#racism anecdotal

[rideroftheoctocorn]

Maybe this is my “I’m from New York so I didn’t choose to live here I was just already here” kicking in but can we actually learn to respect people’s privacy and acknowledge the fact that not everyone who lives in a major city is doing so because they want to be famous or the main character or an influencer or whatnot. I’m so sick of seeing tiktoks go viral that are just plainly stalking or doxxing random people who didn’t ask for attention or fame and are just living their lives. Especially given how many people in NYC are living with a wide variety of mental states, abilities, divergencies, and diversities treating them as a spectacle for your entertainment is deeply dehumanizing. Particularly in the past few years seeing so many content creators move here and gain their fame here it is becoming increasingly frustrating to feel like just existing in my home is not coherent with the burgeoning voyeurism culture that’s growing online. I, nor anyone who lives in a large city, should have to leave their homes every day worrying about the potential of being recorded and ridiculed online for just being a person.

People should be able to live their lives with the right to privacy. This isn’t to say that certain instances of internet activism shouldn’t have happened; for instance the Central Park bird watching incident (google it if you aren’t familiar but a woman was being racist towards a black man bird watching in central Park and his recording on the incident vindicated him). But instances like those are the exception and not the rule and many cases of publishing interpersonal conflicts/interactions is not from good faith activism or even from an activist point at all. Honestly what sparked this for me was that dumb tiktok that blew up of that girl looking for the person who kept writing “monke” on the whiteboard at her gym and the series of videos she made amassed more than 25 million views as she made a very public game out of trying to find the identity of this person. Some of her tactics included staking out at the gym waiting for this person or even asking the employees at the front desk who the person was. Maybe this person didn’t want to be a viral tiktok sensation and just wanted to write something goofy on the whiteboard at their local gym. Instead, this person has millions of strangers online seeking them out using unethical/invasive methods. All over someone who just wanted to write “monke.” Can we not just be a little silly in public without being at risk of it being the next internet sensation? If you live in a busy metropolitan area is it now your responsibility to make yourself as invisible as you can every time you step outside your front door? I genuinely leave for work each day wondering if I’ve maybe picked the wrong outfit, makeup, or maybe there’s an embarrassing stain or issue with my appearance that someone is going to see, record, and share online. I’ve even now seen TikTok’s of people recording through peoples windows commenting on how they’re living in their private lives now as well (the video in question is of a young woman recording a couple dancing through their apartment window). Even the guy who goes around “turning average people into models” initiates these videos by first taking non-consented photos of strangers on the street. Invasion is not flattery as much as people on the internet might like to think it is.

It is deeply unfair to ask human beings to live their lives in an unending panopticon. We should be able to go outside, make a joke, leave a silly note, have a bad day, an embarrassing moment, an emotional outburst, leave the curtains open with the knowledge that these moments belong to ourselves and are not suddenly (and without our consent) just become something for the masses to consume. Small spats that should remain small spats become global debates, a conventionally attractive or unattractive person becomes the internet’s object of desire or disgust. Let people exist. Let them have their dignity.

#I FUCKING HATE TIKTOK CULTURE #This is also hitting a bit close to home for me but I work at a museum and I constantly dress to hide my identity #because of how many cameras are pointed at me all day everyday #and in the year of two thousand and twenty three it’s pretty hard to be a person #so to ask people to be media ready all the time is just impractical and inhumane #we aren’t all public figures but we are now expected to be ready for that level of attention #even certain internet phenomena that came from a good faith place such as recording Karen’s as a way to combat a certain kind of a racism #was co opted by non black people to publicly shame and embarrass any older white woman they don’t like #now the entire concept of a Karen has lost its original meaning while still existing as an open threat to older women who don’t behave #as expected in public #and yes I have seen white teenage boys yelling at women calling them Karen’s for just asking them to stop being rowdy #which is anecdotal evidence so take with a grain of salt #but I am simply EXHAUSTED #apparently I need to live in the mountains if I want to live in peace #also I wrote this in like a 5 minute rage so feel free to DM me or comment if I got something wrong

[princesssarisa]

False Memories from My Favorite Childhood Stories

It's not uncommon for people to have false memories about movies, books, news reports. Scientists call it confabulation. When many people share the same one, it's called the Mandela Effect, after the surprising number of people who distinctly remember hearing the news that Nelson Mandela had died in the 1980s (which he didn't). Sometimes I see people misremember books and movies in ways that I know are mistakes. But just recently, I've realized that I have some confabulation of my own from childhood books and movies.

Casual racism in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland – which isn't there. When Alice thinks that she had better check the "Drink Me" bottle to make sure that it isn't marked "poison," the narrator states "...for she had read several nice little stories about children who had got burnt, and eaten up by wild beasts and other unpleasant things, all because they would not remember the simple rules their friends had taught them." But that isn't exactly what I remembered that passage saying. I wish I hadn't lost my childhood copy of the book – which I think was a facsimile of the first edition – because I could have sworn that the passage said "...for she had read several nice little stories about children who had been stolen away by g****es, and eaten up by wild beasts..." etc. (In case it's not clear, the word I've censored is the popular slur for Romani people.) When I recently reread the book and found that it said "burnt," not "stolen away by g****es," I thought that maybe this was a difference between editions of the book, since I know Lewis Carroll made revisions to the text each time it was republished in his lifetime. But though I've searched and searched online, I can't find a version of that passage with the quote I remember. The wording does vary slightly between the different editions online (i.e. "nice little stories" vs. "nice little histories," and "burnt" vs. "burned"), but not drastically. Not that I'm unhappy about that fact – on the contrary, I'm relieved that there's no casual racism in that passage after all! But I can't believe I somehow misremembered it as featuring that racist line! Is there, in fact, an edition of the book that talks about children being kidnapped by g*****s instead of being burnt? Or did I just make it up?

The fate of the ruby slippers in The Wizard of Oz. My false memory is just the opposite of the common one. Dozens of people remember that at the end, after Dorothy said "And oh, Auntie Em, there's no place like home!" either the camera panned down to reveal the ruby slippers under her bed, or else Dorothy got out of bed to reveal the ruby slippers on her feet. Of course neither of those things happen in any version of the movie, and I've never been one of the people who share those memories. But I have a different yet equally vivid false memory of my own. Until a few days ago, I was firmly convinced that during the second closeup of the ruby slippers as Dorothy tapped her heels together, just before the flashback to the house falling, the slippers disappeared from Dorothy's feet, leaving her in just her socks. I could have sworn that this was a decisive "end of the magic" moment that I remembered from countless childhood viewings of the movie. Yet I just rewatched the scene, and it doesn't happen! Maybe I somehow conflated that moment with the earlier scene in Munchkinland where the slippers disappear from the dead Witch of the East's feet. Maybe it was because I had also read the book, where the silver shoes fall off and are lost in the desert during Dorothy's flight home. But whatever the cause, the image stands out in my mind: the ruby slippers clicking together, and then suddenly vanishing, leaving only Dorothy's blue socks on her feet. I can't believe I just made that image up! Is there any place that memory might have originated from?

