#we speak for ourselves

[clusterjunk]

Hello!

For autism awareness/acceptance I had the idea to write a poem that would be an answer to Autism $peaks hateful "I am Autism" advertisement. (If you haven't seen it please be aware it paints autism in a very unpleasant way and may be triggering to watch.) I wouldn't be surprised if something like this may have been done before but I want to give it a shot anyway.

I wanted this poem to reflect something of all autistic experiences but I'm just one person with one experience and I recognize that I'm coming from a place of privilege as a cis white woman who would be considered low support needs. So if you can't find your voice in this, please feel free to give us your version! I want to hear it. ♡

I hope this poem is empowering and maybe it can even help to heal some of the damage that Autism $peaks has caused.

♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️

We are autism.

Sometimes we show ourselves

loud and proud.

Other times we're scared to be seen

and wear a mask.

But we're everywhere.

We're an important part

of many people.

People of all races.

All gender identities.

All ages.

All cultures.

People you love.

People you hate.

People you think you know,

but don't.

Maybe even yourself.

You just might not see it yet.

And though we are diverse

we find it easy to understand

one another

We speak our own language.

One appreciated and understood

in our community.

Our voices may be loud and fast

or soft and slow.

We might speak a lot or a little.

Using words or symbols,

hand signals or technology.

We all have a voice

and we can speak for ourselves.

Of course we have our struggles.

We're misunderstood

and misrepresented.

Sometimes mocked or even hated.

The cost of living in a world

not meant for us is high.

We don't always fit in.

It can get lonely.

Sometimes it's a battle

that no one else can see.

We are sensitive

and can be overwhelmed by things

you can't even percieve

or don't find distressing in the least.

We often carry heavy baggage.

We're in a chronic state of pain.

Physical or emotional.

We're not always easy to love.

We can be embarrassing.

We can be hurtful

even when we don't mean to be.

We may not always understand you.

We are valuable nonetheless.

We can be incredibly clever, witty,

hilarious.

We stand up for our beliefs.

We're creative.

We have a wide range of talents.

We can craft masterpieces.

We can recognize patterns

and make connections

you might never think to make.

Even though we can be forgetful,

we're still able to memorize

the things we find fascinating.

When we get excited

we can't help but show it.

Though our excitement

may not look like yours.

Our hands flutter, we twirl, dance,

tap our feet, or make happy noises.

We can spend

hours, days, months, years

learning about those things

that make us happy.

Until we become experts.

Until we're a treasure trove

of knowledge.

We pour ourselves into our passions.

The joy they bring us

is unlike anything

and we want so badly

to share that feeling with you.

We try our best in life

with whatever we have to give.

Sometimes it's still not enough.

We wish you would accept us.

We wish you would

listen and understand.

We wish you would have patience

and try to help us

understand you too.

Instead of making us feel

like a burden

and fighting

every little thing about us.

We wish you would try

to carve out a place for us

in your world.

We are autism.

And the truth is:

We're not monsters or demons.

We're not something to be feared.

We're not a disease to be cured.

We may be different and unique,

but in many ways we're just like you.

We want to belong.

We want to feel safe and secure.

We want to be accepted and happy.

We want to be loved and appreciated

for who we really are.

We want to be able

to take off our masks.

We are autism

and we are many.

More of us are found

every single day.

There must come a time

when you realize

that we're important too.

Our experiences matter

and our voices deserve to be heard.

We speak for ourselves now.

Are you listening?

#autism #autism awareness #asd #autism speaks #autism poem #poetry #we are autism #we speak for ourselves #autism awareness month #autism acceptance #autism acceptance month

[dirtytransmasc]

the men and boys are innocent too.

we cry "the innocent women and children" to appeal to the masses, to try and force their sympathy, but the men and boys are innocent too.

I have seen sons crying out for their mothers, their fathers, their siblings. I have seen them break down at the loss of their families. I have seen them cling to their dead and grieve.

I have seen fathers cradle their dead children, seen them kiss their faces and hold their little hands. I have seen them faint with grief when asked to identify the dead. I have seen them carry their sons and daughters. I have seen them fasting to provide what little they can for their families.

I have seen men and boys digging through the rubble with just their bare hands, I have seen them comforting strangers, playing with children, rocking them, hushing them, even if the face of such imminent danger. I have seen them cry, seen them grieve, seen them break down into each other's arms, seen them be selfless, beyond selfless, becoming something I don't have a word for.

I have seen the men who are doctors refuse to leave their patients, even when they have no medicine or supplies to give them, even when they're threatened with bombings. I have seen fathers who have lost all their children pick orphans up into their arms and proclaim them their child so they are not alone. I have seen men and boys digging pets out of the rubble.

the men are innocent too. the men and boys are being hurt and killed too. the men and boys are grieving too. the men and boys are scared too. the men and boys are fighting to save their people too. the men and boys deserve to be fought for too.

#I don't have words to describe how I feel for the men of Palestine #the things I have seen them do after everything they have been through goes so far beyond selfless #what do you call this? this prevailing goodness and willingness to give everything they have and more? what word even touches it? #I don't think there is one #islamophobia has conditioned us to see these men and boys as evil and dangerous #we see this in how we speak about Palestine #and we need to uncondition ourselves #they're just as innocent and of value and good as the women and children #so fight for them #they don't deserve this any more than the women and children #free palestine #palestine

[personthattoleratesme]

We used to be the ones calling out that married couples were dnp coded. Now they’re doing it for us. They’re leaving us with nothing to say they’re stealing our jobs and livelihoods with this behavior it’s unacceptable

#let us say stuff ourselves!! #stop speaking!! #we get it you’re the married couple #dan and phil #dnp #dan and phil games #daniel howell #phil lester #1k

[blakbonnet]

my queers in christ we must fight homogeneity in fandom; it's evil and the death of creativity and a brain killer, we do not want to be smooth uniform identical shiny rocks, reading the same characterisations over and over again, we do not want to reiterate the same takes or the same fics, we want the creepiest weirdos coming up with shit so fantastical that it becomes fantastic, that is the point of it all

#stop with the my take is THE take I'm begging you #stop with the calling beginners out on drawing shit not as close to as original as possible #stop with the calling out writers not writing their fics for you #characters become us when we see them because we see ourselves in our favourite characters #we are going to add us to things #and make them our own #and that's good! #🧎🏽‍♀️ #fandom #stealing fox's tag #but #fandom is suffering #meow speaks

[aromantic-allosexual]

did you guys know that you can actually support aroallo people WITHOUT talking about asexuality and asexuals. did you guys know that you can actually do that. you can actually stand in solidarity with us without saying "and also asexuals"

#sorry if this sounds mean or rude or whatever but like #with all the recent aroallo discourse #its kind of annoying to still have people bring up asexuality as if its the same thing #this conversation we're having is about cishet aroallo men. they need our support. #we owe them a community that uplifts them instead of speaking over them. #this conversation is not about asexuals. pipe down for a second. let us speak for ourselves for once. #aroallo #aromantic

[diggitydangletmelive]

zolu aroace positivity post!!! because if you're aroace and you celebrate the gift that is zolu, I want to share why they mean so much to me as an aroace.

what makes zolu so special to me is because first and foremost, zoro and luffy went out to the vast open seas of the world to chase after their dreams. luffy wants to be the pirate king, zoro wants to be the best swordsman. even after being recruited, even after all they went through, they never stopped having their dreams as the forefront of their characters. but it just so happens that both their dreams are intertwined with each other, the best swordsman in the world's most fitting place is by being right next to the pirate king, and the pirate king believes that he would reach his goal by having the best by his side.

the reason why I believe zoro and luffy's relationship is so strong is because by fighting for their own dreams, they also strengthen their bond with the other. zoro wants to be strong to be the best swordsman, but it's also to protect the crew and to best support luffy as he guns for the title of pirate king. luffy wants to be strong to be pirate king, but it's also to protect the crew, but also? by being strong, he proves time and time again that his crew did not make the wrong decision to follow him, that he is a Captain that deserves to obtain the one piece (i think of luffy aiming to be strong so that his crew will never have to falter about his leadership, especially after water 7).

as an aroace, this feels like the best way to showcase love and devotion and trust with each other. knowing that someone's dream becomes a part of your own, that every time you fight for yourself and you aim to be a better version of yourself, you're not only working for your own sake but for the better of you and your partner. that i come to love my partner because they understand me, and they know why i fight so hard to reach my goal. and not only that, they fight as equally hard for their own goal. together, both of our dreams ultimately help each other become the best version of ourselves.

