I exist because I can

A mated pair of female kunpengopterus, nuzzling and preening on a warm summer evening

"They were a good person and people still died because they didn't put trust in anyone else" ← is so fucking good but people don't fucking appreciate it

"They were a good person and they failed. Over and over again. They failed." ← DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND HOW DELICIOUS THAT IS!?!?

Every form of abuse commonly perpetuated by teachers is also commonly perpetuated by parents and therapists.

Every form of abuse commonly perpetuated by therapists is also commonly perpetuated by parents and teachers.

Yet discussion of abuse by any one of those agents is always met with the response that the other two agents can solve it, like a constant, depressing three-way loop.

And it not being socially acceptable to talk about your own childhood is super alienating. Sometimes people want to know why, and any answer you can give them is going to be off putting.

One of them said something like, "it doesn't bother me that [Friend] was in residential mental health treatment, I just wish they wouldn't talk about it ALL the time".

The other replied, "Well, that was all of last year for them. So when they say 'when I was in treatment,' it's like when you say 'last year'."

and the thing that really gets to me is how quickly people gloss over that part. that erasure is exactly what makes trans men feel like the canaries in the coal mine here: we were the first group she tested that rhetoric on, and the fact that it barely registers in the larger conversation just proves how easy it is to overlook us.

yes, she’s violently transphobic toward trans women, and that absolutely deserves attention. but it’s strange watching everyone act like it started there. it isn’t a competition, but the sequence matters because it shows a pattern.

And people are either completely unaware of Abigail Shrier, or, as someone did just recently, they claim the "irreversible damage" rhetoric is just "condescension" and not harmful

You have to keep your hair out of your makeup, put on and remove clothing carefully, remember not to touch your face or rest your face on things, not let yourself sweat or cry. Wind and water can ruin your makeup, kisses or caresses from loved ones can ruin your makeup, eating food can ruin your makeup, your cat nuzzling you can ruin your makeup, rolling in sand or grass or soft blankets can ruin your makeup, physical exertion can ruin your makeup. Anything spontaneous and exciting and joyful can ruin your makeup.

In honor of Pride month I want to share this comic I made about growing up queer. We live in a world that tries to cut us down, I am so glad I stayed around long enough to write stories about finding the light. If your looking for more Black, Queer, and Magical storytelling consider backing FLY on kickstarter