i'm not sorry

Read my shitty gay fanfic here The only Starchaser playlist without a single Taylor Swift song. You’re welcome.

[notenoughdramaaa]

Before you DM me or send me an ask, let me save us both some time, okay?

If you came here just to call me a transphobe:

My standard answer is: “Sure, kid whatever helps you sleep at night.”

Now, my position on this topic is simple, and I’m willing to elaborate on it a little: we, as a society, need to stop believing that the treatment for suicidal thoughts is gender‑affirming care. It’s not, and I cannot stress this enough.

Suicidal thoughts are not a symptom of gender dysphoria. Whoever told you that lied to you. They are a symptom of depression.

Yes, many people with gender dysphoria also experience depression. And while I strongly disagree with the Dutch protocol, I’ll acknowledge this: gender‑affirming care (even such a low quality one like the one proposed by the Dutch protocol) eases symptoms of dysphoria, but it does little if anything at all to treat the depression that actually drives suicidal thoughts and actions. Depression requires therapy, and in some cases, medication.

When you’re diabetic, you don’t take Tylenol expecting it to replace insulin. The same logic applies here: treating gender dysphoria won’t automatically fix depression.

We live in a binary society where gender roles are rigidly enforced. A child raised as a girl who later transitions will likely feel lost navigating male‑dominated spaces not because of dysphoria, but because of social conditioning. That sense of alienation can worsen depression, not relieve it. And that’s where therapy comes in.

Therapy gives people the tools to understand themselves and to separate their sense of worth from others’ opinions. Surgery cannot do that. That’s internal work.

To be clear, I’m not advocating for conversion therapy or anything remotely like it like you guys love to claim. I’m saying we need to treat people as whole human beings not just send them to surgery and call it a day.

And no, I didn’t pull this out of my ass. Research shows that gender‑affirming surgery often leads to little to no measurable improvement in mental‑health outcomes and in some cases depression worsens after surgery. What does that tell us? That surgery can help alleviate gender dysphoria, but doesn’t necessarily improve overall mental health. People still need therapy and emotional support after surgery.

And before you ask: yes, I have sources. These are a few of the most well‑known and recent studies on the topic:

- Lewis et al., 2024 — “Examining Gender-Specific Mental Health Risks After Gender-Affirming Surgery: A National Database Study.”

- Straub et al., 2024 — “Risk of Suicide and Self-Harm Following Gender-Affirmation Surgery.”

- Dhejne et al., 2011 — “Long-term follow-up of transsexual persons undergoing sex reassignment surgery

If you’re here to call me out on J.K. Rowling’s beliefs:

I’m not J.K. Rowling. Telling me how wrong she is changes absolutely nothing. Her thoughts, words, and actions are hers alone, I am not responsible for any of them. Honestly, the fact I even have to say this is almost funny if I didn't get shit like that on a regular basis.

The fact that I write gay Harry Potter fanfic does not give me any influence over her. And honestly couldn’t care less about what J.K. Rowling says or does.

I believe in freedom of speech. I want to make bold claims on the Internet, and I think everyone should have the same right, yes everyone, even J.K. Rowling. I defend my right to be a jerk, and that means defending hers too. I do not believe we should censor anyone, so that includes her.

I also stand against violence. So no, I don’t want to kill her. I don’t want to hurt her in any way. Honestly, I think she gets far more attention than she deserves. The more you dwell on her and her actions the more power you give her over your life, she's tormenting your mind from all the way across the ocean think about it.

Now, about the boycott: I’ve been criticized for not discouraging people from profiting her I was even called “unethical” for it. Let me make this very clear: I don’t care where you spend your money. Buy a life-size Ariana Grande statue if you want I couldn’t care less. Your money, your choice. Want to buy Harry Potter merch? Sure, go ahead. I'm not your mother to tell you what to do or not to do.

Here’s the truth: J.K. Rowling is filthy rich. Even if she didn’t earn a single penny from Harry Potter royalties, she’d still make £45 million a year from her assets alone. Boycotting her does practically nothing to her bank account. It’s the economic equivalent of “talk to the hand” it might make you feel good, but it won’t actually affect her.

If you truly don’t want your money going toward causes you disagree with, the only way to guarantee that is to opt out of the market entirely (meaning don’t buy anything, ever, until the day you die) because the market is a complex web of transactions and the money you touch will, statically speaking, end up inevitable on the hands of people who supports causes you fight against.

Now do I buy Harry Potter merch? Kid, I’m a 25-year-old man. I have a real job, I'm engaged, I will soon have a husband and then a mortgage to pay for do you really think I’m spending my money on HP shit? Do you think I walk into my office job with a Slytherin scarf? Seriously? You do you, and I’ll do me. Okay?

Now, if you’re here to call me an Islamophobe or try to convince me that Allah is real

Please don’t flatter yourself. I don’t hate your religion specifically. I hate all religions equally. The one I hate the least is probably the Mormons. Why? Because when I attended my nephew’s whatever-that-thing-was (you know, when they dress the baby in white) everyone was polite and welcoming to me and my fiancé, a girl even spoke his native tongue with him. In the fucking two hours we were there no one told me I was going to burn in hell. That’s all. Notice I don’t like them, I just hate them the least.

I’ve read the Qur’an. I’ve read the Hadiths. That’s exactly why I would never revert. The Qur’an is full of contradictions and mistakes. The Hadiths portray Muhammad as a deeply flawed man, driven by sadistic tendencies and his own carnal desires. I could never abide by the rules he created because they go completely against my beliefs. Save yourself some time and headache and if you don't know how to refute simple claims without getting mad or claiming I don't understand because I'm not 'reading it in Arabic' then maybe Dawah isn't for you after all. Don't worry, if I were ever interested in joining a religion that tells me I’m in eternal condemnation and will face Jahannam in the afterlife, I’ll let you know.

