marcy-s-land
he/they, aroace spec⋆⁺ ☾ ₊⋆
93 posts
Latest Posts by marcy-s-land
Like/reblog if you think that you don't need to medically transition to be transgender
Falsettos is my favorite musical and I've lost count of the times I've seen it, but for some reason it just hit me that when Marvin says "I left my kid, I left my wife, to be with you", it's a direct answer to Whizzer's "All your life you wanted men, and when you got it up to have them, who knew it would end your life?"
Because Whizzer is talking about AIDS. He's been an openly gay man for much longer, he's been with other men, and he knows how repressed Marvin was. So, he's commenting on how tragic it is that now that Marvin allowed himself to enjoy this, they'll both end up dead.
But Marvin knew he'd lose his life for this. He had a tight knit family, perfectly patriarchal, and he put it all on the line in the name of Whizzer's affections. And they're both stubborn and they're both drowning in toxic masculinity and so neither of them actually admitted this simple truth: Whizzer was afraid of loving Marvin because he thought all he wanted was sex.
It takes Whizzer's death for them to finally fix their greatest misunderstanding. Finally Whizzer says "I'm sorry it's over, now that you could have the sex you wanted", and Marvin replies "It wasn't the sex, it was you. I'd end my life again if it meant I could live with you. I did it before already".
And I'd like to believe that I'd do it again, and again, and again.
i genuinely hate how people have to sit and write a post that stands out while boosting a fundraiser because most people won't bat an eye at the misery and inhumane conditions Palestinians are living in.
i see people making art and telling others to use it because fundraisers with art are generally reblogged more often. i see people using colored text in order to make the post more eye catching.
palestinians on instagram are using popular audios and stitch trending reels at the beginning to make the world pay attention to them. imagine having to make something look entertaining in order to survive.
they are living under constant threat of israeli airstrikes, bombing, scarcity of food and disease. many have lost a lot in the past few months.
palestinians on tumblr are posting their pictures and the horrible conditions in which they are living. they travel long distances for internet connection only to be called a scammer by some privileged ass who cannot locate gaza on a map.
here are some verified gfms. please share the linked posts. it's the bare minimum we can do from the comforts of our home.
@amjadshiltawu: link to the post
vetted
@dima96yousef: link to the post
vetted
@tamer200333: link to the post
vetted
@ahmed8311: link to the post
vetted (#161)
@saratahrawi: link to the post
vetted
Me whenever I think about the missing piece in the falsettos block
please
That's not fair.
(If you want to see me vent I'm on tiktok, @cryingbard)
reblogging so my ass doesnt lose it when i need to write hobie
Part 3: How to write an MLE-based London accent authentically
Part 1: Who, What (London Accents) | Part 2: When, Where, Why (Black Londoner Culture since Windrush)
As I conclude this little guide, I'd like mention that my ask box and DMs are always open if anyone has further questions or anything 🤎
In this section, I'll go over some advice, the grammar and vocabulary and provide some suggestions for references.
Section A: Basic Tips
When to use slang
The concentration of slang is key to differentiating characters as well as writing an accent authentically. As an MLE-based speaker who is not actually a roadman (meaning a gangster, though many people misuse the term to refer to anyone who uses MLE, especially if they are working class), like most of us, Hobie does not utterly kill it with slang that would likely not be understandable to the people he’s with. There are a lot of phrases and idioms/metaphors that seem self-explanatory once you know what they mean or that seem similar to Americanisms (e.g. roadman = street/hood nigga), but of course, as someone who doesn’t use the terms, hearing it in passing, it probably wouldn’t be understandable, despite the speaker thinking it is.
Coming from a diverse place, often with immigrant parents who don’t even speak English as a first language, if fluently at all (not in the case of most black Caribbeans from former British colonies, but remember Asians and Africans are more plentiful here), trust me, we know what we sound like 😂! Most of us code-switch, as we learn standard English in school and, until more recently, where more people are 3rd gen+ immigrants as opposed to 2nd, we actually tend to pick up MLE slang from experiences outside the home as we grow up. At the same time, some people really don’t care at all and don’t change how they speak for anyone haha. I don’t recommend trying to write code-switching if you’re not extremely familiar with MLE because you’ll probably lose the flow and also, Hobie only eases up a little bit after his intro.
My point is though, that not every single sentence needs to have slang in it. Most should, but if you’re trying to be serious or sexy, for example, and you feel the need to tack on some slang just to convey Bri’ishness, even if it doesn’t really fit, don’t do it cause it’s no more authentic than just writing plain English in those scenarios.
