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Current Curiosities
[Reading] Star Wars: Darth Maul - Black, White & Red [Listening] "The Trees Saw Everything" from Vibe Check [Watching] Widow's Bay (Matthew Rhys - swoon) A CASE STUDY IN ALLYSHIP On 18 April 2025, Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan confronted ICE officers, there to arrest undocumented immigrant Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, by referring the immigration agents to the chief judge's chambers because their administrative warrant wasn't adequate to arrest him. Flores-Ruiz was in court to face battery charges, and ICE used his attendance at the hearing as a trap to detain and deport him. Judge Dugan's actions allowed Flores-Ruiz to slip out of the Milwaukee courthouse, ensuring his right to due process. I am not defending Flores-Ruiz's alleged crime of battery. Rather, I am acknowledging the importance of the rule of law (when ICE, CBP, and the Trump Administration behave lawlessly every day) and highlighting what real allyship through action looks like. Judge Dugan placed her body between Trump's ICE thugs and their target. Judge Dugan put her career and her reputation on the line to defend the rule of law and to protect a member of a marginalized community actively targeted by Trump's violent white supremacist policies. Judge Dugan demonstrated more than allyship through her actions. Indeed, Judge Dugan exceeded basic allyship becoming an accomplice. Basic allyship requires little personal or professional risk, which is why (cishet white women) allies* are often deeply disappointing. Being an accomplice requires risk - risk to person, risk to profession, risk to reputation - in order to disrupt the status quo and ensure liberation for marginalized communities. The ACLU of Kansas succinctly analogizes the difference between allies and accomplices: [A]llies are more like cheerleaders, rooting for [marginalized groups and their liberation] from the sidelines without significantly participating [but] accomplices are out on the field, playing the game with members of the community and taking action to further the cause of [marginalized groups and their liberation]. We don't need more cheerleaders. We have enough. We need more fellow players. We don't need more allies. We have enough. We need more accomplices. In these dark Trumpy times, it's not enough to be an ally - you need to be an accomplice. CODA For her actions, Judge Dugan resigned her position and was tried and found guilty. Though she was spared jail time, Judge Dugan was fined $5,000 for her actions as an accomplice. U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman, showing his pre-Boomer agèd cards, said Judge Dungan was a good person who made a bad decision. But we need more good people, more accomplices like Judge Dugan who are willing to make bad decisions if we are all going to survive the next two and a half years of Trump and his goon squad. Thank you very much for your time. If you have recommendations or curiosities, please fill out this nifty contact form. Sending y’all supportive, well-caffeinated vibes, Creighton Today’s Pen(cil): Sharpie Metallic Sapphire** * I am calling out cishet white women specifically because A) they often claim to be allies without actually doing the work of allyship; B) their proximity to cishet white patriarchal power often overrides their alleged allyship; and C) cishet white men will never truly be allies because their power is always already corrupting. Cishet white women are where we can see potential movement; that is, cishet white women will become accomplices only when they renounce their blind allegiance to white patriarchal power. (I believe I'm now firmly in my Magneto era.) ** Uff da, I'm really on a Sharpie kick lately, which means I'm probably seeking stability, permanence in the chaos of our current political moment.
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Please note: I'm hella heated and may continue to tinker with my language here and there, but my general controlling idea will remain the same.
Aunt Maries Are Not The Way. Today, I'm skipping the regular Current Curiosities to dive directly into Matthew Vines' wildly offensive opinion essay "I'm Gay, Not Queer. It Matters." published in this morning's New York Times. Happy last day of Pride Month, I guess. Like the titular Uncle Tom, Vines as Aunt Mary seeks to align himself with moderate and conservative Christian and white cisgender heterosexual systems of power by claiming (in the same misguided vein as the Human Rights Campaign) that we are just like you. That gay people, but not queer people, are deserving of equal rights. But as we've learned, no amount of we're just like you will protect queer and trans communities from cishet bigotry and violence. We are always already other. And what Vines is actually saying is I am not like those other queers; rather I, a white cisgender gay man, am just like y'all white cisgender heterosexuals with all the power and protections that I covet - but only for myself. Imagine hating yourself so deeply that you would willingly choose to aid your oppressor as your own community is targeted and harassed, as your oppressor finds new and well-worn ways of stripping your community of its rights to life and liberty. Again and again history and literature show us that the Aunt Maries, the Uncle Toms, the bootlickers themselves meet the same end as the communities they betray. No amount of we're just like you will protect you, will protect us. Vines represents a problematic and dangerous sect of white gays. That is to say, Vines' white and cisgender identities and his proximity to white cisgender heterosexual power overrides his solidarity with broader LGBTQ+ communities - particularly queer and trans communities of color. He seeks rights for himself and those who look like and act like him at the expense of equal rights for folks locating themselves (via sexual and romantic orientations, gender identities and expressions, etc.) under the broader queer umbrella. Queer is an identity. Queer is a call to action. Queer is a movement. Queer is a political statement. Queer is otherness and that is power. Queer challenges oppressive heterosexual and white supremacist systems. (Vines should take a note.) Queer reclaims the slur that was hurled at us (and still is, though fagot seems to be more en vogue these days) on the playground, on the street, in schools and offices and churches. Queer is collective. Queer is our ability to work across our in-community differences in identity and gender and ethnicity and class. Queer confronts white cisgender heterosexual power, but not in the us/them binary Vines asserts. Rather, queer dismantles the systems upholding white cisgender heterosexual power. Queer is emancipatory. Queer is liberatory. Queer is our survival. And no amount of Vines' rejection of queerness or his we're just like you will protect him or any other queer or trans person from the bigotry and violence of white cisgender heterosexual power. Thank you very much for your time. If you have recommendations or curiosities, please fill out this nifty contact form. Sending y’all supportive, well-caffeinated vibes, Creighton Today’s Pen(cil): Sharpie Mini Caddy Limited Edition P.S. This is why I've never been a supporter of Secretary Mayor Pete. P.P.S. Am I in my Magneto era??? Current Curiosities
[Reading] Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire (reread) [Listening] "Nobody Knows How To Be A Fan Anymore" from Vibe Check [Watching] The Sheep Detectives WHERE I LIKE TO GO AROUND TOWN As an engaged community member, I try to support local businesses that in turn support queer and trans communities and are owned by women, Black and Indigenous people, or LGBTQ+ folks. Below are a few of my go-to local shops and restaurants in Moorhead (and a few in Fargo).
Thank you very much for your time. If you have recommendations or curiosities, please fill out this nifty contact form. Sending y’all supportive, well-caffeinated vibes, Creighton Today’s Pen(cil): Sharpie Neon [Permanent Marker] Current Curiosities
[Reading] Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid [Listening] Houseplant Houseparty Double LP [Watching] Spider-Noir Today is National Ballpoint Pen Day! While I mostly write with demonstrator fountain pens, Sharpies, and occasionally wood pencils, I do marvel at the ingenuity and engineering of ballpoint pens. Prior to the development of ballpoints, folks used messy fountain pens or dusty graphite pencils. (Offices must've been a mess! I mean, they still are, but in the contemporary sense of messy. Just kidding - kinda.) The first ballpoint patent was submitted on October 30, 1888, by American John J. Loud. Instead of using the capillary action of fountain pens, Loud's invention used a small ball bearing, drawing ink out of the reservoir as it rolled across the page. This first model was scratchy and unreliable and often clogged, but with curiosity and experimentation over the next fifty years from inventors around the world, the modern ballpoint pen came to prominence. Hungarian László Bíró, a newspaper editor who moved to Argentina to escape the Nazis (original recipe), made the next significant improvement to ballpoints by incorporating thicker newsprint ink instead of runny fountain pen ink. Bíró applied for a British patent on June 15, 1938. (Outside of the United States, you