Expressing love through Pride

mastergemma • 17 June 2024 at 1:37 AM

Tell me one of your favourite LGBTQ+ media, event or experience and you may just end up with a pride flag in your inventory! Don't worry allies, you can still post your experiences too.


Not sure what to say, consider answering some of these questions:

Are you a part of the LGBTQ+ community?
When did you know you were LGBTQ+?
Have you participated in pride before? If so, what was it like.
What are your favourite media that cover LGBTQ+ content?
Who is a famous person that you know that is a part of the community?

This giveaway will end at the end of this month, or when I am not able to find more flags to give away.

Ping of those who may be interested.
@shrimp
@newlife
@distorted
@chaotictreat
@ashlinnhi

distorted • 17 June 2024 at 2:55 AM

@mastergemma
1) tbh i feel like the gender labels that there are dont fit me so i just say im non-binary as an. umbrella term i guess. also a lesbian!
2) wahh early middle school !! former friend helped me figure out what i am
3) nope!
4) hm, not sure?
5) you know the. 6 degrees of separation theory (states that every one is 6 or fewer social connections away from each other. probably 7 now since pop. is increasing) i am supposedly three (or 2?) degrees of separation away from rupaul. yeah

chaotictreat • 17 June 2024 at 3:28 AM

omg a pride giveaway!! a... giveagay? 😋
fav pride media gotta be alice oseman books (heartstopper + loveless, my beloveds)
my experiences,, uhh i liked discovering the label quoisexual bc it felt like id finally found a label that actually fit me perfectly lmao (i do hate it a bit tho bc its also known as wtfsexual which just sounds too jokey and mocky ;_; but its fineee) and while i do normally just say im on the ace spectrum bc ppl wont recognise the term, its nice to have something i can actually define myself as lmao
im also biromantic and have a girlfriend and i love her so much >: 3
if anyone's interested here's the definitionnn https://asexuals.fandom.com/wiki/Quoisexual
main points i identified with were these:
- Being unsure what sexual attraction is, and therefore being unsure if one has experienced it or not.
- Questioning one’s sexuality for such a long time that the questioning itself becomes the sexuality, rather than a path toward any other identity
- Having a difficulty distinguishing sexual attraction from other types of attraction.

mastergemma • 17 June 2024 at 10:23 AM

@distorted
Umbrella terms are so useful for a step in the door for discussing any LGBTQ things to those who aren't as socially aware. The 6 step or fewer social connections away is so fun as I'm incredibly, only two connections away from Miley Cyrus.

@chaotictreat
I've heard of Heartstopper and I'm so glad it is doing so well! I must admit, I haven't heard of that before but I'm really glad that you feel strongly towards it ❤️

Flags have been sent 😊


@orangethefruit
@alraune3
@ravensong
Would any of you be interested in participating for a flag?

alraune3 • 17 June 2024 at 11:04 AM

@mastergemma

Thanks for the ping.😊

I can only really answer the last question, as I am heterosexual. However, I have had two good friends for many years who are homosexual. I don't (and never did) make any distinctions.

Q5: Since the early eighties I know Rob Halford (lead singer of metal band "Judas Priest"), https://lgbt.fandom.com/de/wiki/Rob_Halford (only in German so far) and https://blabbermouth.net/news/judas-priests-rob-halford-on-political-targeting-of-lgbtq-community-people-are-terrified. He came out about being gay in 1998.

ravensong • 17 June 2024 at 11:12 AM

@mastergemma

I've sent a flag for your giveaway!

distorted • 17 June 2024 at 12:17 PM

@chaotictreat ough yeah i get the "just saying the umbrella term bc people wont recognize the other term" i was. agenderflux for a while but then stopped defining myself as that because. people dont know what that is lol

lexicon • 17 June 2024 at 1:28 PM

Hallo!

Not here for the giveaway, just wanted to show my love and support for yall ❤️

I work in mental health where actually a majority of my clients are LGBTQ+ and a lot of them POC as well (just like me!) and I absolutely adore my job and working with this population in particular. Helping empower those who are just starting to figure out their sexuality or have fought tooth and nail to be themselves their whole lives, who experience discriminatation and bigotry on a daily basis, who want so desperately to relate to the world or simply reject what society tells them they should be...it's just an honor and a privilege to be a part of their journey.

