still so tied to his humanity, and him and Lestat want to live within human society (for the time being at least), these are all still things he has to deal with; he still has to play by the rules, and i think reconciling these two lives/experiences is going to become increasingly difficult for him and will serve as one of the main driving forces of his development as a character.

I also find that it lends Lestat's character, and his relationship with Louis, more depth. To put it lightly, Lestat is very out of touch with Louis' situation in a way that I can only imagine a white man being--and his being a vampire and detached from humanity doesn't lend him any help. Disregarding race is only the white vampire's luxury. However, he does love Louis, and I feel them having these conversations about race (and sexuality) provide a great space for Lestat to develop as a character and as a companion/partner to Louis.

And also, during one of Lestat and Louis' confrontations in the iwtv book, i recall Louis saying something to the effect of him feeling like a slave to Lestat and Lestat admitting that he was keeping Louis weak/docile/whatever because it was easier for him to get what he wanted. (Sorry i dont have my copy of the book at the moment, otherwise I'd pull up specific passages). So, from that perspective i think their conversations about race are much more impactful and purposeful than their arguments in the book, which imo seemed to stem primarily from Louis' dissatisfaction with Lestat keeing 'vampiric knowledge' or whatever from him. And personally, these conversations about race are more preferable to me than book Louis, a slave owner, whining that he feels like a slave to Lestat -- just sayin'.

[verdantmeadows]

I've been meaning to post this for a bit, but, in the (live action) TV shows I often see in the background that my mom watches (shows like hospital shows, drama shows), the amount of interracial couples, even if the characters are very racially/ethnically diverse, is incredibly small. Not only that, but black characters usually end up with black characters, latine ones with latine ones, white ones with white ones, Asian ones with Asian ones....and honestly not much consideration for people who might not fit into those categories, but, if they are in the show, almost always with each other. If there is an interracial couple, it is usually of people with similar skin tones. Seeing a dark-skinned character with a light-skinned character is very rare. And this makes me so, so sad. Normalization of interracial couples has so far to go. As a kid, I truly thought it wasn't something most people cared about. But as I've grown older, I've learned that most families do care, whether on a small or large level, if their child is in an interracial relationship. Much of many societies do. Within any group or community of any race/ethnicity, it is almost always generally frowned upon or completely acceptable to make jokes about those or directly to those in interracial relationships.

In my experience with ("Western") cartoons, interracial couples are far more common, although still not as common as I think they should or could be. But I am very happy about every year they get more prominent. I do not usually watch live action TV shows, so I don't have as much experience with them, but I think it's often common for cartoons to be more recognizably diverse in their characters, ranging from things like sexuality, gender identity, disability, race/ethnicity, and more (although this still is far from where it should and could be).

That's just a really long amount of text to preface a relationship that means a lot to me that has come about recently, and is canon. In Fionna and Cake, we see a gay M/M couple, which is incredibly rare in cartoons (and if it does occur, usually only happens between gay dads, for meaningless background characters, or is immediately sidelined—I can only think of one gay M/M couple in "Western" cartoons that isn't the first two and is then immediately sidelined). Gay men (as in all MLM) are incredibly underrepresented in cartoons (and in general). All forms of queer people are, but gay men are noticeably represented less in comparison to other queer people, especially in cartoons.

Not only are they a gay M/M couple, they are also an interracial couple and one with a very visible difference with their skin tones. Marshall Lee is inarguably a black person, and Gary is presumably a white person. And their relationship is so, so cute and healing. They are truly loving towards each other. They are supportive. They are incredibly relevant to the plot, not sidelined, and are given their time to shine. We get to see a visible, gay male, interracial couple. One of them is even likely bisexual, and the other commonly and easily relatable to autistic people. They are an on-screen couple. They are relevant. This is the first time the part of me that's MLM has actually felt and been represented in a cartoon that didn't make me feel belittled or frustrated. I'm so, so happy from this.