Mufasa's fatal crash to the ground in The Lion King. One famous case of a widely-misremembered childhood movie is Bambi. Countless people insist that when they first saw the movie, they remember seeing Bambi's mother being shot and falling to the ground onscreen. Of course this has never been the case; her death has always just been signified by an offscreen gunshot. I never made that mistake regarding Bambi. But I did make a similar mistake about the notorious death scene in the beloved "Bambi meets Hamlet in Africa," The Lion King. Until the last time I rewatched the movie, I could have sworn that after Scar threw Mufasa from the cliff and Simba cried "No!" the scene cut back to the falling Mufasa, who plunged straight toward the "camera." Then the screen abruptly went black with a loud thud. Now of course this isn't true: we don't see or hear Mufasa's crash to the ground in any capacity. But I was sure that remembered seeing the scene end in the way I just described. I think there were probably four factors involved with this faulty memory. (1) At first Mufasa does plunge straight toward the "camera," before the scene shifts to an overhead view of his fall as he screams, and then to Simba's "No!" (2) My memory might have conflated Mufasa's fall with the crash-landing of Dorothy's house in The Wizard of Oz, which is shot in exactly the same way I remembered the former. (3) When I was little, being hyper-sensitive, I always covered my eyes during the stampede scene, so naturally it left a fuzzier impression than other parts of the movie did. (4) Mufasa's death has such a powerful emotional impact, like the death of Bambi's mother, that it's only natural to misremember it as being shown more graphically than it really is.

Maybe there is an alternate universe where the above memories are all true, as some people who study the Mandela Effect think there is. Or maybe it's all just imagination.

#false memories #confabulation #alice's adventures in wonderland #the wizard of oz #the lion king #personal anecdotes #tw: racism #tw: death

[oedipushansen]

this is kind of hard to explain and maybe its just me but succession s4 at some points feels like. a script a fan from here would make

#not necessarily in a bad way at all! #it just feels. like. Different from the other seasons #its a lot clearer abt certain stuff and it calls back to things from previous seasons & addresses stuff in a way the previous seasons didnt #if that makes sense #like.. the connor mom cake thing. gregs gay dad. sophie experiencing racism. roman being physically abused #i dont have any opinion on this at all whether its bad or good but its just interesting to me #im honestly enjoying the New Feel of the season & i go crazy over any anecdote that reveals more abt the roys’ lives but i can understand #ppl not rlly digging it as its not something succession has rlly Done before #idk maybe this is just nonsense i could just be looking too deep into things #txt

[publicdomainbooksdevotee]

So bold was [Joe Disberry, thief] that, according to reminiscences preserved by early settlers, he was known to enter the kitchen of a dwelling when the family were in bed, start up a fire, cook a meal and eat at his leisure. If disturbed in this agreeable occupation he relied on his swiftness of foot to escape.

The more things change…

#didn't know revolutionary era pennsylvania had a famous thief #it's the first one i clicked on but the writing style is distressingly dry #i thought this would be like interesting newspaper anecdotes but it seems to be more history #daily stories of pennsylvania #public domain books #came back to add more tags: #i thought this book was going to be daily life stories from the 20s but it's a series of daily history stories…from the 20s #it's also not very well written so i give up on it. no more quotes #i would also file this one under 'worse than usual' on the racism front

[variousqueerthings]

I don’t know if I’m way behind in this kind of knowledge, but there was a difference for me between logically knowing that women can be HIV+ / get AIDS and seeing numbers for women around the world who are HIV+ or have died from AIDS-related complications

I understand why the narrative is as it is, the way homophobia meant/means a lack of treatment development + a lack of ability to access healthcare, but the way it’s affecting women is massively intersectional with racism/colonialism and poverty, and goes hand in hand with a lack of education because of (you guessed it) homophobia 

I just think everyone should take in these numbers as a matter of education, both to support women around the world and because we’re seeing yet another case of homophobia-is-stopping-people-from-getting-tested/helped with monkeypox:

AIDS epidemic update: December 2000 (worldwide)

compare

AIDS epidemic update: 2021 (worldwide)

here are a few testimonies from british women in the 80s/90s

and Rebel Dykes, the documentary about working class S/M political lesbians in London, talks briefly about awareness raising/invisibility of HIV+ women in the 80s

I’ve also anecdotally had conversations around women and HIV about the rates in middle-aged divorced women, who haven’t been educated on the risks after possible years of sleeping with one partner, apparently that’s a significant risk group (because, again... lack of education+ homophobic institutions) 

#hiv #aids #monkeypox #queer rights #womens rights #colonialism #there's a difference between knowing intuitively and Knowing through educating oneself #think a lot of people still subconsciously think of it as A Disease That Hits Queer Men and trans women and drug users as an afterthought #and faaaar far in the background of that thought is *oh yeah and some countries in africa* #(what countries? some... countries...) #which is our internalised racism and colonialism #and #because it was first used to attack queer men and then gay men for obvs reasons created a lot of mutual aid around it #have a lot more research to do -- mainly want to look for testimonies from women non-western countries #*in #i also wonder whether there are any transmasculine/trans male anecdotes #there's some unlearning to do and some learning to do #obvs we cannot individually protect every person in every country but i think it's good to be educated on this #id hazard some of the countries with the highest rates in women are also countries where it's still illegal to be gay #colonialism and homophobia and the aids epidemic go hand in hand #whaddayaknow... there's always more to intersectionalism than one knows #how do we utilise global connection for good? (not as in *burn yourself out on everything all at once*) #but as in -- we have siblings across the world and our actions affect one another across the world #ex. how covid vaccines were being hoarded #or how statistically at least as many women globally are hiv+ as men... at LEAST possibly more (and there's less resources/education) #or how i think about my transmasc and trans male and non-binary siblings across the world who either do or do not want to be pregnant #or i think about this documentary about the band mashrou leila and the activist sarah hegazi who was arrested/tortured #for unfurling a rainbow flag at one of their concerts and how one man who runs an lgbt+ center in beirut talked about the need #for global queer solidarity #lots of thoughts going in lots of directions apologies ive gone a little off topic on this post

[tenth-sentence]

I may mention an anecdote with which I was at the time much pleased: we met near Mendoza a little and very fat negress, riding astride on a mule.

"Journal of Researches into the Natural History and Geology of the Countries Visited During the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle Round the World, 1832-36" - Charles Darwin

#book quote #the voyage of the beagle #charles darwin #nonfiction #anecdote #pleased #fat #racism #mule

[headspace-hotel]

to be clear I think giving your DNA to one of those companies that tells you where your ancestors came from is probably a bad idea

but one of my family members did, so that's that. And I grew up hearing that I had a Native American ancestor somewhere back there in my family history. You know, just like literally every Southeastern USA white person did lol

And it turns out that this ancestor (we're talking 5 generations ago) was not Native American. They were Black.

Anyway now my unsupported theory about the "I had an ancestor who was a Cherokee princess" myth is that a lot of Southern families have an ancestor somewhere who was black, and because of the racism and laws about race mixing and all that, people just said Gramma was "part Cherokee" to explain why she had darker skin.

I don't have any evidence except anecdotal, but it makes so much sense.

#random #racism #anti indigenous racism

[avenitacaliente]

Tenoch Huerta and the racism in Mexico that he wants to be known about: a little bit of "Orgullo Prieto"

Photo taken for EL PAÍS, 09.07.22

For a few weeks Tenoch Huerta has been a trend on different social networks (which makes me proud, certainly. Hollywood finally makes the right people famous 👏) thanks to his portrayal of Namor in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" (I already read all your fics, they're amazing by the way).

But today I want to talk about something else, beyond his sexy back, his great performance as Namor and his countless and exotic sexual fetishes: his first book, in which he exposes, without stuttering, racism in Mexico: "Orgullo Prieto".

For those who don't know, Tenoch is an actor who for some time has turned his privileged speaker into a continuous platform against racism in Mexico.

This year, a few months before the premiere of his most recent film, Tenoch gave us this beauty, where, based on reflections, anecdotes, questions, concepts and ideas, he covers this topic, in an attempt to answer the question: of what we talk when we talk about...?

I had the opportunity to read a little of this book, which from the first page captivated me. You may not believe me, but throughout the entire reading I was smiling. Not because Tenoch was telling a story that made me happy or saying something funny, but because every word this man wrote, every word from which I learned something new. It left me floored. As part of Mexican society, reading this book (even if it was only a small part of it) made me realize the impact that racism had and has on my life and those around me. It made me question the origin of every decision I've made in the past and many of them come from the same root: racism, which without realizing it, was instilled in me since I was a child.

Leaving my sentimental speech behind, I would like to share with you small parts of—what I read from—this book, phrases and stories that made me think, get out of my comfort zone and say: "Verga, estamos bien jodidotes".

—

"racism exists in everything: in every governmental, social, private, cultural institution and even in language. If we are part of this society and participate in all of the above, without needing to be violent or actively aggressor , whether we want to realize it or not, we are all racists. You and me too. Why? Because we were trained in it and it conditioned us, and because we ignore it for centuries so as not to speak openly and on a daily basis about the subject."

"It was too tired and painful. (He was talking about his attempt to belong to the whiteness) That attempt to assimilate me, to mix myself, cost me a lot. Little by little I came back to myself, but there is something I still can not recover from: I lost my linguistic identity, and I think forever. I stopped sounding like myself, like I sounded all my life. I stopped sounding like my childhood, like my friends, like my family. Years after having lost or forgotten this part of my identity, I took a voice workshop where the teacher said: "The eyes are the mirror of the soul, but the voice is the mirror of intimacy". I had lost it: I had lost myself. I was adrift for a few years and made a number of stupid things that separated me from my true and original being."

"I remember when, as a child, a teacher asked me if my parents weren't ashamed for giving me a dog's name. She was Mexican, brown like me, and part of the same population group. Without knowing it, with that question, she was denying our roots, our identity. She did it because she surely grew up hearing (also at school, the same from monographs or history books full of Europhile biases) that our ancestors were savages and that Europeans were an "advanced" civilization, just because they were cool, because they were splendid, They came to save us from an almost animal life. We must thank them for our "humanization" or something like that. Was it really like that? Were the Mesoamerican peoples the true savages?"

"I remember one of my girlfriends, brown girl, who always sought shade or avoided sunbathing at all costs because "it burned her face". She didn't say it because she was worried about getting skin cancer, but because she didn't want it to darken. She even told me that it was to avoid stains. She searched for all possible euphemisms to turn around the real reason: not to get "more dark". It is clear to me that she, like others, surely grew up hearing that the ideal way to be beautiful was to aspire to be white and that if you are dark, you have to avoid being even more so. They are aggressions that mark us."

"What happens then with those who deny racism in their country? Being racist is a "bad" thing. So, first: no one comes off as racist because no one wants to be the bad guy. Second: since they do not see themselves in that situation, riding a horse burning crosses, it means that they are not racist. It would be like saying that men who commit gender violence are only those who have reached the point of beating or murdering a woman. Seen like this, if I don't wear the cone, I'm not a racist. Mistake."

—

#tenoch huerta #tenoch x reader #poder prieto #orgullo prieto #justicia social #social justice #mexico #mexican #racisim #clasismo #tenoch huerta namor #king namor #namor smut #namor fanfiction #prince namor #marvel #wakanda forever #black panther #marvel universe #activism #namor x reader #pase 8 hrs escribiendo esto qué

[starwikia]

suicide cw

look i have been in this area before mentally. it sucks and i wouldn’t wish this on anyone. but, and this is going to sound callous, but i don’t feel any sympathy for james somerton. even if i hope he’s like. not dead. But thats all the amount of goodwill im willing to give him. The more i think about this really, the more angry i am. 

ngl this entire situation is another example of how white people weaponize their mental illness to avoid consequences. Im seeing it in real time.

this man has a continuous habit of using self-harm as a get-out-of-jail-for-free card. in both of his apologies, he has worded his supposed attempts in ways that were clearly meant to guilt people who displayed his plagiarism and overall horrendous history of racism and misogyny. i say supposed because, while i’m not saying those are lies and this would he such a fucked up thing to lie about that i don’t want to think he has, unfortunately, it’s been proven again and again that his word can’t be trusted, as he’s known to lie to try get out of consequences. Hes a proven liar. him lying about this is actually the best case scenario, because no one should go through this entire situation, wouldnt wish this on anyone, but you can only do this so often before people stop sympathizing with you. is this callous? Yeah, but like. I’m actually fucking angry he cant straight up take no as an answer. that this is how he reacts realizing he cant be one of the Cool Kidz™️ on youtube anymore. he acts like he DESERVES a career, like its not a privilege hes lost due to his own actions.

He lied about apologizing and forgiving people, he lied about giving the money to hbomberguy to give to ppl he ripped off (yknow, instead of doing it himself), he lied about the jessie gender situation and rewrote the narrative to make it so he isnt the bad guy, and hes the victim all along actually!

you can’t tell me that supposed last message of his isn’t meant to be a 13 reasons why esq attempt to deflect the blame “look i’m going to kill myself and it’s all YOUR PEOPLES FAULT for not letting me achieve my DREAM of being filmmaker IN PEACE!!! I just wanted Nick’s (the guy who I have thrown under the bus again and again) portfolio up!! Im just being a good friend dont you all FEEL BAD” he refuses to take ANY ACCOUNTABILITY of any of his actions and he IS STILL trying to shove the blame over to other people again.

it’s also pretty ironic people are like “uhhh well hbomber’s fans harassed him!!!” like hbomber outright told people NOT to HARASS JAMES!!! ALSO acting as if james doesn’t have a very real documented history of STRAIGHT UP sending his fans to harass and threaten smaller creators, more notably women, trans, and bipoc creators. especially after he’s stolen typically very personal anecdotes so he could profit from them. so why can he do it but the second people are like “hey this guys an actual piece of shit.” and he can’t handle it suddenly people are trying to white knight his shit? like no he doesn’t get that. he doesn’t get that at all just because he couldn’t handle the consequences of his actions. 

what? were supposed to stay quiet about a man profiting off of other minorities because he wanted to be the spokesman for all gay people? people tried to solve this on a smaller, more private scales for YEARS and he kept doing it. it was clear that the giant public video was the ONLY way to get people to notice. HE WOULDVE GOTTEN AWAY WITH STEALING 87 FUCKING THOUSANDS WORTH OF DOLLARS. HE CANT HANDLE THE FACT HE CANT GET AWAY WITH IT. 

am i supposed to feel bad for the guy who basically threatened a trans woman with the police? i don’t care what anyone says, it’s so fucking obvious that he threatened jessie by implying he was getting the police involved in their conflict. what am i supposed to act like that didn’t happen? are we supposed to pretend like he didn’t glorify nazi’s and outright said that gay people made up a good chunk of the nazis? That he didnt say america joined ww2 bc they were jealous of the NAZIS. WHAT WOULD POSSESS YOU TO FUCKING SAY THAT. but then? He gives women (not even women most of the time, he misgenders nonbinary ppl constantly) shit for writing mlm. are we supposed to act like he doesn’t straight-up sees himself superior and better than people of color and steals their works to put himself on a pedestal? Are we supposed to act like he didnt spit on our elders by saying “only the boring gays survived aids” like man! Fuck you! He BLANTANTLY MAKES UP HISTORY TO PUT HIMSELF ON A PEDESTAL!! HE ACTIVELY TRIED TO REWRITE LGBT HISTORY TO SUIT HIS FUCKED UP NARRATIVES!

yes this sucks ! no one deserves this but no one should be making him a martyr. Thats what he fucking WANTS! He wants to be immortalized as a victim!! (again, supposedly, it was reported hes alive but its not confirmed).

The shit he got isnt near the amount of fucking callous behavior hes done again and again. Again, to drill this point, EVEN IF HE DIDNT CALL THE POLICE HE THREATENED A TRANS WOMAN INTO THINKING HE DID!!! The fact he tried to use a head injury to justify years of the outright ghoulish shit fucking astounds me. Why the fuck did anyone in his life thought it was a good idea to let him TRY to come back. in the end, he had options. he didn’t need to try to make a comeback. HE DIDNT NEED TO FUCKING LIE OR IGNORE THE SHIT HE WAS CALLED OUT ON the reality is, he wanted to come back thinking he could shove it under the rug, was told that no dude, you’re not allowed to be a youtuber anymore. you’re done. you need to move on and went full nuclear. it’s not on anyone’s hands but his own. HES BEEN DOING THIS TO HIMSELF!! But nah man we cant call his shit out bc hell may or may not kill himself. Fuck the other minorities who have the same issues but worse and sometimes BECAUSE of him. This is going to SUCKKKK so bad when other ppl, specifically white gays, are going to weaponize this shit to get away with their stuff.

#warning: do not read this post if you want me to be nice to james somerton. i am extremely mean in this post. #before anyone accuses me of shit i legit never contacted him myself or anyone involved. i am someone who witnessed this behavior repeatedly #again. i hope hes alive and well. the fact is him lying about this WOULD BE THE IDEAL SITUATION. BC NO ONE SHOULD GO THROUGH THAT. but. #he HAS to forever be the victim in his eyes. attempting doesnt automatically mean youre free of sin. #its just terrible to see that regardless whether or not he did do it #its very clear his attempts to run away from his consequences are working on some people #we need to acknowledge that if your shitty ex friend can weaponize a threat to kill themselves #so can this internet person after being called out for horrendous shit #like what was the alterative? what were people supposed to fucking do? be nice about it? #yeah as if poc and trans women arent historically given shit for being 'too mean' about wanting justice. #this isnt just the plagiarism this is the fact a white dude has been parading himself as THE speaker for the gays(tm) but has been using hi #gayness to shield himself from his misogyny racism transphobia and antisemitism #its very clear regardless this means that ppl r going to side with him and then give him benefit of doubt #if you cant handle the heat stay out of the fucking kitchen dude. this is the consequences of your fucking actions. #hes a disgusting person who cant handle being told no so hes going to drag everyone down with him #like. idk this entire situation is frustrating to me. #its also frustrating ppl trying to be moral abt it like 'see! i knew this was bad all along!' no you didnt. shut it. #for the record im like mainly talking abt twit watching those spineless uwu cutesy ppl basically saying hes done noting wrong #oh and also alt righters who are clearly weaponinizing this where u know they wouldnt give a shit if a right ytber did this. #james somerton #idk might delete this later its just. ugh...

[glitterock]

Call For Submissions

Hello! So i’ve decided i want to create a collaborative zine based on an essay I’m writing titled “Femme Dyke” on the lesbian experience and would love to collect other submissions written by and for the community! The title is based off of a piece I have written, but I don’t want this to be a femme-specific project. Ideally butch, femme, masc, dyke, androgynous, fluid, unlabelled, and any and all lesbian voices in between would be represented! I’ll be accepting around 10 (subject to change based on interest) pieces including essays, short stories, poems, songs, interviews, visual art, photography, and memoirs.

Rules for Submission:

* Must be a lesbian to submit. I love all my queer family, but this will be a collection of writing based on the lesbian experience

* Can be as short or long as you want as long as it’s 12 pages or under (size 12 font, regular 1.15 spaced). If you only want to write a few words, just write a few words! If you want all 12 pages, take all 12 pages!

*You may submit multiple pieces of work but only one submission will be chosen

* You can access this submission form until January 21st at 11:59 pm est (if you need up to a week extension please message me to work that out but try to stick to this deadline)

* Along with your written/visual submission, please include your full name/an alias you’d like to use, any socials/a website if you have one you’d like to include (not required) and a short biography (one paragraph long) about yourself, where you’re from, and any additional information you’d like to add written in the 3rd person. You may add a picture to your biography if you feel comfortable doing so!