Now if you came here just to be nasty, call me a “cracker,” or wish death on me or my fiancé

Let us first stablish a few things:

1. I’m half Latino, so if you’re trying to offend me, at least do it right, I’m not white.

2. Anything you say about my future husband? Doesn’t stick. He’s flawless. His only crime was waiting over a year to give me a chance.

3. And lastly, I reserve the right to either ignore you completely or throw that energy right back at you so don’t be surprised if you don’t get what you came for.

[notenoughdramaaa]

I'm graduating college this semester which means I’ve officially earned the right to critique the campus wifi so here I present to you things my university wifi blocks:

- Victoria’s Secret website. Yes. You read it right.

Things my university wifi proudly allows:

- Tiktok

- Instagram

- Snapchat

- Facebook

- Grindr

- Tinder

So just to clarify, the institution believes: “underwear = unacceptable” but “endless access to dick pictures and emotional damage via dating apps = perfectly fine”

Porn sites? blocked, obviously. Because nothing says “higher education” like aggressively filtering out the obvious while missing literally everything adjacent.

Meanwhile:

- Webtoons? Completely fine. It's not like I've seen horny girls reading Webtoons about guys smashing guys during my SQL class.

Reddit? a functioning black market of human curiosity and bad decisions? Completely allowed.

Anyway, congratulations to the administration for protecting us from the evils of the world. Gotta love higher education.

[ao3org]

To improve account security, we now alert you if your AO3 password matches a password known to be compromised on other sites. If you see this banner when logging in, please change your password. For more advice on protecting your account: otw-news.org/y8jnay3v

[notenoughdramaaa]

Gotta keep an eye out folks. God forbid someone hacks into your AO3 account and decides to finish that shitty fanfic you’ve been putting out.

[notenoughdramaaa]

I married Sirius Black and I can prove it part 3:

Today I was peacefully doing my taxes, minding my business, when my husband suddenly goes:

“I’ve been thinking about our costumes.”

Just like that. Out of nowhere. No further explanation

So I turn to him like… what costumes? What are you talking about? Who is “our”? Why are we planning things?

And he goes, completely serious, “For the Halloween party we’re hosting.”

So I tell him, “It is literally mid-April. Maybe, just maybe, we table Halloween for a second?”

And he looks at me like I’m the unreasonable one and goes, “That’s ridiculous. It’s never too early to plan for Halloween. Anyway, I already have the perfect idea.” Then he says, with full confidence:

“George Michael and Anselmo Feleppa.”

So I stare at him and five full business days pass in my brain before I gather the courage to ask who the fuck is Anselmo Feleppa and he gets offended. OFFENDED.

“That was George Michael’s boyfriend, how do you not know that?”

Oh I’m so sorry? How could I not know this extremely famous household name? The guy who dated the guy who sings Last Christmas? That’s on me, clearly. That’s a gap in my education. So I’m still trying to process this, and he continues:

“Well, Anselmo was Brazilian and you’re half Brazilian, so it just makes sense.”

SIR.

SIR??

Mind you look nothing like Anselmo or George Michael for that matter. I didn’t even know George Michael was DEAD until approximately 12 seconds ago.

So I tell him, “Let’s keep our options open.”

He nods and goes:

“Sure. We can also go as Freddie Mercury and Jim Hutton.”

So I ask him, very calmly, very reasonably, “Do we absolutely have to go as gay couples that no one will recognize?”

And he goes: “No of course not. We could also go as Bert and Ernie.”

He was talking about Sesame Street because according to him they’re “obviously gay.”

And then this man has the audacity to look at me like he’s being generous and goes: “I’ll let you pick whichever one you like best.”

So now my choices are:

- Dead gay couple no one’s heard of

- Another niche dead gay couple that will require me to shave my beard.

- or two puppets from a children’s show that my husband has personally decided are in a relationship

[johnny-depp-is-loved]

[notenoughdramaaa]

I’ll be the first to admit I’ve been a bit much lately politics brings out the worst in me so to redeem myself please enjoy this photo of my son Xerxes II. He used to be just Xerxes, but he had to have surgery so he has been updated to his 2.0 version. And yes he is named after the Persian Emperor Xerxes I bc of my weird obsession with the Persian empire.

[insert-some-url]

From Iranian twitter:

“First child soldier, 11 years old, killed at a Tehran checkpoint as the regime begins sending children into war and death.

11-year-old Alireza Jafari was killed at a Tehran checkpoint.

As manpower collapses, the Islamic Republic is pushing children into its ranks in an act that defies all morality and international law.

The victims of this child-killing regime keep growing. It is not just the children they kill, but also the children they send into war.”

IF YOU JUSTIFY THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC REGIME YOU SUPPORT THE USE OF CHILD SOLDIERS

پاینده ایران💚🦁❤️

[notenoughdramaaa]

To everyone that defends the Islamic Republic this is what you're supporting just FYI

[notenoughdramaaa]

why are u so bored

I don’t know what you mean by that I'm not bored but did you know that Julius Caesar when he was about 20 years old was sent on a diplomatic mission to Bithynia? He stayed there for such a long time that people begin called him “the Queen of Bithynia” and that would absolutely piss him off. If someone mentioned Nicomedes in front of him he would get red and at one point he even tried to deny any relationship under oath in the Senate which only made people laugh and spread the rumors even more? There was even a song that soldiers would sing about it just to annoy him.