I have seen very few people talk about how genuinely revolutionary this relationship is for the representation of queer men and queer men of color as well as for interracial and interracial queer relationships. In fact, I've seen many QUEER people be frustrated or upset by it, feeling as if it takes away from other queer people and queer relationships in the particular show/series, which is disheartening.

However, rather than focus on the negatives (although I think it's important to examine why those might come about), I want to focus on the positives. This is genuinely such an amazing push in representation on so many levels that we have. And I am so, so happy about it. I can't even express it in words. I hope that there are other people out there who realize just how big of a deal their relationship was. I am genuinely astounded by it. I don't have much more to say, so I'll just end this post with an image of them.

[mochinomnoms]

I'm so curious about your thoughts on soulmate au's those are such a guilty pleasure, especially the creative ones

I love soulmate au's so much, omg. It's pathetic, but I like the idea of two people being meant for each other and always drawn to each other.

I think it makes for some excellent world building as well, my favorite ones are where you have romantic and platonic soulmates and it shows. I read a botw one where Link had colored hand marks on him from each of the champions because they were all soulmates as well.

It also is interesting from like a societal standpoint, because if the knowledge that soulmates exist and are accepted widely is true in some of these au's, how does culture and stuff change with that mindset? Are non-soulmate parings shunned at? Is it common to find your soulmate, or is it rare? If it's common, are there like classes or industries dedicated to people finding their soulmates? If it's rare, how do you cope if you have a partner and then find a soulmate? Are you instinctually drawn to the other person or is it just a case of the universe connected you so figure it out?

That, but how does soulmate au's translate into different cultural settings? Especially ones with arrange marriages as the norm. What about a individualistic vs. collectivist culture? Are all cultures expected to now change because of the introduction of soulmates? Are things like interracial, different caste, or queer relationships no longer considered taboo in some places because of soulmates, or are they still looked down on? And then it can also lead to questions about expectations.

If your soulmate is a bad person, such as a violent criminal, are you expected to stand by their side? What if they're like, a fascist??? A dictator??? What if they abuse you, are you expected to stay by their side because "you're soulmates", or can you leave? Are you shunned by society now if you do???

Uggggh there's so much to ask and think about and I love it, but also very simple "we're just meant to be" stories slap too.

[uh-velkommen]

More Thoughts On Gen V:

Mental Health:

I've been watching some reviews on the show and I think one thing that constantly gets overlooked is the conversation around Mental Health. Initially it's Emma who is the purger, her ED is linked to her powers (or so she thinks). Then we learn that its more so about her feeling small, being made to think she is unworthy or nothing. Marie is a self-harmer, whether or not you see it that way, she needs to hurt herself in order to use her powers (for now). It could go one of two ways, she hurts herself and then excuses it as "using her powers" (much like Emma) or it's just a bad habit that is subconsciously linked to her emotions (again, like Emma) and I don't think we'll get a clear answer on that until the next season within The Boys - Cinematic Universe (TBCU). But just think about how many times we see her cut to use her powers in the height of a negative emotion versus when she uses them through other means. Most important of all though: The fact that everyone in The Woods who was given Compound V, has a mental illness or disorder. We know this because Dean Shetty, who runs the thing, talks about her experience as a Phycologist and Sam quite literally has Schizophrenia. She chose to experiment with these children in particular because who would want mentally unstable kids with super powers running around? These kids, to her and the rest of the world, are disposable. They are dangerous, until controlled. Now think about Emma and Marie, aren't they dangerous? Well, no, because their illnesses are "hidden." And it's a perfect commentary on how we talk about mental illnesses today. Everyone wants to raise awareness about mental health until they're met with an illness that has potential to villainize the person who has it.

