#the fixation with labels limits our identity

[markiafc]

likely the reason i feel so attached to lhl is because it's a buddhist story through and through, all of its questions work off buddhist logic and all the thematic conclusions are buddhist answers. lxy/llh picks out components of his self to change, and experiments with the question of: at what point do you become a different person?

he engages directly with buddhist theory about what the self even is, that there is no "i", merely a sum of physical and mental components. the 五蕴 five aggregates of the "self" buddhism extensively gets into, to be exact. and ultimately masters the answer discussed in the buddhist sutra (the 心经 heart sutra) he sees in the temple the day he decides to become llh, where he derived his new name from. that identity and the labels needed to define oneself is illusory. there is no special ingredient to who "you" are, there is no such thing as a permanent and concrete "i". and any concept of identity and social label humans can come up with are predicated on segregation and power, doomed to generate more suffering.

nobody is unique, there is no "i", at the core of 执我 being attached to our identity is a human desire for agency and control. but the truth is we have little to no power over our lives at all.

in the end what lxy/llh wants isn't to transition into another self, an effort to feel like he can master life, the world and its social constructs, and bend it his way. what he wants, and realizes by the end of the show, is to stop fixating on a "self" he wants to remain in society as. lxy/llh wants to exist outside of any man-made label, any human-imagined social concept, he becomes undefinable and nameless. something the rest of the world - trapped in society and its endless production of hierarchy, power dynamics, and limiting labels - can't even conceptualize and perceive, much less have a name for.

he hasn't gone anywhere. it is everyone else who lacks the ability to see him.

#莲花楼 #me is mark #just v briefly so rin can have a mention of 无我 on their blog

[mariacallous]

In 2019, on the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia, a group of “rainbow hunters” embarked on a mission at a prestigious Shanghai university. They were school employees, mostly campus workers and student counselors, tasked with finding anyone with attire or accessories associated with the LGBTQ community. Those found with the rainbow flag, a prominent symbol of the gay rights movement, or other related items were given warnings and told their “parents would be ashamed” of them.

That afternoon of May 17, the university removed all visible rainbow flags and followed up by shutting down an unofficial student-run club advocating for the rights and welfare of LGBTQ students.

“I knew the crackdown was coming sooner or later, but I didn’t expect it to come so quickly,” said Bonnie, a co-founder of the university’s LGBTQ club, who has since graduated and relocated outside mainland China.

In recent years, gender and sexual minorities in China have been increasingly targeted by the authorities and social media platforms, limiting their advocacy and outreach. Most recently, in May, the Beijing LGBT Center was unexpectedly closed, and in 2021, WeChat abruptly shut down several accounts belonging to LGBTQ groups from different universities without any reason.

But nine former and current students from five Chinese universities, some of whom wished not to be quoted, told Foreign Policy that student-led LGBTQ groups have been under immense pressure for years. They’re seen as a “cult” and labeled as “radical” and “illegal” organizations and have been dying a slow death even before the recent crackdowns. Foreign Policy isn’t naming the schools and clubs or disclosing the students’ real names to protect their identities and from possible repercussions against them or their families.

“The media reports have been fixated on the 2021 crackdown,” Bonnie said. “But we were silenced much earlier than that. I wonder if our existence will disappear from memory, as the large focus is on the WeChat crackdown. I envy those organizations [blocked by WeChat] because they can unite under the same flag. But how do we tell our story?”

Bonnie met Jerlin and CMM during her freshman year in the fall of 2017 in Shanghai. Jerlin had already proposed an LGBTQ association as a freshman in 2015, but the university had yet to approve his request. Student-led organizations usually need to apply to relevant university departments, detailing their purpose and benefits to the student community and are required to find a teacher who would supervise them. Regardless of the approval, the trio, however, printed hundreds of flyers inked with the slogan “unofficial, unorthodox,” calling like-minded students interested in gender and sexuality issues to join the club. The three distributed them in dormitories and slid them underneath doors, which Jerlin said was “just like doing the job of a door-to-door salesperson.”

“We are determined to eliminate ignorance through knowledge, combat ignorance with reason, replace apathy with empathy, and treat discrimination with equality,” Jerlin said of the motivation behind starting an LGBTQ club at the university.

In its first year, the club organized movie screenings and book readings on gender and invited experts to speak about safer sex and body anxiety issues. Members also started a campaign to raise awareness and empathy toward LGBTQ students, where they went around campus with a placard asking a simple question: “I’m gay. Are you willing to hug me?” Students said many of their classmates, even those who claimed to be open-minded, often made fun of LGBTQ individuals and even called them derogatory names.

A national survey conducted in 2015 by the U.N. Development Program among some 28,000 LGBTI individuals revealed that only 5 percent of them chose to disclose their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression at school or in the workplace, fearing discrimination. A 2019 survey by the Chinese Journal of School Health involving 751 LGBT students showed that 41 percent of them had been called names and 35 percent verbally abused.

By October 2018, Jerlin said their club was already on the university’s radar. Club events were being “supervised” by school administrators, and a planned interaction on HIV/AIDS was abruptly canceled. Then the university introduced new rules prohibiting outsiders from entering the school library and study rooms, where the group hosted events. Students were then also required to reserve study rooms unlike before.

“This is when I realized the school was engaging in a witch hunt against us,” Bonnie said. “The intense scrutiny of the club made many students believe we were nothing but trouble and an illegal organization. So many of them, even those who claimed to be gay, started hating us.”

Gu Li, an assistant professor of psychology at New York University Shanghai who studies the development and mental health of LGBTQ individuals, said many university-level students could be struggling with their sexuality and self-acceptance issues. He said student groups and their organized activities may serve as an opportunity to learn about sexual orientation and gender identity while connecting with others.

“How those groups are organized and what activities they conduct are more impactful than the mere presence of the groups,” he said.

China decriminalized homosexuality in 1997 and declassified it as a mental disorder in 2001. The country’s LGBTQ community has since made significant strides—they’re more vocal in addressing their rights, and their visibility has grown dramatically. The community has been emboldened by small yet significant victories: In a 2014 landmark case, a gay rights activist sued the local government department in central Hunan province for defamation; in 2016, a same-sex couple sued a civil affairs bureau, also in Hunan, for rejecting their marriage registration, even though China doesn’t recognize marriage equality; and in 2020, viewers welcomed a video advertisement featuring a man bringing his male partner for the Lunar New Year dinner. In bigger cities, gay and lesbian bars attract large crowds, while drag shows and voguing provide a vibrant entertainment space and exposure for the queer community and allies.

The positive signals indicated a seemingly tolerant attitude toward the LGBTQ community, both from the public and the authorities. But those small wins have mostly been short-lived, as the rhetoric against LGBTQ individuals in certain quarters has turned sharply negative in the past few years. Many nationalists view their identity as a “Western ideology” similar to feminism. There are arguments against Western-style gay pride parades and rainbow capitalism in China, saying for many LGBTQ Chinese, “their familial role and national identity take precedence” over sexuality.

Meanwhile, both the central and local governments have been aggressively promoting incentives for young people to marry and have children amid China’s record-low marriage and childbirth rates. A made-up “masculinity crisis” and malicious targeting of effeminate men have also led to a shift in attitude toward LGBTQ acceptance. In recent years, television channels have blurred rainbow flags, and social media platforms have banned “sissy” men during livestreams, a term that the official state-run Xinhua News Agency described as a “sick culture.”

Then, in 2020, Shanghai Pride, a series of events rather than a parade, abruptly ended, and this year, the Beijing LGBT Center, which had been a crucial support system for the community, shut down due to “force majeure”—a common euphemism for pressure from the authorities—after almost 15 years, raising concerns over the shrinking space for the LGBTQ community in China.

Lik Sam Chan, an assistant professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and co-chair of the International Communication Association LGBTQ Studies Interest Group, said the suppression of LGBTQ activities in China could have stemmed from the ruling Communist Party’s fears of potential Western influence through such events. He said those opposing the LGBTQ community were developing a group identity by negating others and defining “what is not us.”

“What has happened in the last one or two years is an obvious, targeted suppression of LGBTQ-themed activities,” Chan said. “The LGBTQ movement and the #MeToo movement are an unfortunate target, set up by the nationalists, to solidify their sense of Chineseness.”

Targeted suppression and intolerance are creeping in at universities sooner than many in the LGBTQ community expected. In June, graffiti featuring a rainbow flag with accompanying text saying “Love is love” on a campus wall at a Dalian university in northeastern Liaoning province was vandalized. Such displays of anti-gay sentiments at schools were, however, not uncommon and frequently made rounds on social media previously.

Amy, who briefly led a university-approved club that also advocated LGBTQ issues at another university in Shanghai, said she joined the group after having a “vague idea” about her sexuality. When she came across the club in 2018 during her freshman year, Amy said she was fascinated by the rainbow flags and the diverse events the group organized, mostly focusing on gender and sexuality.

“It made me feel at home,” she said.

But the situation took an unexpected turn in the spring of 2019. Amy said a school administrator advised the club to pursue more feminist issues and “avoid LGBTQ topics.” She said a teacher repeatedly questioned her sexuality and asked if she was attracted to women. The teacher cautioned her multiple times to “not cross the red lines,” specifically referring to LGBTQ issues and the rainbow flag. Amy said the same teacher told her not to wear a rainbow flag pin after she was spotted wearing one during an event.

“‘You don’t want a stain on your resume, do you?’” Amy said, recalling what the teacher once told her. “Is it because we are inappropriate to be seen in public? It was isolating, and I felt I was being treated as an outcast.”

Amy’s experience is not an isolated case. In 2022, two female students at China’s prestigious Tsinghua University were given disciplinary warnings after leaving 10 rainbow flags at a campus supermarket counter. The students, who belonged to the school’s LGBTQ club, Purple, attempted to sue the Education Ministry over the incident, but a court in Beijing, where the university is located, didn’t accept their lawsuit.

“Symbols are powerful,” Chan said, referring to the rainbow flags and other memorabilia. “They are infused with meanings and emotions. When the LGBTQ community is constantly suppressed and their rights are not recognized, it is even more critical to maintain the visibility of these symbols so that we don’t forget our goal.”

In many other countries around the world, including the United States, there have been worrying threats against the LGBTQ community. In China, former and current university students with whom Foreign Policy spoke said their most pressing goal was to just be able to exist, though they felt there was a perceived attempt to slowly erase their identity. Taking away online and offline platforms, where they mostly shared their experiences, from coming out to combating sexual harassment to education on safe sex, is causing further harm.

When WeChat deleted dozens of accounts related to LGBTQ student groups at universities—including Peking University, Tsinghua University, and Fudan University—the messaging platform didn’t just disband online groups but severed a network that connected hundreds of thousands of people. The move came abruptly in July 2021, with many still trying to understand the reason behind it. The accounts were said to have “violated regulations”—a standard censorship catchphrase used when posts deemed sensitive by the authorities are taken down. And while some groups are still operating covertly, often under disguise, many others have shut down altogether.

A day after WeChat closed the LGBTQ accounts, Chinese firebrand nationalist commentator Hu Xijin wrote in his WeChat blog that public opinion toward the LGBTQ community was “generally inclusive” and that the government’s policies were “progressive.” But he then added that the LGBTQ community “should not seek to become a high-profile ideology in China at this time.”

But for LGBTQ individuals, their identity is not an ideology. And they say the ongoing suppression is proving detrimental to their mental health.

A study published this year surveying nearly 90,000 LGBT and gender-nonconforming students at 63 universities in the northeastern province of Jilin indicated a “higher prevalence of depression, anxiety, traumatic stress, nonsuicidal self-injury, and suicide risk” than their cisgender heterosexual counterparts. The report concluded that there is an “imperative need to improve mental health and prevent suicide” among these individuals.

A yet-to-be-published survey by Li from NYU Shanghai in partnership with the gay dating app Blued also pointed to a similar trend. The partial result, shared with Foreign Policy, showed that of the 4,310 men surveyed on Blued, 57 percent of them reported various degrees of depression, from mild to moderate and severe.

Li said various factors are contributing to the deteriorating mental health among LGBTQ people, including internalized homophobia, prejudice, and discrimination.

“We will need more care for LGBTQ people in China, such as providing more LGBTQ-affirmative psychotherapies,” he said. “Having LGBTQ-supportive communities and schools and having mental health resources available will make people feel less depressed. They will have a positive impact.”

But for now, those involved in the student LGBTQ groups said they were facing tough mental health issues.

Amy said she struggled throughout the summer of 2019: She felt frustrated, unaware of how to operate the club, and was “unsure about my identity as a lesbian and the club’s leader.” She said she forced herself to work until 2 a.m. and often questioned her efforts to keep the club afloat. Finally, in August 2020, with no support from the university, the club ceased its operation. She said she sought counseling at a facility run by the Beijing LGBT Center, where she was diagnosed with depression.

“Memories associated with this period have been filtered to only feelings, which were full of tears, fear, and disgrace, along with other members of the club,” she said. “We want the threats and shame forced on us to be documented.”

Bonnie, too, said she often questioned her conviction toward the cause and spiraled into depression for an entire year in 2019 after her university group ceased to exist. She said she was even reluctant to post anything on social media and felt she was “always being watched by people.”

In 2021, Bonnie left China. These days, she mostly dedicates her time to feminist causes and sometimes interacts with those still advocating for LGBTQ issues in China. She sees a part of her in them, trying to keep the spark alight even despite the darkness. And every time she remembers their collective struggles, Bonnie said she finds solace listening to “Hey You,” one of her favorite tracks by the English rock band Pink Floyd.

The lyrics remind her to be optimistic: “Hey you, don’t tell me there’s no hope at all / Together we stand, divided we fall.”

[homophobicgerardwayau]

Ok, I’m going to foolishly weigh in on the Gerard gender theorising and pronouns debate. I don’t really have an audience so whatevs. But i do have thoughts 💭. I’m seeing a lot of reductive posts that lack nuance or critical thinking (the internet). Here’s the thing. We need to remain cognisant that at the end of the day none of us interact with ‘Gerard the Person’. We interact with ‘Gerard the Concept’. The rockstar, the artist, the cultural icon etc.

There is a filter, constructed by Gerard themself in response to a culture that must know him, by virtue of his fame and the deeply personal nature of his work. We only see what we are allowed to see through said filter. And when fans speculate and theorise, they are bringing their own biases and interpretations to a limited portrait of a person, a double that stands in to take the criticisms (and disproportionate praise) that comes along with being a successful artist.

I bring this up because when we jump up and down getting mad at people for publicly using “she” pronouns for example, we need to remind ourselves of a couple of things:

Gerard the Person likely does not have the hours in a day to worry about what pronouns people online are using for him. From interviews over the years, we can deduce that he has come to terms with fame and worked through much of his trauma associated with it. He has also expressed that he doesn’t care about pronouns. At present, this squabble is happening laterally between fans and does not involve him in any direct way. He does not need defending (what is he being defend from? Being gnc or trans is neither morally good or bad) from being misgendered. It seems the sticky point is ‘misgendering’ in general, which is a much broader discussion. One that is particularly hard to have when we are all out here with some kind of minority related trauma.

Because he is not a whole person, but an icon to us (it is difficult to conceptualise of someone as both simultaneously) we all tend to project a whole lot of ourselves onto him, more than we would someone we know personally. This is how being an icon works. Here we project different ideas about our own gender and sexuality and our differing conceptualisations of gender altogether. Personally, while I would not label Gerard as trans online, by my own personal definition of transness, he is part of our family. The issue is not defining him as trans by our own metrics, as we are entitled to our own conceptualisations of transness (I am of course, speaking from within the community). We should take into account that trans is not a clearly definable label. For example, there are people that are medically (for lack of a better word) trans that do not see themselves as trans. All of this is to say that people see something in Gerard that reflects back parts of themselves. Being trans is one of those things, whether Gerard defines himself as such or not.

The way I have seen Gerard called ‘she’ online, often seems in jest and I chose to engage with these types of posts in good faith and with a sense of humour. I assume that most people making these posts are aware that wearing a skirt does not make someone a woman. I feel that a lot of the ‘Gerard is secretly a woman’ is just a projection of a posters own insecurities around gender non-conformity or quite simply the desire to feel that they are in on something others aren’t, in turn making them feel closer to the ‘Gerard’ that they have constructed in their head. Instead of calling these folks trans misogynists, I think it would be more helpful to ask the ‘truther’ why they think they are so fixated on it and why would it matter if Gerard came out as something? What would it change other than give you a sense of validation?

We should remember that the topic of Gerard’s relationship to gender and sexuality is unavoidable once we get into the nitty gritty of his work. Deconstruction/reconstruction of identity and the gender politics of violence are some of my favourite ideas that Gerard revisits over and over again. It is there by design and it is also part of the character he plays by design. Kids are picking up on something but it’s the lack of media literacy that leads them down these strange roads of thinking. We should try to be sympathetic if we can. Why? Because if it’s trans people doing the transvestigating then it all comes down to the lack of representation that we all feel. Gerard shouldn’t have to carry that weight of course, which is probably one of the reasons why he doesn’t use labels for himself. He has the privilege of ‘hiding in plain sight’ as he calls it, and that is his choice to make.

The discussion then shouldn’t be be weather it is wrong to wonder about another person’s gender and sexuality (if we weren’t curious, how would we ever find others like ourselves?). It should be how should we treat others? It should be as simple as don’t send someone fan fiction of themselves.

As a community, we should be redirecting this energy into figuring out how to put Gerard’s gender into the hormone injection. I think this would solve a lot of societies problems lol.

#gerard way #my chemical romance #theory #queer theory #Nancy #gender trouble

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Inaya Folarin Iman

Published: Feb 15, 2023

Over the past few decades, it has become increasingly unfashionable to be ‘colour-blind’. The view of Martin Luther King, Jr – that we should judge an individual on their moral character and qualities, rather than on their racial or ethnic identification – is nowadays dismissed as either hopelessly naive, or even an act of malevolence. Today’s ‘anti-racism’ argues that race is critical to how we relate to the world, to each other and even to ourselves. It claims that we live in a society defined by racial differences. To say otherwise, apparently, is both to ignore the reality of racism and to erase people’s sense of identity.

This new racialist worldview is now deeply embedded in our institutions. However, there is a growing pushback to this. A number of critics have emerged who reject this dogma as simplistic, regressive and stifling. One such critic is the British actor, Idris Elba.

