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musings-and-overanalyses · 2 years

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Ummm we need to talk about the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard issue in a better way.

* Sigh *

Disclaimer: I am not up to date on the hearings and all the details of the case, nor am I interested in knowing about the personal lives of two people I don't personally know. What I do want to talk about, is how the internet talks about cases like these. And now that the verdict is out, I can finally do that.

So, since this case started trending online I was certain that I didn't want to engage with this content. I am someone who separates art from the artist to such an extreme degree that I do not really consider myself to be a fan of celebrities, authors, actors or anyone in general, because I find it is impossible to like someone whom I don't know personally. I do not form parasocial relationships as a rule and hence am not interested in the affairs of these celebrities. In addition to that, I also do not like the scrutiny these celebrities are constantly under, and the lack of privacy afforded to them. And these factors were very clearly playing a role in the public discourse surrounding the case.

And largely I will stick to not talking about Heard and Depp or the specifics of their hearing, instead talking about the discourse surrounding them. There are a few points I want to highlight and I can only hope to God they are coherent.

Most videos and reels I saw while endlessly scrolling through social media were bashing and trolling Heard, while a handful were against Depp.

These videos weren't talking about the evidence presented but instead were using indirect methods to judge the parties involved. They were focussing on their clothes, facial expressions, authenticity ✨, videos from the past etc. And I have many bones to pick with these.

1. That Heard's clothes were trying too hard to look conservative and modest. The way one dresses and behaves in a courtroom plays a role in how the jury perceives them. And it is in fact standard practice for people appearing in court to dress formally. So Heard dressing formally is completely normal and not something that proves she was being disingenuous.

Additionally being a woman, she would have been judged harshly if she were dressed informally as well. Her dressing informally would probably have led the trolls to say that she doesn't respect the courtroom.

2. Heard was acting "fake". This is largely focussed on her expressions and the way she spoke. With close-ups on her face the makers of these videos sought to highlight how abnormal or fake she was being. They contrasted her facial expressions to that of a "normal" person. Keep in mind these are random people on the internet, in no way experienced in the science[?] of body language or facial expressions. "A normal person wouldn't cry like that", "a 'real victim' wouldn't smile like that" etc. This type of content was by far the most infuriating to me.

Unless a someone acts according the image the audience has in mind, they can not be a victim. Everyone knows victims can't be happy or smile or move on like that, they have to be sad, crying and broken for all to see.

In most clips of the trial, Heard was trying to keep a normal, poker face. Maybe she's just socially anxious or awkward. And honestly I can relate to that. I know crying might be seen as seeking sympathy and smiling is proof that you are not a victim. And it got me wondering and almost scared that if I were ever to be in a courtroom after suing someone for assault, will I be torn apart like this? Will every single twitch of muscle on my face be seen as a proof for something I don't even know or can't even control. And I'm certain I'm not the only one who feels that way.

This level of scrutiny was unnecessary regardless of the nature of the case or parties involved.

3. Heard admitting to physically assaulting Depp is a proof that she is lying about everything. Victims can be abusers too, and vice versa. For example, one possibility is that some of the violence was in self defence, after a long series of abuse from the other party. Of course, we can't be sure about any of this. Cases of domestic violence are never clear cut. They are both high profile and rich celebrities, this means they know they can get away with a certain level of misconduct. Neither is financially dependent on the other, and usual power dynamics in relationships of us peasants are not entirely the same as those in celebrity relationships. They are much more complicated by factors of optics and performing a persona.

So Heard admitting to hitting Depp doesn't mean Depp could never have hit her before or after that, and that means she was a victim too.

4. Depp can't be a victim of abuse because he's a man. This is the other side of the coin to the previous argument. And this is a long standing idea in public consciousness. Since men are on average physically stronger and larger than women, men can not be abused. Because they are strong enough to defend themselves. And this couldn't be further from the truth. As I mentioned earlier there are many complex factors contributing to the dynamics in a relationship; psychological and emotional abuse, that can then lead to physical abuse isn't really any gender's monopoly.

Plus Heard has admitted herself to having hit Depp thus highlighting that men can be domestic abuse victims as well.

4. Videos from the past to use as evidence to show that their relationship was going well, and thus Heard was lying about the abuse. Again, here keep in mind they are celebrities, whose entire career is built upon keeping up appearances. It's not easy to immediately walk out of an abusive relationship as it is, and it is compounded by seemingly the whole world looking at you. So showing videos of them smiling and laughing from the past is not an evidence for how happy or healthy their relationship was.

5. Heard's BPD diagnosis as indicative of her being abusive. Borderline personality disorder or BPD is a disorder that makes the individual quite impulsive and their emotions difficult to regulate. The symptoms exist on a spectrum and can vary quite a bit in how it manifests itself in different individuals, and suggesting that people with BPD are violent and deceitful is very irresponsible behaviour. Mental illnesses had just started to become destigmatised, and narratives like this push back years of good work in raising awareness. And again these are not experts in the field making these points, these are laymen and armchair psychologists who have already made their mind about the issue and are only using this to fit into their theory.

