DEAR WHITE GAY ACTIVISTS ATTEMPTING TO BE WITTY AND CULTURED:

DO NOT FUCKING QUOTE LOVING V. VIRGINIA IN YOUR ACTIVISM SIGNS IN YOUR FIGHT FOR GAY MARRIAGE.

Just…fucking DON’T. 

I’m just so fucking tired of seeing this. As a law student, as an activist, as a queer woman of color.

For people who do not know, Loving v. Virginia is the landmark supreme court case that ruled that Virginia’s statute which CRIMINALIZED interracial marriage was unconstitutional. 

It’s the case that stated that marriage is a FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT. 

Now I realize that this is a statement that could very much be co-opted, but here’s why I’m angry about it:

1) it was a race issue. 

2) the facts of the case were fucking horrifying and not at all similar to gay marriage:

• the Lovings were an interracial couple. Mrs. Loving was Black, Mr. Loving was white. they lived in Virginia
• The Lovings had actually fallen in love and were already married 
• The Lovings were told never to return to Virginia, despite having all of their family there 
• The Lovings secretly moved back to Virginia and were arrested in the middle of the night. The police broke down their door and dragged them from their beds. The Lovings were incarcerated.

3.  In terms of marriage, it’s clearly delineated as a RACE issue. “Marriage” in terms of “bond between man and woman” has been defined legally as such as much more than a contract, but rather a fundamental right. It’s a huge issue of privacy. Etc.

4. Basically including gay marriage is obviously something we should allow (if only for the whole “benefits of the family” doctrine that supports marriage-based benefits, which should definitely apply to gay families).  

5. But saying that this battle is exactly like interracial marriage is so fucking inconsiderate of history

6. It’s essentially saying that gay is the new Black

7. And it’s really fucking not 

8. Because people who get gay married in other states are not fucking dragged out of their beds in the middle of the night and tossed into jail. 

9. Sure, there have been criminal anti-sodomy laws, but those are NOT gay marriage

10. And I’m not saying that the queer community is not being oppressed here. Far from it.

11. But what I am saying is that it’s not the fucking same thing. It’s related, but it’s not the same. And to say that this battle is exactly like interracial marriage is so fucking disrespectful. Just stop. Your privilege is showing.

To be updated on the regular

1.  Smoke Signals: pg-13, year: 1998

• summary: On a Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, reservation, nothing ever changes — until the estranged father of Victor Joseph (Adam Beach) bites the dust in Arizona, and Victor must go collect the cremated remains. The problem is, Victor can’t afford the fare. But annoying nerd Thomas Builds-the-Fire (Evan Adams) will float Victor a loan … if Thomas can tag along. This tender tale of self-discovery is based on acclaimed author Sherman Alexie’s short stories.  
• why you should watch it: It’s fucking brilliant, that’s why, and it was filmed with real natives by real natives and basically it’s amazing and exactly the type of movie POCs are always asking for  but never get

2.  Lust, Caution: nc-17 (2007)

• summary: A young actress gets caught up in a complex plot involving love, assassination and seduction in Ang Lee’s drama set in World War II-era Shanghai and based on the writings of author Eileen Chang.
• why you should watch it: Ang Lee directed it, it’s a bdsm-type story, it’s a chinese cinematic gemstone of loveliness, it’s fucked up and twisted but afterwards you will sit back and think “wow, that is such a good movie.” It’s like a traumatizingly good piece of steak. 

3.  Impromptu: pg-13 (1991)

• summary: In this critically acclaimed drama set amid the romance of 19th-century Europe, feminist author George Sand falls for Polish composer Frédéric Chopin, but a number of obstacles stand in their way — including rivals, former lovers and duels.
• why you should watch it: Hugh Grant is Chopin. Bernadette Peters is Liszt’s spurned duchess lover. Emma Thompson makes an entrance as a flightly duchess. Judy Davis is George Sand. It’s this amazingly complex period piece about gender roles and it’s such an extreme dismissal of heteronormativity—a bit white/euro-centric, sure, but brilliant nonetheless. It’s worth it, just for the super erotically charged kiss scene in which George Sand and Chopin completely flip heteronormativity and traditional gender norms on their heads. Oh, and Emma Thompson is amazing.

