Reblogged
Barbara Regina Dietzsch - A buttercup with a butterfly and an insect - before 1783 - via Christie’s
Reblogged shiftythrifting
Joey Cigar the Face Jug
This is my first truly shifty buy and face jugs freak me out but I saw this boy and NEEDED HIM. He’s ugly! He’s charming! He’s cursed! His name is Joey Cigar!
Reblogged terefah
“Bill Gates is one of the richest people in world history. His net worth, at $100 billion, is greater than that of the annual GDP of the 138 poorest countries when considered individually. In early April 2017, he and his wife Melinda issued their annual public letter, which told of great news: the fight against global poverty is being won, as those living on less than $1.25 a day (the UN’s definition of extreme poverty) have been halved since 1990. But there is an extensive scholarly consensus that the threshold for poverty should be $5 a day, in fact the US Department of Agriculture concluded a decade ago it is the bare minimum needed for people to simply maintain homeostasis. In adjusted terms that means today the poverty line should be $7.40 a day. Using this well-founded revised number, 4.2 billion people are living in poverty, more than 60% of humanity. But Marx’s immiseration thesis is such that it requires the variable of time in order to be proven correct. Has the number of people living on less than $7.40 a day decreased over time? Unfortunately not. Over 1 billion more people fall below this line than they did 35 years, meaning that global poverty is actually increasing. This fact stands in direct contradiction to the self-congratulatory proclamations of the supranational organizations and billionaire “philanthropists” like Bill Gates (who lives in a 125 million dollar mansion).”
— Gabriel Palcic, The Actuality of Marx’s Immiseration Thesis in the 21st Century (via probablyasocialecologist)
Reblogged gay-male-privilege
Look, these two charts are literally all that needs to be said about the ace discourse.
If your identity is the target of homophobia or transphobia, you are LGBT, regardless of the strength, regularity, or variability of your attraction.
If your identity is not the target of homophobia or transphobia, you are not LGBT, regardless of the strength, regularity, or variability of your attraction.
The ace and aro community and the LGBT community are capable of being two communities, with LGBT aces and aros being full members of both, not diminished in any identity. (Someone said that the Venn diagram cordoned off LGBT aces and aros somehow; that’s not how a Venn diagram works. A Venn diagram shows that a group or concept is common to two or more groups or concepts. If you want to know more about Venn diagrams, go look on Wikipedia?)
The LGBT community is a political entity developed to protect its members against, agitate for the end of, and develop resources against, homophobia and transphobia. Any other issue or problem, regardless of its merit, is best taken care of by another community. Intersectional issues that face members of the LGBT community can absolutely be tackled, but issues that are purely about another concept or issue do not need to be taken care of the LGBT community.
And that’s all, folks.
Reblogged coolest-humans
March 31st is #TransDayOfVisibility #TDOV
Source: facebook.com
Happy Trans Day of Visibility! (Mar 31)
Here is for everyone in school who is trans and/or non-binary! You’re valid and supported. Here is a link that explains more about this day.
Here are just a few of the photos from Pride Week - Stay tuned for more this year and for many more years to come!
Friendly reminder that if anyone wants to submit anything via ask or submit, feel free to do so! Art, writing, commentary, photography (and anything else you might want!) are all welcome as long as they’re respectful and appropriate.
Commentary (March 9) - By Tiffany Tong
Transgender visibility matters, I know it, you know it, we all know it and yet I still have to make a statement and say that transgender visibility matters. This is something I don’t need to say, it should be something we all know and well recognise, no?
Then what is the issue? Where does it exist? Well unfortunately, quite closely. I understand even with a revolutionary LGBTQ+ movement on a rapid train, quickly empowering people, all issues will not simply go away (i’d only be naive to think so). Now, with newfound information by The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force & National center for Transgender Equality’s study on transgender people within the news, I can’t help but wince and scowl for a change in society and their spitefulness. These statistics only point out the glaringly obvious; the injustice against those of which are transgender (though all statistics are taken based in the USA).
Just to pick two statistics off their work to talk about in this article that I find an extreme emotion towards is that many transgender people ‘live in extreme poverty’ most of which being rejected from housing and being evicted due to their gender and I find this incredibly absurd! Worse is that 53% of their findings “are verbally harassed or disrespected in a place of accommodation”. Incredible.
