BLM is still a thing. If you don’t reblog this, but would’ve in June/July you were only in support of black lives when it was a trend. They still need justice
i think the biggest issue i take with the "it's just fiction, it's not that serious" sentiment is that it becomes way too vague of a framework for engaging with media that people subsequently apply to EVERYTHING regardless of context or intent
"it's just fiction it's not that serious" is harmless if we're talking about TADC fans sending the creator death threats for not validating their headcanons or media critics needing to learn the difference between subject matter that's inherently harmful and subject matter that's just making them mildly uncomfortable
"it's just fiction it's not that serious" becomes an incredibly dangerous and irresponsible mindset when it results in us as a society popularizing precautionary stories like The Hunger Games and Fahrenheit 451 and I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream and seemingly never actually absorbing their messages enough to notice when what they were trying to warn us about is happening right in front of our fucking faces
Kwe! It's officially ✨Pride Month!✨ Happy Pride to all my friends and enemies alike <3
Just as a reminder (or announcement to those unaware) I am a Two-Spirit Saulteaux-Mi'kmaq person!
My pronouns are she/he/they. You'll usually see me refer to myself as a woman, but this is simply because it's my assigned gender at birth and not because I exclusively identify as a woman (so please don't be worried about using the wrong pronouns on me, I am, as they call me, Miss Gender /j)
But I figured in addition to this ceremonial outing, I wanted to provide some fun facts on the Two-Spirit identity, as there are still many people out there who don't understand the term beyond just being a queer label (it's a lot more complex than just being an Indigenous word for 'trans'!) and oftentimes, the 2S (for Two-Spirit) is noticeably missing from the LGBTQIA+ line-up (though this isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I'll explain more about why below!)
Text version:
Two Spirit (Anishinaabe definition: niizh manidoowag)
To put it simply: a term used to describe Indigenous peoples with both masculine and feminine spirits.
Coined in 1990 by Myra Laramee (Cree Nation), the term was designed as a unifying term for Indigenous peoples to reclaim roles, identities, and teachings that were disrupted by colonization.
Contrary to non-Native belief, Two-Spirit is not simply an Indigenous word for "trans" or "non-binary". Rather, it's often used as an umbrella term for many gender and sexual identities. Most importantly, what distinguishes Two-Spirit as its own unique term is how it uniquely describes the Indigenous experience as it pertains to queerness, separate from that of non-Native peoples.
To inherit the label of Two-Spirit is not just to identify one's own queerness, but also to inherit the roles and responsibilities passed down through individual tribal traditions. It is a term of reclamation and resistance.
Whether an Indigenous person chooses to use Two-Spirit exclusively or in addition to colonial terms within the LGBTQIA2S+ umbrella is their choice. There are even Indigenous peoples who identify solely with colonial labels such as non-binary, trans, and gender fluid, but do not identify as Two-Spirit.
Regardless of how an Indigenous person chooses to use Two-Spirit, it was a word made for Indigenous peoples, by Indigenous peoples - the term is and always will be theirs to choose.
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Of course, there's a lot more to the Two-Spirit identity than I can summarize in a single image, and what the Two-Spirit identity means will vary to different people and tribes. Some people do purely use the term to describe their trans identity or their sexuality; others use it to uphold the traditions of their tribe, especially as they pertain to the roles and responsibilities of members of the tribe, and how gender often influenced those roles and governed those responsibilities.
As an example, in many tribes (see: not all) women were often considered the healers and caretakers of their tribe, while men were considered the protectors and hunters. Within that particular framework, someone who is Two-Spirit would often be embraced as an asset to their communities, as they could fulfill the duties and roles of both men and women, being both caretakers and creators and also protectors and fighters.
But not all Indigenous peoples or tribes define Two-Spirit in that way. Many exclusively use it as a sexuality / gender label, the same way one would use "gay" "bisexual" or "non-binary"; some even doing so as resistance of their own against established gender norms, even as they existed within their own tribes.
What's important is to acknowledge, identify, and respect the term as an Indigenous word. It is not for non-Natives to use for themselves. It is our word, one that we cherish as a sacred thread connecting all Indigenous peoples who've lived through the shared experience of being raised and oppressed under colonialism. While all queer people regardless of race are constantly under threat, it's absolutely vital to recognize and understand how cultural context plays a contributing role in queer oppression, and how the suffering of Indigenous queer people naturally varies from your own.
And so this is why, as I mentioned above, it's not necessarily a bad thing when 2S is excluded from the LGBTQIA+ umbrella - because Two-Spirit encompasses all of that umbrella, but exclusively for that of Indigenous peoples. Same, but different.
At least, that's how I try to rationalize it for myself, but in reality, it's hard to deny that seeing 2S excluded from the umbrella can feel exclusionary, ignorant, and neglectful - but that's all the more reason why I personally choose to take power in its exclusion, because in my view, its exclusion from colonial terminology gives it strength and importance. As for the road to inclusion, we've made some progress - such as having our own flag and symbols - but we've still got a long ways to go.
With all that said, please respect this post as education, not as an invitation. Non-Natives have their words to describe their relationship to sexuality and gender; Two-Spirit is ours, and ours alone.
I hope this was informative for you all, Native and non-Native alike ! Kesalul <3
Reblogging to accept your sentiment / raging grumbling as an Indigenous pal! Because yes, it's absolutely something more people need to be aware of. Not to start off Pride month with a stern lecture or anything buuuut for white queers, white privilege is still bunking in the same room as queer oppression. That's not something to feel guilty for or shamed for, and I'm certainly not saying that white queers don't experience queer oppression - but the oppression that white queers experience is naturally going to be different from the oppression that BIPOC queers experience. That is just the unfortunate reality of our world and the systems that govern it.
But ALSO public service announcement / reminder / education time: Indigenous identity is not intrinsically exclusive to skin color! There are many Indigenous people who are mixed or are otherwise 'white passing' even if they have other uniquely Indigenous traits and physical features outside of their skin color; there are also many non-Indigenous people who simply have darker skin tones that could be confused for Indigenous identity if not properly confirmed.
To speak from my own experience with this, I'm the only kid out of my many siblings who "looks Native" in the way that people think of when they hear the word "Native". Especially when it comes to my darker skin tone and curly hair that I inherited from my Indigenous dad (though it's uh, not so curly these days, obviously LOL).
But many of my siblings are on the lighter side more similarly to that of their non-Native mothers, and don't immediately "look Native" unless you know what to look for outside of skin color. We are all still Native, though, regardless of that difference in skin tone.
But obviously my experiences growing up have varied from my siblings' because unfortunately, we do still live in a world where people immediately judge and make assumptions based on skin color. While I was treated differently for being an obviously brown kid in an all-white school (an experience that's unique for me as compared to my siblings) many white-passing Indigenous peoples (i.e. my siblings!) aren't taken seriously, either by non-Natives or even Native people from their own community who judge or distrust them for not looking "Native enough", thus invalidating their heritage and cultural identity simply because they don't meet the criteria of onlookers trying to "clock them".
I imagine many mixed race peoples have gone through this themselves; and in the greater context of queer discussion, it's similar to what trans people often experience, where they're made to feel that they have to 'look a certain way' to 'qualify' as who they are, either for the benefit of cis people, or other trans people. All the while, they never really get to just be.
Regardless, my point is, please be wary of strictly viewing Indigenous representation through skin color! This is why you'll notice, throughout my original post, I specifically use the term non-Native and not 'white', because 'white' is too broad a scope for this kind of discussion, especially when there are Natives who are white-passing and are often oppressed in an entirely unique way because of it. Even if some people are knowledgeable enough on this subject to understand that the casual use of the word 'white' is to mean 'non-Native', it remains to be said anyways for those who aren't knowledgeable on this subject and could accidentally misread or misuse the word 'white' in other contexts or discussions surrounding Indigenous representation.
Skin color definitely plays a role in the discussion of Indigenous reconciliation and reclamation, but like our definition of Two Spirit, it's a lot more complicated than that! But that's also what makes it such a rich and beautiful culture. It deserves to be respected, and to be able to practice and protect their own traditions separate from that of the colonial world.
Does it sometimes feel to you that a lot of very popular Webtoon Originals, while having pretty art, are lacking in their writing? I've even been disappointed over some mildly popular Webtoons because I was intrigued by the premise and thought the artstyle was cool only to end up being disappointed over how the writing of the story went. It feels like a lot of Webtoon creators are pretty skilled when it comes to art but not as skilled when it comes to long term writing.
Aaaaaalllll the time LOL I could chalk it up to any number of things (like the fact that Webtoons doesn't really do much at all when it comes to providing a proper editing pipeline for fine-tuning or any resources for improving a work the same way a traditional publishing house would) but personally I feel the biggest reason this happens is simply because many webtoon creators were artists first, not writers.
caution: self-certified banger ahead
Like, think about it. Many artists do inevitably wind up dreaming of creating a comic one day. It's a visual form of storytelling that, while tedious and labor-intensive to create, doesn't require the kind of overhead that animation requires. Many artists grew up reading comics, whether it be Marvel or DC or Japanese manga. And if the OC's that artists create for themselves are dolls, then comics are like the dollhouse, a theatrical setting in which the creator can act out their OC's stories on both a narrative and visual level.
Because of all this, comics are just sort of a natural 'next step' in the artistic journey.
Writers, on the other hand, don't really tend to gravitate towards comics in the exact same way. Or, at least, there are more degrees of separation between writing as a skill, and comic books as a medium. Someone who is born to be a storyteller and expresses it through prose won't necessarily immediately jump into writing comics - they're more likely to be interested in writing novels, or screenplays, or poetry, or stage plays, or even news articles, all of which only require the writing.
That's not to say there aren't writers out there who didn't fall in love with the craft through comics; many often do, especially those who grew up reading comics, just like artists did.
But comics are predominantly visual, the art is the very first impression a reader has of a comic, and so of course it's artists who naturally slide into that role more so than writers. Unlike artists, writers can't really pull "double duty" as naturally with webcomics like artists can. Oftentimes if a writer has a story to tell, they'll opt for novels or fanfiction instead. Artists, though... they can just draw a comic, and it won't matter whether they're good at writing, because it's still a comic. Unless a writer has an artist friend or they pay someone to do the work for them, a comic writer without an artist is just a writer - but a comic artist can just create comics without feeling the need to seek out a writer.
So because of that, I do think there's a bit of an opposing "levelling curve" when it comes to the process of creating comics and how it differs between artists and writers. How do I put this... okay, IDK if you've ever played Kingdom Hearts, but the first game opens with this sort of dream sequence that doubles as a tutorial / introduction to the game's mechanics (especially it's combat). And during this dream sequence, there are these interactions you need to have with Sora's FF-cameo friends on Destiny Islands (specifically, Wakka, Tidus, and Selphie) before you can continue. And each one of them asks you a question.
These questions are very uh, philosophical? (especially if you played these games as a kid, which considering Sora's age, I think was the point lol) And it almost feels like it's purely for narrative purposes, to create some air of mystery for the journey ahead.
Depending on your answers, you're given one of three results telling you when your journey will "begin" : dawn, midday, or night.
Initially, this conclusion doesn't mean anything. It's poetic, but vague, and even if you do another playthrough with a different result, you won't really initially notice anything's changed within the game.
But the result you get actually fundamentally changes how the game will treat the very mechanic that began as soon as you started a new file - the levelling system.
If your journey begins at dawn, then the first 50 levels require less XP; but after level 50, levels start to require significantly more.
If your journey begins at midday, the XP you need to earn to level up will remain consistent throughout the game, regardless of what level you are.
If your journey begins at night, then the first 50 levels require a significantly large amount of XP; but after level 50, levels start to require significantly less.
It's a difficulty scaling system. And it's entirely invisible. Many people (myself included) didn't even know this system existed during their first, second, or even fifth play through of the game. Shit, I'm willing to bet there are probably people who have played this game front to back dozens of times who still don't know what this sequence is actually for and this post is how they're finding out (surprise!). It's hiding in plain sight, and with such a simple tweak of the levelling curve, it can vastly change your experience playing the game.
While the midday route is pretty balanced, dawn and night are both stark opposites of one another.
Starting your adventure at dawn will give you an easier levelling curve during the early game, allowing you to level and gain new abilities quickly and breeze through the first half of the game, with the trade-off being that the endgame will be more challenging, and you'll have to grind more to really earn those levels and abilities needed to finish the game.
Reversely, starting at night will challenge you with a higher levelling curve, a disadvantage for early game that will ask for upfront grinding to level up and earn new abilities; but the reward is that by the time you get to endgame, that curve will lower, and you won't have to struggle or grind as much to prepare for the final bosses of the game.
Okay, okay, but where am I going with this?
To me, when it comes to comics, artists and writers are like the dawn and dusk mechanic of Kingdom Hearts 1.
Artists start off significantly advantaged by immediately being able to harness the visual aspects of comics, which are, again, the first impression and what people think of when they think of comics. Drawing a comic is significantly more work and learning to draw has a much higher upfront skill ceiling than writing, so if someone already has the skills to draw, then they're starting off on a pretty strong advantage. To an artist who's dipping their toes into comics, it's just more drawing, but with panels and words.
But good art can only carry a comic for so long. If a comic doesn't have substance, if it doesn't have strong writing, then readers will not be as compelled to stick around. You can draw cool characters, you can create amazing worlds, but if you don't make those characters or worlds interesting, if you don't refine your writing skills, then your comic is just a glorified image gallery. So it often takes artists many attempts to finally create something good, because while their art may start off on a strong foot, it can take added long-term effort (and a lot of trial and error) to develop the writing skills necessary to write a strong story that's brought to life through the artwork.
And so, artists are starting their journey at dawn - an easy early journey, but it will become harder as time goes on, especially if you're not refining your writing skills alongside your art.
Writers start off at an immediate disadvantage. Unlike artists, they can't just 'jump into' making comics on a visual level, they're limited to the prose; and learning to draw takes time, money, patience, long-term investment. So if a writer wants to make a comic, they only have so many options - learn how to draw themselves, find an artist friend who's willing to create a comic with them (either as a mutual collaborative effort or paid) or write comic scripts / light novels and hope that a comic company like DC / Marvel / Dark Horse / Webtoons will notice them and pick them up to adapt into a comic. It's not as natural for a writer to just "jump into" making comics, you need to put in a lot more upfront effort to eatablish a portfolio and make connections with people who could help turn your script into a comic.
But if a writer sticks with it, if they keep working at writing comic scripts, finding artists to collaborate with, pitching their scripts to comic companies, etc. they might just actually pull off finding their chance to work on a comic. And when they do, they're golden, their foot is in the door and now the bulk of the work gets passed off onto the artists to adapt the work into a comic properly. And best of all, it's the writer's contributions that will help give the artwork context and meaning. Great art creates viewers, but great writing creates fans. For better or for worse, the writing is what people remember when all is said and done and the story reaches its end.
Writers are starting their journey at dusk - a difficult early journey, but over time, can build up to a satisfying payoff.
With all that in mind, none of this is to say that one is better than the other, or that writers should just "give up" or that artists aren't capable of being good writers, etc. They're just two entirely different skill sets, and comics are a fusion of both. In a perfect world, artists wouldn't struggle with learning how to write, and writers wouldn't struggle with finding artists for themselves, but that's the reality and the challenge that comes with trying to create comics.
Ultimately, no matter what, the most important thing is to just make the thing exist. Even if it's bad, hell, especially if it's bad. Because at least if it's bad, you can learn from it, and do a little better next time. And then the next, and then the next. You still made something, you still learned, you still put forth a real and honest effort to connect with an audience.
If you're an artist, don't worry if the first story you tell is a confusing, incomprehensible mess - you can write another story. And god knows there's no shortage of writers looking to collaborate, you have the leveraging power as the one that will be doing the bulk of the long-term labor.
If you're a writer, don't wait around to find an artist to make your idea exist, just write, in whatever form you must, even if it's not comics like you had been hoping for - because when you finally write that one story, the script that demands the attention of readers and literary agents and publishers, that's when you can play your hand and land the comic project you've been working towards.
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