This Was Drawn A While Back But Felt Fitting To Post Now. Sometimes We Feel Something Is So Obvious We

45's tax returns are out

HHHHHOOOOO BOI, let me sum up:

He paid $750 in 2016

Not 750 million, not 750 thousand, 750 dollars

He paid the same the next year

He paid nothing in ten of the fifteen years prior

The IRS has been auditing him for a decade over the legitimacy of a $72.9 MILLION tax return

The Capital is being stormed by terrorists (6th January 2021)

Good evening, this is a real NYT headline

On one hand, these photos of Trump supporters breaching the Speaker of the House’s office and stealing the podium might be funny.

On another, they represent an absolutely terrifying reality that fascists can literally walk into the US Capitol Building, fully derail a joint session of Congress, and march around smiling like it’s a joke because it was all too easy.

Meanwhile, Black Lives Matter activists were met with armed police/military, chemical weapons, bullets, etc. for protesting in the streets. Some protestors were injured and killed. But today, cops take pictures with the Trump coup.

Take a look at this white privilege and never again tell me it doesn’t exist. Utterly embarrassing.

If you’re queer and a Disney fan, you’ve no doubt watched the new Pixar movie Luca and have picked up on the HEAVY queer-coding between Luca and Alberto. 

Here’s my take on why I don’t think it’s ‘coded’ but rather blatantly queer.

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

So, yes the director has stated he didn’t ‘plan’ for it to ‘come across like a gay romance’ but keep in mind that most people who work at Disney can end up under very strict rules in regards to discussing LGBTQ+ topics publicly. Disney parks actors are reportedly not even allowed to say ‘gay rights’ or ‘happy pride’ so it’s understandable that the people involved in creating Luca refuse to openly say it’s a gay story.

But the fact of the matter is IT IS. And here is my argument as to why.

First of all it’s obvious right off the bat when you begin the movie that it is serving strong Little Mermaid vibes. Alberto collecting human objects, Luca dreaming of going to the surface and his parents saying no and forbidding it. All things from the classic Little Mermaid. But how is The Little Mermaid queer you ask? I’ll tell you.

The Little Mermaid, the Disney film is obviously based on the Hans Christian Anderson fairytale and Hans Christian Anderson was a bisexual man who put blatant coming out metaphors into his original tale. Then when Howard Ashman came along to write the Disney adaptation he also put heavy queer elements into it. Ashman was an openly gay man suffering from AIDS during the AIDS epidemic and those themes definitely showed up not just in The Little Mermaid but in all his Disney Renaissance films. And of course, Ursula was modeled after a drag queen. 

How else was Luca a queer masterpiece? The entire narrative parallels the coming out experience. When Luca’s parents learn he’s been going to the surface to spend time with a boy there they decide to send him away to ‘The Deep’ a horrible dark and desolate part of the ocean to help him ‘straighten out’ this is an OBVIOUS nod to conversion therapy, a tragedy that befalls many queer kids/teens when they try and come out to their parents. We also see parental rejection in Alberto when we learn that his father abandoned him. 

When Luca runs away with Alberto they then of course have to hide who they are from everyone around them because sea monsters have been vilified by the town. Again, this is an obvious metaphor for homophobia. Showing that Luca and Alberto can only be their true selves when they’re in private.

Also, speaking of their true selves, their sea monster colors combined make up the colors of the men loving men (mlm) pride flag. 

Alberto also soon shows tell tale signs of jealousy over the fact that Luca begins to spend time with Giulia alone. It is clear it is not the kind of jealousy one holds for someone they only view as a friend.

Later in the film when Alberto shows Giulia that he is a sea monster he hopes that Luca will join him in this (again OBVIOUS) metaphor for coming out. But Luca is terrified and treats Alberto like a monster, going along with the societal expectation to condemn sea monsters.

Later, when Luca lets the rain fall on him, exposing his true sea monster self in order to save Alberto this is the ultimate expression of true love. Then when the two stop to help Giulia after she’s hurt, we see that while many people in the town still hate and distrust sea monsters, many people, including Giullia’s dad who up until this moment had also shown hatred towards sea monsters, realizes the mistake in his long held prejudice and having grown to know Luca and Alberto he openly accepts them for who they are.

And in one of the most beautiful and heartwarming shots of the entire film, we see a couple of elderly women that had been in a few scenes as background characters, let their umbrellas down so the rain can fall on them and reveal that they too are sea monsters. And clearly, sapphic women.

In the second to last scene we see Luca, Alberto and Luca’s family celebrating with Giulia’s family. A beautiful found family scene that so many of us queer kids either had growing up, or desperately wish we had. We learn that Luca’s mother fears (and has always feared) that Luca will essentially be a victim of a hate crime because she knows how awful the world can be towards sea monsters. The same way that even today so many people are so hateful to queer people. But Luca’s grandmother assures her:

“Some people, they’ll never accept him, but some will. And he seems to know how to find the good ones.”

