sundries

[rm]

When I say I'm a cosplayer,that's a little bit of a lie. It's not like I cosplay a lot of characters or am into cosplaying in the abstract (I am, but in terms of looking at other people's costumes, not so much for me). Just sometimes a character in a fandom I'm in resonates with me and I cosplay it. So far, that's all of two. And they've both been male. That's not been intentional particularly, it just is what it is. But man, reading this makes me relieved I only seem to crossplay: A con costume contest goes wrong, in exactly the way you'd expect. via britgeekgrrl

Yesterday we saw Bright Star which was lovely, even if we were sitting in the front row in the worst movie theater for it ever and now I have a terrible headache that won't quit. Also, it was like ever goth kid I ever dated rolled into one movie: "I think with fondness only on you and the hour of my death."

Also: was super weird to hear songs I've danced to at balls and in classes plays by the band we used in the film (yay, Spare Parts).

Six current battles for equal marriage rights.

Letters in response to a recent New York Times series on teen runaways reminds us that an estimated 20 - 40% of these teens are LGBTQ.

While bigots on the Internet aren't anything new, bigots who somehow think homosexuals didn't exist 100 years ago... well, they probably aren't new either, but WTF!

So much of my understanding of my sexuality comes from history. And so many of the fights I've had about my sexuality have involved various academic battles to get permission to do papers on how modern queer culture references and revered and appropriates historical gay figures. It's a near and dear topic for me, so this punched all my angry making buttons.

ETA: oh, original comment now deleted, but, you'll get the jist from the responses.

I know several of you are comics artists. I have a friend with a comics project (he's a writer) that's been in development for years, but various artists have drifted in and out of the project. He's looking for someone new to collaborate with -- I'm not sure of the logistical and financial details of the situation now or in the future, but if you want me to put you in touch, drop me a line.

Time to get Interfictions 2. It's co-edited by deliasherman and features a number of LJ'ers including shadesong.

reannon links us to six reasons to watch the new V. Decent reasons, but honestly, I'm a little fucking sick of post-9/11 social commentary (most of it's done badly; BSG is an exception) and would have liked to keep the WWII allegory stuff. Sigh.

Last night, Patty and I discovered new editions of things like Wuthering Heights in B&N that are not only designed to look like the Twilight covers, but that actually say, "Bella and Edwards's favorite book!" on them. Well, if it makes people read something that's not utter crap I can't really argue. BUT WE WERE AFRAIDED.

Episode 2 of Girl Number 9 is tonight.

Comments

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

But man, reading this makes me relieved I only seem to crossplay: A con costume contest goes wrong, in exactly the way you'd expect.

Argh, so much agreement. I saw that on britgeekgrrl's journal.

Also, thanks much for the link about the teen runaways article's related letters to the editor - I'm not in the slightest surprised about the statistic, but dispirited that this is something that the federal government still can't get its head around.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

Or Plato (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symposium_%28Plato%29), for that matter.

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

The great thing about the DC movement is that it put tremendous pressure on MD and VA. Because the last thing either of those states want is for a good percentage of the tax base in their richest areas (DC suburbs) to move into the city.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Oh, really, REALLY good point that hadn't occurred to me.

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

It only occurred to me after you posted, but the phenomenon of the "pink pound" is well-known in the UK economy (what would be the US counterpart: pinkbacks?), so it shouldn't be a surprise.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I think we say the gay dollar here. When I was in Uni we used to deface currency by stamping pink triangles over the president's face so everyone knew when gay money was in circulation.

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

That's brilliant!

I wish there was a similar thing you could do for credit and debit card use. Because I know I'll drop $20 cash, but the big (gay) money would probably be plastic.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Ditto. I wish they did credit cards to raise funds for queer orgs they way they do for a lot of other orgs, although I bet that feels risky to a lot of people in terms of being out on official paper forever and ever.

[delchi.livejournal.com]

It wouldn't have to - it could just be a charitable donation card ... I believe those exist ... whereby a % is sent to some charitable org the cardholder picks from a list.

The sad thing is, although it would be a way to raise funds, credit card companies are inherently evil and in the long run might do more damage to the people who are carrying them than good for the organizations receiving the funds.

There are many interesting alternative ways to raise funds these days, like microlending. A friend of mine is funding some of his film projects that way. Kickstarter.com is an example.

Re: Virginia? Pfft.

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

I agree that there won't actually be any movement in Virginia because they're still caught up in their modern day civil war with Northern Virginia pushing to the left and the rest of the state's southern culture dragging to the right.

That doesn't change the fact that there will be real economic pressure in the northern Virginia area. Of course, it will probably only serve to deepen the political divide in the state rather than getting us anywhere, but that's reality.

Where are you moving next year? I've lived in Arlington, Alexandria, and Norfolk. If you have to be down there at least I can recommend some good restaurants.

Re: Virginia? Pfft.

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

Ghent's a great area. I really liked Baker's Crust and Fellini's for good, not too pricey food. Plus, the staff at the Lambda Rising are great there. Nothing like the snotty people in DC. They got to know me and always had books pulled that they thought I'd like.

I wasn't wild about my time in Norfolk because I didn't really know anyone and was working 80 hour weeks, but any time I was feeling down I'd head to Virginia Beach and watch the waves and I always felt better.

Re: Virginia? Pfft.

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

OH NO! Damn, I'm sorry.

I've been phone banking, promise.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

So much of my understanding of my sexuality comes from history.

Very much so. I recall being fourteen and drifting about not understanding why I simply don't relate to, well, most things.

The statistics on teen runaways is not surprising much to our regret and sadness. LGBTQ kids just aren't registered to rescued from the big bad world out there - obviously they chose this fate for themselves.

[drfardook.livejournal.com]

Wait... what... homosexuality is new? That's so fucking ignorant its causing me physical pain.

[rm.livejournal.com]

AND she was saying the Bible forbids it in the same breath -- like, if it's new, why would the Bible talk about it?

[ckd]

Logical consistency is for people who aren't busy trying to find "rational" justifications for "ooh it's icky and bad!"

[delchi.livejournal.com]

Did she happen to mention which Bible? ( Recall 'The Blue Jean Bible' from 'The Mosquito Coast' as the so called new bible? )

[heron61.livejournal.com]

Clearly, those are merely foolish objections from people in the "reality-based community".

[luke-jaywalker.livejournal.com]

Statements like that aren't bigoted; they're just plain *moronic.*

[aviv-b.livejournal.com]

Oh my! No gays 100 years ago? Oscar Wilde would be shocked, just shocked! There ought to be a law about letting people that stupid reproduce.

That's the biggest problem with these asshats. They don't think, they don't learn, they don't read, they hear some pundit say something like that and take it as (pardon the expression) as gospel.

And to the poster of this little piece of genius: As a Jew, don't you dare tell me what MY bible says. You want to distort your testament, fine by me. But as far as I'm concerned if you're eating cheezburgers or shrimp, you are going to hell a lot faster than a gay person. Go read Leviticus - just how many of these rules are you (or me for that manner) following? You want to live by the letter of the law, fine, but that includes all of them, not just the ones you find convenient. Go back under your rock. Grrrrr!!

[graene.livejournal.com]

amen!

Since I've been teaching it and checking interpretations, I've been amazed how much of Jesus' "wisdom" and "claims to deity" are actually his blatantly quoting our holy books. Feh.

[aviv-b.livejournal.com]

I think Jesus had a lot of interesting things to say. Even if they are many times derived from Torah.

Everytime I read one of these fucktards spouting off about gays, all I can think is 'He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone.'

Not a bad philosophy to live by.

[eandh99.livejournal.com]

Of course what Jesus said came from Torah, he was a devout and practicing Jew trying to reform what he saw as corruption in the Jewish establishment of his day. The split between Judaism and Christianity happened well after Jesus' death, largely fomented by Paul who had been a trained Jewish scholar himself, and who was the biggest promoter of the "selective use of the Torah" approach to making Christianity a Gentile religion. Good old selective literalism, giving Christianity a bad name since AD 70.

[newsbean.livejournal.com]

Thanks for linking to Fantastic Fangirls. It's on my reading list from now on.

[weirdquark]

I've only dealt with judges in anime conventions and have thankfully never run into that problem. I've helped run cosplay events and judges tend to be picked out of people who have won awards in the past. Most of them are women.

On the other hand, if you're walking around in a costume that exposes a lot of skin, there are a fair number of people who think it's totally okay to come up and grope you. Which is several levels of not-okay beyond the much larger number of people who think it's okay to hug you with out warning or asking for permission. Which I think happens more to women who are crossplaying, because fangirls want to glomp their favorite gay pretty boy character, and doing this to another female is less threatening. I did run into a male cosplayer of a much slashed male character who was just loving all of the girls who wanted to pose slashily with him. I haven't been to enough cosplay events at sci-fi cons to know how the comfort level around touching is different.

