#lkdjfd i wrote this a while ago but thought it deserved to see the light of day😔

[horde-princess]

so okay like. okay so. in evangelicalism everything is about spiritual warfare right. if you're not a soldier for god then you’re working for the devil, whether you know it or not. it's super interesting to see how nate stevenson plays with different sides of this.

adora was turned into a weapon for the “heroes,” while nimona was considered a weapon for the "villains.” along with the subversion of these institutionally-defined roles in both stories, there's this common thread where nimona and adora both reject this label of being a "weapon" - either for OR against the unjust system. 

which is weird right? why would nimona care if someone called her a weapon for good. it becomes clear though when you think about the religious metaphors... it’s always about choice.

(x)

i think the word weapon is intended to convey a sense of absent free will. you're not the one making decisions, someone else is controlling you in their own war. in nimona’s case it’s about rejecting the church's perception that being queer = being used by satan, and then nate goes a step further in she-ra to say actually, the real weapon was when i was being wielded by the church. in either case, i reject the idea that i’m just a pawn in some kind of spiritual war, and also reject your perception of me as such. i have the power to claim autonomy over my own life - "i am not a weapon.”

so with this context we can more fully appreciate adora’s line here, the whole metaphor of she-ra being a weapon and how it wraps up with a bold and genuinely heretical statement that challenges christian control of the narrative. you could think of "weapon" literally, like the inquisition which helped inspire nimona’s character, and she-ra addresses christian imperialism in general. but more subtly it’s also evangelicals believing that it’s ok to harm & traumatize people in the name of “love.” a huge theme in the show is about this uniquely cruel trauma of being taught to hate and attack lgbt+ people while you yourself are repressing your identity and sense of belonging in the community.

THIS IS SO MUCH TO THINK ABOUT HHHH NIMONA IS SO GOOD!!!!!!

#hey guys did u miss me #lkdjfd i wrote this a while ago but thought it deserved to see the light of day😔 #she ra #nimona #religious meta