Today is the International Day Against LGBTQIA+ Discrimination, and this year’s theme is “At the heart of democracy” - a reminder that truly democratic societies must be grounded in justice and freedom for everyone. Here’s five moments of queer activism we've come across while making our queer history podcast to celebrate the role queer people play in bringing this about!

Aphobia exists as an insidious but ignored undercurrent. It often takes less visible forms than homo-, bi- and transphobia. Less overt. You seldom hear about people beaten up in the street because they are aro or ace. Instead the violence tends to happen behind locked doors and come from intimate partners.

You don't hear much about aro and ace people at all to be honest. Because of erasure. When someone does open up about being asexual, the reactions are usually full of ridicule and invalidation. But the majority of people don't even know what asexual or aromantic means. Sex ed classes don't mention the possibility of people being ace or aro. Aspec people grow up thinking that something is wrong with them because they have never heard that you can lack attraction.

And if they seek out a professional and ask if something is wrong with them, they are likely to be told that there is. Because even medical professionals don't know what asexuality and aromanticism are about and often see a lack of attraction as a symptom. An aspec person is also more likely than most to fall victim to conversion therapy.

The worst thing isn't pathologization/medicalization though. Not in my opinion at least. I think the worst is when ace and aro people are viewed as less human. Romantic love and sexual attraction are often seen as universal human experiences. Aspec people are compared to robots, aliens, animals... And that's a very slippery slope. That's the sort of thinking that leads people to ascribe less value to an aro or ace person's life. The sort of thinking that might make an aspec person ascribe less value to their own life.

It's been only 26 years since the World Health Organization ended their classification of homosexuality as a mental disorder.

International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia is a real reminder that any system that excludes or deprioritizes trans people is harmful and incomplete.

L to R: Crocus, Hermes, Aphroditus, Dionysus, and Athena, arranged in no particular order

Close-ups:

Hermes: Crocus, stand still. We ought to be composed for this very official and important portrait.

Crocus: But what if... cheeky cheek kiss.

Character designs from and for my webcomic, Flowers for the Messenger God

SOFT&PUNK IDAHOBIT ARTWORK

HAPPY PRIDE, FORMATTING ON TUMBLR IS HELL!!!

Also, i made this!

Happy pride month to all my siblings, gay, aro, lesbian, ace, bi, pan, demi, agender, nonbinary, achillean, sapphic, and all identites under the rainbow, even the obscure microlabels

We deserve sunshine

Highly recommend looking at others pride post, they probably look prettier than mine haha.

HAPPY PRIDE