[notenoughdramaaa]

if you are going to make sweeping claims about communism you could at least have the decency to cite your sources

Since you’re asking for "decency" and "sources" I’ll assume you’ve spent the last who knows how long frantically trying to find a version of history that doesn't involve a firing squad right? Okay since you’re clearly struggling with the "search" function on your browser, let me help you out.

I have all the data to back this up thousands of pages of declassified reports, survivor testimonies, and the literal words of the men who pulled the triggers but honestly? You could find these "sweeping claims" in about five seconds if you spent more time actually studying history and less time curated your "revolutionary" aesthetic.

[dis1ntegrationn]

Yayayay Fidel with glasses 👀

[notenoughdramaaa]

Imagine romanticizing a dictator who systematically sent LGBTQ+ people to concentration camps the (UMAP) to be 're-educated' through hard labor and hormonal experimentation. Imagine defending the guy who was responsible for the Black Spring of 2003, where 75 journalists and activists were sentenced to decades in prison just for wanting basic human rights. The same man who ordered that the prisoners at La Cabaña should have their blood forcibly extracted immediately before their execution only to sell that blood to North Vietnam for $50 a pint to fund the 'Revolution.' Guys this is the same guy who kept prisoners in 'pigeon cages' so small they couldn't stand up or sit down for years! And you’re telling me he has a 'fandom'? Seriously? It’s embarrassing. What exactly are they teaching you in school?

[dis1ntegrationn]

Hello. First of all, I want to apologize if my post was offensive. I agree that the lace was an unfortunate decoration choice.

Moving to the important matter. I want to state that I DO NOT agree with the repression of his regime or any authoritarian regime, as well as the demonization of queer people. I agree with you on that, and Fidel was totally wrong. However, after many apologies and reforms (still doesn’t justify it), Cuba has now one of the most progressive laws in regards of LQBTQI+ individuals in all Latin America. I myself am not homophobic nor transphobic by any means and didn’t want to be seen as so.

On the other hand, I would like to ask for your sources regarding some of the historical claims you mentioned, particularly the allegation that “blood was taken from prisoners and sold to North Vietnam” and the claim about “pigeon cages where prisoners could not sit or stand for years.” As far as I am aware, these are not supported by credible historical or academic sources and I would appreciate any reliable documentation if it exists because I also want to be informed on this subject.

About la Cabaña executions: I think you are completely ignoring the historical context. After the Cuban Revolution, trials and executions happened during a very unstable and tense time in the country. The old government under Batista had just been overthrown and the new revolutionary government was trying to take control and rebuild the country quickly. Many of the people who were tried and executed were linked to the Batista regime and were accused of serious crimes such us torture or violence against civilians. The new government said these trials were meant to bring justice for what happened under the dictatorship. These events are still very controversial today and historians debate whether they were morally correct or not. Even so, to understand what happened properly, it’s important to look at the wider context of a country coming out of a dictatorship, full of political chaos, anger and a strong desire for change. I’m not saying he was a saint, of course not, but it’s important to considerate the circumstances in which these events took place.

I’m sorry if I have any grammar mistakes, English is not my first language.

[notenoughdramaaa]

First off your English is great there’s no need to apologize for it. What you should apologize for is claiming Cuba has "progressive" LGBTQ+ laws. That is a blatant lie, and you know it. In truly inclusive countries citizens form independent NGOs and protest freely. In Cuba independent activism is a crime as an example Pride parade in Havana was met with state police arrests while liberal democracies in South America established protections and civil unions decades ago Cuba only decriminalized homosexuality in 1979 and continued "anti-social" crackdowns through the 1990. Same-sex marriage was only legalized in 2022 yup 2022 as in 4 years ago as for Argentina it was legalized in 2010. So claiming a regime is "prog

ressive" when it spent 60 years institutionalizing homophobia before finally catching up to the 21st century is a total inversion of history.

Now let's talk about the documented crimes of the regime you're defending.

The Blood Case: The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR/OAS) documented the extraction of blood from political prisoners before their execution (AS/Ser.L/V/II.17, Doc. 4, 1967). This blood was sold as a commodity the values are listed in the document.

The "Pigeon Cages": That's what we call the gavetas (drawers). These were cells that were 2 feet wide, 6 feet long, and 3 feet high. It was impossible for a adult to sit or stand on those. High-profile prisoners like Armando Valladares, who spent 22 years in the Cuban Gulag, and Hubert Matos provided detailed accounts of these "tomb-like" cells in Boniato prison those reports were corroborated by Amnesty International in the '70s and '80s. It's open source on the Internet quite easy to find.

La Cabaña: It’s hilarious that you claim these people were "tried." There is a total lack of documentation because there was no real trial. Che Guevara, who oversaw the La Cabaña famously stated:

"To send men to the firing squad, judicial proof is unnecessary... This is a revolution. We execute from moral conviction."

This is the opposite of justice. Look at the "Trial of the Airmen" (1959) when a court actually acquitted 43 airmen (who were revolutionaries by the way) due to a lack of evidence. Castro simply annulled the verdict and ordered a new trial with a jury he liked. That is the "Communist Democracy" you want? A system where the leader is the judge, the jury, and the executioner?

Many of those executed weren't just Batista officials; they were former revolutionaries who disagreed with the shift toward totalitarianism.

Your biggest mistake wasn't the lace decoration it was actually romanticizing a dictator who murdered thousands and decimated an entire country.

[dis1ntegrationn]

I want to clarify again that I am not defending a regime or justifying human rights abuses. My point is only that historical claims should be based on reliable and widely corroborated sources, especially when they are serious accusations.

