#repressed Edwardian Queerness

[vergess]

https://getmaude.com/blogs/themaudern/how-victorian-britain-went-bdsm-bonkers

wild

Not only is it wild, but the counter-movement to the sheer obscene wildness throughout much of the 1800s is why we today tend to think of Victorians as staid nonentities, sexually.

By the time of Dracula, the pendulum was swinging firmly in the direction of sexual conservatism. Especially as sexually transmitted diseases were becoming more medically understood, but treatments remained out of reach. This added to the overall vibes of Sexual Paranoia that would come to dominate the UK throughout the Edwardian and Great War periods.

But then comes Freud and the 20s for a more liberated sexuality (y'all like Wodehouse right? I think you would like him if you've not tried).

And then ww2 and the immediate aftermath created more sexual conservatism, which led to the sexual free for all in the 60s and 70s. Which led to Thatcherite conservatism, and those sexual politics dominate to this day.

Oh, how I miss the bright days of 2008-2012 when we all lowkey thought that the queer rights movement would finally overtake the inherited sexual horrors of the 80s.

But then TERF Island heard about Those Transes and fascism decided to go on world tour, so here we all are. Trapped in a sexually repressive hell when we're decades overdue for another round of liberation.

You can basically re-create that timeiline for the US, just swap out names like "Thatcher" for "Reagan"

#answered asks #Anonymous

[goatsandgangsters]

friends, followers, and beloved mutuals, I am here to give you my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION for A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

Set in Edwardian England, it is a queer fantasy romance that begins—as all great romances do—with a murder and a bureaucratic paperwork error. It’s a perfect blend of fantasy, history, mystery, and romance to create a vibrant world of magic as social currency, lush turn-of-the-century detail, and an incredible slow-burn gay romance filled with emotional intimacy, yearning, and sarcasm

I don’t want to give too much of the plot away, because it unfolds so well on its own. But suffice it to say, a prickly magical academic and a charming baronet who’s diving in headfirst must team up due to the aforementioned murder/paperwork in order to solve a magical mystery and save lives, and oh my god they were colleagues 😘

If you love character-centered writing, an intellectual magic system akin to legal practice, magical manor homes that may like you or may not, when the prickly emotionally repressed one and the rash charming one have feelings for each other, family trauma, murder mysteries, the idle rich attempting to pass the time, turn-of-the-century interior design, plants (threatening), discussion of vintage erotica, a strong focus on the emotional interiority of the characters, good sex, luscious prose, and most importantly gay Edwardians—this one is a must

#a marvellous light #the last binding #freya marske #book recs #book review #part of me feels like I’ve been waiting forever to read this exact book with these exact characters in this exact world #it is—I cannot stress this enough—EXACTLY my vibe #I’m so sad I finished reading it because I want to keep reading it forever you know what I mean? #a bunch of posts are gonna get out of my queue tomorrow and saturday #so consider that part of my elevator pitch to convince you to read this

[the-master-maid]

Whatever else you think about Tolkien's male characters' relationships, whether you think of them as 'just good friends' or 'brothers in arms' (eyebrow raised: not sure it always means what you think it means, my modern heterosexual oblivions - pretty sure some very queer ancient Greeks, not to mention some fabulous Georgian and Victorian men could wax pretty poetical about the love between 'brothers-in-arms') love and tenderness between men was something that Tolkien was consistently interested in exploring. The depths of it, the desires behind it, how far love could take a relationship, what actions love and jealousy would lead to, and how far the boundaries of normative male love could be crossed or dismantled. And what ensues when heteronormative boundaries in relationships are crossed (i.e. when characters keep getting closer and closer). Nowhere in the text, in any of Tolkien's texts is this exploration of male same-sex love given parameters that exclude erotic desire and love and sometimes outright homosexual relationships (looking directly at you, Beleg and Turin).