* All submissions will be edited by me, but this most likely won’t go farther than spelling and punctuation changes. If I have any notes whatsoever i’ll run them by you and you’ll see and approve of the final copy of your piece before print/posting

* This goes without saying, but transphobia, racism, and hostility towards other queer identities will not be tolerated or printed

Examples for what to write about include but absolutely are not limited to:

* how your sexual identity as a lesbian intersects with other minority identities you may have

* your "Ring of Keys" moment

* your place in the lesbian community and how you relate to it

* coming out story and how that shaped you as a person/the relationships you have

* an interview with a lesbian you know

* being trans and a lesbian

* guide to eating pussy for beginners

* your first time falling in love/getting your heart broken

* a funny life story or anecdote that relates to lesbianism

* your identity (butch, femme, etc.) and what that means to you

* sexual experience/advice/ stories or how you relate to sex as a lesbian

* the colonization of gender and sexuality

* write a love letter! to lesbianism, your partner, a lover, a hook up, to butches, to femmes, to trans lesbians, to POC lesbians, to your friends, to yourself, to your vibrator!

* poetry, an original song, or a visual art piece about any of these topics or a topic related to lesbianism (note that visual art will be printed in black and white)

If your work is chosen, I will be in contact with you by January 28th to discuss further! Not every submission is guaranteed a spot.

Thank you so much and I look forward to reading all submissions!

submission form:

#lesbian #femme lesbian #wlw #sapphic #lgbt #queer #femme4butch #femme #butch #butch4femme #lesbian writing

[jesncin]

You listened to the Superman radio show? Cool! :D I must ask, what did you think of the original Clan of the Fiery Cross arc? How do you think it compares to Superman Smashes the Klan?

Yes! I believe that Superman Smashes the Klan improves on the original Clan of the Fiery Cross radio show arc in just about every possible way! Still, I was pleasantly delighted by how biting the original radio arc was (I listened to it in anticipation for the graphic novel)- it's no wonder that some of the lines were lifted directly into Smashes the Klan.

The main difference between Clan of the Fiery Cross and Smashes the Klan is who is centered in the narrative. In the radio show, while it did tackle anti-Asian racism directly, it was still focused on the white characters' feelings and opinions about it. Superman teams up with Chuck Riggs while Tommy Lee and his family are essentially anecdotes, narratively. I think they barely had speaking lines. The white characters are characterized as either "good eggs or bad eggs": the Clan are deplorable people and all the other white characters are critical of them. Chuck's mom does a raving condemnation of them to make this clear.

Meanwhile in Smashes the Klan, the story centers the Chinese American family. Roberta- a character who was only mentioned once is now the main character and heart of the story! All the characters are complex- Tommy makes racist jokes in order to fit in, their dad desperately wants to assimilate through anti-Blackness, etc. Racism is shown as a systemic issue that affects everyone. Instead of white people being either racist or not, it's shown regardless of their opinion that they all benefit from a racist system. Chuck's mom still criticizes the Clan "but is it really all that bad to want to live among only your kind?" and Chuck repeats this notion when talking to Tommy. All in a very accessible language for kids to understand. And of course, Superman relating directly to Roberta's family as a character instead of being just A Force Of Good Who Fixes Things. The climax in Smashes the Klan is a lot stronger too.

Still, the Clan of the Fiery Cross arc is absolutely worth a listen. It's an important piece of history! It has a lot of misinformation spread about it that's so easily debunked by just listening to it. Great performances, I can see why it was so popular! It's still way more political than most Superman media nowadays. Very fun to compare the graphic novel to it.

#askjesncin #media criticism #maws- take notes. this is how you write a character with replacement theory fears. u cowards. #ppl like to essentialize diverse talent- like gene yang doesn't just add depth to the asian characters. He added depth to everyone #and strengthened the overall themes because he is an excellent writer. WRAGH!!! #this is a superman smashes the klan supremacy blog #jesncin dc meta

[sir-phineas-lost]

The “Swedengate” tag is wild because on the one hand it is a valid and long overdue discussion about our reputation as this fair and wonderful place and how we are really more concerned with not appearing racist than actualy working against racism....

...and on the other hand it is a bunch of people who saw an anecdote on reddit by some rando about how we supposedly starve our guests and unironically believe it.

#sweden #swedengate

[vasito-de-leche]

;R1999 DIKKE - General Headcanons

Compilation of headcanons and analysis on Dikke as a character and other related things.

as promised, here's the Dikke post where I go deranged talking about her, since it was one of the two with the most votes in the poll <3

the other popular result was to talk about the parallels and use of racial issues within the story, how the game replaces actual racism for fantasy racism (arcanists vs humans) - so that one will deffo take me some time!

On the subject of justice and Dikke's inspirations.

I've seen some people say that Dikke is based on Joan of Arc, given her righteousness and religious themes - but there are so many more details about her design that point toward other figures!

Like, really. A lot of references to law and deities of justice all throughout history and different cultures.

The most obvious one is Dike, "goddess of justice and the spirit of moral order and fair judgement". In Dikke's interview with Pandora Wilson, they literally address her as "the goddess of justice". And a small statue of Lady Justice, the personification of justice that originates from Justitia (roman equivalent of Dike) can be seen in her insight 2 garment.

It goes without saying that Dikke's sword is another symbol representative of the previously mentioned figures - but to have only the sword and not the scales could have some implications about her way of imparting justice.

I would like to point out that Dikke's sword has these two dangling pieces that allude to the scales she's missing in her design. And sure, it might be a reach, but given how much detail and thought goes into the characters of the game and their designs, I really believe this is the case!

On Dikke's items, we also get the name and description for the sword.

The name alone leads me to believe that Dikke's weapon and its design represents both the sword and the scales of Lady Justice, it's the totality of justice itself. Dikke WIELDS justice, she ENFORCES justice, she IS justice. You're going to get really tired of me repeating the word justice in this post, but bear with me!

On the subject of swords, there are two swords mentioned all throughout Dikke's in-game profile and information. Her insight 2 garment is titled "Sword of Hamurabi".

This is evocative of something called the "Code of Hammurabi", one of the longest legal texts dating back to the first dynasty of Babylon. According to wikipedia, this stele it also depicts yet another deity of justice, Shamash. Wikipedia also makes note of the prologue within the Code of Hammurabi, in which the author - Hammurabi - claims to have been given these rules "to prevent the strong from oppressing the weak". This is extremely relevant to Dikke, as someone who fought hard for the rights of arcanists.

Pandora Wilson: I have heard many legends about you. The violent ghost of punishment, the crime-slaying sword of execution, the goddess of justice, the people's savior... Dikke: The desperate always need hope.

The stele of the Code of Hammurabi is ALSO relevant, because the artifact that follows Dikke around explicitly "belongs to some ancient stele". Yet another object that embodies justice and law.

I won't pretend I know anything about Babylonian culture or history in general, so anyone with more insight on this is welcome to add on to details and corrections!

The second sword mentioned can be found in the title for her 02 Story - "The Sword of Damocles".

This excerpt seems to be written by one of Dikke's coworkers, perhaps someone in a higher position of power since they mention being able to give others a day off. Overall, we're reading the thoughts of someone who is abusing their power and who does not think highly of Dikke.

