I Do Belive In ???
Recently the topic of faith has become popular within my social circles, leaving me on the outside. My personal belief system is drawn from sources of all kinds (actual religions, fictional faiths, my own mind ect.) and based on believing only the things that truly resonate within me, when I discus matters of faith with people the accepted norm is to name your “camp;” the organized religion that you belong to and that is when those of us who stand alone and away from every camp can see just how alone they are.
One of the most common ways for people to sort themselves is by belief systems: Christian v. Atheist, Pro-war v. Anti-war, Rebublican v. Democrat, Rap v. Metal, Coke v. Pepsi… The list is endless. But in the realm of religion (and, for the sake of this article, both Atheism and Agnosticism count as religions) it isn’t so much a matter of A v. B as it is a matter of hundreds of warring factions demanding that you declare allegiance to one, be it the one you were born into or the one you have chosen. Why is that? Why is it that the choice to believe what you truly believe and nothing else cannot be respected and accepted? Why do so many people choose to take a predetermined set of beliefs rather than create their own?
Corsets and Eyeliner
So… What’s your type? People have always tried to get me to answer this question and not a single person has ever believed me when I answer honestly and explain that people are nice looking but not sexually attractive until I get to know them, I don’t want to have passionate sex with anyone until I can have a passionate discussion, but that answer has only been viewed as a half-truth or an out-right lie.
So now I’ll be completely honest about what traits and behaviors I’m attracted to!
I’m attracted to: confidence, a good sense of humor, activism, bright eyes, self-awareness, sarcasm, passion, soft skin, rough hands, individuality, compassion, a thirst for knowledge, people who wear corsets as/over shirts, avid readers, good writers, people who share my interests, people in my fandoms, Hufflepuffs and people with eyeliner on. This is FAR from a conclusive list, but if I were to find someone who had/did all of this then I may just want to jump their bones on the spot, although I’d get consent first (safe, sane and consensual!) because that’s important.
Yours in Queerness,
Duo Spiritus
DADDY!
Father’s day.
Two words that can cause any number of thoughts and feelings to go through the minds of people with fathers, and fathers/father figures, the feelings flashing through my own mind are feelings of apathy and anger with a greenish tint of envy and an undertone of hurt.
My father is one of the many fathers who are undeserving of any day of recognition so in the process of building my own family I’ve found a few people who I will be honoring today. I’ll be thanking people who came into my life and filled the “father” roles when my own father was unable or unwilling to do so.
If you’ve found a father figure, no matter what other roles they may fill, don’t forget them today; give them a call and tell them how much they mean to you. I know I will.
Yours in Queerness,
Duos Spiritus
“No Homo lolol!”
“No homo” is a phrase I’ve heard and seen after phrases as innocuous as (“I love your shoes”) to the most sapphic (“Your tits look GREAT in that top”) and no matter what precedes it the phrase confounds me. What about paying someone a complement indicates romantic interest? And isn’t romantic interest just another complement? If you understand this phenomenon, feel free to explain it to me but if you are as confused as I am then feel free to share this question with whomever insists that they are “no homo.”
Yours in Queerness,
Duo Spiritus
So Today It’s Mother’s day
Mother’s day is a tough day for a lot of people for a lot of reasons; people who have lost their mothers to death or intolerance, mothers’ who have lost their children for the same reasons or people who wish to be mothers but are forbidden by law to adopt. My heart goes out to all those people but today I am counting my blessings; I have a wonderful mother who loves and supports me in all I do, what more could I want? I have a mother who fights for human rights on all fronts, what more could I ask for?
So in this post I’d like to say; Thank you mom, I love you.
Yours in Queerness,
Duo Spiritus
STOP THE SHAME!
I recently participated in a conversation that got me thinking about all the shame associated with sex. One of my friends admitted to exploring sexuality from a young age and another friend admitted to being uncomfortable with the idea of masturbation, both friends were laughed at and teased for being “too sexual” and “not sexual enough” respectively.
Shame doesn’t do anybody any bit of good, what does it matter if someone’s personal buisness isn’t what you think is right? What you think is right is just right for you. Don’t force anyone to conform to your ideals no matter how right you think they are and don’t conform to any ideals that are not your own out of shame.
Stop sex shaming
Stop virginity shaming
Stop kink shaming
Stop woman shaming
Stop man shaming
Stop fetish shaming
STOP SHAMING!
I love and accept you as you are, no matter how “different” you may seem. And remember, there is a place for you somewhere.
Yours in Queerness,
Duo Spiritus
Hir; A Poem
This is a beautifully done piece of spoken word, I recommend it.
Yours in Queerness,
Duo Spiritus
Where’s The Restroom?
Earlier this month I was blessed with the chance to attend a leadership and activist training as well as participate in a day of advocacy at a state level, this was my second year attending this summit and, to be honest, one of my main reasons for returning had nothing to do with the change I could make. I wanted to go so I could spend a weekend surrounded by people who asked for my P.G.P. (Preferred Gender Pronoun), in a place where ALL the bathrooms were gender neutral and where I knew I’d be accepted as I am. When I left I realized just how important having a gender neutral bathroom was, and how often I risked my own health to avoid choosing one or the other, I realized that if I know I’ll be able to make it to a gender neutral bathroom I’ll simply hold it even if I get an infection because of it. I realized how uncomfortable I always am when I have to choose based on biology and I realized that if I feel this way then I can’t be alone.
If someone as self assured as myself is afraid to choose a bathroom based on comfort then how can we expect others to do the same? If someone as confident in their gender as I feels diminished and trapped by the bathroom choice then how must it make those just coming out to themselves feel? And what can we do about it?
I can’t answer about the feelings of others, but I can tell you what you can do; If you find a place with gender neutral bathrooms you can let them know how much it means to people, if you find a business that has gender neutral bathrooms you should choose them over their competitors and if you have a place you feel safe enough suggesting gender neutral bathrooms then you should do it.
Yours in Queerness,
Duo Spiritus
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
I have read very few books that manage to cover issues of freedom, gender, sexuality and youth while maintaining an interesting plot, Beauty Queens is one of those rare literary gems.
The book opens with a note from the book’s sponsor, The Corporation, telling us that although the book begins with a plane crash everything will be OK! Then of course is the aforementioned plane crash and we learn that it was a plane full of contestants in the Miss Teen Dream Pageant (hosted by The Corporation), the plane crashed onto a seemingly deserted island and we are treated to what seems like the beginning of a Lord of the Flies style survival book. But in Libba Bray’s work things are never exactly as they seem.
I always hesitate to give away TOO much, but I can assure you that even the Corporation ads spaced throughout the book are enthralling, the plot thickens when some sexy British pirates show up on the island and that we are given the gift of queerness on so many levels throughout the book. The audio-book differs slightly from the printed book and is read by Libba Bray herself, very well I might add, and is worth a listen.
GO READ IT!
Yours in Queerness,
Ignis Viperi
mytwospirits 