4. Eureka: TV-14, 2006—ongoing 

• summary: When he takes the job of sheriff of the little town of Eureka, Ore., ex-U.S. marshal Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson) discovers that the community’s quiet citizens are actually brilliant scientists working for a dangerous top-secret research facility. As he works to fix the damage caused by experimental technology gone disastrously awry, Carter keeps a watchful eye on his rebellious daughter. Jordan Hinson co-stars in this offbeat sci-fi series.
• why you should watch it: one of the best things about scify shows is that they tend to cast racially blind—which is something I love. Best thing: Henry, one of the biggest eggheads on the show, is a black man. The head of security is also a mixed race woman. The deputy is latina. It’s referenced..but it’s not really made a big deal of, with tokenism (ex: they travel back in time, and the white guy is all like “oh hey, how did you hide?” and Henry is like, “Dude, its’ the 1950s. Eureka was progressive, but still, nobody is going to question a Black man in a mechanics suit as anything more but part of the scenery.”) It’s also really clever sci-fi. 

5. Henry Cho: What’s that Clickin’ Noise?: NR, 2006

• summary: Take a Korean-American comic who was raised in Tennessee and you’re bound to get some hilarious stories. Recalling his most vivid childhood memories in this stand-up special, Henry Cho riffs on playing sports, surviving pregnancy and having children.
• why you should watch it: Henry Cho is a byproduct of the Asian Diaspora and manages to make fun of racism and the south and NOT make fun of women in a disrespectful way. His observational comedy is spot-on and hilarious and he treats women in a “I don’t understand, but I know I fucked up” sort of way which is, quite frankly, refreshing from a POC male comedian (far too often, they make jokes about rape and women but cry out about racism, which is obv. problematic. Henry Cho does not.) He’s amazing, I wish there was more of his stuff online. 

6. White Chicks: pg-13 (2004)

• summary: have you really never heard of White Chicks? REALLY? REALLY??????
• why you should watch it: because it’s fucking hilarious and it’s dave chappelle-esque humor that really makes you think “god damn it, white people are hilarious.” I was so excited when I found out it was on instant.

7. Half Baked: R, (1998)

• summary: Three ganja-smoking dimwits hatch a plot to raise bail money for their jailed friend by selling dope on the street. But they’d better spring their incarcerated buddy fast — before he ends up as the “boy toy” of a criminal named Nasty Nate.
• why you should watch it: Dave Chappelle is a genius, that’s why. The plot sounds absolutely ridiculous, and it is—but like most things Chappelle does, the important thing is HOW shit is portrayed, not WHAT is portrayed. The fact that Chappelle’s character makes a point to piss off the snooty white lab doctors who call him “janitor” as if it’s his name is only the beginning. 

8. While you’re at it, the Chappelle Show is also on netflix instant. I’m not even going to explain why you should watch the Chappelle Show. Fuck you, just go watch it. 

9.  First Position: NR, (2011)

• summary: Follow dancers training for the Youth America Grand Prix, one of the world’s most prestigious ballet competitions. The stakes are high: their performances will determine the success or failure of their dreams. (documentary)
• why you should watch it: Michaela Deprince is a goddess among mortals. She was featured in this documentary. Here is a link to her wikipedia page because I can’t even list why she is amazing.  Also, basically all the kids that are featured are really cool and interesting in a marginalized way except for princess homegirl from Baltimore and even then it’s like “fine ok we had to have a comparison to show how excellent these other kids are.” 