"The story of Damocles is but a story" is something that Dikke herself says. At the end, there's a different phrase written and crossed out - "But the story of justice is not just a story".

Now, the anecdote of Damocles talks about how positions of authority and power are double-edged swords - a king may have all the riches and fortune in the world, but also be burdened with the anxiety of knowing there might be someone plotting against him. In the story, Damocles switches places with king Dionysus, to know what it's like to be a king, but to really make Damocles understand the position of king, a sword is placed above him - one that can fall and kill him at any moment.

With this in mind, Dikke's 02 Story becomes more clear - the first phrase is a warning given by Dikke herself to those in positions of power. The story of Damocles is a story, because not everyone will understand the consequences of being in a position of power. Not everyone will be given the opportunity to even reach such a position.

The author of the 02 Story is not a good person, only considering the idea of giving people HALF a day off, excluding those who work on the fields who will get nothing, refusing to lower taxes for the poor, and imprisoning someone who "interfered with the lord's land acquisition".

The sword of Damocles is also used to allude to the impending tragedy for those in positions of power, caused by the smallest of catalysts. So it makes sense to me that the final phrase, the one crossed out at the end, was either written by Dikke or alludes to the demise of this author at her hand.

And while we're at it, might as well talk about the last remaining item - her robes. Judges are required to wear these when working on trials, but Dikke is specifically stated to wear them outside of them - because she's always imparting justice. She's the opposite of Oliver Fog, she's always on the clock.

We haven't even gotten to another big aspect of Dikke's character - the fact that she's part of the Inquisition.

Without getting too much into actual historical events, the Inquisition as we know it focused on heresy and the conversion and persecution of Jews and Muslims. Within the game, this is recontextualized as a focus for arcanists instead. It's worth noting that her 01 and 02 Stories are written from the perspective of those who are in support of the Inquisition and its practices, or who profit from abusing their own power - hence the wording of "the Inquisition has been abused and considered evil by the ignorant."

There is an emphasis on how the Inquisition seeks power, while Dikke's final goal is justice.

This whole thing and yet another part from her interview with Pandora Wilson, is related to how Dikke associates herself with the corrupt and allows people to view her as a needlessly violent person for the sake of setting things right. On one hand, she could associate with the Inquisition and become a bishop to destroy corruption from inside out - on the other, she could acknowledge that to impart justice, one needs power because they're things that go hand in hand. The Inquisition is only able to have this much influence over trials for arcanists because of the common hatred towards arcanists throughout history.

The interview revolves around all the rumours surrounding Dikke, and we can see her showing distaste at the idea of cooperating with "what [she] shouldn't allow for the sake of justice" while at the same time, not denying her involvement with them. All the things she does are a means to an end.

Pandora Wilson: Does that mean you will cooperate with what you shouldn't allow for the sake of "justice"? Dikke: Fie. Pandora Wilson: Is that supposed to be a secret? Dikke: It sounds like we are talking about a conspiracy, yet it is but a means.

As for Dikke's own relationship with justice and her personal views outside of all the historical references used to create her character, I think this voiceline she has pretty much sums things up nicely.

Everything I doth… is so I may enjoy this calm wind on nights like this, rather than hear the sorrowful cries and moans of unhappiness.

She's a character that is strict in her ways and doesn't shy away from the darker aspects of life, such as the injustice arcanists have been subjected to for centuries. This extreme focus she has for upholding justice does cause Dikke to appear cold, and yet her ideals are almost childish, pure even - a world in which all misdeeds are punished and all good people are heard. Hell, her Ultimate literally purifies all negative statuses.

Dikke could easily lean towards righteous characters who exclusively see things as black or white, yet many of her voicelines and the origin of her devotion, show a very gentle heart. This is made clear by the fact that she's a healer.

Her two attacks and their names speak volumes about her own ways of thinking. Power is violent, power is not something that a judge should have so carelessly, but it is allowed in the name of "justice". Justice in quotations.

And then, actual justice is a rare occurrence, being merciful is not something that rules and the law take into account, but it's needed for those who cannot defend themselves.

On the subject of Dikke's backstory.

There's no resolution to this point, it just came up randomly while writing the previous one, because it just hit me that Dikke's Cover profile does not list where she was born. And that got me thinking about the fact that before settling down, she traveled all around Europe.

First of all, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pamiers is an extremely specific location - one that has ties to the Inquisition, as a very important document regarding the Inquisition's procedures during a very specific trial was found there, as far as I know with my surface level research into history references. This document also talked about how, within this trial, the inquisitor and the bishop had "almost equal responsibility".

We can assume that this is the place where Dikke became bishop officially, if this was her final destination.

This starts to fall within headcanon territory, since it's mostly speculation, but I feel that the 02 Story takes place before she becomes bishop and settles in Pamiers - as a member of the inquisiton, she must've traveled all over Europe to do her job.

There might also be something related to the name mentioned, "Murville", but I don't have time nor the brain to start connecting the dots with actual french history. All in all, I like to think that Dikke was given the position of bishop as an attempt to distance her from, you know, killing every single corrupt person in a position of power by keeping her in a single place.

None of her voicelines give away anything about her life prior her entire journey of justice, as far as I can tell.

If we take Dikke's ties with Joan of Arc, maybe she was a common girl roped into things beyond her control. But I personally don't like the interpretation of Dikke's ideals being born from divine intervention instead of her own experiences, seeing the crimes committed against arcanists and realizing that she would like to do something about it.

Another option I'd like to explore about her background - maybe Dikke did have a relatively safe and normal childhood, away from the stigma and persecution. A nice, gentle life that she willingly gave up after she was confronted with the reality of the state of the world, without Jean of Arc's holy realization. To me, there needs to be an emphasis on Dikke's choice and decision to fight corruption. Making this dedication a result of "God told me to do this" would render her a little shallow - not to say religion cannot be part of her character, but in my opinion, Dikke is best when the focus of her moral compass is a genuinely care for the weak and the defenseless.

On the subject of Dikke and the loss of humanity.

Yes, that's THREE characters in a row that I analyze and that have themes of loss of humanity. There's just so many characters who've lost or given up their own humanity for the sake of something greater or something wicked.

Pavia's was a result of how he was mistreated and as a way to reclaim power, Forget Me Not's was a self-imposed torture originating from his inability to take responsibility. Dikke's seems to be self-imposed as well, but unlike the previous two, her loss of humanity is more of a sacrifice she makes for the greater good.

In her voicelines, we see that she leads a very strict schedule - she's straightforward and curt (but never impolite!) with Vertin, alluding to how simple justice is (if one commits a crime or abuses power, they shall be dealt with regardless of their social status) and how her body is "a representation of justice". Dikke has become a symbol for an idea, the concept of a fair system - she is no longer an individual but a savior, an executioner, a violent ghost, a witch, a threat, etc etc.