will still hear ballpoint called biros.) World War II spurred the next round of innovations and patents. Marcel Bich began manufacturing Bíró's ballpoint pens under the name Bic (yes, that Bic) in partnership with a Spanish firm. Then, in a shrewd move, America firm Reynolds International Pen Company altered Bíró's design, bypassing his patent. In 1945, Reynolds launched its ballpoint at legendary department store Gimbels for $12.50 (over $200 today), kicking off a short-lived moment when ballpoints were luxury items. But by the mid 1950s, the market was oversaturated and prices plummeted. Ballpoints became an everyday tool and their contemporary ubiquity underscores the importance of these little marvels, the significance of curiosity and ingenuity. So the next time you pick up a ballpoint, consider the rich history of this commonplace tool. My Favorite Ballpoint Pens
Clearly, I love the ink (blue obvi) and writing experience of Bic pens, but want the extra weight of a metal body. I'm curious, what is your favorite ballpoint pen? And what are you writing with it? Journaling? Drafting essays? Jotting down to-do lists? Doodling? Regardless how you use your ballpoint pens, happy writing and happy National Ballpoint Pen Day! Thank you very much for your time. If you have recommendations or curiosities, please fill out this nifty contact form. Sending y’all supportive, well-caffeinated vibes, Creighton Today’s Pen(cil): Caran d'Ache 849 [Ballpoint Pen] Current Curiosities
[Reading] Game Changers Rachel Reid [Listening] "Go West" by Pet Shop Boys [Watching] Heated Rivalry and Red, White & Royal Blue (rewatches) Over the last few weeks, I've free-written and reflected on what to write about for this Pride season. Nothing seemed right for our current polycrisis. Last year, I wrote about how to protect ourselves while attending Pride events and how allies can practice their allyship, so no need for a redux. Then as I was listening to Game Changers on Spotify, enjoying all the smut (complimentary!) and laugh-snorting at the narrator's interpretation of Kip's New York accent while reminiscing about my own early queer explorations, I realized I was feeling joy for the first time in what felt like weeks. I knew I wanted to write about queer joy, my recent queer joy. I've written about finding joy before, but with ever-increasing Christian and MAGA anti-trans and anti-queer bigotry and violence, I want to focus particularly on queer joy. Queer joy promotes flourishing and whimsy and delight. Queer joy exists in acts big and small, public and private. Queer joy is the counterpoint to the trauma and violence inflicted on our communities by cishet culture. Queer joy is survival and liberation and celebration. One thing brining me queer joy this season is seeing how many LGBTQ+ folks feel comfortable coming into the local hardware store where I work. When my federal research grants were canceled in 2025 by the Trump Administration (because my work focused on collaborating with women and minority-owned businesses and educational institutions), I began working at my neighborhood hardware store. As a queer person, it hasn't always been easy working at this particular hardware store. Spaces like this are designed for cishet men and are not always safe for queer and trans folks. However, in my year of working at the shop, I've noticed an increase in queer and trans customers visiting the store. Some are regulars. Some are first-timers. Some are elders. Some are college students temporarily living the valley. I love seeing more queer folks shopping, feeling comfortable asking questions and taking up space - space not intended for us. And I love every minute of collaboratively problem solving whatever challenge they bring into the hardware store. Helping to build a more inclusive hardware store community brings this queer joy. Being kind and creative and useful brings this queer joy. What brings you queer joy this Pride season? I wish y'all love and joy this Pride season! And please remember to hydrate! Thank you very much for your time. If you have recommendations or curiosities, please fill out this nifty contact form. Sending y’all supportive, well-caffeinated vibes, Creighton Today’s Pen(cil): Sharpie Mini [Permanent Marker] P.S. As always, cops do not belong at Pride. Every queer and trans person, regardless of citizenship status, race or ethnicity, deserves to feel safe celebrating Pride. As Roxane Gay wrote in her thoughtful 2021 New York Times opinion piece, police harassment of LGBTQ+ communities did not start with the Stonewall Riots and did not end afterward. And BIPOC queer and trans communities bear the brunt of contemporary police harassment. Current Curiosities
