The Seven-K Serial

But conceptually I see a lot of other connections too.

it kind of reminds me of how the nazis conceived of “degenerate art.” to the nazis, their vision of “good” art was art that promoted the most conventional, the most nostalgic, the most kitsch, the most neoclassical, the most conservative, the most comfortable. Thus, they despised modernist art from movements such as the impressionists and the expressionists, particularly work that depicted the horrors of war (rather than an uncomplicated view of war as an honorable enterprise) such as the work of Otto Dix. Obviously there was also a blunt, vulgar motive to simply discriminate against Jewish artists and anyone who was “influenced by Jewish or non-Aryan ideals” but there was also a formal artistic basis as well.

one could even say that the nazi party censored and burned avant-garde art as a grotesque act of “self-care.” I think there are conceptual echoes of that in every “why i left the left” thonkpiece. Or in the contemporary appropriation by reactionary white people of the term “Black Fatigue,” wherein racist white people complain they are “tired” of seeing and/or interacting with Black people.

Even though Walt Disney died decades ago, I think it’s still worth analyzing his idea of a completely curated amusement park that utterly immersed the guests in a cohesive pampered experience. That was, essentially, the idea that Walt was attempting to achieve when he opened Disney Land in 1955, and there has not, in my opinion, really been a coherent break from that goal after he died and after the construction of subsequent Disney theme parks. Workers have described disney parks as, essentially, high-control environments for them, with extremely strict standards for their behavior, language, and appearance, and Walt Disney World in Florida has a history of relying heavily on workers from economically oppressed backgrounds such as Haitian immigrants (especially for the worst jobs like custodial positions!), and the pay and benefits were always pretty bad.

But all of those very real issues with the working conditions are concealed to park visitors, so as not to break the illusion, the “disney magic.”

we get asked this sometimes. well...turns out y'all show us exactly how, every day.

you've submitted nearly 100 of your own "it gets better" stories in our asks so far this year alone. most of them aren't referencing a big political win or huge moment of cultural change. more often than not, it's about the little things. you've told us how things got better for you after:

-finding a label that suits your identity

-coming out to a friend, family member, or even just yourself

-moving to a new place or school

-hearing your voice after starting hrt

-finally fitting in with a chosen family

-finding a style that makes you feel confident

-someone in your life learning to accept you

-receiving your first binder or a new haircut

-getting your first apartment or going to college and feeling free

-being in a loving, accepting relationship or partnership

this is what "better" often looks like - small moments of queer joy or positive change, a little bit at a time, that give you hope and propel you forward. this is what we work for.

At the 1985 Labour party meet, the motion to support LGBT rights as a party was passed due to a block vote from mining unions.

Writing about an authoritarian theocracy did not make Margaret Atwood an authoritarian theocrat.

Writing about adultery did not make Leo Tolstoy an adulterer.

Writing about a ghost did not make Toni Morrison a ghost.

Writing about a murderer did not make Fyodor Dostoevsky a murderer.

Writing about a teenage addict did not make Isabel Allende a teenage addict.

Writing about dragons and ice zombies did not make George R.R. Martin either of those things.

Writing about rich heiresses, socially awkward bachelors, and cougar widows did not make Jane Austen any of those things.

Writing about people who can control earthquakes did not make N.K. Jemisin able to control earthquakes.

Writing about your favorite characters and/or ships in situations that you choose does not make you a bad person.

Authors are allowed to write morally ambiguous characters.

Authors are allowed to write downright despicable characters - and guess what they are even allowed to make despicable characters charismatic and likeble and the protagonists of their stories if they wish - because absolute monsters exist only under the bed.

It is not up to the author to spoonfeed the readers about morality and Yes I know this character did a bad thing and I am going going to show it in the story and make other characters call them out of it and– Bullshit.

The authors should be able to write what they want without having thousands of people jumping and their throats claiming to know them, their ideas and their morality based on what they write.

The curriculum changed from themes of dystopia and anti nuclear war to survive-because-good-person nonsense like Z for Zachariah. That protagonist was an idiot girl with hope and a shotgun. The ending was stupid. The "villain' had severe PTSD from a nuclear apocalypse. The protagonist wins because she shoots him has a dream that she wants to find survivors and be an elementary school teacher, and steals his hazmat suit.

It was... so... dumb.

Fortunately my sister just leant me the books, but given we learn what 'classics' and 'literature' are in school, my theory is that if suddenly we're told to learn good behavior instead of humanity's subtle complexities from books, that attitude will follow us all our lives.

But my parents both accept me, even my conservative dad!

I got my deed poll signed so now my chosen name is my legal name!

I got listed as a boy on my school sports list!

I am getting published in a magazine for an essay i wrote under my chosen name, life really gets better, i truly am glad i never took my life because then i wouldn't know the joy of being a proud trans omni asexual!