#Beleg Strongbow/Turin Turumbar #Frodo/Sam #Queer Tolkien #Queer coded #samfro #merry and pippin #repressed Edwardian Queerness #homoerotic literature #what happens at Oxford in the 1910s stays at Oxford #maedhros/Fingon #legolas/gimli #gay subtext #gay turin beleg #lotr #silmarillion #turleg #gay lotr

[heartslobbf]

hot take but i Love fanny actually. find it really weird that a lot of people choose to hate her more than say, julian, a casually homophobic and misogynistic war criminal who was around in the 90s and was entirely able to unlearn his bigotry, a character who still refuses to unlearn his bigotry (see: him expecting alison to perform femininity in the way he wants her to). meanwhile fanny is an edwardian woman who was raised with insane expectations and standards, in a much less progressive society and during like. one of the most notorious periods of stiff-upper-lip conservatism and repression blah blah blah in britain. and her husband was gay and she had repressed that for like a century in her afterlife before mentioning it to anyone?? but then when she finally does, she begins to go on this amazing journey of acceptance and personal growth. idk i love to wax poetic about fanny’s arc but i really do think it’s so powerful to see her recognising that not only would the man she loved have been happier without those traditional values but she would too. she unlearnt what she was taught about queerness in her life and she literally!! watches sam and clare dancing together with an almost unbearable fondness. all in one episode. it’s so good. it’s so well done. fanny recognised the universally harmful nature of the values and beliefs she’d been upholding and she immediately ditched them?? idk man you guys slander her way too much, or you say she’s justified in her homophobia bcs a gay man killed her. begging you to use some common sense besties

#this is incoherent but im putting it out there anyways #hashtag speaking my truth #fanny is great. love love love her #do i believe in the queer fanny agenda?? yeah yeah i do actually #i don’t. i mean she might be a lesbian idk i could see her being a lesbian but at the same time. i couldnt #idk idc !!!!!! love everyone talking about queer fanny tho it’s good stuff #anyways yeah just seeing loads of ppl say they hate fanny more than julian and it’s like #oh worm the absolutely hilarious edwardian lady who is unlearning a lifetime of homophobia internalised misogyny and repression????? #we’re gonna shit on her over the ?? bigoted war criminal who is proud to be a bigoted war criminal???????? #ok then #shut up daisy #bbc ghosts #fanny button

[idgaf-what-you-call-me]

Destiel 5x03/5x04 & 15x18

The fact that in 5x03 Dean uses his "best line" on Cas, asks Cas if he's a virgin, asks Cas if he's been with a woman (sexuality check - trust me I'm part of the rainbow mafia and saw that right away), makes two gay references, fixes Cas's tie and collar, and says "haven't laughed like that in years" and "I am happier with you", and people habe the audacity to say that he is 100% straight Still?! Excuse me but make Dean a lady and we all know they'd be together by the following episode right after Dean seconds Cas calling Raphael his "little bitch"

But this was an aside to the fact the Cas and Dean are both happier with each other. Because destiel is cannon and has been long before the obvious subtext.

As a bisexual with a lowry of baggage somewhat parallelling Dean's, I can say that at times in my life I repressed and ignored the writing on the wall. I think bisexuals are fairly misunderstood. My own sexuality I have recently found out is not understood by my partner of over 11 years. Its incredibly confusing to be attracted to two genders. Overwhelming really when you first come to terms with it. *Cue me giving my clearly not asked for opinion on Dean from Seasons 5-15.*

I suspect Cas is the first person that forces Dean to confront his sexuality. This challenge alone could make Dean clam up as we see. I would wager that either in Purgatory or at the confession Dean has begun to acknowledge there are feelings there. Just as he is confronting and potentially accepting those desires, he loses Cas. Now coping with both the significant and traumatic loss of a loved one but also the revelation of Castiel's truth (and potentially his own) he can offer nothing more than a pleading "please dont do this, Cas."

I've kept up with the Yo, a ti recanonization of Destiel and my little queer heart jumps for joy at it, but that is not the point of what Cas is saying. Cas knows that having Dean alive and thriving is what matters most. Cas is not looking to have reciprocation and tosses Dean out of the way to ensure that he is not a casualty of his confession.

This moment of Cas confessing his love and therefore being at his happiest, is significant because it mirrors a scene from Season 5 - Free to be You and Me. When Dean pronounces that he is happier with Cas than with Sam. Then Cas disappears. This is a long established part of Deans experience with Cas. He makes Dean happiest, and Cas, to save Dean, was the one to reciprocate this moment from 10 seasons earlier. (and if thats not queerbaiting and an extremely slow burn that could beat any Edwardian novel then I dont know what is!)

