Just so thoughts

andigreyscale: zapurr: theycallmejbry: otoyaismyderplover: ro...

Sun, 12 Aug 2012 12:41:54 -0400

zapurr:

theycallmejbry:

otoyaismyderplover:

ronweasley:

twinamericas:

221cbakerstreet:

aphotovici:

lil-banshee:

gaylienz:

eviljohnlock-shipper:

seaghdhasuil:

No, it’s fine. I didn’t need my heart.

Are we crying about a doodle of dinosaurs?

Yes

Welcome to Tumblr

Oh god it hurts why would you ever

The meteor was coming.

Oh, God, it was coming and she didn’t know what to do. Her son, her beautiful little son, pressed close to her side, craning his neck to look up at his Mother.

“Mummy, why is everyone moving? There’s plenty of food here.” He asked in his sweet, innocent voice.

“Because, my sweet, sometimes it is best that we move on. It is our way.” She replied, forcing the words past the lump in her throat.

“Oh,” Her son said, turning his gaze to the fiery rock in the sky that would spell their deaths out for them, “the old Triceratops told me it was cuzza that rock. He said the rock could hurt us real bad.” He continued, not understanding what he meant by those words in his innocence.

“Triceratops is being silly, he just wanted to tease you one more time before he left.” She lied, choking on her tears. Oh, God, he son, her lovely son, was going to die not understanding.

“Oh.”

She turned her face to the meteor- it was close now. It wouldn’t be long. Swinging her head around, she dropped her face to her sons and nuzzled him one last time. “Let’s play a game, yes? And then we’ll go join the others.” She suggested.

“Okay! What game shall we play, Mummy?”

“Let’s play pretend. We will imagine the sort of place we would like to move to, and when we open our eyes, that’s where we shall be.”

“How do we play?”

One last look at the meteor- it was almost time.

“Close your eyes and imagine the place, and count to thirty out loud. Just like when we play Hide-and-Seek.” She curled herself around her son, both of them now laid on the beach.

“Ok, Mummy. 1, 2, 3, 4…”

She watched the meteor approach with sad eyes, and just before it hit land she turned her head, laying it and her neck over her son and bracing herself.

Her son had not yet said 30, but it was over.

what the fuck is wrong with you

NO

OMG WHAT NO.

THAT’S OK! I HAD NO NEED FOR MY FEELINGS ANYWAY

Damn it Tumblr, stop that.

Hey tumblr. Here's what's not cool.

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 23:13:05 -0400

themindislimitless:

It’s not cool to send people anon messages trying to figure out where they live. It’s not cool to stalk people’s blogs over it either. It’s not cool trying to figure out if you know someone if they’ve asked you to leave them alone or come off anon. It’s particularly not cool if that blogger writes a lot about their sexual assault and things like that and you creeping could endanger them.

This is not about my blog, it’s about someone else’s. And she’s freaking out. And seriously, what you’re doing isn’t ethical at all.

See these images?

Sun, 15 Jul 2012 16:05:30 -0400

pbnpineapples:

themindislimitless:

Both of these images are false.

The first one is an edited image from an article from 2004: 80 Thai Muslims suffocate after arrest at protest. It has nothing to do with Burmese soldiers but Thai soldiers, and it was not a deliberate massacre. Those people died because they were weak from lack of food combined with the suffocation caused of being held together in a tiny area.

The second image is of Buddhist monks cremating China’s earthquake victims from 2010. And Buddhist monks are very unlikely to kill people- any people- at all, because of their beliefs- spreading lies about them like this is a complete disrespect of what they believe in.

Not only are those images and others like them a disrespect of what the Burmese people suffer from, they are nothing but misinformation and lies that complicate matters further and thus only hurt people. It is true that the Burmese government enforces the persecution of Muslims in Burma, but not like this. Spreading lies does not help the cause. Misinformation is not helping.

If you’re so concerned about what’s happening in Burma, then actually educate yourself about the issue instead of spreading lies.

i m just gonna keep reblogging this until ppl understand not to circulate around fake pictures. it would mean a lot if my followers did the same but no one is obligated to.

About This Blog: Dear Everyone

Sun, 08 Jul 2012 15:55:12 -0400

This blog is going through some changes so I thought I’d put post this up here

How to Be a Friend to Trans People

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 01:03:07 -0400

kiriamaya:

This goes out to all the cis people who, it’s quite obvious, want to help and befriend trans people, but who keep alienating and angering us instead. I’ve seen the befuddled looks on your faces when this happens, and I thought I’d try to clear a few things up for you. Let’s look at some common scenarios in which well-meaning cis people screw up with the whole pro-trans thing, and look at how some of these could go differently:

—

Scenario: You see someone whose gender you can’t determine just by looking at them. You want to make sure that you’re respectful of their identity.

Wrong Way to Ask: “Are you a man or a woman?”
Phrasing it this way will put the trans person on the defensive, and make them feel like you’re questioning and possibly even attacking their gender. It can also make them feel highly insecure about their gender presentation.

Right Way to Ask: “What pronouns do you prefer?”
This phrasing makes it clear that you intend to respect the person’s gender identity, regardless of what they look like. It shows an acknowledgment that the onus of respect is on you, and not their presentation or “passability”.

—

Scenario: You have just made an insensitive joke about trans people in the presence of your trans friend. You didn’t mean to hurt them, and you weren’t even thinking about them when you made the joke, but now the relationship is strained and you want to try to repair it.

Wrong Thing to Say: “Come on; it was just a joke! Lighten up!”
This tells your friend that you don’t take their pain seriously, and that you don’t think they should take it seriously either. It sends a message that trans lives and trans experiences matter less than your feelings of guilt and unease at being called out.

Right Thing to Say: “That was really thoughtless of me. I’ll try not to do it again.”
Nine times out of ten, your friend will know you didn’t mean to hurt them. Most people don’t. But they need you to understand that you have hurt them. They need you to know this, not so you can stew in guilt, but so all involved can heal and move on.

—

Scenario: Your trans friend doesn’t “pass”. You think you can see what they’re doing wrong, and you want to help.

Wrong Thing to Do: List off all the things they’re doing “wrong”, and tell them how to fix them.
Trans people’s self-esteem is rocky enough as it is. By focusing on all the ways in which they look different from cis people, you are not only causing anxiety and dysphoria for the trans person, but also reinforcing the idea that trans people are “lesser” or “fake”. Besides, your friend may not even see “passing” as a desirable goal, in which case you are getting up in their face for no reason at all.

Right Thing to Do: Mind your own damn business.
If your friend wants you to help with their image, they will ask you. Regardless, respect their gender identity unconditionally.

—

Scenario: You’ve messed up a trans person’s name/pronouns. You didn’t mean to, but you can see the anguish on their face, and you want to make things right.

Wrong Thing to Say: “I’m sorry; it’s just that you’re still [previous name] to me!”
Of all the things you could possibly say to a trans person, this is among the most hurtful. It’s one thing to struggle to accept someone’s identity; it’s quite another to impose the wrong identity on that person in order to excuse your difficulty.

Right Thing to Say: “I’m sorry. I’ll keep trying.”
Everyone makes mistakes, and everyone has difficulty adapting to a major change in another person. What’s important is that you try, and that you correct yourself when you mess up. That’s all anyone can reasonably ask; at the same time, it’s the least you can do.

—

Scenario: You’re framing a health issue in terms of a specific gender (e.g., framing menstruation in terms of women), and a trans person points out that it isn’t necessarily unique to that gender and/or that they’re being left out of the discussion by your framing.

Wrong Response: “Well, BIOLOGICALLY speaking, it really does only affect [gender].”
Framing gender solely in terms of biology is always hurtful to trans people, no matter what the context. It’s even more hurtful when people who are strongly affected by an issue are deliberately erased in discussions of it.

Right Response: “Good point. I’ll try to remember it.”
We’re all soaking in narratives that mash all the complexities of gender into two discrete categories, so it’s understandable that you’d initially think in those terms as well. But expanding your mind is never a bad thing, especially when it means including people who need/deserve to be included.

—

Scenario: You’ve known your trans friend/relative by one gender all your life, and now, all of a sudden, they’re asking you to call them by a different name and pronouns. This comes as a shock, and you feel like you don’t know them anymore; you feel like they’ve died and some new person has taken their place. Yet you want to stay in relationship with them, somehow.

Wrong Thing to Do: Categorically refuse to respect their request, insisting that it’s too difficult and hurtful for you.
Your trans friend/relative has taken a great risk by revealing their identity to you, and they’ve done so because they want and need to stay in relationship with you. For you to refuse to accept them, for you to prioritize your (relatively smaller) pain over theirs, is terribly cruel. Your pain is absolutely valid, but this is not the way to handle it.

Right Thing to Do: Work out your grief issues with a counselor and/or with cis friends, away from your friend/relative.
The person you thought existed is gone, most likely forever. This is going to be very tough for you to deal with, and you absolutely do need to deal with it. But the person who does exist, the person you’ve loved, will need your continuing love and support — and that person is not responsible for your healing. Do whatever you need to do to get to a place where you can relate to them respectfully and lovingly, and do it without placing additional burdens on them.

—

In short: respect us; care about us; treat us as equals; be willing to learn; be willing to grow. Once you get the hang of it, it’s really not as hard as it seems.

HEY STOP RIGHT THERE [Urgent Request; trigger warnings]

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:27:43 -0400

anedumacation:

thelittlekneesofbees:

spontaneousthings:

Okay, guys, here’s the situation. thelittlekneesofbees is having a hell of a time right now after coming out to their family. Their home situation has gotten to toxic levels and they are literally having to live a lie to make sure their parents don’t kick them out. They need to move out, ASAP, but are lacking the funds. You can read about their situation here [[WARNING: triggers for religious abuse, homophobia and probably related others I missed.]]

I’m not a great artist, but I wanted to do what I could to help them. I understand their situation, and I know others out there know it even more-so. No one should have to live in fear of their parents, their parents’ ideology, or their bigotry. thelittlekneesofbees is asking for any kind of donation, but as of right now, they’re running out of time.

SO. I’m offering my services as an artist. I’m not amazing, but if you’d like, I’ll digitally paint a bust of you, or another character/person of your choice, for a $5 donation that will go straight to thelittlekneesofbees.

Here’s some quick samples of my artwork (my DA is here with fancier pieces):

Here’s how you do it:
1. Message me with your art request. Give me details about what you’d like/send me a picture of you/of whomever else you’d want me to draw. I’m not good with drawing animals, so no anthro unfortunately. ):
2. Send $5 to thelittlekneesofbee’s paypal donation address at racheljdonat@gmail.com or by going here directly. Once they’ve sent me a message about receiving the donation or you send me a screenshot of the paypal checkout screen/the confirmation email (whatever’s easier), I’ll carry on with your art piece.
3. Once it’s been confirmed, and I’ve finished the piece, I’ll send you a screenshot to make sure it’s what you want. :) If it is, I’ll send you the full resolution finished picture!
4. Congrats, you’re awesome!

PLEASE consider donating. I know what it’s like to have a parent force their ideology on you and basically dehumanize you because of your sexuality/faith/etc. It’s barbaric, and if you can help thelittlekneesofbees, I cannot thank you enough on their behalf. Even if you can’t afford it, please signal boost this post!!!! If you can afford less than $5, simply donate it when you can.

ALSO: If you are able to help by offering your own artistic talents in any way to help bring in more donations, PLEASE contact thelittlebeesofknees with the offer to help. Every bit counts!

Thank you!!

Why are you so beautiful to me?

YESSSS GUYS THIS IS AWESOME

Okay Fine. Before Grey Out Happens, Let’s Do This:

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 01:35:54 -0400

ladyatheist:

racismschool:

I received a message from someone stating that they were going to work to make sure Project Offspring never happens. They said that not including bigots in the inclusive community was a racist act. Okay, no they didn’t word it that way. They said QUOTE “Someone being racist towards people doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be included. You’re the one who’s racist.” «No joke.

This person went on to say that they would QUOTE “Make stuff up if they had to” in order to make sure it never happened. They stated that I was the QUOTE “True racist” for saying that white people couldn’t use a racist word. (Not going to put the full quote here because…yes, it was as bad as you’d imagine)

I intended to ignore this message. I left Tumblr but couldn’t stop thinking about it. So instead, I decided to put them on blast. Here’s the best part, the page that they sent it from has disappeared. It’s like a damn theme today. Interesting, huh?

Instead of going on about how this is the VERY reason that Project Offspring is needed, I am going to say…

On this North American Independence Day, use your dollars wisely. Donate one dollar to Project Offspring.

I have been a strong advocate of the “One dollar is enough if we all do it” theory but this crap, especially the “Make stuff up if I have to” part has sent me reeling.

To the person who sent the message: I am going to take a wild guess and say that you are probably “Hate following” me. That’s cool. Know this, you should have just left it alone. This crap has made me want to see this project through even more. YOU are the reason this is not only needed but GOING to happen. Thanks for the extra motivation.

This is a prime example of the lengths people will go to stalk and harass us. Even when we try to create safe spaces where we don’t have to interact with these people, they try to stop us. They’re constantly shouting “if you don’t like what I say block me,” and yet they’re constantly pursuing and harassing us no matter where we go.

rubato: look. it’s okay to appreciate another culture....

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 13:38:13 -0400

rubato:

look. it’s okay to appreciate another culture.

really.

I have dozens and dozens of non-chinese friends who, for whatever reason, decided to learn mandarin chinese. (which is fantastic—multilingualism is wonderful.) and through learning mandarin, many of these friends learn about various aspects of chinese cultures, and they’re now totally in love with china and have a really deep appreciation for everything chinese.

and I am cool with that.

a lot of them would love to live in china. a lot of them wish they’d grown up in and with chinese culture.

but.

they know that they’re always going to be laowai (foreigners, others), and that they can’t change that.

the thing about ~*transethnicity*~ though? well, there are multiple things about it:

(1) it essentializes and homogenizes races, ethnicities, and cultures. (link contains gifs)

(2) it trivializes the struggles that many peoples go through to claim their heritage. people are persecuted for their heritage. people die to claim their culture. these are ongoing struggles.

(3) it does not erase the presence of white privilege. I am aware that there may be transethnics that are not white. but many of them are white, and they still have white privilege. they will still go through society benefiting from the system that privileges them and rewards them for their existence. the system of racism does not oppress them as it does people of color. white people may scream all they want about how they’re really Black on the inside, but that won’t change their skin color, and they will still receive the benefits of white privilege.

(4) and furthermore, physical designation of race and ethnicity is all very much arbitrary and constructed. that is to say, people who are of a certain race or ethnicity have a vast spectrum of physical appearances. there are very light Black people, very dark Black people, and every shade in between. there are chinese people with straight hair; there are chinese people with wavy hair. there is no one way to look a certain race or ethnicity, and yet transethnics very often stereotype these physical appearances into one model that very frequently is the dominant fetishized model of a certain race/ethnicity (dainty Asian women, strong Black men, etc. etc. etc.)—and I don’t think that that’s a coincidence. it’s a form of incognito racism.