In an interview with Esquire UK last week, the Luther star said he no longer calls himself a ‘black actor’ because the label puts him in a ‘box’. He argued that ‘as humans, we are obsessed with race’ and that this ‘obsession can really hinder people’s aspirations [and] growth’. ‘If we spent half the time not talking about the differences but the similarities between us, the entire planet would have a shift in the way we deal with each other’, he said. While Elba rightly acknowledged that ‘racism is very real’ and should be challenged, he also noted that racism is ‘only as powerful as you allow it to be’.

Essentially, Elba’s argument is that our modern fixation on race, while often presented as ‘progressive’, can limit individual aspiration and create needless divides in society. Predictably, Elba’s comments have sparked horror among the usual identitarian suspects.

Many on social media have accused him of suggesting that you can ‘opt out’ of racism. While it is not in anyone’s power to avoid discrimination, it is entirely reasonable for Elba to suggest that racism need not define you. How you respond to racism is up to you. Just because a black or ethnic-minority person experiences racism doesn’t mean that their race or ethnicity must become fundamental to who they are. These experiences are not something that should colour their achievements or contributions to society.

One blue-tick Twitter user claimed that even if Elba doesn’t view himself as a ‘black actor’, the police will still see him as black, making him a potential victim of police brutality. Another accused Elba of participating in ‘late-stage colonisation’ by claiming to have transcended his race. And another hit out at Elba’s embrace of ‘the harmful “I don’t see colour” narrative’, which is apparently ‘used to justify unconscious bias and racism’. A common suggestion on Twitter was that Elba has simply become blinded to racial oppression by his wealth and privilege.

The dismissal and demonisation of Elba’s comments are absurd. His views on race would have been entirely uncontroversial among past generations of anti-racist activists – even in times when racism was much more widespread than today. Civil-rights leaders, for instance, strived for universalist ideals. They were trying to overcome society’s focus on racial differences. In contrast, today’s anti-racists obsess over those differences.

At the weekend, Elba hit back on Twitter: ‘There isn’t a soul on this Earth that can question whether I consider myself a black man or not. Being an “actor” is a profession, like being an “architect”, they are not defined by race. However, if you define your work by your race, that is your prerogative.’

Elba is completely right. If you want to make the colour of your skin the defining feature of your personality and life, then go for it. Just don’t pretend that it’s ‘progressive’ – and don’t try to impose such a racially divisive outlook on everyone else.

==

They're remarkably comfortable telling him his place.

I can practically hear the southern accents and the deliberate chewing of a cigar.

#Inaya Folarin Iman #Idris Elba #colorblind #colorblindness #neoracism #identity politics #antiracism as religion #antiracism #antiracism is racism #woke #wokeism #cult of woke #woke activism #wokeness as religion #religion is a mental illness

[fluffnstuffq]

We all know that the “kin for fun” trend is bad. 

Recently, however, the question of “why is it bad?” has risen in prominence, and thus I’d like to give my two cents on the matter. I initially wanted to give a rehash of the whole “this is a community which has been around for decades, please don’t appropriate its terms because you don’t know what you’re talking about” spiel.. though I know that’s been repeated endlessly to no avail. 

Dozens of times I’ve tried to explain that, though I’ve often been faced with the “words change” or “it’s just a game, it harms no one” argument.

So I’m taking a more personal approach.

I don’t know if my anecdotes will change anyone’s mind, but if anyone in the “kin for fun” community sees this and actually reads through it, I implore you to try to listen to genuine otherkin, do some research, and find other terms that better suit you.

Beware, long rambling anecdote under the cut.

It is hard to believe that, a mere 8 months ago, I was new to the otherkin community. 

I’d been reading about and researching otherkinity in depth for as long as a year prior, though it was as recently as May 2020 upon which I took my own first step into evaluating my own experiences, creating an otherkin oriented side blog, and formally taking the plunge into what I’d initially assumed, from fun “kin assign ask games” or “no doubles drama”, to be a trend.

While I quickly versed myself in the original, serious and introspective parts of the community, I had my fair share of run-ins with those of the “kinnie/kin for fun crowd”. One such experience, over the course of about two-three months, forever left an impression on the way I view the community (and the problems within it) as a whole.

Without naming names, some of the individuals we encountered turned out to be... the practical embodiment of some of the worst facets of this community.

They were the prime example of the misguided “kinnie” mindset. Dead-set on fitting under the ‘kin label, though unwilling to do any research on their own. Faking out of control, dramatic shifts to seem more “valid” to genuine otherkin (more on that later). Willing to go as far as picking traits from other people’s original characters to “customize” their “kinsonas” perfectly. 

However, aside from their merely misguided attempts to fit in (which could’ve been easily fixed if not for the stubborn kinnie mindset), the most scathing of their actions highlighted some major issues of the “kin for fun” side.

In just a few months, we had our identities stomped on and treated like nothing more than a game. 

You see, the “kinnie” mindset is not self contained. It is almost impossible to maintain this mindset and respect the involuntary, deeply personal nature of otherkin history, due both to widespread misinformation/trends, as well as the common plague of stubborn ignorance of definitions.

In most cases we’ve seen, once one steps fully into the mindset that their own kintypes are nothing more than a game or an act, they begin to at the very least subconsciously view others’ experiences the same way. 

This is obviously not the case for all those who take on alterhuman identities by choice (ex: copinglinking). However, in taking on the “kin for fun” label, one immediately disrespects the identities of others by appropriating and bending terms with a history to fit themself. 

And once one establishes that they lack care or concern for the already, dare I say, endangered terms once meant to foster a sense of community and understanding, of shared experiences... that person already predisposes themself to spiraling into greater disrespect and ignorance of the identities of others.

The individuals that we encountered, like many others of this mindset, used their so-called “kins” for the sole purpose of feeling validated, for looking “cool” and as leverage to get their way. Because it was nothing more than roleplay and a brief interest to them, they often treated others’ kintypes as something that could be similarly discarded/”turned off” or reset. As if others’ kintypes were nothing more than characters which didn’t deserve respect.

Exotrauma and otherwise painful memories, while stressful and sometimes nightmare inducing for us, were nothing more than fodder for outlandish “story ideas” and “angst” for them. 

In the cases of these individuals faking shifts, they often acted in ways threatening and even triggering to those around them; though because it was just a show for them, they failed time and time again to recognize the negative impact their violent “shifts” had on others. 

They had no restraint, for both their own actions and the fearful/concerned reactions of others were just harmless roleplay in their eyes. (I do feel like..  even roleplay should have boundaries if the events of a story upset the people participating, and the notion that anything goes, even at the expense of someone else’s comfort.. it just gives very uncomfortable “fiction does not affect reality” vibes. Though, that’s a story for another time).

As our experiences weren’t real to them and never had been, they often conflated us with the “canon characters”, like we and many others they interacted with were nothing more than toys to fixate on, change and push “headcanons” onto, and test the limits of.

And because they didn’t care to learn, because individuals such as these continued to remorselessly fall deeper into the rabbit hole of “I do whatever I want/I don’t care to learn otherwise”, the lack of consideration grew more severe.

Those who “kin for fun” may certainly be experiencing.. something, I will not discount that assertion. Whether copinglinking, a hearttype, or merely a fictionflicker/cameo shift. However, it’d be disingenuous to say that it is harmless for them to continue to warp and pick at terms that do not and will never fit them. For every joke, every dozens-long “coping-kinlist”, every admittance of “haha I was never a serious kin”, they all do the same in spreading misinformation. 

As I see more and more people self-identifying as “copinglink, but using the kin title because it sounds better”, even if calling oneself “a non-serious kinnie”, one wonders... why use those terms if you know they do not fit? Why encroach upon communities of bittersweet memories, of aching homesickness, of involuntary nonhumanity, only with the intention of putting on an act?

Why fight so hard, when directly told and shown how “kin for fun” actively tears apart the already dwindling otherkin community on this platform? Why cling so hard to words that are not yours, why force change upon the definitions of words meant to be a safe haven for those searching for understanding? Why paint “serious otherkin” as dangerous gatekeepers, sufferers of clinical lycanthropy, or those merely suffering from delusions/hallucinations?

Because of those who “kin for fun”, I was initially steered away from investigating my own identity; I’d only seen the jokes, the toxic “kin drama”, the cringe blogs and factkin and “kinning”. Because of “kin for fun”, it took me over a year to come to terms with my own alterhumanity, in all of its facets.

Because of “kinnies”, my fears are proven time and time again that I will come across someone who views my identity as roleplay at best and “childish, a phase, character theft” at worse. Because of “kinnies” and the mindset they’ve fostered, time and time again someone steals my memories, my experiences, my identity, justifying it as creating their own version, like an AU of an AU.

Because of “kinnies”, time and time again I’ve been told to “stop taking things so seriously, it’s just for fun” when complaining about my identity being minimized. I’ve been told that “kinnies”, despite appropriating an already existing community, are the “normal ones”, the “sane ones”, the “good ones” who don’t really believe in all that they boast. 

Some have even told me that it doesn’t matter at all, for all they can see is a trend with no real hold over their identity in the longrun. “It won’t matter in ten years”, they say. 

Perhaps not for them, long after their interest in the “trend” has faded. But for me and countless other genuine otherkin? In ten years I will still be Blixer from Just Shapes and Beats, I will still be an unnamed creature of woods and starlight and faded memories of golden lanterns, I will still be otherkin, and I will still carry the scars of my identity being torn to shreds and thrown into my face like dirt.

I cannot run from my kintypes and never could, even when I was afraid of them. “Kinnies”, in most cases, hardly believe my identity really exists.

What do they believe, then? What are they trying to achieve, scrubbing away the less “aesthetically pleasing”, fluffy bits of this community? What good does it do them to take meaningful, personal words to describe an identity that they can shed at the drop of a hat if it is “problematic” or boring at the end of the day?

One can smile and nod and say that, despite “kinning for fun”, they still respect otherkinity as a whole. And I say, in most cases, that reassurance is hollow. You have already stolen our words, you have already spread misinformation.

This has stumbled into rambling territory, so I leave a few questions, honest, genuine questions.

I ask those who “kin for fun”, what is the allure of words that you have stolen? What is the allure of having the blood of a shattered community on your hands?

As many others have said before, you may find a place in the greater alterhuman community. We have terms for you, as well as many other specific experiences.

Why fight so hard to steal our haven, to push us out of our own spaces, when your own words are waiting for you with open arms?

Words change, yes, but why fight so hard to change them at the expense of others?

#fluffywords #otherkin #fictionkin #important #//i want this to be SEEN this is our most important essay post yet /srs // #please reblog #//rb if you want to i mean. not forcing anyone /gen. its just very very important weee// #//we crave introspective discussion//

[partytilfajr]

assalamuallaikum. What are your thoughts on the notion that religion is dying, maybe not in our lifetime, but in a 100 years or so?

Wa alykum as-salaam,

I think its pretty foolish. People talk about “manifesting” or they talk about horoscopes (which are haram) and so, it’s not that people are not disconnected or lacking a desire to connect with the spiritual, the problem is that they are either unaware of or turning away from the method that allows you to connect to The Divine.

The difference between “manifesting” or horoscopes is that this psuedo-spiritual process is centered around and fixated on now, on this earth, it limits the power of “the spiritual” to finding a cute spouse or a new job. Sure, these things are important, but when you horizon is simply this world, this finite place, justice becomes less important, purpose becomes less important, your fixation is in your desires, justice is limited to this world, your responsibility is limited to you and your selfishness, because this new form of spirituality, devoid of rules, devoid of training, devoid of discipline is simply a process that centers you to your personal universe, and you begin to window dress this world (which puts you at the center) with ceremonial “good acts” that are only designed for people to trust you, not for you to do anything sincere.

In my view, people have this yearning, this yearning for more, this yearning to connect with what they cannot describe, but they know, deep in their heart, and I think consumerism encourages us to move away from religion and towards consuming, and these new psuedo-religions are centered around “what you! believe, what you! think, YOU! are in CONTROL.”

But it’s really about making you stop thinking about anything important, it reduces justice to maxims, you don’t have to do anything, you just have to buy differently: that’s justice. You don’t have to be uncomfortable. You don’t have to sacrifice. And this new kind of psuedo-spirituality allows you to feel comfortable, because you are the one who decides what is good and what isn’t, there is no standard by which you are judged, and those who want to incorporate religion (kinda) into this consumerism soup of self-help garbage, they say things like “only God can judge me!”

And that’s true. God, and God alone can judge you. But God will judge you. That’s the thing we forget.

When you look at online discussions of Islam, they are done with ignorance of the actual Scripture that is The Qur’an. It’s like arguing over some book or movie, but no one has actually read or seen it, but we are arguing how we feel about it. That’s what we do. We lack the most basic familiarity with The Qur’an, and then wonder why we don’t know what we’re talking about. Our interaction with Islam is like a consumer: we take what we want, leave what we want. And this is true of any “version” of Muslim you want to talk about, “liberal” or “conservative,” pick a category “Sufi” or “Salafi” or “trad” etc etc. These labels are to create an identity, so we can feel like we belong to something. It’s no different to loving a soccer team or in the Android v. Apple fight. It’s just something where our identity is subsumed by our dedication to some sort of consumable item.

So in my mind, I don’t think religion is dying, I think the issue is, if we are to replace it, what are we going to replace it with, because the desire to get to the realm of the spiritual is very strong.

God doesn’t need us, nor does He need our worship, so, if religion disappears, only we will be hurt, but again, I don’t think “religion” will disappear, the issue is whether we (as people) will actually pass the test of whether we apply our religion properly.

Also, like... I keep thinking about the Hadith in Imam Muslim’s collection where The Prophet said: “Islam began as something strange and will revert to being strange as it began, so give glad tidings to the strangers,” to which he meant that it started as something only known to a few people, and it will go back to that, so I am not worried about the future, I worry about Muslims today, because if we continue down a path of talking about Islam absent God and Qur’an, then we will be the ones to fulfill The Prophet’s words, and I’d rather not be one of those people.

[posi-pan]

I always defined pan for myself with the age old “I just like people” definition, because that’s the way I described myself for YEARS until I learned about pansexuality. Before pan, I had no idea what I was. I just knew I wasn’t straight, knew I wasn’t bi, knew I wasn’t lesbian... I was somewhere else entirely. I never felt comfortable with any other label. They all felt wrong and like I was putting myself into a box that I didn’t actually fit in. Not because they were “limiting”, but because they just weren’t ME. I wasn’t comfortable with any of them. So finding pansexuality felt like coming home to my true self. It was like I finally saw her for the first time and was like, oh hey! So that’s who you are!

Back then, it never even occurred to me that defining myself in that way could be taken as wrong and problematic. I still don’t quite understand it. Me stating why I feel pansexual doesn’t mean someone else can define their own identity similarly or even the same. Like, for example, isn’t the “official” definition of bisexuality “liking two + more genders”? So... saying you just like people can apply. Just like it applies to how I feel about my pansexuality. We can coexist. There’s been a million posts made and asks sent about the overlap between bi and pan but it feels like there are still too many people who don’t understand it. We can overlap, but still be extremely different depending on how each one of us defines our own identities. There is nothing wrong or harmful about that.

Tbh I think it’s cool to talk to someone who uses another label but who feels similar to me. It’s fun to discuss our own interpretations of our identities and how they differ for us personally, but might be similar overall. It’s cool to have this sense of solidarity while understanding that we’re still unique and different. It’s baffling that panphobes constantly try to disengage from fun discussions like that, instead of encouraging self exploration and positivity about identities and labels.

!!!! i used to say i like people or i like who i like before finding out about pan. but it was never because i thought folks with other labels don’t care about the people they’re with only their gender or whatever other nonsense assumptions people project onto it. it was because whenever i was asked about my sexuality, it was in terms of gender. do you like girls, do you like boys, do you like both, etc. and the definitions of labels i knew of focused on gender.

and i never thought of my attraction in terms of gender. how do you describe your attraction that has nothing to do with gender when the conversation and terms for attraction are centered on gender? i didn’t have the language, i didn’t know about pan. so i didn’t use labels that were defined by gender and i didn’t use explanations centering gender. i just said i liked whoever. i said i liked people. and then i found pan, which was a label that perfectly described how i felt. exactly how i felt was the literal definition. i finally had the language.

so i’m not mad at those explanations of pan, on an individual level. because it’s about that person and the language they have or the way they can put their identity into their own terms. and like you said, it isn’t a statement on how others can or can’t feel. i never understand why people assume someone saying “i feel this way” is actually saying “no one else can feel this way”. lowkey feels like a cheap attempt to hate on and police pan people.

i wish i could plaster your last paragraph everywhere tbh. people are so fixated on trying to force one word and one feeling and one definition and it’s just...why? what need is there for that? why would you want us all to be the same? it’s awesome and interesting and cool that people can use the same label and relate to it differently, or use different labels and relate to them in the same way. it’s important to acknowledge and discuss and celebrate our similarities and differences, instead of pretending one cancels out the other.

#asks #anonymous #pansexual #pan antagonism #long post

[incorrectborderlandsquotes]

uh... hello. i tried to educate myself on why is pansexuality deeply biphobic and transphobic... and... i didn't find any sources that would discuss this issue. where are the thousands bisexuals talking about it? are there any sources besides having thousands of bisexual friends?

alright, fine. so you guys can finally learn something. first off, though, i would like to state that i am not bi and would suggest you follow actual bisexual activists for further resources on bisexuality and biphobia. @/cowardly-bisexual is one of my favorite resource blogs on tumblr if you need a start. under a read more because this baby got longer than i thought.

to start, its been born out of the idea that other sexualities do not include transgender or intersex people, and instead only pansexuals are capable of attraction to those groups. 

for years pansexuals have been trying to twist, bend and misinterpret the meaning of “bisexuality” - fixating on the “bi” prefix, claiming it exclusively means attraction to two genders. they insist on this false image that has been pushed on the bi community, despite the bisexual manifesto of the 1990′s literally defining bisexuality as “attraction to all and regardless of gender”.

they try to paint pansexuality as “more inclusive” or “purer” than other sexualities. do you remember the saying “hearts not parts”, and how its incredibly biphobic and homophobic? this belief that bisexuality is flawed, transphobic, limited, "just a phase” and god knows what else is so rooted in our society (yes, even the lgt community is guilty of biphobia!) people won’t even bat an eye anymore. because of this, pansexuality is becoming more mainstream in media and the word “bisexual” has become taboo. thus taking resources away from bi people.

its belief that theres a need for a new sexuality to include non-cis people is, in itself, transphobic and fetishizing. singling trans and intersex people out, putting them on a pedestal re-infuses this belief that trans wo/men and nb wo/men are any different from cis people. every sexuality has always included non-binary people, because the non-binary umbrella is so vast and complex, you cannot just limit it down. it’s just not possible for you to pick out a nb identity as if youre using a claw crane, and be attracted to that but not others.

heres more articles: pansexuality is the same as bisexuality, its the same thing, it was created as a way not to use the bisexual label, it misdefines bisexuality as transphobic, it misdefines bisexuality & what gender is as a concept, its a rebranded version of bisexuality

this is where im going to have it end, but i hope this shed some light on the issue for you. i know this was messy & doesnt nearly cover all the facts on why pansexuality is harmful but that is why i highly encourage anyone to continue educating themself and listen to bisexual people. now, if you still believe im wrong and that im the panphobic one, please actually deliver some arguments instead of just insulting me, sending me hatemail or spamming me. “pansexuality isnt biphobic”, so proof it.

#ask #anon #dont even knoww what to tag this as #kind of hard to believe you couldnt find anything on this topic tbh

[springsummerspring]

Our disposition, personality, and behaviour all have a profound effect on the types of relationships we thrive in. A couple doesn’t need to be identical, but the right balance of traits is necessary for compatibility. This new RP theory focuses on two important characteristics: the dominance level of each person, as well as the woman’s dominance threshold.

Your “Dominance Level” (DL) measures attributes such as your natural tendency to assume the lead and how you exercise authority in interactions. DL takes into account all behaviour, it is not limited to actions within a romantic relationship. For the purposes of this post I will use a scale of 0 - 10 to discuss DL, with 10 representing the maximum possible level of dominance one can have. There are separate male and female scales - a woman who is a 6 is not more dominant than a man who is a 5, and a man who is a 10 is more dominant than a female 10.

How are dominance levels expressed in men?

A 10 has 100% alpha traits, and a 0 has 100% beta traits. As you move across the spectrum, the ratio shifts. So a 2 has 20% alpha traits, a 6 has 60%, etc.

Men who are lowest in dominance (0-3.5 on the DL scale) have the highest ratio of beta traits in comparison to alpha traits. They can be easygoing, empathetic, gentle, and considerate. They can also be sensitive, emotional, unconfident, indecisive, and soft. Keep in mind that these are just a few examples, these traits do not define these men nor are they required to be in this category.

The 3.5s-6s exhibit more alpha traits but their nature is that of a “greater beta”. These men are able to provide comfort and leadership as required in a relationship. Most women have men in this category, especially on RPW. If you are looking for a “medium dominance” category, this is where your man belongs (but to be clear, he is still in the "low dominance" category of this system).

Men who are a 6-8.5 on the DL scale have a higher ratio of alpha traits in comparison to beta traits. There are many types of alpha men: apex, renegade, patriarchal, criminal, corporate, political, etc. and they all have different characteristics that allow them to succeed and take charge in their respective environments. One thing they all have in common is an immense amount of masculinity, which can be both good and bad.

8.5 - 10s can fall into any of the alpha subtypes. They also have the highest amounts of Dark Triad traits, and are the rarest group of men.

How are dominance levels expressed in women?

The alpha/beta ratio does not apply to the female dominance scale. There are no easy, clear cut terms for the spectrum, just various dispositions and behaviours. While the ratio of masculinity and femininity plays a role, the DL is not measuring either of those traits directly. I have chosen both positive and negative examples for each type but again, these are generalisations and only a fraction of the possible characteristics one can have.

Women who are in the low dominance category (0-6) are non confrontational, sensitive, and accommodating. They are psychologically feminine, not only with their men but in their everyday lives, automatically. They can be doormats, passive, weak, and insecure if they do not learn how to prioritise themselves first instead of others. This does not mean that they are incapable of having any of the traits that high dominance women have, just that the concentration of H traits lowers as you approach zero (and vice versa with H women and L traits).

High Dominance Women (6.5-10) are more confident, driven, assertive, and ambitious. They can also be more masculinised, argumentative, self serving, and insubordinate. Some women like to think of themselves as “alpha women” but this is a myth, not an RP concept. Do not fall into the trap of thinking that being high dominance is superior. Both categories have their strengths and weaknesses. Feminists have pushed the idea that male characteristics and virtues are a universal ideal that all should strive for so women are encouraged to be high dominance. The only way that high dominance women can have romantic success with a dominant man is if they can master psychological femininity and deference within their relationship.

Your “Dominance Threshold” indicates how dominant your man has to be in order for you to feel attraction, commitment, and love. I will also be using the 0-10 dominance scale when referring to the dominance threshold. For the purposes of this discussion it is assumed that all women have a range of 0-2 points past their threshold where attraction is possible. The threshold is the minimum but most women who prefer a 5.5/10 would not be comfortable with an 8 or higher.

How are dominance thresholds expressed in women?

Women with low dominance thresholds require less alpha, and more beta in their relationships. This means more affection and softness, more obvious and frequent displays of love and care. These women are repelled by or afraid of extreme displays of male aggression, anger, or arrogance. They also do not like strict boundaries or being controlled. They are suited for betas and greater betas.

Women with high dominance thresholds require more alpha, less beta. They crave arousal, displays of power, raw masculinity, etc. from their man and view the same beta traits the low threshold women love as weaknesses. They are perfect mates for all types of alphas.

When a man’s DL is way too low for a woman, she reacts with disgust or infantilisation. If it is merely a point or two lower you’ll see shit tests. If it’s slightly too high, she’ll comfort test, and when it’s way too high she��ll be afraid. This applies to all women regardless of their threshold or dominance level.

Taking the 4 categories into account (low/high DL, low/high threshold) there are 8 possible relationship combinations. Not all are optimal or RP but all of the dynamics exist in the real world. Moving forward we will use these labels within the subreddit in our discussions and the advice we give.

By using a combination of 3 letters (all of which are either H or L) we can refer to each dynamic with ease. The first letter establishes the man’s dominance level, the second the woman’s, and then the third is for her dominance threshold. So a high dominance man (H) with a low dominance woman (L), who has a high threshold (H), would be described as HLH. A low dominance man (L) with a low dominance woman (L), who has a low dominance threshold (L), would be LLL.

Now onto an overview of the dynamics, which will be described with an emphasis on the effect on the woman. They are ordered from least potential to be RP to most potential to be RP, with 3 equally RP dynamics, there is not one universally ideal dynamic. Please keep in mind that these descriptions are all generalisations of what is most likely to happen, there are always exceptions. Note: future posts will help you identify your dynamic, do not fixate on labeling yourself from this introductory post.

High dominance man, high dominance/low threshold woman (HHL) - she vies for dominance and feels little to no comfort or security. Possible violence as she is likely to stir up trouble by constantly challenging her man.

High man, low/low woman (HLL) - she needs more beta comfort and can’t stay motivated when feeling unloved. She feels he is mean or scary. There is also a strong chance of violence in this relationship which only further discourages the LL woman from being her best and creates a cycle where the man is constantly punishing her.

Low man, high/high woman (LHH) - she walks all over him or bosses around. This is a very common dynamic as it is what usually happens when a woman is out of the CC riding/AF phase and has settled for her beta bucks.

Low man, low/high woman (LLH) - she is repulsed and/or can’t respect him, wishes he was more dominant. Whenever you see an RPW post where the OP asks: “How can I get my main to be the captain” or says “I tried captain/first mate but he’s not taking the lead” then you know it’s an LLH situation.

Low man, high/low woman (LHL) - a lot of feminist relationships are like this, and they can work, and people can be happy in them. There is also a chance that the woman walks all over the man and disrespects him and he just puts up with it. It all depends on how attracted the woman is to her man, and how well he is able to maintain that attraction.

High man, high/high woman (HHH) - potential to be RP if the woman respects the man. “Captain and First Mate” as described by RPW is not an adequate description of the dynamics in HHH relationships. This combination can be a power couple, or there can be violence if the woman does not defer to the man (think Chris Brown and Rihanna).

High man, low/high woman (HLH) - potential to be RPW and a classic fantasy that is not seen as much in reality. The woman is naturally submissive and aware of it. She is drawn to a dominant man and requires power over her. There is a strong sense of ownership and there can also be a paternalistic element to the dynamic. This differs from HHH relationships in that the woman is not a partner in crime, but rather a source of support and feminine energy while the man takes on challenges. At its worst, HLH relationships involve the man taking advantage of and abusing the woman.

Low man, low/low woman (LLL) - this is the most common both in and out of the subreddit. Contrary to what many may assume, most rpw are interested in or already with greater betas! When done right, these relationships are the epitome of the captain and first mate concept. The man leads and the woman occupies the traditional female role, but it may not feel like submission or deferment to her because of the lack of power imposed explicitly. If the man fails to take the lead, the woman may feel forced to assume that role and her respect for her man will decline. If no one assumes the lead, arguments are more likely to happen, and again, the woman will lose respect for the man.

Can you change your dominance level?

You can absolutely eliminate the personality traits that hinder your success. If you are a high dominance woman, you may need to work on being less controlling, argumentative, or disobedient. RPW is great for that! If you are low dominance, you can become more assertive, confident, and more. However, men who want the traditional, RP relationships are not interested in women who do not listen to or respect them, so it’s important not to go too far in the other direction.

Can you change your dominance threshold?