I wish that they would have had Misha in the Finale. He plays a character loved deeply by fans that left the show with a storyline completely unresolved. I hope one day that thet release the original 15x19 & 15x20 scripts. The idea that Cas would not appear in one of these episodes is honestly very strange.

#destiel #destiel is love #destiel is canon #destiel is happiness #supernatural #despair #free to be you and me #Rainbow mafia #dean is bi #love is love #love #misha collins #jensen ackles #deancas #dean and cas

[sleepykittypaws]

Perfect for Pride Favorites: Movies and Series

With LGBTQIA+ targeted legislation, abusive rhetoric and hate crimes sadly once again on the rise, the month-long embrace of visibility and openness that Pride celebrations represent feel essential.

If you want to also honor Pride at home with viewing that focuses not only on queer struggle, but also its joy, here are some of my personal movie and TV favorites 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Updated: June 25, 2023

Movie Favorites

The Wedding Banquet (1993) - This heartbreaking and humorous story of a gay Taiwanese man whose marriage of convenience (she gets a green card, he appeases his traditionalist parents) turns into the wedding of the century. Sweet and funny—a real gem.

Pride (2014) - This true story of a group of gay activists from London who joined the 1984 miners strike in solidarity is well done on every level, and will leave you feeling far better about humanity than when you began.

Maurice (1987) - Merchant and Ivory had a profound effect on my teenage self, and this E.M. Forster adaptation about repressed longing in Edwardian English society helped birth a lifelong Hugh Grant crush.

Bros (2022) - Billy Eichner’s R-rated rom-com, which doubles as a stealth Christmas pick, is fun, vibrant and unabashed. Super heartfelt, but never sappy, it co-stars Hallmark hunk Luke Macfarlane.

Love, Simon (2018) - Impossibly charming and sweet teen love story guaranteed to make you smile. (Also another stealth Christmas movie!)

The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert (1994) - Wacky, a little wild, and oh-so-Australian, this drag queen, road trip comedy is all heart.

The Half of It (2020, Netflix) - Alice Wu’s absolutely gorgeous ode to Cyrano beautifully addresses both sexuality and the immigrant experience, without ever feeling preachy. Made me very much want to see Wu’s first feature, Saving Face.

The Favourite (2018) - Olivia Coleman is perfect as a fickle, feckless Queen Anne, whose head is turned by a delightfully devious Emma Stone.

Fire Island (2022) - This raunchy rom-com/Pride and Prejudice redux has an incredibly sweet center underneath its profane exterior. Big laughs abound in this found family-centered adaptation that would for sure make Miss Austen more than blush.

But I’m a Cheerleader (1999) - Natasha Lyonne is the titular cheerleader who finds herself in conversion therapy in this pitch-perfect satire that also manages to be a laugh-out-loud rom-com.

Moonglight (2016) - This Best Picture winner is absolutely searing and the only reason its not higher on this list is that it’s so devastating, it’s near impossible for me to re-watch.

Other People (2016) - This mother-son story about the acceptance of loss and love should seriously have put Jesse Plemmons and Molly Shannon in awards contention.

Swan Song (2021) - Ude Kier absolutely deserved not only an Oscar nomination, but arguably a win, for his role as an aging hairdresser who takes one last job for a special client—preparing her for her funeral. Poignant, and much funnier than I expected. 

Booksmart (2019) - One of my all-time favorite movies of any genre, this Olivia Wilde-directed comedy is so smart, so funny and so re-watchable it would definitely be higher on this list if I didn’t feel it was just slightly off-theme, with only one of the main characters being gay. Still, her relatable first crush experiences are one of the best parts of the story, which is why I feel this friendship comedy still deserves inclusion.

To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995) - That we got three well-known movie stars in Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes and John Leguizamo headlining a movie centered on drag that is this unabashedly queer almost 30 years ago, really is a miracle.

Dating Amber (2020) - Set in 1995 Dublin, this is a surprisingly funny and touching take on two high school friends decision to pretend to date each other to avoid gossip.

Plan B (2021, Hulu) - This BFF road-trip comedy is raunchy, very R-rated and yet, at its core, is one of the sweetest and funniest movies I’ve seen since Booksmart, and deserves inclusion on this list for this line alone: “Believe it or not, it makes a real big difference to your mental health when you are free to be who you are.“

Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018) - Richard E. Grant and Melissa McCarthy are both excellent in this true story of (sometimes toxic) friendship and fraud.

Beginners (2010) - A touching father-son story based on the real life of a man finally able to explore his true identity at age 75, after his wife passes away.

Crush (2022, Hulu) - This gentle, teen romance puts a budding artist on the track team with her longtime crush, but it’s her crush’s twin sister that she ends up feeling drawn to. Aasif Mandvi and Megan Mullally as the track coach and the mom, respectively, get most of the best lines.

Victor/Victoria (1982) - A musical comedy classic, whose gender-bending is legendary, and striking for its time.

Love Is Strange (2014) - John Lithgow and Alfred Molina as a long term couple finally able to marry.

The Thing About Harry (2020, Freeform) - Delightful, sweet made-for-TV holiday (Valentine’s Day) rom-com that just happens to be about two men. Not earth shattering story-wise, but fairly revolutionary for a mainstream cable TV network.

The Birdcage (1996) - Robin Williams is way, way too much in this Americanized remake of La Cage aux Folles, but it’s still a delightful portrait of joy and the definition of camp. And what Williams did for Nathan Lane during the press tour definitely qualifies him as a mensch.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001) - Based on the Off Broadway musical, this rock star epic is darkly funny.

BONUS: The Pixar SparkShort Out, released on Disney+ in May 2020, is perfect, gentle, sweet, all-ages entertainment, that’s a great way to show kids of any age that love is love. 🏳️‍🌈

TV Series Top 10

Schitt’s Creek (2015-20, CBC/Pop) - An absolute gem of a show that explores its characters sexuality, while only very rarely being specifically about them. So much sweeter and poignant than the jokey name would imply, this is good from the start, but really hit its stride in season 2, and has one of the most perfect series finales I’ve ever seen. (Originally for CBC/Pop, but streaming on Netflix.)

Heartstopper (2022, Netflix) - This swoon-worthy British rom-com series about two friends navigating first love is based on a graphic novel and the very definition of sweet and gentle.

One Mississippi (2015-17, Amazon) - Tragically overlooked comedy starring Tig Notaro as a lightly fictionalized version of herself. Cancelled much too soon, this one deserves to be so much better known than it is. A worthy weekend binge.

The Other Two (2019-ongoing, Comedy Central/Max) - This story of two struggling older siblings and their suddenly YouTube famous baby brother is an absolute joy, on so many levels, and specifically queer in a way few mainstream comedies ever have been.

A Very English Scandal (2018, Amazon) - Already mentioned my Hugh Grant crush above, but he really is very good here as, once again, a very repressed Englishman.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015-20, Netflix) - A candy-colored confection of silliness where Tituss Burgess consistently steals the show from the title character, and even brings it to Queen Bey with his spot-on, must-see Lemonade parody. 

Tales of the City (1993-2001, PBS) - While I haven’t seen the new Netflix run, the original Tales miniseries left an indelible impression. Soapy in the best possible way, but never condescending or crass. A real eye-opener for the sheltered college freshman I was when I first saw this.

Love, Victor (2020-2022, Hulu) - This delightful spin-off of Love, Simon adds another sweet, teen love story to the canon.

It’s a Sin (2021, Channel 4/Max) - This Russell T Davies limited series that looks at the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in UK is heartrending, but also incredibly well done.

Modern Family (2009-20, ABC) - Yes, this sitcom got schlockier and more trite the longer it stayed on the air, and, yes, many question casting straight actor Eric Stonestreet in the role of Cam, but don’t underestimate how this widely-seen portrayal of loving, same-sex parents in a long-term relationship (and eventual marriage), on a major broadcast network changed hearts and minds. Representation really does matter! 

BONUS: My all-time favorite comedy series is Happy Endings. I’ve probably seen each episode ten times, minimum, at this point, and one of the main characters is gay (albeit played by a straight actor) but, when I was considering this list, I was trying to think of series I loved that actually changed the conversation, centered on the LGBTQ+ experience, or both; Not just any depiction of Queer life at all, and I don’t think Happy Endings quite fits that bill. But, it is super funny and hugely binge-able, so if you’ve somehow missed it, rectify that immediately. (The whole series is on Hulu, HBO Max and Netflix.)

