I NO LONGER POST HERE

what you should do

first things first: don’t be a dickhead

when someone comes out to you, whether by telling you they’re gay, trans, etc. they most likely want to have a stronger relationship with you. don’t ruin it by being a jerk

be supportive. even if it’s just a simple “so when do i get to meet your bf/gf?” or “what pronouns do you use now/what name do you want to go by?”. those can mean so much to lgbt people

another way of being supportive is by doing your research. check to make sure what is/isn’t offensive with the person’s identity

understand that the person coming out to you knows their identity. it may change, yes, but in that moment, they know who they are

respect them. they’re still the same person you always knew. they just may have a different identity now. they don’t need to be treated like a stranger

ask questions. as long as you aren’t being disrespectful and you’re trying to learn, most lgbt people will happily answer your questions. don’t be afraid to just ask

understand the things they’ve been through. even in 2019, there are bigots who think everyone needs to be cis and straight. just listen to whoever is coming out to you

what you shouldn’t do

make their coming out about you. this is their moment. don’t ruin it by changing the subject to you

say they’re confused. you don’t know how many times i hear this. they are not confused. they know who they are

say it’s because of a traumatic experience. i mostly hear this said to lesbians but it can still be said to other wlw and mlm and trans people. if it is because of a traumatic experience, it’s fine, just listen to them. if it’s not, don’t push it and try to say it is

dead name someone. as in, call them by the name they used to go by. i’m not trans myself, but i know this is a very bad thing and you should never do it. if it’s literally an accident, fine, but don’t keep doing it.

act like they’re still straight/cis. they’re not. if they’re lesbian, don’t ask when they’ll marry a man. if they’re gay, don’t ask when they’ll marry a woman. it’s not that hard

act like it’s the world’s greatest crime. they aren’t doing it to spite you. they’re coming out to you because that’s who they are

say “sexuality is fluid.” in some cases, yes, sexuality can be fluid. but if you just don’t want them to have a label, don’t say this. if they say they’re gay, don’t say “well you might change your mind. sexuality is fluid.” just don’t

say they’re too young. as i’ve said before, whoever is coming out to you knows who they are. some people discover who they are at a young age while others discover who they are when they’re older

disown them. they’re still your child/friend/family member. don’t act like they never existed just because they aren’t who you wanted them to be

try to put a different label on them. my own mother tries to tell me i’m bisexual when i’m literally only attracted to women. i’m a lesbian. don’t try to call a gay person bisexual, don’t try to call a trans person something they’re not. doing this can make a gay person’s compulsory heterosexuality and internalized homophobia way worse, and can make a trans person’s dysphoria worse

And don’t try to “compromise” on names or pronouns. Will it be a hard habit to get into? Yes. Will it feel weird or uncomfortable at first? Yes. But it’s part of who they are and it’s so disrespectful and upsetting and transphobic - no matter how supportive and accepting you think you are - to not even try.

This is what’s going to make them feel happiest and most comfortable. You need to support that.

Queer Chemistry Pins and T-Shirt

Yas Petit Poulet on Etsy

- You are the only one capable of building complex, planned structures. You are alone. You don’t remember building the temples or houses you come across.

- You are alone. You are the only one like you in the entire world.

- Villagers keep their hands clasped beneath long robes. You’ve never seen a villager’s hand. Sometimes you wonder if they have them at all.

- The villagers all have the same empty green eyes. They have completely different anatomy from you. They’re humanoid, but not human. Are you?

- The undead, however, have your face and your clothes. They seem closer to you than the villagers.

- You’re alone. You are the only one like you in the world.

- All caves are the same. You’ve been in a ravine like this one. Maybe you’ve been in this ravine. You’ve visited it countless times. No matter which way you turn, you stumble into it.

- No matter which way you turn, there’s more caves. Sometimes there’s torches. You’ve been here. You still can’t get out. Sometimes there’s not torches. Sometimes you give up escape and decide to explore ever deeper.

- You wonder if you’ve ever seen the surface, or if you were born in these caves with a vibrant imagination.

- You are the only living thing in this world. 

- You come across dusty, abandoned mineshafts and rusty minecarts with loot at the bottom. You don’t remember building these or leaving anything behind. You wouldn’t shore up the walls with wooden posts. You know this world better than that.

- Then why does shoring up the walls seem logical? You don’t remember a world before this one. Why does this one feel so strange, sometimes even irrational?

- You’re alone. You are the only one like you in the world. You’re being watched. 

- The caves aren’t yours. You’re the only one in them, but they’re not yours. They belong to something else - someone else, and you both know it.

- You’re alone in the world. You’re not alone in the caves. Their breathing and occasional humming echo in the stony corridors.

- Maybe the caves themselves are breathing. Singing.

- You are the only living thing in this world. The world itself, however, is alive.

- You make up stories for everything you build. You forget they’re just stories.

- The world sings to you. You clutch its music close and hope it never stops. In the silence after each song, you’re alone.

- You’re alone. You are the only one like you in the world, for this world is honest. You are being watched, for you are not.

- You’re the only living thing in this world. The world is alive. You are not alive the same way.

h