Mothman Librarian

in aotearoa, june isn’t our pride, it’s theirs. marsha p johnson and sylvia rivera are their historical figures, not ours. the phrase that “you owe your rights to Black trans women” is true there, but here we owe our rights to (mostly) Māori historical figures. i have the freedoms i do because of the legacy of an entirely different set of people operating in an entirely different context at entirely different times.

But because of american cultural imperialism, most queer people in Aotearoa don’t even know our own queer history. Carmen Rupe, Ngahuia Te Awekotuku, the Dorian Society, Gillian Laundon, Georgina Beyer, and the Wolfenden Association are some of our queer history. We should know their names! we should know what they did for us! but because of the power of the american imperial machine, we don’t.

our national pride month should be july, the month that the Homosexual Law Reform Act passed in 1989. our two largest cities hold their pride festivals in february and march, respectively. american queer history has very little (or nothing, depending on who you ask) to do with our queer history. anecdotally, from my own queries, queer youth in aotearoa know more about american queer history than our own.

Thinking about how in episode 1 we get a front row seat to Shane and Ilya’s first intimate moments, and it’s sweet and sexy and fun. How we’re along for the journey as much as they are.

Thinking about episode 2 and we’re watching Ilya watch Shane, but we’re the ones who really see them.

Thinking about episode 4 at Ilya’s house, how we start out so far away before we press in so close, like we’re right there with them. Thinking about how the frottage almost feels too painful to witness, but they don’t let us look away. How Shane and Ilya lock eyes with us at the end of the episode: I see you. Do you see me?

Thinking about episode 5 and how they shut us out of the Tampa hotel room, like what happens there is too fragile and new to let anyone else see.

> disables a new AI feature that was turned on by default

> opens my email

> disables a new AI feature that was turned on by default

> launches a software

I wanted to give Harrison Browne his flowers in what little way I could so here’s this quick portrait. What an inspirational human being. (And the only pro hockey player on the damn show.)

Best of luck in all of your endeavors. I hope Connors got his room service.