Tag: but YES

hunterinabrowncoat:

I know that we’ve all been making jokes for weeks about how we’ll be free once this hellsite goes down etc. but in all seriousness… this site is entirely unique, and I am going to be genuinely devastated when it inevitably either collapses or is collectively abandoned.

Aside from the fact that this outrageous new policy is going to seriously harm sex workers, as well as a lot of artists, who rely on this website for their income, and they’ve already proven themselves rampantly queerphobic with their previous policies on adult content, this site ceasing to function is going to be devastating to a lot of its users.

I’ve spent years on this site following and unfollowing blogs, using the blacklist functions, and finding content, to create a dashboard perfectly suited to my interests and my desires. I only see nsfw content when I want to. And every day on this goddamn website, I learn more about religion, politics, leftist theory, writing skills, and much more. Every day I come across content that makes me feel a little better about the world, and content that gives me pause and makes me think.

My enjoyment of content is so much informed and enhanced by fandom – by reblogging pretty photosets, by reading other people’s headcanons and metas, by ranting about characters and discussing relationships, and dissecting narrative choices.

This is the only site where I can manipulate it so that I see exactly the kind of content I want to see, and create a safe and comfortable experience for myself.

This is the only site I can network and connect with people who have similar interests, and build a community of people based around similar interests or experiences.

This is the only site where I can scream into the void and rant and rage, and also post thoughtful essays about theology, and also share videos of cats, and also fawn over a few fictional characters, and also blog about politics.

This is the only site where I can see such a huge variety of content, and be in control of what kind of content I see or don’t see.

This is the only site where alongside various other interests, I can find some absolutely stellar blogs for specific content – like Christianity, Judaism, chronic illnesses, or Anarcho-communism – and have my days genuinely enriched by what I learn, and I’ve always been given something to chew on.

This is the only site that I have kept completely separate from my real life. This is where I can talk freely about being queer without fear of being outed. This is where I can whine about my life and not worry about people I know talking to me about it in real life. This is where I can voice thoughts I wouldn’t be safe or comfortable sharing with those who know me in real life.

If it wasn’t for this site, I never would have figured out that I’m trans. I never would have found words that perfectly describe my experiences and in doing so realise that my experiences are valid and I’m not weird or broken. And I sure as hell would know absolutely nothing about queer history, queer politics, queer theory, or the queer community in general.

If it wasn’t for this site, I would feel so alone in my diagnosis. I would still be struggling with so much internalised ableism and hating myself for not doing enough and not being good enough and not being able. I wouldn’t feel like I could talk about my pain. I wouldn’t know that so many other people share all these bizzaire symptoms as me. I wouldn’t be able to talk to those people and feel commiserated and validated and comforted.

If it wasn’t for this site, I would be so ignorant. I’d know nothing about Judaism except what I learned from Christianity. I’d know nothing about socialism or communism, maybe never even really have questioned why capitalism is so terrible. I’d know nothing about the queer community. I’d know nothing about writing stories and fanfics and my writing would have hardly developed at all.

I can honestly say that I have learned so much and developed considerably as a person because of being on this site, and the people I’ve spoken to. It has been instrumental in shaping and encouraging my thinking and my views. I’ve read the most fascinating posts about linguistics, about history, about so many other people’s passions and interests. I’ve learned so many interesting things. I’ve found so many incredibly useful resources.

I honestly, genuinely have absolutely no idea what I’m going to do without it. I’ve made so many friends here. In so many ways I depend