That’s such a good question!!!! Bravo!!~

So naturally, it ALLLL started when I was a teeny tiny bambino!! Of course, it’s strange that nations have genders in the first place, but regardless, I was poofed into existence in a female body. Ya kno’ how society is, dresses and all that junk! I mean yeah!! Dresses are pretty and lovely and swooshy in the wind!! But some people don’t wanna wear them so it’s kinda silly.

When I got older, like being a teenager, I still felt sorta normalish. So-so and all that mediocre jazz! I did wonder why the girl’s uniforms were all swooshy and had skirts on em’. You wouldn’t believe the number of rips and tears that I had to fix after returning from the front lines!! ughh, not fun at all!!! bleh~

But my REAL gripes with the clothing choices started happening when I became an adult. Or, however ageing works for us nations, even I’m a bit confused by it all. whoops!! Ok so The shirts had these stupid lil holes for the cleavage, ya see??? But I felt like the only girl who didn’t understand?? I mean when Hungary wore stuff like this she was super cute and also seemed super fine with it?? My boobs were cold and I felt defenceless!! eeek!!

This is the same time as me and Mr.Germany, or Ludwig as I call him, started being a thing!! Like, a thing, as in, mwah mwah!! Kissy kissy!! That kinda stuff!! Yeah, so anyways, that happened alright!

But I felt weirdly icky about being his “girlfriend”. Not because I didn’t love him with all the passion in my strong, Italian heart, It’s just that whenever he’d call me bellissima or put his hand on my waist (which for boring n’ tough ol’ Germany wasn’t very often) it felt..ahh I don’t know?? icky!? ahh~ 

I told him about everything!! Every last word!! And you know I talk a lot so I’m sure I didn’t forget anything! But he had no idea!! None!! Like I said how it’s sorta weird when he calls me his girly-friendy. He just said somethin like “what, should I call you my boyfriend instead??” and of course since the terms “Transgender” and “LGBT” hadn’t been invented by some awesome person yet, we laughed it off sorta? Though I didn’t feel very funny about it  I mean these feelings of mine only got weirder as the decades went on, seriously!~

But then, in the faaaar future, something happened! So far you couldn’t even take an afternoon drive to it!!That thingy-ma-bob was… THE INTERNET!! It was so cool!!!!! You could surf it and see all the best kinds of pictures and words that people wrote!! Like these ones I’m writing on my tumblr blog!! And speaking of tumblr!! Without it, I wouldn’t have found out what the heck these feelings are called!!! I woulda been stuck like an Italian in the desert who can’t tie his shoes!!..oh wait, that’s me!! exactly!! ahaha~

So,grazie!!! That means, for the non-Italians who follow me, thank you!! Thank you to everyone on this cool, fantastic blue website!!~

anagnori:

…Because interrupting the narrative to turn it into Asexuality 101 is not always a good idea.

It may be easier to implement these ideas if you’ve also read my asexual character development question list. You can also get more ideas from reading and answering those questions.

Note: Most of these ideas will also work for gray-asexual and demisexual characters, because they tend to have a lot of experiences in common with asexuals.

Say it outright.

The only way to be 100% certain is for the character to identify themself as asexual in the story’s text. Everything else I suggest here, at most, can only hint in that direction. If you intend to actually represent asexuality in your story and not just imply it, you must state it explicitly at some point. Otherwise, you’re just doing the asexual equivalent of queerbaiting (acebaiting?), which is infuriating because asexual people have almost no fictional representation in the first place.

Your characters might use the word “asexual,” or they might say something else that means the same thing. When doing this, remember that there is a difference between being asexual and being celibate.

Examples:

• “I’m asexual.”
• “I’ve never been sexually attracted to anyone.”
• “I do not lust after other people.”
• “I’m not attracted to anyone, and never have been.”
• “I don’t have any urge for carnal pleasures.”

Drop hints about it in dialogue.

Think about your character’s attitude toward sex. Are they sex-repulsed, sex-indifferent or sex-enjoying? When they think about sex in general, do they find it boring, gross, annoying, creepy, amusing, weird, or just meh? Most asexual people do not enjoy sex or seek it out, but they aren’t outright afraid of it either. When you write dialogue, think about your asexual character’s opinions, feelings, and expectations about sexuality, and look for opportunities to suggest that they’re not on the same wavelength as everybody else.

