“I’m not a woman / I’m not a man / I am something that you’ll never understand.” – Prince, “I Would Die 4 U” (1984)
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Picture: Prince, Metro, Boston, Massachusetts, March 17, 1981. Photo by Steve Stone, c/o The History Project.
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Prince Rogers Nelson, who died one year ago today, was a cultural icon who, as Chelsea Reynolds wrote, “tried to help us understand the differences between identity (how we think of ourselves), behavior (what we do), and perception (how others think of us).”
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Prince, in short, “dismantled and queered what contemporary culture has tried to bracket.”
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Much has been made of an interview Prince gave to The New Yorker in November 2008 in which he discussed becoming a Jehovah’s Witness; specifically, much has been made of the following:
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“When asked about his perspective on social issues—gay marriage, abortion—Prince tapped his Bible and said, ‘God came to earth and saw people sticking it wherever and doing it with whatever, and he just cleared it all out. He was, like, ‘Enough.’”
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Despite Prince’s indisputable contributions to the queering of society, this quote continues to haunt his legacy.
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“What might strike audiences as contradictory stances on issues of sexual expression and marriage equality,” Reynolds explains, “may well be understood within their larger discursive context. Prince wasn’t merely a voice for marginalized or queer communities.
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“He reigned at the confluence of a culture tipping away from disco toward hip hop. The same culture that told Mariah Carey not to announce her blackness…that demanded Michael Jackson defend his vitiligo…that produced the Down Low and expectations for rigid heterosexuality among black men in the church.
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“We should agree on one thing: Identity is unstable. It is myriad. There is little logic in absolutist binaries. No straight, no gay. No black, no white. No woman, no man. No ideal Christian, no ideal atheist. At least not singularly. This is the gospel of Prince circa 1982:
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‘I just can’t believe all the things people say / Controversy.
Am I black or white, am I straight or gay? / Controversy.
Do I believe in God, do I believe in me? / Controversy.’” #HavePrideInHistory #Prince
1. Did this author really have to translate the Greek word for “fishmongers” as “fishfags”, and 2. Can fishfag be the new trendy aesthetic, akin to seapunk, because I can totally get behind that
okay, so if i were to write the academy award-winning and world peace-establishing screenplay where Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson and Vin Diesel slowly fall in love, this is what it would look like:
vin and dwayne would be bitter Rival Agents for an intelligence agency. both would be up for a Big Promotion. they would both be working together (but against each other) on something something black market mafia. the mafia would be involved. they would be VERY CLOSE to cracking this case.
whoever cracks the case gets the promotion! because things like this are always very clear-cut in movies. and whoever gets the promotion is the Better Agent, and it’s settled forever.
what they don’t expect is when they finally go in to make the Big Bust on The Family is that the Big Players will still be at large–and there will be a BABY.
the baby will fall into agency custody, and will require surveillance in a remote safehouse.
“i need YOU TWO to pretend and be this baby’s GAY DADS to protect the baby and keep The Family off our tail while we close in on them,” says Head Intelligence Captain Lupita Nyong’o.
dwayne and vin and baby are begrudgingly moved to a suburb of provincetown, massachusetts. cut to shot of a FOR SALE sign being pulled down, a ford fusion hybrid pulling up behind a moving van. dwayne and vin step out. they are both wearing muscle shirts and mirror-lensed aviators. dwayne grabs a baby bag, throws it over his shoulder. vin grabs the car seat out of the back, and both of them walk-slow motion up the side walk to their new 800k beach house.
here’s what they expect: passive aggressive co-existence for a couple of weeks, where they try to be the Better Dad in a bid for the promotion they both want. dwayne will go jogging with the baby every morning!! vin will wear her in a sling when he goes to the farmer’s market and smiles at the vendors while feeling up avocados and selecting fresh caught filets of fish!!
here’s what they don’t expect: their next door neighbors are going to be Channing Tatum and Idris Elba and their five beautiful, interracial babies. they are the perfect Gay Family, but “also,” dwayne says, pushing vin inside from where he’s been grilling steaks and drinking MILLER out of a CAN in broad daylight for the Real Gay Family to see and call over from their patio!!! “these guys are the REAL DEAL. they’re gonna know something’s up! i know we’ve had our beef, but we gotta step our game up and work together if we’re gonna make this operation work.”
“you’re right,” vin says. he’s nodding, looking at a ground, but then up and meeting dwayne’s gaze. “you’re RIGHT.” they’re gonna make this partnership work!!! they are going to be the BEST GAY DADS.
CUT TO: vin and dwayne staring at the king sized mattress in the master bedroom. “i can just–” vin says, but dwayne grabs him by the shoulder and shakes it playfully. “no man,” he says. “it’s all in or nothing.”
CUT TO: them jogging together with baby playfully squealing from her stroller early in the morning.
CUT TO: vin playfully feeding dwayne grapes at the farmer’s market. “it’s all or nothing,” he repeats, raising his eyebrows (???? eyebrow folds? idk man). dwayne rolls his eyes and TAKES THE BITE.