It doesn't matter how you identify, I see you and you are valid. Your life is valuable and there are so many people who love you for exactly who you are. Communities like this are so important to cultivate and I will always keep fighting for spaces where people can feel safe to be different. My DMs are also always open to anyone struggling.

I love you all egg people❤️

opalquinze • 17 June 2024 at 2:35 PM

i’m pretty sheltered, so i can only answer the last question (which is somebody i recently relearned bout cuz i remember seeing their art before):

his name’s Keith Haring, well known for the “radiant baby” (this image if you’ve seen it before: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Radiantbaby.png). can’t recall when i’ve seen his art before, but it was prob in art zines when i was a kid. got real sad when i found out he passed away pretty young due to AIDS complications at 31 years old, so reading how much of an impact he made with the limited time left on earth left me feeling pity towards him. not sure when he came out as gay, but a lot of his art shows off homosexuality.

(just a heads up if you do decide to look at his later art, there’s a lot that alludes to political and societal themes (a couple i prob can’t list here for reasons) since he was an activist during those times)

mastergemma • 17 June 2024 at 7:50 PM

@alraune3
I would never have guessed they had a queer member! My goodness they are still touring around. Incredible. Thank you for that article too ❤️

@lexicon
Thank you for doing your work. It must be so difficult to see so many people needing assistance and I hope you can continue doing this for a very long time ❤️

@opalquinze
Same here and when I find out that XYZ is queer I always look back and think, huh how did I miss that? Keith sounds like an amazing person. May he rest well knowing that he is still remembered and have had an influence on younger generations.

@ravensong
Thank you so much ❤️

chaotictreat • 17 June 2024 at 8:37 PM

@mastergemma tysm for the flag!!
@distorted yea it be like that :")

heatherm19 • 17 June 2024 at 9:13 PM

@chaotictreat Omg giveagay, I love that!

Simple question-answers:
1& 2: Yes, and I realized I like girls when I was 9 (I know I didn't actually know the words to describe it at that point, not sure when that happened).

I have extremely fond memories of going to San Diego Pride with my now-ex. Both times we went, there were some downsides (my anxiety definitely didn't like how crowded it was!) but it was also just an amazing experience. For one, I grew up in San Diego (before moving here when I was 15), so despite not living there anymore the whole experience sorta felt like home, if that makes sense.
The first time we went, the festival's concerts introduced me to Camille Bloom and Kristie Stremel, who's music I still listen to occasionally. Just sitting in the grass in front of the concert area with my ex, is still such a vivid image in my mind. And then the second time we went, I got to see one of my all-time favorite singers who I never ever thought I'd see because she'd stopped really touring long ago (Deborah Gibson).

orangethefruit • 17 June 2024 at 10:55 PM

Hello, thanks for the ping ^^
I am non-binary and aroace and figuring that out was an entire process, so I wanna share those stories since they might help someone 😸 Also looking back, the aroace one is absolutely hilarious to me xD

Non-binary: the whole gender crisis thing started when I was 12, though i only found out about the possibility of being neither a girl or a boy when I was 14. Even then, non-binary didn't feel right, but it ended up sticking when I saw a certain picture. Basically, it was two umbrellas, one being named ''binary'', covering ''girl'' and ''boy''. The other was named ''non-binary'', with identities like genderqueer, agender, gender-fluid, etc. That way, I identify as non-binary, but as an umbrella term rather than a specific gender identity. (looking at previous answers, it's also what @/distorted does. I wonder how many of us do that?)
Aroace: short for aromantique and asexual. Already as a toddler I was crying about not wanting to date a boy later on in life, which I thought was a part of what adult me would have to do. I still thought that until I was 11 and learned how sexualities actually worked. I then figured I must be pan because if I were to date someone, I would not care about their gender (not that I wanted to date anyone). Eventually, I considerate being on the ace spectrum when I discovered it a year later, and then being on the aromantique spectrum another year later. I dropped to just identifying aroace with time without much questioning because nothing was manifesting.