6. The romanticisation of Depp's relationship with his lawyer. There were many "shipping" Depp and his lawyer, someone who's paid to work for him and is just doing her job defending him... Because that's her JOB.

7. Heard is an actress so don't believe what she says. Well, and so is Depp, why the spotlight just on Heard? And also keep in mind both of them consented to the hearing being made public, they both were likely putting on an act. People who don't know them personally have no way to know who is being authentic, real and truthful.

8. Verdict equals truth. No, our justice system is very flawed and the jurors are humans that can be swayed by their culture and the media they're exposed to. And proving domestic abuse has always been an uphill battle. The verdict does not always correlate to the truth. It's not to say just lose all faith in the law and judiciary, but instead keep in mind that, especially in cases like this, more abusers go unpunished than being held accountable.

Right wing anti-feminist brigade is already very keen on this case because it is a super high profile case where the popular idea is that the woman is lying about being the victim to get money and fame. A narrative that is brought up again and again whenever any woman accuses a man of abuse, harrasment or assault. And this case and the discourse surrounding it even awakens that dormant bias in the liberals who have finally got a chance to bash a woman, apparently justifiably so.

I think in general we need to be more responsible with the kind of language we use, the kind of narratives we might inadvertently serve, and the biases we might possess. And whenever possible just leave the celebrities to sort their shit out on their own.

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xxlelaxx · 9 months

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Situations have situationed cause God forbid my family be normal about stuff...

But I've had some interesting conversations yesterday and am now considering how to proceed in handling one Person.

The issue is that they are mentally ill and mentally ill people do stuff they regret.. but at the same time I've had it. And they've had it rough. I know you do stupid shit when caught up in stuff..

but at the same time... I think I spent a big chunk of my life getting manipulated by that person and I'm not sure that they even care... Like they suffered and were hurt, yes, but they keep blaming everyone and ignoring the things around us. Hell, my sister and I got told that we are the reason for them developing an eating disorder cause they would horde all the "special snacks" (we didn't have a lot of money) and refuse to share while we always did. All we wanted was them to share and stop being a selfish ass (an issue this person still has). My sister has long lasting issues with this cause they kept stealing her food??? And they complained about being locked up as a kid (definitely wrong) and being made to feel like an animal (also very wrong) but they would attack us in a very scary and feral way. Like we had no choice except them hurting us a lot unless we locked them up. It was wrong but nobody was helping and at some point you're over being hurt. They refuse to acknowledge that they used to hurt us... like they would kick us (mainly my sister I kicked back) and threaten us with physical violence to the point. At some point I started fighting them for fun so they would get it out of their system. Like consensual beating between siblings (also wrong, but nobody knew and it helped). They even sought me out to have those fights cause they helped them calm down and we had signals for when things got too heated or personal. That doesn't make the things that happened okay, but it's not like everyone was evil and just hurt the little baby. And now they keep having angry breakdowns and destroying stuff and making us feel bad about it even though they got themselves into that situation and they refuse to take responsibility for anything they do. How is it our fault that they have anger issues??? I've told them before that I get anger being too much but this could be seen as something being manipulative (which I had forgotten about but this also isn't the first time). It is starting to feel like they do it on purpose cause this just happens when they don't wanna do stuff. (Same as with using self harm as a way to pressure us to act like they want). And now supposedly it's our fault for triggering them??? But they ignore the well established and known triggers of others? Like there have been situations where they purposely triggered my sister and they never really apologized??? And we haven't even been rude. We've been very nice about this situation which many people would not have been in an attempt to save their relationship with some friends they met in the last year. They keep backstabbing us for other people but going off about loyalty as if they even know what that word means. And they also talk down about us sometimes cause a therapist made the mistake to tell them they had a high IQ. Now they believe they are so much smarter than everyone else but are not able to do their own resume for a job they needed half a month ago because they struggle so much with their ADHD... Which at this point I also can't hear anymore. Like it's disabling but can you please stop pretending that everyone else is beneath you when you literally cannot do anything on your own and rely on those people you shit talk to do things for you??? You're not better just like they aren't better for being able to do things you can't do. This is just rude. Also everyone around you not behaving like you want to is not because they are stupid but because humans are different???

Like we've apologized for what we did in the past several times but I'm over being blamed for everything cause someone can't make real tangible progress in 5 years of therapy... And especially for things that just aren't my fault or they refuse to communicate. We're not here to be punching bags and fixing their mistakes and never really getting anything back. That's not how life or relationships work.

Another thing is that I know this therapist was someone elses therapist and they did the exact same thing. They were told multiple times their behavior was manipulative and they were aware of it and kept doing it. Also because they were "so smart". So I think the therapist might be enabling this behavior.

I really wanna be supportive and understanding for their sake but I don't know for how long I can listen to being blamed for everything while everyone pretends they do no wrong... Cause honestly they broke a fucking chair into six pieces and blamed us for self harming while this situation is fully their own responsibility.. like they are a grown up. Not a kid anymore. This was preventable if they had acted according to the role they assumed in this whole situation. This is the second time we are going through this and the first time they agreed to taking up that role. A role that was obvious they would have to assume to get what they wanted out of this. If you can't handle the responsibility you don't get to reap the benefits. That's just how it is. And if you know you are not capable of those things, don't get into those situations.

Like for once in your life take accountability instead of pretending everyone else is to blame and out to get you while life has been giving you chances for free just cause you are male presenting and have a very supportive family.

#ignore me #I'm this close to starting another family meeting and just telling the girls that the situation cant go on like this #like my sister is having mental breakdowns that are affecting her physical health cause they keep being disrespectful #my father is under constant stress cause they keep ignoring well established things #and the person that brought them in on short notice and just made everyone get into this situation is blaming them instead of the girls #and i dont wanna hate on the girls... the one failing here is the mediator who keeps acting like we are the devil for trying to talk to them #about things cause the girls kinds refuse to talk to anyone else???#they were raised as the youngest sibling and a boy and honestly it shows #I'm so over them being treated like a prince #and i cant stand their new johnny depp look #honestly everything about them is a red flag #and this is the first time in my life i ever questioned this whole set up #and i think i deserve better?? and like we deserve better #its difficult cause they are still out baby... we basically raised them

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redgoldsparks · 6 months

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I wrote a 12 page epilogue to my 2019 comic "Harry Potter and The Problematic Author" because I found, in 2023, that I had more to say. You can also find this comic on my website, and I have PDF copies available on etsy. I may sell print copies at some point in the future.

instagram / patreon / portfolio / etsy / my book / redbubble

Full transcript below the cut.

PAGE 1

Part one: Ruddy Owls!

I was in fourth grade when the first Harry Potter Book was released in the US.

Panel 1: Sometimes our teacher would read it aloud in class. “Mr and Mrs Dursley of number 4 Privat Drive were proud to say they were perfectly normal, thank you very much…”

Panel 2: I was 11 years old when Harry Potter finally broke through my dyslexia and turned me into a reader.

Panel 3: Every night in the summer before sixth grade I waited for the owl carrying my Hogwarts Letter. I cried when it didn’t come. “I have to go to Muggle school!”

PAGE 2

Part Two: Hats

I dedicated myself to being a fan.

Panel 1: I began collecting Harry Potter News article.

Panel 2: I asked my relatives to mail me ones from their local papers. I filled a thick binder with clippings.

Panel 3: I wrote my own trivia quiz

Panel 4: and participated in the one held annually at the county fair. “Next contestant!”

Panel 5: I usually got into one of. the top five spots. I won boxes of candy, posters, stationary, and once a baseball cap. (Hat reads: I survived the battle of Hogwarts).

Panel 6: In high school I sewed a black velvet cape and knitted many stripped scarves.

PAGE 3

Part Three: Double Trouble

Watching the last film in 2011 felt like the final note of my childhood.

Panel 1: I remember driving home from the midnight showing thinking about the end of 13 years of waiting; wondering what would define the next chapter of my life.

Panel 2: That same month I heard of something called Pottermore. “Okay, so there’s a sorting quiz… I already know my house! Patronus assignment? Mine’s a barn owl. Duh!"

Panel 3: You can read the books again but with GIFs? Why?

Panel 4: I lived in a place with very slow and limited internet at the time. Pottermore sounded inaccessible, but also boring. I never joined.

Panel 5: "I’ll just read the actual books again, thanks."

PAGE 4

Part Four: Sweets

In 2016, a series of short stories titled "History of Magic in North America” were released on Pottermore to pave the way for the first Fantastic Beasts Film. These stories display an extreme ignorance of American history, culture, and geography, but the worst parts are the casual misuse of indigenous beliefs and stories. Fans and critics immediately spoke up against this appropriation. Some of the most quoted voices included Nambe Pueblo scholar Dr. Debbie Reese who runs the site “American Indians In Children’s Literature”; Navajo writer Brian Young; Johnnie Jae (Otoe-Missouria and Choctaw), founder of A Tribe Called Geek; Dr Adrienne Keene (Cherokee Nation), a Professor at Brown University who runs the blog “Native Appropriations”, and writers N.K. Jemison and Paula Young Lee.

PAGE 5

Rowling is famous for responding to fans directly on twitter, yet she did not respond to anyone calling out the damaging aspects of “Magic in North America.” Her representatives refused to comment for March 9 2016 article in the Guardian. She has never apologized. All of this, plus the casting of Johnny Depp and the specific declarations of support by JKR, Warner Brothers, and director David Yates left a sour taste in my mouth.

