Sweetgladiatorfesival - Insert Nuggets Here

Being aromantic, asexual, or aspec in any amount does not make you inhuman, sick, or in need of treatment. You are wonderful as you are

Context: [Link 1, Link 2]

this is something that’s been lost as common knowledge both since the drop off of anti-ace discourse and directly Because of it ever having been a thing in the first place, but in light of recent published bigotry pointed at aspecs (aces And aros) gaining attention I think this is something that bares emphasizing:

this reaction isn’t new, it’s something we’ve seen from conservatives for decades now.

a commonly accepted talking point is that conservative christians Must love aspec people, because they represent the theoretical ideal of abstinence. it’s something that I see even from spaces that Aren’t using it as a weapon against aspecs, and in a vacuum it makes sense as an Assumption.

but the thing it misses is that conservative christians do not think asexual and aromantic people Are Real. when they idolize abstinence it’s as a great sacrifice that one makes to defeat the Universal Demon Of Lust. and, more importantly, It’s Something That’s Supposed To End. you’re Supposed to get into a nice heterosexual christian marriage and have lots of little babies that you take to your nice heterosexual christian church, repeated ad infinitum.

and moreover, both christians and popular society In General see our ability for romantic love as The Thing That Makes Humans Human.

so you introduce the concept of people who Don’t experience either of those things and you get two reactions.

1: horror. the “this is a mental/physical illness that desperately needs to be fixed” approach. the idea is monstrous or pitiable but always revolting. they Believe that you live this way, but they don’t believe that it’s something that a “normal” human being could experience or that it’s something that someone could be Happy experiencing.

2: Suspicion. they don’t believe that asexuality or aromanticism Is Real, therefore it Must be a coverup for something even more revolting than is being lead on. it’s not unlike the idea that any feminine or non-threatening trait in a guy (Any guy) is Really just him trying to lure women into a false sense of security by Being seemingly non-threatening, and is therefore even More suspicious as a potential threat.

we’ve Always seen “well if he doesn’t want to fuck humans then I’ll Bet He Wants To Fuck Something Else” and pedophilia accusations/implications. they don’t see aspecs as Pure and Holy, they see them as a threat either to their understanding of what humans can be or as a wolf in sheep’s clothing trying to get away with something.

this is hardly even the first time that aspecs have been presented this way in published news articles or tv. the difference is that public awareness of asexuality and aromanticism has shifted, and with it the bigotry that was always there is being amplified.

that said, I think it’s important to emphasize that this isn’t new, considering the history of erasure ace and aro people have experienced when trying to talk about said bigotry.

I don’t necessarily think this post needs “evidence” (especially with the fox news article already linked above), but for the sake of illustration lets turn back the clock to 2015 for one of the examples I have saved [Link]

Ace rings and Aro rings. What are they?

An ace ring is a black ring, usually worn on the middle finger of the right hand, that indicates you are on the asexual spectrum. An aro ring is the basically the same thing just white and worn on your left hand on the middle finger. Placement is important since other communities us rings to identify themselves. Many people on the spectrum don’t know about the rings, so it is often times a more personal symbol. It’s just a really neat way to embrace your ace-ness and/or aro-ness.

Some people go with plain black and plain white., but others like their rings with a little bit more to them. Some people might go out even further and get rings that are dragon-like. I will explain the meaning of dragons in the ace community in a later post. There are even rings out there with the ace of spades (and other suits) which the meaning of that is explained in one of my previous posts. There are also cool rings out there that are less subtle that have the aro flag colors, ace flag, colors, and the sunset aroace flag. Overall, just the normal ace ring, a black ring with embellishments, and any other ace symbols are used by people! People have all sorts of different rings that fit within the aro/ace ring vibe.

Feel free to reblog and get this info out there! ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ

Hi friend! Another aroace peep here!

I need to hear that there are other aroace people out there. I need to know I’m not alone

[Image ID: a screenshot of the sidebar of aroaceconfessions. The post count is at 10,982. The follower count is 11,858. End image ID.]

There are other aroace people out there.

Hello 🖐

I am aya living in North Gaza with my three children, and we are facing starvation in the northern region. We have moved more than 13 times trying to find a safe place, but there is no safety anywhere.

I am asking for your help to protect my children and get us out of this imminent danger😥.

Your donations and sharing of my story will greatly contribute to our survival.🙏🙏

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Donate to Save Gaza: A Brighter Future for Aya and Her Family, organized by Aya Alanqar

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this is a verified fundraiser!! donate and share if you can

Frog

Tried some pixel art and made a froggie

transition according to your own needs, and create your own transition timeline. you are not transitioning "wrong" or "late" if you come out later in life, or if you are not out or on hormones by your 20's. you are allowed to take time and assess which parts of transition suit you, and which don't. it's okay to take it slowly if you want to, it's okay to take actual years to make decisions.

it's okay to also move quickly through transition, as long as you know it's right for you, and you've done research into how it can affect your long term health, if you are choosing HRT and other medical avenues of transition. for some people, the dysphoria is so unbearable they have to get their hands on HRT as soon as possible or they may not make it to the other steps of their transition. this is okay, too, just be sure to practice as many harm reduction practices are you are possibly capable of doing- avoiding frequent binding while your body is still growing can help you in the long run, for example.

regardless, it's okay to transition at any rate or pace, you're not transitioning "too late" if you transition in your late 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's, and beyond. it's okay to admit you feel trans if you're very, very young, it doesn't mean you'll "grow out of it"- there is no order to the steps in which you need to take to make yourself comfortable- it doesn't matter if you start by diving HRT first after doing research on how it will affect you, or start by switching pronouns and working your way up. transition how it feels right for you.

THROUGH A RAPIST’S EYES” (PLS TAKE TIME TO READ THIS. It may save a life, It may save your life.)

An Article from

Neena Susan Thomas

“Through a rapist’s eyes. A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interview…ed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:

1] The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun! , braid, or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.

2] The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women who’s clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing.

3] They also look for women using their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.

4] The number one place women are abducted from / attacked at is grocery store parking lots.

5] Number two is office parking lots/garages.

6] Number three is public restrooms.

7] The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location where they don’t have to worry about getting caught.

8] If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn’t worth it because it will be time-consuming.

9] These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas,or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.

10] Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you’re not worth it.

POINTS THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER:

1] If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk: can’t believe it is so cold out here, we’re in for a bad winter. Now that you’ve seen their faces and could identify them in a line- up, you lose appeal as a target.

2] If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay back! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they’d leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.

3] If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.

4] If someone grabs you, you can’t beat them with strength but you can do it by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and armpit or in the upper inner thigh – HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it really hurts.

5] After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy’s parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you’ll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause him a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble, and he’s out of there.

6] When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.

7] Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don’t dismiss it, go with your instincts. You may feel little silly at the time, but you’d feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.

FINALLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THESE AS WELL ….

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do it.

2. Learned this from a tourist guide to New Orleans : if a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you…. chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car: Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping,eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side,put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU CLOSE the DOORS , LEAVE.

5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:

a. Be aware: look around your car as someone may be hiding at the passenger side , peek into your car, inside the passenger side floor, and in the back seat. ( DO THIS TOO BEFORE RIDING A TAXI CAB) .

b. If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.

c. Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).

7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked “for help” into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it’s better safe than sorry.

If u have compassion reblog this post. ‘Helping hands are better than Praying Lips’ – give us your helping hand.

REBLOG THIS AND LET EVERY GIRL KNOW AT LEAST PEOPLE WILL KNOW WHATS GOING ON IN THIS WORLD. So please reblog this….Your one reblog can Help to spread this information.

THIS COULD ACTUALLY SAVE A LIFE.”

i’m hungry but haven’t got enough money for milk for my cereal until saturday lmao 😵❌

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If you see this, just so you know I'm the original creator and you can support me by buying it on redbubble where I originally posted it

So it's popped up in my feed uncredited again.

I made this fun design and posted it on redbubble awhile back. and then people started reposting the picture, removing the water mark and not crediting me.

It looks pretty simple but I put work into this. On top of that I'm a Black disabled queer who has no money right now. If they had linked it back to my shop I wonder how many more sales I would have.

Be mindful about sharing what look like memes, this picture looks pretty clear at being a redbubble sticker design. Also I've seen "memes" where it was clear so much work was put into it reposted with 0 credit. It might seem not that harmful but for us creators, especially when we create to help supplement our income it heartbreaking.

Dear whoever stole my work originally, you put the effort to remove the watermark, why couldn't you put the link back to my store? It's also very "funny" stealing a design about paying trans people for their time/energy and actively stopping the trans creator from making money.

Please share to help spread the word

REBLOG IF YOUR BLOG IS A SAFE SPACE FOR AROMANTIC PEOPLE AND IF YOU THINK THEY ARE VALID

I want to see how many people actually are willing to say this and not just act like it