Something I think is interesting (that others mentioned a bit) is that a part of using a label is just for communication purpose. Yeah, I mostly just use non-binary to convey that I'm neither a man or a woman rather than it actually being my precise gender identity. Yeah, I use asexual even if I'm more on the spectrum cause explaining the precise micro label is way too much private info that is uncomfortable to share with people (and long story short, I don't wanna mingle with anyone or anything, so who cares?) Yeah, I use aromantique even- wait no that one is just accurate on its own x)

Very long rant on my end, so I hope it was interesting to read 😊

nocturne • 17 June 2024 at 11:03 PM

ahh love this idea! i think my favourite memory would be going to NYC pride, there's just so much joy going around and the feeling of community is literally spilling out of buildings! short answers: yes, I figured out my (bi!)sexuality in high school, though I didn't really come out until i got to college. It was kind of hard to ignore when I realised I really wanted to ask out my girl friend at the time, though I'd only dated guys before. We sadly aren't together anymore but are still dear friends! And back to participating in pride, i think it's such an overwhelmingly happy experience, I am so excited to go again this year and be there for everyone!

mechanicalheart • 18 June 2024 at 12:54 AM

Aww this looks pretty fun.

Are you a part of the LGBTQ+ community?

I am! I'm demi-pansexual (demisexual + pansexual). I just bought these pansexual and demisexual frog stickers the other day and I was so happy to see the demisexuality flag somewhere. It's not always one that's included (but I love when it is).

When did you know you were LGBTQ+?

It actually took me quite a long time. I knew that gay/lesbian/bisexual people existed back in middle school and while I was totally okay with that, I was under the impression that I was straight and never really looked into the community. To make a long story short, several experiences over the span of a few years caused me to question my sexuality. It started with me realizing I was totally okay with a female partner, and then eventually I realized gender couldn't determine whether I could love someone or not. That's when I started looking into the LGBTQ+ community hoping for some kind of explanation (I knew almost nothing about the LGBTQ+ community up until then). I don't really have a story for the demisexuality thing, but I guess asexuality didn't exactly fit me, but looking into asexuality helped me discover demisexuality. It was pretty easy labeling myself as demisexual once I learned about it, because I think it describes how I feel about things to a T. I'd say I figured it all out between ages 13-16 and I've been pretty happy ever since.

Have you participated in pride before? If so, what was it like.

Unfortunately I haven't. My family is well known where I live, and I'm afraid of who that info could get out to if I participated. But one day I will!

What are your favourite media that cover LGBTQ+ content? Who is a famous person that you know that is a part of the community?

I feel like I should know media at least but I can't think of anything and I've never been big on caring about celebrities so I have no clue who is or isn't part of the community.

alraune3 • 18 June 2024 at 1:24 AM

@mastergemma
Thank you so much for the flag!😃

And yes, I am really looking foward to seeing Judas Priest live in Berlin on July 2!😃😃😃

mythisea • 18 June 2024 at 3:44 AM

Aww I love this thread, and the flags added to this site!

I've known since a young age I liked people of all genders, but it really hit home when I was in middle school and flirted HARD with this other girl ... who then started dating another woman :'-) It was heartbreaking for a 12-year-old lol I'm now happily married to a heterosexual cisgender man. While he is wonderful, I admit I really hate feeling erased from the LGBTQ+ community. My partner is completely supportive, but people hear me use male pronouns for him and assume I'm also heterosexual. What's funny is that I'm a therapist who often gets LGBTQ+ teens (not all of whom are out) and, at some point, they ALWAYS awkwardly ask me if I'm part of the community because of the vibes they get lol I inform them yes and they're like, "I KNEW IT." Can't hide that pride!!

mastergemma • 19 June 2024 at 2:12 AM

@alraune3
Please, tell me how it goes!!

@heatherm19
I'm sure you'll treasure those memories for a very long time! Debbie Gibson sounds like such an incredible person too, I can't imagine producing music so young and being on Broadway too! I cannot find much information about Kristie Stremel at all which is weird in this day and age. Someone needs to make them a Wikipedia page.

@orangethefruit
I was under the impression that it was an umbrella term and an identity as one of my best buddies identifies as non-bino. You were very wise as a toddler haha! Something that I do adore is how descriptive many of the categories are and how many subcategories there are now. It helps make everything easier since I can just say I'm Gemma and I identify as X or Y with she/they pronouns. There, done and dusted in a matter of seconds.

@nocturne
Unfortunately I don't have any more bi flags. I'm so glad you've had such great experiences at pride events ❤️ Please tell me how it is!

@mechanicalheart
Oh, so that's what demisexuality is! That very much sounds like how I was in my school years but at that point we all just called it pansexual. But that too was wrong.

