Maya, A Trans Yemeni Woman, Was Able To Raise Enough Funds To Secure A Flat And Some Basic Necessities

To start, I need to say that August was pretty much the best character the show’s created (well…second best…because Mulan exists and is perfect). They created this great multifaceted character, who had huge flaws. Flaws that were destroying him, flaws that ruined other people’s lives, but flaws that were totally relatable. Flaws that he owned up to before we even met him, flaws that he was completely focused on ridding himself of. He wanted to make amends, he wanted to fix his mistakes after a lifetime of embracing them. August may not have been an epic fairy tale hero, he didn’t wield swords or lead armies, but he was a real life hero. Obviously one of the things I love about August is the complete openness that he’s an addict. There’s a lot of metaphorical allusions to Regina/Rumple’s magic being like a drug and they’re both addicted but seriously it is so refreshing to see a lack of allegorical bullshit in fantasy sometimes. August was a drug addict and an alcoholic and had a fear of commitment and responsibility and was basically the least trustworthy person ever. So of course he ran away from his destiny. That’s part of who he is. He was a 7 year old under way too much pressure so he ran away from his destiny. Emma’s done the same thing at four times his age. It makes him human. You know what doesn’t make him human? What steals all his layers and turns him into a plot device? Having him be the one who told Neal to leave Emma. Like really think about it for a second. August left when he was 7 to live his own life. Then 17 years later, for reasons we don’t know, he comes back to face his destiny. He wants to help Emma. We don’t know what changed his mind all of a sudden, but he wants to help Emma. How did he find Emma? We also don’t know that. But he’s going to help…I guess. And of course by help, I mean get her thrown in prison. And to do this, he’s got like a real plan. He’s going to blackmail her boyfriend into framing her. How does he know her boyfriend is Bae? Another thing we just don’t know. But it was for the best. Emma was going to be okay (in prison), because August was ready to face his destiny. Except lol no he runs away again. Maybe getting the money was just too much pressure and triggered him into a relapse. That’s a legit possibility because he’s a freaking addict it happens. But here’s another question. Why did he never tell Emma this? Because he comes back remember. His decision to come back is fueled by selfishness because he doesn’t want to turn back into a puppet, but that’s a better explained reason for coming back than the first time he came back which was for…….??????? oh right we have no idea. But please remember that when he came back, he forged deep connections. He tried to rebuild something with his dad, he became a confidant of Henry, a friend to Emma. He helped Emma by telling her the truth. Not just that Henry was right all along about the curse, but the ugly truth that he abandoned her. He came clean about that because he was trying to better himself as a person and have their friendship be absolutely honest. He was confessing all the ways he’s done people wrong. And yet, he didn’t tell her he’s the reason she’s in jail. Why didn’t he do this? I mean abandoning her at birth is kinda the more traumatic thing he did wrong to her, why would he be more embarrassed about sending her to jail? She never would have gone in the first place if he had stayed by her, right? All these questions I’m bringing up have an obvious answer: retconning. August didn’t tell Emma he’s the reason she gave birth to Henry in a jail cell because the writers hadn’t decided that was true yet. He decided to come back because the writers didn’t want Neal to have abandoned Emma on his own, they wanted to blame someone else. They wanted people to sympathize with this new character who they had already kind of introduced as being a complete and utter jackass who Emma wishes were dead, so they made him follow the orders of a character they knew wouldn’t be around much longer. August finds Emma because the writers needed him to. August knows about Bae because the writers needed him to. August leaves Emma because the writers needed him to. After season 1 August ceased to be a character and became a scapegoat. This is the fucking textbook definition of character assassination. They stole everything that made August a person to force him into the role of a prop. He was a goddamn macguffin. What really makes this bad is that all of this character assassination is done over the span of ONE FLASHBACK EPISODE. HALF and episode really. I mean he’s gone for half a season with barely an acknowledgement that he ever existed in the first place and then they utterly destroy everything about him in half an episode? Then we don’t see or hear from him for another half a fucking season until his completely pointless death (destroying his memories and experiences and de-aging counts as death, okay, there’s a whole Doctor Who episode about it).

http://ouafeels.tumblr.com (via once-upon-a-plot-hole)

another important thing about solidarity within queer communities is that so many of us will identify with different labels (especially when we are young/still figuring out that we aren’t straight & cis to begin with) before figuring out how we identify longterm. E.g. gay people who start out identifying as bi, trans men who initially identify as butch lesbians, asexuals who at first identify as bisexual (because hey, that’s technically being equally attracted to multiple genders), and so on. In fact, most queer people, at one time or another, identified as cishet. So we of all people should be aware that figuring out our identities takes time, and is a winding path. 

