wecankillpeoplenav

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jk rowling: writes a children’s series starring three white heteronormative characters, throws in lee jordan and kingsley so the golden trio can say ‘we’re not racist we have black friends’

rick riordan: writes multiple children’s series featuring queer couples (including a fourteen-year-old boy and two former hunters of artemis whose love was so strong they gave up immortality to be together), a genderfluid character with a romantic story line, a transgender bad guy (loki you charming devil), characters of a zillion ethnicities (egyptian to black american to latino to native american to greek-chinese-canadian to an islamic valkyrie actively observing ramadan traditions), at least one bisexual god (also gods who procreate with mortals and animals in a non-creepy-bestiality way), a slew of disabled characters with ADHD, dyslexia, and a deaf elf whose friends all learned ASL because everyone deserves a voice. also amazons. really badass amazons.

the world: ohmigod harry potter

me: RICK RIORDAN IS THE TRUE HERO OF OLYMPUS

[wecankillpeoplenav]

filed under: major rants

i was recently told that being sickened by trump and his female supporters is bullshit because i ‘have no problem supporting’ bill clinton and his actions. unsurprisingly, it pissed me off. so here’s my response:

when did i say i had no problem with that? when did i ever express support for someone who would commit such an horrific attack on a woman? when have i ever shown the slightest inkling that i’m okay with rampant sexism? that a culture constantly judging women simply for being women, that treats us like sex toys purely existing for the purposes of orgasms and/or procreation, is acceptable? when have i ever given you the impression that i find rape a forgivable act?

was it the time it maybe happened to me, that i believe it did but will never know for sure because the boys kept refilling my jungle juice, which i’d never had, and led to a blackout? where my last memory of the night is kissing a veritable stranger who saw a drunk girl, grabbed her hand, led her to an isolated environment, and told everyone the next day that he’d 'fucked’ me?

oh but that’s on me, right, for being unaware of the potency of the drink and imbibing it just like the guys! cuz you know, guys can drink as much as they like, can get blitzed out of their minds, but if women do it we’re essentially saying, hey boys, i wouldn’t put myself in this situation if i didn’t want one of you screw me. i mean, i obviously did! hell, i all but said out loud that i wanted sex since i was cool getting plastered - with the equally wasted guys - and wouldn’t have chosen to drink if i wasn’t totally down to fuck.

i didn’t say it aloud. you’re aware that silent consent is not a thing, yeah?

or wait, was it the time i was humiliated by a sexist cop because i was wearing a short skirt? welcomed to 'hoochy mama detention’ for dress code violations because my body was a distraction to boys walking the hallways in 'fbi: female body inspector’ shirts, and that i was hindering my teacher’s ability do his job because damn, check out that cleavage?

was it the time i woke up with a man standing over me, a dark shadow with broad shoulders and more muscle than i could ever have, who started pulling down my blanket covers so he could get a better look at my tits which were apparently 'already hanging out’ of my tank, so why not take a closer look? i mean in his defense, it’s not like he was 'touching my nipples.’

if hillary helped cover up bill’s 'indiscretion’ (oh what a laughable term for an evil act) - and i truly know very little about her involvement with that case so i can’t counter your argument - that is fucked up as shit. however, hillary is not the person who forced herself on to, into, an unwilling woman. she did not commit the traumatizing act that has surely haunted that woman since the day it happened. she certainly didn’t say, hey hubby, that girl totally wants it - she’s only screaming and fighting and saying no because she’s a tease.

again, if your accusations are true, that is horrifyingly disgusting and i’d be truly ashamed of her as a person and a female. but to imply that she is in any way at fault for the actions of a grown man who made the choice to violate a woman is twisted bullshit.

but back to your accusation against me: why don’t you tell me about your experiences with acceptable molestation and offer some examples of what i’ve said or done that would ever lead you to the conclusion that i am at all cool with sexual assault, that i would ever blame the survivor, not the rapist, that i’d in any way be 'okay with’ supporting a man who is a rapist? please, enlighten me.

[wecankillpeoplenav]

representation matters

On last week’s 99th episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the precinct’s resident terrifying(ly awesome) Detective Rosa Diaz came out as bisexual.