About LGBTQ+ rights: I think maybe we are using the word progressive in a different way. I agree that Cuba has a history of discrimination, including the first decades after the revolution, and that should not be ignored. However, I was talking about the current situation. Today, Cuba has legalized same-sex marriage, allows adoption for same-sex couples, access gender affirming care through the public heath system, and has legal protections against discrimination. Of course, this does not erase the past, but it is still important when we talk about the present. And yes, maybe they did it too late, homosexuality was decriminalized earlier than in some countries, though later than others. At the same time, I agree with you that limits on free protest and independent activism are a problem. (https://www.as-coa.org/articles/explainer-lgbt-rights-latin-america-and-caribbean & https://www.ipscuba.net/english-version/society/articles/sexual-citizenship-participation-and-emancipation-history-and-future-in-cuba/)

About the “blood extraction” claim: I know the document you mentioned but from what I have seen, historians are careful with this type of claim. There is a difference between reporting an allegation and having it confirmed by many independent and academic sources. That is why I asked for more evidence, not just one report. Even after searching on academic google, I still haven’t found reliable sources. There are mentions and reports during the Cold War (Bay of Pigs Invasion, specifically) but they’re not widely accepted by historians. As I said before, I did know the article and I do know cubanarchive.org. While it is a legitimate nonprofit, its work is deeply tied to US funded efforts to challenge the Cuban government. In the Marxists Internet Archive, they also do not have the speech in which Fidel Castro "publicy admits" these actions (according to the article you mentioned). Fidel Castro's speeches are very well documented and this one is not documented anywhere nor confirmed by historians, which I find really curious.

Regarding prison conditions and people like Armando Valladares or Hubert Matos: I am not saying that abuses did not happen. I know there were political prisoners and difficult conditions. But these are also personal testimonies and usually historians compare them with other sources before making final conclusions. So my point is not to deny it, but to be careful with extreme descriptions ('pigeon cages'). I repeat, I'm not in favor of the UMAP and I also don't think a socialist/communist regime needs a working camp AKA Gulag to "exist".

About La Cabaña: Jon Lee Anderson, journalist and author of Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life (widely regarded as one of the most detailed biographical works on Che Guevara, based on extensive interviews and archival research), claims on this book that trials DID take place. I already said I do not consider those trials fair by modern standards. However, I think reducing the entire situation to “no trials existed at all” ignores the historical context of a country coming out of a dictatorship and a revolutionary period with very high political violence on both sides. Whether those actions were justified or not is still debated by historians, but it is not accurate to present it as a simple settled case. Here's an interview that contrasts your examples; while this is not a historical source, it shows another point of view. Also, I don't believe this could be classified as "communist democracy/justice", and I believe these actions were took by their own willpower and have nothing to do with Marxism (even though they were Marxists themselves). Sayng that this is how "democracy works under communsim" completely whitewashes the ideology/philosophy, normal trials under favorable and fair conditions can take place under socialism or communism. The tribunals at La Cabaña were revolutionary military courts created in a transitional post-war context after the fall of Batista. Whether one agrees with them or not, they were not a democratic judicial system in the modern sense, but rather emergency justice mechanisms used during a period of political instability.

Finally, I think it is important to separate well-supported facts from claims that may be exaggerated or not fully confirmed. We can criticize Fidel Castro and his government all you want, but it is better if the criticism is based on reliable and widely supported information and if we are critical with our opinions as well.

I don't find necessary to keep arguing over this anymore, since I have been critical already and recognized my mistakes as well as the mistakes commited by his regime (I say again that I do not defend repression nor violation to human rights, if I didn't make myself clear enough in these two posts). Now, I want you to be critical as well. I'm not telling you to agree with his ideas because that would make no sense, what I'm telling you is that it is important to base criticism on well-supported evidence rather than selectively sourced or unverified claims.

[notenoughdramaaa]

Let’s be very clear: when you choose to support and romanticize a dictator and a system built on top of mass graves, you are by extension justifying the human rights abuses that kept that system in power. You don’t get to separate the "aesthetic" from the agony.

It’s incredibly convenient to dismiss the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the Cuba Archive as "US-funded" or "unverified." This is just tactic used to silence dissidents. You are essentially saying the testimonies of people who were actually in the cages don’t count because they aren’t "academic" enough for your taste. History isn't just found in a sanitized Marxist archive it’s written in the scars of the survivors. To call "pigeon cages" an "extreme description" is an insult to every political prisoner who spent years unable to stand up in them.

And the IACHR is not a US-founded agency; it is a principal, autonomous organ of the Organization of American States (OAS). Every major international body, including the UN, is funded by member states. By your logic, no international law or human rights report could ever be "reliable." It’s fascinating how "nuance" and "academic rigor" only appear when it’s time to minimize the atrocities of a Communist regime.

It’s actually hilarious that you’re citing Jon Lee Anderson, because his biography is the primary source for Che’s most disgusting views. Did you skip the chapters where Anderson documents Che calling Black people "indolent" and "unwashed"? Or the parts where he describes women as nothing more than cooks and seamstresses for the "real" soldiers? You are using a book that exposes him as a racist, misogynistic, cold-blooded killing machine to prove he was a "nuanced" hero. If Anderson is your "reliable source," then you’ve officially admitted your idol was a bigot who viewed the people he was "liberating" as inferior like the 14-year-old girl he cornered while trying to force himself on her because that's another thing he was into besides killing those who opposed him.

Regarding the La Cabaña trials the rule is simple: if the defense isn't allowed to defend the accused, it’s not a trial it’s a show. When the prosecutor and the judge are both appointed by the same executioner, calling it a "military court" is just a fancy way of describing state-sponsored murder. Anderson knows that, and deep down, you know that too.