Gender Queerness:

I love Jordan Li! I think the backstory, having them be Chinese and their Dad sharing how proud he was to have given birth to a son where gender preferences with children is still such a hot topic in Chinese culture, was a brilliant move. I think about how if Jordan had never been given Compound V, they probably still would've experienced issues with their gender identity. The Compound V gave them a gift. (I like to think that Compound V only emphasizes something within the individual, like with Emma and her almond mom or the invisible dude and his perviness but I haven't seen enough evidence to prove this canon). And when Jordan and Marie got together I was so happy to see a Lesbian Protagonist double POC interracial relationship on steroids, except whenever they were together, Boy Jordan would appear and I got mad at the show for being heteronormative. But once again, TBCU came through and gave Jordan the opportunity to talk about how they feel like they have to be a boy for Marie, opening the floor for that conversation to happen between the two sometime in the future. It's a point on having to perform to make other people comfortable. The last thing was something I didn't even notice until Marie pointed out, was how Jordan always turns into a boy when they want to be heard or when they need authority. It's a beautiful note on how aware Jordan is of the privileges that come with passing as a boy. Jordan works with the patriarchy even if not fully intentional. It's the inherent entitlement that is instilled in men and the cultural influences that queer people have to actively unlearn in order to fully be themselves. (Also I feel like I made some poor word choices in the last bit. I'm not anti-men, just couldn't think of another way to say it😅)

Racism:

This part is so simple yet it didn't click in my brain until just now. Throughout the entire show we are being fed the idea that Vought could not have too many POC in the spotlight at once. There's no way a bigender Asian kid could be number one. We can only have one Black person in The Seven at a time. But we're watching this show under the guise that we will get a happy ending. The good guys are going to win this... Did you forget what show you were watching too? Homelander shows up at the end and we think the fighting will stop, until he damn near uses a slur at Marie. The NEW Guardians of Godolkin are two blonde-haired, blue-eyed, do-gooders and we realize that the finale had been foreshadowed the entire time: The minorities can never come on top.

[melliotwrites]

hihi another ghost story question hope u don't mind... from the demos youve posted ive noticed that race is q a big theme in the show? id be really interested in hearing more about it! :)

Yes! The show explores two interracial relationships between Chinese and Polish immigrant men. Anthony (a first-generation Chinese immigrant) and Joey (a fourth-generation Polish immigrant) in 2022 and Józef, a Polish immigrant, and Hao, a Chinese immigrant in 1882. The discussions around race center around standards of masculinity, interracial relationships, and queer desire. It was inspired by queer interethnic intimacies between working class men in the North American West and also bachelor societies. Other central themes of the show are gay masculinity and transness, the desire for queer ancestors, truth vs simplicity, cultural nostalgia, etc. but these are the songs we've been working on first.

[leighlew3]

For some reason I couldn’t send the link of this post but I could download the picture and send it (hopefully)

This is what I was references in that ask to you lol

Ah. And... yeah. A painful and unnecessary creative choice.

Look, overall I'm loving Picard, despite quite a few issues with some creative choices and contradictions, because this nostalgia is incredible and so appreciated and being able to witness these characters in action again has been WONDERFUL.

That being said... well, I'm about to launch into a ramble.

Buckle up, and keep reading if you'd like...

Picard had an ICONIC legacy female character in an interracial wlw relationship with a dynamic new Black female character -- both women over the age of 50 no less, an amazing thing to explore on screen -- and it worked. And so many fans loved it and felt represented and thrilled to kingdom come. And it fit with the Star Trek brand of inclusion and acceptance in a modern society. It also made Voyager fans of 25 years feel vindicated and seen, having Seven not only confirmed as sapphic, but actually exploring it on screen and finding love, even if a "happy ending" for Seven was never in the cards for many reasons, they could have explored why instead of just sweeping it under the rug off screen and reducing it to one awkward glance between them, a joke from Worf, and that was it. Seven and Raffi deserved better. Queer fans deserved better.

Alas, they tossed it in the trash for no valid reason at all, and at the worst possible time in our current social and political landscape of an outdated and frighteningly dangerous resurgence of homophobia, transphobia, etc. Life imitates art, and art imitates life. And thus, now we see conservative-run media companies catering again to the vocal, hateful little groups and extremist far right fear mongers. There is a very obvious bias of late again against LGBTQ content (especially wlw due to the frightening rise in misogyny yet again lately) across nearly every channel and streamer and studio.

For that matter, even beyond LGBTQ stories, there's also a significant reduction in the exploration of ANY sexuality on screen across the board lately, even for cishet couples. We somehow went from Hollywood being absurdly and unfairly exploitive towards women and putting actors in uncomfortable and unnecessary situations, to some sort of bizarre, puritanical, utterly sexless exploration of romance on screen. And even a reduction of romance entirely in many cases, for that matter. We went from one extreme to the other, and it's absolutely nuts.

Anyway, back on the topic of Picard, the two actresses who previously were captains of the ship and ALL about the pairing have since seemingly now had to backtrack, make excuses for this bizarre decision, or just not speak on it at all. And that's beyond sad.

And again, it makes me concerned that if Seven does get her own spin-off or is a part of a new spin-off again, they'd likely not include Raffi nor explore Seven being with women further. Which would just be LITERALLY going backwards in time to the days of Voyager where many (not all) straight male fans tried to claim her as theirs and theirs alone while reducing her to just "the hot Borg in a cat suit" even though everyone else knew she was three dimensional as hell, one of the best written and acted characters in franchise history, and inherently representative of the LGBTQ community.

Anyway, I really really hope they prove me wrong and Saffi get a satisfying ending in this show, and if nothing else, even if they don't have a future together in other series, any other shows at least continue to embrace Seven's pansexuality. It's important.

Alas right now my trust in creatives in the TV space who are under the pressures of conservative-run media conglomerates... is limited. Even once seeming allies are showing sides to themselves lately that are... concerning, to say the least. People who previously would tell incels to F' off, and weren't afraid to stand up to and block phobes on Twitter are now blocking queer fans for just asking "WTF?" about queer favorites being sidelined or ships being tossed in the trash. People who previously seemed to truly see and value queer fans are now bordering on just using them for clicks and stringing them along on likely hopeless efforts regarding show survival. And people who actually do mean well and usually stand up loud and strong for LGBTQ audiences are suddenly growing very, very quiet if not even in some cases TURNING on their queer fans entirely as TPTB remove more and more wlw content from airwaves and streamer services.

It's all very disheartening. As a writer who has had this conversation so often with producers and executives, I GET IT. The fight is NOT an easy one. And most the time inclusion efforts are flat out shot down. But it feels like so few people are walking the talk anymore. People who capitalized heavily on LGBTQ characters and ships and fans for a few years when it was hot are now turning their backs when the going has gotten rough. And that's frustrating for us all.

But, the good news: these things are often cyclical. So if everybody can hang in there, stay strong, and fight the good fight online and IRL, rock the VOTE, etc and drown out the hateful voices that want the LGBTQ community silenced or worse, then I believe we can set (or force, in many cases) the misguided, fearful, extremist-rightwing-catering media companies back to the proper side of history.

[overthegardenwirtt]

books

there are a few books I've read recently, like in the last year, that no one ever talks about. they're not the booktok or tumblr darlings so it's hard to find other people who are interested in them. anyway most of these are at least subtextually queer and written prior to 1970, and those vintage queer vibes go so fucking hard. like once you read pre-1970s queer lit it's really hard to read a modern LGBT romance.

Another Country by James Baldwin. James Baldwin was an actual icon. He lived between New York City and Paris and wrote profoundly human books about race, gender, and sexuality while also being an American civil rights activist and orator. Another Country is Baldwin's third novel, published in 1962. It follows a group of artists in Greenwich Village and their various relationships with one another. It looks at racism, Black masculinity, interracial relationships, homosexuality, and bisexuality, and it explores all of these societal issues through the microcosms of different romantic and sexual relationships between the characters. Baldwin's writing is like Jazz. It is rhythmic, smooth, and breathtaking. If you liked Giovanni's room, read this. It is much more nuanced in its exploration of both race and sexuality.

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K Le Guin. Le Guin's mind is revolutionary. She is everything jk r*wling is credited for, except far better as her most famous books center people of color and androgynous people. She published the first The Earthsea Quartet, a series about a boy wizard at a wizarding school, in 1964 and was never credited as inspiration by r*wling. The Left Hand of Darkness was published in 1969 and won both the Hugo and the Nebula that year. The book follows a human who visits a planet where he finds that its inhabitants are all completely androgynous for the majority of their lives. It is a beautiful exploration of love, trust, and the ability to see past societal conventions to truly love and understand other people.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. Shirley Jackson is perhaps best known for her short story The Lottery, or unfortunately for the incredibly unfaithful Netflix TV adaptation of this novel. Published in 1959, The Haunting of Hill House follows Eleanor Vance, a woman in her early 30s who has about the maturity of a 19-year-old, as she is recruited along with a group of others to live at the mysterious Hill House. The book is essentially psychological horror and follows Eleanor as she is driven mad by her own feelings of otherness and isolation from the world. There is also some incredibly lesbian subtext in the novel between the two female main characters which adds really interesting layers to Eleanor's feelings of otherness. It's a quick and compelling read and gives interesting insight into the lives of two women in the late 1950s who cannot adhere to the standards of womanhood set for them in society.

[mermaidsirennikita]

Fat Heroines in M/F Romance: Quick Recs

For no particular reason, a few books I love where the heroine is described as fat/plus-sized/whatever, may or may not experience weight-related insecurities, but never loses weight and is always seen as super hot, not the girl who just escaped his notice until she glowed up, by the hero.

(I will add that I've definitely read many more books with this kind of rep, but it isn't always as explicit, and I wanted it to be super clear. And I'll probably add on to this later.)

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean. Callie is very clearly fat, and she does long for Ralston from afar... but largely because she was a literal teenager when she first noticed him, and he doing grown man shit with grown women. Once she's in his notice, he is obsessed, and is super worshipful of her body. Never has a man been more upset that a woman bound her breasts; he is PERSONALLY offended. He must heal them! With his mouth!

Brazen and the Beast by Sarah MacLean. Noteworthy for featuring a plus size model on the cover and stepback. Hattie is a total babe, Whit is absolutely about it from the moment he wakes tied up in her carriage, and she ties him up some more after that! I also really love the degree to which Hattie is embraced as a beautiful, vivacious woman who throws this man for a loop.

The Brown Sisters Trilogy by Talia Hibbert. All the Brown sisters are plus size, it's on the cover, and they fall into their own unique love stories. Personally, Act Your Age, Eve Brown is my favorite, but they're all very good.

*Get a Life, Chloe Brown features a heroine who has suffered from chronic pain all her life (and as a TW, the hero is coming off a relationship with an abusive ex-girlfriend) trying to get the most out of life after sitting on the sidelines for years

*Take A Hint, Dani Brown features a queer, witchy heroine and a hero who suffers from anxiety (plus the rare interracial romance with no white people) embarking on a fake relationship after being caught in a compromising situation

*Act Your Age, Eve Brown features two leads who are both on the spectrum as our heroine attempts to "grow up" and ends up ruffling allll the hero's feathers (also, a purply sparkly dildo is utilized super effectively)

All Scot and Bothered by Kerrigan Byrne. Unfortunately not reflected super well on the cover (though it is a beautiful cover otherwise) this book has a heroine who is fat, loves food, and is loved by a giant Scottish motherfucker who watches her eat chocolate and is like "this is the greatest trial God has ever bestowed upon me".

A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone. Heroine is a fat porn star with what is essentially an OnlyFans; she wants to break into vanilla cinema, and gets cast in a Hallmark-style Christmas movie opposite a formerly famous boy bander... who of course, is a BIIIIIG fan of her work. Also, bisexuality galore!

The Truth About Cads and Dukes by Elisa Braden. Our heroine considers herself plain, as does much of society; the hero is NEVER about that life. Before they're even engaged, she goes on a spiel about how he wouldn't understand her inner thoughts unless he's been inside her, and he does have a sadly aroused coughing fit.

