I adore the way fan fiction writers engage with and critique source texts, by manipulating them and breaking their rules. Some of it is straight-up homage, but a lot of [fan fiction] is really aggressive towards the source text. One tends to think of it as written by total fanboys and fangirls as a kind of worshipful act, but a lot of times you’ll read these stories and it’ll be like ‘What if Star Trek had an openly gay character on the bridge?’ And of course the point is that they don’t, and they wouldn’t, because they don’t have the balls, or they are beholden to their advertisers, or whatever. There’s a powerful critique, almost punk-like anger, being expressed there—which I find fascinating and interesting and cool.

Lev Grossman (via mysharona1987)

Why do straight, white, cis guys tend not to write fanfic? Because they don’t need to. (via rendezvouswithenterprise)

It took me many, many years of having my life ruined by Shonda Rhimes to realize that the world won’t end if I stop watching a television show. Just because it once gave me sky high feelings doesn’t mean I have to pull out all the stops to try and prolong the emotional roller coaster ride. When you’ve fangirled for a few decades, you learn to cope with the reality that one day you will wake up, look at a photo of your favorite actress, and discover that the feeling is just…GONE. Or you’ll watch your ship sink and shrug your shoulders, knowing that two more random idiots will soon enter your life and reign supreme. For every ship there is a season. A time to weep, and a time to read every smut fan fic you can possibly find, and a time to move on. The 30-year-old fangirl gets this.

Why Fangirling Is Better In Your Thirties [x]

There wasn’t a word of this that I didn’t nod my head at. Leaving a show behind, quitting a ship, staying out of petty fights, shrugging off haters, picking the friends that matter… fandom is much sweeter the more perspective on life you possess. You realize that the fandom itself doesn’t really matter, but how it enhances your life does. So make your fandom life a happy place. Lord knows no one else will do it for you.

(via callistawolf)

fr4nike:

maddwood:

I’m tired

I’m gay. I’m tired.

I texted one of my best friends this morning and asked, “Did you hear about Orlando?” because the first time I ever went to a gay club and pretended like I was “out” was with him when we were fresh out of high school. Out of all my friends, he’s probably spent the most time in gay clubs. Which means I’m more worried about him than about my other friends. So I texted him.

I’m tired.

They want people to give blood, but it’s gay people who need the blood and it’s gay people who can’t donate. But we’re in crisis mode! We’ll take your tainted gay blood for today only!

I’m tired.

I held hands with a man last week and thought, “Oh no, we’re in a small town in Utah and this is dangerous because we’re both gay,” before I remembered that he’s a guy and I’m a girl so no, it’s not dangerous. But the next time I hold hands with a girl, will someone see us and get mad enough to shoot 50 gay people? Will I feel responsible when I read the news? Will I feel like a danger to society for being gay?

I’m tired.

I went to Pride in Salt Lake City last weekend and I complained as I stood in line in the hot sun and I complained about the ticket prices and I complained about the festival being smaller than it was last year and I complained. When it was over, I was still alive. I’m still alive. I can’t believe I complained.

I’m tired.

Bury your gays. Currently on television, 4 percent of characters identify as LGBT. In 2016, about 40 percent of that 4 percent have already died. Yesterday, that might’ve been the issue I wanted to discuss. Yesterday, I might’ve been angry about fictional gays dying. Yesterday. Art imitates life, life imitates art, and I am tired.

I’m tired.

A year ago I put a rainbow flag around my shoulders and celebrated the legalization of gay marriage in the United States. A year ago there was no law banning transgender people from using the bathroom of their choosing. A year ago a man hadn’t shot 50 gay people dead because he saw two men kissing and got angry. “Now that gay marriage is legal, what more do you people want?” Well, I want to stay alive, for one thing.

I’m tired.

There aren’t gay coffee shops or gay restaurants – there are gay nightclubs. Gay nightclubs where LGBT people can meet other LGBT people and feel safe. I want to meet other LGBT people and make friends with LGBT people, but I also don’t want to die.

I’m tired.

My existence is controversial. Even though I’m out, I have to be careful about how “gay” I “act.” What happens if I’m at work and offend a customer? What happens if someone I know reads these words and decides to punish me for them? What happens if someone gets so angry about my sexuality that they shoot 50 people?

I’m gay. I’m tired.

#WeAreTired