Hello all self shippers, and happy May! Say, are you MLM? Masc aligned? An LGBTQ ally? Well we've got an event for you! Starting May 3rd, we are hosting a community-wide event called "MLMAY", specifically focused on male self shippers with male F/O's! During this event we want to encourage queer pride, self expression, inter-community support, and building up our self shipping brothers!

The event was first proposed by @tuff-and-fluff, when she noticed how little mainstream attention MLM self shippers got in the community. It was handed off and is now being run by 5 lovely MLM self shippers!

✨The Purpose:✨

It's an unfortunate fact that mainstream self shipping is seen as an activity for straight women and girls. Queer self shippers are often glanced over, left out, ignored, bullied, and even harassed by the rest of the community at large. This includes MLM, many of which face a myriad of homophobia and transphobia in their ask boxes. We are criticized for doing the same things female self shippers are praised for, and can often feel excluded in community events and spaces.

We want MLM self shippers to show pride in their identities, and their ships! We also want to build support between them and the rest of the community, showing them that they are loved, and not alone.

✨The Schedule:✨

May 3rd - 9th: F/O TAKEOVER

May 10th - 23rd: SELF SHIP ART, DRAWING + WRITING PROMPTS

May 24th - 31st: TO MY S/I

We will post more specific info on each segment before they begin, so make sure to check back for those posts!

"HOW CAN I JOIN?"

If you are MLM, you can participate in any of the three segments throughout the month; and you can hop in at any time! Look on our blog during the month for specific ideas. Even if you don't follow the set timeline, you can still get involved throughout the month any other way you want! Make art of you and you're F/O(s)! Make pride art! Write about your ship! Write meta and headcanons about your F/O(s)! Make positivity posts for MLM self shippers and queer shipping! Anything you create, use the tag #mlmay2021 !

"I'M NOT MLM, CAN I STILL GET INOLVED?"

Yes! We highly encourage allies to get involved in this event by showing their support! Reblog MLM shippers creations! Boost their blogs! Ask them about their ships! Send them messages of love and support! If you're feeling particularly generous, you can gift MLM shippers with drawings or other creative work! Please keep all contributions respectful, and understanding. Most importantly, please do not fill the tag with your own, unrelated art/posts. this event is specifically for and about MLM, and the focus should be on them. instead; Do whatever you can to make sure MLM in the community feel welcomed, included, and loved!

✨Note: If you plan to come onto this blog, or blogs of others to send hate, shame or homophobia, don't bother. Anyone who acts this way will be immediately blocked and ignored. This is a self-made event for our own positivity, it does not need your input.✨

These can be answered by s/i's or f/o's! Please practice reblog karma and send and ask to whoever you reblog this from!

🏳️‍🌈 - What is your sexuality?

🚪 - Did you ever have to 'come out' to him? What was his reaction?

⏲️ - How long have you two been together? What did you think of him prior to dating?

♂️ - What is masculinity to you? Do you feel very connected to this part of yourself, or somehow estranged from it?

💇 - How would you say you present, gender-wise? Have you ever struggled to find your look, or what made you most comfortable?

🛹 - Do you have any traditionally "boyish" hobbies? What about him? What got you into these things?

😵 - Do you have any shared memories that were awkward back then, but you laugh about now?

🌈 - Which one of you would you say is more open, or prideful about their identity? Is this difficult for the other person?

💅 - Have you ever done each others' makeup, or nails? If not, would you consider?

🎭 - How comfortable are you around each other? Do you do odd things / rituals you'd never do around anyone else?

👕 - What are your dress styles like? How are they different? Do you ever share clothes?

👖 - What is your favourite thing he wears? What about his of yours?

👑 - Do you have expensive tastes?

👥 - How public / open are you about your relationship? Do you prefer to keep things more private, "nobodys business"; or do you tell everyone you know?

🛏️ - Be honest, who hogs the blankets?

🏀 - Do you play or have you ever been into sports? If so, what? Do they join in?

🐘 - Is one of you taller? Does the other get jealous?

❄️ - Does one of you run very hot, or cold? Does this ever present problems?

🎶 - How would you describe his voice?

🏔️ - If you could take him one place, where would it be? Why?

👨‍❤️‍👨- Are there nicknames you love to call him? How does he feel about or react to these?

💦 - What makes you worry about him? Is it something he does, or something situational? What does he say about it?

💧 - What makes him cry that you don't understand, or vice versa?

🔥 - What is some little action or thing he does that drives you wild?