Examples:

• “I’m not interested in anybody.”
• “I’m not planning on getting married.”
• “Dating is overrated.”
• “I hate it when movies have sex scenes.”
• “Wait, people actually find it hard to be celibate?”

You can also subtly suggest that a character is asexual by writing them as oblivious to or disturbed by innuendo, dirty jokes, flirting, and/or conversations about sex. Some asexual people have a hard time picking up on these things, or will assume everything is platonic unless it’s explicitly spelled out as sexual. Others might be so repulsed by sex that they don’t even like hearing about it. And then again, some asexuals find the subject hilarious or interesting, and will be very explicit or detached when talking about it, to the point of making non-asexual people feel awkward.

Develop an asexual backstory, and mention it in the text.

Think about the ways that your character was affected by growing up asexual, and how their youth may have differed from other people’s. Maybe they always winced and turned away at kissing scenes in movies. Maybe they couldn’t be bothered to date anyone in high school. Maybe they tried having sex, just to see what all the fuss was about, but regretted it or were disappointed. Maybe they spent years wondering what was wrong with them because they didn’t like sex. If the character is old enough, think about how asexuality may have affected their dating life in the past. If your character knows they’re asexual, you should also think about the experiences that led them to realize it.

Adjust the way that the asexual character speaks.

If your character uses words and concepts that are rarely heard outside the asexual community, it’s a big fat sign that they identify as asexual, or are at least very familiar with asexuality. The asexual community thinks about love, attraction and relationships in a different way than mainstream culture does, and our language reflects that. I’ve compiled a nice glossary of words and concepts that your asexual character may use in conversation. You can also try dropping references to asexual culture, such as a black ring on the right middle finger, or the colors of the asexual flag. (I advise staying away from the cake jokes, though.)

Some asexual people avoid describing other people as “hot” or “sexy,” because those words may imply sexual attraction.

Show how asexuality affects the character’s romantic and/or sexual relationships (or lack thereof).

Some scenarios that asexual characters may encounter:

• They are virgins well into their 20s, or even later.
• They have sex, but find the experience underwhelming, disgusting or disturbing.
• Their relationships become strained because their partner wants sex but they don’t.
• They avoid dating entirely because the prospect of having sex with someone makes them uncomfortable.
• They feel like they have to fake being sexually attracted to someone.
• They’re afraid their partner will leave them for someone more interested in sex.
• They can’t find a partner because they don’t want to have sex.
• They do find a partner who doesn’t mind having a sexless relationship.
• They choose to have sex for different reasons than most people do, and these reasons are not related to sexual attraction.
• They want to “wait until marriage” but are secretly dreading having sex after the wedding.
• Their relationship with their romantic partner is not taken seriously by other characters because it does not involve sex.
• They form a queerplatonic relationship instead of a romantic relationships.
• Their partner agrees to become celibate, or they work out a compromise on what kinds of sexual activities they’ll do together.
• They set up an open or polyamorous relationship so their partner gets sexual satisfaction elsewhere, while still remaining happily together.
• They seek medical treatment for not being as sexually interested as they think they’re supposed to be.
• They don’t think that they need birth control or STD protection because they are celibate.

I’m undoubtedly forgetting a lot more.

Make the character’s hobbies, lifestyle, goals, and entertainment choices reflect their asexuality.

Keep in mind that asexual people are diverse, and the ideas listed below do NOT apply to all, or even to the majority of asexual people in real life. But they can be good starting points for sparking discussions about asexuality in your story, or as additions to an asexual character who is otherwise well-rounded. They can also be good ways to foreshadow that a character is asexual.

The following are just a few examples of how asexuality can affect someone’s lifestyle:

• They choose to avoid media that contains graphic depictions of sex.
• They don’t have a porn collection.
• They avoid romantic movies, or movies with sex scenes in them.
• They avoid going to bars, nightclubs, strip clubs, raves, or other places with sexually charged atmospheres.
• They tend to avoid collecting art and music that have sexual content.
• They do not try to dress up so as to appear attractive to the opposite sex.
• They don’t enjoy hanging out with non-asexual friends who talk about sex or sexual attraction a lot.
• They avoid casual sex or one night stands entirely.
• They never want to get married.
• They expect to spend their future and old age single.
• They aren’t very interested in having sex, and need a strong reason before they’ll consider it.

Make other characters curious about the asexual character’s dating life or sexual orientation.

