Friday, June 24, 2016

TV is killing me this year

My heart has always been broken by TV, but 2016 has been the worst ever!

Lexa dying was the beginning of a movement that was already overdue, but now was desperately needed.

However, my personal heartbreak started with knowing that 'Person of Interest' was cancelled and we only had a brief final season to look forward to. It was - in my opinion - a great final season, given that they had to rush a few things because of the short season.
 
Person of Interest - Team Machine

And yes, we did get Shoot, but then we also lost Root and my heart did indeed break many times along the way. 
Root x Shaw Person of Interest Amy Acker Sarah Shahi
 
Still, I do love 'Person of Interest' in every way, and if Netflix does a spin-off or continues it in some form, I will definitely be there.

The two heartbreaks that hit even harder were those I really didn't see coming, because they were never warned:

1) Sara Ramirez leaving Grey's Anatomy, which was announced right after the season 12 finale aired.

Sara Ramirez Callie Torres gif

This means Callie Torres (my spririt animal) will no longer be on my TV. At least not for a while... and I don't know that I want to watch the show without her. Or actually, I do know and I don't really.
We lost a beautiful, bisexual badass woman of color... not many of those on screen. Especially after this first half of 2016.

2) 'Penny Dreadful' being cancelled, which was announced right after the season 3 finale aired.

Especially because it was presented as "the plan all along" which is just plain bullshit. This show had some of the best acting from Eva Green and Billie Piper, who played beautiful and strong women.

Eva Green as Vanessa Ives on Penny Dreadful

In fact, 'Penny Dreadful' was ALL about strong women taking charge and being the real saviours of their own stories.

Billie Piper as Lily on Penny Dreadful
Billie Piper as Lily on Penny Dreadful
Billie Piper as Lily on Penny Dreadful

I mean, you do not see a female character like that every day! Also, Billie Piper did get to kiss another woman (played by Jessica Barden) quite a few times, and they had a deep and very loving relationship, so there's that of course.

Penny Dreadful Billie Piper Jessica Barden

So yeah, I'm just all kinds of heartbroken... no more Root, Sameen Shaw, Callie Torres, Vanessa Ives or Lily (Frankenstein, if you will). Who will fill this void?

Sad and heartbroken,
- GayGirl

P.S. Yes, I bingewatched "Orange Is The New Black" which is in a league ALL of it's own, when it comes to heartbreak. Especially at the heels of the Pulse Orlando shooting. But that heartbreak needs a post of its own... if ever I have the heart to write it.


Friday, June 17, 2016

Our hearts are breaking

After having been subjected to watch our LGBT brothers and sisters die on TV week after week, the mass killings in Orlando happened

Black ribbon with rainbow for Pulse Orlando

It's hard not to draw a comparison, since it seems to have been the trope of 2016. "Bury your gays" and "Queer bating" has been in use far more in the first months of this year than the last ten years combined.
 
HeatherHogan has made a list over at Autostraddle, and it is beyond sad to look at this statistic. 

Still, this year just took a reality turn of the truly heartbreaking kind, when 49 LGBT people were brutally murdered at the Pulse night club in Orlando, Florida, on June 12, 2016. 

Right in the middle of our people celebrating Pride month.

Words cannot express the heartbreak and sadness, and yet somehow it feels like we've been experiencing this for months already. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to compare fictional characters with real, flesh and blood human beings.

Still, the fact that we've been watching ourselves get killed on screen has had a real impact on flesh and blood human beings all along. Depression, suicide and overall feelings of being worthless have been the very real and dangerous side effects of showing these LGBT characters dying left and right. Often right after finally finding someone to love.

If that's not a sick and twisted way to tell young LGBT people that our "lifestyle choices" come at a price, then I don't know what is!

Pulse heartbeat - rainbow flatline
While we're coming together as a LGBT family, we're also being subjected to having everyone - including those that have never attempted to hide their contempt and hatred of us - stating how awful this is. And yes, it is truly awful, but every single person who has been preaching hatred of LGBT people is part of this tragedy.
 
This Friday, I'm in love with life for those who no longer have one. 

I will stand with my entire LGBT family as I always have... and we need our allies to do the same. Not just when it's trendy or convenient, but every single time someone makes a joke and talks of hatred or disgust for any LGBT person or issue. And the same goes for gender, race, religion, etc.
 
If you're not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem. 

We cannot be nice or pleasant in a world that is still filled with people, who would rather we didn't exist at all.
 
We must be the light in this time of darkness.

Peace and love,
- GayGirl
 
P.S. There's been talk of the killer, Omar Mateen, being a closeted gay man himself, and while I don't know if this is true, I do think it is a beautiful rumor; If you are willing to die to show you hate us, then in death we will make you one of us!




Friday, June 10, 2016

Queerly beloved

Happy Pride everyone of my queerly beloved!

I know, I know, I've already talked about this before, but come on, it's Pride month... I have to mention it yet again.

Statement T-shirts and novelty items (such as an awesome new coffee mug for work or a laptop sleeve to show off) are just my weakness. Well, along with note books!

Anyway, right now, this is my absolute favorite (you can get it here):

http://www.redbubble.com/people/t-out/works/22027426-queerly-beloved-we-are-gathered-here-to-gay


Let me tell you, people just can't help but smile, when they see this "Queerly Beloved" statement. And I'm all about bringing smiles to the people. Only light can drive out the dark, so I'm trying to do my part.

Have a beautiful gay - in every sense of the word - day,
- GayGirl

P.S. I also got this... I miss Root way too much!


They Exist T-shirt - Person of Interest - Root
You can get this one here...