The bass line from Heart's "Alone" thrums through my bones as I settle onto the cracked leather barstool, watching Miguel's graceful hands work magic behind the scarred wooden bar.
This is a message that needs to be heard and internalized by everyone. Our culture's constrictingly narrow and specific beauty ideals may land particularly hard on the LGBTQ+ community (especially the youth), but it really affects all of us. Especially all those considered "overweight" (over WHAT weight?).
Our societal ideals of beauty, female male end the lives of our children. Teenage, cisgender boys and young men off themselves because they're not masculine, handsome, fit, toned and macho enough. CisGirls, young women and LGBTQIA youth have higher rates of suicide, but it takes the lives of thousands of young, 'straight' males too. This psychotic nonsense leaves older people alone and isolated too. Even our elders!...
Our 'culture' has become sick, toxic and deadly...
Wait—Phoenix is trans? I thought she was non-binary…
For me? Attractiveness depended on their eyes and faces—did their eyes hold humor? Honesty? How do they respond to me and others around them. That all makes the biggest difference to me as life goes on. Their body is just the frosting on the cake, however it’s shaped.
I was a beautiful little kid. Got the photos to prove it. Outgrew that fairly quickly and then had to depend on character and decency to get me through. Works pretty well, too, even into advancing age.
This is a message that needs to be heard and internalized by everyone. Our culture's constrictingly narrow and specific beauty ideals may land particularly hard on the LGBTQ+ community (especially the youth), but it really affects all of us. Especially all those considered "overweight" (over WHAT weight?).
Our societal ideals of beauty, female male end the lives of our children. Teenage, cisgender boys and young men off themselves because they're not masculine, handsome, fit, toned and macho enough. CisGirls, young women and LGBTQIA youth have higher rates of suicide, but it takes the lives of thousands of young, 'straight' males too. This psychotic nonsense leaves older people alone and isolated too. Even our elders!...
Our 'culture' has become sick, toxic and deadly...
Wait—Phoenix is trans? I thought she was non-binary…
For me? Attractiveness depended on their eyes and faces—did their eyes hold humor? Honesty? How do they respond to me and others around them. That all makes the biggest difference to me as life goes on. Their body is just the frosting on the cake, however it’s shaped.
Minor Typos....when I write about my characters some times I slip up.
Fixed.
And here I figured it was the gummy messing with my brain! 😬
I was a beautiful little kid. Got the photos to prove it. Outgrew that fairly quickly and then had to depend on character and decency to get me through. Works pretty well, too, even into advancing age.