This is such a beautiful encapsulation of what it is like to exist in the world as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Not everyone will see you as a whole person and accept you for who you are. Some will be downright hateful. But some will be loving and wonderfully supportive. The film Luca shows what it is like to finally find those individuals who stand by you no matter what.

Lastly, the ending is one of the most obviously romantic scenes ever. With Alberto and Luca sharing a tearful goodbye as Luca tells Alberto he can’t go without him and Alberto assures him he’ll be okay. Then Alberto holds Luca’s hand, chasing after him for as long as he can.

People have argued this isn’t a gay movie because they’re kids and to insist that they’re gay is inappropriate because it’s a children’s film. This is an incredibly ignorant and homophobic argument. Many people have childhood loves. And to insinuate that putting gay characters in a children’s story is somehow inherently bad and not suitable for children to see only continues to invalidate LGBTQ+ youths, and children who have queer parents, friends, family members. Luca and Alberto are at an age the director described as ‘pre-romance’ they are finding themselves, discovering who they are and what it means to form a true and intimate bond with someone. They are at an age where it is normal to question your feelings and sexuality. It is perfectly normal and okay and BEAUTIFUL for these two boys to be gay and feeling childhood versions of love and the early stages of what could one day become a budding romance toward one another. 

No one would ever argue that Peter Pan and Wendy weren’t in love even though they were kids. So ask yourself, if Luca’s character was a girl would these homophobic viewers still argue there was no budding childhood romance written into the story? No, they wouldn’t.

Also, they released this movie during Pride Month. I mean, COME ON.

So that’s my take on why Luca is a blatantly gay movie. I am so happy that kids will now have this movie to watch while growing up. I wish there had been a movie like this for me when I was a kid. A beautiful film that normalizes and celebrates queer kids and queer love. 

Happy Pride Month everyone.

I think what a lot of white people genuinely do not understand is that all kinds of racism is bad. There isn't a ladder marked with "acceptable" and "unacceptable" racism.

- The person purposefully joking about your native name even after you've explained its spelling and pronunciation to them and begged them to use it correctly? Racist

- The person who is "okay with" racial minorities existing but doesn't want to see that portrayed on tv / doesn't feel like representation is necessary? Racist

-And I know. I know how hard it is when you are in a privileged position and you're being asked to care about things you don't know much about. But after someone has pointed it out to you, you better try to change.

- "but these mindsets don't hurt anyone" news flash, they do. Just because someone isn't throwing tear gas at protesters doesn't mean their bigotry isn't harmful!

- Put yourself in our shoes for a moment. How would you feel if someone told you they don't want to see anyone like you in the media they consume? That your identity is too complicated for them and they want to water it down to make it easier?

- Again, this is not targeted towards anybody or a callout post. I'm just asking you to take a very hard look at these little things because they GROW. No one comes out the womb being a white supremacist. These things start small and keep adding up.

- This is just a word vomit because I was Angry and you are absolutely not required to rb this or anything! Have a nice day.

Her cheekbones just slit my throat 😭😍😍

-fae

“No matter wat I know everything bae @reesehimdaddie and I’m goin make sure your story is told and the right way fuck da clout chasing cause it happened just as you said nobody was goin to hear you or us for that matter until it got to level 10 you was my everything until those pills took total control and took you away ! All he wanted was for us to win as we battled all his mental demons but I got left being the only one tryin to get help cause he gave up hope as my friends and family and his grandma tried to help and keep me alive while I tried to save him before this point HE WASNT SCARED OF ANYONE SO HE FOUGHT BACK FOR US ! HE WANTED TO TELL HIS STORY THRU HIS MUSIC AND NOW I GOTTA TELL IT! BAE YOU WILL NEVER DIE TO ME AND I ALWAYS KEEP MY PROMISE ! WE LOVED EACH OTHER TO DEATH WE FOUGHT PEOPLE TOGETHER ITS DEEPER THEM HIM BEING BULLIED AND I HAVE ALL THE PROOF AND AGAIN “HIS” STORY WILL BE HEARD NOT YALL MADE UP SHIT ! I STILL HAVE HIS MESSAGES AND VOICEMAILS CAUSE WE TALKED ALWAY UP UNTIL I RAN TO NEW YORK TO WAIT FOR OUR COURT DAT ON THE 20th of this month and he though in his mind no matter wat I said he thought I wasnt comin back wat was I suppose to do I know he was goin to take both of us cause he said thats how much he loved me but I knew it was the pills talkin not him I MEAN COME ON HE HAD MY GOVERNMENT TATTED ACROSS HIS FOREHEAD!” - Faith Palmer

R.I.P.

Y’all want to see something wild?