Cinder's Place

But given that it’s a pain to seek out each one one by one, I’ve got a list of links in order a smidge further down! Please try to support Dark Horse Comics if you can, but if you’re broke like me and still want to read, the Internet is a beautiful place. According to the wiki page, there are at least two more installments to come, scheduled for May 1st and June 5th, but there’s no real update schedule for the series as a whole.

Do note: they are graphic, gory, and sad, with a lot of body horror. But they’re really fantastic.

Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites contains: 1. Stray 2. The Unfamiliar 3. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie 4. A Dog and His Boy 5. The Gathering Storm 6. Lost 7. Something Whiskered This Way Comes 8. Grave Happenings

9. Sacrifice (Hellboy Crossover)

Beasts of Burden: Neighborhood Watch contains: 10. Food Run 11. Story Time 12. The View From The Hill (the one in this post!)

"The 'God Made Trans People' billboard is stupid! God didn't make me! I'm an atheist!" Okay. The billboard sits along a major highway in Kansas. We can deduce that the target audience is not you—it's the centrist evangelical Christians driving along that road who could probably be persuaded to become allies as long as we choose our words carefully and don't make them feel attacked for not already knowing everything about trans rights issues. Another one I see a lot is, "We shouldn't be talking about how right-wing legislation catches [privileged in-group] in the crossfire when [marginalized out-group] suffers far more!" I know. I agree with you. Which is why you and I are not the intended audience of this argument!

The entire point of rhetoric is to win over someone who doesn't already fully agree with you. In this case, let's say that someone is Jennifer, the moderate center-right mom in your neighborhood who doesn't really know or care about transgender issues but would be absolutely horrified by the idea of her teenage daughter having to submit to an invasive inspection of her body just to be allowed to play soccer. Tell her, "Banning trans students from sports will inevitably subject all student athletes to invasive gender-policing," or "Legal restrictions on gender-affirming care will make it harder for you to access the hormone replacement therapy you take to treat menopause symptoms," and she is more likely to question her existing beliefs and listen to the rest of what you have to say than if you lead with leftist talking points that she already has a calcified opinion about or which she thinks do not personally affect her.

Your perspectives matter. Your representation matters. You are not bothersome for demanding equal treatment in fandom. It is not your responsibility to make fandom more welcoming and inclusive to you. It is not your sole responsibility to create all of the Black-centered content. You are not "ruining" anyone's fun for demanding better for yourself, and anyone who says otherwise can go fuck themselves. Any fandom worth being a part of should have no room for racism in it.

Black people in fandom, you are wanted. You are needed. You are loved and appreciated. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Reformed Chrysalis 🪲