When talking to people from his own dimension, however, slang it up if you’d like, because the expectation would be that a (working class or ethnic) Londoner would understand him.
For humour, mocking and teasing, we love to use slang because a lot of it is funny, even to us. Like I said, we know what we sound like. Those are the moments when more obscure slang (such as Cockney rhyming slang) might come out for comedic effect.
It’s good to have some balance, so not every word needs to be substituted. If you couldn’t read it without a fucking huge glossary, you’ve probably done a bit too much.
Writing the Accent
It’s good in moderation. ‘Luv’, ‘ain’t’, replacing the last g with an apostrophe in -ing words - you all have those things down, it works, good job.
HOWEVER, it is very clear that a lot of you have no clue what letters we do and don’t drop/change and in what words, as well as a lot of you going OT with removing the T’s from the middle of words. I know it kind of sounds like that to you but it reads like an over-exaggeration or mockery, particularly because most London accents, including Hobie’s, are much lighter in comparison to Brits from other areas, in which such omissions and alterations of letters would be somewhat appropriate but still, in moderation. I don’t recommend typing out the accent often, just sprinkle it around for a bit of flavour but don’t consistently write in that way because your writing loses legibility and it gets quite distracting.
Content
The stereotype of British people liking sarcasm is true for most and, in general, we like to have, what we call, ‘a bit of banter’. We’re a jokey people, even if those jokes can be a bit harsh or teasing. Confusingly, even if we are joking around, it doesn’t mean necessarily we’re being friendly, joking is just how we communicate (e.g. “Oh boy, humbling reality Spider-Man has arrived”, “What does that do?” “Apart from having a great name?”, “super humane and not creepy”, “this is a great look…”). I think most people have got this down really well, so keep it up guys 😎🤙
Another thing is cussing, swearing, profanity, whatever you wanna call it. We do it a lot for no reason, mainly spamming the word “fuck(ing)”. So have fun with that if you aren’t already.
We’ll get into it more in the terms of endearment section of Section B but, basically a lot of Londoners are typically not too mushy or affectionate, as is the stereotype for big city people and, additionally, British people in general aren’t the most direct in their words. Obviously, some people are but it’s not the culture if you’re trying to write proper ‘authentic’ haha. For a lot of us, saying sweet stuff can be quite laborious when sincere or cheesy or confrontational levels of direct really 😂 We ain’t the friendliest of types through our words so I'd recommend relying more on context for the sweet factor unless it's a stand-out moment.
Different parts of the UK, even within England itself, have different slang
Idk what else to say about this but yeah, there’s some phrases I’ve seen people use that have me scratching my head cause “nobody [from my area] says those words in that order” but I’m guessing it’s down to people incorporating slang which is more commonly heard up North because it’s all classed as British/U.K. slang when you look it up so, just be wary of that.
Section B: Grammar and Vocab (the thing you’ve been waiting for 😂)
I’ll link a document here so I don’t clog up your dash more than I already have. Feel free to bookmark it or anything, I’ll update it if needed. The contents are links to the relevant section so you can just click those if you’re not trying to read the whole thing.
I only included some highlights of the things that are easy enough to explain just by writing them out with their meanings but it’s by no means an extensive list. I’ve studied a few languages but I’m not a linguist so I just did my best.
If you want to go more heavy with the Cockney slang, I’ll leave it to someone who’s more familiar with it (or not… lol) to explain those terms and when to use them properly.
Section C: References
Of course, it’s all good and all that I’ve given you instructions but to make it sound natural, you’d need a point of reference. Here are some references of black North West Londoners from the early 80s, black East Londoners, black Londoners more generally and a Daniel Kaluuya interview so you can get a better feel of how we sound:
Clip from ‘No Problem’, the first Black British Sitcom
The accents within this one group of siblings is very varied and none of them use MLE, as per the time period. The two younger sisters have accents most similar to Hobie’s. The show follows a group of siblings of Jamaican descent living in a council house in North West London, first released in 1983.
Clips from ‘Chewing Gum’ by Michaela Coel [CW: they're awkwardly talking about sex in a lot of the clips + don't listen to Candice's boyfriend, Aaron, he's not from London lol]
The show takes place in Tower Hamlets, which is in East London and was first released in 2015. Tracy has a similar accent to Hobie and also uses a mix of more general/Cockney-influenced slang and MLE, so this one should both be a fun watch and be useful, you’ll also want to pay attention to Candice who has a more MLE lean to her speech.