Possession by Adriana Anders. Heroine and hero are actors in a PR marriage of convenience, with the specific stipulation that they won't have sex; and then he gets caught fucking a woman on camera, who looks just! Like! Her! Heroine's size is very clear; she's also Latina, and the hero is pansexual. She follows him to ~kink camp~ and they discover that they're actually quite! Compatible! One of the hottest books I've ever read, so body-affirming.

[adhdthomasthorne]

i wish some people in the ghosts fandom (particularly white people) would realise that being so adamantly against people seeing thomas/kitty as romantic can come across as suspicious... especially with the way they infantilise kitty and treat her like a child. people understand the need for queer representation, but don't realise that interracial couples are still discriminated against. people don't have to ship it but i do wish they wouldn't be so dismissive towards people who do.

Idk how much I can say on this as a white person, but yeah, I totally see what you mean, and I've thought the same thing. Thomas/Kitty is probably the most wholesome possible ship between the ghosts, so the fact that some people are so against it is so strange. Some are so adamant that the only possible relationship between the two of them is a platonic one, and a romantic one is unthinkable. Honestly, I really don't get it. There have been hints of Kitty having a crush on Thomas since Episode 1, and almost the entire fandom chooses to ignore it. I remember when I finished Series 3 for the first time, coming to check out the fandom only to find that there was pretty much no content for the two of them together.

Not only is Thomas/Kitty an interracial couple, but it also includes a plus-size woman, and both of them are likely to be neurodivergent (at least the way I see it). Just because it's an F/M ship doesn't mean it wouldn't be good representation for other groups!

Most of all, I just want Kitty and Thomas to be happy. I think their personalities work well together, and their interactions are very cute. They make an adorable pair, and I'm going to keep shipping them no matter what people try and say. As you said, not everyone needs to ship it, it just makes no sense to be vehemently against it.

[monochrome-sunsets]

watching the dragon prince season 4 and i CRIED at the two cakes scene

it's such a little thing but seeing two women, one of whom is disabled, being shown so blatantly in love really affected me. queer couples are uncommon enough as is in tv, but to have an interracial wlw couple where one of them is deaf? god. i'm just. so overwhelmed right now.

and their relationship is so wonderfully written! and it's just. there! it's being treated exactly like any cishet romance would be! and i don't think anything shows that better than the two cakes scene.

[sidmjkgc]

I was on tiktok and I found some interesting takes...

---

Again, the pro in proship is a prefix and it stands for "in favour of", in opposition to anti in antiship that stands for "against of". This is literally basic grammar.

I grouped together these two because they were similar. These are the same take of "metal music turns you into a serial killer who worship Satan" and "videogames make you violent and become a school shooter". Or, you know, the same logic behind conversion therapy. All of this has been proven wrong again and again, yet antis like to think they are oh so different from their conservatives parents.

Ah yes, my favourite take. "Morally wrong" according to who? Homophobes who think that gay people are "morally wrong"? Racists who think that interracial couples are "morally wrong"? Is it "morally wrong" if the two character are from different social classes or religions? Since most of the antis are from the United States of America, I'm guessing we (the entire world) need to follow what's "morally wrong" there. So, which state? The ones who think is "morally wrong" to teach kids about queer people? The states who think is "morally wrong" to have an abortion? Or to own more than an X number of sex toys? Or to do butt stuff? Or to have premarital sex? And is it "morally wrong" to drink before you turn twenty-one? Is it "morally wrong" to not be patriotic and be against the army? And, gasp, is it "morally wrong" to be a socialist and in favour of free health care? Ah, no, we have to follow what's "morally wrong" according to the antis. But which one? The ones who are against two siblings in a relationship, or the ones who think that it's incest when it's two childhood friends that get together? The ones against a minor x adult ship, or the ones against any kind of age gaps? Or the ones who think different heights are "child coded"? Or when neurodivergency is "child coded"? Or is it "morally wrong" to be a teenager with boobs? Forget enemies to lovers, but then is it "morally wrong" if the two characters have a fight and therefore it's "abuse and toxic"? The newest take is saying it's "morally wrong" if the characters have not met in canon or if it's not already a canon ship/a possible canon ship. "Morally wrong" according to who?! Too many variables.