this is a discourse blog

Here’s some major points:

- there is more rep besides Bow’s dads

- possible lgbt romance (!!)

- etheria is an accepting world, “a world with gender dynamics”

- Noelle is very excited to tell these stories as a gay woman and wants to avoid “ pitfalls that could be harmful or upsetting to certain viewers who are marginalized”

- dreamworks is really supportive of the representation

- ‪Aimee also made sure to clarify she didn’t spoil Bow’s dads for “news” and that she just is so excited for how interesting and funny they are. she loves how Bow’s dads affect him as a character. ‬

Don’t forget:

> Comparing us to bronies.

> Dismissing our fear over censorship.

> Justifying and excusing antis behavior.

> Sugar-coating homophobia.

> Saying we should “learn our place”.

> Apologies in advance for inevitable harassment spurred by her tweets.

> Trying to speak for the other staff as well.

> Subsequently backpedaling her words from before.

> And pretty much saying that Sheithers/Shaladins are equally to blame for the downfall of the fandom.

“New plan: I’m gonna refuse to listen to reason, tell real people that they are garbage and doxx them over what fiction characters they ship. But I’m a nice person~ because I won’t go as far as threatening bodily harm~”

You really think this is activism?? You thing you’re protecting anyone with this bullshit??

You’re talking about ruining real people’s real lives over some fictional headcannons you don’t agree with. That is not ok. It will never be ok.

Doxxing is seriously messed up. So many innocent people have lost their jobs and more because of things like this. All it takes is for one person to spread a slanderous rumour and suddenly the doxxers gather and attack that person, without even checking to see if the rumours were true.

Even a guilty person should not be doxxed. If you come across a person you know is actually causing real harm, and have undeniable proof, then and only then should you act. And you act through the appropriate channels! You report the illegal activity to an authority and leave it to them to deal with!

Nope! I assumed you were being sassy and I was like ‘oh let’s be sassy together.’ It’s seriously MESSED UP how Bryke had Korra heal.

My biggest, B I G G E S T issue was with Zaheer. From the top of season four, we see Korra trying different methods to heal. She goes on a soul-searching journey, she fights others, herself, she meets Toph and learns that some of her trouble may be caused by the poison hidden in her body. That’s all fine. Those are some positive steps, honestly. Korra is acknowledging that something is wrong and taking action to help herself. Now, it would’ve been better had she not been cut off from her friends and support systems, but I’m going to let this slide to get to my next point. 

It would’ve been one thing if Korra went to “face” Zaheer—

We can even model this after Katara facing down Yon Rha with Zuko by her side. She had a clear goal: healing. She had someone who cared about her healing: Zuko. She found her ‘abuser’ and she stood her ground: Katara was able to look Yon Rha in the eye and tell him he was pathetic, weak, and no longer a factor in her life. 

[ the parallels between our brown, water queens would’ve been beautiful… if only Korra had Asami in there with her, silently standing guard and letting Korra tell her abuser that he is nothing ]

—but, Korra went to “see” Zaheer.

BRYKE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO NOT ONLY HAVE KORRA SEE HER ABUSER, BUT GET HELP FROM HER ABUSER.

LET ME REPEAT THAT!!!

SHE GOT HELP FROM HER ABUSER.

Do they have any idea the message they sent to abuse victims? To rape victims? To assault victims? To torture victims? They said: If all these other methods of healing don’t work, go on a mind journey with your abuser and you’ll be all better.

THAT’S HOW THEY HAD HER HEAL COMPLETELY, BY LETTING HER ABUSER HELP HER. TO ME, THAT’S THE EQUIVALENT OF A RAPE VICTIM VISITING HER RAPIST AND HAVING HIM TEACH HER THAT SEX ISN’T SUPPOSED TO BE VIOLENT AND UNWANTED.

I made a comment on a post regarding this and I thought I should make a post about this in general.

Like I said before, Shiro is an Asian, gay man with PTSD and is missing an arm. He is shown to have debilitating attacks that leave him paralysed in dangerous situations. He has been implied to suffer from insomnia and is shown struggling with accepting his prosthetic arm as a part of him. His worst fears are even realised when it does turn on him and has to be sliced off.

People say that giving a disabled character a prosthetic that functions better than a regular arm is a cop out. That only characters shown struggling with pain and the fresh disorientation associated with the loss of a limb are somehow reps for the disabled. But the fact remains that in Shiro’s case that does not apply because he has had at least a year to get accustomed to his arm and while he is shown struggling with it physically the toll it takes is on his psyche. Like that of many people in real life.

Moreover, people with these accusations tend to ignore the most important part of the representation. Shiro is one of the main characters here. He is disabled and despite his occasional panic attacks and issues none of the paladins think any less of him. He is still their idol, hero and friend. They never really care about him being “damaged” or broken and when it really counts are always there for him without coddling him or making him feel insufficient. They are willing to follow his lead to the very end.

