Victorian Secret

Victoria’s Secret? Never heard of it.

🏳️‍🌈 Ruth Ellis (1899 - 2000) was the daughter of former slaves. She came out as a lesbian when she was 16-years-old to the complete acceptance of her family. In 1937, Ruth and her longtime partner moved to Detroit from their hometown of Springfield, Illinois for the promise of higher wages. There, she became the first woman in Michigan to run her own printing business. She printed fliers, posters, and stationary in the front room of her home, which also quickly became a hotspot for Black LGBTQ social life. Before long, Ruth was helping those who came around in any way she could, including by paying for college tuitions. After the Stonewall uprising, 70-year-old Ruth began giving speeches in support of gay and lesbian rights all across the country. She remained an activist for the rest of her long life and even spent her 100th birthday leading the San Francisco Dyke March. At the time of her death at 101, she was recognized as the oldest out lesbian in the US. She is the subject of the documentary "Living With Pride: Ruth C. Ellis @ 100" and is the namesake of the Ruth Ellis Center, a shelter for homeless and at-risk LGBTQ youth in Detroit.

Celebrate Ruth Ellis.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Ellis_(activist)

#Pride #BlackLivesMatter

holy fuck

this is the only cool place that has ever existed in the history of humankind

nothing else has ever mattered

I bet in the 20s all the weird German emo girls were thirsting after the Somnambulist

German emo girls be like “ich will 😍🥺”

Don’t hide this magnificent piece of info in the tags.

The bloke (Conrad Veidt) was an outspoken opponent of antisemitism, and when he refused to divorce his wife (who was Jewish), Joseph Goebbels had him blacklisted.

He also donated tons and tons of money to poor children who had been negatively effected by the Blitz in London after he moved to the US, following his becoming a naturalised-British citizen after leaving Germany in the 1930s.

Don’t forget that in 1919, he starred in “Different from the Others”, a German film protesting the anti-homosexuality laws in place. It’s widely regarded as the first pro-gay film. Conrad Veidt was a goddamn hero.

I just feel like this pic is relevant to the discussion

He was also the highest paid member of the cast in “Casablanca” (where he played a Nazi officer, again), even if he only got second billing, because he was THAT big a star.

He and his first wife divorced after… well she said it better than I ever could.

“I excused a lot of his failings and whims because I loved him. But one day he did something to me that I couldn’t forgive. I was singing that evening at the cabaret. I left him home and he told me: “I invited a few friends; we’ll dine while we wait for you.” And it just so happened I had received a new dress from Paris. That evening, after work, I arrived home and what do I see? All these gentlemen dressed as women. And Conrad had put on my Paris dress. At this point, I divorced!”

And as  Anita Loos put it

“Any Berlin lady of the night might turn out to be a man; the prettiest girl on the street was Konrad [sic] Veidt.”

Good to see the tumblr sexyman precludes even tumblr

Roman drainage channel in the form of a dog. The object is made of terracotta and dated to the early 1st century CE. 

—The Hound of Baskervilles

he’s so gentleeeeee with the puppy

“The law, in its majestic equality, forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal their bread.”

Anatole France quote sticker seen on an anti-homeless sign in Victoria, British Columbia

I often feel frustrated that I may have started my transition late, so to speak (though factually untrue, you can't change feelings). However, as a History buff, I like to view it from another angle.

The history of human civilisation spans about 5,000 years. The first time the term 'trans' was coined was at the same time my great-grandmother, who was alive for most of my life, was born.

There were always trans people, of course, but before that extremely recent event, I might never have had the tools to find out. And should I have been one of the lucky and rare few who had managed to live as their preferred gender, I still wouldn't have had access to the incredible psychological and physical help provided by modern medicine.

100 years out of 5,000? I didn't 'transition too late'. I was incredibly lucky to be born at the right time.

Brassaï  - Young Couple at the Bal de la Montagne Sainte-Geneviève, Paris, (c. 1932)

Rocky Horror is turning 50 next month and people still act like being gay was invented by Ellen in 1997

But honestly! Renowned French poet Théophile de Viau wrote the poetic ode to King James titled "The Duke of Buckingham," containing the immortal lines "One man fucks Monsieur le Grand de Bellegarde/Another fucks the Comte de Tonnerre/And it is well known that the King of England/Fucks the Duke of Buckingham" exactly 400 years ago and people still act like being gay was invented by Oscar Wilde in 1890

Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep were buried together in the 25th century BC and people still act like being gay was invented by renowned French poet Théophile de Viau 400 years ago

Title: Waistcoat

Date: early 18th century

Culture: British

Medium: linen, silk, metallic thread

I want to start a new picrew chain because I found this really cool one yesterday:

Here's mine:

I'm going to tag: @leftenantjopson @a-french-guardsman @icarusinfreefall @mushroomslovesyou @benjhawkins @ambivalent-engines @hiddenmapleleaf @beggars-opera and @fleur-de-paris (and anyone else who'd like to join in!)

I thoroughly enjoy that this can go in many different directions both historical and fantasy. As long as it's Windswept.

@fraddit @tuulikki @victoriansecret @chiropteracupola @vinceaddams @decadent-hag

Needless to say, I made a sad boy.

"But helping poor people should be voluntary."

And even when it is, people still have a problem with it.

BONUS: