Yes I’m A Gay Man. Yes I Have No Interior Design Sense. Yes We Exist.

Your friendly Black History Month reminder that Black Jews are JEWS.

Born Jews, Jews by choice, Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Ashkenazic, Sephardic, Mizrahi, Israeli, diaspora…they are an integral part of all of our communities and I will fight anyone who says otherwise.

We still have work to do as a community to uplift Jewish POC, particularly Black Jews, but to my Black Jewish friends out there know that I see you and I will keep trying to do the work.

Happy Black History Month. ❤️

embroidery from peacockandpinecones my friends and I have been losing our minds over all morning.

Lucy’s Letter in the Typed Manuscript

Lucy’s initial letter contained a lot of content in the typed manuscript Stoker initially submitted to Constable that didn’t make it to the published novel. For the benefit of all the cool people following me who don’t have a New Annotated Dracula, I thought I’d post a copy of the letter with the excised bits reinserted today (shown in bold).

——————

My dearest Mina, I must say you tax me very unfairly with being a bad correspondent. I wrote you twice since we parted, and your last letter was only your second. Besides, I have nothing to tell you. There is really nothing to interest you. Town is very pleasant just now, and we go a great deal to picture-galleries and for walks and rides in the park.  As to the tall, curly-haired man, I suppose it was the one who was with me at the last Pop. Kate Lee has evidently been telling tales. I shall have my eye on that young lynx for the future, so tell her to be very discreet and give her a kiss for me.

That was Mr. Holmwood. He often comes to see us, and he and Mamma get on very well together, they have so many things to talk about in common. I almost envy mother sometimes for her knowledge when she can talk to people whilst I have to sit by like a dumb animal and smile a stereotyped smile smile till I find myself blushing at being an incarnate lie. And it is so silly and childish to blush without reason to.

We met some time ago a man that would just do for you, if you were not already engaged to Jonathan. He is an excellent parti, being handsome, well off, and of good birth. He is a doctor  and really clever. Just fancy! He is only nine-and-twenty, and he has an immense lunatic asylum all under his own care. Mr. Holmwood introduced him to me, and he called here to see us, and often comes now. I think he is one of the most resolute men I ever saw, and yet the most calm. He seems absolutely imperturbable. I can fancy what a wonderful power he must have over his patients. He has a curious habit of looking one straight in the face, as if trying to read one’s thoughts. He tries this on very much with me, but I flatter myself he has got a tough nut to crack. I know that from my glass. Do you ever try to read your own face? I do, and I can tell you it is not a bad study, and gives you more trouble than you can well fancy if you have never tried it. He says that I afford him a curious psychological study, and I humbly think I do. I enclose a circular for Madame as you wish. I do not, as you know, take sufficient interest in dress to be able to describe the new fashions. Dress is a bore. That is slang again, but never mind. Arthur says that every day. There, it is all out, Mina, we have told all our secrets to each other since we were children. We have slept together and eaten together, and laughed and cried together, and now, though I have spoken, I would like to speak more. Oh, Mina, couldn’t you guess? I love him. I am blushing as I write, for although I think he loves me, he has not told me so in words. But, oh, Mina, I love him. I love him! There, that does me good. I wish I were with you, dear, sitting by the fire undressing, as we used to sit, and I would try to tell you what I feel. That is not love at all – no, nor the least like it. Love is a holy thing. I do not know how I am writing this even to you. I am afraid to stop, or I should tear up the letter, and I don’t want to stop, for I do so want to tell you all. Let me hear from you at once, and tell me all that you think about it. I wish you knew the tall straight-haired [sic] man – he is so noble and brave and good and tender and true – How the girls would laugh in school if they saw this letter. I must stop. I feel so happy that I could go on writing for ever – telling you my secret is just like telling Arthur I love him – only of course it is not quite the same. Mina, if a time should come when, –after he told me that he loved me of course– I should be able to whisper to him “Arthur, I love you!” Mina, I must stop. Good-night. Bless me in your prayers; and, Mina, pray for my happiness. Lucy P.S. – I need not tell you this is a secret. Goodnight again. L.

Some of you might remember a couple of years ago when Scarlett Johansson sued Disney because she was making significantly less money for Black Widow than was guaranteed in her contract because so many more people watched it on streaming than in theaters, how there was a massive misinformation campaign from Disney that a ton of people on this website (and Twitter and other social media) bought into: That she was a greedy bitch who didn't respect people who needed to stay at home during the pandemic (I believe the word "ableist" was thrown around with aplomb) as opposed to someone who just wanted to be paid what she was owed. What was literally in her contract!!! And where everyone who took more than a couple minutes to actually look into and think about the situation could figure out that her issue wasn't with streaming itself, but with how little streaming was allowed to get away with paying her and other actors. But of course, a lot of people just saw the chance to dunk on a rich woman, and didn't think about it beyond readying some snarky tags and hit reblog. And in doing so, threw their support behind a much wealthier, greedier studio head who is already using similar language to describe the current strike.