Clips from the Foot Asylum crew most of them are MLE speakers, see some examples of our banter with friends lol
Clips from ‘Top Boy’
Another show that takes place in East London, this time in Hackney, which is an area known for being kind of rough in terms of gang activity. Almost all the characters speak exclusively MLE in this show. If you want to watch it, TW for violence and gang activity, death, etc. (18+). You can tell based on the ones I’ve chosen that Sully’s my favourite character lmao.
Fun fact, as you might hear the character, Dushane, reference, Sully lives on a canal boat for a while as a form of refuge. I know a bit about boat dwellers in London from a lecture at uni but if anyone wants me to do more research and do a post and explain the waterways and stuff, again, feel free to drop an ask and I’ll do it :)
Clip from ‘Love Island’ just pay attention to the black islanders, Tyrique and Whitney
I just finished watching this year's Love Island UK so I thought I’d throw the clip of Whitney, Lochan and Tyrique fighting in here lmao
& Daniel Kaluuya talking about Spiderpunk to bring us full circle✨
“omg you’re so creative. how do you get your ideas” i hallucinate a single scene in the taco bell drive thru and then spend 13 months trying to write it
blame this on percy being the main character. but i love that throughout most iterations of percy jackson and the olympians. book, musical, or tv series. he is somewhat aware that his story is being told. in fact. he is the only character in the pjo series that talks directly to reader. and i just love the implications that he can sense a plot point before it happens.
do not forget the patron saint of these weeks that we celebrate ourselves proudly and openly in the streets
her name was Marsha P Johnson, and we have her to thank for so much.
remember, the first Pride was a riot, and she was one of the brave souls who endured it to help carve the path which so many of us walk today. she helped found several activist groups regarding LGBT safety and wellbeing. and she was absolutely radiant, too.
thank you, Marsha. we remember you.
This pride month, let’s remember to never forget the life of Nex Benedict that we lost this year, in 2024. If you don’t know his story, I’ll tell it below. (CW for hate crimes, targeted attacks on LGBTQ+ individuals, suicide and self-harm, drug usage/overdoses. All sources used are linked.)
Nex was a 16-year-old trans nonbinary student who according to friends, used mainly he/him pronouns. He was also an indigenous person, which could potentially be another reason why he was targeted. He was in the girl's bathroom (i.e., the bathroom he was legally required to be in per the state of Oklahoma, where he lived) on February 7th, 2024 in Owasso High School. He was with friends, and after a brief altercation, was attacked by several girls whose identities have not been released, and beaten badly.
According to body cam footage of police’s discussions with Nex before he died, he was recorded of saying about before the attack: “I was talking with my friends, they were talking with their friends and we were laughing. And they had said something like, ‘Why do they laugh like that?’ And they were talking about us in front of us.” In response to this, Nex threw a water bottle at the girls, who proceeded to attack him and his friend. The altercation was broken up by faculty. It was recorded that ‘all students were able to walk to the nurse’ and that they didn’t have severe injuries. However, the next day, Nex passed out at home, and died at a pediatric hospital. While the initial cause of death was thought to be blunt force trauma from his injuries, with “numerous areas of physical trauma over Nex’s body that evidence the severity of the assault”, his death was later ruled as a suicide; a drug overdose. [Source.]
According to the full autopsy report: “The report listed a probable cause of death as “combined toxicity” from two drugs, one of which is available over the counter and the other by prescription. However, it didn’t provide any additional details regarding why the medical examiner believed the overdose was suicide. The full autopsy report notes that Benedict was involved in a physical altercation and had injuries to his head, neck, torso and limbs. These injuries, it found, were not lethal. The medical examiner also noted that Benedict’s medical history included bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, self-harm, and chronic tobacco and marijuana abuse.” [Source.]
Whether Nex’s death was a suicide or a murder, his life was still lost. Whether he took it himself out of grief and trauma and pain, or whether those girls took it from him in an act of hatred and violence. His life IS LOST. We as a community seemed to move on from mourning him far too quickly. We should never forget the name of Nex Benedict, just as we should never forget the names of Brianna Ghey; Jean Butchart; Camdyn Rider; and far too many more.
I'd like to take a moment to honor Nex not from his death, but from his life. He was a beautiful soul, and that is what should be the focus. His death should not be the tagline of his life. After Nex's death, there were many rallies at the high school, with staff and students alike. Nex's best friend spoke there, and his words deserve to be highlighted here.