@mythisea
There is a lot of bi-erasure around and I will not stand for it. Ahhhh the teens would feel much safer knowing you are in the community too ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

Flags being sent out momentarily!

spacebunny • 19 June 2024 at 7:19 PM

@mastergemma
Oh a nice giveaway ❤️

Are you a part of the LGBTQ+ community?
I am! I came out about maybe 4 years? Currently trying to find myself out, so I deem myself as genderfluid but prefer more to be my biological gender which is female. I am Pansexual and actually had a long distance relationship with a transman before, didn't work but that is not whats about here. It was clear for me that I don't care, love is love for me 😊❤️

When did you know you were LGBTQ+?
Before I knew about LGBTQ+ I was already questioning my identity back in school, that was over 15 years ago. After talking with friends and doing my own research I picked up the question again.

Have you participated in pride before? If so, what was it like.
I drew an artpiece on Pan Awareness day a few years ago. Due work I can't participate in demos or events, but if the opportunity arose I do will participate! I have a Pan flag and rainbow hearts lights my mother gifted me as she supports me after I explained her some stuff as she was confused what this all meant. I am German and my parents come from a time it was a silent topic, but they never said something bad, they supported me and others.

What are your favourite media that cover LGBTQ+ content?
Just today I saw an reaction video about a dating show and two men dating, it was cute to see, my favorite tho is shipping canon characters from a game, one is very queer coded and I do have merch of the ship, the community is wholesome and I feel so happy seeing fan works of talented people!

Who is a famous person that you know that is a part of the community?
A german draqueen awarded with Pride Hamburg from the CSD organizers, called Olivia Jones, he got a great personality and is known in Germany, he also won the I'm a celebrity tv show in the australian jungle and from there I believe got even more popular.

avaloninallcaps • 20 June 2024 at 4:49 AM

Are you a part of the LGBTQ+ community? - I am! I'm nonbinary/gendervoid and queer!

When did you know you were LGBTQ+? - I mean I should've known at 5yrs old cuz all the signs were there, but I grew up in super conservative small-town Minnesota, so I didn't start realizing til maybe 13-14? I then came out as gay in 2016, realized I was trans nonbinary in 2019, and came out in 2020!

Have you participated in pride before? - My first real pride was when I moved to SF a couple years back!

What are your favourite media that cover LGBTQ+ content? - I love movies/shows and music! Sense8 and The Magicians are some of my favorite queer shows, and artists like Claud, chloe moriondo, and Chelsea Cutler!

Who is a famous person that you know that is a part of the community? - One of my long time celebrity crushes, Harvey Guillen, is a super gay latino lol. He's also an amazing actor and in a bunch of stuff, like What We Do In The Shadows!

ashlinnhi • 20 June 2024 at 11:00 AM

oops, i somehow missed your opening ping! what a lovely giveaway, thank you gemma!!

i think i leaned towards queer attitudes before i even knew what it really was as a kid. i grew up in a conservative surrounded by heteronormative beliefs, so it wasn't until my last year of high school that i truly considered myself as part of the community and came to the realisation that i'm bi! i've continued embracing that part of my identity since then and love so much connecting with all queer folk and allies across the world ❤️

my favourite media at the moment is witch hat atelier -- it's not lgbtq+ media per se, but has canon queer couples and overall amazing diversity in characters! it's a fantasy series (aimed at all ages) but addresses a number of topics so beautifully, it's really moved me as an adult. big recommend to literally anyone wanting something new !!!

fun fact: did you know that hikaru utada, renowned japanese singer, is non-binary and uses she/they pronouns? they came out in 2021 via an instagram livestream i believe. i think it's always so lovely to hear about asian celebrities in solidarity with or part of the lgbtq+ community, especially as japan and much of SEA is still very conservative (and on that note, congrats to thailad for being the first SEA country to legalise gay marriage just a few days ago!!!!!).

sparklefox • 20 June 2024 at 6:16 PM

Pretty neat idea for a giveaway. Enjoyed reading the responses so far too.
Gonna regret this quick because anxiety will tell me "bad idea, you idiot".

With help of an LGBTQ+ community topic on a forum after trying to talk my anxious butt into it for weeks, I've found out this year that I may have been aromantic this entire time. (They also told me to look into the "asexual spectrum", but my lazy self has yet to do that... sorry, forum.) I'm still figuring this all out and am a bit confused with myself. Sexuality is a strange thing indeed.

As a younger teen I identified, though not openly, as asexual; a word the internet taught me. During mid teens - when my brain one day suddenly decided that attraction is a thing that exists - and up to now, I just called myself straight and boring. This year I started questioning everything because I've yet to develop a 'crush' even into adult years and, as dumb as this sounds, don't even know what one is supposed to feel like. I can recognise people as being physically attractive based on tastes, but that's it... never goes past "they look nice".

It's funny because only a day after, I found out that a fan webcomic I've been following for a good while now was, in actuality, made with the aromantic community in mind. No wonder I liked it so much... haha. Its name is The Heart of a Monster and it's an "alternative universe"-type take on the story of Sonic Unleashed (I'm a massive child, I know, don't need to yell it) - mainly focusing on the growing friendship of two characters throughout everything. I understand that not many may like the idea of reading a comic about Sonic of all things, but I'll say it's pretty mature and well-written. And of course, as it's probably obvious from what I've said, there's that "two men can have relationships that are more than just either "romantic/sexual lovers" or "brothers"" aspect (directly quoted from author) which I've enjoyed. The art is expressive as well.

amethyst_elf448 • 20 June 2024 at 7:15 PM

Aww thanks for the wall post this has been amazing to read through! I love reading about experiences from other members of the community ❤️

1) I am bisexual and I've known for about 7 years at this point? Which is wild to actually look back and track (wow). I'm officially out to my friends and one family member, but in general I don't make an effort to hide it. I had a bi flag pin on my lanyard through college so even though I never really came out to everyone, they probably saw the pin at some point.

2) I figured it out during high school (about the same time as a bunch of my friends which was quite funny to be honest) when I was getting on the bus home and just offhandedly wondered if I'd get to sit next to this girl from my class. Just after that I had a moment of "wait what? Why?" And then stewed on that until I got home and realised what was up. (Spoiler alert bisexuality!!!!)

3) I've never been to a pride event before, but earlier this year I visited a town and just happened to be there during their yearly pride event! It was really amazing to see everyone with their flags trailing behind them dressed up in whatever made them happy and comfortable.

4) Oh boy this is a long one.

I have a few favourites off the top of my head. I absolutely adore "The Owl House", it's one of my favourite shows in recent years and honestly also one of my favourite shows ever, their representation of queerness felt so authentic and I'm so happy that they had queer voices through the shows production. I've also got a good few LGBTQ+ characters speckled around different shows, mostly Star Trek because that's my jam. Star Trek's legacy is so open and diverse that their expansion into including queer people is amazing! Sulu in the reboot movies and Chapel in Strange New Worlds are both queer (Sulu is gay and Chapel is bisexual) and while these are just small moments where they reveal their queerness, I really like that it's not made a massive fuss of because in this time there is nothing different or wrong with who you love. (Sidenote, when I tell you I freaked out when Chapel mentioned a woman she once dated I FREAKED. OUT. Representation matters y'all). Two characters in Star Trek: Discovery, both men, are in a relationship as well and from what I remember seeing of them, they were really sweet. Also, while not technically canon in all aspects, the massive legacy of queerness in the Star Trek fandom is so amazing. Spock and Kirk is one of my favourites ships of all time, and there's so much history to them to explore in so many different situations.

I am also a bit of a podcast fiend and I've listened to so many that have really good representation of queer stories. I find that podcasts, being independently produced most of the time, can be more out and progressive with their representation of marginalised groups. "Moonbase Theta, Out" is a sci fi podcast set on a base on earth's moon and begins with a series of transmissions from the base's communications officer, revealing more and more details until finally the full picture comes together. It's an amazing listen and has some really good queer rep, including several poly relationships, which I haven't really seen much of elsewhere. "The Strange Case of Starship Iris" is also amazing, another sci fi podcast set in a future where humanity has constructed a regime basically ruling the known universe. A small crew, at first on board a ship called The Rumour and then on board The Iris 2, go about the galaxy fighting for it's freedom. The characters are diverse in terms of religion, race and sexuality while also looking at physical and mental health issues, and the story itself is so awesome. Starship Iris is what got me properly into podcasts as I realised how amazing these stories could be. (Seriously, so many podcasts if anyone wants more recs not necessarily queer I'm your gal). My favourite characters in the show are Park and McCabe (who is nonbinary using they/them), especially their mentor/mentee dynamic that they're trying to navigate and translate to a suddenly much more casual setting. I also love Brian (a trans man)
and Krejjh (a nonbinary alien from a species that thinks the gender binary is downright hilarious) and their relationship is adorable. Iris has been on hiatus for a while, but as far as I know season 3 is still going ahead.