CUT TO: channing tatum in monogrammed shorts and pink polo and boat shoes on their front door step with one of his many perfect, precious toddlers on his shoulders, asking them to dinner. “uh yeah,” dwayne says, cool as a cucumber. he’s not freaking out (he’s totally freaking out!!). “we’ll bring the wine.”
“we’ll bring the wine?” vin repeats, in a hushed voice so the neighbors and baby don’t hear them fighting. “do you know anything about wine? they probably have a second house in france! i haven’t had anything that didn’t come from a box since–since ever! what were you thinking?” “i panicked! it seemed like the right thing to say!”
TIRES SCREECH as the ford focus hybrid drifts into the whole foods parking lot.
they show up out of breath, foreheads glistening, with baby in her favorite babybjorn, feet kicking from the day’s excitement of wine shopping. vin, wheezing, passes a bottle of red and a bottle of white.
“oh, a chateau coutet barsac,” idris says with a chuckle, showing the label to channing. “remember that time–?” and oh my GOD, they have inside jokes!!
(”we don’t have any inside jokes!!” dwayne whispers when they immediately excuse themselves halfway through a tour of the house. “that’s because you are the least funny person i know!” vin replies. “god, i hate you!!!” they both probably hiss at each other.)
the worst and best part of the night is when they’re serving the roast veg salad, and channing says with the best intentions, “so, how did you two meet?”
“uh,” vin says.
“the gym,” dwayne says. which, actually turns out to be true. they look at each other, smile soft and genuine for once at each other, REMEMBERING. before they were BITTER RIVALS, they met at the academy gym and were GYM BUDDIES. they used to have FUN trying to beat each other’s PR on the treadmill, they used to LOVE shit talking each other when they spotted each other bench pressing, they used to snap towels at each other’s asses in the locker room and totally not check each other out or anything!!! and then they were both accepted to the same position at work and they stopped being friendly for whatever reason. they stop smiling, they look away from each other. “anyway.”
“we met building houses for habitat for humanity,” idris offers, because of COURSE THEY DID.
the second worst part of the night is when channing mentions during the dessert course that two weeks from now is the annual May Day Homeowner’s Neighborhood Block Party Crab Cookoff, and maybe dwayne and vin would like to host to get to know everyone else in the neighborhood!
vin has had like, three more glasses of wine than everyone else, and with aid of liquid confidence, shrugs his shoulders and leans back in his chair and says, “yeah, man, we’d love to.”
“’yeah, man, we’d love to?’” dwayne repeats when they’re walking home, baby asleep in her bjorn.
“sorry, did you want me to give ourselves away? what happened to being the best? we’re trying to be believable!”
“yeah,” dwayne says, watching vin strip off his shirt and pants and toss them over his shoulder into their spare hamper before crawling into their bed. it’s routine. they both have their sides of the bed. “believable.”
the bedroom is quiet as they face away from each other at the edges of the mattress. eventually dwayne asks, “do you remember why we stopped being friends?”
for a second he thinks maybe vin’s gone to sleep. but he turns over. “no,” he says. “or yeah, maybe. as soon as i realized we would both be seeing action, it became too much of a risk. friendship. it was easier to lose you as a friend on my terms than lose you as a friend because you got your dumbass killed.”
they decide to be friends again. you know, for the baby. for work. whatever.
they get so caught up in planning the May Day Homeowner’s Neighborhood Block Party Crab Cookoff, making inside jokes and ignoring the increasing casual physical intimacy between them that they don’t realize they are BEING WATCHED.
the mafia is HERE and they want their BABY and they want dwayne and vin DEAD.
the M.D.H.N.B.P.C.C happens and everything is going according to plan, and they are about to have dwayne judge the bisque portion of the competition, but no one has seen dwayne anywhere!!!!
are there warehouses in provincetown??? is there a bad part of provincetown??? anyways, that’s probably where the mafia took dwayne. vin is FREAKING OUT, how does he save dwayne??? how does he protect the baby, who they are using dwayne as ransom for??? who will judge the bisque portion of the crab cookoff???
idris puts a hand on his shoulder. he’s been watching the entire time. “i’ll take the baby into our panic room–” OF COURSE THEY HAVE A PANIC ROOM, “and channing will judge the bisque portion of the crab cookofff. you go save your man.”
CUT TO: vin getting geared up to go out and kick some mafia ass, entering their walk-in closet and grabbing GUNS and a BULLET PROOF VEST and lacing up his L.L BEAN MEN’S GORETEX LEATHER BOOTS.
vin takes out the entire warehouse-or-whatever of mafia lackeys and comes across dwayne tied up and blindfolded.
“who’s there!” dwayne demands, like he’s ready to fight despite himself. vin takes three strong steps forward and grabs him by the back of the head and pulls him in for a kiss. “guess who,” he replies. dwayne smiles.
just then the Final Boss shows up as dwayne is being untied and like, something dramatic happens or whatever, but it’s okay. they die or go to jail or something, it doesn’t really matter, because dwayne and vin are in LOVE and they’re gonna adopt the hell out of that baby.