“Good evening. My name is Robin Ingersoll. I am a 16-year-old, also sophomore student. I want to start off by saying that Nex was transgender, and he used he/him pronouns. But he was so much more than his transness. Tonight, I want to talk about who he was as a person and not just how he identified. I lived in Owasso my whole life, but I was homeschooled until eighth grade. When I first started school at the Eighth Grade Center. I didn’t know very many people and Nex was one of the first friends I’d ever made. Nex, and I dated kind of on and off over the span of the school year. As an individual, Nex was one of the strongest and toughest people I’ve ever met, but he often hid behind (that) to gain respect from people. And because of that, he built a lot of walls. And he didn’t let them down very often. But when he did, he can be one of the funniest and sweetest and most thoughtful people. And he would have done anything for someone that he cared about or loved." [Source; the article is continued here, I STRONGLY recommend that you read the rest, as there are many more testimonies.]
Another testimony was given by Eli, and her words highlight not just the death of Nex, but the death of another of her close friends due to their non-binary identity and indigenous roots.
“It feels like I’m just moving past the grief of Max Birdwell, which might be a new name to some of you guys. Max Birdwell is someone who passed by suicide due to bullying in 2022. And now, I have to go through this trauma all over again. [pause] Something I’ve said a lot in the past few days is that I feel like the state is failing us. Whether you feel like being part of the LGBTQ+ community is wrong, we still are people and they’re failing us. I feel like Oklahoma acts as if they are accepting of all. We have safe places, but [Oklahoma] is not a safe place. It’s crazy because both Max and Nex were Indigenous, nonbinary people. They were just kids. We are just kids. I just want people to speak out and make sure we feel safe to go to school. Some of us are homeschooled now because of the crazy amount of bullying that we are going through. Thank you so much for being here tonight. Seeing all of this and knowing who Nex was they never deserved this and thank you.” [Source; the article is continued here, I STRONGLY recommend that you read the rest, as there are many more testimonies.]
These are just kids. I myself am just a kid. So many trans kids feel unsafe to go to school, because they don't know if it will be their last time they do. Because we are not safe. We aren't safe from hate crimes, and we aren't safe from the debilitation of suicidal thoughts and thoughts of self-harm due to people's unrelenting hatred and cruelty just because we are who we are.
According to the HRC and FBI, “anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes were up sharply from the prior year [2021 to 2022], with a 13.8% increase in reports based on sexual orientation and a shocking 32.9% jump in reported hate crimes based on gender identity.” [Source.] More than 1 in 5 hate crimes in the US are recorded to now be motivated by anti-LGBTQ bias, as well as especially anti-black bias. As said by HRC president Kelley Robinson: “The constant stream of hostile rhetoric from fringe anti-equality figures, alongside the relentless passage of discriminatory bills, particularly those targeting transgender individuals, in state legislatures, created an environment where it was sadly foreseeable that individuals with violent tendencies might respond to this rhetoric.”
As for suicide and self-harm amongst LGBTQ individuals, “The Trevor Project estimates that more than 1.8 million LGBTQ+ young people (ages 13-24) seriously consider suicide each year in the U.S. — and at least one attempts suicide every 45 seconds, and The Trevor Project’s 2023 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People found that 41% of LGBTQ+ young people seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including roughly half of transgender and nonbinary youth.” [Source.] I myself have seen this first hand, both with myself (though to get a bit personal, I am nearing 100 days clean of self-harm), and with friends and family around me. And I believe that the biggest factor to that is lack of support AND increasing violence; therefore increasing HOPELESSNESS.
This rise in both statistics, for violence against us and violence against ourselves, is heartbreaking. Utterly heartbreaking. And with this year’s pride, it is very easy to feel disheartened. But we must remember that we are stronger than them. We have survived for hundreds and hundreds of years DESPITE THEM. Despite the hate, despite the violence. Because we remember the lives lost in the fight, and we honor their memory. From Stonewall to now; never forget that pride started as a RIOT.
It is easy to feel hopeless. To feel like you’re stuck the way you are and nothing will ever change. To feel like we are not advocated for, or not enough, and never will be. But when you find yourself sucked into that hole: remember the people who showed up for Nex. Remember the 174,000 dollars raised for his family's GoFundMe (warning: it does contain his deadname, though from testimonies given by family members, it seems that for the most part, he was accepted at home, or they were getting there). Remember that there is hope. There always is. And there will always be someone there who accepts and loves you for WHO YOU ARE.
As said by Nicole McAfree, Oklahoma’s leader of their LGBTQ advocacy group: “Nex should be alive, and the very least we can do in Nex’s memory is demonstrate our commitment to building a better world that makes it impossible for this heartbreaking tragedy to happen again.” [Source.]