The loss of humanity is obvious in the way we do not get to know Dikke outside of any themes regarding justice. It's extremely hard to gleam any information about her childhood, her family, her interests and so on because they've all been displaced by this identity as justice itself. To me, this speaks about how power and responsibility on this scale will inevitably separate you from the people, THIS is the Sword of Damocles, now applied to Dikke as much as it applies to those in line for her judgement.

And yet, there are still very small hints of humanity left within her (still related, in a way, to her goals) in her care for the weak. Dikke's quote on her hobbies in a way reminds me of Sonetto.

The idle chatter of the people is entertaining, but 'tis more entertaining that they are always the first to know about the corrupt behavior of nobles.

Sonetto is a character that is similar to Dikke, in the sense that they both became the embodiment of concepts that ultimately stripped them off their individuality. Sonetto by fulfilling her training at the Foundation and becoming the PERFECT example of a military dog, a child martyr who struggles to connect with others because she was only taught how to exist FOR the Foundation. And Dikke, by all the things mentioned before.

But both of them have very endearing hobbies. Sonetto reads newspapers and collects them to find TYPOS IN THEM. Dikke's hobby is to listen to people talk as they go on about their day, not gossiping but to just listen to people exist.

In the main story, Sonetto's upbringing causes her to have a barrier with the people she truly wants to connect to (Vertin, namely) and Dikke's goal causes her life to revolve around a single thing, now only able to engage in mundane things from an outsider's perspective. She listens to people, she doesn't talk to them. She protects people, she doesn't live among them.

I like to think that, even so, this is when Dikke is most at peace. That she enjoys people watching, knowing they're safe and sound - because it validates all her efforts, it means that what she's doing is, in the end, worth it. This might also be why Dikke tells Vertin that they might be on the same path - Vertin, slowly figuring out the truth behind the Foundation and Manus Vindictae and acting as a saviour for those stuck in the middle.

As for headcanons, here's a couple I have!

Dikke has such a dry and deadpan sense of humour that only Vertin can understand it.

Sometimes, very rarely, Dikke will chime in with the most outlandish reply - straight out of the blue, spoken in the most serious and monotone voice. Those who aren't close to her will most likely brush it off as yet another intimidating thing they can't understand about her, but those close to her like Vertin?

It's THE funniest shit in the world and Dikke, who is very aware of the image and respect she commands, knows it.

Dikke and the artifact that follows her are friends.

Quite literally, that thing is the hand of justice. I like to think that Dikke can communicate with it non-verbally, even though it's implied that the artifact is not created by her arcanum.

Part of me likes to think that Dikke insists on said artifact being just her partner in her long journey of bringing justice to the world, but due to all the years spent together and all, the artifact itself (and whatever entity that shows up in her Ultimate) have come to see Dikke as their protégé.

#reverse 1999 #reverse: 1999 #reverse 1999 headcanons #reverse 1999 dikke #dikke #yes im flexing my 100% bond with her in that screenshot #i only have 3 characters at max bond and its pavia zima and dikke LMFAO

[overleftdown]

deranged post-canon farleigh speculation

so. archie madekwe said something that makes me question a lot of the other post-canon speculation (often quickstart dynamic post-canon fics, speculation, etc.). Basically, he was talking about how tired Farleigh was getting, in the point in time that the movie is set. This is depicted through his confrontation with Felix, which Archie confirmed was the first conversation Farleigh has had with the cattons about the issue of bias.

a review by hilton als briefly touched on farleigh's possible future, as well. it was a very negative and... honestly understandable idea of what farleigh would grow up to become. aka, someone who exploited and tokenized their race for "brownie points," pun not intended. i see a lot of people crafting stories of farleigh finding different ways to rejoin the ultra-rich class. and i kinda wanna say that i... don't like that. here's an anecdote: my cousin and i had a conversation about his experience moving from a white-dominated, suburban environment. he argues that although racism is still prevalent where he now lives, the racism he experienced in his hometown was so painfully, covertly delivered. it's this sort of "could you just call me a slur or something" mentality.

although farleigh is terrified of change, although farleigh is terrified of losing what he believes is an accommodation for his marginalization (it isn't; you can't buy your way out of racism), although farleigh learned to be materialistic through the ways in which he was raised, although farleigh is constantly running away from something--i think he was reaching a point of genuine hatred for the ways in which racism is delivered to him in this environment. i would also go insane. so freakishly insane. i think his conversation with felix made him understand that maybe the cattons will never even try to change. that the cattons couldn't even acknowledge the problem in the first place. that you can't really win, with people like the cattons. it's always a game of when, and never if. when will they finally, politely discard me?

this leaves a couple options. the first, farleigh learns to be financially independent and very much successful. he would never rely on other people again, especially not white people. this leaves room for hilton als' interpretation, but the fact that farleigh was cognizant of and willing to mention racial bias to felix is evidence for me to assume that farleigh is beyond belittling himself like that. farleigh already experienced so much shame from catering towards the cattons and their whiteness... i don't think he'd keep going with that. not with the way it ended. not after he had the horrible wake-up call that was both his cousins dying. so, maybe farleigh does find his way back to wealth. maybe through fashion, through modeling like his mother, through another form of art, through business, whatever.

the other option is that farleigh just... doesn't acquire that level or even close to that level of wealth again. i kinda like this idea. i kinda like imagining farleigh in a city flat or smaller suburban house, finding a significant other and probably never ever having kids. that, of course, still leaves room for farleigh to go and brutalize oliver out of saltburn. but i'd like to think he wouldn't take saltburn back. as i've said before, farleigh was never greedy. he never wanted to replace or succeed the cattons, nor did he want any form of dominance over them. to be their equal, yes. to be seen and heard and given attention, yes. but never did he play his games to knock felix or venetia down. i feel like farleigh would be the "eat the rich" that saltburn didn't have. not in the corny way, because farleigh is no robin hood, nor is he an innocent and selfless person.

my ideal "sequel" type situation would be farleigh returning to saltburn after living comfortably and humbly for the last 20 years. he's not here out of moral obligation. he's not here to steal back the catton wealth. he's here selfishly, and out of burning hatred. he's here because oliver stole any sense of closure farleigh could've ever had. he's here because oliver never gave farleigh the opportunity to forgive his family, nor to mourn them, nor to visit those memories, nor to make new ones. farleigh is here to wreck oliver's shit. it's not healthy, it's not pretty, it's not clean. i'd imagine 40-year-old farleigh, having matured, returning to saltburn and regressing to the same games he always used to play. lying, people pleasing, pretending, sex, drugs, sass, etc. ahhh. my ideal sequel. a man who found peace without closure and finds closure through a significant lack of peace. and, also, oliver dead as hell.

