Running wild and Fighting the Plums

i’m such a “i want your attention” but “don’t wanna bother you” kinda person

Over twenty years ago my big brother got me a job at a Taco Bell in the St. Louis suburbs-West County. He warned me that it was the “gay Taco Bell”, but since I was coming from the “gay Howard Johnson’s” I wasn’t shocked. It turns out it was the black trans women Taco Bell complete with black trans women in management. And they’d worked out an arrangement with the local teen Narcotics Anonymous group so that twice a week we would shut down the drive thru and the dining room and exclusively serve 60+ teens in various stages of recovery. And many of the women I worked with were in various stages of being out or transitioning and they were from all generations from teens to over 50. One woman I worked with had a regular corporate job presenting as a man 9-5 Mon-Fri and then came to Taco Bell and worked 6pm -2am Friday and Saturday night so she could be herself surrounded by other black transwomen in those stolen weekends. And we had customers come from all over the metro area because they knew they could be themselves in the dining room. I only worked there from 1999-2001 but for young me, this was a vital, formative experience. Some of the girls came from north city all the way out to the “gay Taco Bell” on Manchester in west county because they heard it was safe to work there. Like- I know times have changed but they haven’t changed much in 20 years. I’m still convinced that for lgbt youth, finding a job at your city’s version of the “gay Taco Bell” is key to survival.

Thank u for sharing this with us

Looking back on it the funniest part of the super bowl is that everyone was so busy being racist that they failed to notice that not a single performer was straight with the exception of Bad Bunny who’s already gone on record basically saying “I’m straight at the moment but things change idk ask me again tomorrow”

(nods sagely) (nods basily) (nods rosemarily) (nods saltly) (nods star anisely)

sometimes, i will realize, 'oh, i didn't need to prepare so much' or 'i didn't need to be so hard on myself.' these difficulties that i bring upon myself often do not make the situation better, and they just wear me down physically and mentally. i'm more productive and more authentic when i'm kinder to myself. life becomes easier, whether or not life is truly easy

I appreciate the people reassuring me in the comments so much haha but don’t worry I wasn’t upset! I found it funny + it was an understandable mistake anyway since I was deliberately trying to imitate that vibe, just wanted to clear up that it was art because I evidently forgot to when I initially posted it

I just got described as an "ad hating commie" by someone because I said a minute of youtube ads is unpleasant. fully spent 5 minutes arguing and defending youtube ads. insane stuff

reblog if you are an ad hating commie

yeah yeah rainbow capitalism is bad and whatever but like. when I was a child, being pro gay was not the popular or lucrative choice. I'm happy that times have changed.

I miss rainbow capitalism. I do. I miss when it felt like public opinion was still pro gay. I understand it was always an empty gesture, but it mattered in a sense of knowing how socially acceptable being queer is. If that makes sense.

the music made this one of the most hilarious things i have ever seen, thank you so much.

GJJGJRKGNH THE MUSIC GOES UNDERWATER WITH THE TURTLE