And in my honest opinion, I feel like that is an equally important part of representation of those with disabilities. The ability to live like a normal person without being pitied or babied. That you can achieve things and be looked up to. That kind of representation is just as important as say, showing the struggles of having a disability.

As a disabled person myself I want to live life as fully and independently as possible, and I’m sure that I’m not the only one that feels like that.

I firmly believe that every disabled person should be able to use the aids available to them so that they can have as much agency and independence as their circumstances allow them to.

Real talk: prosthetics vary by model and even if Shiro had a prosthetic arm before he’d still have an adjustment period in learning to use his new one, because not even the best prosthetics can completely emulate human limbs. Saying that giving Shiro a new arm is a “cop out”… nah, fam. (Please note that even though I’m not an amputee myself, I roomed with and became friends with a girl who was one during a period in which I was in a skilled care facility and she told me a lot about how her life had changed so I’m going by that.)

Disability aids come in many forms, whether they be prosthetics, mobility aids (I’ve used at various times a wheelchair, a walker, crutches and a cane), or whatever. And yes, as @yorancekoclain said, hearing aids are a disability aid. (I use hearing aids too 🙂)

from the LGBT symbols wiki page

ace flag at stonewall

and some bonus pictures of aces at pride!

You know, I've noticed that ppl don't seem to have a problem with ppl getting annoyed with bi lance, because its usually to ship him with Keith. Why is shiro so different? Why are you so up in arms about how ppl are headcanoning shiro?

The difference.

I made a comment on a post regarding this and I thought I should make a post about this in general.

Like I said before, Shiro is an Asian, gay man with PTSD and is missing an arm. He is shown to have debilitating attacks that leave him paralysed in dangerous situations. He has been implied to suffer from insomnia and is shown struggling with accepting his prosthetic arm as a part of him. His worst fears are even realised when it does turn on him and has to be sliced off.

People say that giving a disabled character a prosthetic that functions better than a regular arm is a cop out. That only characters shown struggling with pain and the fresh disorientation associated with the loss of a limb are somehow reps for the disabled. But the fact remains that in Shiro’s case that does not apply because he has had at least a year to get accustomed to his arm and while he is shown struggling with it physically the toll it takes is on his psyche. Like that of many people in real life.

Moreover, people with these accusations tend to ignore the most important part of the representation. Shiro is one of the main characters here. He is disabled and despite his occasional panic attacks and issues none of the paladins think any less of him. He is still their idol, hero and friend. They never really care about him being “damaged” or broken and when it really counts are always there for him without coddling him or making him feel insufficient. They are willing to follow his lead to the very end.

And in my honest opinion, I feel like that is an equally important part of representation of those with disabilities. The ability to live like a normal person without being pitied or babied. That you can achieve things and be looked up to. That kind of representation is just as important as say, showing the struggles of having a disability.

Right????? It’s so fucking hypocritical!

I’m annoyed at the double standard of, “this person with ambiguous sexuality is gay, he can’t be bi” as a shipping stance in general. I’ve mentioned that before.

Especially when it transfers to, “but this person with crystal clear sexuality (either bi, straight or even ace) can be gay and inferred to as gay, but being bi is okay and lesser.”

I’m bisexual, I’m very salty on this because it is exactly a double standard.

Believe it or not, I don’t follow every anti-anti, and this doesn’t JUST refer to them, either.

Honestly it actually wasn’t even about them, but rather the fact this happens in the community.

Sharing your opinion =/= attacking and demonizing another group. Or else antis are right and there’s no fucking use for us to challenge them.

Perhaps maybe, I got TIRED of seeing this since Shiro was released as MLM as an MLM, because it is supposed to be a ship whatever you want, HE IS AMBIGUOUS.

Somehow people are inferring it’s wrong for mlm to ever date women- as a Bi guy I fucking hate that- and you must have ulterior pure motives to ship something like that.

Just no. If people can make straight guys bi and gay, for the sake of making it about ships, then they can fucking make an ambiguous dude bi, for the same purpose.

This wasn’t just about them, and considering you have no idea what MY anon was about, perhaps leave @just-antithings alone. I brought the subject up, directing the “oh I don’t understand why you won’t let this go” when the person behind the ask, who brought it up, only did so as you know, once, and it was a generalization even.

Thanks but, hey, don’t blame the poster for what went behind the ask, I often use their blog to vent things out with the intention of it being VAGUE, AMBIGUOUS and NOT APPLICABLE TO A SINGLE SITUATION.

Hell, if they apologized, sure, go ahead, this ask still applies because surprisingly, it wasn’t about Romelle.

There’s something called, more than one instance.

Sometimes something happening in the moment reminds me of past dramas and discourses, that I’m not willing to bring up.

They’re a catalyst but not the fucking person I’m venting about because it’s not about a single incident, and in fact this fucking ideology is a major pet peeve of mine I wish would die out in the anti-anti community.

Right????? It’s so fucking hypocritical!