[Reading] Teaching Critical Thinking by bell hooks [Listening] The Lizzie McGuire Movie Soundtrack [Watching] Hacks Adapting Diaphragmatic (Belly) Breathing A few months ago, I interviewed with a local nonprofit. The interview did not go well. I hadn't realized that my nervous system was hijacked before I even entered the organization's chaotic workspace. While I prepared for the Monday morning interview, I pushed down my concerns about the nonprofit's close ties to a prominent MAGA politician and what that might mean for me as a queer professional. During the interview, my nervous system was further tested as the cishet man co-founder very obviously rolled his eyes with every answer I gave. And bam, hello imposter syndrome! Curiously, a significant portion of the interview was spent discussing how frequently the cishet man and woman co-founders fight in front of the team during meetings. My interviewers jokingly used the phrase mom and dad are fighting, though as we know, family language in the workplace is always a huge red flag. The cishet man co-founder stressed that this was completely normal behavior and not at all unprofessional. I left the interview shaken, but as luck would have it, I scheduled therapy for later that same day. During the session, my queer therapist* suggested diaphragmatic (belly) breathing to help me focus and regulate my nervous system. After my appointment, I stretched out on the cool wood floor in my living room and attempted to belly breathe. The thing about my anxious brain is that it is great at multitasking. So while I focused on breathing, my mind continued turning over and over my unsettling interview experience. For ten minutes I tried inhaling deeply through my nose, holding each breath, and fully exhaling through my mouth with one hand on my diaphragm (a word I only recently realized I do not know how to spell) and the other hand on the cold floor. Eventually, I gave up and chose an album from my vinyl collection. I placed Mariah Carey's #1s on the turntable and dropped the needle. When "Fantasy" come on, I started singing along like I was in elementary school again. Immediately, I felt my shoulders begin to relax. After Mariah's double LP, I switched to Beyonce's Homecoming and then The Chicks' The Essential. As I sang (and shook it) with these divas (wow, I really did just write that), I realized two things. First, vinyl records force me to slow down and listen completely. That is, spinning records keeps me from hitting next on Spotify, in a never-ending attempt to find the right song. Instead, I vibe with a whole album start to finish. Second, the mechanics of singing outmaneuvered my anxious multitasking brain. As I dueted with Beyonce and The Chicks, my mind stopped mulling the interview, and I began focusing on my breathing, my posture, and the words of each song. Was I breathing through my nose to lift my soft palate? Was my posture supporting my breathing? Or as I'm wont to do when experiencing anxiety, was I hunching over?** And for someone who often mindlessly sings along without actually knowing the words or meanings of songs, was I understanding the lyrics? The collaborative systems involved in singing forced me to focus on deeply breathing and pushed out racing thoughts about the interview, potential MAGA complicity, and my own imposter syndrome. My therapist was on to something (obviously, she's brilliant) with her suggestion to practice belly breathing, but I needed to find a version that worked for me. I needed to adapt her strategy to meet my needs. (needed-needed-needs) And that's the trick. CODA After that harrowing interview experience, you won't catch me at particular farmers markets or night bazaars, but you might catch a glimpse of me singing (and maybe dancing) to release anxiety and reset my nervous system. Thank you very much for your time. If you have recommendations or curiosities, please fill out this nifty contact form. Sending y’all supportive, well-caffeinated vibes, Creighton Today’s Pen(cil): Sherpa X Savage Industries Pen Cover [Sharpie] * We need more LGBTQ+ therapists. Cishet counselors can (and often do) cause real harm to queer and trans clients. And don't even get me started on the foolishness that is Christian counseling. ** I learned a lot about the physicality of singing from my college voice teacher, an amusing bless your heart Southern preacher's wife. Current Curiosities
[Reading] Strangers by Belle Burden* [Listening] Mariah Carey's #1s [Watching] Last One Laughing UK** Hello-hello I know it's been a minute since I've posted on Rough-Draft Thinking, but with the ICE-CBP violence in Minnesota, I wanted to take a break to focus on my community and those directly impacted by Trump's monstrous policies. Can Potterheads Ever Truly Be Allies? With a new series coming to HBOMax this winter and the recent documentary on the making of said series, I feel as though it's time to talk about allyship and JK Rowling. And yes, I know this topic has been covered ad nauseam by queer and trans cultural critics, engaged readers and viewers, and even a few allies. But I know too many otherwise thoughtful allies who engage in Harry Potter capitalism to remain silent. To begin, I have to emphatically say, you cannot participate in Harry Potter in any form (books, movies, television, LEGO, etc.) without being an accomplice to prolific anti-trans bigot JK Rowling. By participating in anything Harry Potter, you are culpable of funding anti-trans hate speech and legislation. I understand some folks don’t (willfully or not) think about the impact of their consumption or refuse to recognize they are part of the TERF-Evangelical-MAGA anti-trans industrial complex and want to protect their favorite young adult series. But under capitalism, how and where you spend money has real-world impacts on marginalized communities. And when I’ve broached this subject with friends and colleagues about how their consumption of Harry Potter undermines their allyship, it