(5) transethnicity appropriates from the trans* community as well. violence and discrimination against trans* people, especially trans* people of color, are on the rise: trans* people are murdered for simply existing. trans* people struggle for access to basic human necessities such as healthcare and housing, and it is still very much legal in too many places to fire someone from their job for being trans*. and this discrimination, this oppression, is systematic and normalized. transethnics do not face this kind of oppression. maybe there’s some prejudice and discrimination on an individual level, but on a societal, institutional level? nope.

(6) marginalization based on race and marginalization based on gender are not the same. they are two struggles that often intersect, that may have similarities, but they are not parallel. my experience as a cis chinese-american does not in any way qualify me to talk about marginalization based on gender. being trans* does not qualify a white person to talk about racism. etc. etc. etc. being “transethnic” is not parallel to being transgender.

(7) there is also the question of transracial/transethnic adoption, which is a whole different set of struggles, and I don’t really know enough about it to say anything on that topic.

mostly, for me, the reason why transethnicity pisses me off the way it does boils down to this: people of color in a white-dominant society have essentially been forced into “transethnicity” for as long as the system of racial oppression has existed. that is, people of color who talk white, dress white, act white, think white, step all over their fellow people of color as an act of buying into white supremacy, are rewarded and allowed to advance in white-dominant racist societies.

we’ve been forced to assimilate. we’ve had our cultures and heritages stripped from us. we’re forcibly whitewashed. we struggle to reclaim our heritages and histories. these struggles are deep collective wounds that span generations, and we’re shown signs every day that these struggles are in no way ending.

and ~*transethnics*~ want me to respect their identity? while denying me the autonomy of defining my own damn heritage?

no. just no.

here’s some more eloquently worded anger. (contains gifs)

I’m gonna return to my regularly scheduled fandom blogging. I’ve spent far too much time on this topic.

"Water does not resist. Water flows. When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress...."

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 17:21:09 -0400

“Water does not resist. Water flows. When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress. Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop you. But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it. Water is patient. Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember that, my child. Remember you are half water. If you can’t go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does.”

- Margaret Atwood, The Penelopiad (via delucazade)

mehreenkasana: This drone was brought to you by a Nobel Peace Laureate.

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 16:55:05 -0400

mehreenkasana:

This drone was brought to you by a Nobel Peace Laureate.

"I can simultaneously be angry with white supremacy and love white people. I can be in love with a..."

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 16:28:17 -0400

“

I can simultaneously be angry with white supremacy and love white people. I can be in love with a white woman and hate her ignorance at her own white privilege. I can get so frustrated with racism that I barely want to be around any white people, and I can share that with my white friends over a few drinks.

You might think that’s confusing. You might even call it hypocrisy. I call it being a person of color.

”

- thisiswhiteprivilege (via peanuuutmilk)

"You don’t get to choose how you are going to die. Or when. You can only decide how you are going to..."

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 15:57:15 -0400

“You don’t get to choose how you are going to die. Or when. You can only decide how you are going to live. Now.”

- Joan Baez (via myquotelibrary)

pro-choiceproblems: Submitted by bubbl3-b4th.

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 15:26:38 -0400

pro-choiceproblems:

Submitted by bubbl3-b4th.

carlous12: Love can be express in many ways, and can be presented in many form, but Love has never...

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 15:01:02 -0400

carlous12:

Love can be express in many ways, and can be presented in many form, but Love has never been so beautiful ever since he took the shape of your smile and the exclusiveness of your name

"The American idea of racial progress is measured by how fast I become white."

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 14:30:19 -0400

“The American idea of racial progress is measured by how fast I become white.”

- James Baldwin, “On Language, Race, and the Black Writer” (via ethiopienne)

whatwhiteswillneverknow: lv5holy: I’m making a screenshot of...

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 13:58:30 -0400

whatwhiteswillneverknow:

lv5holy:

I’m making a screenshot of the founder and CEO of tumblr, David Karp’s, post, including the web address, rebloggable in case it gets deleted.

