Gothic Auntie

Gothic literature, sinister history, romanticism, and endless cups of tea. https://linktr.ee/gothicauntie

[naryrising]

Some of you are going to have to realize really fast that posting on social media about your acts of resistance, or the acts of resistance of your workplace/student group, or things you're planning, or even about charitable actions like volunteering, is a stupid idea in the kind of climate where such acts are increasingly incredibly necessary. And that therefore you cannot and should not assume that someone is apathetic or not doing anything important based on their social media activity. And that some acts require secrecy to be effective and people might only be able to safely talk about them years later, if ever.

And then get off your high fucking horse about how people aren't doing anything, how no one is currently firebombing a Walmart, how "white women who say things like 'joy is an act of resistance' take no other acts of resistance" etc. I promise that right now many ordinary people you will never know about are taking actions that seem small on their own but will lessen harm in significant and tangible ways, and that those people are doing more good than anyone whose main revolutionary actions are snarkily complaining online. This is not the time to be tallying social media points and using them to judge each other.

[dykepuffs]

I'm being maybe justifiably paranoid about this but this has also really happened to the organisation that I run, where people who want us to stop existing have searched up where our volunteers have mentioned working for/with us (or even, just community members attending events!), then have mined their social media presence to find their "questionable" habits (which are usually just stuff like, they swear, they joke about violence, they like porn) and then collapse the distance between those to things to produce viral ragebait that looks "real enough" saying "NamedOrganisation - who work with CHILDREN - endorses ViscerallyIckyPorn" or "NamedOrg speaker says 'Bomb your landlord" etc.

It happens to Mermaids so often, that they used to tell people who work with them to not mention it on their private socials (Unsure if they still do!) - And their work is the most anodyne, middle-of-the-road, milquetoast shit.

Audi, vide but most importantly TACE.

[theodysseyofhomer]

the aeneid is v interesting whenever aeneas does something odysseus also did. it's like "don't you wish the odyssey was a little more roman?" well... no <3

[gothic-auntie]

Ovid @ Virgil

[nerdygaymormon]

[guerrillatech]

[audible-smiles]

People die on the job every summer. Remember that water and shade breaks are crucial when working in the heat, and calling emergency services for signs of serious heat illness (fatigue, nausea/vomiting, headaches, dizziness, clammy skin, confusion, agitation, slurred speech, high body temperature, rapid heart rate, etc.) is entirely appropriate. If you’re afraid to call 911 for reasons such as being undocumented, you’ll need to get very familiar with how to prevent, recognize, and treat heat illness. If you are symptomatic and not allowed a break, water, or medical treatment, walk out. No matter how broke you are, your job is not worth your life.

[ritikajyala]

The cost of loving someone includes the possibility of suffering the greatest sorrows. The cost of loving someone is to allow the horrors of the world in, it’s like a vampire standing at the door, whispering– won’t you let me in? You risk your flesh and your blood for the chance to be kissed. The cost of loving is to smell the faint blood and still opening the door.

-Ritika Jyala, excerpt from The Flesh I Burned

[twelverriver]

[prose-n-scripts]

Transphobia is about to be signed into law in the UK. We can fight this.

I am begging the UK trans community and its allies to attend the Mass Lobby at Parliament on June 25th, 11am-4pm, organised by Trans Solidarity Alliance.

Mass Lobby for Trans Equality

Last year we broke the record for an LGBT+ mass lobby of Parliament. Will you help us break it again? Join us on 25th June 2026 to demand be

The new EHRC Code of Practice pushes trans people out of toilets, hospital wards, and community spaces. It normalises gender policing based on appearance and stereotypes. It becomes statutory guidance in the UK by the end of June.

Trans people are now legally their assigned gender at birth and must join gendered spaces accordingly, but if they are perceived as their lived gender, they can also be ejected from those spaces. The guidance says: either break the law, or don’t pass too well.

A mass lobby is where you invite your MP to discuss your concerns with you in-person. Ask your MP to:

Demand full parliamentary scrutiny, debate, and use their free vote on the EHRC Code of Practice.

Support any motions rejecting the EHRC guidance. As of June 4th, Labour MP Nadia Whittome has submitted a prayer motion - Early Day Motion 240.

Write to Bridget Phillipson, the Minister for Women and Equalities about our concerns

Your MP does not have to be an ally, they do not have to respond to your email for you to show up and greencard them (details below the cut.) What matters is that as many people as possible show up.

I cannot stress this enough: Showing up in person matters. It is much more effective than petitions, emails, and letters.

It is a horrible, stressful time, and I am so sorry if you're trans and live in the UK. But I was at last year's mass lobby and the line for greencarding alone stretched around the back gates. It was a record breaking mass lobby and made us impossible to ignore. Let's do even better this time. Details under the cut:

Worried about what to say? Bring your personal worries about transphobia being signed into law, and trans friends being excluded from public spaces. You are a living person who deserves dignity. Remind your MP of that. You will also get guidance and brochures from Trans Solidarity Alliance that outlines our demands. This is mine from last year.

Money issues? Trans Solidarity Alliance provides a travel bursary that you can sign up for via the link.

Got a refusal or no response from your MP?  Come anyway! You can request a same-day appointment with your MP through a process called greencarding. They will come and see you if they’re already in Parliament. Even if they don’t, they’re made acutely aware of your cause because you showed up in person. This is my greencard from last year.

Here is the EHRC Code of Practice in full. It's a tough read, but some highlights are:

Organisations can’t provide trans-inclusive, single-sex services, or they risk being sued for discrimination. e.g. domestic violence support for women including trans women, men’s rugby group including trans men (12.68).

Trans people will have nowhere safe to pee. If you’re a trans man, businesses can't allow you to pee in the men's, and you can also be ejected from women’s bathrooms if you’re perceived as a man. Vice versa for trans women. EHRC suggests a ‘third space’ bathroom, which is discriminatory and unworkable for most businesses. (13.130-133)

Sports organisations must exclude trans people from single-sex competitions (13.73).  A women’s only sports competition must exclude trans women because of their biological advantage or face potential lawsuits (13.74), but a trans man who has undergone testosterone treatment can also be excluded based on fairness rules (13.81).

Trans women are stripped of the legal definition of ‘lesbian’, and therefore no longer have legal protections if they’re discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation. (2.50, 2.92).

Here is the Good Law Project's better explanation of the EHRC Code.

I have also made a PDF printout of QR codes for the government petition, email your MP tool, and mass lobby link to pass around your communities. DM me and I'll send it to you.

[jhoca]

Bachelors

The three bachelors who propose to Lucy in Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897)! I laugh at the thought that it's like the Victorian Bachelorette (but in a funny satirical way like in Shrek). I love that Art canonically has a bunch of terriers (spoiler? lmao)

my art  (my dracula art)  |  instagram  |  cara

[dynamaxed]

hi! carey means needs help still - he's the voice actor for frylock in aqua teen hunger force! adult swim screwed him badly and pays no residuals and barely paid him during the show's run. he has heart failure and survives on con earnings, plushie sales, and donations while waiting for disability to get back to him. posts used to make the rounds for him, but haven't in a while, so i wanted to make a new post!

if you'd rather buy a plushie - here's the shop he and his wife run!

[firecrystals]

update: CAREY MEANS AND HIS WIFE ARE HOMELESS AS OF A FEW DAYS AGO

his wife also been in an accident and has been down and out due to illness and injury

ppal + gfm + site shop

[darkshrimpemotions]

Carmilla, kissing Laura all over her face: You are mine! You shall be mine! You and I are one forever!

Laura: So like...sisters?

Carmilla: Your obliviousness is exhausting.

Laura: Are you a boy donning a disguise to woo me in secret?

Carmilla: I need a nap.

[byjove]

I wish they would realize that universal healthcare doesn’t mean they HAVE to get healthcare through the state, just that it is there. You can still pay millions of dollars out of pocket for your own treatment at a private hospital.

America actually has terrible healthcare compared to a lot of nations with socialized medicine:

But you can see how powerful the ‘America is the greatest country on earth’ propaganda is in our schools.

[gothic-auntie]

And bear in mind that list isn't taking cost based access barriers into account. I notice the UK isn't even on that list but if I were to move to America I would be getting significantly worse healthcare than I am now because I couldn't afford half of what I need. That's not an assumption I'm making, I have a lot of American friends, most of whom lived here for a while and have a pretty good basis for comparison, and its something we've discussed in detail. Its literally cheaper to access top notch private care here in the UK than it is bare bones care in the USA.

It doesn't matter how good the healthcare is if you can't afford it. I'd be very interested in seeing how that ranking breaks down across class/income levels, because I suspect the USA would be significantly further down that list for all but the top income brackets.

[yujateaandpi]

Was driving with my grandmother and in broken English she says “no eyes… no nose… no face. Don’t trust.” To which I looked around wildly in search of this omen of ill portend.

Cybertruck. It was a cybertruck.

[crimethinc]

To our dismay, the artist and author Marjane Satrapi has passed away.

As she wrote, ordinary Americans and Iranians have more in common with each other than we do with either of our governments, which have far too much in common with each other.

We honor her memory and oppose the war.

[odyver]

alright I've got to do some quick math to explain attitudes towards AI to my boss.

we're looking to create an AI policy, and when we were talking about this, my boss (older millennial) was genuinely shocked to hear that younger people do not (seem) to view AI positively (a la the recent commencement speakers being booed)

please rb for larger sample size!

Question 1/3

What is your age, and do you feel AI is a net positive or net negative in our lives today?

under 18, AI is a net positive

under 18, AI is a net negative

18-29, AI is a net positive

18-29, AI is a net negative

30-45, AI is a net positive

30-45, AI is a net negative

46-60, AI is a net positive

46-60, AI is a net negative

over 60, AI is a net postive

over 60, AI is a net negative

Remaining time: 1 day 13 hours

[odyver]

Question 2/3

How often do you visit or interact with museums/archives (whether in person or online)?

Frequently (multiple times per month)

Often (multiple times per year)

Occasionally (a couple times per year)

Rarely (once every couple of years)

Never :(

Remaining time: 1 day 13 hours

[odyver]

Question 3/3

If you saw a museum was using AI in exhibits, marketing, research, etc., would you be more or less inclined to visit that museum?

under 18, more inclined

under 18, less inclined

18-29, more inclined

18-29, less inclined

30-45, more inclined

30-45, less inclined

46-60, more inclined

46-60, less inclined

over 60, more inclined

over 60, less inclined

Remaining time: 1 day 13 hours

Thank you for helping with this data collection. Please rb for as big a sample as possible!

🫶

[byjove]

when you think about it, unleashing a plague of frogs is fucking hilarious

[byjove]

God said “let’s do a silly one”

[byjove]

I mean, frogs everywhere is a major inconvenience but nowhere near the devastation of the death of your livestock and firstborn or a plague of boils

[gothic-auntie]

OK but what's your take on the debate over whether it was a plague of frogs or a plague of frog et. one giant frog menacing the land.

[velvetcloak]

Firefly Path, Saint Avangeline (ph: Elizabeth Elder)

[nudityandnerdery]

This Pride Month, remember:

We're here, we're queer, we're really fucking tired so we're just gonna go straight to biting instead of feigning polite confusion if you're gonna be a bigot this time, just so you know.

Happy Pride!

[gothiccharmschool]

I support all of you biting bigots. Do that.