And this is why solidarity in our communities is so important. And why gatekeeping is so dangerous. Because not only is each part of our community a longterm home, sanctuary, and support system for people of a certain identity, we also provide a path and an unofficial Welcoming Committee to new members of the wider LGBTQA+ community (especially young queer people, for whom a supportive welcoming is so important). And in turn, many of the people who find their way to us will be coming from a different part of the rainbow path. This is also why bigotry is so so damaging when it comes from within our communities, and why we each of us have a responsibility to examine our prejudices and acknowledge that being queer doesn’t automatically give us a pass–we are just as capable of bigotry as anyone on the outside, and in a unique position to do harm from within. Fight transphobia, fight aphobia, fight biphobia, fight racism and ableism and discrimination wherever you see it in our communities. And more than that, celebrate ALL the colors on our flags, and all of the diverse communities they represent. Solidarity makes us so much more powerful, as a community and as individuals. So I’d like to start by saying:

Welcome, everyone. It’s good to have you here.

No wonder Meghan Markle wants to leave UK

Saw this on Facebook, but I have greater reach hear

so, i'm just daydreaming about geralt and jaskier,

as per usual,

and i made myself sad thinking about geralt apologising for snapping on the mountain, kinda curling in on himself, feeling slightly ashamed but also wary? cause when has he ever been graced with forgiveness? how often do people allow him to explain his actions? how many humans take the time to listen and be patient as he tries to express how... difficult it is, processing emotions when all his life he's been told he has none. so he resigns himself to losing his friend completely, prepares for a dismissive tone and a cold rejection,

and then,

hearing jaskier sigh and tell him that it's okay, that sure he was sad and a little angry at first, but time has passed and his love has always been stronger than his hate, and sure they'll need to talk about it more when ciri isn't around because they both need to be more communicative, but for now, it's okay and he forgives him,

but, not only that, he's sorry too! he should have given geralt maybe some time, a little space - for he had just lost yennefer and maybe he shouldn't have made light of the situation in the same breath as geralt's heart being broken?

like,

can you imagine?

geralt's reaction??

like how many people have apologised to him in the past? how many people have forgiven him but then went on to offer their own sincere regret in regards to the actions they've taken against him??

like, visenna will never apologise to him for what she did. the elder witchers will never apologise for what they did. stregobor won't, other witchers and humans and mages won't, geralt has probably never had someone offer themselves up for his forgiveness! either because they think there's nothing for him to forgive, or that he should simply shoulder what they've done, or they think themselves above such quaint little customs.

and idk,

geralt being apologised to,

jaskier forgiving him,

all the feelings which blossom and flood geralt's veins, it makes him a little dizzy, a little winded, his throat closes up and his mouth falls open in a silent acceptance - ciri probably softly elbows him to jolt him out of his stupor,

but jaskier shakes his head because he understands. with a small smile, he cocks his head and says i understand,

which probably rocks geralt even more, because even now, after the years that have passed, the bard can still decipher him on levels not even vesemir can touch,

and invites them to drink with him.

a gentle offer of friendship reborn,

and one which geralt takes with eager appreciation.

unpopular opinion but i think the film and tv industries should have better labor laws even if it makes it harder or impossible to depict certain things

“ohhh you shouldnt go begging for handouts just because youre lgbt/poc/fat/fhdbjbbvjksk get a job bllbjbhbvb” shut up literally anyone can ask for money just because they want to. im nonbinary and bisexual and black someone give me 20 dollars so i can grubhub subway here’s my paypal

I hate hate HATE all those 2edgy 4me theories about kids shows. Like Angelica dreaming up the rugrats, or the ed, edd, and eddy children being ghosts, or literally anything that takes a lighthearted and fun kids show and has to turn it into some tragic take of rape or murder or misinformed mental illness. So you know what? From now on I’m gonna do the exact opposite. Every cool grim-dark show is now because of a bunch of children. To get us started: Game of Thrones: A middle-school DnD campaign with the most angry, vindictive DM who has promised to kill everyone’s player characters (and their family) by the end.

[Image: Tweet by Emily Mullin (@EmilyLMullin) and tweet by Isobelle Winter (@IsobelleWinter), both about the dangers of Facebook’s new preventative health screening tool. Images have been modified for visual ease but information has not been changed.]

Something to know about Facebook’s new “screening tool,” and advice/info that can most certainly be used outside of this specific situation.

For spoonies, the biggest deal is how this data, if leaked, could affect you in professional and insurance spheres.

Here’s Emily’s full thread, which discusses the details of the tool, and here’s Isobelle’s full thread, which extrapolates on specific dangers.

In the end? It’s another data grab. Data is worth money; don’t give yours away, especially not to Facebook.