You claim these actions have "nothing to do with Marxism," yet every single time Marxism is applied at scale, it requires this exact level of "transitional" violence to survive. Marx himself was very clear:

"There is only one way in which the murderous death agonies of the old society and the bloody birth throes of the new society can be shortened, simplified and concentrated, and that way is revolutionary terrorism."

Engels added later on that:

"A revolution is certainly the most authoritarian thing there is... it must maintain this rule by means of the terror which its arms inspire."

Violence is the foundation of Marxism. You can keep searching for a version of history that makes you comfortable in your fandom, but we weren't born yesterday. You can’t "separately" support Fidel Castro and ignore the blood on his hands. If you want to stand with a dictator, have the courage to admit you're okay with the cost. Don't hide behind "source criticism" to whitewash a graveyard.

Finally, your point about "current" LGBTQ+ rights in Cuba is textbook Survival PR. Same-sex marriage in 2022 doesn't "balance out" decades of state-sponsored torture and the UMAPs. It certainly does not make Cuba the "most progressive" country for queer rights in the South America it just makes them the latest to stop hitting people with the stick they build

[dis1ntegrationn]

I think you’re turning this into an ideological and emotional debate. You’re attributing positions to me that I haven’t expressed and bringing up things that have nothing to do with my post.

We clearly have different views, and that’s fine, but I’m not interested in continuing this discussion.

The sources I gave you were not meant to support Castro, but to address specific claims. Also, I mentioned the Marxists Internet Archive simply because Fidel Castro’s speeches are documented there, not because it is an ideological platform “defending” him. It’s an archive of texts, not an opinion site.

As for the quotes you mentioned, they are real, but taken out of context. Marx and Engels were describing revolutionary situations, not defining violence as the foundation of all Marxist theory. Reducing it to that is an oversimplification.

I leave it here, have a nice day.

[notenoughdramaaa]

I love it whenever someone starts a debate, loses the factual ground goes on and tries to "win" by claiming the other person is being "emotional." It’s the ultimate red flag in my opinion. You aren't "above" the discussion you’re just out of ammo.

Now tell me in what universe is inciting "revolutionary terrorism" acceptable? Please, enlighten us bc when Marx calls for terrorism and Engels demands "rifles, bayonets, and cannon" to "inspire terror," they are defining the mechanical requirements of their system. You cannot claim violence isn't the foundation of an ideology that literally calls for the "forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions." That’s not an oversimplification it’s a direct quote. As much as you want communism to be a peaceful ideology it isn't.

And claiming the Marxists Internet Archive is a neutral record-keeper is like saying the Vatican library has no interest in Catholicism. It is an ideological repository, and we both know it doesn't contain the whole truth. If your "reliable" research stops at the curated speeches of the dictators themselves it's just PR.

If you want to support a regime that killed millions you're free to do it but own it. Own the ideology you defend. You are defending a system that required violence and death to function so have the courage to stand by it don't try to rewrite history. Also calling the documented torture of people in the UMAPs and the starvation of millions "ideological and emotional" is a disgusting way to downplay human suffering. It isn’t "emotional" to state that 18,000 people were executed most without trails it’s a statistic. It isn't "ideological" to point out that Che Guevara was a racist and a predator those are facts found in the very biography you cited.

If you’re the one who gets to decide what counts as a "reliable source," then by your own standards, your "hero" is a bigot. You can keep searching for a version of history that makes you feel comfortable, but some of us prefer to base our views on the reality of human rights and individual liberty.

[asteroidtroglodyte]

Me, tears streaming down my face, sobbing, as I stare at the stars: it’s just so beautiful

The medieval peasant I went back in time to give a bag of Doritos to, concerned: what terrible and powerful sorcerers they must have in your age, to be able to veil the vault of heaven itself from view, as you say

Me, sniffling: I didn’t realize, I can’t, it’s so much, I, I… are the chips good, at least?

Medieval peasant, trying to make me feel better: they’re… magical, strange traveler

[notenoughdramaaa]

Honestly best shit I read today

[noahverrier]

My oil painting of a grilled cheese sandwich

[dis1ntegrationn]

Yayayay Fidel with glasses 👀

[notenoughdramaaa]

Imagine romanticizing a dictator who systematically sent LGBTQ+ people to concentration camps the (UMAP) to be 're-educated' through hard labor and hormonal experimentation. Imagine defending the guy who was responsible for the Black Spring of 2003, where 75 journalists and activists were sentenced to decades in prison just for wanting basic human rights. The same man who ordered that the prisoners at La Cabaña should have their blood forcibly extracted immediately before their execution only to sell that blood to North Vietnam for $50 a pint to fund the 'Revolution.' Guys this is the same guy who kept prisoners in 'pigeon cages' so small they couldn't stand up or sit down for years! And you’re telling me he has a 'fandom'? Seriously? It’s embarrassing. What exactly are they teaching you in school?

[dis1ntegrationn]

Hello. First of all, I want to apologize if my post was offensive. I agree that the lace was an unfortunate decoration choice.

Moving to the important matter. I want to state that I DO NOT agree with the repression of his regime or any authoritarian regime, as well as the demonization of queer people. I agree with you on that, and Fidel was totally wrong. However, after many apologies and reforms (still doesn’t justify it), Cuba has now one of the most progressive laws in regards of LQBTQI+ individuals in all Latin America. I myself am not homophobic nor transphobic by any means and didn’t want to be seen as so.

On the other hand, I would like to ask for your sources regarding some of the historical claims you mentioned, particularly the allegation that “blood was taken from prisoners and sold to North Vietnam” and the claim about “pigeon cages where prisoners could not sit or stand for years.” As far as I am aware, these are not supported by credible historical or academic sources and I would appreciate any reliable documentation if it exists because I also want to be informed on this subject.