🎮 - Have you ever indulged in one if his hobbies? What did you think?

🖌️ - Are you creative at all? Does he inspire you?

✒️ - How do you feel about poetry? Would you ever write about him, or, have you read any that makes you think of him?

💭 - What do you hope he thinks about you?

💎 - What is the greatest compliment he's ever given you? Why did this mean so much?

💪 - What is your favourite part of him, physically?

🧠 - What is your favourite part of him, mentally?

Hello again all! Tomorrow, May 3rd starts the first day of MLMAY and thus the MLMAY takeover! We want everyone to be able to find things easily during this event; so on any post you make relating to the takeover, use the tag #mlmaytakesover2021 (including the s) along with the main tag!

✨Some ground rules for this takeover:✨

Since this is for MLM, only male s/is and primarily male f/os should be used! (Of course this also includes masc-aligned and nonbinary people! But you must lean masculine at least some of the time)

Only MLM should be participating in the takeover, however allies are highly encouraged to send asks and interact with MLM shippers you find in the tag! This is the time to go out and show your support!

You may use any kind of ask game or ask prompt you wish! (But we will be posting some of our own if you'd like to take a look!)

All of the other restrictions on our blog apply, aka no pr*sh!p, ant!-ant!, ageing up fo/s, or naz! / ped* characters.

Most importantly, remember to have fun!!!

This takeover will continue through May 9th, so enjoy the week while it lasts!

Hello again self shippers! I hope that everyone had a great fo takeover, because now we're onto the next phase of MLMAY! From the 10th thru the 23rd, participants are encouraged to create artwork centered around their self ships! These can be drawings, writing, playlists, edits, gifs, quizzes, positivity posts, etc etc! Let your creativity run wild!

We will be posting prompts all throughout these next two weeks to give you ideas, as well as our own creations and imagines that self shippers can enjoy even if they are not artists themselves! Anything you create, tag with #mlmay2021 !

On another important note, the intention of this event is to bring attention and love to all MLM shippers in this community. Of course just participating in these events is always fun, but we really want to bring more support and attention to MLM shippers, boost their voices! So we are calling both MLM and supporters alike to action! Search through blogs we have boosted, or in the tag! Reblog their self promos! Reblog and like their art or posts! Leave nice tags! Send them asks! Follow if you like their stuff! Assure them they are just as welcome and appreciated as any other shipper. Even if it's not what you'd usually reblog, even if you don't follow, even if you don't send long or "beautifully worded" asks, we encourage any active support. A little effort goes a long way in making someone feel loved and seen.

Please help us find people to boost! if you or an MLM shipper you know has done something creative for this event, or in the past that they'd like attention on, @ us in that post, and we will queue it!

✨As always, excluding boosting and support, we ask that you only participate if you somehow identify with the MLM label✨

Hi again, all! I wanted to clarify and reword a few things from our previous posts. The mods have unfortunately seen a lot of nonbinary people feeling unwelcomed, or excluded In this event. This really saddens me, as I (mod Jay) myself am nonbinary! I believe in previous posts I've been rather vague about who can participate, and that's on me. I never wanted to imply any sort of gatekeeping of who is and is not "MLM enough", that is your own personal choice to make.

There have also been a few people I've seen uncomfortable or confused with my wording that "you must lean masculine at least some of the time". As this event is focused on homosexuality and men in the community, we would be uncomfertable with say, cis girls or demigirls for example joining. I was trying to discourage that. however, I was mistaken on what the term meant and it led some to believe that only masculine men could join.

So let me clarify right now: NBLM are ABSOLUTELY welcome in this event! This includes enbies who are not masc leaning in presentation, enbies who do not have typically "manly" traits or hobbies, enbies who identify with many labels, and enbies who are not always male; or are more fluid (such as bigender and genderfluid people). Also, ALL MLM men are COMPLETELY welcome in this event! This includes feminine men, GNC men, men who are not strictly "gay" (such as bisexuals and pansexuals), ace men, trans men who cannot pass or do not want to pass, etc!

If you feel you are not "masc enough" to join, we are reassuring you that YOU ARE! And I'm sorry we ever implied that you weren't. We want you here, we want you participating! And we want you to show your pride and identity, too.

Yes of course! Look, we're not going to go through every single participant and interrogate them, or gatekeep whether they're "MLM enough". Gender and sexuality is complicated, and ultimately it is your choice whether or not you connect with the MLM label. The label itself is intended as a catch-all and more inclusive!