knowing that zoro believes in luffy wholeheartedly that he fought for his dream too, enough to put his life on the line for luffy. knowing that luffy can leave his most precious family and crew to zoro because he trusts zoro wholeheartedly to win.

to me, this is how I envision love. it's about getting to know each other, understanding each other, loving each other to the point that their dreams become yours, and fighting together side by side to make that dream come true.

zoro and luffy have that in spades. imo, zoro and luffy's appeal as a relationship is that they are intertwined with each other, and they go through hell and back and fight for each other and their dreams together. it's no wonder that aroace people like me are drawn to them, their love and bond transcends just having an attraction to each other. because it's also about having this person change and inspire me to be better.

#zolu #luzo #one piece #this is my experience as an aroace #but i would be so happy if i have a zoro or a luffy. qpr or otherwise WAHH #i saw some tail-end of anti zl and i was. not having that especially on this day. #i am here to remind myself why zolu actually makes sense for aroaces like me. and why they are my no.1 one piece ship #and no anti can fight me on this because i am a. an aroace and b. don't dare speak on behalf of myself - i can speak just fine and i say #let us speak for ourselves. don't sully the aroace labels with hearsay about what we're supposed to be like and how we think #anyway aroace zoluers!! let's bury this negativity and speak about why aroaces love zolu!! #bitches love zolu. and it is me. i am bitches.

[bonebrokebuddy]

The Fume Hood Incident

A continuation of this post where @stealingyourbones and I regale tales of Mr. T, our high school science teacher that was the inspiration behind my addition to the popular Danny Phantom Science Teacher AU post that sparked the whole thing off.

I was able to catch the incident on camera & after rewatching it, decided that not enough of peoples faces were shown to be able to discern their identify & have decided to post it here.

—

First, context.

It was the last day of my freshman year of high school.

Mr. T was donated a god awful teapot made by a student in ceramics with the only stipulation being that he “blow it up.”

And according to my notesapp notes, he reportedly said, “One of my great pleasures in life is finding common regular normal things in life and making them go boom.” Right before we left our class to do the experiment in the lab classroom next door that had a fume hood. And from what I remember of the man, that absolutely fits.

I do not remember what chemicals Mr. T used to make the reaction but I do remember that we were extensively warned that it gave off noxious fumes and shouldn’t look directly at the light as it could damage our eyes.

Trudging into the other classroom, Mr. T set up the experiment in the fume hood.

At first, everything was going well. The teapot exploded and the room was bathed in red light.

Then we looked up.

You see, when you install a fume hood, generally you connect it to a chimney so the fumes can go out. The fucker that installed it did it improperly so the noxious fumes went DIRECTLY INTO THE CLASSROOM.

Immediately Mr. T evacuated the room and rushed us into the hallway.

The fire alarm went off.

The class, giddy from the feeling that we just blew something up and made the fire alarm go off in the last day of school, we we’re ecstatic.

We cheered.

—

Naturally, the faculty were kinda pissed because the alarms once again were set off by Mr. T & they had to call off the firetrucks that were auto-called and we’re charged for it.

Mr. T had to report the incident to the same cop as the magnesium incident and he was so proud to tell the officer it finally wasn’t his fault the fire alarm went off.

The school sued the installation company for incorrectly installing the fume hood and got it properly working the next year.

That day will be a core memory of mine that I will treasure til I kick the bucket.

-

And finally, the video.

#the fumehood incident #The only damn tumblr story where ‘& everyone cheered/clapped’ is actually true #When my class was standing out on the lawn waiting for the fire department to clear the building and let us back in #We were all bragging to our friends in other classes that WE were the ones to set off the alarm and explaining the incident #we were so proud of ourselves #bones speaks

[seungminnnie]

love the dichotomy between felix and seungmin’s lab tests

felix: let’s have him do the things he loves (eating, gaming, hugging) and see how his heart rate changes 💞🥰✨😊🩷☀️

seungmin: let’s strap him to a pain simulator and see how well he can lie

#like hmmm…. what are we revealing about ourselves today boys #stray kids #skz #lee felix #kim seungmin #skz code #ksm #lyb #k speaks

[slutdge]

people who have never experienced sexual violence before freaking out about and condemning sexual violence being depicted in art made by people who have actually experienced sexual violence is something that makes me so unbelievably filled with rage. sorry your delusion that somehow sexual violence isnt traumatizing and ugly was shattered, were allowed to express ourselves however we would like through art though. cunt.