About la Cabaña executions: I think you are completely ignoring the historical context. After the Cuban Revolution, trials and executions happened during a very unstable and tense time in the country. The old government under Batista had just been overthrown and the new revolutionary government was trying to take control and rebuild the country quickly. Many of the people who were tried and executed were linked to the Batista regime and were accused of serious crimes such us torture or violence against civilians. The new government said these trials were meant to bring justice for what happened under the dictatorship. These events are still very controversial today and historians debate whether they were morally correct or not. Even so, to understand what happened properly, it’s important to look at the wider context of a country coming out of a dictatorship, full of political chaos, anger and a strong desire for change. I’m not saying he was a saint, of course not, but it’s important to considerate the circumstances in which these events took place.

I’m sorry if I have any grammar mistakes, English is not my first language.

[notenoughdramaaa]

First off your English is great there’s no need to apologize for it. What you should apologize for is claiming Cuba has "progressive" LGBTQ+ laws. That is a blatant lie, and you know it. In truly inclusive countries citizens form independent NGOs and protest freely. In Cuba independent activism is a crime as an example Pride parade in Havana was met with state police arrests while liberal democracies in South America established protections and civil unions decades ago Cuba only decriminalized homosexuality in 1979 and continued "anti-social" crackdowns through the 1990. Same-sex marriage was only legalized in 2022 yup 2022 as in 4 years ago as for Argentina it was legalized in 2010. So claiming a regime is "prog

ressive" when it spent 60 years institutionalizing homophobia before finally catching up to the 21st century is a total inversion of history.

Now let's talk about the documented crimes of the regime you're defending.

The Blood Case: The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR/OAS) documented the extraction of blood from political prisoners before their execution (AS/Ser.L/V/II.17, Doc. 4, 1967). This blood was sold as a commodity the values are listed in the document.

The "Pigeon Cages": That's what we call the gavetas (drawers). These were cells that were 2 feet wide, 6 feet long, and 3 feet high. It was impossible for a adult to sit or stand on those. High-profile prisoners like Armando Valladares, who spent 22 years in the Cuban Gulag, and Hubert Matos provided detailed accounts of these "tomb-like" cells in Boniato prison those reports were corroborated by Amnesty International in the '70s and '80s. It's open source on the Internet quite easy to find.

La Cabaña: It’s hilarious that you claim these people were "tried." There is a total lack of documentation because there was no real trial. Che Guevara, who oversaw the La Cabaña famously stated:

"To send men to the firing squad, judicial proof is unnecessary... This is a revolution. We execute from moral conviction."

This is the opposite of justice. Look at the "Trial of the Airmen" (1959) when a court actually acquitted 43 airmen (who were revolutionaries by the way) due to a lack of evidence. Castro simply annulled the verdict and ordered a new trial with a jury he liked. That is the "Communist Democracy" you want? A system where the leader is the judge, the jury, and the executioner?

Many of those executed weren't just Batista officials; they were former revolutionaries who disagreed with the shift toward totalitarianism.

Your biggest mistake wasn't the lace decoration it was actually romanticizing a dictator who murdered thousands and decimated an entire country.

[dis1ntegrationn]

I want to clarify again that I am not defending a regime or justifying human rights abuses. My point is only that historical claims should be based on reliable and widely corroborated sources, especially when they are serious accusations.

About LGBTQ+ rights: I think maybe we are using the word progressive in a different way. I agree that Cuba has a history of discrimination, including the first decades after the revolution, and that should not be ignored. However, I was talking about the current situation. Today, Cuba has legalized same-sex marriage, allows adoption for same-sex couples, access gender affirming care through the public heath system, and has legal protections against discrimination. Of course, this does not erase the past, but it is still important when we talk about the present. And yes, maybe they did it too late, homosexuality was decriminalized earlier than in some countries, though later than others. At the same time, I agree with you that limits on free protest and independent activism are a problem. (https://www.as-coa.org/articles/explainer-lgbt-rights-latin-america-and-caribbean & https://www.ipscuba.net/english-version/society/articles/sexual-citizenship-participation-and-emancipation-history-and-future-in-cuba/)

About the “blood extraction” claim: I know the document you mentioned but from what I have seen, historians are careful with this type of claim. There is a difference between reporting an allegation and having it confirmed by many independent and academic sources. That is why I asked for more evidence, not just one report. Even after searching on academic google, I still haven’t found reliable sources. There are mentions and reports during the Cold War (Bay of Pigs Invasion, specifically) but they’re not widely accepted by historians. As I said before, I did know the article and I do know cubanarchive.org. While it is a legitimate nonprofit, its work is deeply tied to US funded efforts to challenge the Cuban government. In the Marxists Internet Archive, they also do not have the speech in which Fidel Castro "publicy admits" these actions (according to the article you mentioned). Fidel Castro's speeches are very well documented and this one is not documented anywhere nor confirmed by historians, which I find really curious.

Regarding prison conditions and people like Armando Valladares or Hubert Matos: I am not saying that abuses did not happen. I know there were political prisoners and difficult conditions. But these are also personal testimonies and usually historians compare them with other sources before making final conclusions. So my point is not to deny it, but to be careful with extreme descriptions ('pigeon cages'). I repeat, I'm not in favor of the UMAP and I also don't think a socialist/communist regime needs a working camp AKA Gulag to "exist".