Here is a screenshot of the dashboard post.

For anyone that doesn’t know why this is a problem, I invite you to read the below links written by racismschool.

The N-Word and You

Using the N-Word Because a Black Person Did

The Flaws with the Dictionary Definition of the N-Word

You know, after reading the community guidelines of Tumblr, this shouldn’t be a surprise.

anchoring the vagabond.

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 13:32:18 -0400

ambiguous-transparency:

I smile like dead cities sometimes, the ones
that have lights crawling along the skylines
like centipedes with dim legs but you should
know, you’ve seen me hide in the morning fog.

(He used to find himself along the curvatures
of my chapped lips, he told me he liked my raspy
voice blown out of my throat because it made my
smile look more beautifully familiar.)

I always laugh like taxis stuck in downtown traffic,
the ones the tourists always confuse for welcoming
store lights on stormy, dark days; I was meant to
be gone with haste but instead I sit, inviting strangers
into my prison with skull for walls and my impatient,
lukewarm laughter innocently seduces your heart wet
from the dismal rain. You really don’t know this, do you?

(He used to turn his head when I laughed because my
voice reminded him of a beauty he could never achieve,
and I always believed him because he was the one who
told me I have broken constellations for neurotransmitters
but his love for incomplete souls was real, he said.)

But you tell me my wandering days are what makes me
shine like raindrops with the sun rays caught in their bodies -
you tell me I am a pioneer with a goal, with a hint of ambiguous
transparency and for all the seconds unspent, I will believe you.

My life in the dark

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 13:07:01 -0400

carlous12:

We all have something in common and that is life. We do things through it that defines us good or evil. We lives as much as we can according to our personality. Still, i want to ask you is that the way you wish you have lived your life? What do you think of your life? Take a little moment and think through it from the beginning to where you are. Well this is a story of My Life when the electricity bill is not paid.

My life, what can I say about my life. Based on your perception, i can say my life is what you wish you would never have to go through.
My life is what nowadays they called depression
I walked around with my head high as it can be; dragging behind me a life of sadness and frustration.
I act as if i am happy about what is going on in my life.
I talk as if i lived what you lived or feel what you feel, when deep inside i am carrying my own cross.
I eat as if it makes me happy but pain is what is being afflicted in my body
When i move i feel rusty, i feel chained to the bottom of sadness; the light is fading little by little
Every second that passes in my life
When i nourish my flesh, the food is to gnaw my inner being.
When it landed there is no satisfaction, my hunger keep on roaring for me, my anger is raging increasing my loathe for mankind
My life as today will never change because you do not change
Nothing changes in this world. All that happen is that everything is re-introduce in another shape and persecute as harder than ever.
You may get lost through my words but it will come down to this; My Life is the opposite of yours.

"Because when Kony 2012 came out, that was a big deal. But when Inuit children are starving because..."

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 12:37:14 -0400

“Because when Kony 2012 came out, that was a big deal. But when Inuit children are starving because white people took over their country in epic acts of colonialism and to fix the problem white people might have to acknowledge their privilege to find a solution; well then no one wants to get their hands dirty.”

- littleojibwe throwing down some hard truths.

(via marrymejasonsegel)

Yep.

(via mehreenkasana)

1112.

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 12:05:37 -0400

girlbrokendown:

“I used to work in a place like this” she said as we both watched the staff scurry between the office and the outside, swiping cards for freedom’s pass into the other realm, the one that would never quite feel like home again as she told me that it could happen to anyone “I used to work in a place like this” while they told us no and where we couldn’t go because it wasn’t time, everything was timed, allocated on printed out itineraries to keep us occupied so they didn’t have to but “I used to work in a place like this” made me wonder just what separated us from them and which one in years to come would sit next to a new young thing with their voice curbed by being shut in saying “I used to work in a place like this” in disbelief that the line between us had ever been that thin.