The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly - IDAHO Edition
Banner by @thekittygirl
How many of you are aware that May 17 is International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO, though I have a feeling it's not widely recognized in Idaho), which more recently has become International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOTB - not an Idahoan with tuberculosis)?
Many of you are aware that I stopped doing this weekly curation because it became overwhelming, exhausting, to stick my neck out there and dare the most paranoid delusional people on Steemit to hack away at it. Doing so was not only draining me, it was unfair to my supporters to force them to come to my defense.
I find it simultaneously entertaining and disturbing (there's a word for that, I'm sure) that so many self-described "anarchists" care so deeply about what's between someone else's legs, what bits of fabric they wear, or what goes on consensually in their bedrooms. Hypocrites! They're just trying to force another form of collectivism onto the public. If your default position isn't to leave others the hell alone, you're full of shit to call yourself an anarchist.
Also, inb4 someone tries to claim that asking them to be honest is somehow censoring them.
As always, I will divide up the payout for this post among The Good content creators. Please show them some love. Bear in mind that all of this content is from the past week, which makes me wonder why #lgbt isn't a tag that shows on Steemit's list ... but I digress.
All images are owned by their respective authors unless otherwise stated. No copyright infringement intended.
The Good
I realize his language may be too coarse for some of you, but @tfcoates has some fantastic advice for those wondering why their posture as perpetually contrarian assholes isn't getting them the attention to which they're obviously entitled.
@asperger-kids has been sharing their journey with us for a while now. It flows beautifully in German, but not as well when translated to English. I have nevertheless done so in the comments below, since most of us will pass right by something we can't easily digest.
@cervantes wrote a piece about genetics - specifically, research into whether homosexuality is a result of "nature" or "nurture". I appreciate his effort to remain scientifically objective about a topic which usually results in all sides screaming and no side listening. I have prepared an English translation in the comments below.
@aliramaxwell wrote a gripping piece about something we have all experienced. I don't presume to judge anyone else's choices (assuming they are not harming others), but I would have done the same thing, taken the same risk, because the basis of it becoming "more" is that the friendship transcends it doing so.
Another post in Spanish, which I have translated to English in the comments below. A powerful submission from @rubendariogil about IDAHO.
I love @shawnamawna's subjects and style, and this entry is no exception.
The Bad
@krnel wrote an interesting piece about sports and television as collectivist population control, which @mindszai promptly took off the rails to advocate for collectivism.
@smart3dweb wrote this disjointed nonsense before unfollowing and muting me when I called him out on it.
@caladium is still obsessed with other people's genitalia.
@arthur.grafo has a problem with "indoctrination" that LGBT people are, in fact, people.
@theunshackled attended a Rally Against Safe Schools. Evidently they prefer unsafe schools.
@watchfulmomma: I'm not about to click on that link.
@scandinavianlife still thinks Alex Jones is a credible source of information. @sift666 is therefore being herded by cattle.
The Ugly
From Reuters: Beirut Pride Canceled After Organizer Held Overnight By Authorities
@serpentdove is still spamming a two-month old post with noxious comments about some "LGBT agenda" which he (of course) is unable or unwilling to define. I certainly haven't gotten the memo in over 35 years of activism for the LGBT+ community.
I suppose I should thank @thetanster for reminding everyone how batshit crazy some of our fellow humans are, and why I work tirelessly to shine the light of truth everywhere. (Protip: The planet you're standing on is a spheroid. If you think gravity is "just a theory", you can either learn what that means in scientific terms, or you can test it out with a simple experiment: Jump out a window and document your descent toward the planet's core.)
@chaos-news: You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. Awesomely stupid display of paranoid delusion you and your commenters desperately want to believe. I have to wonder why and how people who died over 100 years ago anticipated your arrival and put in place systems of control against you, personally. I dunno, maybe ask your therapist about it.
From The Independent: Chinese Security Guards Attack Women Wearing Rainbow "Pride" Badges at LGBT Event in Beijing
(As an unrelated aside and because I don't post very frequently anymore, I owe 0.285 SBD to @youarehope, @tarc, and @spl from my #milliondollarchallenge post, which I will transfer as soon as I have enough in my wallet to do so. I think y'all know I'm good for it.)
Contact Me:
Signal, ProtonMail, Steem Chat: ancapbarbie
Discord: ancapbarbie#1123
Translation of @asperger-kids's post via Google Translate:
A few days ago, I stood in front of the mirror for the first time in 20 years, looking at my face, and a smile crossed my lips.
I smiled to myself, from soul to body and felt love for this body. I looked around, round, wide unbelievably feminine and yet I was in complete harmony with myself. Slowly I raised my breasts, turned to one side and imagined what my chest would look like when they were gone. I stroked my stomach and thighs, almost feeling the coming changes under my fingers.