A handful of words in a scene less than a minute long, a scene thrown in among all the other wonderful scenes that made this landmark 22-minute masterpiece of an episode. It was not a *GASP* cliffhanger moment, and there was no indication that the scene was all that significant - it did not precede a commercial break, which is often indicative of “oh wait- there’s more!” it was simply a moment between two friends, not an epiphany nor a revelation. it was simply a moment of honesty, a few sentences to the backdrop of the Texas Boyles’s cow-orgy soundtrack.

It was two sentences. 

“I’m dating a woman. I’m bi.”

It was classic Rosa Diaz - brief, direct, to the point. And it was so much more.

Rosa Diaz knows she’s a cop. She is the kind of woman who does own an axe. She knows everything about bikes and is highly (frighteningly) proprietary of her own. She oozes swagger and knows she’s a badass. She’s very aware that she scares people, and she likes it that way.

Of course, if people are scared of you, they won’t push against your boundaries. That, too, is classic Diaz. She’s erected a barbed wire fence around the human part of her and is all cop.

In the first two seasons, Rosa’s running gag was the fact that no one knew where she lived, or ‘any details about my life.’ 

She wasn’t a standoffish character nor was she a passive observer; she definitely involved herself and joined in the fun and games the precinct is famous for (”Jimmy Jabs! Jimmy Jabs!”). She was always daring, rebellious, and famously has blood on all but one of her vast collection of leather jackets. She’s always been funny in a deadpan sort of way - ‘RoboCop. I love that movie. It has everything I like. Gratuitous violence.’ She is very matter-of-fact and practical, two attributes that work well to cover any possible show of softness.

From the start, Diaz believed in and loved the squad as a whole, although it could be argued that if she did venture so far as to name any of them a friend, it would be her Police Academy buddy Jake Peralta of the thousand push-ups. We did watch as she developed a reluctant but obvious affection for fellow detective Amy Santiago’s Amy-ness. Her Sergeant, the amazing Terry Jeffords, was always determined to get closer to the real Rosa Diaz. Colleague Charles Boyle, whose initial over-the-top, never-to-be-requited love for Rosa somehow went from creepy fanatic wannabe lover to someone who is now one of Rosa’s closest friends on the show, with Charles all sweetness, Diaz all snark. Gina makes her laugh, Hitchcock and Scully make her threaten them with myriad sharp implements, and Captain Raymond Holt inspired great respect, from a distance. She was never the eager-to-build-closeness kind of character. She appreciated the rest of her squad, but never seemed to actively encourage a depth of friendship beyond serving and protecting together. 

We knew she lived close enough to the station to squeeze in a shower when, in 48 Hours, Jake screwed up everyone’s weekend by jumping the proverbial gun on an arrest with no evidence. We knew, based on a brief flashback and offhand comment, that she chose Amy’s Thanksgiving celebration over her own sister’s because she had zero desire to attend the latter, which appeared fairly torturous and uncomfortable. We learned about her deep dark past as a ballet dancer - but only because Terry refused to let the topic go, and eventually found out that it was, unsurprisingly, that charming Diaz brand of threat and intimidation that derailed her dance career.

We knew Dias was and is viciously loyal, the cop you’d want at your back. She was always the scary-as-hell Detective Diaz, but it has only been over the course of the show that we’ve come to get an understanding of who Rosa is.

In the second season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine we are given two disparate views of Detective Diaz, as a cop and as a girlfriend. First is in ‘The Return of the Pontiac Bandit,’ in which Jake ultimately gives up his dream of catching the devious Doug Judy to help revitalize Rosa’s stagnant task force investigation. What results is a ‘major win’ for her task force, and the squad duly celebrates that win with a drink at their bar of choice, Shaw’s. Here, post-win, she is straight up giddy. Her last scene with Jake features a giggly, smiley Rosa we’d never seen. Jake had never seen this Rosa either - when she says she can’t stop smiling, his face telegraphs his thoughts, which are pretty much ‘What. Is. Happening.’

The squad is aware that Rosa, circa season two, is dating none other than her CO’s nephew Marcus, much to her chagrin (or, more accurately, uncomfortable loathing). Here we get the joy of watching her relationship with that CO as it develops. Rosa is deeply discomfited at the thought of her work life and personal life colliding, but she finds the perfect match in her equally taciturn captain. With Holt, Rosa finds a confidant who will listen to the occasional thoughts and worries she barely manages to discuss. You can see that it physically pains her to address her emotions, and none but Captain Holt can offer her what she needs: someone to talk to who would understand the underlying feelings she so hates acknowledging, but would never presume (or want!) to poke and prod and try making her actually talk about those feelings.

Later in the season, with Boyle’s encouragement, Rosa’s romance with Marcus gradually becomes more serious. By the late season two Boyle-Linetti wedding, Rosa admits to Charles that inviting her boyfriend as a plus-one seemed too... big. But she does it anyway, mid-reception, and upon Marcus’s arrival, she verbalizes her growing feelings by telling him those three magic words.

But she isn’t glowing. She is awkward, unsure, uneasy - the opposite of everything Detective Diaz is known for. She is not celebrating finding love, not like she did the night she celebrated her Giggle Pig Task Force. She is, if anything, scared. Because Rosa Diaz doesn’t say ‘I love you.’ Rosa Diaz doesn’t do emotional bonding. Rosa Diaz doesn’t smile giddily. 

And yet, task force win? Infectiously grinning Diaz. But “I love you”? Terrified, anxious, why-did-I-say-this-emotions-are-stupid Rosa.

When the Rosa-Marcus relationship ends, part of the reason is precisely because of “I love yous” and all that emotional connecting. Hilariously, and sweetly, she and Holt practice acting out the big breakup, and as always, Holt is by her side in his uniquely Holt way. His squad is as much his family as his nephew.

In season three, Jake reveals feeling put-out and hurt that his partnership with Rosa is nothing like that of their Scotland Yard equivalent, the detestable Swedes, who know every horrifying detail about each other. By the episode’s end, Rosa, recognizing Jake’s hurt and wanting, but not exactly knowing how, to ease it, chooses to tell Jake she’s dating someone. 

She has to down approximately five thousand shots of liquor before she’s able to actually tell Jake her new boyfriend’s name, though. 

Later in season three, Rosa experiences a hormone-fueled bout of madness with the brilliantly weird appearance of Adrien Pimento, former undercover agent, current borderline psycho. It’s made clear that Rosa has no problem talking about sex, or about sharing public displays of aggressive affection. The Pimento-Diaz relationship is a sex-charged whirlwind, shocking to the squad (and not a little traumatizing for Terry) as it goes from heated public indecency to full-on relationship, whatever that means in the world of Adrian Pimento. 

At this point, we’ve started seeing more of the layers that make Rosa a person, not just Detective Diaz, but those layers are still coated in teflon. Yes, she will admit that the claim to Robocop being her favorite movie was a lie. In fact, Rosa’s real love is director Nancy Myers’s work. She will also threaten bodily harm if you tease her about her real cinematic love.

Then Pimento is forced to fake his own death, and we see Rosa emoting (albeit in a stilted manner) in front of a crowd of strangers at his ‘funeral.’ She confides in Amy about how worried she is for Adrian, wonders why he hasn’t come back to her, and nearly causes a panic attack for Amy when Rosa looks at her friend and colleague with tears in her eyes.

Season four brings the joyous and creepily-sex-charged return of Pimento. Rosa does love him,  in an entirely dysfunctional way. I personally think his absolute insane (probably PTSD-driven) antics are the appealing factor. After all, he doesn’t know the difference between being hungry and being horny. Pimento is a pedal-to-the-metal type who brings out Rosa’s fun, spontaneous, crazy side. She’s intoxicated by it all, but when Jake and Amy separately confront the couple about not being ready for marriage, Rosa recognizes the truth in Amy’s words. She doesn’t say get aggressive and curse them out or tell Amy to stay out of her life. Instead, she considers what she’s hearing and realizes that (per usual) Amy is dead-on.

So now we have a Rosa who isn’t quite so violent when it comes to other people trying to connect with her, a Rosa who has proven that she is capable of romantic love and is working on navigating its treacherous depths with Adrian. We have a Rosa whose relationship with Holt has strengthened to the point that he asks her for advice, a Rosa who advocates for Amy as union rep, a Rosa who’s memorized an entire monologue from her favorite tv show - and is willing to recite it word for word with Jake at her side.