For further thoughts on the new films read The Crimes of Grindelwald is a Mess by Alanna Bennett for Buzzfeed News, November 16, 2018.

PAGE 6

Excerpt from Colonialism in Wizarding American: JK Rowling’s History of Magic in North America Through an Indigenous Lens by Allison Mills, MFA, MAS/MLIS (Cree and Settler French Canadian)

Although Rowling is certainly not the first white author to misstep in her treatment of Indigenous cultures, she has an unprecedented level of visibility and fame, […] One of the most glaring problems with Rowling’s story is her treatment of the many Indigenous nations in North America as one monolithic group. […It] flattens out the diversity of languages, belief systems, and cultures that exist in Indigenous communities, allowing stereotyping to persist. […] It continues a long history of colonial texts which ignore that Indigenous peoples still exist. […] In the Wizarding world, as in the real world, Indigenous histories have been over-written and our cultures erased.

from The Looking Glass: New Perspectives in Children’s Literature Volumn 19, Issue 1

PAGE 7

Part 5: Music

Panel 1: Also in 2016 I discovered two podcasts which radically altered my experience of being an HP fan. The first was Witch Please created by two Canadian feminist literary scholars Hannah McGregor and Marcelle Kosman.

Panel 2: “If it’s not in the text it doesn’t count!” “Close reading ONLY!”

Panel 3: They talk about Harry Potter at the level you’d expect in a college class with particular focus on gender, race, class, and the troubling fatphobia, fear of othered and queer coded bodies, violence against women, white feminism, gaslighting and failed pedagogy in the books. They bring up these issues not because they hate the series, but because they LOVE it.

PAGE 8

These passionate, joyful conversations went off like fireworks in my mind. I had never taken a feminist class before. I gained a whole new vocabulary to talk about the books- and the world.

PAGE 9

Panel 1: The second podcast I started that year was Harry Potter and the Sacred Text, created by two graduates of the Harvard Divinity School, Vanessa Zoltan and Casper Ter Kuile.

Panel 2: They read one chapter per episode through a theme such as love, control, curiosity, shame, responsibility, hospitality, destruction, or mystery. Like Witch Please, they are interested only in the information on the page, not thoughts from the author. The delights and failures of the text are examined in the context of the present day, and new meanings constantly arise.

PAGE 10

What does it mean to treat a text as sacred?

Trusting that the more time we give to it, the more blessings it has to give us.

Reading the text repeatedly with concentrated attention. Our effort is part of what makes it sacred. The text is not in and of itself sacred, but is made so by rigorously engaging in the ritual of reading.

Experiencing it in community.

“To me, the goal of treating the text as sacred is that we learn to treat each other as sacred.” -Vanessa Zoltan

PAGE 11

Part 6: Tooth and Claw

In October 2017, Rowling liked a tweet linking to an article arguing that trans women should be kept out of women’s bathrooms because of cisgender women’s fears. In March 2018, she liked a tweet about the problem of misogyny in the UK Labour Party which included the line “Men in dresses get brosocialist solidarity I never had.” The author of the tweet had previously posted many blatantly anti-trans statements.

Rowlings publicist claimed she had liked the posted by accident in a “clumsy and middle-aged moment.” Yet, in September 2018 she liked a link posted by Janice Turner to her column in the Times UK titled “Trans Rapists Are A Danger In Women’s Jails.”

Screencaps of these tweets can be found in the article “The Mysterious Case of JK Rowling and her Transphobic Twitter History”, January 10 2019 by Gwendolyn Smith (a trans journalist), LGBTQNation.com

PAGE 12

Excerpt from: Is JK Rowling Transphobic? A Trans Woman Investigates by Katelyn Burns

Ultimately, the answer is yes, she is transphobic […] I think it’s fair that she receives criticism from trans people, especially given her advocacy on behalf of queer people in general, but also because she has a huge platform. Many people look up to her for creating a singular piece of popular culture that holds deep meaning for fans from different walks of life, and she has a responsibility to handle that platform wisely. (Published on them.us March 28, 2018)

PAGE 13

Part 7: Home

At age 30, I’m still not over Harry Potter.

Panel 1: I’ve recently found a local bar that does HP trivia nights. “Poppy or Pomona?” “Poppy!”

Panel 2: I currently own an annual pass to Universal Studios so I can visit Hogsmeade.

Panel 3: I love talking to kids who are reading the books for the first time. “Who’s your favorite character?” “Ginny!”

Panel 4: And I’m planning a relisten to the audio books to next year to help me get through the election cycle. “Jim Dale, I’m going to need you more than ever…”

Spoiler from 2023: I did not do this. By mid-2020 JKR had posted her transphobic essay; we were in covid; I never visited Universal Studios again.