About La Cabaña: Jon Lee Anderson, journalist and author of Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life (widely regarded as one of the most detailed biographical works on Che Guevara, based on extensive interviews and archival research), claims on this book that trials DID take place. I already said I do not consider those trials fair by modern standards. However, I think reducing the entire situation to “no trials existed at all” ignores the historical context of a country coming out of a dictatorship and a revolutionary period with very high political violence on both sides. Whether those actions were justified or not is still debated by historians, but it is not accurate to present it as a simple settled case. Here's an interview that contrasts your examples; while this is not a historical source, it shows another point of view. Also, I don't believe this could be classified as "communist democracy/justice", and I believe these actions were took by their own willpower and have nothing to do with Marxism (even though they were Marxists themselves). Sayng that this is how "democracy works under communsim" completely whitewashes the ideology/philosophy, normal trials under favorable and fair conditions can take place under socialism or communism. The tribunals at La Cabaña were revolutionary military courts created in a transitional post-war context after the fall of Batista. Whether one agrees with them or not, they were not a democratic judicial system in the modern sense, but rather emergency justice mechanisms used during a period of political instability.

Finally, I think it is important to separate well-supported facts from claims that may be exaggerated or not fully confirmed. We can criticize Fidel Castro and his government all you want, but it is better if the criticism is based on reliable and widely supported information and if we are critical with our opinions as well.

I don't find necessary to keep arguing over this anymore, since I have been critical already and recognized my mistakes as well as the mistakes commited by his regime (I say again that I do not defend repression nor violation to human rights, if I didn't make myself clear enough in these two posts). Now, I want you to be critical as well. I'm not telling you to agree with his ideas because that would make no sense, what I'm telling you is that it is important to base criticism on well-supported evidence rather than selectively sourced or unverified claims.

[notenoughdramaaa]

Let’s be very clear: when you choose to support and romanticize a dictator and a system built on top of mass graves, you are by extension justifying the human rights abuses that kept that system in power. You don’t get to separate the "aesthetic" from the agony.

It’s incredibly convenient to dismiss the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the Cuba Archive as "US-funded" or "unverified." This is just tactic used to silence dissidents. You are essentially saying the testimonies of people who were actually in the cages don’t count because they aren’t "academic" enough for your taste. History isn't just found in a sanitized Marxist archive it’s written in the scars of the survivors. To call "pigeon cages" an "extreme description" is an insult to every political prisoner who spent years unable to stand up in them.

And the IACHR is not a US-founded agency; it is a principal, autonomous organ of the Organization of American States (OAS). Every major international body, including the UN, is funded by member states. By your logic, no international law or human rights report could ever be "reliable." It’s fascinating how "nuance" and "academic rigor" only appear when it’s time to minimize the atrocities of a Communist regime.

It’s actually hilarious that you’re citing Jon Lee Anderson, because his biography is the primary source for Che’s most disgusting views. Did you skip the chapters where Anderson documents Che calling Black people "indolent" and "unwashed"? Or the parts where he describes women as nothing more than cooks and seamstresses for the "real" soldiers? You are using a book that exposes him as a racist, misogynistic, cold-blooded killing machine to prove he was a "nuanced" hero. If Anderson is your "reliable source," then you’ve officially admitted your idol was a bigot who viewed the people he was "liberating" as inferior like the 14-year-old girl he cornered while trying to force himself on her because that's another thing he was into besides killing those who opposed him.

Regarding the La Cabaña trials the rule is simple: if the defense isn't allowed to defend the accused, it’s not a trial it’s a show. When the prosecutor and the judge are both appointed by the same executioner, calling it a "military court" is just a fancy way of describing state-sponsored murder. Anderson knows that, and deep down, you know that too.

You claim these actions have "nothing to do with Marxism," yet every single time Marxism is applied at scale, it requires this exact level of "transitional" violence to survive. Marx himself was very clear:

"There is only one way in which the murderous death agonies of the old society and the bloody birth throes of the new society can be shortened, simplified and concentrated, and that way is revolutionary terrorism."

Engels added later on that:

"A revolution is certainly the most authoritarian thing there is... it must maintain this rule by means of the terror which its arms inspire."

Violence is the foundation of Marxism. You can keep searching for a version of history that makes you comfortable in your fandom, but we weren't born yesterday. You can’t "separately" support Fidel Castro and ignore the blood on his hands. If you want to stand with a dictator, have the courage to admit you're okay with the cost. Don't hide behind "source criticism" to whitewash a graveyard.

Finally, your point about "current" LGBTQ+ rights in Cuba is textbook Survival PR. Same-sex marriage in 2022 doesn't "balance out" decades of state-sponsored torture and the UMAPs. It certainly does not make Cuba the "most progressive" country for queer rights in the South America it just makes them the latest to stop hitting people with the stick they build

[dis1ntegrationn]

Yayayay Fidel with glasses 👀

[notenoughdramaaa]

Imagine romanticizing a dictator who systematically sent LGBTQ+ people to concentration camps the (UMAP) to be 're-educated' through hard labor and hormonal experimentation. Imagine defending the guy who was responsible for the Black Spring of 2003, where 75 journalists and activists were sentenced to decades in prison just for wanting basic human rights. The same man who ordered that the prisoners at La Cabaña should have their blood forcibly extracted immediately before their execution only to sell that blood to North Vietnam for $50 a pint to fund the 'Revolution.' Guys this is the same guy who kept prisoners in 'pigeon cages' so small they couldn't stand up or sit down for years! And you’re telling me he has a 'fandom'? Seriously? It’s embarrassing. What exactly are they teaching you in school?

[dis1ntegrationn]

Hello. First of all, I want to apologize if my post was offensive. I agree that the lace was an unfortunate decoration choice.

Moving to the important matter. I want to state that I DO NOT agree with the repression of his regime or any authoritarian regime, as well as the demonization of queer people. I agree with you on that, and Fidel was totally wrong. However, after many apologies and reforms (still doesn’t justify it), Cuba has now one of the most progressive laws in regards of LQBTQI+ individuals in all Latin America. I myself am not homophobic nor transphobic by any means and didn’t want to be seen as so.

