Do you have any tips on getting better at writing? I’m always amazed on how real your stories feel, both in atmosphere setting and realism (within reason) and also in how you write feelings in a way that feels like getting punched in the gut lmao
This is the best advice anybody can give you, but it's not fun and it's shitty to execute: the only way to get better at writing is to write a lot.
I'm not going to say that there aren't people who have a better intuitive capability at writing than others, but no matter how much innate talent someone may have, nothing will ever take the place of the journeyman grind of writing hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of pages. From the first story I ever wrote to the last one I churned out, the difference is immense -- and while yes, I've grown in experience, vocabulary, literary reference and maturity, the only way I was able to deploy those new tools and refinements was by continuously throwing myself bloody against the brick wall of writing yet another story.
The best way to be a good writer is to be a bad writer for a very long time, in essence, and to be able to grit your teeth through that process. That last part, the endurance sport of it, that's the thing a lot of people can't do; even once you're a quote-unquote good writer, writing doesn't get much easier, because you hold yourself to a higher standard, and chipping blood out of the rock of your frontal lobe so your story can have a climax is the same agonizing process it's ever been -- regardless of how you avoid thesaurus abuse these days.
Re: the realism and atmosphere, I regret to send you to Elon Musk's twitter, but I wrote a long thread about my process there years ago, which now I'm thinking I should probably transcribe into Tumblr at some point.
i don’t feel like debating that topic much farther bc truthfully if it comes down to “women will lose to men in every sport bc they don’t have as much testosterone!!!!!” my elite feminist response is honest to god “ok we will lose with honor as equals instead of having our own special Easy Mode Female category so we can win amongst ourselves” like i’m sorry i just can’t be persuaded. i’m a brick wall. i want co-ed sports
i bring a sort of “women can lose at some sports against men if it means being regarded as equals” vibe to the debate that “testosterone objectively increases performance” people don’t really like
The real secret that you have to come to terms with about co-ed sports is that the "women will never win again" take exists to obscure the fact that women's leagues exist because men can't emotionally handle the emasculation they would face if they lost against a woman.
I will uhhh…just be putting this here. Some food for thought perhaps hmmmm (pls watch and support this creator, he does a lot of content looking into gay representation and the intersectionality with the black community)
Here’s another video if you want to dig a little deeper into the issue. Which deals with interracial couples and their association with white proximity and desirability politics, by another queer creator.
Indian Queer Media: Little Hearts | Kaathal the Core | Gaami | Mumbai Police | Kaadhal Enbadhu Podhu Udamai (KEPU) | Ardhanaari
This movie is available for free on JioHotstar in Malayalam (with few dialogues in Tamil and Hindi) with English subtitles. It is also available on YouTube in Tamil-dub without subtitles. A lot of foreign terms have been localized in the dubbed version.
Ardhanaari (Ivan Ardhanaari on the movie’s certificate) is one of its kind cinema. It is an arbit presentation of the life of a Malayali third gender person. The movie aims to reflect the life of third gender folks particularly those who are hijra and to educate its audience. In fact, the movie opens with the etymology of the term hijra. It is in classic Malayalam movie style, offering humor but does not bother comforting its audience. The movie doesn’t hesitate to delve into the issues while showcasing the joys and the celebrations of queerness. There is love, lots of it meanwhile there is also heart break that begs to stay even after.
As of now the movie remains sole feature length, dramatized representation of hijra life in Malayalam. It shows rituals and kinship system that exists in the hijra community.
We see the world around Vinitha (aka Vinayakan aka Manjula) through her POV. There is greater acceptance for her womanly pursuits in attires a kid because a level of sartorial experimentation is considered appropriate for young children. The movie lulls you into a false sense of serenity with acceptance for Vinitha’s queerness in mostly unfettered, expect for that one social science teacher. Notably, there is a childhood sweetheart who seems to have accepted Vinitha’s femininity fully. Their romance itself is presented in a way typical of Malayalam art, there is push and pull and flirting by the pool.
In Malayalam art, romance is considered cheesy and cringey in general with only well executed tragedies and melodramatic gains able to sanctify it.
As an adult, Vinitha is forced to cut her hair short, get rid of her nail polish and anklet. But cutting off hair isn’t presented in a tragic manner. Instead, it opens space for flirting and showcases acceptance for her from the barber and one his customers, who specifically praises her for her seductive stroll (adopted from the classical dances, which is marked by graceful and seductive swaying of hips and movement of torso). While this may appear cliché, the movie uses it to develop Vinitha’s attributes as she is a Mohiniyattam dancer and her teacher thinks highly of her.