Why should one be forced away from a right? A right to have a roof over their heads and be at least safely sufficient of oneself is stripped away due to a narrow minded thinking. I find it absolutely insane that despite transgender people outwardly looking like me, you, everyone else, they are discriminated for what? For the chemicals/ hormones that are in their biology that we can’t even see? For their genitals that we can’t even see? So what then? It’s unfathomable that we dissect and spit people for things we cannot even physically see and yet we take away their right for safety? Taking away their right for mere physical and emotional comfort for things they cannot control nor can we see?
(Not to mention the subtle racial (POC) discrimination hinting in the race charts and figures.)
To think I needed only two statistics to prove the importance of a visibility of a whole community and culture of people, two!
In my opinion, I very much think so and tackling such topics like these I understand, are sensitive. But maybe if we all took some time to open our minds and understand with a fuller heart (suggesting that you have one, of course), this will be much easier. You won’t need some teenager badgering on about the sub-culture she adores and you can’t care about but I won’t dare leave you or this alone till something is done. People being stripped away from something they should have for miniscule things our society feels ‘uncomfortable’ about.
These transgender and gender non-conforming people ask for acceptance and present no violence yet we feel threatened? By what? I have yet to know, but if we don’t have the capacity to sort through our thinking, filter out these traditionalist ideas, we will be swept in time and not progressing as a modern society. As humans do this out of love, or some shred of emotion to care for another, these people are just other human beings who touch, see, taste, hear and feel the things we feel.
-Tiff Tong
When Hong Kong photographer Mark Woodward was working with United States special forces, the country’s military elite, taking photos of their work, he brought out pictures of a slight transgender woman back in New York.
In the photos, taken during her transition, Lia Romero stands watching the camera with her eyes wide open, wearing just a thin slip.
“The special forces troops said, ‘That is brave’,” Woodward recalls. “I take my hat off to that.”
...
“It’s not about ticking a box. It’s not like changing your genital organs is proving anything … she’s always been a girl.”
{"In the many years that Jess T. Dugan, a Boston-based trans photographer, has spent capturing images of gender-variant people, she says she's consistently noticed a striking absence in both art and social sciences: imagery of older trans folks...In the recently released collection, diverse trans elders ages 50 to 86 are pictured at home or in meaningful spaces, gazing unapologetically into the camera, as if asking the viewer to look deeper into their unique context and life story."}
This is the official website of the project:
Hi! I'm thinking of starting a community for LGBTQIA+ students at my school and I was just wondering if you had any pointers on where to start? Anything would be greatly appreciated, thanks, this blog is AWESOME!
Hi there! Firstly, thank you so much! We’d love to give you some pointers and it’s wonderful you want to start a community in your school, but we’re just wondering whether your community is dedicated to raising awareness, creating a safe spot for LGBT+ students, a more casual meet up, or anything else? It depends on your aim/context but let us know and we’ll be able to give some more specific tips!
In general though, I think getting information and support from teachers/staff in your school before starting it is important, since there are usually policies and things around starting groups in school. Ideally they should be supportive (and maybe one or two teachers can oversee and help you with it) and you can start asking around to see if anyone is interested in being a part of the community or group (+ doing some promotion), but in the case that the staff aren’t, you can also think about doing this with students outside of school too! And lastly as a general thing, usually social media is a great way to get people involved, and it’s great that you’ve already gotten a good start on that!