There's also "Inn Between", a fantasy podcast following different adventuring parties as they travel through this fantasy world on their quests. Their representation of gender and sexuality is really good and done in such a casual way that it doesn't feel any different to how a cishet character would. There's been three adventuring parties so far, with seasons 1 and 2 following on the first, 3 and 4 following the second, and 5 following the newest group. The first group is still my favourite, but we'll see if any of the other ones manage to top them at some point!

"Me & AU" and "Greenhouse" are both shorter, more contained podcasts that are more down to earth (literally, no sci fi or fantasy here expect for in fanfiction). "Me & AU" follows two Internet friends meeting through fandom and bonding over their interests, growing closer until they start dating. "Greenhouse" is slightly harder hitting, following a series letters sent between a reclusive writer and a lonely florist as they navigate things like loss and grief while slowly growing closer and closer until they fall in love.

(It's been a while since I've listened to a lot of these and honestly retelling them wants me to start relistens of all of them.)

5) On Instagram, I'm following justsaysk (Sarah or SK, she/they) and pinkmantaray (Schuyler, he/him) who are both trans creators and I'm really learning so much about trans experiences and activism because of their posts. I also love SK's hate comment erasure poetry, which is amazing for turning something hateful into something beautiful, as well as their general wellbeing content.

Also as an add on, while not a member of the community himself (as far as I know), David Tennant is such an amazing ally and its so inspiring to see his support for the LGBTQ+ community. One of his children is nonbinary and he most often appears on interviews wearing a pride pin.

Thanks again for guiding me towards this, writing this out has been honestly quite cathartic and freeing ❤️

provo7demons • 24 June 2024 at 10:52 AM

Thank you so much for this! It's so cool to read about everyone else's experience and know I'm a part of such an accepting and kind community!

Are you a part of the LGBTQ+ community?
I am! I'm proudly asexual, biromantic, and nonbinary!

When did you know you were LGBTQ+?
I figured out I was bi in 8th grade; it's a bit of a funny story, really! I was SUPER into the show Supernatural at the time, and my favorite character was Charlie; I was thrilled that there was a character that was as geeky as I was but that was still loved by so many people! In the show, she's a lesbian, which wasn't really a big deal to me at that point, I was more than happy to accept it, but I didn't really think about it all that much. A few weeks later, a new girl came to school; after a few days, I decided that I absolutely hated her. I was angry that she'd gotten a boyfriend within a week of showing up, I was frustrated because she had so many common interests and talents that I did (writing, singing, geeky stuff in general) and I was upset that she got attention and I didn't. I started thinking about her ALL THE TIME, about how much I hated her stupid pretty clothes and her stupid pretty eyes and how her dumb voice sounded so good all the time and her dumb cute freckles on her face and-
Oh.
I started thinking...well, Charlie is into girls and that's okay...what if I was into girls too? One brief crisis in the hallway bathroom later, I realized I was bi!

There's no big story for anything else; I figured out I was ace at some point in high school, and figured out I was nonbinary during college after struggling with my gender identity for a while. And now here I am!

Have you participated in pride before? If so, what was it like.
I unfortunately have not; it's really not safe for me yet while I'm still around my parents, but I've done subtle things like put a bi pin on my college backpack!

What are your favourite media that cover LGBTQ+ content?
The Magnus Archives! This is a podcast I've recently gotten into, but the representation is AMAZING; the main character is ace/biromantic (like me!), he has a boyfriend, there are two canon wlw couples, and it's not like the show makes a big deal out of it, it's just something that happens, just a natural part of life, which is the exact kind of representation I love to see. ❤️

Who is a famous person that you know that is a part of the community?
One of my favorite streamers and artists, JaidenAnimations, is aroace! It's always really encouraging to me to see people being openly aspec, since I feel like asexuality doesn't get as mentioned in media (or real life, for that matter), so her being open about it and seeing so many people being so accepting is really sweet!

dragrawr • 24 June 2024 at 11:13 AM

Are you a part of the LGBTQ+ community?

yes. I am demiromantic and demisexual.

When did you know you were LGBTQ+?

Ironically enough, I was making headcanons for my favorite anime back in 2020 and was looking around the definitions of certain LGBTQ+ labels. I learned a lot by doing that, but I was looking specifically for something that really *felt* like the character. I eventually found the demi rom/sexual and was like "that is so him for real!!" and wrote it down. Silly me, who relates to this character, took a while to figure out I was projecting myself through this headcanon and eventually talked to my friends about it. One friend in particular, when I hopped in his car one day, just casually asked, "Hey, are you ace? Or aro?" I was planning on asking him about what he thought so that was a great starter. Other people had noticed, so it wasn't just because I really liked that character, lol

What are your favourite media that cover LGBTQ+ content?

[i]Honestly this is silly but I really loved How To Train Your Dragon because of the offhand comment that led to Gobber being canonically gay. Amazing, 10/10.

I also think One Piece (more recently.. the older stuff no..) has some interesting representation. I especially like Yamato who I believe is canonically trans.

Another I like that is subtle and isn't torn to shreds is Alluka from HXH. Also trans.

mastergemma • 24 June 2024 at 8:58 PM

I refreshed the page and now I have to type everything out again. I shall take a long walk off a short pier to cool off.

@spacebunny
Thank you for sharing ❤️ I'm so glad you have supportive parents! I wish I had more pan flags but it's the only one I am missing.

@avaloninallcaps
Sounds like SF has one of the bigger pride events, would that be right? Oh I think I've seen Chloe Moriondo on a tiktok.

@ashlinnhi
To be fair you do live on the most conservative side of Australia. I didn't know that about Hikaru and I hope she enjoys being herself as much as they can ❤️ From my understanding, Japan is somewhat going backwards and is becoming more conservative, or has a very vocal conservative media which is really causing issues as they are blaming the queer community for so many issues in Japan which is just incredibly wrong. Oh congratulations Thailand, what an incredible step forward!!

@sparklefox
Would your experience somewhat align with this video? It is most certainly a fickle thing.
https://youtu.be/qF1DTK4U1AM?si=7pyXhU2bVtrLOCPE
The comic looks cute and if I have time, I should give it a read.

@amethyst_elf448
Spoiler alert bisexuality made me giggle. Ahh high school romance is so pure ❤️
I haven't seen any LGBTQ flags around so I think I want to be the change I want to see. But first I need a car that I can call my own. I have heard so much good things about Owl House. Representation definitely matters! If you ever want to rant about any of the topics here feel free to send me a private message, I adore it.

@provo7demons
Ahh, realisation of bisexuality, the best of both worlds.
Jaiden Animation is so beautiful ❤️

@dragrawr
Gobber is gay?? Ahhh that's so cute. I haven't seen anything past the second movie or tv series. I haven't reached Yamato yet in One Piece, I can't wait to see how they are!

Pride flags will be arriving within the next 5 minutes.

endrolled • 24 June 2024 at 11:22 PM

i'm russell and i'm a nonbinary lesbian!
i started questioning my sexuality in 2009, though it was subtle at first... and then in 2012 i started being more open about liking girls. i realized i'm trans at the end of 2014, meaning i've been under the nonbinary label for almost 10 years now! time flies...

i went to a single pride prom event once when i was younger, and i was too nervous to really interact with anyone. but i remember seeing some of the most beautiful drag queens and i was absolutely starstruck, haha. i think i'd like to go to more pride events in the future, maybe with my girlfriend when we can finally meet in person (we've been in a long-distance relationship for eight years!)

thanks for letting me ramble about this 😊

heatherm19 • 25 June 2024 at 1:24 AM

@provo7demons Omg I just have to comment because your story of figuring out the 'bi' part is just so familiar! That whole trip through 'thinking so much about this person' to 'wait maybe it's not negative feelings' is just... Man that's familiar.

provo7demons • 25 June 2024 at 8:56 AM

@heatherm19 *shakes your hand in solidarity*
I was so convinced I absolutely hated her...that was a fun realization XD

sparklefox • 27 June 2024 at 6:16 AM

@mastergemma - I can kinda relate to some of the stuff in that video, yeah.

Teen me just assumed that since I developed the feelings a little late and in the meantime had already gotten to know the guys in my school as almost entirely being a little, uh... unpleasant, that maybe that was preventing me from developing any feelings despite suddenly considering a few of them kinda 'good-looking'. Didn't ever have the urge to pretend to have one, and luckily no one really seemed to expect me to have one either.

Honestly didn't even know that aromanticism was a thing that existed until this year and that there's even a difference between romantic and sexual attraction, but I guess it's better late than never...
Think this is enough oversharing for me for one month, haha. I'll stop now.

(Thank you for showing me that.)