2/7/2024 0 Comments The Issue With "Queer-Baiting"morena (she/her)If you were to look up a definition of the term “queer-baiting” online, you would get a seemingly straight-forward answer. “Queer-baiting”, according to most online dictionaries, refers to the incorporation of non-heterosexual characters or relationships in media and entertainment industries without the clarity of these relationships ever being established. Therefore, queer-baiting utilizes homosexual relationships, not to provide much needed LGBT representation on screen, but instead to use the very idea of LGBT representation as a marketing strategy to increase the popularity of a product.
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Part 4: Abolish the FamilyAngel White (any/all)TW: Discussions of Ageism, Arophobia, Child Abuse/Neglect, Classism, Domestic Abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Queerphobia, Racism, Sexual Violence, Transphobia
Elessar Younglove (they/fae) Over the holidays I participated in events like decorating cookies and gift exchanges. I was prepared for warm times with family and friends. But the homophobic gifts exchanged under my nose reminded me just how cold December can be. It was Saturday, December 17th and my family and I were hosting our annual white elephant. Our family Christmas party is notorious for pushing stupid arguments. Whether my uncle is drunk and dismissing our dead relatives’ and any concept of the afterlife, or my grandma will just have to vote for Trump in the upcoming election, conflict is nothing new.
Part 3: Schools, States, and Queer YouthAngel White (any/all)TW: Discussions of ableism, ageism, bullying, child abuse/neglect, classism, homophobia, misogyny, police violence, racism, school shootings, sexual assault/harassment, suicide, and transphobia
Elessar Younglove (they/fae) Last April, I created a graphic of a man named Haaz Sleiman for “The Michigan Gayly” Instagram page. The photo was placed on a green background and the quote was short. “I am a gay Muslim, Arab American man,” he said. That was it. But in the interview I quoted Haaz added, “And I’m going to take it even further: Not only am I gay, but I’m also a bottom. Not only am I a bottom, but I’m also a total bottom which means I like it up you know where.” The addition seemed unnecessary to me at the time. But after reading Pope Francis’ interview with the Associated Press, I now think all queer people could benefit from vocalizing their sex life.
3/1/2023 0 Comments It's Time for Gender Affirming Healthcare to Operate Using an Informed Consent ModelGrey Weinstein (he/they/xe)“Can you believe this shit?” I griped to my roommates, flopping down dramatically on our couch. “It’s like, I have to fucking renew my license to be transgender.”
Part 2: Queer Activism and the Failure to Help Queer YouthAngel White (any/all)TW: Discussions of ableism, ageism, biphobia, christianity, classism, homophobia, misogyny, pedophilia, racism, transphobia, reclaimed use of d-slur
2/1/2023 0 Comments Transphobes Aren't Just Stupid, They're Also Dangerous for All of Us: In Response to Hateful CommentsGrey Weinstein (he/they)TW: Contains discussion of sex, sexual violence, transphobia, and transphobic violence.
Part I: The History of Queerness, Childhood, and FamilyAngel White (any/all)TW: Discussions of ageism, child abuse, classism, homophobia, misogyny, racism, transphobia, reclaimed use of f-slur Growing Up Queer
Growing up as a queer child, I had a bad relationship with my parents. While they outwardly preached respect for all people (including queer people), this never seemed to apply to their own household. It scared me from coming out for a long time and, when I finally did, it didn’t go well. I didn’t get support from my family, and it still isn’t a subject that my family is willing to discuss. But now I’m an “adult” and am in college. I have more free time, a (somewhat) queer-friendly environment, and live far away from my parents. This new freedom and acceptance has been necessary for me to, well, be me. And while I’m thankful for it now, I find it very troubling that I only gained this by achieving an arbitrary age and education requirement. Why wasn’t I able to achieve this freedom before? It wasn’t like it would have mattered less in high school, or before that, or that I was somehow less deserving of being treated like a person. Clearly, something has gone horribly wrong here. morena (she/her) The Parental Rights in Education bill, infamously known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, offically passed in the state of Florida under the government of Ron DeSantis. This bill would prohibit the teaching of sexual orientation in classrooms from kindergarten to third grade. This would also allow parents who disagree with their child’s curriculum to sue the school district with the justification that schools, teachers, and principals could not withhold information about gender issues from the children’s parents. As a consequence of the bill’s passing, many more similar to it are in the works throughout the US: including Tennessee, Kansas, and Indiana. In reality, however, this bill does not increase the role of parents in education; rather, it destroys the possibility of a safe space for young children to learn about complex topics such as sexual orientation and gender identity. Therefore, this issue transcends the classroom and could lead to an upwelling of internalized homophobia or self hatred among young, vulnerable children.
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