PAGE 14

But I do want to learn from her mistakes. I never want to repeat “Magic in North America.” As I write, I will do my research. I will consult experts and compensate them. If a reader from a different culture/background than me speaks up about my work, I will listen and apologize. I KNOW I WILL MAKE MISTAKES. But I will own up to them and I will do better.

PAGE 15

Excerpt from Diversity Is Not Enough: Race, Power and Publishing by Daniel José Older

We can love a thing and still critique it. In fact, that’s the only way to really love a thing. Let’s be critical lovers and loving critics and open ourselves to the truth about where we are and where we’ve been. Instead of holding tight to the same old, failed patriarchies, let’s walk a new road, speak new languages. Today, let’s imagine a literature, a literary world, that carries this struggle for equity in its very essence, so that tomorrow it can cease to be necessary, and disappear. (Buzzfeed, April 14, 2017)

PAGE 16

Harry Potter is flawed, & JK Rowling is problematic. But the books helped me learn a lot:

*One of the greatest dangers facing the modern world is the rise of fascism

*The government cannot be trusted

*Read and think critically

*Question the news: who paid the journalist? Who owns the paper?

*Trust and support your friends through good times and bad

*Organize for resistance

*Educate and share resources with peers

*The revolution must be diverse and intersectional

* We are only as strong as we are united

*The weapon we have is love

MK 2019

PAGE 17

PART 8: EPILOGUE

In 2021 I removed a Harry Potter patch I sewed to my book bag over a decade ago. I took 15 pieces of Harry Potter fanart off my walls. I got rid of my paperback book set, 2 board games, and 8 t-shirt. [images: a Hogwarts a patch with loose threads, a pair of scissors and a seam ripper]

Panel 1: Maia holding up a shirt with the Deathly Hallows logo on it. Maia thinks: “Damn, this really used to be my entire personality.”

Panel 2: The t-shirt gets thrown into the Goodwill box.

PAGE 18

I wrote my zine wrestling with JKR’s legacy in 2019, after her dismissive and racist reaction to indigenous fans and critics of “Magic in North America” and after she had liked a couple transphobic tweets. Since then, she has gotten so much worse.

A Brief Timeline (mostly from this Vox article)

June 2020- JKR posts a 3600 word essay making her anti-trans position clear

August 2020- The Robert F Kennedy Human Rights Org issues a statement about her transphobia, JKR doubles down on her position and returns an award they gave her

December 2020- JKR claims 90% of HP fans secretly agree with her anti-trans views

December 2021- JKR mocks Scottish Police for recognizing transgender identities

March 2022- JKR criticizes gender-inclusive language and legislation

December 2022- JKR retweets trans youtuber Jessie Earl’s critical review of Hogwarts Legacy, starting an onslaught of transphobic harassment towards Earl

December 2022- JKR removes her support from an Edinburgh center for survivors of sexual violence with a trans-inclusive policy and funds her own center which explicitly excludes trans sexual assault survivors

January 2023- JKR tweets “Deeply amused by those telling me I’ve lost their admiration due to disrespect I show violent, duplicitous rapists.” It got nearly 300K likes

March 2023- One the podcast “The Witch Trials of JK Rowling”, hosted by a former Westboro Baptist Church Member, JKR compares the trans rights movement to Death Eaters.

PAGE 19

What are The Witch Trials of JK Rowling?

Panel 1: Maia speaking. “It’s a 7 episode documentary style podcast hosted by Megan Phelps-Roper. Nearly every episode contains interviews with JKR as well as critics, journalists, historians, protestors and fans.

Panel 2: Maia speaking. “In episode 1, JKR speaks more candidly than she has previously about being in an abusive marriage. Her ex-husband hit her, stalked her, broke into her house overlapping with the time she was writing the first three HP books.”

Panel 3: Maia speaking. “What she went through genuinely sounds horrific. I have a lot of sympathy for the kind of life-long traumas those experiences leave.”

PAGE 20

HOWEVER.

It is clear from reading the June 2020 essay on her blog and listening to the podcast, that JKR still to this day feels unsafe. Despite her wealth and privilege she moves through the world with the mindset of a victim. And the group of people she finds most threatening are trans women.

Or rather, she is afraid that allowing trans women in women’s spaces invites the possibility of male predators entering those spaces.

Here’s a direct quote: The problem is male violence. All a predator wants is access and to open the doors of changing rooms, rape centers, domestic violence centers [...] to any male who says “I’m a woman and I have a right to be here” will constitute a risk to women and girls. - from The Witch Trials episode 4 as transcribed by therowlinglibrary.com, March 2023

Image: A stem of Belladonna with flowers and berries.