Anyway we're going to see a lot of that from studios now, especially now that actors have joined the WGA and it's easier to sell them as rich and greedy than writers, because of this cultural stereotype we have of all Hollywood actors as celebrities. Don't fall for it. SAG-AFTRA represents people like Tom Cruise and ScarJo but it also represents the kind of people who played a Borg in two episodes of Star Trek: Voyager in 1997 or who had one line in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as an enthusiastic audience member. Most actors are not crazy wealthy, and in fact, if you're a big TV fan (especially older TV and genre TV) that likely includes some actor names that you know, who played supporting roles in your fav shows, or who were even a star in something decades ago but haven't done anything major since. The AFTRA side also represents people like radio broadcasters. But even beside that, all workers deserve to be fairly compensated for the work they do, and the threat of replacing them with AI, or real actors being required to sign contracts to allow their likenesses to be used by AI forever without paying them, is an existential threat to acting as a profession in general. The actors are in the right. The writers are in the right. The studios are in the wrong. The studios have exploited new technology to get away with horrifying labor practices for years and their feet need to be put to the fire. Circulate the articles about how poorly the Orange is the New Black cast was compensated for making one of the defining shows of the early streaming boom, and of the studios saying they want to force writers to starve and lose their homes. Don't get distracted by propaganda aping progressive-sounding language about wealthy celebrities. Focus on the real enemy, the truly greedy fat cats who care more about money than people and art: the studios.

There is something you Disney gays need to understand.

The Walt Disney Corporation never has, and never will be, your friend or ally.

Disney is a multi billion dollar conglomerate.

Their one and only goal is to make more money than they did the previous year.

That is it.

They aren't trying to help you or your community.

Any politics they have either reflects the best way for them to make money or it was because someone put political pressure on them to do it. Or it is a publicity stunt.

"But what about creators like Dana Terrace? Or the history of queer people in animation?"

Listen to me. Artists like Dana and others do not work at The Rat because they want to.

They work there because Disney buys up every other little animation company there is and shuts it down, ensuring that any money being made from the medium is going to them.

DreamWorks and a tiny handful of others are the only ones left in western animation.

I am not kidding.

Blue Sky, who made Ice Age, was one of Disneys latest victims.

They shut down all production, even for things that were nearly complete, on all products that did not fit their brand.

Such as the movie adaption of Lumber Janes, a queer focused comic by ND Stevenson (creator of the She-Ra reboot).

As for the historical guys, such as Howard Ashman AKA the father of the Disney Renaissance, they may have worked there and done amazing things but it doesn't mean they were respected by the company.

Howard and his fellow gay artists were only allotted the creative freedom to work because at the time Disney was nearly penniless and this was a last ditch effort to save the company.

Gay artists may have risen Disney up, but it does not mean that the company cares for them or us.

In the eyes of these boardroom execs, the artists are tools needed to make a profit.

And gay consumers are the fools who will buy the rainbows-colored sweatshop produced products and call the company woke.

So. What can we do about this?

Rule #1: Avoid giving Disney money at all costs.

I know this is really hard because they own literally everything. But do your best.

This also includes any of their streaming services.

Buy used DVDs or just pirate.

And before anyone gets their panties in a wad about wanting support queer creators like Dana Terrace, let me remind you:

Creators and animators are paid a lump some regardless of if something does well or not.

All that revenue produced by things like Gravity Falls or Luca goes to the execs and stock holders, not the people responsible.

Rule #2- Support artists directly

If you like things like The Owl House and Dana Terrace's work, make a lot of noise about it on social media.

Buzz absolutely is a currency and the more that is generated, the more likely that these things will get renewed.

Rule #3- Support Unions

Unions are what keeps artists from being treated like slaves.

And any union (regardless of background or career) is a good union.

Rule #4- Do not fall for Disney's bullshit

No matter how progressive they may seem, there is always an ulterior motive and always a catch.

They are not our allies no matter what.

HEY THIS IS IMPORTANT whats your favorite place to find drawing references?

mutuals to be problematic queer representation with

TIL that the reason lead levels in children’s blood have dropped 85% in the past thirty years is because of an unknown scientist who fought car companies to end leaded gasoline. He also removed it from paint, suggested its removal from pipes, and campaigned for the removal of lead solder from cans.

via ift.tt

Queer fans shouldn't have to fight for every piece of media they love.

Attacka