10. Mao’s Last Dancer: PG (2010)

• summary: A delegation from Madame Mao’s Beijing Dance Academy selects 11-year-old peasant villager Li Cunxin to study ballet in far-off Beijing, where he trains for seven grueling years to become one of China’s greatest dancers. His efforts win him the opportunity to dance in America, opening his eyes to a new love and the possibility of a dramatic defection from China in this remarkable true story based on Cunxin’s autobiography.
• why you should watch it: OK, it’s a movie about communist china and america in a way that doesn’t necessarily do the white savior thing because it’s BASED ON AN AMAZING AUTOBIOGRAPHY. It’s all about how governments can be tricky no matter what and yes BALLET OH MY GOD BALLET and seriously if you are sino you will probs weep, I’m not even kidding. Also, the guy they got to dance is, yes, actually chinese and yes, is an amazing dancer for the london ballet. And they got a very goodlooking actual chinese male ballet dancer to play “middle Li” as well. This is what they look like: 
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It has taken me fucking forever to slowly come to terms with the fact that my pansexual asian femme sexuality was probably carved out of internalized racism and a desperate need to feel attractive in a racist, male-driven patriarchy hellbent on fetishizing light skinned skinny asian women. 

I don’t really feel comfortable with answering this question? Maybe you should ask a trans*person of color instead. any takers, followers?

So if anyone was wondering…

I’ve decided to compile my hypothetical BEST PERSON EVER match for dating.

Not that I’m necessarily LOOKING for something right now (because omg 3 years in a relationship was really trying and difficult at the end and I’m still trying to figure shit out). 

So here it is:

age: 26 - 35, please. Male identifying individuals, this is necessary. Female identifying individuals, I could go as low as 22 or 23 but honestly I really want someone who’s at a pretty stable point in their life right now.

location: PREFERABLY NEAR BALTIMORE, OK? 

gender/race: honestly, I really would probably mesh better with a POC, but whities, let’s see what you got. And gender, well, I’m pansexual. let’s move on. 

Education level: I’d prefer some form of college, or if you’re against traditional academic norms, I’d prefer some sort of indicator that you are not still in some adolescent phase of your life and know what you want to do and how to get there, or have gotten there already. Please. 

Character traits: nerdy. social justice. isn’t picky about food. musical. likes working out. doesn’t disregard sports as being too “mainstream.” Actually, doesn’t disregard anything just because it’s “mainstream.” Likes cuddling. Doesn’t like passive aggressive behavior (and isn’t passive aggressive). Chess people. Harry Potter people who are willing to admit it’s problematic.  Warehouse 13 people. Non-pretentious, but willing to accept that they probably can be or will be pretentious at some point in their life. I hate elitism. You really have to love reading. 

Physical traits: I don’t really want to close anything off right now because I’m not sure I like it till I see it.  You know? 

OK, so this is going to focus on the whole dynamic between the trad kids (traditionally biotic aka “living”) and DB (“differently biotic” aka “zombie”) kids in Generation Dead, the first book in the series by Daniel Waters. Mainly, the use of the word “zombie.”

OK, so on the word “zombie”:

Read More

So. Many. Feels. 

OK, so for those of you who don’t know, Generation Dead is a young adult fantasy series wherein modern American kids are suddenly rising from the dead (the PC term is differently biotic, “zombie” and other facetious terms like “corpsicle” and “wormburger” are used as slurs and considered offensive). Only teenagers rise from the dead, and nobody knows why. But there’s a lot of legal/social issues presented, mainly in the form of “dead people don’t have any legal rights because they are dead” and also “the living feel that the dead are religiously evil and much discrimination stems from that.”

In a way, it’s very much a metaphor for race/queer sexuality in Modern America. I would say an amalgamation of the two, mainly because 

a) the differently biotic are generally identified by looks/actions/physical appearance.  There is one character (whom I love because of her complexity) that “passes” as traditionally biotic, that is to say, living. There’s a lot entrenched in the wish to be treated as “normal” and to appear living. That’s very much a race-esque issue

b) but at the same time, the whole “religiousity” thing is very much like the whole “gays are causing the wrath of God,” westboro baptist church bullshit. I think Daniel Waters did that because it seems like a probable reaction and also because kids today (at least, white kids) identify more with the gay rights movement, versus the civil rights movement. Oh sigh. 

That being said, I have so much analysis for these books and I’m thinking about writing a series of essays on them but also I have no idea how many people have actually read these books or who would be interested on my commentary on zombies, race, sexuality (oh the sexuality!) and young adult fiction.

Basically, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY INTEREST AT ALL? 

Oh fuck it. I’m probably going to do it anyways. 

undeadsidhe-inthetardis:

iaquariuschicken:

lightspeedsound:

busy re-reading the Circle of Magic books/Circle Opens/Circle Reforged by Tamora Pierce

and I’m thinking like

Damn

Tamora Pierce totes went out of her way to make every character a Person of Color, or non-normative in some way

Like Rosethorn is white (and, btw, LARK IS NOT WHITE W00T QUEER WOMAN OF COLOR) but she’s totes a lesbian (IT’S CANON NOW) with Lark

And like Tris is fat. Repeatedly, they make a mention of her fatness. How cool is that? She’s this crazy powerful witch and yes, she is the mouthpiece of all that is privileged and bigoted (she’s the one who says “fuck poor people” in the second book) and SHE GETS CALLED OUT ON HER PRIVILEGE (legit, go LARK). So basically it’s acknowledged that she’s privileged (same with Sandry) and then when they get called out on it, they don’t just react badly, they’re like “fuck I am an idiot” and they GET BETTER.

So like 

Damn, Tamora Pierce

like, one in the eye for all those whiny white bitches who are like, “I CAN’T WRITE PEOPLE OF COLOR INTO MY FANTASY UNIVERSE THEY DON’T FIT AND IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE AND MAGIC IS FOR WHITES ONLY AND LIKE I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT PEOPLE OF COLOR ANYWAYS”

like fuck that

Tamora Pierce makes all of y’all look like shit 

Reasons why Tamora Pierce is my favorite author.

Yep yep yep.  She’s also all about women with fully-formed personalities who are strong female characters even when they’re vulnerable.  

She also has genderqueer/trans* PoC (I think they’re PoC?) characters in her Beka Cooper duology.  And not only is there representation, but there is an exploration of social norms.  I think there’s also how to, if memory serves, respect and listen to trans* people, respect their preferred pronouns, and how to not erase their dialogue from humanity — and also why words like “masculine” and “feminine” are cultural constructs.  

YES

Okha, the transperson in question, is actually Carthaki (meaning Egyptian). So definitely a queer person of color.

Okha also is a performer and goes by the name “Amber Orchid” and that seems to be almost an alter-ego, but a preferred alter-ego. 

There’s a bit of a problematic “wrong body” narrative in her explanation (something about “The Trickster tapped me in the womb and put me in the body of a man, instead of a lovely woman”) but other than that, the idea is “respect this person as a person, not as whatever society thinks that person should be” and EVERYONE loves Amber as a performer. People are in love with her. 

She lives with a gay man. They’re lovers. It’s a very complex queer narrative. 

badparsi:

iaquariuschicken:

lightspeedsound:

busy re-reading the Circle of Magic books/Circle Opens/Circle Reforged by Tamora Pierce

and I’m thinking like

Damn

Tamora Pierce totes went out of her way to make every character a Person of Color, or non-normative in some way

Like Rosethorn is white (and, btw, LARK IS NOT WHITE W00T QUEER WOMAN OF COLOR) but she’s totes a lesbian (IT’S CANON NOW) with Lark

And like Tris is fat. Repeatedly, they make a mention of her fatness. How cool is that? She’s this crazy powerful witch and yes, she is the mouthpiece of all that is privileged and bigoted (she’s the one who says “fuck poor people” in the second book) and SHE GETS CALLED OUT ON HER PRIVILEGE (legit, go LARK). So basically it’s acknowledged that she’s privileged (same with Sandry) and then when they get called out on it, they don’t just react badly, they’re like “fuck I am an idiot” and they GET BETTER.

So like 

Damn, Tamora Pierce

like, one in the eye for all those whiny white bitches who are like, “I CAN’T WRITE PEOPLE OF COLOR INTO MY FANTASY UNIVERSE THEY DON’T FIT AND IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE AND MAGIC IS FOR WHITES ONLY AND LIKE I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT PEOPLE OF COLOR ANYWAYS”

like fuck that

Tamora Pierce makes all of y’all look like shit 

Reasons why Tamora Pierce is my favorite author.

it was a legit great moment when I reread the circle books and realized that MORE THAN HALF of the characters were poc. Like background characters, side characters, the whole bunch.

Also, I love the last book (Will of the Empress) and how Sandry gets called out on her classism, and that Tris gets called out on the same shit, and that no one gets their one true love, and…ugh I just love that series so much.

I seriously cannot wait for that book that finally tells what happened in Yanjing with Briar and Evvy. It’s slated for 2013!

But seriouslyyyyy like almost EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER. I was reading it and I was like “holy fuck, Tammy Pierce, I love you so much!” 

And her notes at the end of Street Magic, where she was talking about how “educational” her experience was, when she literally went to the public defender’s and social worker’s school to research gang violence

like omg 

tamora pierce

<3

zombee replied to your post: busy re-reading the Circle of Magic books/Circle…

oh my god. Tamora Pierce is my SHIIIIITTTTT. Have you read the tortall books? truly, I prefer them 100x to the circle books, although I love them best.

I have read the Tortall books. I’ve read basically everything she’s written.

I really love the Tortall universe, but the Circle of Magic universe, upon re-reading, is way more queer/POC friendly. 

The Tortall books are super privileged, because for the most part (Beka Cooper not included, obv.) they’re about really rich nobility that is generally presented as white. I mean, Queen Thayet is not white, but generally, all the nobility is. Alanna is. Actually, the Alanna books, when compared to her later writing, sort of suck. Like god, I can’t even get through the first books sometimes, because they read like fanfiction. Tammy’s writing definitely got way better with Keladry and Daine. (PS: I am in love with Daine and am so glad that Daine/Numair is totes canon). 

I do like the idea of the Bazhir, but I’m super uncomfortable with Jonathan being this huge leader and uniting the peoples whatsit. Like…in a way, the Bazhir give up a bit of their identity. They become assimilated. I think in Tammy’s later writing, she’s way more able to work with POC culture (she made some comment a while back about how she wanted to totally do more with queer/poc characters but just couldn’t due to the climate of young adult publishing at the time. Bazinga! to everyone else who says “but we can’t do that now!” Fuck you, Tammy Pierce did and does it) but like…I think it would have been awesome if there was a Bazhir leading Tortall. A Bazhir King of Tortall, not a Tortallan Voice of the Tribes whatsit.

I will say that I do love Keladry of Mindelan, but I am a leeeetle leery of her attitude towards Yamani culture. Seems a bit too ex-pat for me, sometimes. The whole “I am a stone, I am really Yamani” thing sort of irks me sometimes.  You’re white, girl, get with it. She’s a cool bridge, but again, she’s white. I want to hear more about Cricket and Neil. Like their daughter, with those hints at the end of Lady Knight? FUCK YEAH BITCHES BRING IT ON WITH THE HALF YAMANI TORTALLAN LADY KNIGHT. 

So…yeah. Circle of Magic books: way more POC friendly (seriously, I was paying attention to race this time around, and literally almost every character is a POC.  Briar, Lark, Daja, and Sandry, are all of mixed/POC heritage.  Emelan is supposed to be Turkey, so yes, Duke Vedris wouldn’t be White. It also explains why they eat things like couscous and hummus in the books). Rosethorn is queer. Dedicate Crane is privileged and Tammy made sure everyone knew about that.  Evvy is also not white, and she was poor.  Frostpine is Black, and mentions it fairly regularly.  Practically every other character is “brown skin” or “dark brown skin and eyes” or “Yanjingyi bronze skin” or “mix of eastern and western tones.” It’s awesome. 

But in Tortall it’s all like “oh, magic, oh, feminism, yay, sort of, but only for really rich white women.” It’s boring. 

So…yeah. Used to like Tortall a lot more. Definitely changed my mind now.