seems to touch a nerve. So if you’re feeling attacked, please take a moment to explore why you are feeling this way. And please keep any separating the artist from the art takes to yourself. Those arguments are nonsense when JK Rowling actively uses her massive Harry Potter fortune to target, harass, and dehumanize trans folks. Obviously, I'm taking a hella black-and-white approach to this topic. I recognize I'm ignoring the nuances of queer and trans fans of JK Rowling's work. And I'm not acknowledging the complexities of our individual choices in how we navigate capitalism. However, my stance on JK Rowling's anti-trans hate speech is unambiguous. And to badly paraphrase George W. Bush (I know), you're either with queer and trans communities or you're against us - there is no in between. If you're looking for an alternative to the transphobic and occasionally racist world of Harry Potter, check out Percy Jackson and the Olympians. CODA Anti-trans bigots like JK Rowling really grind my gears, and so too do allies who engage in that ÜberKaren's fictional world. Thank you very much for your time. If you have recommendations or curiosities, please fill out this nifty contact form. Sending y’all supportive, well-caffeinated vibes, Creighton Today’s Pen(cil): Sharpie Fine-Point [Permanent Marker] * It's well-written, but perhaps this memoir should've stayed a Modern Love piece. ** I've never laughed so hard watching comedians trying not to laugh. Both series are truly excellent. Current Curiosities
[Reading] Create Dangerously by Albert Camus [Listening] Star Wars: Old Canon Book Club [Watching] The Sopranos Please note this post has been radically updated (1/25/26) since its original upload (1/15/26). With the peaceful protests and brutal federal violence in Minnesota, now did not seem the time to focus on how fascism is creeping into Human Resources. I plan to repost "Words Matter: Divergent Opinions," with a tighter focus on words and their meanings and real-world impacts, at a later date. Rebellions Are Built on 'Ope I'm angry and anxious and heartbroken about what's happening in Minnesota. I'm Minnesotan by choice. And I could not be prouder of my fellow Minnesotans as we protect our neighbors and protest the horrific brutality of ICE and Border Patrol agents enacting Trump's retribution (his word) on our state for not electing him three times. (Indeed, Bondi demanded Minnesota voter rolls as the quid for the quo of stopping ICE and CBP violence in Minnesota.) As Governor Tim Walz said in his address, Attorney General Kieth Ellison's office has set up the Federal Action Reporting Form to document ICE atrocities throughout the state. Additionally, Attorney General Ellison published this press release alerting Minnesotans that the Department of Homeland Security is digitally surveilling peaceful protestors. Protect yourselves. Use encrypted messaging apps like Signal, but be cautious of Meta's WhatsApp. (See also, the Minnesota Consumer Data Privacy Act.) If you document an incidence of ICE or CBP brutality, send the videos and photos immediately to a friend or family member not present at the protest in case ICE or CBP seizes your phone. Then immediately delete the sent message. This ensures your evidence reaches others — including the media — and protects you from the initial search of your phone. To my fellow Minnesotans — be vigilant, be vocal, be safe. And document everything. Thank you very much for your time. If you have recommendations or curiosities, please fill out this nifty contact form. Sending y’all supportive, well-caffeinated vibes, Creighton Today’s Pen(cil): Silver Fox Tools Mini Caddy [Sharpie] The title and subtitle of this post come from signs seen at local protests and on r/Minnesota. Current Curiosities [Reading] On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century Graphic Edition by Timothy Snyder + Nora Krug [Listening] "Unchained Melody"/"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" by The Unrighteousness Brothers [Watching] The Mystery of the Wax Museum Roamin' and Ramblin' into the New Year I can't remember when I first stumbled across Woody Guthrie's 1943 list of New Year's resolutions or which Instagram account had posted it. Before the 2016 Presidential Election? After? Before the 2020? Honestly, aside from wanting to provide attribution, I suppose it doesn't really matter anymore how I found it, but that I did. When I maintained social media accounts, I would post Guthrie's handwritten resolutions, highlighting both his penmanship (a gorgeous mix of cursive and printed all-caps), his doodles, and particularly his twenty-seventh resolution: HELP WIN WAR - BEAT FASCIM.  I added the blue box highlighting Resolution 27 whenever I initially took this screenshot. For more than a decade, we've witnessed a rise in fascism in the United States and abroad. And perhaps by the time I've uploaded this post, we will be at war with Venezuela. Though, the word war is misleading, as the violence is one-sided and the actions of a demented bully wielding the world's strongest military. So it seems, once again, we too are faced with war (on several potential fronts) abroad while confronting fascism at home. Happy 2026, I guess??? HELP WIN WAR - BEAT FASCISM Anyway, the other day, I finished reading Timothy Snyder's On Tyranny, and one thing that struck me, aside from the parallels between our current moment and twentieth-century fascist and totalitarian regimes, was how small interpersonal acts and decisions can flaunt tyrannical control. Indeed Snyder suggests make eye contact and small talk (Lesson 12), practice corporeal politics (Lesson 13), and establish a private life (Lesson 14), among others. Now, I have never been a fan of New Year's resolutions. Resolutions are black and white, pass or fail - or to paraphrase Yoda resolutions are do or do not; there's not a lot of room to try.