BLOG HAS MOVED

A couple of weeks ago we announced an update to our Community Guidelines regarding adult content, and we’ve received a lot of questions and feedback from you. First and foremost, we are sorry that this has not been an easy transition and we know we can do a better job of explaining what we’re doing. We knew this wasn’t going to be an easy task and we appreciate your patience as we work through the challenges and limitations of correctly flagging tens of billions of GIFs, videos, and photos.

Today, December 17th, our policy begins to take effect. This means that we will start hiding – not deleting – posts that contain GIFs, videos, and photos from public view that are in violation of our policy. Again, this is a complex problem, and over the coming weeks we will gradually, and carefully, flag more adult content. (Yes, we will still make mistakes, but hopefully fewer and fewer.)

More importantly, we want to clarify the things that you, as a community, have asked about the most.

Tumblr will always be a place to explore your identity. Tumblr has always been home to marginalized communities and always will be. We fully recognize Tumblr’s special obligation to these communities and are committed to ensuring that our new policy on adult content does not silence the vital conversations that take place here every day. LGBTQ+ conversations, exploration of sexuality and gender, efforts to document the lives and challenges of those in the sex worker industry, and posts with pictures, videos, and GIFs of gender-confirmation surgery are all examples of content that is not only permitted on Tumblr but actively encouraged.

We also want to reiterate some important information from our Support post:

Your content will not be deleted. If your post(s) are flagged under the new policy, they will be hidden from public view and will only be visible to you. You can appeal these flags if you feel your content was erroneously marked as adult content. Upcoming feature changes will also make appeals more manageable for those of you with multiple flagged posts. Your blog won’t be deleted if you’ve posted adult content in the past, and there is nothing you need to do if you have interacted with adult content up until now–it will just be flagged and not publicly viewable. Don’t forget too that you can download your content. It’s yours after all, and we don’t take that lightly.

What is still permitted? We’ve heard a lot of concern about what the policy does not permit, but we want to make sure that you also know what is still permitted:

Written content such as erotica, nudity related to political or newsworthy speech, and nudity found in art, specifically sculptures and illustrations, is also stuff that can be freely posted on Tumblr. Although, photorealistic imagery or photography – images, videos, or GIFs – with real humans that include exposed genitals or female-presenting (yeah, we know you hate this term) nipples or depict sex acts is not allowed per our guidelines. 

Examples of exceptions that are still permitted but that you may need to appeal if they are misclassified are: exposed female-presenting nipples in connection with breastfeeding, birth or after-birth moments, and health-related situations, such as post-mastectomy or gender confirmation surgery.

The automated tools will improve. Having a post mistakenly flagged as adult totally sucks; we understand and agree that there have been too many wrongfully flagged posts since we announced the policy change. With tens of billions of GIFs, videos, and photos to review and millions of new posts every day, we really need your help to get it right.

The more you help by reporting content that’s not permitted and by appealing content that you believe was flagged incorrectly, the better our automated tools will get at classifying your posts correctly. The more content these tools review, the more they will learn the difference between what’s permitted and what’s not. Most importantly, your content won’t be deleted if erroneously flagged and all appeals will be sent to a real, live human who can make the appropriate call. 

We love Tumblr and the communities that call Tumblr home. You are Tumblr. This place has always been a reflection of the voices and communities that thrive here. As you’ve always done, help us continue to shape Tumblr into the community you want it to be.

dear tumblr friends…

to say that i’m “disappointed” by the recent puritan tumblr crack-down on nudity is an understatement. i’m crushed. for many years, while twitter, facebook, instragram and patreon became more and more tight-wound, i always found tumblr a safe haven to post my free & joyful naked art and photos. 

i don’t know what kind of world we are coming to - in 2018 - when the naked female body really causes so much distress because people are so afraid of the power it represents.

i was so, so, so excited to post my non-censored album cover here today.

i’ve been working on this album, which is titled THERE WILL BE NO INTERMISSION - for six years, and the album cover, which is full frontal, wasn’t chosen randomly. i knew i’d have to censor it in certain places.

since my last album came out in 2012 (that was “theatre is evil”, my infamous kickstarter record), i’ve been through a lot. i did a TED talk, i wrote a best-selling boo, i had an abortion, i had a son, i moved to the woods, i lost my very best friend to cancer, i had a miscarriage on christmas day shortly after, i watched trump march into the white house, and then i watched brett kavanaugh march into the supreme court.

but all this time, women were marching. louder and louder. i watched women all over the globe light fires in one another’s hearts and brains. i watched women step up and bravely, shamelessly, graphically tell their truths. 

