- when you get someone’s pronouns right, don’t pat yourself on the back.
- when you get them wrong, don’t give a list of excuses. just say sorry, correct yourself, and move on! trust me, handling it this way is better for everyone.
- if someone gets your family member/friend’s pronouns wrong, only correct them if it’s a safe environment.
- people get frustrated when they are constantly misgendered. don’t blame trans people for being upset about this, especially if you’re the one who misgendered them.
- correcting people when they misgender you can be tiring. just because someone doesn’t correct you, doesn’t mean you’re right or that they don’t mind.
- people introduce their pronouns in different ways. sometimes it’s direct, like saying your name and pronouns. other times it’s through conversation, implying, or correcting. if you aren’t sure, ask when possible!
Hey, I’m feeling fucked up because of the Orlando shooting and making posts that Might Be Helpful to others makes me feel better. So here’s some positive stuff. I’m mostly linking to masterposts. If you have any suggestions for additions, please message me and I’ll add things. This is a hard time for LGBT people and I hope everyone can feel well soon.
I also realize that this can be a really hard time for a lot of people. Here are some LGBT friendly hotlines:
(For ages 13-24 edit: They do not turn anyone away) The Trevor Project: 1-866-4-U-TREVOR or online at www.thetrevorproject.com [edit: Be aware if you’re suicidal or psychotic: They may call the police on you in these instances]
edit: If you intend on going to any famously/historically LGBT locations or pride events this month, or near the proximity of the Orlando shooting, please make sure people know where you are, have an action plan, and watch out for suspicious behavior.
My favorite Greek god may come as a shock to some. The usual favorites are Zeus, Aphrodite. Maybe even Apollo or Athena. Someone flashy, beautiful. Maybe with a blazing chariot; everyone loves a good ride. But
no.
My favorite Greek god is Hephaestus.
For those of you who didn’t study Greek
Mythology (or did but forgot this name because it wasn’t important at the time),
Hephaestus was the smith god, the god of metallurgy. He was also the god who,
upon birth, was thrown from Mt. Olympus by his mother for being “crippled” and
too unsightly for even his own family’s godly eyes. Or, if you prefer, there is
a second branch in the mythology which explains his disability that contradicts
the Hera-threw-him-overboard story: he tried protecting her from the advances
of Zeus, and Zeus threw him off the mountain. Either way, everyone agrees he
was thrown from the heavens by an all-mighty monarch. Hard. (And that he was no
Apollo.)
But, Hephaestus was the smith of the gods.
He built Zeus’s and Hera’s thrones. He built Eros’s bow and arrows. He crafted
Hermes’ sandals and helmet. He made Aphrodite’s girdle and the chariot that
carried the sun across the sky. The fire that Prometheus stole and gave to
humanity came from his forge. Everything that made the gods what they were, he
had a hand in building. His fingerprints cover the heavens.
It’s sometimes the unseen, the disregarded,
the unacknowledged, the ugly gods,
that make the strongest impacts on the world. History pays much more attention
to the people sitting on the throne, shooting the arrows, or dragging the
chariot across the sky than the people or systems that made those things
possible. No one does anything alone, and no one can claim that their success
and/or power is entirely their own. We all have our ugly gods in the
background, for better or worse, helping to forge our positions in this world.
And it’s our job to celebrate the good and
navigate the bad, no matter how uncomfortable that may be.
Bringing this blog back to life. Expect more poetry and more ramblings :)
When he kisses the skin of your neck, and whispers butterflies into your veins (like song) remember to listen to his words and not the fluttering.
When he kisses your soft lips, and bites your tongue, remember the blood, remember the white of his teeth. Not the warmth, not the heat, pooled in your own mouth.
And when he cuts your trust, with shards of your own reflection, breathe deep. Remember that just because he said it was it doesn’t mean that it’s your fault.
Body: A dead thing A corpse, a carcass A thing that is found and outlined A thing that washes up after the storm Something that drifts Something that feeds the earth because it no longer needs to be fed A thing that is dead
Body: A living thing A hot heart and warm skin A sweet thing to cuddle up to and wrap up in Something that doesn’t wait A salty thing to taste To bite at To take into oneself Something that is hunger and is hungry Satisfaction meant to take root and thrive A thing that is alive
Body: Something that holds up your head when you walk Something that allows you to walk Something that sometimes doesn’t want to walk anymore
Body: The part of an essay where you write all the persuasive stuff Not an introduction Not a conclusion Not a beginning or an ending But lines upon lines that prove why we should listen to you Or why we shouldn’t
Body: A collection of something that is uncountable A body of water, a body of evidence A body of tears which can also be a body of evidence A body of work, like a collection of poetry Even more evidence that proves you were once a
Body: A living thing and not a Body: A dead thing
Body: A natural thing in space Asteroid belts Galaxies and star clusters Suns and moons A thing that reaches out in the dark and pulls whatever is near closer A thing that has so much sway over the cosmos that it is called celestial Something made from the bang that began this blasphemy Something worthy of taking up space
My body Sometimes a carcass to feed upon Sometimes something that isn’t fed Something that is found and outlined Something that drifts
My body Sometimes a warm thing Sometimes a thing that is bitten in to Something that is entered Sometimes a meal, sometimes hungry
My body Sometimes literature Sometimes a thing that is written No need for an introduction And let’s hope my conclusion is pages and pages and pages away
My body Sometimes just some body Sometimes somebody Sometimes it feels like nobody Sometimes I wish I had no body
But some days my body Is a star, a sun, a moon My body Reaches out and pulls everything closer to it
My body Call it celestial Call it blasphemy Call it a living thing Call it moon, sun, star cluster Call it uncountable Call it evidence
A verdict was just handed down in the trial of Japanese artist Rokudenashiko, who was accused of displaying and distributing obscene materials because she created art based on a 3D scan of her own genitals. Rokudenashiko was found guilty of distributing obscene materials (sending the 3D scan data to backers) and fined 400,000 yen. However, she was found not guilty of displaying obscene materials through an exhibition of her art in a women’s adult store.
That was the whole point of Rokudenashiko’s art: she was protesting against the fact that female sexuality is still “taboo” in Japan in a way that male sexuality is not. The judge proved her point for her when, during the early days of the trial, he warned her against saying the word “pussy” (manko) out loud in court.
However, in light of the history of obscenity trials in, Japan it’s extremely significant that she was also partly exonerated. I’m not sure about the details of why she was not found guilty of exhibiting the materials; we’ll probably hear more in the next couple of days. But it’s very, very rare for this kind of trial in Japan to end in even a partial acquittal. The last time this happened was thirty years ago, in the trial around Nagisa Oshima’s film In the Realm of the Senses.
This is why Rokudenashiko and her legal team look so happy displaying a “partially acquitted” banner to the press outside the courthouse. Rokudenashiko’s lawyer Takashi Yamaguchi called the verdict “groundbreaking.”
In the Japanese context, even this partial acquittal is truly historic. So while we should continue to support efforts by Japanese artists and activists to get rid of the double standards that make female sexuality more taboo than male sexuality, it’s also important to give massive kudos to Rokudenashiko and her legal team for what they accomplished. If you want to congratulate them directly, Rokudenashiko is @6d745 on Twitter, and Takashi Yamaguchi is @otakulawyer.