CUT TO: a month later. Head Intelligence Captain Lupita Nyong’o is disappointed when vin won’t accept his promotion.
“i would,” he says, heavily decorated for saving dwayne in the field and taking down the mafia family. “but the code of conduct says that it would be a conflict of interest if i was my husband’s supervisor.” BAM! THE END. THEY’RE MARRIED. WORLD PEACE UNLOCKED. DONALD TRUMP IMPEACHED. EVERYONE LIVES HAPPILY EVER AFTER.
We are grateful to everyone who contacted us and asked how they can help. What do we need now? – Help us to spread the information about the fact that the Russian LGBT Network is ready to evacuate people. Please think for whom this information can be useful. You can spread the information publicly or personally. Everyone who needs help can contact us by email or call the Hotline (8 800 555 73 74). The call is free all over Russia. – In accordance with the Russian legislation, every citizen can apply to the Investigative Committee with the demand to investigate the information about the crime published in mass media. We encourage everyone to apply (the template of the claim will be published tomorrow).
We understand that many people want to help those in need. But please remember that any uncoordinated actions can put in additional danger people in need and those who are ready to help. Therefore, we do not recommend to collect the addresses of people who are ready to provide temporarily shelter.
Be aware, that the situation with the human rights in the North Caucasus is truly difficult. Now people’s lives are endangered and the only way to help is the evacuation. The Russian LGBT Network has the necessary resources to evacuate people, there is a team that already makes every effort to safe lives. That is why we ask everyone to share with us the information about people in need and any offers of assistance.
the highlighting was mine- don’t dm people asking if they’re ok and if they know about this. even if you think your messaging system is secure. encryption is a two way street, and if their end is NOT secured it doesn’t really matter what your end has. especially since those arrested have had their phones confiscated, you do not want to give the authorities any more evidence. however, if you are in a position to do so, posting about it publicly will increase the odds that those who need this information see it.
Shit.
This is not even the news being news, as a person who can read Russian I can sadly confirm the information. Also, seconding the reblog before mine – DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT MESSAGE PEOPLE DIRECTLY ABOUT IT. YOU CAN PUT THEM IN DANGER BY DOING THAT. Especially if using any Russia-based messaging app/social media. Russian police are assholes they are known to confiscate things they are not allowed to confiscate and request and get the information they are not allowed to get and generally ignore the same laws they are supposedly enforcing. The less evidence they can get by legal or illegal means, the better.
There is not a lot of people from Russia subscribed to me or even a lot of just people who are subscribed to me in general, but the more information is spread about this, the better. If you know any LGBT people living in Russia or Chechnya (Especially Chechnya!) you probably should reblog this.
Good thing I am not living in Russia right now.
Если вы являетесь человеком нетрадиционной ориентиции и/или гендера проживающим в Росии или Чечне(Особенно Чечне!) вам лучше прочитать этот пост по крайней мере с помощью гуглопереводчика прямо сейчас.
Hundreds of men suspected of being gay are being abducted, tortured and even killed in the southern Russian republic of Chechnya:
Russian newspapers and human rights groups report that more than 100 gay men have been detained “in connection with their non-traditional sexual orientation, or suspicion of such” as part of a purge. Several people were also reportedly feared dead following violent raids.
Tanya Lokshina of Human Rights Watch wrote: “For several weeks now, a brutal campaign against LGBT people has been sweeping through Chechnya.
Two television reporters, a waiter, and numerous other men ranging in age from 16 to 50 have been reported missing from the state of Chechnya, in Russia.
In one instance, a 16-year-old boy was detained but reappeared later with severe injuries from being beaten.
Human rights activists in the area believe that authorities have been arresting and killing the missing men, all of whom are believed to be gay.
There’s also a petition HERE, but I don’t imagine that that will change something.
Reblogging again for more information because it is really better to be informed about those things.
I’ve just checked the official website of Russian LGBT network, and there are news from today:
“We receive alarming reports from Chechnya that unknown people are calling those who are now hiding from persecution and offer help with traveling abroad. These people call themselves the employees of the LGBT organization and invite to come to Krasnodar and discuss the details.
The Russian LGBT network officially states that our representatives in the regions do not communicate and are not authorized to call someone. All communication is conducted ONLY through the Hotline and mail kavkaz@lgbtnet.org. We warn that such proposals for assistance are not related to the work of the Russian LGBT network and may pose a threat to life.”
“Мы получаем тревожные сообщения из Чечни о том, что неизвестные люди звонят на телефоны тех, кто сейчас скрывается от преследований и предлагают помощь с выездом заграницу. Эти люди представляются сотрудниками ЛГБТ-организацией и приглашают приехать в Краснодар и обсудить детали.
Российская ЛГБТ-сеть официально заявляет о том, что наши представители в регионах не ведут связь и не уполномочены кому-либо звонить. Все общение ведется ТОЛЬКО через Горячую линию и почту kavkaz@lgbtnet.org. Мы предупреждаем, что подобные предложения о помощи не связаны с работой Российской ЛГБТ-сети и могут представлять угрозу для жизни.”
I don’t have enough people following me, please boost this, this is terrifying