#i have more to say on this that ill add when i calm down #in general idk pipe down maybe on this issue and stop speaking over us. we can speak for ourselves.

[uncanny-tranny]

And another thing that gets me about the human condition is how we weren't even meant to survive this world alone - humans with humans. We chose to trust certain animals, to nourish them, to be symbiotic with them, to love them like we love ourselves. I think a lot of people talk about how selfish it is for humans to take advantage of animals, but I think that's too simplistic. It's closer to friendship - if you do not foster the relationship, then it simply won't go anywhere, and I think the implication that animals can't ever know anything for themselves, for their survival, is also human-centric and selfish (selfishness not inherently being a bad thing).

It's just nice to know that we want to be around people - we want to be around comfort and security and safety so much that we now have animals by our side. Every time I cuddle with my cat, I think that we weren't meant to survive this world alone; she is shaped to fit in my chest, and my arms were made to wrap around her.

#positivity #and i know many people are like 'but we domesticated animals for what they could do for us 😞' and that's not the full picture... #...YES we fostered certain relationships with animals because they are skilled and they are qualified so to speak... #...but we also must prove ourselves in order to keep our end of the deal. would an animal really WANT to do their work if they... #...weren't taken care of? ESPECIALLY if they're stubborn in nature? #it just seems human-centric to think that all animals are at the mercy of us and could NEVER think or feel #and even then!!! we won't ever KNOW because they have different thoughts and feelings and perspectives we won't KNOW ABOUT #maybe we should just bask in the company and love that animals give us without worrying about committing Awful Heinous Sins #YOU ARE A PART OF NATURE. YOU ARE ALSO AN AMIMAL. YOU CAN SURVIVE WITH OTHER ANIMALS #when you take the time and care to learn about animals you can even relate and feel for them and understand a little better #i just love that humans tend to pack bond so intensely that it doesn't just apply to other people #our instinct to love and care is a good thing. our pack bonding will help us survive. #to live is to be 'selfish'. it is you IMPERATIVE to be selfish

[tethered-heartstrings]

feeling extra neurodivergent today babe can we do it from behind

#autism #but also... if we are being honest with ourselves... #will graham #the speaking clown

[c28hunter]

Okay, I'm not sure it this hasn't been already talked about but

ARE WE ALL AWARE OF THE CHANGE THAT HAD HAPPENED IN KRIS?!

Remember that one interview, when he said that back when he was a child he used to be called a "girl" because of his longer hair? And then he cut them short to stop the comments

And now? Now, during their BIGGEST concert he was wearing a Diana-revange outfit, his hair longer again and he absolutely slayed. The confidence shown, the joy while performing, all of his soul put into singing NGVOT... This man went through such a big change

I am so fucking proud of him, it must've taken him a while to figure all those things out, because these things are difficult to get through. And now here he is, slaying as hard as he can, being who he wants to be and not giving a fuck

That's an inspiration, that's an icon

#joker out #kris guštin #i want us all to look at kris and believe that we as well can be who we want to be #express ourselves how we want to with wahtever outfit we like #ive just been on a walk and started to analyse stuff dont mind my rambles #but im SO HAPPY FOR HIM #that he is comfortable with himself and his style #i myself am slowly trying to get comfortable with my style and looking at kris makes me believe that i can actually achieve peace in my head #sorry for the rambles im getting emotional over slovenian men again #eryka speaks

[lycanr0t]

shout out to non-friending aplatonic people!

your worth is not based on whether or not you have/want friends! You hold just as much value in this world as friending people and you add a unique and beautiful perspective to life.

You're not unkind or selfish for not feeling platonic feelings, and if wanting to explore life without friends is what makes you happiest then you deserve to pursue that without judgement!

The world is full of different types of relationships and there are not rules on what attraction is right or wrong to feel or not feel! It's okay for friendship to simply be a relationship type that doesn't work for you!

You can live a full, happy, wonderful life without friends. Friendship is not the core of humanity or at all required to be a good person.

There is a lot of media that demonizes people without friends, that pushes the idea that they're evil BECAUSE they have no friends. but I promise that's not true. Friendship does not determine your morals and ability to be kind to others. Aplatonic people are not evil or bad because we don't feel friendship in the same way non-aplatonic people do. We are not morally corrupt because of the attraction we feel. We are capable of kindness and cruelty just as much as any other group of people on this planet.

