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A room without books is like a body without a soul.

Credit: James Trevino

OB

If I tell you this is a horror dance number it still won't prepare you. That last move was so terrifying even the judge was like "Let go! Let go!" If you told me they're actually possessed I'd believe you.

One of the most perfectly choreographed and executed dances I have ever seen and comes closest to Shobana's original performance in Manichitrathazhu. Incredible!

hardwired-artificer

Coming from someone who hasn't watched many drag performances, could this not be considered drag? Regardless, this is fucking sick as hell and there's a couple moments where I really want to know how they did that. Plus the modern producing on the music was so great!

hussyknee

I mean it's guys in female dance costumes so they're literally in drag. But from what little I know about drag culture and drag shows— the overblown makeup, the inherent feminity in the song choice that's (supposedly) sung by a tragic female spirit in the movie, the iconography of Durga Kali, goddess of female fury and vengeance— it all seems to fall in line with that kind of pageantry. It would be camp and even burlesque if it weren't scary. On the other hand, despite its very feminine context and costuming, the performance itself isn't particularly femme or flamboyant. YMMV.

B Unique is still taking their performances all over the world apparently, so there's more where that came from. Thanks to @emojisarestatussymbols for finding the link.

thosemotivationalquotes

I saw something in the news today that truly took my breath away. If you have been paying attention to U.S. politics over the past few days, you’ve most likely seen this woman:

This is Bishop Mariann Budde, and on Monday (Trump’s inauguration) she led an interfaith prayer for Trump and the incoming administration. During the service she asked him to have mercy for LGBTQ+ Americans and undocumented immigrants. This was badly received by the Trump administration (as expected).

After seeing headlines about this woman, I read something that I wanted to share. In 1998 a man named Matthew Shepard was murdered for being gay. I’m not going to get into the details of his death on this post, but please be warned it is extremely triggering if you do choose to read more on your own. Matthew Shepard’s death caused a lot of change in the U.S. regarding how LGBTQ hate crimes are handled, and laws that were passed to protect LGBTQ+ people.

Now you’re probably wondering what Matthew Shepard has to do with an Episcopal bishop. For years after Matthew Shepard’s murder, his family had held onto his remains, too scared to lay him to rest in fear of his final resting place being vandalized. In 2018, Budde had his remains interred at the National Cathedral, which is also the place where the interfaith prayer for Trump and his administration took place. The impact of this really had an effect on me. Budde could have led a non confrontational prayer service, and chosen not to mention the harm that will come to the people Trump and his administration are going after. Instead she chose to call out hate and fear in front of some of the most powerful people on the planet, and at a place that has such a large historic meaning to the LGBTQ community.

In the next few years there will be many challenges in protecting free speech, standing up against hate, and protecting those in our communities. But I would like to believe that for every Donald Trump and Elon Musk, there are people like Marianne Budde. There are those of us who can’t speak up for themselves, so it’s important for those of us who can to amplify our voices, even if it’s not the ‘popular’ thing to do.

“And he said you should apologize. Will you apologize?

I am not going to apologize for asking for mercy for others.” - Mariann Budde’s response in a Time interview

Link to articles: x x x

Link to the Matthew Shepard Foundation if you would like to donate