* That is a lot of pressure to put on yourself at the start of a new year. So instead of resolutions, I am setting intentions for 2026. For me, intentions provide space for missteps and mistakes, for reflection and learning, highlighting progress and process over perfection. HELP WIN WAR - BEAT FASCISM So as I consider the one ahead, I thought I would frame my intentions for 2026 through the lens of Snyder's lessons. My 2026 Intentions
CODA Queer and trans folks may be best positioned for Lesson No. 12 in which Snyder underscores the importance of observing your surroundings as a way of knowing whom you should trust or not. As LGBTQ+ people, we already do this on a daily basis, in new situations and old, with new people and old. This practice has protected us for generations against the radical and religious Right. So keep on keeping on, team. Continue being alert. Continue being cautious and critical of those in power. And continue protecting and supporting each other. [Lesson 12] HELP WIN WAR - BEAT FASCISM I wish y'all a safe, healthy, and happy 2026. Thank you very much for your time. If you have recommendations or curiosities, please fill out this nifty contact form. Sending y’all supportive, well-caffeinated vibes, Creighton Today’s Pen(cil): Sherpa Christmas Lights 2023 Limited Edition Pen Cover [Sharpie] *I prefer Kanan Jarrus' reframing of Yoda's maxim in Rebels: If all I do is try, that means I don't truly believe that I can succeed. Current Curiosities
[Reading] The Stranger by Albert Camus [Listening] Soul Christmas [Watching] The Holiday The Gospel Truth: Percy Jackson Goes the Distance Much like Real Housewife of Salt Lake City Angie Katsanevas, I'm obsessed with being (half) Greek. Indeed, you can only reread Stephen Fry's Mythos, Heroes, Troy, and Odyssey or relisten to the back-catalogs of Let's Talk About Myths, Baby!, Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics, or The Ancients so many times. I binged the first season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians over a weekend and loved every bonkers minute! And the second season is off to a legendary start, even featuring an ironclad! In elementary school, I became obsessed with Civil War ironclads, which is funny for a pacifist ironically named after a twentieth-century general. But I've been gripped by these silly ships since playing Pigskin and Slamjam in Social Studies. Both were ten-week U.S. geography trivia worksheets that required using actual atlases (books of maps, not the Titan) and encyclopedias (because the internet was off-limits and honestly not super helpful in the 1990s). Anyway, one of the perennial questions asked something like which team would fly closest to a sunken ironclad? and what cape did the ironclad sink in? and bonus: what is the name of the ironclad? Obviously, the last answer is the USS Monitor. The thing I like most about Percy Jackson and the Olympians is how the show (I know it was a book series first, but I haven't read it and do not plan to) translates Greek mythology into a contemporary setting. The show achieves this by layering different historical aesthetics onto the present. In addition the aforementioned ironclad (crewed by the dead), the show also incorporates Art Deco architecture and motifs, which lends an air eeriness and spiritualism and opulence to the show. Percy Jackson also does a stellar job of imaginatively mapping the mythical Aegean onto the continental United States with the Sea of Monsters translocated to the Bermuda Triangle or the Gateway Arch in St. Louis morphing into a temple to Athena (and a brief critique of American settler-colonialism!) or the secret entry to Hades' realm being guarded by a tacky 1970s-inspired Procrustes in a Los Angeles mattress store. This show! Anyway, here is the good, the bad, and the queer for Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Good
The Bad
The Queer While the queerness of Greek mythology and society seems to have been erased for the comfort of Disney audiences, viewers familiar with the mythology can still glimpse it in palimpsestic relief. And Percy and his fellow demigods offer a parallel for queer and trans audiences, existing out of sync with dominant human (hetero-patriarchal) society. As Percy and company navigate their non-normative godlike identities, LGBTQ+ viewers have an opportunity to safely explore ways of being and accepting their own identities. Finally, Percy Jackson offers viewers a Harry Potter-like experience without all the violently anti-trans, occasionally racist baggage. Thank you very much for your time. If you have recommendations or curiosities, please fill out this nifty contact form. Sending y’all supportive, well-caffeinated vibes, Creighton Today’s Pen(cil): Spoke Design Icon [Fountain Pen] | Noodler's V-Mail Midway Blue [Ink] |