In real life, if a person between the ages of 16 and 50 goes for years without having or seeking a sexual relationship, people often get nosy. They may ask why the asexual person isn’t married yet, wonder if something is wrong, or even spread rumors about that person.

Asexual people are not heterosexual, and often do not fit in well with a culture of heteronormativity and compulsory sexuality. Think about how your asexual character’s words, attitudes and lifestyle will be perceived by other people, and what those people are likely to say and do in response.

Use another character as a foil.

By writing another character who differs from your asexual character in behavior, attitudes or sexual priorities, you can show just how distinct the asexual character really is. Consider putting the characters in similar situations and having them react differently, or making different choices. The foil character doesn’t need to be a super-horny, oversexed, socially aggressive extrovert; in fact, it’s often more effective to write a person of average libido and sexual activity, and who is portrayed as “normal” and typical by the narrative, because this highlights just how unusual and different asexuality is.

Be careful that you do not portray the foil character’s sexuality as a negative trait, or else you may risk putting slut-shaming, misogynistic or homophobic implications into your story. They can be a villain, but unless they engage in sexual coercion, rape or other Very Bad Sex Acts then their villainy should be unrelated to their sexuality.

Don’t your make foil character a rapist. Just…don’t do it. It’s very difficult to pull this off without making the overall tone of the story to be sex-negative, and it puts asexuality at odds with sexual violence while leaving little room for consensual, healthy sex.

Read blogs and websites written by asexual people.

You can get a lot of ideas by reading about how individual people experience asexuality. (If you ARE asexual, of course, you can draw on your own experiences.) Asexual bloggers talk about unusual or interesting things that happen to them as a result of being asexual, how asexuality affects their relationships with other people, what kinds of things they want, like or dislike because of asexuality, and more. Every person’s experiences are unique, and while they may not represent all asexual people, they are real and worth considering. Think about how you can adapt some of those experiences into a fictional context. There are many asexual bloggers on Tumblr.

justinhubbell:

When I speak of our Transgender Ancestors, you must know there’s an actual Roman Empress in that legacy.

She was a Syrian Priestess. She didn’t give a **** about the Patriarchal Roman Elite/Establishment. Created Rome’s first Women’s Senate and they were NOT happy about it.

She loved sex workers, artists, and Wrestlers.

I made a comic about her in 2019

…and a bunch of “scholars” came out of the wood works attempting to diss her saga, and caution me from spreading “dangerous” information, so as not to inappropriately influence the youth.

Here’s what I have to say about that?

Was Elagablus a flawless human being? No.

But She was a great heel. Excellent worker.

I wonder if this has anything to do with…

LINX

Loving watching this project come to life!!! ♥️

TEXT POST! Maybe don’t scroll through this one though - and I’m SO SORRY for those scrolling on their phones for the slab of text interrupting your porn, if that’s what you’re here for. I love you. I’d love it if you’d read this one… It’s about all of us here on this place. Because websites are “places” kinda, and social networks are kinda real in ways this 80′s kid couldn’t have conceived. And because in ten days you won’t be able to browse for porn here and that’s stupid. 

In my OTHER online life I’m prone to #rants and they just organically emerge these days. This one is about porn. Yep, that thing that most human beings in this day and age consume in one form or MANY others for all sorts of reasons. That thing which we CANNOT AND MUST NEVER TALK ABOUT… for SOME reason.

For Those Blissfully Unaware: Tumblr is, as of December 17th (the day AFTER my Birthday, dammit), arbitrarily BANNING and then REMOVING ALL “explicit” content from the site.  And in single person TMI news… I wasn’t too bothered by this impending porn ban because over the years I, and I’m sure most of we, have all gone through many different platforms and sources for things like… that. (is that TMI? or have I just admitted that I’m a human being? Let all keep our heads people)

But then I read THIS article, which highlights the ludicrous manner in which they are going about the process. And then I read ANOTHER article which highlighted how damaging and regressive the move is for, well, everyone. And then I thought to myself, heck, the LGBTQI, the marginalised and oppressed, the questioning and uncertain… they BUILT and MADE Tumblr what it is today. And today (for the next 10 days) it is a safe place for ANYONE consenting (they have had explicit content and blogs flagged without being blocked previously) to explore themselves.

This is worse than Melissa George disavowing Home and Away, because Tumblr, being built by the fringe and marginalised, actually HELPS people (Melissa George was just blonde and pretty and good actor needing opportunity who then decided her French bulldog and croissants in Paris made her better than her roots - no help for anyone there except her dog IMO). 