** Hope it is okay that we published this ask publically! If you want us to take it down or ask something privately please let us know~
“I spent my first 25 years on earth in Australia before moving to HK. Back then I was naive and unaware of my Caucasian privilege and the human rights that I took for granted. Moving to Hong Kong opened my eyes, particularly as my wife and I journeyed to parenthood. It's very anti-climactic when you and the love of your life welcome your first son into the world, but not being able to have her recognised on the birth certificate simply because she is not your husband. All the years of hopeful and joyous anticipation in becoming a family, then getting wrapped up in feelings of hopelessness and institutionalised homophobia. My wife gave birth to our second son and it was my turn to feel invisible in the eyes of law, and not being acknowledged even after she cut the umbilical chord only moments before. Despite being married in the UK, you are filed as having a 'bastard child.' Now as we our family has expanded I find myself travelling with our two sons, one of whom is not my biological child... My wife is a pilot so she is often away. If something happens to my son (who she gave birth to) and I have to rush to hospital, I pray that I won't have to answer endless questions before being refused the right to his treatment because I'm 'not his parent.' Every time I travel without my wife I get detained at immigration if I want to leave the country with 'her son'. My problems are what I would file under 'first world gay problems' bit they still cut deep. People in Hong Kong and around the world live in fear of shame, persecution, criminalisation and in some countries execution. LGBTI people really are not after special rights – just equal rights, and the right of not living in fear and be tested like second class citizens for the sake of love. Love is one of the most cherished and beautiful gestures and energies one could put in the world. What a terrible and often tragic waste of our human potential.” - Bess Hepworth, Facilitator and Panel Chair of futurED #2, Social Media Manager for Out Leadership
"As a pretentious English teacher, I feel the need to use a literary quotation here, so, in the words of Tennessee Williams in A Streetcar Named Desire:
"What is straight? A line can be straight, or a street, but the human heart, oh, no, it's curved like a road through mountains.” Prejudice, in any form, is a terrible blight on our species but it encourages me greatly to see a compassionate, driven generation of young people striving to make a difference in our local and global communities, striving to make a difference for our future. Island School is blessed to have the Spectrum team - keep up the good work!"
- Mr. Nason, a polar bear masquerading as an English and Drama Teacher at Island School.
“I still hear people call inanimate objects gay, and pronounce “lesbian” like it’s as taboo as Voldemort’s name. Those are already the simplest of the things I’ve heard. I had a conversation recently. The person presented strong, absolute opinions, and halfway through our conversation, told me they didn’t know what the term we were talking about actually meant. I mean, come on! I couldn’t and still can’t believe how ignorant some people choose to be. And you know, it’s not my responsibility (or anyone else’s) to spoon-feed definitions to a person capable of finding them out for themselves... There’s still ignorance going on, and largely it’s the fault of individuals. Each of us contribute to the social system we share. I want to change that. I know I can change that. Deep down, I’m very angry. People are mistreated, excluded, abused. People are dying. How can personal belief justify that? It’s nice to be more patient as I grow up. In expressing myself, I’m more persuasive and eloquent. Sometimes it’s hard, to express an opinion whilst feeling inseparable disbelief and disgust...But it’s part of the struggle and there’s nothing else to do than face it. But the cause of the struggle remains inexpressibly disappointing. Every single human being is allowed to romantically love as they wish. The same goes for sexual attraction. And gender identity. That’s a fact. I know it, it’s a basic right. Personal freedom. What logic supports people selectively “allowing” gender identities, or sexualities? Why do people feel entitled to control it? Through law, through social behaviour...I see people whisper behind backs about someone coming out. What’s it to you, other than a mark against your beliefs...? And why should people struggle, whilst you avoid unlearning those harmful beliefs? I hear people condemn every sexuality that isn’t heterosexuality, make fun of movies with LGBTQ+ characters...And momentarily my breath catches. Why did they say that? What is their intention, do they have a clear incentive or do they do it out of social habit? Do they say it thoughtfully or thoughtlessly? I can’t explain how ignorance like this can be so acceptable, even for people usually kind. I would like to hear an explanation...Over the past four years, I’ve only heard flawed and invalid arguments. I’m hopeful...There’s light in the world, in all of us. Each individual must rise up to themselves. Learn and practice unselective respect and kindness. You owe it to yourself to be considerate. It’s hard to relearn long-held beliefs. But for the sake of all the people in the world, and for your own sake: don’t help uphold an unfair social system. The system is a brick tower, crushing the opportunities and freedom of the people, who by popular standard aren’t “normal”. And up above, the privileged people who fit societal norms sit, mostly unaffected, on each floor...Reaching down to help, or not. But remember. We all built this brick tower. It’s constructed by our hands, so to tear it apart...We have to do it together.” - Karen Ng, Class of 2018
“Since LGBT+ issues are still considered by many to be a taboo subject, it's sometimes difficult to even broach the subject. Many people in Island School don't even know what "LGBT" stands for. I hope that through Spectrum and Pride Week, we can bring some of these issues into the light, and that Pride Week can be a starting point for beginning conversations on what we can all do to be more accepting and understanding of people of different genders and orientations. My one piece of advice would be to never assume anyone's gender or sexuality.” - Arundhati Mukherjea, Class of 2017