To grow old is for all the societal evils to mature in their effect. That when all hell breaks loose. In Vintha’s home, while the patriarch is pious and benevolent, the elder brother is a brute.
Vinitha’s brother is the most bothered by the social implications of her queerness. He points out that Vinitha’s queerness has led to such severe loss of social capital and that his political career and their sister’s marriage prospects are both threatened by it. He hires a thug to honor-kill her and when she returns from the grips of death a murderer, he begs her for mercy.
But the straw that breaks the camel’s back is her boyfriend Balu’s betrayal. He hits her where it hurts the most (her inability to bear him a child) when she is at the lowest. She leaves Kerala and goes to the nearby state, Tamil Nadu. While Kerala has achieved much in terms of queer rights and acceptance in recent years, it has not been a haven. Malayali queer folks migrating especially to metros in nearby states due to social rejection to their sexuality is well known phenomenon. Most popular queer folks including activists and academicians have stories to tell about their lives outside Kerala and how that contributed to their survival and growth.
Vinitha is welcomed into a hijra gharana(commune)’s hammam that is home to their Nayak (meaning leader), kothis and hijras. The Nayak is a Malayali who had migrated to the Hindi-belt. The hammam is a place of dance, music and love making. Vinitha is offered a chance to formally become a hijra after one year. She becomes chela (disciple) to Jameela through a ritual that binds them in a relationship modeled on parenthood and is given the name Manjula (the name means beauty).
Manjula’s bisexuality is a source of anxiety about acceptance. But that too is welcomes, drawing inspiration from ardhanaari form of Shiva and Parvathy, the masculine and the feminine embodies in a single deity. Similarly, other parts of their traditional social system are drawn from Hindu mythology (such as Lord Ram bestowing them with the right to beg; performing badhai wherein the hijras bless on auspicious occasions) and Muslim culture (such as lot of their vocabulary and institutions). According to the rules of their gharana Manjula can marry anyone whom she doesn’t share sisterly bond with through being chela of the same guru and can lead a seperate life.
While we see Vinitha’s standard of living improve through sex work and adjacent services such as entertaining guests in the hammam, the movie also shows through many members of their gharana, the precarity (a lot of it systematic), lack of legal recognition, property rights, battery suffered at the hands of ruthless clients, sexually transmitted diseases taking lives, police brutality, lack of labor rights and protection, social security, access to health care and alcoholism.
When Kokila undergoes nirvana (castration), the procedure is not only ritualized but also looked upon with similar amount of anxiety regarding health outcome and hope of achieving a body she desires.
Since the movie was released in 2012, a lot has changed in India in terms of social and legal acceptance of third gender. While third gender folks have the right to ger married legally, the matter of legal recognition of guru-chela relationship is not even on the margins of the fight for queer rights even though it is the basic familial association for a lot of hijra, and the community could benefit greatly by being able to form association similar to Hindu Undivided Family, being able to name guru in place of guardian, being able to nominate them as recipients of their power of attorney, nominee for pensions and other benefits, joint bank accounts, property deeds, ration cards, etc.
Similarly, there should be provisions for easy severing of such familial association, extended protection against domestic violence that would include broader definition of family and household, and provisions to discourage fraud and financial crimes because as uplifting as guru-chela relationships can be, there is rampant abuse and exploitation and discrimination based on caste and color. There should be provisions for protection of individual rights as well as their communes’.
Notably, Vinitha doesn’t get higher education, which hampers her ability to seek better employment or entrepreneurial avenues. While third gender folks are encouraged to pursue higher education, lack of social acceptance pose threat and lack of economic means seriously limit their ability to get enrolled.
Return of Manjula’s ex-boyfriend is a bright spot in their murky relationship and it follows a delightful but short-lived marriage which other hijras had expected but did not think to forewarn Manjula of. Ther is value placed on parenthood in heterosexual unions and its make up gets subverted in Manjula’s wedding but ghosts of it haunts the end of their marriage.
When Kokila, Vintha’s sister through their guru Jameela, gets brutally killed, police conspire with the murder to blame Manjula. There is injustice in each death and no scope for justice as things stand. The way criminal charges and brought upon Manjula echoes colonial era Criminal Tribes Act.
There is a fantastical element to the end of the movie where we witness Manjula returning to her father on his deathbed. He looks upon Manjula and sees in her his beloved deity, Shiva, in his ardhanaari form. Manjula lives her life wandering, narrating her life story, noting the injustice and finally disappearing near the seaside.
Next, we will look at a recent depiction of a transwoman, played by a transwoman in the marvelous Peranbu which too takes us to a seaside.
making this for @faerouzia but thought it’d be cool to share (and yes, i posted this on my fanfiction account with little to no shame.)
Rebels of the Neon God (1992)
Rebels of the Neon God is a cinematic masterpiece. I honestly consider all of the films on this list as such but each have their own particular stylistic niches and camera work. If you’ve watched any films by Wong Kar-Wai (Days of being wild, Chungking Express, In the mood for love, Fallen Angels, Happy together, etc) you’d more than likely enjoy this one as well. The film follows a group of teens living in Taipei, two thief’s, a sex worker, and another who follows them throughout their journey. Rebels of the Neon God captures the daily, real life struggles of these characters and the realities of living in a bustling city that gives no room for its inhabitants to navigate life slowly. It’s almost episodical to me? In some way? Rather than it flowing into a central plot line, the film communicates its meaning through a series of happenings rather than it amounting to one fully formed story. There are themes of queer desire that I’ve noted as a queer person myself—and I enjoyed it.
Days of being wild (1990)
Days of being wild is placed sometime in the 1960’s in Hong Kong. This falls within my top three Wong Kar-Wai films, and in my personal opinion, is one of his more underrated works. It lacks in the plot whimsicality of his more notable works but has an underlying intensity I’d categorize with In the Mood for Love. It follows an intricate thread of “almost” loves between Yuddy, a player with a strained relationship with his mother, and Li-Zhen—a box office attendant who we fleetingly pursued before she fell in love with him. Several characters are introduced as we explore the individual but intertwined stories of Li-Zhen and Yuddy. Also Leslie Cheung plays Yuddy…and that’s all I needed to want to see it.
Millennium Mambo (2001)
Millennium Mambo has a special place in my heart. I’ve watched this film as a teenager and I find myself relating to the dead end visions of my youth now that I’m twenty four. The usage of neon pallets and light encompass the beauty of a lot of Asian cinema—(which is interesting since I’ve noticed that a lot of European films utilize shadows, so it’s cool to see some stylistic trends that can define particular genres or storylines) and MM is a visually striking work of art. I’ll never forget how it felt to watch Millennium’s opening sequence for the first time when Vicky walks away with a cigarette in hand with a moving and bleak monologue. The beginning ends with a goodbye and now that I’m older I find myself relating to Vicky and how lost she is, as she attempts to find comfort in tumultuous romances but it doing nothing to guide her out of the discomfort of the unknown.
Katatsumori (1994)
You can find this forty minute film by Naomi Kawase on YouTube. It’s heartwrenching and filled with a palpable message of how fleeting life is without addressing it. Naomi Kawase, who was raised by her great aunt, stitched together a series of vignettes and home videos she’d filmed of her before she moves out of the home she was raised in. I cried while watching it and there wasn’t any scene in particular that seemed motivated to make it’s viewers cry—but a nostalgia that wasn’t mine overwhelmed me. It’s a story that’s beautifully told from the lens of everyday life and communicates the fear of watching our guardians grow old.
Us and Them (2018)
Prefacing for anyone that hasn’t noticed yet—I’m a sensitive person and a crybaby. I’m crying just by thinking of this film. Us and Them follows XiaoXiao and Jiaoqing’s relationship and it’s stages over the next few years, relaying a love that morphs but never leaves, as well as the process of coming to terms with its meaning. It’s an incredibly well-done and bittersweet film that navigates love, loss, and friendship. This is definitely one of my favorite movies—but I’m also an emotional masochist so I’ve watched this several times back to back. Below, I’ll be sharing a screenshot from a Reddit post discussing the film, as the user provided insight on the films use of character arrangements in the title.
Paprika (2006)
Oh my god, Paprika. If you’re familiar with any Satoshi Kon’s works, it makes sense that this is one of his films. Dr. Atsuko Chiba is a dream detective working on a device called the DC Mini— a powerful device that they’d created with hopes of helping psychiatric patients. When it’s stolen, she and her colleague attempt to recover it before all hell breaks loose. Paprika is many things: visually stunning and almost psychedelic in both its coloring and animation— it traverses the dream world in such an enticing way. I thought it was important to recommend at least on animated film!
Exhuma (2024)
And alas, a horror film! This is by far one of my favorite recently released Asian horror movies. Kim Go-eun and Lee Dohyun play their characters phenomenally well. The film follows a duo of skilled Shamans, as they attempt to thwart their clients consequences of excavating the wrong grave. Exhuma has an underbelly to it and covers a deeply rooted and complex historical take about the estranged relationship between South Korea and Japan with mysticism and elements of horror.
Secrets in the hot springs (2018)
Guys, when I tell you this movie positively CRACKED me up— I mean it. I don’t even know where to section this, genre wise, but it’s like a mystery-comedy? The film covers a chance adventure between three teen outcasts as they take a trip to Chieh Hsiao-chin’s family owned Hot Spring Hotel. They’re greeted by the sight of a derelict inn ran by his eccentric grandparents and things eventually start to unfold as they start seeing strange… ghostly appearances during their stay. I haven’t seen enough people talk about this and I genuinely think people should watch this if they like unserious horror.
Siren’s Author Note: Quite bold of me to post this on my fanfiction account but this is a blog I use generally so….
It’s my first time posting film recommendations, so I hope that this exposes any newbies or veteran’s to Asian Cinema if they come across my very small blog. lol
(Now also including stuff from south asia in general! Because I cannot help myself)
A couple of days ago, @impala124 sent @lurkingshan an ask about the lack of discussion about Queer Indian Media in fandom spaces. I wrote about it here, @neuroticbookworm here, and @waitmyturtles here (both of them have excellent points, I highly recommend you read their posts!). It's become quite apparent that people are willing to watch and engage in discourse about queer Indian media, it's just that the lack of popularity and accessibility makes it harder for people to start. So, I've decided to make a list tracking all of the queer Indian media I know of, and hopefully also any meta/discourse about it, which is an idea I've had floating in my head for months now.
This list is by no means comprehensive, so if you have recs, send them my way! Text me on DM, send an ask, tag me in your posts, whatever. And though it's not possible for me to watch everything on the list, I will be slowly going through as many of these as I can and writing about them, as well as hopefully finding more stuff and easier to access versions for the ones that are harder to access right now. This post is going to be a slow work in progress, but I'm hoping to update it regularly. So, if you'd like me to keep you updated, let me know through the tags/replies and I will tag you in future posts!
I've tagged the people who've recommended certain shows alongside each show. Everything on here is available online. The hyperlinked titles lead you to the media itself, meaning that it's available for free online with subtitles. Other details will be mentioned separately. If you want to watch something but can't access it, DM me and I'll see if i can help you.
(The list was getting too long so I've put all of the recs under the cut)
Disclaimer: The media I have watched/read have recommendation ratings (which will not always reflect my enjoyment of something, rather are based on how much I'd recommend it). While I did lightly screen everything on here, the criteria was 'has a trailer or otherwise showing queerness to be a central theme in the story' and 'is available online', so take that into account if you decide to pick something up, and definitely watch trailers and/or skim the wikipedia pages beforehand.
Movies
Fire | English | @neuroticbookworm
Recommendation: 9/10
A 1996 movie surrounding a lesbian couple packed with commentary on religion, class, purity culture and more.
Quick Pitch + Historical Context
Badnam Basti | Hindi
Kapoor & Sons | Hindi | @neuroticbookworm
Available on Netflix, Prime, and paid on Youtube and Apple TV
Kaathal-The Core | Malayalam | @neuroticbookworm
Officially on Prime, also available grey without subtitles
Meta by @ineffable-opinions
Super Deluxe | Tamil | @neuroticbookworm
Officially on a paid streaming service called aha, grey on youtube
Dear Dad | Hindi | @neuroticbookworm
This is grey on youtube without subtitles, available officially on Disney Hotstar and Amazon Prime
Recommendation: 7.75
Follows a father and a son on a road trip, during which the son accidentally learns that his father is gay. The son struggles with reconciling with the new information, leading to conflict.
Geeli Puchi (Ajeeb Dastaans) | Hindi | @blorbingqls @neuroticbookworm
Available on Netflix
Cobalt Blue | Hindi | @blorbingqls
Officially on Netflix, also available grey without subtitles
Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga | Hindi | @fallsouthwinter @usertoxicyaoi @neuroticbookworm
Available officially on Netflix, but can also be found grey in two parts without subtitles
Recommendation: 7.5/10
What seems like a typical bollywood movie about a man falling in love with a girl who's family opposes their marriage takes a turn halfway through when it is revealed that the girl has a secret girlfriend. The protagonist then resolves to help the pair by convincing the family to accept them.
Chitrangada: The Crowning Wish | Bengali | @silverquillsideas @neuroticbookworm
I believe it's available on prime, but you might need to do some digging. Also available grey on youtube without subtitles (the movie is in part Bengali, part English)
Shubh Mangal Zyada Savdhan | Hindi | @silverquillsideas @twig-tea @neuroticbookworm
Officially on Amazon, grey on youtube without subtitles
Maja Ma | Hindi | @flyingrosebeetle @silverquillsideas
Available on Amazon Prime
Badhaai Do | Hindi
Officially on Netflix, available grey on youtube without subtitles
Loev | Hindi
Available on youtube with Spanish (I think?) subtitles
Margarita With A Straw | Hindi
I believe this is a cut version, it is officially on Netflix which is likely the uncut version
Recommendation: 9/10
A self-discovery story about an Indian woman named Laila with cerebral palsy with great rep and beautiful execution.
Meta by @wen-kexing-apologist
Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui | Hindi | anon
Available grey without subtitles, officially on Netflix
Amar Prem Ki Prem Kahani | Hindi | @flowerbeasblog @aneechan
Officially on Jio Cinema, also available grey without subtitles
Time Out | Hindi
Available on Netflix
My Brother…Nikhil | Hindi
Available on youtube without subtitles, also on Amazon Prime
My Son Is Gay | Tamil
Hindi dub available on youtube without subtitles
Little Hearts | Malayalam | @ineffable-opinions
Available officially on Amazon Prime
There's multiple storylines, one of which is queer
Meta by @ineffable-opinions
Moothon | Malayalam | @non-beingnary
This is grey on youtube without subtitles, it's officially on Amazon Prime and Zee5, both need subscriptions
Aligarh | Hindi | @ayoungroyal
This is grey with subtitles, it says the subtitles are in hindi for some reason but they're actually in English. Officially on several subscription platforms: JioCinema, Zee5, Amazon Prime, Apple TV
Recommendation: 8/10
Based on a true story, the movie is about a professor who is outed as gay when he is recorded while in bed with a man, and is suspended from his position in the university as a result, in addition to being shunned by society. The movie follows his budding friendship with a journalist who initially sought him out to report on his story, and their fight for justice.
Mumbai Police | Malayalam | @ineffable-opinions
Gulmohar | Hindi | @nihilisticcondensedmilk
Gaami | Telugu | @ineffable-opinions
Officially on Zee5 for free (you do need an account), unsure if subtitles are available but guessing no. Hindi dubs are available officially on Amazon Prime with subtitles and grey (1 & 2) without
Ardhanari | Malayalam | @ineffable-opinions
Ka Bodyscapes | Malayalam | @ineffable-opinions
I'm assuming the above link is official but I honestly have no clue. Available alternatively also with subs grey
Sancharram | Malayalam | @ineffable-opinions
B 32 Muthal 44 Vare | Malayalam | @ineffable-opinions
Available officially on C Space with english subtitles where you can rent it out, also available grey without subtitles (1, 2 & 3)
Kaadhal Enbadhu Podhu Udamai | Tamil | @ineffable-opinions
Available officially on Sunnxt with subtitles, which requires you to sign up and has some free content and some paid, unsure if KEPU is free. Can be bought/rented on Youtube. Available grey (1, 2, 3), but only parts 1 and 3 seems to have eng subs
Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears) | Marathi
Available officially on Netflix, though you might need a vpn set to India
Recommendation: 9.5/10
It follows Anand, a man from Mumbai who returns to his village for a 10 day mourning period following his father's death, reconnecting and kindling a romance with his childhood friend Balya.
My thoughts
Evening Shadows | Hindi
Available officially to buy/rent on Youtube, also available grey without subtitles
Shows
Romil and Jugal | Hindi | @anixknowsnothin
You do need a vpn if you're outside India to watch it with the above link, it's also grey on youtube without subtitles
Recommendation: 8.5/10
India's modern gay remake of Romeo and Juliet, five years before Bad Buddy
Random thoughts
The Married Woman | Hindi | @a-not-knowing-bisexual-wizard
Dev DD Season 2 | Hindi
Legitimately no clue whether this and the prev are grey or official
Made in Heaven | Hindi | @flyingrosebeetle @non-beingnary @neuroticbookworm
Available on Prime
All About Section 377, Still About Section 377 | Hindi
The Story Tales S2 | Gujrati
Insomnia | Hindi
It's a streaming service I've never heard of before, not unlike Gaga, this is one of the darker shows on the list so please do check out the trailer beforehand
Amra 2GayTher | Bengali
Available on two streaming services here and here, both paid
Happy Family, Conditions Apply | Hindi | @non-beingnary
Officially on Amazon Prime, first episode available for free on the official youtube
As far as I know, it's a sitcom with a queer subplot, but I'm not sure how relevant it is to the story
His Storyy | Hindi
Officially on Zee5 for free but you do need to register, unsure of whether or not subtitles are available but guessing no
Murder In Mahim | Hindi | @soberbutsleepless
This is grey without subtitles, its available officially on JioCinema but you need a subscription
Sweet Kaaram Coffee | Tamil | @nihilisticcondensedmilk
Officially on Amazon Prime, no idea if it's with subtitles
The Sting of Lavender | Manipuri | @ineffable-opinions
The seventh and penultimate episode seems to have been privated/deleted from the channel for some reason
Mini gls from @twig-tea (og post here)
Firsts S3 | @tinyreadinglifelight
Neverland
Maaya 2
Last two eps do not have subtitles but the story is followable
The ‘Other’ Love Story @/silverquillsideas
Just Another Love Story
Short Films
Sisak | Hindi | @blorbingqls
Recommendation: 8.5/10
A fifteen minute silent film about two men who experience mutual attraction to one another while on the same train during their daily commute. It's impactful, and it says a lot without saying anything.
Vaidya | Hindi
U for Usha | Hindi
Wajood | Hindi
Wig | Hindi
TAPS | Hindi
Thiruthai Avale | Tamil
Neha | Tamil
Vali | Tamil
Books
Memory of Light | English
Recommendation: 5/10
A historical book set during the colonial era, the lesbian romance is mostly a subplot that loses its way towards the end. It's kind of a drag, but the history component is somewhat interesting.
Don't Let Him Know | Englsih
Recommendation Rating: 8/10 with serious trigger warnings including rape. It's a brutally honest book designed to make the reader uncomfortable, so proceed with caution. I personally liked it quite a lot, but that's majorly because of how authentic the book felt.
Falling Into Place | English
Recommendation Rating: 8/10
A modern lesbian romance that follows similar beats to the typical thai bl/gl. A little underdeveloped in some places, but overall quite good.
My Magical Palace | English
Funny Boy | English
Cobalt Blue | English
The Paths Of Marriage | English
Marriage Of A Thousand Lies | English
Babyji | English
A Life Apart | English
The Devourers | English
Nights Like This | English
She of the Mountains | English
Love Bi The Way | English
Your Driver is Waiting | English
The Burning Kingdoms Trilogy | English
All This Could Be Different | English
A World Between | English
The Henna Wars | English
Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating | English
The Dos and Donuts of Love | English
Indian Winter | English
Kari (Graphic Novel) | English
The Other Man | English
The Sea Elephants | English
What a Desi Girl Wants | English
The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali | English
Zara Hossain Is Here | English
Meet Me in Mumbai | English
Dulhaniyaa | English
The Saint of Bright Doors | English
One Day I Locked My Flat in Soul City | English
The Wisest Fool on Earth and Other Plays | English
Hostel Room 131 | English
Lady Lolita's Lover | English
Madam, Give Me My Sex | English
Crocodile Tears | English
The Broken Rainbow: Poems and Translations | English
A Slight Angle | English
Chocolate and Other Stories on Male-Male Desire | English (compilation of translations from Hindi)
Lihaaf | Urdu (english translation)
Machli Mari Hui | Hindi
Kulli Bhaat | Hindi | English translation: A Life Misspent
Entering The Maze | Bengali (+english translation available)
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S RIGHTS DAY MEDIA RECOMMENDATIONS
for international women's rights day, I'm also sharing different pieces of media I love which delineate women’s experiences in a deeply-ingrained and oppressive patriarchal system. please watch in your own discretion, as most of these feature SA and violence in women
Starting from the top left:
Kim Ji-Young, Born 1982 (2019) - a film about what it means to be a daughter, a wife, a mother, a woman in a patriarchal society. antiquated expectations, societal constraints that women are being constantly put through where misogyny, sexism, male chauvinism are still so extremely normalised and unaddressed
Anne with an E (2017) - AOGG tv adaptation with a more progressive and even better nuances as well as straightforward feminist themes, resisting traditional gender roles, perpetuation of the same patriarchal beliefs due to internalisation of social norms
Requiem (2021) - it’s a film short available on youtube about lesbians during the witch trials where most victims were women labeled as witches. misogyny and patriarchy in religious institutions
Moral (1982) - timeless feminist Filipino film about heteronormative and patriarchal gendered roles and traditional social dichotomy that the Philippines was/still being circumscribed by during the Marcos regime
Brutal (1980) - Filipina women with intersectional experiences of misogyny, male chauvinism, and patriarchy. women's internalised misogyny due to the social norms, but still having to challenge and resist it rather than being complicit, hypersexuality due to SA in women, misogyny and oppression in religion and nuclear family
The Day I Became a Woman (2000) - a wonderful and timeless chronicles of different generations of Iranian women experiencing misogyny in religion and being under an oppressive patriarchal regime, liberation that women in Iran still actively fight for
Yume no Hashibashi (2018) - a yuri manga about lesbians being oppressed in patriarchy and being forced in compulsory heterosexuality
Moonlight Flowers (1989) - another yuri manga about compulsory heterosexuality, marital r*pe, anti-patriarchal themes
Joyland (2022) - a film about patriarchal family structures and traditional gender roles, misogyny in the nuclear family, transmisogyny
She Loves to Cook, She Loves to Eat (2021) - fluffy yuri manga that also addresses misogyny, traditional expectations in a patriarchal society, accepting one’s sexuality without having to conform to gender norms. this manga also realistically portrays how heteronormativity affects queer people. it has lots of representations which I really love
Onna no Ko ga Iru Basho wa (2021) - an anthology that features patriarchal indoctrination and misogyny in religion seen in different cultures
Saiunkoku Monogatari (2006) - women in leadership positions, challenging misogyny patriarchy
i love how sinners was basically like “the cunnilingus was there. it didnt change anything. it didnt save anyone. there were just too many forces against it. but it still matters that the cunnilingus was there”
I could SO imagine an au where Ilya thinks Shane is playing like some 4D level mind fuck game with him when he comes over to shake his hand (twice) and compliment his playing, so instead of doing his cocky asshole schtick he earnestly takes the compliment and returns it in kind. And then Ilya goes in for the kill, expecting to call Shane's nice guy bluff by asking for his number. Ha. Bet you weren't expecting THAT, Hollander.
But then Hollander seems,,, weirdly pleased?? And,,, actually complies?? Before practically skipping off, like he got what he wanted?? What??
And then they're texting back and forth and Ilya still partly thinks this is some kind of long con, but then it's been weeks and then it's been longer and suddenly they're at the draft and Shane is looking around the room and when he spots Ilya his entire face lights up and he's making a beeline for Ilya and he's still smiling as he says "Ilya!" like he's happy to see him,,, because he IS happy to see him. Because they've been messaging basically constantly for months now and oh fuck oh shit Ilya is so so deeply screwed.
And so, instead of their canon rivals-with-benefits arrangement, we get the ten year slow burn best friends to lovers narrative.
As an older queer, allow me to say: the walls of the closet are load-bearing. It is our job as a community to stand in front of that door and tell everyone who wants to peek inside to fuck off.
There are so many reasons a person may choose not to come out and there is no reason a person would owe the public or a stranger that information. Certainly it's not owed simply because someone is famous.
We have fought for decades to make it safer for people to be open and authentic about themselves, but we are not yet there. And even if we were, the closet would still be something we need to maintain for those who are not ready to reveal that part of themselves.
pov: grace tries to explore outside the biodome, only to find himself in a first person horror game in a foggy pitch dark hellscape with many alien rock spiders, scuttling in and out of the darkness. at least they're all friendly!
germansingergirl
andulkaphoto
blakekathryn
vaporwave
turnnoffyourmind
snowghoul
jacobvanloon