On the other hand, I would like to ask for your sources regarding some of the historical claims you mentioned, particularly the allegation that “blood was taken from prisoners and sold to North Vietnam” and the claim about “pigeon cages where prisoners could not sit or stand for years.” As far as I am aware, these are not supported by credible historical or academic sources and I would appreciate any reliable documentation if it exists because I also want to be informed on this subject.

About la Cabaña executions: I think you are completely ignoring the historical context. After the Cuban Revolution, trials and executions happened during a very unstable and tense time in the country. The old government under Batista had just been overthrown and the new revolutionary government was trying to take control and rebuild the country quickly. Many of the people who were tried and executed were linked to the Batista regime and were accused of serious crimes such us torture or violence against civilians. The new government said these trials were meant to bring justice for what happened under the dictatorship. These events are still very controversial today and historians debate whether they were morally correct or not. Even so, to understand what happened properly, it’s important to look at the wider context of a country coming out of a dictatorship, full of political chaos, anger and a strong desire for change. I’m not saying he was a saint, of course not, but it’s important to considerate the circumstances in which these events took place.

I’m sorry if I have any grammar mistakes, English is not my first language.

[notenoughdramaaa]

First off your English is great there’s no need to apologize for it. What you should apologize for is claiming Cuba has "progressive" LGBTQ+ laws. That is a blatant lie, and you know it. In truly inclusive countries citizens form independent NGOs and protest freely. In Cuba independent activism is a crime as an example Pride parade in Havana was met with state police arrests while liberal democracies in South America established protections and civil unions decades ago Cuba only decriminalized homosexuality in 1979 and continued "anti-social" crackdowns through the 1990. Same-sex marriage was only legalized in 2022 yup 2022 as in 4 years ago as for Argentina it was legalized in 2010. So claiming a regime is "prog

ressive" when it spent 60 years institutionalizing homophobia before finally catching up to the 21st century is a total inversion of history.

Now let's talk about the documented crimes of the regime you're defending.

The Blood Case: The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR/OAS) documented the extraction of blood from political prisoners before their execution (AS/Ser.L/V/II.17, Doc. 4, 1967). This blood was sold as a commodity the values are listed in the document.

The "Pigeon Cages": That's what we call the gavetas (drawers). These were cells that were 2 feet wide, 6 feet long, and 3 feet high. It was impossible for a adult to sit or stand on those. High-profile prisoners like Armando Valladares, who spent 22 years in the Cuban Gulag, and Hubert Matos provided detailed accounts of these "tomb-like" cells in Boniato prison those reports were corroborated by Amnesty International in the '70s and '80s. It's open source on the Internet quite easy to find.

La Cabaña: It’s hilarious that you claim these people were "tried." There is a total lack of documentation because there was no real trial. Che Guevara, who oversaw the La Cabaña famously stated:

"To send men to the firing squad, judicial proof is unnecessary... This is a revolution. We execute from moral conviction."

This is the opposite of justice. Look at the "Trial of the Airmen" (1959) when a court actually acquitted 43 airmen (who were revolutionaries by the way) due to a lack of evidence. Castro simply annulled the verdict and ordered a new trial with a jury he liked. That is the "Communist Democracy" you want? A system where the leader is the judge, the jury, and the executioner?

Many of those executed weren't just Batista officials; they were former revolutionaries who disagreed with the shift toward totalitarianism.

Your biggest mistake wasn't the lace decoration it was actually romanticizing a dictator who murdered thousands and decimated an entire country.

[notenoughdramaaa]

transphobe 🫵

Illiterate 🫵🏻

[notenoughdramaaa]

okay but real talk you out here supporting putin? you didnt answer the qusstion

I see you’re back again. 🙄 I honestly can’t with the lengths you people go to stay ignorant.

The idea that I as a libertarian would support a KGB autocrat whose life mission is to rebuild the Soviet era is hilarious. Let me make this simple so you can finally understand it: Putin is a Statist. He is a textbook authoritarian who uses the power he has over the state to violate the life, liberty, and property rights of an entire neighboring nation he is trying to resurrect the 'glory' of the USSR the very system I’ve spent hours tearing apart. Why on earth would I support a man who wants to revive the system I hate so much?

Not only that I believe war is the greatest enemy of freedom and the market. War destroys capital, distorts prices, and gives the State a convenient excuse to 'tighten the screws' on its own citizens even when conflict is made necessary it's a pain in the ass economically speaking. Supporting the market means supporting the individual, not a self-proclaimed Tsar.

The fact that you can’t fathom a worldview that opposes both western central planning and russian imperialism just proves how narrow your political understanding really is. I don't support the Left, and I don’t support the Authoritarian Right. If you can’t wrap your head around that concept, then go back to your TikToks the grown-ups are talking about actual politics in here. 😉

[dis1ntegrationn]

Yayayay Fidel with glasses 👀

[notenoughdramaaa]

Imagine romanticizing a dictator who systematically sent LGBTQ+ people to concentration camps the (UMAP) to be 're-educated' through hard labor and hormonal experimentation. Imagine defending the guy who was responsible for the Black Spring of 2003, where 75 journalists and activists were sentenced to decades in prison just for wanting basic human rights. The same man who ordered that the prisoners at La Cabaña should have their blood forcibly extracted immediately before their execution only to sell that blood to North Vietnam for $50 a pint to fund the 'Revolution.' Guys this is the same guy who kept prisoners in 'pigeon cages' so small they couldn't stand up or sit down for years! And you’re telling me he has a 'fandom'? Seriously? It’s embarrassing. What exactly are they teaching you in school?