Attraction is non-negotiable. It’s important to be aware of and honest about your preferences and select a partner wisely. Understanding how men think can help you become more comfortable with a man that has a DL way higher than your threshold. If you are with a man who’s DL is below your threshold RPW can help you with respect, loyalty, and all of the other issues that come with those dynamics. Your threshold may change naturally over time based on life experiences, as you learn what you actually like in relationships.

What can we do with this information?

As mentioned earlier, this system will be a great way to have everyone on the same page when it comes to discussing relationships and giving advice. We should all be aware of our biases, and our individual dominance levels and thresholds greatly affect the responses we leave about other people’s relationships.

A lot of women with low dominance thresholds can’t understand masculine, dominant men, and that contributes to them advising women to leave their men in certain instances or worrying that something is abusive. The reverse also applies, women with high dominance thresholds are less able to wrap their heads around how other women can stay with and be attracted to low dominance men.

It is important to be aware of our biases and work to overcome solipsism. It’s not about what we would do in their situation, but what they should do in their situation. Hopefully having the language to identify dynamics will help us all provide suggestions that work well with whatever dynamic a user is involved in.

[lazyyogi]

Somatic Meditation

Introduction

I have mentioned somatic meditation in a few posts and I think it’s time I discuss it in more detail. 

In western civilization, there is a common tendency to foster a schism between body and mind. This has been my own direct experience of my reality, and my observation of the people around me suggest this as well. 

We have our thinking mind, with its own fascinations and fears, and we have our body, with is own pleasures and disgusts. 

On their own, body and mind are no problem. Body is sensation and mind is alertness. However, when combined with ignorance, each foster their own delusions of identity. Mind acquires habitual perceptions, judgments, and labels. Body acquires tensions, contortions, fixations, attachments, aversions, and so on. These come together to form the ego--the limited and false sense of separate self.

Some of us are more fixated on our mind-consciousness or our body-consciousness in daily life. An oversimplified example would be a model who embodies various energies for their gigs and doesn’t need to use their thinking mind very much. Or a scientist who is constantly at a lab bench or a computer, using their mind constantly but rarely inhabiting their body in its fullest. This isn’t to judge models or scientists, these are just illustrative examples. The reality is more complex. 

When someone is more mind-oriented or body-oriented, it can influence the manner in which they seek the truth of Enlightenment. Mind-oriented individuals may be more attracted to philosophies and meditation practices largely done in the space of the head. Body-oriented individuals may be more inclined to have adventurous experiences and may feel drawn to practices such as kundalini yoga.

Both of these paths are useful beginnings. That said, the burdens of illusion affect both mind and body. At some point those must be addressed.

For me, I had a decent balance between body and mind orientation until I started my medical studies. Since then, I have noticed myself becoming increasingly mind-oriented. And that is okay. However, I had noticed it effecting my meditation practice. It felt that when I sat for meditation, I was largely just being in my head. It felt as if I were sitting and staring at a wall. It gave me the impression that my meditation practice had stagnated. 

Then I came into contact with somatic meditation.

What is Somatic Meditation?

Soma is a Greek word that means “body.” Somatic meditation is a term used to categorically describe meditation techniques that use the sensation of the body for meditation practice. 

For my own personal meditation practice, I found that I have mostly established peace within my mind. Rarely am I ever overwhelmed or taken over by the force of my thoughts. I have a lasting sense of being the spaciousness that surrounds and outlasts my thoughts. 

But as I said before, we also hold many forms of ignorance in our body. Not only was I leaving behind a piece of myself when I was meditating without engaging the full body but I was also leaving parts of my ignorance uninvestigated. 

Somatic meditation sets aside the thinking mind and focuses on the phenomenon of the body. My previous meditation practice showed me how to “transcend” the mind by just being with it and noticing how I am not in the mind but the mind is in me, the way the weather is in the sky. 

Similarly, somatic meditation can lead to transcendence of the body not by leaving it but by inhabiting it deeply--deeper and more thoroughly than you have ever consciously done so before. There are many different ways to do this. I will share techniques regarding it in future posts. 

If you are already curious and want to get started, I suggest three different books, depending on what you’re feeling:

Belonging Here by Judith Blackstone The Enlightenment Process by Judith Blackstone The Awakening Body by Reginald Ray

What are the Benefits of Somatic Meditation?

Here are some things I have noticed:

Deepened meditation. If you already have a meditation practice, somatic meditation will deepen it. Use somatic meditation practices separately and then do your usual meditation. It will reinvigorate your practice. 

Healing. Many of us hold the tensions of past traumas in our bodies. Many of us have abandoned parts of our body entirely because of those traumas. Practicing somatic meditation is a homecoming that heals. 

Increased happiness. If mental meditative practices result in greater clarity and insight, somatic meditative practices result in greater happiness and bliss felt in the body. 

Increased love and playfulness. Children naturally want to play and play with other beings. That is a spontaneous activity of love. Somatic meditation makes us more prone to this kind of playfulness and love. It’s fun. 

Discovery. You will learn a lot more about yourself and embodied existence than you thought was there. 

Freedom for the body, freedom from the body. Somatic meditation will drastically alter your relationship with the body. Instead of judging or trying to please the body, you will free the body and free yourself from being its slave. Just as our mind can be a terrible master, so can our body. Mind and body are tools and allies but they shouldn’t be our masters.

Enlightenment. Somatic meditation, in my opinion, is an incredibly helpful practice for those seeking awakening and self-realization. It is a practice you should do in a deliberate session daily, but you can also continue it whenever you want throughout the day. You can always feel your body. 

Stay tuned for more. 

Fine print: Ultimately the distinction between mind and body are meaningless. They are a continuum. However, until this is found as a lived experience, it can be a temporarily useful way of regarding our ego situation. 

Namaste :)

#spirituality #inspiration #meditation #mindfulness #yoga #technique #somatic meditation

[studentteachinganddan]

Book Review: Building Academic Language - Jeff Zwiers

Part of Student Teaching Program: Assignment 3

Building Academic Language by Jeff Zwiers discusses the importance of providing students foundational knowledge rooted in communication, highly contrasting many of his peers at the time who pushed a banking model of education. Being a future biology educator, and student, I understand the difficult learning curve that many go through when grasping the language to describe biological processes. Because of this personal experience I think there is a lot to gain by viewing science and biology as a language to understand and develop just as Zwiers urges in his book. Viewing language as an on-going skill provides students the opportunity to refine their communication with themselves and their peers. 

At Swarthmore I struggled with the language being used in my STEM courses. Many times my confusion came from the lack of opportunity for me to develop the language behind the science I was learning in my courses. Oftentimes I had a decent conceptual understanding, and yet I could not convey what I had understood to not only others, but also myself. 

Zweirs in their novel affirms the importance of language when it comes to comprehension, but makes broad generalizations on language and it’s function. Throughout the novel Zweirs views the function of language in an academic setting solely to convey the abstract concepts in the curriculum, and fails to address the importance of language in other contexts. For example, he claims that a black student speaks in AAVE solely to appear cool in front of his peers, and frames this dialect as detrimental for academic language development. I find it interesting that Zweirs, who wrote an entire novel on language, can only muster up “sounding cool” as the only functional importance of AAVE. Zweirs fails to address the societal constraints that are placed upon students of color in academic settings, and largely frames their diverse dialects as detriments. It would have been a more nuanced discussion if Zwiers could have postulated the diversity of Academic Language in the classroom. Instead of ignoring the diversity of a classroom, Zwiers could have developed his own academic language through the creation of an academic langauge that benefits all students through the recognition of their identity. 

Besides the racist rhetoric that is found in the foundation of Zweir’s thesis, there are other concerns with the way he defines academic language. Zweirs does point out that diversity is important, but not important enough to change academic language. It becomes concerning when you re-contextualize academic language, as really white, Eurocentric, language of the bourgeoise. In a sense, academic language becomes a form of assimilation. Zweirs does not question academic language, its development, it’s history or anything for that matter. He just accepts it as is, pushes it onto others and moves on. 

Zweirs pushes an objective manner when speaking academically which creates another concern for me. The assumption that our current form of language is able to convey all that is abstract and unknown is limiting. If we do not allow students to express or convey their ideas in their ways, and instead police the manner in which they convey their thoughts to a degree that we label “academic” speech as the proper way to discuss things defeats the purpose of exploratory learning. I understand that there are realistic constraints and standards that must be achieved in the current society we persist in, but it concerns me framing the problem of academia is language during a time of inaccessible education, increasing diversity and inequality. 

Besides some of my qualms in Zweirs manner of thinking of language and it’s function, his teaching methods are still very helpful in my opinion. I do not think the importance lies in his ability to develop language, but instead developing a dialogue between students and educators.

Another important concept to take away from the book is metacognition. Zweirs not only asks educators to ask their students about their thought processes, but to also ask themselves. I think the relation to metacognitive thinking and language is vital because it gets into the essence of the importance of language for me. I want to encourage students to tap into their creative potentials in their imagination by being able to understand it themselves and to convey it to others through not only language but other means of expression. That is my major gripe with the first half of the novel, if we spend too much time narrowing down what is appropriate or not, then we are undercutting the vast potential of students creative minds. 

Another aspect of Zweirs theories/ideas that has been influential for my development is the emphasis on communication through writing. For example, Zweirs viewed language, and communication as part of an ongoing practice to be worked on. When thinking of my own education, writing has always been framed as a singular lesson, writing was not apart of a larger effort to be worked on in each of my subjects. In fact I had never written an biology paper till I was in college, and by then elitist professors chose to not teach it, and left low-income students like myself behind.