So remember Nex Benedict. Don't let him be forgotten. Don't let him just become another statistic. Don't let anyone, any single person killed for their LGBTQ+ identity, become 'just a statistic.' Remember their names. Remember their faces. Remember.
I'd like to link resources for you if you're struggling like Nex was. The Trevor Project is the main resource for all LGBTQ+ people, where you can call, text, or chat someone. The Trans Lifeline is a 24/7 hotline available in the U.S. and Canada staffed by transgender people for transgender people. The Crisis Text Line is not strictly LGBTQ+ but is for anyone in crisis. And here you can find a list of LGBTQ+ organizations and programs, as well as where you can find LGBTQ+ friendly counseling.
Your life matters. You matter.
Happy Pride, and remember Nex Benedict.
new trend called 'heavenmaxxing' basically where you be really kind to others and help little old ladies cross the road & stuff
“ACES BELONG AT PRIDE”
a PSA for the naysayers and encouragement for those who need it. mostly the latter rather than the former, but for those who needed the PSA:
you’re welcome.
※ photos taken May 2018 at Tokyo Rainbow Pride. see more at queerascat.com.
Happy May 27th, have a weatherman Marvin gif
worlds most obnoxious couple corners you at party
you're not stuck. it's not over. you can claw yourself out again and again. find strength in yourself. find strength in others whom you can trust. the fight isn't over until you're dead.
The settlers are already planning the names of cities in Palestine.
We are slowly running out of time, we have to take action. We have to demand, we have to scream. There was time to be polite, but It’s over now.
Fire is catching. Let it burn.
Anyone who reblogs this post will have their user written on a poster saying "We Stand With Palestine" that I hope to put up somewhere in the village I live in, or the town that the village is next to.
REBLOG IF YOUR BLOG IS A SAFE SPACE FOR AROMANTIC PEOPLE AND IF YOU THINK THEY ARE VALID
I want to see how many people actually are willing to say this and not just act like it
"you are addicted to screens" no no you see i am actually addicted to my friends. unfortunately they live in there
this whole 'writing' part of being a writer is so hard
Queering the Map in Gaza and the West Bank
Ramadan is coming up and I can’t stress enough how much Palestinians have never got the chance to experience one normal Ramadan for 75years
You may not have been subjected to this, but as a person from an Arabic country, every Ramadan from every year there’s always headlines of Israeli iof soldiers or Israeli extremist settlers attacking Palestinians during Ramadan, especially Palestinian worshipers trying to pray in the al aqsa mosque
It’s happens almost every single year
Ramadan is suppoused to be Muslim people’s month of worship, of Baraka and it is very important to Muslim people
But Palestinians never ever experienced a normal Ramadan because Israel attacks them Viciously
Almost
Every
Single
Fucking
Year
And I will dare and say that Israel does it on purpose, it does it every Ramadan on purpose
And now, this year, with Ramadan being only a few weeks away, I doubt that they’ll have a normal Ramadan, not in the West Bank, and not in Gaza
All what I have to say here is that Israel will still follow this trend, something bad is gonna happen this Ramadan, keep an eye on Palestine during Ramadan
genuinely think everyone would benefit from learning about aromanticism and relationship anarchy. even straight, allosexual, alloromantics. because amatonormativity affects everyone, and learning about relationship anarchy and redefining how you think about relationships is so freeing. youcan do whatever you want 4ever.
This is Rafah, The "safe" zone, where 1.5 million Palestinian fled to. You have to understand, what bombing Rafah means.
Please don't look away, while everybody is busy watching the super bowl, Israel commits one of its most deadly and openly genocidal attacks on Rafah. Please don't look away.
Reminder that the US bombed Iraq a day ago. Reminder that this attack has killed 16 Iraqis, many of whom were civilians. Reminder that Iraq has already suffered enough at the hands of US imperialism, that to this day it’s recovering from the aftermath of being defamed to the world as terrorists, from its cities being destroyed under the guise of “exterminating ISIS” (an echo of Israel decimating Palestine to “exterminate Hamas,” interesting), that the US has so many ulterior motives to continue encroaching upon Iraq that have nothing to do with their seemingly noble rationale, and that it does all this while funding Israel’s ongoing genocide of Palestinians (which are basically doing their dirty work of pushing further in on Arab territory). It’s jarring that this is all happening on a world stage & yet nothing is being done to stop it. Hands off Iraq. Free Palestine. Hands off Iraq. Free Palestine.
i'd like to thank god for whoever made binders i love looking in the mirror and seeing no visible tits it makes me feel so PRETTYYY