I stood there, saw myself and started to cry.
That is not uncommon. Only if this happened to me, it was because my heart was cramping. Because the gap between outside and inside tore me and the pain was hard to bear. Then I lay down on the floor and cried over my lost life until there were no more tears that I could have cried.
But this time it was different. I cried out of gratitude. Gratitude that I did not kill myself at the age of 14, when I stood so often on top of the rock and thought it would be better if I jumped. Thankful for all the years that I was able to live my motherhood in my job. Thankful for my nine year relationship with a truly wonderful person. Thankful for everything that was, is and will be.
For the first time in my life, I felt deep inner peace and understood the gift of being born in a female body.
I enjoyed this moment, felt completely free and enjoyed the energy of the future as it rushes and breaks on the beach in big waves, so full of power and beautiful.
Suddenly I had the desire to see my childhood again with this deep self-love, to take time for little Raphael in me. I took two banana boxes full of photos from my mom's basement and began to relive my childhood in pictures.
Never before have I been able to look at myself with so much affection, generosity and love. I saw this little boy and loved him so much. I felt myself and was in complete harmony with my life. At four in the morning, I put the last photo back in the box and smiled. That's me, my life and I'm so thankful for that. All is well.
A few days ago, my stepfather wrote me a whatsapp message. He can not really understand where the topic of transsexuality comes from at once and he does not share my perception. I would only think that even as a child I had these feelings, he could not remember that I had ever been like that.
I took note of this statement and felt his misery behind it. How hard does it have to be for him not to have seen me with it. He is a person who always wants to save everyone and could not help his own child, could not see what hardships I suffered. I understand his pain and it's okay. But the journey through time proves it picture by picture.
Deep down in my soul I've always been who I can finally become again.
In a few months, there may be more ranks, my life as a woman and then the change, from the woman back to the man. I'm looking forward to every single day of this trip.
Good points.
No cure for Weltschmerz.
😀
How do we get LGBT as a category on Steemit? I was disappointed (and surprised) not to see one when I joined a month ago. LGBT issues etc were going to be my focus, but discovered it didn't seem of interest here.
That's an excellent question. I'm not sure exactly how the front-end(s) determine which tags are visible, because if it's by any of the categories shown on the list, #lgbt definitely should be on there.
Sorted by number of posts:
Sorted by number of comments:
It's a goal of ours to get the tag visible on the list, but as I'm not sure why it isn't already, I'm also not sure how to get it there.
I've seen a few of your posts and comments, and I'm dying to know if you used to live in Maryland. I used to know a guy named Bo, who was a boxer, but lost contact with him many years ago. Great guy. Used to hang out with him at the old Zeigfeld's in DC.
Hopefully as more people join we can get it added.
Never lived in Maryland or DC, only the deep South to this point.
Thank you so much for this inclusion. <3 I'm very glad you liked the story.
You won the challenge of bedazzlement.....your voice and strength carry many through <3 sending love
battleaxe (axey-poo)
Humans just make me sad
Great cause I'm glad your back!
This is the first time I've read anything of yours. I'm straight, but fully support lgbtq. It breaks my heart that in 2018, we are still putting ppl through complete agony for being themselves. Many years ago, one of my best friend's came out of the closet. I really didn't see how ppl could think she was any different-she just happened to prefer women to men.. She still made me laugh until my sides hurt. She still had an amazing work ethic. And she still listened and supported me when I needed her most. To me she was, and still is, one of my closest and dearest friends. (More family than just friend, really). Being Lisa's friend taught me alot. Not just about the LBGTQ community, but about heterosexuals, too. Particularly the number of so called straight people who loved to get their freak on-but kept that hidden, only to turn around and judge others who were openly gay. (Hypocrite much?) I became very disgusted with alot of people who were allegedly straight, and developed a deep respect for those open about their sexuality and embraced it. (I'm sure some of all this has to do with a certain number of people who were desperate to stay in the closet but I take issue when they hurt others). Of all the things we should be concerned with these days, whether someone's straight, gay, transgender etc should be, really, the least of our worries. Guns; now that's something we should be worried about. The dramatic increase in mass shootings (and the fact that the majority of the shooters are straight white males) another thing we should be seriously worried about. Whether someone's LBGTQ? Nope not on the list. I guess maybe it's just a matter of "stupid people", but all of a sudden it seems we have a massive MASSIVE onslaught of them. Anyways. I hope what I'm saying makes sense and does not offend. If it does, that was not my intention. Peace.
I get the impression we have very different opinions about guns. But I appreciate your comment and thank you for your support of the LGBT+ community.
Interesting! Sounds like we do. And I live and grew up in rural Western Colorado, and my father had guns....but yes I do support further gun control. I'll be reading future posts of yours for sure!!