Zweirs recommends by adding low stakes, and high stakes assignments centered on writing throughout the class, moving away from the once and done model many are accustomed to. 

One influential way that Zweirs will influence my teaching is by fixating on the vocabulary surrounding academic science writing and content comprehension. Oftentimes we take words such as “indirect”, “positive feedback” and so on for granted, and these words/phrases are often used within scientific writing. To compensate for this I would like to incorporate lesson plans that have students encounter these phrases and use them when speaking in class, and in their writing. Additionally, science itself contains numerous vocabulary words, and the meaning of these words build on foundational knowledge. Terms like nucleus, carbohydrates, isotonic, osmosis can be seen as mere vocabulary words, but these are terms that describe abstract ideas. If students manage to use these words when speaking, and writing they are building a more firm foundation for the concepts that these words are rooted in.

#education #reading #books #opinion

[sijsociology]

Latinx vs Latino/a/@ in Queer communities

One of the reasons that made me join this course was the fact that it contained the word “Latinx” and involved one of the many interests that I have on campus. I took this class because there were not many courses that focused on hispanic/Latinx folks, and I wanted to learn more about this topic, especially because I am hispanic. With that in mind, it is important to understand language and where it comes from, how and who uses the terms. Whenever I type Latinx into Microsoft Word or Google Docs, it underlines the word thinking that I went to spell Latino, but I was not. This is actually something that has become a conversation within the Latinx/Hispanic community, especially amongst the queer community, and has raised many questions about the term. The term Latinx (pronounced “La-teen-ex”) was first used online in 2014. Latinx became a gender-neutral term, an alternative for Latino, Latina, and Latin@, which is a combination between both Latino and Latina. This term, moreover, was created to be inclusive towards the LGBTQ+ community and has been considered a “linguistic revolution” according to how huffingtonpost describes it. When Latinx was first used, it created a controversy between native spanish-speakers and Latinx-users, which is a very problematic issue that should be talked about. The fact is that folks fail to realize that Latinx acknowledges the existence of non-binary folks and transgender people in our society. Failure to acknowledge people because of language not only excludes people, but it says a lot about the power and privilege that comes within not using inclusive terms to describe folks. With this in mind, knowing what words to use to describe folks and knowing the purpose to use certain terms is really important.

For me, the usage of terminology is important, mainly because I am my own person, and I want to have and reclaim some terms and labels because terms may represent my identity and what makes me this queer Latinx body. People, however, forget how words can affect folks in a variety of ways, and refusing to use inclusive terminology only creates a division between people. Raul A. Reyes wrote an interesting article called To Be or Not to Be Latinx? For Some Hispanics, That is the Question. In this news article he talked surveyed stated that

“Those resistant to using Latinx point that Spanish, like other romance languages, is inherently gendered” (pg. 1).

and

 “We see, however, a misguided desire to forcibly change the language we and millions of people around the word speak, to detriment of all” (pg.1).

In fact, it would be impractical to change language as the Spanish language is, indeed, gendered. However, the thing about language and terminology is that words change throughout time. As the article - introducing a professor at Brooklyn College, says “By using Latinx, nobody is telling you how to identify. It’s up to you if you want to be Latinx, Latino, or something else” and she notes that “It really a way to be inclusive. For people who are traditionally marginalized, that millisecond of politeness and recognition towards someone who is genderqueer, tells them that you see them, that you are an ally.” The importance of this quote highlights that people are not forced to identify as either Latinx or Latino/a because anyone can identify as any identity they feel closely to, but when people limit their vocabulary and refuse to use words to be inclusive, only further excludes folks from the Latinx community. Even if people do not understand the usage of the x in Latinx, creating a safe space for folks can simply be by making the first step in introducing and using inclusive words when mentioning the Latinx community. Furthermore, this word encompasses those who identify outside the gender binary, and it gives people more identity to identify as. Resisting such label perpetuates the privilege that most queer people do not have and fixates on the heteronormative society we live in.

Robyn Moreno, contributor of Latina Magazine, says in the article that “We’re not going to change the name of our magazine, or the Spanish Language..this is just a fun and enlightening dialogue to have, to examine ourselves and have, to examine ourselves and have conversations about empowerment and privilege.” Although, I do think that continuing to have a term for a magazine as the title still contradicts the whole idea of being inclusive and still excludes folks who may not identify as “Latina”, but I do agree with Moreno because having a dialogue about terminology and who chooses to use such words can be part of empowerment and privilege. People who have not felt excluded from a community, especially for nonbinary and transgender folks, having a term that represents a marginalized group creates an inclusive environment. Like Moreno says “...to examine ourselves and have conversations about empowerment and privilege” refusing to use the term is a part of privilege, and it is important to check where that privilege comes from because simple words like Latinx can be a step to a progressive and safer society for LGBT+ folks.

One of the ways that the use of Latinx has spread around is through media. A lot of activists and bloggers talk about the use of Latinx and the both sides of the constant discussion that appears to happen. Jack Qu’emi, a writer and self-described queer, non-binary, identifies as Afro-Latinx. Qu’emi explains that:

“The x (in Latinx), is a way of rejecting the gendering of words to begin with, especially since Spanish is such a gendered language” and as the blog says “queer people are often forced into the role of educator for the straight world.”

 In fact, Qu’emi is correct in what they say because even in the English language, people still refuse to use they because they are fixated on the grammar of it, but fail to realize that this linguistic debate is less about the grammar and more about the exclusion and oppression towards nonbinary and transgender folks.

Is it La-teen-o or La-teen-x? Reading different blogs  and articles on the usage of Latinx makes me wonder how many people realize what our words do and what can we do to further include people outside the gender binary. Although many activists may argue that Latinx cannot be used in Spanish because it will cause folks to change the whole language into gender neutral and call the word as a “a form of linguistic imperialism.”, there are several things to take into consideration. 

Language is constantly changing, and people have the right to choose to identify as Latinx and should be respected, and folks who consider themselves allies should help provide a safe place for transgender and nonbinary folks.

#latinx #latino #latina #latin@ #terms #sociology #inclusiveness #my professor is very cool yall #community #terminology #mine #post #notes #project #thoughts

[annieareumshin]

Final Work & Concept Statement

‘A Curation of the In-between’

Areum Shin z5160453

Concept Statement

My final work explores and highlights the ‘grey areas’ that exist between constructed binaries. Binary oppositions often limit individuals’ perceptions of the world by offering a categorical way of thinking, which induces the negligence of nuances and intermediate forms that lie between the extremes. While this simplification of information is appealing as it enables an undemanding mode of understanding, recognising the in-between states of binaries are often crucial. This contemporary obsession with binaries has largely influenced my research and creative interrogation of binary forms themselves – to unsettle them, and in doing so, challenge our fixations with them.

In my work, I have curated objects that possess a certain binary labelled to them, and physically emphasised the in-between areas and interstices that are often unnoticed. Examples of binary labels include the beginning and the ending of a book, the positive and negative ends of an electrical cord and the figure representing a human, which as a being cannot be easily defined as fitting into one category or another. Each of the curated items manifest a sense of vagueness as their original purpose and identities have been erased with accretions of paint. The formation of ‘grey’ matter involved mixing a variety of colours in the visible light spectrum, to parallel the transitional quality of these in-between forms. The resulting amalgams of colour that were applied to each object became metaphorical platforms of intersections for the corresponding binary pairs. The idea of ‘highlighting’ this grey matter was visualised by the use of the yellow background, by paradoxically reversing the functions that these colours are associated with.

This conceptual basis to my work has been informed by research into the notions of categorical and dimensional thinking in psychology that was also illustrated in my poster. These modes of thought essentially compare to what is commonly known as black-and-white thinking (options) and grey thinking (on an extent or spectrum) that represent an individuals’ way of understanding and interpreting information. In light of this investigation, the monochromatic colour scheme was used as a symbolic reference to these frameworks.

This initial insight has led to specific research into artists that have also represented these ideas of ‘in-between’ forms in their artworks. In particular, I was intrigued by Karin Lijnes’ statement of what it means for her to unsettle the binaries, that it “gives more sense of truth and often reveals what is not being said or what is not there”. The facilitation of meaning by exposing the unfamiliar and unseen states addressed by Lijnes has shaped my approach to my work, to render emphasis on the in-between. In addition, the artist Shane Porter’s definition of in-betweenness as “moments, situations, objects which are transitory and between states, in a strange world which is neither truth or fiction, real or fake, but somewhere in between” has founded my intentions to explore what separates the ambiguous from its absolute states.

Perhaps the motive behind my practice of curating these objects stemmed from my observations of dualities and oppositional pairs evident in most of what we engage with in our daily lives, even in mundane objects such as pencils. As such, my experiments involved a gradual, cumulative gathering and integration of old and found objects. These were developed into iterations of more ‘grey matter’. This repetitive process has led to a conceptual intertwining of the objects that were used. The unrelated items developed a sense of connection as a body of grey, intra-binary forms.

What is truly intriguing about binaries is that they are social and culturally influenced schemas into which we mould or organise information that we perceive. While the in-between areas of binaries may be seen as futile and ambiguous to an extent, it is the continuum and spectrum of these vast arrays of ‘grey’ information that ultimately delineate binary pairs. The schemas become fluid by birthing infinite shades of grey as results of overlapping the opposite structures. Thus the final collection of grey objects can be perceived as a portrayal of my perspective towards the need to highlight to in-between forms, as a gateway to understand ideas and information beyond its simple categorisations and to engender further meanings.