[delchi.livejournal.com]

Re: Scary books and rehashes of classics ... I saw this gem at the local B&N :

http://twitpic.com/l84pt

[bare-bear.livejournal.com]

Have you seen "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_and_Prejudice_and_Zombies)? It's by the same author, and he's added parts to the original book, which is kind of hilarious because it works most of the time. :D I haven't read the whole thing, but what I have is hilarious, although you do have to approach it with an open mind! ;)

[alabastard.livejournal.com]

When I say I'm a cosplayer,that's a little bit of a lie. It's not like I cosplay a lot of characters or am into cosplaying in the abstract (I am, but in terms of looking at other people's costumes, not so much for me). Just sometimes a character in a fandom I'm in resonates with me and I cosplay it.

That's exactly what we do, and why we still do it. Costumes for their own sake leave me dry.

[argentla.livejournal.com]

Not apropos of any of these, but something you might find interesting: an English professor advises Baz Luhrmann about how to film Gatsby.

http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/66/66gatsby.html

[rm.livejournal.com]

Oh that's fantastic. Thanks!

[bare-bear.livejournal.com]

While I always enjoy reading your posts and especially the links you come across, I really got a lot out of this post. The issue with the costume contest at that con is the same issue that I've been stewing over for a while. Nothing frustrates me more around Halloween than the fact that clever costumes are only appreciated on men, and women are expected to wear something sexy. It's demeaning and so so frustrating, and the sad part is, it's not only true in costumes.

But I'll try to refrain from ranting too much in your comments. I'm just super frustrated with the whole thing, and it came to a head this past weekend. Still fresh in my mind. :)

Also, thank you for the link to the bigoted twit that commented, amoung other things, on homosexuality being <100 years old (WUT?!). I learned a lot about the bible that I didn't know before, and it's reaffirmed the fact that I actually need to sit down and read the thing properly. I was raised atheist, went through a phase of going to church in high school, but ultimately got frustrated by what I figured was very contradictory comments. It's people like those in the comments that make me see religion in another, better, light.

Anywho, I'll stop babbling. This is what happens when I look at lj instead of working on my thesis research, like I should be. :D Thanks again for the great post.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Biblical translation issues are really, really interesting. If you do sit down and read it all (I did for a university class), I would also recommend adding the Apocrypha to your reading list as well as a book or two that can really help shed light on the translation, version control and numerology issues in the Bible.

[darthhellokitty.livejournal.com]

My grandmother read a modern translation of the Bible (modern is relative, this was the 70s), and was horrified. Now that she knew what they were talking about - especially some of the more grisly Old Testament stories - she didn't want anything to do with it.

[darthhellokitty.livejournal.com]

Bright Star was just gorgeous, wasn't it? Apparently they actually thinned out the flowers in the field scenes because they way they were naturally was too over the top.

[phaetonschariot.livejournal.com]

http://www.ourworldtoo.com/gay-spirituality.html#030

[teaboyfan.livejournal.com]

Right after I read your post with the description of the costume contest, with its unbelievably infuriating sexism, I found Leonard Pitts's column in today's "Savannah Morning News." I couldn't find it online, so I snagged a bit to quote from the Seattle paper. Pitts is a widely syndicated columnist with the Miami Herald, who provided the perfect counterbalance to that asshat "judge." He wrote "An Open Letter to Black Women" about standards of beauty, but it's just neat to hear a man say this to women, even if he's not saying it to me.

"A million media images tell us beauty looks like Paris Hilton — and "only" that.

So go on, sister, do what you do. I ain't mad at'cha. But neither am I fooled by your chemicals and weaves.

I am your brother, your father, your husband and your son. I've seen you in church with big hats on, giving children the evil eye. And at the jail on visiting day, shoring up that wayward man. And at the bus stop in the rain on your way to work. And at the dining table with pen and paper, working miracles of money. When I was a baby, you nursed me, when we were children, I chased you through the house; when we were dating, I missed half the movie, stealing sugar from you. I saw you born; I took you to your prom; I glowed with pride when you went off to school. I have married you and buried you. I love your smile. A million times, you took my breath away.

You are the rock and salvation of our people, the faith that remains when all hope is gone. So if it's about the need to be beautiful, maybe it's time somebody told you:

You already are. You always were."

[heron61.livejournal.com]

If we lived in a better nation, high school students would end up reading a selection or two from Katz' wonderful Gay American History or some similar work. As for V, I'm going to try it, but I'd be happier if the advertising had rather less "contains hawt babes".

As for teen runaways, in Portland at least, when my friend Aaron was working with homeless youth, around half of them were queer or trans.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Wow, that costuming article takes me back - back to the days about 20 years ago in the SF/F community when the costuming guilds were formed to drive out judges and attitudes like that and bring women in without treating them as T&A parade. I'm so sad to hear that the knuckle-dragging attitudes just shifted over to the next fandom.

[azurelunatic]

Re: the Twilight repackaging:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/aug/28/vampire-endorsement-bronte-bestseller