But in 10 days a “female-presenting nipple” will be a bridge too far and will be banned, unavailable, removed - except if it is “medically” useful or important. Apparently they’re breastfeeding-positive. Yay team. So AGAIN women’s bodies are reduced to their “primary functions” and further, queer bodies, other bodies, new and undreamed of personages and existences, are hidden, are denied visibility. They are made to be shameful or unworthy by dint of their being INVISIBLE. And it’s not just body parts, it’s attitudes, poses, suggestions… all incredibly arbitrary, unscientific, and SUBJECTIVE. Humanity, we’ve been there. It’s not fun. 

At the same time, AND THIS IS THE KEY, READERS, Nazi blogs, White Power blogs, any other hate speech blogs… they’re all fine (one wonders about those BIZARRE BDSM and gay Nazi blogs which, hopefully, SURELY, will also be banned).

THE HYPOCRISY IN A NUTSHELL:

Tumblr wants to make their platform SAFE FOR CHILDREN so they are removing “female-presenting nipples” and pictures of men kissing (and male models, and Garfield, and cartoons…) BUT leaving swastikas, Confederate flags, Hitler-love, lynchings and guns (sorry Americans, I truly love you but I’m an Aussie so guns get caught up in the hypocrisy for me when it comes to “child safety”)

Lady Nipple = BAD
Sexy Man = BAD
White Power = TICK

I’m (seriously) no social justice Warrior (apparently that would mean “leftist”), but I believe in social justice (apparently that would mean “liberal”? Or would it be “centrist?” Fuck it, I don’t care, I want my citizens, wherever they are, ALIVE and SAFE), and I agree with the fundamental principle espoused by Marian Wright Edelman that “you can’t be what you can’t see.”

Some of my Facebook connections are suddenly worried and concerned by the “tide” of trans* people in the media, or even just LGBTQI people. News Flash: it’s because you can’t be what you can’t see.

Ten years ago, as a gay man, I couldn’t see myself in many places except as an outrageous caricature, or as a tragic stereotype doomed to die by my own hand or others, or to “decide” to be straight and satisfy the status quo. But I saw myself in enough places to (eventually) fight through the stigma and social rejection and bullying to accept myself as I AM. Many, many queer folks are still going through this because despite our achievements we’re still not there. I was damn lucky.

Trans* people are really only barely beginning this process. We’re really only beginning to see trans* people on TV and film, and only barely beginning to see them as themselves and not as stereotypes.

So Tumblr is basically shooting it’s core client base in the FACE and expecting to continue on, business as usual. And corporate Earth being what it is, they’ll probably somehow survive. But they will be a pale remnant of what they were if they do. I hope fervently that the desertion in droves of users causes them to fail totally and collapse. Free market bullshit and all that.

OR…

novel idea…

…change your mind. Politicians, corporate juggernauts, men, HR Managers, cats, all find it very hard to do this simple thing which is CHANGING ONE’S MIND. In another life I would drop the wisdom that changing your mind is the true essence of MAGIC. Refusing to change one’s mind is a rejection of the covenant we enter into when we a born into this world - to live in it, to experience it, and to learn from it. The last one is the one we need to focus on. Not changing is not learning. 

THANK YOU for reading all of this (if you actually have!). 

As an addendum to this rant, out of curiosity I went to check how many followers my Tumblr has - yeah I’ve never really worried about that before. I have over 2,500 followers! That’s 2,500 people I’ve been sharing with that I don’t even know. And yet I you’re all awesome and marvelous, and you all deserve to be able to see and share what makes you happy. If you’ve actually read all of this #nickrant I applaud you and thank you. Now I’m REALLY angry.

galacticjonah:

“Parting is such sweet sorrow…”

A re-imagination of Dicksee’s Romeo & Juliet, set in ancient Rajasthan.

I got to make this piece for the amazing Classics but make it Gay II project, that reimagines art through the eyes of queer artists. I also wanted to move the lens of classical paintings away from Europe and dedicate this piece to the beauty and rich history of India < 3

“Parting is such sweet sorrow…”

A re-imagination of Dicksee’s Romeo & Juliet, set in ancient Rajasthan.

I got to make this piece for the amazing Classics but make it Gay II project, that reimagines art through the eyes of queer artists. I also wanted to move the lens of classical paintings away from Europe and dedicate this piece to the beauty and rich history of India < 3

meanthoughtscheapshots: