Can you help me feel a little less strange?

“The nonbinary pronoun ‘they’ has been added to the dictionary.” - x  

Like I thought I was just acquaintances with this person because they never told me details about themselves and we just talked movies and writing . But then they made time to have coffee with me and they showed up out of breath because they ran. Like. RAN to be on time for coffee with me?

And I was like “i don’t mind waiting” cause I never want to run

But they said they wanted every minute they could get because I’m so busy usually

Which is when it clicked that I didn’t get how much they considered me a friend because I just straight away didn’t see MY signs of affection in them and went “cool! Casual buds it is.” But now that I’m seeing their signs of affection, I feel a little silly for dismissing them like that even though I felt like we could be best bros.

TOUCH got a bro that likes to give high fives? Back slaps? Are they a hugger? Do they not blink an eye at cuddles?

QUALITY TIME this bro will (as op stated) sprint to spend every minute possible with you. Every second that you guys are together is a declaration of affection.

WORDS does your bro tell you how amazing and great and fantastic and wonderful you are all the time? Guess what…?

GIFTS do they buy you coffee? Snacks, energy drinks, spot you at the restaurant? Did that one key chain removed you of them? Ding ding!

ACTS are they always doing things for you? Ie: Nah bro, I got this, I can do that, need me to get anything for you, I can help with…?

The metaphor of Steven fusing with himself works on so many levels that it’d probably take an academic paper to dissect it all. Besides being generally applicable to self-love while also completing Steven’s story arc, it is also about parental heritage. It affirms that you’re not your parents and you don’t have to be. You’re not the mess they left behind, you’re more than your blood or genes, more than your ancestors, more than the abuse that runs in your family. You don’t have to perpetuate their mistakes. It is also, however, a beautiful allegory for being transgender.

The way that the diamonds try to negate his identity, calling him by the  wrong name and pronouns, mirrors what trans people have to go through  in their every day life. Family not accepting them, denying that things are broken, trying to control the trans person. White Diamond literally forces Steven to convert into the  person she wrongly believes him to be, harming and almost killing him in the process. Of course he is not going to be that person, because he can’t be. He’ll be Steven. Only injured and weakened because of her actions. There is this moment where Steven looks at himself and realises that he should have been certain all along. He wasn’t confused. The diamonds were. The emotions spill over as he experiences a deep recognition of the Self. An unbelievable joy created by finally knowing yourself, accepting yourself, loving yourself! Connie helps him get there. She delivers Steven to himself but she never directs the narrative. She carries him where he can’t go, but he tells her where that is. She is a shining example of what being an ally truly means. Without her, Steven would not have survived. And especially after this incredible weekend of outpouring support in H.Bomberguy’s livestream, the power of trans allyship becomes ever so clearer.

”I don’t need you to respect me, I respect me I don’t need you to love me, I love me But I want you to know you could know me If you change your mind" Even though the real world is a much more dangerous place and this can be considered a naive attitude, it struck me

This is a beautiful and encouraging message for all marginalized groups, this is an episode for the Other. It is a utopian vision which we sometimes need. We need the reminder that even though there is cruelty, there is also love. And we need to love ourselves, too. We deserve it.

I love this because I need hope.