#non-het

[myfringershurtsobad]

"more than one non-het person would be unrealistic" is bullshit

Alright, picture this : year 2012, second year of high school, me included, we're a group of ten friends having parties together, attending classes and taking our break more or less together as well. There's Ro1 and Ro2, E, Em, El, No, Mo, Lo, Ca and me. We spent the year altogether. Now, fast forward, it's 2017 and in this tiny group of 10 people there are : - two transmen (me and Mo) - two gay women (E and Ca) - two bi women (El and Em) - two gay men (Ro1 and Ro2) - two straight women (Lo and No) I can let you do the maths, out of ten people, 8 turned out to be LGBT+. Eight. Out of ten. Come again and tell me that more than one non-het or non-cis protagonist wouldn't be realistic and I'm going to kick so hard in the ass you'll have the sweet taste of my combat boots in your mouth.

[happy-amateur]

I don't know if Tamora Pierce reads her tags, but I want to mention to everyone--especially this specific author--that the first time I read a positive portrayal of a non-het character was Daja from The Will of the Empress. I read this book back in high school when it was still rather new (I found it in 2006 or 2007). Due to the community I was raised in, I had a lot of internalized homophobia and I literally thought that my attraction towards women was Satan tempting me to sin and turn from God. Before, Pierce's books helped me have more confidence in myself as female, but reading The Will of the Empress helped me start questioning and dismantling my homophobia and accept myself. Sandry's mental gymnastics upon realizing her friend is gay resembled my own towards myself. Eventually, I came to accept myself along with other non-het people.

I'm still dismantling some internalized stuff (I graduated in 2010), but I'm aware of all of it now and correct myself when I find my thoughts dipping back into that toxic mindset. Representation matters, especially in the societies we live in.

So thank you, Tamora Pierce, for writing Daja as a gay character. Thanks to my mother who introduced me to her books and encouraged me to read beyond books by authors like Orson Scott Card or Thomas Hawthorne. It's been very helpful to me as a teen.

[beguiling-curios]

"The world has turned to meet us"

Roy/Hayley from the British soap Coronation Street…

They are a very popular couple on “The Street” who have been happy together for years, but were unable to marry until recently as Hayley used to be Harold. It is only since the law changed in 2004, allowing transgendered people to alter their birth certificates and marry (legislation which passed prior to the same-sex civil partnership  laws in 2005) that these characters could be joined together for better or worse… Roy makes a beautiful speech which will hopefully inspire any non-heterosexual partners struggling to find the right words. I am straight, but strongly believe in gay-marriage. I believe that everyone should have the right to openly express their love in a marriage service (or civil partnership, or whatever you want to call it).

[lionhill]

I went out with a couple of friends, got to making out with a girl during the night. Pretty damn sure she just had a "lesbian moment", but whatever, my annoyance isn't about her.

It's about the guy who came up, as we were making out, and said "you look good" or whatever. I said "well thanks but we're not doing it for you" and then he backpedalled like mad and had to explain himself and I told him to walk, but he just had to butt in all the time and I'm really grateful she kept kissing me otherwise I probably would have gotten into a fight.

I'm also annoyed at the dude who had the nerve to tell me, while said friend/girl wasn't there "I didn't know there'd be entertainment". Flipped him the bird, told him to take it up the nose and left. Proud of that one.

I'm largely heterosexual with a gay streak, I can't fucking imagining my lesbian friends (or for that matter, anyone gay) going through that shit every time they're not at a gay bar. Jesus.