#farleigh start #i have class in 6 hours and i need sleep #saltburn #i threw this down in 15 minutes #it's not good and is in fact deranged #do u guys get me tho #i'm sure if emerald fennell were to write this sequel then maybe the quickstarters would b right #but i kinda hope she would maybe like #she does talk about quickstart as like a #idek #i love emerald #but i have Thoughts on this movie #and this character. #and these fans. #and arghgdjflds #i just want oliver to be CRUSHED #LIKE A WORM #i wouldn't care if emerald added in the hate sex that you freaks so DESPERATELY crave #like I KNOW I KNOW THEY'RE HOT?? #whateverrrr i care more about angst #guys angst mmmmmmmmmm #being asexual is so funny sometimes #i feel like i'm watching penguins in their little enclosure #deprived of freedom #sliding around and feral and slapping each other because they're in an enclosure #i'm so tired help me #i just mean that #you guys are funny like i cannot imagine living life with this craving that u guys r being crushed by #“cmon guys where is the farleigh x reader fanfiction cmon guys” like hello? hello hi? #i'm flipping the script actually

[mercifullymad]

Urgent Call to Oppose KOSA

(Update to this post, where I explain in more detail why KOSA is harmful, not helpful, to children)

On May 2, 2023, KOSA was re-introduced to Congress by its authors, Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). Though some of the wording has been modified slightly to be more specific as compared to the previous version of the bill, the most egregious and dangerous parts remain – namely, the fact that it will come down to state attorneys general to decide what content on social media sites does and does not “prevent and mitigate” outcomes like anxiety, depression, bullying, and more.

It’s important to be clear about how nebulous concepts like “bullying,” “anxiety,” and “depression,” are defined by the bill’s co-author, Sen. Blackburn, and how they will be similarly defined by other conservative politicians. Sen. Blackburn has a page on her website criticizing the “mental and emotional trauma” that “Critical Race Theory” causes white children. She states that “CRT actively encourages discrimination” and illustrates this claim with an anecdote of a racist mother “left with no choice but to put her seven-year-old in therapy” because her child was “depressed” by learning she was white. Using telling phrasing, Sen. Blackburn conveys her beliefs that education about racism makes “parents struggle to help their children manage the mental and emotional damage inflicted by this dangerous ideology” (bolding added). Tennessee’s governor has already signed a bill that withholds funding from any schools teaching about “systemic racism” and “white privilege.” If KOSA passes, Tennessee will be able to ban children from learning about racism not only in schools, but also on online platforms, by arguing that this content causes “mental and emotional damage” and “depression” in children. For Sen. Blackburn and other conservative politicians, any information about racism and queerness can be blamed for causing children “distress” and thus can be prohibited from children’s access.  

If you are a U.S. citizen, please call and/or email your representatives and ask them to oppose KOSA. The EFF has a very simple form for doing so, with a pre-written template (ideally, alter some of the language to make the message your own). It is quick and easy, and it is important to do so now, because KOSA’s supporters want it to be pushed through Congress as quickly as possible. Please also urge the mental health and eating disorder organizations supporting KOSA (such as Project Heal, the Eating Disorder Coalition, and the National Alliance for Eating Disorders).

Children deserve to be truly protected. Not trapped, surveilled, and further harmed by their state governments.

#kosa #kids online safety act #racism #social justice #activism #lgbtq #mental health #mental wellness #eating disoder recovery #idk what to tag this to get it the most circulation unfortunately #literally quivering in fear and rage :)) fun :))) i love tuesday night :))) #mine

[clareguilty]

AO3 Election Candidates!

If any of you are members of AO3 and eligible to vote in the election this weekend I would highly encourage it! The site has a great webpage (https://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/22947) where you can do your own research on candidates, and I would definitely recommend everyone to check that out!

What sparked my interest in the first place were other people raising concerns about Tiffany G who is running for the board but does not seem to stand for the positions that AO3 is most known and loved for.

My personal impressions of the candidates will be down below, but please take these opinions with the understanding that I'm not attempting to sway votes (except for maybe away from Tiffany) and just provide my thoughts. These are also the notes I'll be using to cast my personal ballot

Natalia G - Fourth pick I like her Q&A answers well enough. She emphasizes the legitimacy of fanworks and references the terms of service. She does reference the attacks against AO3 which shows an awareness of the issues that are relevant, but doesn't make any strong statements that show a firm stance. Her diversity responses emphasize the push for a blocking feature, but nothing super concrete beyond that.

Noemie B - Third pick Noemie explicitly warns of the dangers of censorship and references that every platform has specific terms of use and committees in place to protect and develop. She cites a personal affection for AO3 which is important to me, but she also doesn't cite a negative experience and idk if thats a kind of willful positivity or not?

I do like that she cites user responsibility in exposure to problematic content and again points out the dangers of censorship. She also recognizes anti-blackness and transphobia as issues and cites specific actions and events to combat that.

Michelle S - Second pick Michelle also emphasizes the TOS and states that she has no plans to prescreen content or increase moderation, but she doesn't directly address concerns regarding censorship or the abuse towards the PAC team.

her diversity responses, like Noemi, reference the push to hire a diversity consultant. She specifically references AO3's existing features to handle harrassment and curate content, but doesn't take credit or promise any specific new features. Instead, she points out that the AD&T committee are the wizards who do that. She mentions maximum inclusivity and stresses user responsibility which are plusses in my book. She states she signed the June 2020 statement on racism as a chair

Heather M - Likely my first pick Heather is more user-focused in her response surrounding frustrations with the OTW. She also mentions the attacks against volunteers and has a nice statement about the response following the attack. She also cites a personal affection for AO3 and states that monitoring content is a ridiculous standard.

Her diversity responses are very strong to me as she shows an awareness of the racism in fandom but also an understanding of how systemic the issues truly are. She specifically references the proposed block feature and even cites a difference between active harassment and unintentional ignorance. She also cites specific features available to users to curate content and stresses the stance of maximum inclusivity. Her experience on the policy and abuse team is also a big plus. She also speaks about the history and purpose of the OTW.

Tiffany G - last pick She is definitely the most concerning of the candidates. Her statements are pretty sweeping and general and she doesn't list a lot of concrete stances or experiences except for personal anecdotes that dont always support her points. She is just as worrisome as the other posts make her out to be and doesn't answer with the same maturity and experience as the other candidates. I know im not saying as much about her specific stances but its hard to find anything of substance to even pull over into this post.

also in one interview she was weirdly against NSFW content which like... is kind of the whole reason AO3 exists

Obligatory Disclaimer: this is purely my personal impressions and opinions. I have been using AO3 for at least 5 years now (likely much longer) and been a member for over three. I've donated a considerable amount to the organization since AO3 in turn supports my livelihood as a writer, so i do have a vested interest in the well-being of the website also i think free speech and transformative works are important

#ao3 #ao3 elections #heather m #tiffany g #michelle s #noemie b #natalia g #otw elections #OTW #ao3 election candidates #clare screams