Bibliography

Anon., ‘Binaries’, Oakland Art Murmur [website], 2016, https://oaklandartmurmur.org/events/binaries/ (accessed 9September 2017)

Cass Art, ‘Inbetween Forms: Artist interview with Shane Porter’, Cass Art [interview], 2015, https://www.cassart.co.uk/blog/artist_interview_shane_porter.htm (accessed 10 September 2017)

Clausen, O., ‘Karin Lijnes: Unsettling Binaries’, Beautiful Bizarre [interview], 2014, https://beautifulbizarre.net/2014/12/02/karin-lijnes-unsettling-binaries/ (accessed 11 September 2017)

Geher, G., ‘Black-and-White Thinking in our Social Worlds: The Evolutionary Basis of Simple Thinking’, Psychology Today [web blog], 2016, https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/darwins-subterranean-world/201601/black-and-white-thinking-in-our-social-worlds (accessed 30 August 2017)

Silka, P., ‘Contrast in Art and the Value of the Opposites’, Widewalls [web article], n.d., http://www.widewalls.ch/contrast-in-art-and-the-value-of-the-opposites/ (accessed 29August 2017)

Treilhard, M., ‘The Art of In-Between’, Modern Magazine [web article], 2017, http://modernmag.com/the-art-of-in-between/ (accessed 10 September 2017)

Van Der Borne, J., ‘Black and white or shades of gray: The colour of your thinking matters’, Sott.net [web article], 2016, https://www.sott.net/article/325471-Black-and-white-or-shades-of-gray-The-color-of-your-thinking-matters (accessed 31 August 2017)

Williams, B., ‘Black and White Thinking doesn’t Work in a Gray World’, Huff Post [web blog], 2011, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/byron-williams/black-and-white-thinking-_b_30747.html (accessed 31 August 2017)

#adad1002 #majorproject

[superfan99records]

Super Fan Illustrator Focus #2

I first met Nicholas Stevenson almost ten years ago when we shared a manager for our respective musical projects. His artwork and music were very intwined, his sleeves always struck me as being an extension of himself and his songs. One played equal part in supporting the other. I'd describe his style as being extremely playful, colourful, fanciful, distorted, magical and most of all joyful. I loved his art and have had him in mind for so many projects since. The first time we worked together he illustrated my band aboard a ship for a limited screen print single, unusually it was printed on black card making a night sky backdrop. Years later when I started Super Fan and needed a logo he was the first person I thought to ask. The brief was simply "Do something with Ice hockey sticks and maybe a shield?" He came back to me pretty quick with a whole range of variants, I picked one and this was to be the labels logo for releases 1 through to 50. He then did sleeves for both our live to tape night 'Reelin' releases and Matt McKees album too (with photos by Naomi Goggin) 

As well as picking up various awards and being exhibited, he's done work for The New York Times, Blue Note Records, The Scouts Association, Urban Outfitters, Warner/Chappell Music, Anorak Magazine and countless bands along the way. He is currently a teacher on the BA Illustration course at Hereford College of Arts, plays in the band Lucky Shivers AND is one half of the excellent Oro Swimming Hour. In short, he's a busy guy with a very colourful mind.

What did you like drawing as kid? Were there particular characters or subjects that you'd always come back to?

Thanks for the kind words Luke! I had several phases, and I was quite obsessive. Tractors, then fish, then dinosaurs, ninja turtles, power rangers, star wars... I'd draw when I watched TV and had battles with my friends trying to draw bigger scarier space ships. I found and scanned a box of drawings from the fish/dinosaur era, here my parents collaborated with me a fair bit, so I can't take total credit for them. 

Your work sometimes reminds me of Eric Carle in it's texture and colour. What are some of your favourite illustrated kids books?

Yes I love Eric Carle's work and I do quite a similar process, cutting and rearranging paintings and found textures, albeit with some help from the computer. I've always loved the book 'Goodnight Moon', it's so eerie and strange. Just a rabbit wishing all the weird, kitsch and creepy objects in its room goodnight. The colour palette is very influential. I also just discovered a Japanese book called 'The Night Train' by Shigeo Nishimura, which is hard to find in the uk, but worth tracking down. It's all pictures and no words, showing a beautifully observed journey on a night train, it's very calming and magical.

Tell us about the Bill Murray colouring book project and how that came about? It seemed to blow up online and the cover featured an illustration of Bill by Nic in his unmistakeable style. You can find them everywhere, I even spotted one in a store on a recent trip to LA. 

Mike from Belly Kids (the publisher) got in touch out of the blue asking me to contribute to a colouring book idea he had. I was a little unsure how I'd make my painting work for a colouring book and I nearly did a line drawing instead. Luckily Mike liked the painted image so much that he put it on the cover. I obviously thought the book was a great idea, but I had no idea that people would go as crazy for it as they did. I found the original painting the other day, and I'd accidentally been mixing colours on the back...

Let's talk about record sleeves. Are there any that stick out in your mind from browsing stores when you were a kid and which sleeve do you wish you designed yourself?

Record stores were like galleries to me, I often bought albums just because the record sleeve did something interesting for me and I discovered some great stuff that way (Seekonk Pinkwood comes to mind). Anything painted, drawn, unpolished and visceral usually grabbed my attention. Bob Dylan's painting on the cover of 'Music from Big Pink', Robert Pollard's collages for Guided by Voices, Pavement's 'Brighten the Corners', Frank Zappa sleeves, Iron and Wine 'The Shepherds Dog', Beck 'The Information'... When I was an illustration student my final project was a deluxe repackaging of Elliott Smith's 'Roman Candle'. I actually love the photograph on the cover of that record, but I wanted to see what would happen if it was illustrated instead. I'd like to do the same for Midlake's 'Bamnan and Slivercork'. That album is so lyrically visual, there's a clear narrative I'm just aching to draw. One handed machinists, a balloon maker, junglers, monocle-men...

For your musical projects you always contribute the art whether it be gig posters, zines or sleeve designs, would you ever trust this job with another artist or do you feel it is too intertwined with the songs themselves?

Sometimes I'd love to hand it over and see what someone else would do with it. There's so many people I admire and would trust to do a great job... But I always feel like it needs to be me, and like you say there's a shared ethos with the drawing and recording, it seems to work. That's not to say it's easy though, my own record sleeves are the things I do and redo over and over, I'm never satisfied, my own worst client! It's harder to have a pure reaction to your own music, you're too close to the struggle of it and the circumstances of its creation sometimes.

I can often imagine many of your characters coming to life in animated form, is this something you'd like to explore in the future? 

Yes, I love to animate, and have collaborated with some wonderful animators, but often on project slightly sideways of my own interests. I'm working on my own story telling and longer forms of narrative so we'll see if that doesn't lead to some more animation in the future. 

Are there any geographical places that inspire your art or ideas?

My mother is American, and I hop back over there when I can. Portland Maine, New Hampshire, Boston are places I discovered a lot of the records I love (thanks Bull Moose Records & Newbury Comics), and that landscape, endless woods, flakey wooden town houses, fireflies... I lived in the Seychelles for a few years as a child too, tropical plants at night, ghost stories, and hidden pirate treasures are things I take from there. I'm currently renting a medieval house, I love timber frames and puffy sleeves too. I used to not be very interested in the English landscape, but I think it's going to be more important going forward.

What's been your favourite project to work on and is there a particular project out there you'd love to have a go at?

I got to produce some animated GIFs for Save the Children recently, which was a really challenging project to do, telling the story of an internally displaced refugee in Afghanistan. I was really surprised that I got to do something like that, and that I was able to translate my visuals in to something serious and purposeful in a different way. I've always said I'd love to do the seat patterns for TFL? How about they let me redo the Northern Line?

My Dad paints watercolours and often gets fixated on a certain artist or record for a long time while working. Do you have any go to artists you like to listen to while you work?

In the idea generating stage I can't have anything on anymore, I'm too easily distracted! But once the idea is crystallised and I'm just producing work I really like anything by Grouper, Ali Farka, Tinariwen, Deru, A Hawk and a Hacksaw... instrumental mostly. You've got to keep that language part of your brain shut off!

I can't imagine the answer for this being a no but are you a collector of anything? Haha, yes. For one reason or another I have: Postcards of Volcanic Eruptions, matchbox labels, plastic animals, toy trees, zines, riso prints, composition notebooks.

And finally, what's the latest with your musical projects? I hear there is a new Oro Swimming Hour record in the pipeline?

Yes! The new record is finished, there's a slightly broader sound palette this time and even more tracks, even eerier. Process wise it's still very spur-of-the-moment, songs recorded as they're being written, intensely collaborative and open. It's nice because I'm still surprised when I listen back, did we do that? I don't remember, it all happened so fast. I will most definitely be appearing sometime in 2019.I suspect you'll be hearing more from Lucky Shivers this year too, we're much more methodical and careful over those songs, but there's a record slowly being chipped away at!

You can find more of Nic’s work by visiting the link below to his homepage or following him on Instagram. Look out for further posts in this series as I talk to the other artists who have helped shape Super Fans visual identity.

www.nicholasstevenson.com @nicholasillustration