More Movies to Explore

As films centered on LGBTQ+ characters, issues and relationships finally start to enter the mainstream, there are hundreds of options, including many far more serious than my mostly lighter fare favorites above. (I often default to sunnier viewing as my “favorites,” because they leave me feeling light and happy.) That so many movies about the LGBTQ+ experience are dark, disturbing and dour says a lot about how far we still have to go as a society, in terms of inclusion and acceptance.

With that in mind, here are a few more options. Not an exhaustive list of every LGBTQIA+ film, just others I’ve seen (and one I want to), and would generally recommend…

Cabaret (1972) - If Victor/Victoria wasn’t already on my list, this gender-bending Liza Minnelli classic would be.

Saving Face (2004) - The Half of It’s Alice Wu’s first feature.

Paris is Burning (1990) - Outstanding, must-see documentary that explores the drag ball culture of New York City.

The Kids Are All Right (2010) - I, personally, found the gender politics a little confounding in this much-praised movie about a lesbian couple’s kids meeting their sperm donor, but undeniable it’s well acted.

Brokeback Mountain (2005) - This Oscar winner is definitely more than a little overwrought, but it’s also powerful in many places.

Jenny’s Wedding (2015) - Not earth shattering, but watching Katherine Heigl and Alexis Bledel plan their wedding offers lighthearted charm.

Kissing Jessica Stein (2001) - The ending of this one is, I will be the first to admit…Disappointing. I also haven’t rewatched it in years, so it’s possible it doesn’t hold up at all, but this Jennifer Westfeldt film was, at the time, one of just a few lesbian rom-coms.

Go Fish (1994) - An indie movie circuit darling, this lesbian romance kickstarted a prolific tv career for director Rose Troche, who also helmed 2022′s My Fake Boyfriend.

The Prom (2020, Netflix) - Another problematic pick, this film version of the Broadway musical got a lot of grief for casting James Corden as gay and, well, just casting Corden at all. The story is trite, the big stars—Nicole Kidman! Meryl Strep!—clearly stunt casting and, like many Ryan Murphy projects, it is absolutely over the top…And yet, I dug it and had so much fun watching it. What can I say? Cheesy Broadway musicals are my thing. 

The Imitation Game (2014) - Harrowing historical drama and an infuriating example of how dangerous homophobia actually is.

Dallas Buyers Club (2013) - This true story of an AIDS patient struggling to help himself and others survive is all right, all right, all right. (I apologize and will show myself out.)

Personal Best (1982) - Mariel Hemingway is a raw nerve in this movie as much about love as sports.

Battle of the Sexes (2017) - The exploration of Billie Jean King’s sexuality, in a movie that’s mostly not about that, is well-done, raw and honest, even in its painful parts.

La Cage aux Folles (1978) - Quintessential French farce based on Jean Poiret's play of the same name.

In & Out (1997) - A fantastic cast—Kevin Kline, Joan Cusack, Tom Selleck—headlines this Oscar-nominated comedy loosely based on a real-life Academy Awards incident, where headlines insisted Tom Hanks accidentally outed his former drama teacher during his Philadelphia acceptance speech, though he actually had his permission. 

Heavenly Creatures (1994) - Definitely not a light watch, this early Peter Jackson movie, that features Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey in a based-on-a-true-crime tale, is riveting.

Tangerine (2015) - Another stealth Christmas movie, it’s somehow best-known for being shot entirely on an iPhone, when it should be better-known for being absolutely brilliant.

Wildhood (2021) - This journey of self-discover features two brothers looking for their birth mother, and comes from two-spirit, non-binary filmmaker Bretten Hannam.

A Single Man (2009) - Precise, tailored, painful film, which is no surprise when you learn the director is designer Tom Ford.

Longtime Companion (1989) - One of the very first mainstream movies to center its story on gay men, this tale of how the AIDS crisis impacts a group of friends starts out a little cheesy, but hits you in the feels soon enough.

God’s Own Country (2017) - Another bleak, brutal, British film redeemed somewhat by its hopeful ending.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2020) - Absolutely gorgeous movie that takes its time, but never feels slow. 

Carol (2015) - Cate Blanchett as the most proper, exquisite housewife that ever was—right up until she isn’t. (Yet another stealth Christmas movie on this list…It’s almost as if I have a thing for holiday films.)

Call Me By Your Name (2017) - Another in the longing looks hall of fame,  It’s become almost a parody of itself at this point, but the film really does pack an emotional wallop.

Boys Don’t Cry (1999) - Heartbreaking, brilliant and based on a terrible true crime.

Beautiful Thing (1996) - Really lovely coming-of-age story from the UK. 

The Broken Hearts Club (2000) - This breezy look at the love life highs and lows of a group of gay men in West Hollywood was Greg Berlanti’s feature film directing debut. It also somewhat surprisingly stars now, right-wing cinema feature Dean Cain.

Beats Per Minute (2017) - Drama about AIDS activism in 1980s Paris.

Philadelphia (1993) - This legal drama earned Tom Hanks his first Oscar, and the story holds up.

The Boys in the Band (1970) - Based on the play, this is an essential Queer cinema watch. 

The Boys in the Band (2020, Netflix) - This faithful, and only slightly updated, Ryan Murphy remake features an all-star cast.

Torch Song Trilogy (1988) - Based on Harvey Firestein’s plays about his own life, this is funnier, and more poignant, than I expected going in.

My Own Private Idaho (1991) - Keanu Reeves and River Pheonix as wandering grifters in love.

I Love You Philip Morris (2009) - Ewan McGregor’s very weird rom-com about a con man. One of those that I loved when I first watched, but have never revisited, because I’m not sure I’d feel the same way again.

Milk (2008) - Sean Penn as real-life, ground-breaking gay politician, Harvey Milk.

Trick (1999) - New York City-set rom-com that’s a little low budget, but heartfelt.

Latter Days (2003) - This indie rom-com is about a Mormon struggling with his sexuality, and a guy who makes a bet he can seduce him.

Straight Up (2020) - A story about friendship, romance and soulmates sans sex.  

Disclosure (2020, Netflix) - Another doc on trans representation that is entertaining and educational, a rare combo.

The Children’s Hour (1961) - What The Boys in the Band is to gay male cinematic history, The Children’s Hour is to lesbian film legend.

Pink Flamingos (1972) - Perhaps John Waters most crass creation—and that’s really saying something. Not my personal style, but undeniably a classic.

Transamerica (2005) - Not sure how well Felicity Huffman’s portrayal of a trans woman has held up, particularly after watching Disclosure, but this is one of the first mainstream films to take a trans lead seriously at all.

Three Months (2022, Paramount+) - Coming of age dramady about a young man who, on the eve of his high school graduation, finds out he had an HIV exposure due to a condom mishap. While he waits to test, he joins a support group and bonds with a fellow member.

My Fake Boyfriend (2022, Prime Video) - Another queer rom-com starring a Hallmark regular, this time Marcus Rosner, who plays the hot but cruel ex Keiynan Lonsdale is trying to get over by creating a new Instagram fantasy man. 

Anything’s Possible (2022, Prime Video) - Wanted to like this Billy Porter-directed tale about a trans teenager falling in love for the first time more than I did, but still glad stories like this are being told.

Erin’s Guide to Kissing Girls (2023, Paramount+) - Extremely charming, teen rom-com that follows all the usual high school movie tropes…until it doesn’t. 

Some of My Best Friends Are (1970) - This Fannie Flagg film is a camp Christmas classic.

C.R.A.Z.Y. (2005) - Only recently released in the U.S., Jean-Marc Vallée’s story of a French-Canadian boy born on Christmas, which his very religious parents take as a sign, ties the holiday into coming to terms with his sexuality amid dysfunctional family chaos.

Spoiler Alert (2022) - Jim Parsons stars in and produces this holiday-heavy tragic love story, based on Michael Ausiello’s romantic memoir of his life with husband Kit.

The Christmas Setup (2020, Lifetime) - This sunny holiday film, starring real-life spouses Ben Lewis and Blake Lee, is one of the best made-for-TV Christmas movies of recent years, and it was the first LGBTQ-centered mainstream cable Christmas romance. 

Dashing in December (2020, Paramount Network) - Though The Christmas Setup beat it to air by one day, this same-sex-centered Christmas romance is fun, festive and a little more flirty than your standard Hallmark holiday flick.

Happiest Season (2020, Hulu) - Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis’ home-for-the-holidays farce is good Christmas fun, but it’s Aubrey Plaza who steals the show.

Single all the Way (2021, Netflix) - This Michael Urie-starring Netflix holiday rom-com is pure sugar and spice and everything nice, including a love triangle with Luke Macfarlane-Philemon Chambers, plus Jennifer Coolidge and Kathy Najimy playing sisters.

Under the Tree (2021, Lifetime) - Not as much fun as 2020′s The Christmas Set-Up, this was still cable’s first mainstream lesbian holiday movie. 

Christmas at the Ranch (2021) - Lindsay Wagner is the biggest name in this story of a Big City Gal falling in love with a small town ranch hand, from Tello Films, which has made a (recent) tradition of offering an annual lesbian holiday romance.

The Holiday Sitter (2022, Hallmark) - Jonathan Bennett leads the channel’s first Christmas romance focused solely on a same sex couple.

[butyouvealwaysbeenthecaretaker]

& what I also think about is - that imagined Self, that dream all trans people have

Um like in the Pedro "closeted trans girl or career chaser, we will never know" Almodovar scene where the trans character says:

"you are more authentic the more you resemble what you've dreamed of being."

Which I wrote down in my notebook when I was 13.

Anyway, we all have this imagined Self - one author says his is Brendan Fraiser 1998 which is wonderful - and it's funny now I write about mine not changing, because...it has changed since I came out.

It's always and pretty consistenly been, ever since I was a teen, this sort of Maurice/Brideshead Revisited/David Niven in the Guns of Navarone/Dirk Bogarde in Victim/Graham Greene's catholic guilt/well dressed and dying/fragile posh masculinity - if that's a term that even makes sense. The intersection between middle class guilt and repression, and specifically male images of that - not just men, but men thinking and writing about masculinity.

Anyway, so when I look back and try and imagine myself with my ex but we're happy and we're both out as lesbian women now - I still see that man. I don't see a way through to another self-image, I just see that same self as ever.

But now I'm writing this down, I'm also not sure that this man *is* my self image any more. When I look at my self over the past 2 years and now, I'm actually seeing a different self much of the time.

I'd say my self image now includes..1973 Robert Plant...Syd Barrett's psychedelic understanding of the Great God Pan...Kenneth Anger and Alesteir Crowley's vision of queer magic...Tom of Finland...Edward Carpenter's man love as socialism...Philip Ridley...bear culture, drag culture, leather culture, gym culture...the second half of Maurice...Sylvester albums/transgressive queer masculinities.

When I look back at my Victorian/Edwardian references, I'm actually not seeing Wilde and Waugh, I'm seeing Carpenter and Forster. When I look at the late 20th century, I'm not seeing Victim and Brief Encounter, I'm seeing ballroom and 1970s gay activism.

My new vision of masculinity is not trapped in London streets or in university cloisters or in his study at 3AM drinking and trying to write - it’s outdoors - in the streets of San Francisco, in the wildernesses of the imagination. My new vision is not deeply intertwined with a Catholic vision of sin and pleasure - it’s rooted in a political paganism, a return to nature in which a return to freedom from society is always implied. It’s not elegantly suited, in a traditional and fully-clothed trap of what men look like - it’s glittery, leathered, alternative, expansive, and it admits a love of the body rather than a hatred of it. It’s not alone. It’s not men alone, or alone in their secret thoughts - but men surrounded by other men, both figuratively and in their politics, social environments, and in their relationship networks too.

& this feels really healthy to me. Like, there WAS a second image hidden under the first, and it's that of a man who doesn't hate himself.

#the gender angst tag #the gender joy tag?

[marzipanandminutiae]

I don't feel the same visceral dismay when thinking about the 1920s that you describe but it's always mystified and annoyed me how much some people (especially some progressives!) like to idealize the period. This was in many ways one of the most repressive decades in US history, certainly one of the most politically conservative, and it really confuses me that so many people seem to think of it as some sort of wonderland of groovy social liberalism, like the 60s with a less earnest music scene.

Less earnest, perhaps, but no less awesome. I actually really like ‘20s music, for all the era itself isn’t my favorite. Victorian popular music, barring art songs like the Danse Macabre and folk music, all kind of sounds like hymns even when it’s not. Yes, even music hall songs, which I often enjoy. It’s true and I should say it.

I think the more repressive aspects of the era get lost under the positive cultural changes that were happening. Psychology was becoming more widespread, sexual openness increased, queer subcultures began to assert themselves more, women took a more active role in public life (especially as many of us gained the vote, though this bit had been more present in the late 19th century than people think- see also: the New Woman), Black Americans came to the forefront of art and literature, higher education was glorified as it became more accessible than ever before, new scientific advancements were being made- the list goes on.

So the flipside of the era- nationalism, eugenics, the fact that queer people being more visible meant you were under constant suspicion if you seemed the slightest bit outside the heterosexual norm, the pressure on women not to say “no” to sex now that we were allowed to say “yes,” fad dieting and eating disorders, the ways in which racism definitely didn’t disappear even as people just loved Cab Calloway -often is overshadowed by big, splashy positive changes of the time.

Plus for some reason Tumblr in particular wants to think it was the Super-Androgynous Era When Gender Was Cancelled™, which. No. Big no. Yeah, there were songs like “Masculine Women; Feminine Men,” but remember, that was in contrast to the Victorian and Edwardian eras. In the mainstream, it wasn’t androgyny like we think of it today.

(Also “male” and “female” fashions have always influenced each other. I recently read a quote from the 1600s where someone in England fumed over how These Women Nowadays Look Like Men! so. There you go.)

#ask #monstrousgourmandizingcats #1920s #jazz age #roaring twenties

[housmania]

Author Intros: A.E. Housman

Who dis?

A.E. Housman (1859-1936) is not your average angsty gay Victorian poet--he’s the angsty gay Victorian poet. He had a crush on his roommate at Oxford, Moses Jackson, and wrote quite a few poems for him (even after Jackson refused him, got married, and moved to Canada). For bonus points, he’s also a Classics Nerd™ who taught Latin at Cambridge. 

He influenced many of the later World War I writers--E.M. Forster even wrote him a fan letter. His main collection, A Shropshire Lad, became enormously popular in Edwardian England; its themes of rural beauty, highkey repression, and mourning a nostalgic past made his work practically part of British identity.

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Themes:

Unrequited love

The English Countryside

The English Countryside is Nice, but Death is Better

I was but a sweet innocent youth until I realized that life is terrible

Just because I’m depressed doesn’t mean I don’t have a wise opinion on society

Unrequited love in the English Countryside

Death is inevitable, but ya know what? That’s fine

Gay-o-meter: 9/10: He’s one of, if not the most explicitly gay poet at the time.

Angst-o-meter: 8/10. His favorite themes are unrequited love and existential depression. That said, much of his poetry takes a more witty, ironic, or stoic approach to his pain--he’s not some repetitive Romantic. In other words, Housman writes genre savvy angst.

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If you have 5 minutes:

“Oh Who Is That Young Sinner” was his response to the Oscar Wilde trials.

“Because I Liked You” and “Shake Hands”-- about his feelings toward Jackson.

“Others, I am not the first”  and “Oh were he and I together” --for relatable queer content.

“Terence, this is stupid stuff” --make your friends read this if they make fun of you for reading poetry.

If you have 30 minutes:

“Loveliest of trees, the cherry now”

“To an Athlete Dying Young”

“Is my team ploughing”

“Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries”

“When I Was One-and-Twenty”

“Oh, when I was in love with you”

If you want to go full nerd:

A Shropshire Lad is not that long and definitely worthwhile.

Last Poems and More Poems are his post-WWI works.

Tom Stoppard wrote a whole play about him!

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Quotes:

Oh who is that young sinner with the handcuffs on his wrists? And what has he been after that they groan and shake their fists? And wherefore is he wearing such a conscience-stricken air? Oh they're taking him to prison for the colour of his hair.

'Tis a shame to human nature, such a head of hair as his; In the good old time 'twas hanging for the colour that it is; Though hanging isn't bad enough and flaying would be fair For the nameless and abominable colour of his hair.

(Note: “nameless” and “abominable” were code for the “horrible sin, not to be named amongst Christians”--that is, homosexuality.)

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Endnotes

AE Housman is my favorite poet--I’d be delighted to answer any questions.

Let me know if you want to be tagged on future author introductions.

Want more intros? Suggest an author here!

-soe

                                                                                                    .

They say my verse is sad: no wonder; Its narrow measure spans Tears of eternity, and sorrow, Not mine, but man’s.

This is for all ill-treated fellows Unborn and unbegot For them to read when they’re in trouble And I am not.

#author intros #ae housman #queer lit #litblr #queer history #soe #book nerdery #not sherlock