So shout out to non-friending aplatonic people! I hope we all find peace and happiness in ourselves and our lives!

#aplatonic #aspec positivity #aspec #its just pretty rough being apl in a world that insists anyone without friends is the peak of evil. #and apl folks deserve some acknowledgment at the VERY least. bc god knows no one else will if we dont speak up for ourselves

[shslskaterboy]

Atlus is really playing with my emotions with this tactica stuff bc I just know being able to “marry Ryuji” is never going to be taken seriously and only be played for laughs, however I do think everyone making art about it is so correct for that bc we the pegoryu nation need to make it our own since atlus can’t be trusted with him

#and hey if I’m wrong then I’m throwing a fuckin party and you’re all invited #but until then. we must do everything ourselves around here #pegoryu #skaterboy speaks

[chucktaylorupset]

its been a million years.  percy has gone from young millenial to squarely gen z.  i think that while he’s up on that mountain demanding the gods pay their fucking child support, he should tell hera at the top of his sixteen year old pipsqueak lungs that polyamory is a thing now and she doesn’t have to define her marriage the traditional way if she doesn’t want to.  she’s the goddess of all marriages!  that includes these modern ones too!!

hera is like zeus would you agree to an open relationship zeus is like SOLD i have been trying to do this for years, completely neglects to read the fine print that this goes two ways before signing on the dotted line for this deal with the prada wearing devil because fundamentally, zeus is an asshole

hera starts hooking up with committed married couples and having SUPREMELY powerful demigod children.  they are all her favorites and she lavishes them with powers and gifts and attention.  she has, unlike the other gods, no millenia of experience with mortal children to temper her reaction, and so this whole move honestly causes more problems than not.

meanwhile hades and persephone; poeseidon and amphirite; dionysus and ariadne; all of them have been trying to talk to hera about this thing for DECADES and then perseus fucking protagonist powers jackson comes in and turns a quarter of a century into wasted work.

#my post #pjo #it's very key that zeus is big butthurt about this #and that most of the olympians are ethically nonmonogamous thanks to some great work done by either aphrodite or eros #back at the end of the 1900s #being a child of hera is extremely weird because you're not prepared for it like most single parents of demigods are #also most of heras partners come out okay but ALL of them are 'blessed' to never be divorced which uh #can have some variability in terms of results #gods are complicated kids #a lot of hera demigods come up with parents who have very healthy relationships and pass on those emotional intelligence skills! #and then they start coming into their powers and suddenly they inherit a girlboss pta mom who will speak to the manager #and WILL support them taking over the world cause it's what they deserve. if that's what they want <3 #most of them are emotionally healthy enough that they don't even Want to take over the world but uh. they sure are offered that as option #if they want to #hera kids have the Oposite problem of a lot of demigods who have gods practiced in loving mortal kids #they're like i cannot stress how much we Do Not Have To Prove Ourselves to her #we have to be very careful about wanting things she will just handle them to us also #once we get married we can't divorce she would either kill us or it would Be A Thing for the rest of our lives #it's... very stressful to be a child of hera #they mostly try to befriend the chill party kids because they need to catch some Chill

[bird-inacage]

Love in the Air: Sky x Prapai THAT SCENE (Episode 8)

I feel like THAT SCENE™ needed its own mention, because let’s face it - I’m pretty sure all of us have been going feral in anticipation of the fireworks that were guaranteed to blow our heads clean off. And whilst I don’t want to overlook the more serious emotional/narrative weight this scene has on the story - I simply must indulge myself in a dedicated post for this scene. After which, I’ll check myself straight into horny jail.

Ffffff----, the way Sky hooks both his hands round the back of Prapai’s neck and yanks him down.

#LITA #love in the air #love in the air series #love in the air episode 8 #prapaisky #prapai x sky #sky x prapai #legions of fans lost in the crossfire #thousands wounded by the impact #prapaisky stans laid waste #utter ruin prevails with no survivors yet to speak of #and this is week 1 of 6 #do not go gentle into that good night #'i had no regrets' were the last words in her final will and testament #the unofficial prapaisky support group #if you've been affected by the events in this episode - i'm afraid to say we cannot help you - we cannot even save ourselves #complete defeat and surrender is all that remains