This Is Genuinely Something I've Been Thinking About And Trying To Learn/re-learn Recently.

OOF

Can’t stop thinking about the TikTok I saw (I can’t find it again) where the person says that the wizard game has caused us to witness the moment that most of the millennial generation migrate into the boomer mindset of “my nostalgia is more important than your rights”

If you didnt pander to trans/gays you'd have zero fans because your writing sucks.

I'm sure you're right. But that means there must be tens of millions of trans and gay people reading my books and comics. And I'm good with that.

THIS IS THE CUTEST

One of the most memorable interactions was Saturday. Into our booth strolls a small family, tempted by free samples of freshly brewed tea. We chatter and give them the spiel, that the tea is character merch and we’re a cozy health-based app called Forage Friends.

The young girl zeroes in on our pride pins.

“They have my pin!” She says excitedly. “They have my flag!”

The dad blinks. He is surprised, but also calm and positive when he sees it’s the lesbian flag. “Oh. That’s… different from what you told me.”

“That was months ago, dad.” And she rolls her eyes. Definitely a teenager.

I turn to him and say, “Yeah, dad.” And we share a little laugh about it.

He says, “No, it’s great. That’s amazing, honey. It was just news to me.”

“Well, I guess I just decided to stop lying to myself. About liking guys. Like right now.”

A little lesbian just came out to her dad and he was super cool about it.

I’m standing there in my tie-dye mask and my cheery blue apron pouring tea and making small talk and I’m trying really hard not to cry or compare it to my experience, the fire & brimstone, the disgust, the conditional acceptance as long as I never bring it up.

So as this beautiful bonding is going on, the girl’s even younger brother turns his gaze around. He’s in a snorlax hoodie and bored and wants to go look at the swords across the hall. But on the other side of our booth….

“WHY DO PEOPLE DRAW THAT?” He asks loudly, and we all turn to our neighboring booth.

Our neighbors were extremely lovely people. Every time we had a break we would talk, and we became good friends over the weekend. They kept apologizing that their booth was next to ours and we kept repeating that it was totally fine. Their booth was great. I even bought their merchandise.

The thing that was so contentious, that they felt the need to apologize for, was that they were selling explicit titty hentai stickers of popular characters. They were censored with little yellow R18 labels but the content was very clear.

So back to the family: I freeze and immediately go somewhere else to let dad handle this question. With adult customers I’ve been loud and positive about our neighbors. (“Man, how has it been boothing next to them?” It’s been great! They bring a lot of foot traffic and they’re kind and wonderful professional neighbors. If anything it’s a fun juxtaposition. We believe in artistic freedom. I bought a sticker too!)

But this is a kid, it’s not my place to explain anything…. But I was extremely curious about what this chill dad would say.

“Well,” dad says with a long measured silence between each word. “Sometimes people are horny.”

i am a big believer in letting music (and other media) come to you when you're ready for it. you may only know vaguely of an acclaimed beloved artist and suspect that you'd be into them but just... not ever get around to it. and then in 15 years one of their songs just hits you the right way and what a gift to suddenly have all of their works to explore! there is no hurry; what is good is always good.

Norway

© R. Söthje

1956 patent application "Design for an Electric Hanukkah Lamp," NARA GIF online

HAG HANUKKAH SAMEACH!

ICYMI: our 1st-ever Hanukkah Tumblr series! By Miriam Kleiman, Public Affairs

1st Night: Cowboy-themed menorah w/ perhaps mistletoe? 2nd Night: 1926 Sefer Sipur Nes Hanukkah from Baghdad. 3rd Night: White House Hanukkah invite with a Xmas tree! 4th Night: mention of Hanukkah at Rosenberg trial. 5th Night: 1st Pandemic Hanukkah, 1918 6th Night: Hanukkah speech tips for Pres. Clinton, 1998! 7th Night: Candy Cane Menorah? 8th Night: You’re invited… Hanukkah at the White House!

the fall (2006) dir. tarsem

wedding dress designed by eiko ishioka 石岡 瑛子

Lilith, (detail, 1887) John Maler Collier