THIS IS WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.

when women are brave and shameless, we are unstoppable.

i am shameless.

i have no shame.

when did that become an insult, to be “shameless”?

WHO WANTS SHAME?

FUCK SHAME.

this record contains 10 of the most honest, vulnerable, funny, sad, dark, and (definitely) shameless songs i’ve ever written. the production is drum-tight, with very few drums: it’s mostly piano and ukulele with a smattering of other instruments, but it’s raw AF.

you can see the full cover, order the record, get tour tickets, etc, here on my website. the first single i dropped is also up there. go listen. the full album drops march 8th and the US/CANADA tour is on sale now.

https://nointermission.amandapalmer.net/

i love you all.

go forth in shamelessness.

The Change is coming.

x

a

“I’m a demon,” Dearu said under their breath before turning away to pretend to sleep.

“What was that?” Sam asked.

“Didn’t say anything,” they lied, still turned away from the teenager. Sam kept his eyes on his supposed cousin.

“Be honest, are we really related?” He asked, causing Dearu to tense up. They sat up and slowly looked over at their little cousin.

“Why do you ask?” A moment’s silence followed by “because I want to know.” Dearu cleared their throat and started tugging at the carpet.

“Of course. That’s what your mother said, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, but she couldn’t even remember how you are related. Besides… my mom is an only child.” Dearu choked on some spit they sucked up and started pulling at the carpet faster.

“I… uh…”

“Caught you. Tell me the truth!” They leaned back, then forward, tugging at the carpet.

“I’m a demon,” they muttered again. Sam leaned closer.

“You’re a what?”

“A demon.” A long pause of silence fell across the room and Dearu could feel themselves shrinking into themselves more and more with every passing silent moment.

“No, I’m being serious,” Sam said after a while.

“Go on inside. You’ll be cold!” Dearu did as instructed and immediately started studying their surroundings for exits and passages.

“Make yourself at home!” Dearu sat on the couch,  immediately melting into it. They had never felt anything so soft and comfortable in their life. While lost in their moans and groans of pleasure, Dearu didn’t notice a young teenaged boy enter the room.

“Uh…” The voice was awkward. Dearu shot up in the seat and stopped making the sounds he was making.

“You having sex with my couch?” The boy quipped. Dearu blinked and scoffed.

Because tumblr isn’t a book of mine. It’s, at its best, a community, which includes a number of things, and sexuality is one of the things it includes.

I’ve got about 400,000 people following me here, and I’ve never stopped to investigate what any of them are or what they like. But sometimes I’ll click on the tumblr of someone who’s asked a good question or reblogged with an interesting comment, and found myself in very NSFW places. So assuming that people who like pop culture cannot also like nakedness, sex, or figuring out their sexuality in a safe space, would seem to me like a misguided assumption.

I was impressed by this piece on Medium today: https://medium.com/@vexashley/porn-on-tumblr-a-eulogy-love-letter-6d45e70fefff which is far more knowledgeable about these things than I am.

Check out therapistaid.com. There’s worksheets there that you can download for free.

Of course it would be a lot more beneficial if you have a therapist to help you through it but not everyone has access to one.

It’s a free site where you can have free downloads of worksheets on many things.

If there’s something there that you think would be helpful, print it out and complete the worksheet on your own.

https://psychologytools.com/

https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/

https://www.actmindfully.com.au/free_resources_worksheets,_handouts_and_book_chapters

https://www.anxietybc.com/

http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/consumers.cfm

Actual Depression: bloodshot eyes, no longer trust themselves with pencils, has not showered in five days

Quirky OCD: organized books, clean room, color coordinated outfits

Actual OCD: Intrusive thoughts, flipping the light switch 8 times so you don’t stab your brother, picking holes in your skin

Cute eating disorders: Slim trim and beautiful, shyly refusing a second helping, dancer aesthetic

Actual eating disorders: Puffy cheeks and eroded teeth from excessive vomiting, hair growing over your freezing body and refusing to eat carrots because they’re too high in carbs

Adorable anxiety: just a smol bean, soft, must be protected from the world

Actual anxiety: crying so hard you throw up, shaking, losing sleep over a period after the “okay”

RPG PTSD: flashbacks, vietnam, u don’t know what i’ve been through kiddo

Actual PTSD: Buying your first pregnancy test at twelve, flinching at high fives, i can’t feel my hands where am I what year is it

Cartoon ADHD: look a squirrel, something shiny, fidgety loveable bufoon

Actual ADHD: rereading the same page over and over because it doesn’t make sense, hasn’t done the laundry in four months, hyperfocusing on a mushroom knowing you have work to do

the 629 started wips of mine that have been sitting untouched for 84 years: