the joy of eclecticity

mama-bird: Someone just tried to tell me that I am bisexual due to environmental factors. Yes,...

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:00:37 -0700

Someone just tried to tell me that I am bisexual due to environmental factors.

Yes, those environmental factors being surrounded by gorgeous fucking people of multiple genders.

skepticalavenger: jeremy-of-destiny-islands: Labels frustrate...

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:16:21 -0700

skepticalavenger:

jeremy-of-destiny-islands:

Labels frustrate me. Gay, straight, male, female, atheist, theist, Republican, Democrat - all of them do. Because we use these labels to sort people into these groups and make blanket assumptions about the lot of them based solely on these labels.

But when we assume characteristics about a person based on a label (even if it is one that they have applied to themselves), we are not allowing ourselves to truly know that person, and they get judged before we know anything about them.

People are far too complex to just be able to tell everything, or even anything, about them from a few adjectives. Someone might be a gay Democratic politician but they could still be hateful towards Jews. Someone with a PhD in theoretical physics could be a staunch Christian.

But we assume things about people - we assume that atheism is associated with intelligence or amorality (depending on the lens through which you look at it), theism with ignorance or morality. We assume that people born with a Y chromosome will fit into Male gender roles. We assume that a white straight male is automatically born into a better situation than a black gay female. We assume that teens are too stupid to think about anything except sex and music, and that adults are too busy thinking about more important things. We assume so many things about so many people that are completely arbitrary.

And I’m sick of it. If someone is an atheist, it means they do not believe that there is a God. It does not make them a better person than any Christian, Muslim, Hindu, or Jew, nor does it make them a worse person. If someone is born with two X chromosomes, it means that they will have breasts and a vagina. It does not mean they must wear dresses instead of suits, it does not mean they cannot call themselves Steven. If someone is a Republican, or Conservative, it means they have a Conservative political ideology. It does not mean they hate black people, gay people, or poor people.

So please, I ask you, if you find yourself generalizing about whole groups, painting the world in these us vs. them (white vs. non-white, cis vs. LGBTQ, women vs. men, conservative vs. liberal, atheists vs. theists) ways, remind yourself that the world is NOT split up into good people and Death Eaters - it is FAR, FAR more complex than that.

Even though we are in a world where we interact with far more people than our brains evolved to interact with and treat as individual people, we must do our best to overcome this bias to sort others into these groups, and make assumptions about a person’s identity based on a particular facet of it.

VERY well said

Photo

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:30:16 -0700

voldy-fucking-mort: vagina isnt a bad word vagina isnt a bad word vagina isnt a bad word vagina...

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:45:16 -0700

voldy-fucking-mort:

vagina isnt a bad word

vagina isnt a bad word

vagina isnt a bad word

vagina isnt a bad word

VAGINA IS NOT A BAD WORD!!

The Onion: Gay Kid Excited To Be Made Fun Of For Second Thing

Thu, 23 May 2013 23:27:20 -0700

The Onion: Gay Kid Excited To Be Made Fun Of For Second Thing:

“It’s perfect because I’ve been looking for a second thing to get mocked for, and Boy Scouts seems like a great fit. I think it’ll really open me up to a whole new batch of cutting insults.”

bialogue-group: Please Help a Brother Out: Come Fund Top...

Thu, 23 May 2013 22:28:12 -0700

bialogue-group:

Please Help a Brother Out: Come Fund Top Surgery for Bryan

By now practically everyone in the Queer Nation has heard of the really unfortunate incidents that occurred in March of this year on the Washington Mall during the Supreme Court arguments on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

But do you know the real people who it happened to? Well meet the guy who was holding the Trans* Flag that day.

As Bryan Ellicott explains, what started as a happy and exciting day of LGBT Pride & History turned into his ”Supreme Court Marriage Rally Transphobic Experience From Hell” when a staffer and one of the big Gay Inc. groups (ok so it was HRC again) became upset to see other than approved people and symbols cluttering up their photo-op moments and tried to run the riffraff off. With Bryan his Flag suddenly thrust unwilling into a staring role as “unapproved riffraff”.

A political activist for the progressive and LGBT community Bryan describes himself as an ”open and proud bisexual transman”. A native of Staten Island NY graduating from College of Staten Island with a BA in Poli Sci, he has interned in the offices of Christine Quinn, the Speaker of the New York City Council and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. During 2012, he went out and worked in the Ohio OFA (Organizing for Action) office helping re-elect Obama to a second term. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy Bryan worked with FEMA doing Community Relations work. He’s currently a board member of the Stonewall Democrats of New York City and a campaign aid (LGBT Liaison) to Mel Wymore in his run for the New York City Council.

Says Bryan,

“the bulk of my work is in the LGBT community whether it be advocating for Marriage Equality across the country, calling out the need those who talk ill to me or any of my transgender brothers and sisters as well as my continued work for Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) in New York State or when it comes to people learning about bisexuality and not thinking those horrible myths are anything but that.”

When trouble came Bryan and his friends were there standing strong representing the the entire LGBT Community. So while you are cheering the symbolism please also remember the actual person. Says Bryan,

“I wanted to ask you my brothers and sisters to help me in my journey. Top surgery is my next step toward the place I want to be. Anything you can do to help me would be most appreciated and if you could share this with others that would be amazing as well.”

So what do you says people? He was there for us. Can you be there for him? Please click the link and Help Fund Top Surgery for Bryan. Thanks

Sex Positive | The Thoughts of a Beginner

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:15:33 -0700

Sex Positive | The Thoughts of a Beginner :

puppywithonefloppyear:

I’ve slept with many people, several people, I dare say, lots of people. I have given blow jobs for the joy of giving a blow job, not because I was in love with the person I had in my mouth. I’ve fingered someone because I was sexually attracted to them and it was a fun night to be had, not because we were on date three and I was trying to figure out if they were the love of my life. I’ve done casual and walked away from it the next morning with fond memories and a delicious soreness…

legendofjaime: legendofjaime: Your bestfriend is a...

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:30:05 -0700

legendofjaime:

legendofjaime:

Your bestfriend is a microphone?

WAIT THATS NOT A MICROPHONE

profoundindifference: So, I posted this quote I found on Tumblr...

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:45:22 -0700

profoundindifference:

So, I posted this quote I found on Tumblr to Facebook because I like it and agree with it. Everything is going well until this asshole who lives on my floor (orange) decides to put his privileged, sexist two cents in.

Then he is prompted to explain himself by me (blue) and he drops this little nugget of “truth.’

So, I had to reply. Thought you’d appreciate it.

Sex Positive: Have It Your Way

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:00:29 -0700

Sex Positive: Have It Your Way:

asphyxiatedlegacy:

Choosing the path less taken (but more fun).

If you’ve ever been made fun of for having or not having sex, or even if you’re just looking for a good read, definitely check this out. It’s a really great article!

karenhallion: topherchris: So, this argument. “Kids do best...

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:15:49 -0700

karenhallion:

topherchris:

So, this argument. “Kids do best with a mom and dad!”

My dad abandoned me as a kid and then I had a shitty stepdad. That really sucks, but it happens, and it has nothing to do with gay people getting married.

Kids do best with love and support. Adults do best when they’re not being assholes.

(pic via Buzzfeed)

“Kids do best with love and support. Adults do best when they’re not being assholes.”
Repeating that, because of reasons.

Photo

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:30:16 -0700

Muted ♪ Heartstrings ♚: DIY Healthy Sex Toys

Thu, 23 May 2013 03:45:16 -0700

Muted ♪ Heartstrings ♚: DIY Healthy Sex Toys:

mutedheartstrings:

Soooo I just came back from a sex toy workshop at my college. It was pretty fun (and funny), and taught me a bunch about sex toys, how to care for them, and how some of them are not really that great for your body. :<

Thought I’d share some things I learned from the workshop.

Instruction for…

ebrynnnn92: I organized a button making table at the 5th annual...

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:15:49 -0700

ebrynnnn92:

I organized a button making table at the 5th annual Sex Positive Fair at Mills College. Here are the awesome images I picked and created bad ass buttons out of!

Go home biphobia! YOU SUCK!: We are allowed to be angry.

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:30:17 -0700

Go home biphobia! YOU SUCK!: We are allowed to be angry.:

gohomebiphobia:

I can’t stress this enough. I lost a number of followers the other day for posting an angry and snarky response to someone on the polysexuality tags who was acting very holier-than-thou about knowing the “right” definitions of pan bi and poly. He said bi was “attraction to cis men and women only”…

agender-unicorn: i may be in pain but at least i’m a total...

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:45:11 -0700

agender-unicorn:

i may be in pain but at least i’m a total babe

Mostly Not Work: Poly challenge revisited: Day 6 - What does marriage mean to you?

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:24 -0700

Mostly Not Work: Poly challenge revisited: Day 6 - What does marriage mean to you?:

mostlynotwork:

Original post

Sitting here on the subway, staring at this question, I’m not sure if I have a better answer now than the one I gave a couple of years ago.

What’s marriage about? Commitment. That was my answer then and that’s what it still comes back down to I think. Marriage is a sign…

fucknobiphobia: toobitofunction: ;) I wish all parents did...

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:15:41 -0700

fucknobiphobia:

toobitofunction:

;)

I wish all parents did this!

"Women are socialized to take passive or reactive roles in sexual interactions and engage in sexual..."

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:30:26 -0700

“Women are socialized to take passive or reactive roles in sexual interactions and engage in sexual activity only in relationships characterized by romance, love, ad commitment. In addition, Russell (1975) and Warshaw and Parrot (1991) pointed out that women have been socialized to be submissive, kind, and accepting and not to develop the skills necessary to communicate their feelings assertively to men. In contrast, men have been encouraged to enjoy their sexuality and take active roles in courtship interactions. Men are socialized to define their manhood in terms of the frequency of their sexual activity and the number of their sex partners. to achieve their goals and avoid criticism of their ‘manhood’ from male peers, men are encouraged to initiate sexual activity, overcome women’s resistance, and even use coercive strategies (Kanin, 1985) to get sex. … Thus, norms encouraging male dominance and restricting female sexual expression legitimize coercive behavior in sexual interactions in the United States.”

- Sexual Coercion among University Students: A Comparison of the United States and Sweden by Ilsa L. Lottes and Martin S. Weinberg

The Journal of Sex Research , Vol. 34, No. 1 (1997), pp. 67-76 (x)

Ladies and Gentlemen: rape culture.

(via conjecturesandconversations)

fuckmegentlywithawinonaryder: fancybidet: I posted some...

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:45:26 -0700

fuckmegentlywithawinonaryder:

fancybidet:

I posted some drawings on my blog.

wow this is so dreamy!