PAGE 21

Let me introduce here the term: TRANSMISOGYNY. The intersection of transphobia and misogyny, this term was coined by Julia Serano in 2007. Scout Tran, on tiktok as Queersneverdie said: “Transmisogyny occurs in people who have been previously hurt by traditional misogyny. Who have been driven to hate men or at the very least to be scared of men. They will sometimes take out that rage on trans women. (March 2023)

JKR claims to care for trans women and understand they are extremely vulnerable to assault and violence. In her 2020 Essay she wrote: “I want trans women to be safe. At the same time, I do not want to make natal girls and women less safe.”

So she cares about trans women… just less than cis women, and she’s willing to throw all trans women under the bus because of her unfounded, prejudice fears.

PAGE 22

Panel 1: Maia speaking. “JKR claims to have seen data that proves trans women have presented physical threats to other women in intimate spaces, but never cites sources. She also uses “producer of the large gametes” as a definition of “woman”.

What about transmen and nonbinary folks?

Panel 2: Maia leaning on a stack of all seven HP books, the first four Cormorant Strike books and The Casual Vacancy, gesturing to a series of quotes with a tired and disgusted expression.

I’m concerned about the huge explosion of young women wishing to transition and also about the increasing numbers who seem to be detransitioning. * [...] If I’d been born 30 years later, I too might have tried to transition. The allure of escaping womanhood would have been huge. -June 10 2020 essay

I don’t believe a 14 year old can truly understand what the loss of their fertility is.

-Witch Trials episode 4

I haven’t yet found a study that hasn’t found that the majority of young people experiencing gender dysphoria grow out of it*. -Witch Trials episode 7

*No sources cited

PAGE 23

It’s hard to over emphasize how fixated JKR has become on these topics. As of the date I’m writing this, 14 out of her 20 most recent tweets (70%) are in some way anti-trans. She tweets against Mermaids (a UK based trans youth charity), against trans athletes, against gender neutral bathrooms, and in support of LBG Alliance- a UK org that denies trans rights while upholding gay rights. Here are some gems from her archive:

“People who menstruate.” I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud? -June 2020

War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength. The Penised Individual Who Raped You Is a Woman. - December 2021

And in response to someone asking “How do you sleep at night knowing you lost a whole audience?”

I read my most recent royalty cheques and find the pain goes away pretty quickly. -October 2022

PAGE 24

Hashtag Ruthless Productions a queer nerd podcast company created a great guide on ethical engagement with HP. Image: the two hosts of Hashtag Ruthless productions, Jessie (They/she) and Lark (he/him).

Stop buying all official HP Products: books, movies, games, toys, etc, Universal Studios tickets, food, merch.* Boycott any new TV series or movies. Instead: buy the books and DVDs used. If you still want to wear HP merch, buy fan-made. Engage only with fan content: fic, podcasts, fanart, wizard rock, etc. Show transphobia is bad for business. None of this will change JKR’s mind. But the Fantastic Beast series was canceled and after record Pottermore sales in 2020, they fell in 2022 by 40%.

*She gets a portion of ALL tickets. In 2019, this was her largest income source. Read the full guide: hashtagruthless.com/resourceguide

PAGE 25

As late as 2019, I was still reading JKR’s murder mystery series. But by the fourth book my experience began to sour.

Panel 1: Maia holding a copy of Lethal White. “The only gay character in this book is a government official who gropes his staff?”

Panel 2: “The only genderqueer character is misgendered and portrayed as a whiny faker?”

Panel 3: “The only Muslim character is disowned by his family over gay rumors?”

Panel 4: “Even the women aren’t portrayed very well…”

Panel 5: “Why is the main female character defined by the rape in her past?”

Panel 6: “Wait, what happens in the rest of this series…?” Maia scrolls on eir phone.

Panel 7: “Is the series heading towards an employee/boss relationship?”

Panel 8: “And has a man wearing women’s clothes to commit assault?”

Panel 9: “Yeah, I’m done. I’m never reading a new JKR book ever again.”

PAGE 26

And as for JKR herself?

As tempting as it might be to tweet your frustrations at her, I don’t recommend it. In 2021, she tweeted, “Hundreds of trans activists have threatened to beat, rape, assassinate and bomb me.” Getting hate online feeds her sense of victimhood and she waves it as proof of her moral high ground. Instead I suggest you block her on twitter, then delete twitter, go to the library and try to find a new book that feels magical.

Stack of books: In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan, The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, Gifts by Ursula K Le Guin, Deep Wizardry by Diane Duane, A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik and Gideon the Ninth by Tamsin Muir.

PAGE 27

In “Emergent Strategy” adrienne maree brown writes: You do not have the right to traumatize abusive people, to attack them, personally or publicly, or to sabotage anyone else’s health. The behaviors of abuse are also survival-based, learned behaviors rooted in pain. If you can look through the lens of compassion, you will find hurt and trauma there. If you are the abused party, healing that hurt is not your responsibility and exacerbating that pain is not your justified right.