We also have a Rosa who reaches out a little more. When she becomes convinced that Pimento is cheating on her, she goes to Terry and Amy and willingly shares her fears. She reaches out for help in figuring out the mystery that is pimento. Ultimately, she tells them enough to make her realize she’s concocted a fictional love affair in what’s really an act of self-sabotage. At some point she’s realized that Pimento is passion and paranoia and psychotic hilarity. But none of that is in any way healthy. She doesn’t want this man, but she is unsure of her moves and wants to force his hand rather than reveal her own, thereby creating his imaginary affair.

This is a Rosa who’s discovering what is right for her and what she wants in herself and from others. This is a Rosa discovering that having friends might just be on the “pro” side of life, and that to show emotion isn’t showing weakness. This is a Rosa who recognizes that she gets to make her own life decisions, which includes making the decision to share herself with those closest to her.

And then of course, we have Big House, season five Rosa in prison. It is acknowledged that she spent time in solitary, given ample silence and isolation in which to reflect on who she is. And this self-reflective Rosa, who is, more than anything, lonely, slowly started letting the people who love her get a tiny glimpse of the emotions she’s always been too scared to express.

She showed vulnerability to Terry and Holt while in jail; she showed insecurity over her conflicting feelings for Pimento and actively sought advice from her friends. She rebonded with her family. She actually chose to unzip that leather jacket, revealing the custom family t-shirt and the fact that the shirts were her idea.

As a character, Rosa is at a major turning point. Once no one knew where she lived; now she’s bringing Jake to dinner. Once she answered Kevin’s question about her family with something along the lines of, ‘I have one.’ Now she’s celebrating holidays with that family, and we’re meeting her parents. Once she enjoyed talking about casual sex - never emotional attachment, pure physicality - like when in the very beginning of the show her advice to help Jake get over his slump was flying to Montreal and getting laid. 

And now... now she is WILLINGLY, happily chatting on the phone with her significant other - where once she hated that Marcus always wanted to talk about things. She is easily, naturally saying things like, “I’d much rather be hanging out with you.” TO SOMEONE OTHER THAN HER OWN REFLECTION. She is discovering herself in bits and pieces, and part of the discovery is that (and here I’m leaning on Stephanie Beatriz and her comments about Rosa’s sexuality) she doesn’t have to deny the part of herself that is attracted to both genders. Steph said Rosa’s bisexuality was always kind of there; she plays the character and knows Rosa better than any of us, and she recognized the deep emotional imbalance in her character as Rosa consistently rejected an intrinsic part of herself. Because sexuality is intrinsic. Even for someone who is asexual, sexuality is part of their very identity, albeit in a way different from heteronormative standards. 

Some people are born with crappy vision, some people are born without a sex drive. Some people are born with prodigy-level talent, some people are born ready to love anyone, regardless of something so menial as gender. We’re all born people, though.

Rosa Diaz is gay, and she’s finally ready to let people know. She is finding the courage to acknowledge who she is to a family that (based on the little we know) is very traditional. The character is finding that courage so that she can be her true self without feeling the need to keep any pieces hidden in a security deposit box. Rosa may never be the type to talk about her feelings or to delve, vocally, into her sexual identity, but she is the type to claim it and make it her own. She is pinpointing personal attributes that she perhaps considered shameful and embarrassing and she’s saying - maybe in a whisper, right now, because nothing is overnight - fuck you, world, this is me. I am strong and brave and beautiful for it, and I’m not hiding in the shadows your bigotry casts for another second. I’m embracing every aspect of myself, because there is only one me, and that me has a voice, and even if it’s shaky now, it will grow louder, it will grow harder, I will be a force to be reckoned with.

Rosa Diaz is finding her voice, finding her identity, exploring the depths of what makes her uniquely her.

And that’s exactly what we, as viewers, should be doing.

For those of you out there who are already “over” the Rosa Revelation, who want the LGBTQ+ community to stop shouting pride from the rooftops already... maybe you need a little time in solitary. Start reflecting. Stop getting irritated with the deserved celebration of a bisexual woman of color claiming herself for herself. And maybe think about why you’re bothered in the slightest by the celebrators and the celebration. About why you’re annoyed or feel defensive. Find your mental security deposit lockbox, where your hidden pieces lie. Find the courage of those like Rosa Diaz, like Stephanie Beatriz, and look at all the parts of you. Bring them into the light. You just might see something wonderful.