Feral corner of the world.

There have always been people like us. Queer, atypical, strange, in any and all ways that presents. We might have different words for what we experience. We might not conceive of those experiences under remotely the same framework. Yet if there is one thing reading about history has taught me, it's that no matter how far back you go, you will always find a reflection of somebody from today.

And we can point to the big names, the myths, the icons. We can latch on to the stories of Inanna, to Hatshepsut, to scraps from Sappho, to Alexander's grief, to what we can guess about Shakespeare, and what we know about d'Aubigny and d'Eon, Anne Lister and James Barry, Stormé DeLarverie and Martha P Johnson. I won't ever deny the importance of knowing those names, those lives, and what they achieved within the context of their time.

But history is a pinhole through which we view the past. How many more people must have done or thought or desired as we do for even a single name to have passed down? We have the records of those in power, who determined what society looked like, what was right or wrong, what punishments would be meted out to transgressors. We also know transgression was a fact of life. Inevitable, no matter how hard or how softly it was pushed to the fringes.

This is what gives me hope, above all else. The simple, eternal truth that rules and convention and whole-hearted hate cannot extinguish human variety. That people have never once all fit neatly into the boxes we build for ourselves.

We are here.

We have always been here.

yes, India made legal gender change impossible but my friends have always gendered me correctly and stick to it even when it confuses other people and my friend's little sibling calls me older brother in Kannada yes, India made legal gender change impossible but my dog learned my new name quicker than the humans and she runs to give me a kiss when she's told to without being confused about who's being referred to

yes, India made legal gender change impossible but I can feel the Adam's apple growing in my throat and my muscles getting stronger, and my smile more real and I'm growing a beard, and I talk more freely

talk to your coworkers about this. remember that the "taking advice from everyone except the experts" thing cuts both ways. you can be the non-expert guy at work who isnt an expert and gives someone advice they decide to follow based on vibes, but your advice can be the right advice instead. this is something we can all do.

So some fanartist drew a “sexy” (read: booby) version of a (cartoon) character who is traditionally very non-sexualised. Fans of the character got mad about it because it’s kind of groundbreaking how that character is written and portrayed and this art totally ignores the entire point of the character. They demanded the art be deleted. In response to that other people said, well what the fanartist did may be distateful but they have every right to draw what they’re into. The two sides fight for days and each starts a harassment campaign and even report their “opponents’” accounts.

So far so typical. But things eventually come to a head and they decide that this will be settled by votes - not through a poll. Through donations to a children’s education charity via each side’s portal. Whoever can get the highest amount of donation wins.