PAGE 28

Seeing anyone over age 12 wearing HP merch now makes me uncomfortable. Are they ignorant or actively a TERF? I hate wondering how much money JKR has probably poured into anti-trans legislation… This zine is a culmination of my slow breakup with a story that once brought me joy. Now it just makes me angry, tired and sad.

Image: Candle in a fancy holder burned down to less than an inch.

Maia Kobabe, 2023

#harry potter #harry potter and the problematic author #jk rowling #transphobia #jk rowling transphobic

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montheline · 5 months

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❦Short Astro Observations❦

☁️ Aries placements always look AMAZING with short hair cuts like ughhh work you bad ass bitch😍🥹

☁️ I notice that a lot of people I know that are only child’s have a Scorpio sun ☀️

☁️ Having Pluto aspecting the MC or Ascendant of a composite chart can mean having random people obsessing/having jealousy over your relationship (ex. ariana grande and mac miller, winona ryder and johnny depp, kim and kanye...etc lol)

☁️If you have an Aries sun in your composite chart with someone, more than likely they’ll probably feel like your soulmate/first love or you were just already profoundly attracted to them at first sight

☁️ Having 6th house/10th house synastry with someone means there’s a 9.9 times out of 10 chance of you meeting them at work or school

☁️ I’ve noticed that men who have a lot of admiration and respect for women tend to have Capricorn, Cancer and/or Libra placements

☁️ If you have a stellium in the 8th house of your solar return chart be ready for a deeply transformative year (deadass....like i'm so ready for 2023 to be over alreaddddyyyyyyy #yesthisisacryforhelplol

☁️ I noticed people saying oh if you have cancer placements that means that you’re gonna have big boobs, which is definitely not true lol but what I have found to be true is that a lot of times people with cancer placements tend to be of shorter stature (they real petite lol, men tend to be short-average height)

☁️ Having Venus or Lilith in your 12th house can make you have pretty feet

☁️ If you have your moon in someone’s 5th house it’s very likely for them to become your favorite person😍

☁️ Having 9th house synastry with someone can be very transformative and growing. However, this also could also mean outgrowing someone with this synastry, doesn’t mean you won’t be together again it’s just so heavily based on growth and if you guys can’t see eye to eye with this synastry sooner or later you’ll have to let it go

☁️ I feel Edge & Lita we’re a great example of 8th house synastry. There relationship had a lot of “8th house” dynamics (Lita cheated on her boyfriend Matt at the time with Edge, overtly sexual couple, has a “forbidden” vibe, as a couple on t.v. and in real life they received a lot of backlash but it was something so compelling and magnetic about them being together that you couldn’t ever really look away from)

☁️You can always tell when a person has Scorpio placements, it’s in the eyes 👁️👁️. Their eyes always pull you in by the smokiness. Like for example: Anne Hathaway (I guessed she had Scorpio placements in her chart while I was watching my comfort film “Devil Wears Prada” lol..but yeah you CAN TELL BRUH it’s the magnetic pull and the “smokiness effect” of her eyes

☁️ Having a lot of 3rd House or 9th house placements can indicate becoming a teacher/professor or something that deals with teachings and education 👩🏾‍🏫

☁️When gemini placements try to listen to other people talk they have the most hilarious resting face i've ever seen, it's like they look uncomfortable/confused/interested/dissociating all at the same time trying to listen, lmaooo its hard to explain

☁️My favorite teacher is a red head and I remember reading something on tumblr saying "aries placements" can give you red hair or something like that and I told her "i swear if you have aries placements imma freak out" and guess what..she has a aries mars, idk i just felt like sharing this with yall lmaoo

☁️ Finding out that Ed Sheeran has a Pisces venus makes so much sense to me. He made songs like “Perfect�� , “Thinking Out Loud”, “Photograph”, etc for crying out loud. Like this man’s a hopeless romantic fr lol (makes the best wedding music too lol)

☁️ Scorpio placements (especially scorpio mars) HATE LIARS.

#astrology #astro community #montheline #synastry #astro observations #astro tumblr #astro #astro romance #random astro #astrology notes

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gold-hearts · 2 years

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I had a really weird dream last night I needed to share because I need to see this written into a short story 🤣

Group of young people out to beach forest to find friends who had gone missing at cabin. Signs they had somehow disappeared into strange, dark forest behind a broken down, old shed. All camping equipment was still in clearing, all set up, fire smoking slightly. Small hints of physical struggle. Main character is the girlfriend of one of the missing men. Their dog goes into the forest and disappears, eventually search party start to see a lone figure standing at the edge of the forest watching them and they think it’s the spirit of the forest, the soul of a murderer who got lost in there and was never found again. They brush it off thinking their eyes are playing tricks on them. It starts getting threatening, following them and being scary. They all get really creeped out and eventually the spirit makes contact with main character and it turns out instead of killing people, he’s decided to grant wishes instead. Spirit is Johnny Depp wearing a fedora, white shirt and cowboy books. He says his powers can change something about someone and if they refuse, they disappear. They go to make their wishes but he says he’s sick of people wasting his time so he charged them $200 each. Main character ends up falling in love with him and she asks him if he wants to go home with him and he says yes. They forget about their friends who are still missing. At the end, she closes a book she’s reading and leaves.

#short story #story prompt #writing prompt #Johnny Depp #my dream #comedy #scary #there were iguanas everywhere for some reason #do you think Johnny Depp would make a movie out of this #I would watch it #funny #writing #mine #weird dreams #my dreams

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rickyvalero · 2 years

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And I Miss You Like a Little Kid Interview

The 2022 Dances with Films Festival kicks off today and runs through June 19. Today, I sat down with the director of the film, And I Miss You Like a Little Kid, Ben Hosking. Synopsis: Inexperienced, depressive, and bisexual Jason falls for the decade-older and beautifully strange Clarissa just before lockdown. She celebrates his sexual and emotional self-discovery and soon she moves in with him.…

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#2022 Dance With Films Festival #Amber Heard #And I miss you like a little kid #Ben Hosking #Chris Zylka #Dances With Films Festival #Entertainment Spotlight #Johnny Depp #Movie #Movie review #Movies #Music City drive in #Music City Film Critic #Short Film #Teri Reeves

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astro-royale · 4 months

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AstrologyObs: Appearance

Disclaimer:my opinion

Cancers are the cutie of the zodiac!! Round facial features. Cozy, comfy, warm and inviting. They may look great in Asian make up styles or old classic make up styles. Bohemian. 70s look or even 50s.

Gemini have a cheekiness to them that’s apparent in their features. They look like troublemakers in a wholesome way. They usually have quite sharp smiles. They have a very on the go energy , and I think they can get away with being sporty or even messy. But they also look so good with a basic 90s style which reflects their logical mind.they may also have a “rebel” “punk” or even Avril Lavigne vibe.

Pisces just feel like a wave of tranquility and I just want to chill with them. They have such dreamy eyes that make you want to get lost in them. They look so good with shimmers, in make up and clothes. Also metallic colours. Glowy make up. MERMAID. They suit modern style of clothing a lot.

Sagittarius, the free spirits, can actually look great with more revealing looks. They can get away with over the top things, and they will make it look cool, like their way of dressing is part of their philosophy. I feel like Sagittarius also has a lowkey sense of humour to their style, “ I did it for the fun of it, why not” also look so good in red:::

Scorpio.. you guys just remind me of Johnny Depp in pirates of the Caribbean, looks wise that is. Very alluring, darkness around the eyes. You change and transform people so no one will ever experience another you again. Your dress sense may have elements of danger. Leather jackets. A sense of shock, uniqueness . Darkness. Alternative or femme fatale.

Aries yall look good in office things, or just sophisticated and sharp styles tbh. There’s an angularity to you but it looks very cool and dramatic, it makes you interesting and cool. Lush, and sharp.it gives lip gloss and matte outfit vibes.

Capricorn, your organisation influences your dress sense so much and i actually think that Capricorn represents a mainstream dress sense or something conventional and basic you see everyday. So you look good in that. Simple. Classy. Timeless. Capricorns with Aquarius placements may disagree

Taurus, yall look really good with heavy makeup up looks, or full face glam. you guys look good with mullets. And electric colours. Graphic liners. Cool eyeshadow looks. IG baddie make up looks. May also suit dip dye hair styles or highlights.

Virgo, I feel like many of you may have had a hipster phase, plaid shirt and boots situation. Or some kind of lowkey emo phase . Even a tomboy phase. But anyways, you look great with slicked back hairstyles, neat loose natural hair. You Look Royal, in a laid back way. No matter your aesthetic. Virgo, you look best when you take care of yourself, when you look very clean, and tidy. Clean girl aesthetic

Leo, Animal prints look so great. You’re royal in a flashy way. You may feel like you look great in designer clothing or higher end brands. The quality and brand may be of importance to you and you won’t just buy things from anywhere. You’re going to attract looks, because the planets revolve around the sun. You look good being flashy and fully expressing your authentic self and uniqueness, don’t hold back your greatness.

Libra, yall could wear a potato sack and still look great asf. Your facial features are usually very proportionate and balanced. I think your natural glow is what suits you best, and an elegant outfit. You look great showing everyone the embodiment of Venus on Earth, and I think you have “aesthetic” in your genes.

Aquarius, you look good in unisex or androgynous, long or short hair, any colour, you will make it work. Doesn’t matter if things clash, you can make it work. The innovated. Unique style. Dreamy aura, they have an intelligent vibe. You’re giving the audience a taste of the stars. Of intelligence beyond this earth. Cyber /rave styles can look great on them too. Or very artsy looks. Many of them also get into cosplay. They look ethereal so they can embody what isn’t real (anime, cartoons, movie characters etc) People may even say they look like an anime character.

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