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There’s a large rift that’s been developing for years within the LGBT+ community, a rift that’s divided and fractured the movement both online and off: the friction between the same-sex attracted population (the L, G, and B) and transgender people (the “T+”). 

Some out-spoken lesbians, bisexuals, and gay men assert that current political rhetoric surrounding transgenderism forces same-sex attracted individuals to deny their sexualities and coerce themselves into relationships with people they have no interest in, reminiscent of homophobic conversion therapy that still goes on to this day. On the other hand, many transgender people and allied activists claim that no such thing is happening, that these people are bigoted against those who are transgender (i.e. they’re transphobic), and argue in bad faith to keep transgender people oppressed and isolated.

The intense emotions and high stakes of the issue causes those on one side to despise and stigmatize anyone on the other. It has gotten to the point where nuance has seemingly become impossible. Neither groups want to hear each other out in any capacity, and attempting to do so could get one exiled from the discussion and community at large. I find myself, as a lesbian member of the community, caught in the middle of this ideological feud, unable to fully commit to one stance and thus rejected by both.

This tension has been slowly building over the past decade, but it’s exponentially increased as the topic of transgender rights has risen to the forefront of news and popular culture. But it hasn’t always been this severe; in fact the LGBT community was once very unified and accepting of one another. We were all banded together under one flag, united in the campaign to gain equal rights. Increased visibility of transgender individuals and their issues is, of course, a very good thing, but this growing rift seems to be undermining the strength of our combined numbers and undoing years of activism attempting to make LGBT+ identities normalized and commonly accepted. So, what exactly happened that got us to this point?

To answer this question, we have to go back to the beginning of “gay history” in the US: the infamous Stonewall riots. On July 28th of 1969, the local Manhattan police had raided one of the most frequented gay bars in New York City, the Stonewall Inn, as they had many times through the 60’s. Fed up with the constant harassment, the patrons fought back and stood their ground, protesting the police presence for five straight days. Soon after, an event was organized which is now recognized as the first ever pride parade. Our current understanding of the LGBT+ community was formed here, starting numerous organizations such as GLAAD (formerly Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), and the Gay Liberation Front.

Image from: New York Public Library

I started a challenge this year, the 52 book challenge, which entails reading a book a week. I was doing pretty well at the start of the year, I got 8 books in! But as life got in the way, as I became busier, as the current pandemic came into view and began effecting the world, I found myself drifting from my reading. I was having difficulty finishing the books I was I had already started, so I just moved on to new ones. I thought “It’s no big deal, I’ll just get back to the old books when I finish these!” But, of course, I didn’t finish them. That’s how I ended up in the middle of 6 different novels.

I really don’t think it’s because I’m busy. I’m able to pursue my drawing/painting, playing video games, creative writing, photography, etc. I fear that I’ve been immersed in this current iteration of society that requires instant gratification. I can play Overwatch for 4 hours straight, but I often struggle to keep myself reading even very interesting and enthralling stories for more than an hour.

With Overwatch, or with any current competitive game that’s popular, each match is only about 15 to 20 minutes long. They pass by quickly, and you go from game to game with only seconds in between. There’s music and layers to the sound design, flashy graphics designed to keep your attention, and fast-paced gameplay that forces you to maintain your attention focused on your screen for every single second. Not to mention the infamous “loot boxes” that are basically a form of gambling, expertly crafted with the exact intent to make you just dissatisfied enough with what you got, in order to keep you playing in hopes you’ll get the thing you actually wanted.

I can get my favorite TV shows with the click of a button, listen to songs that are getting shorter and more homogenized everyday, I watch videos on YouTube that are 5 minutes long, read Tweets with only a hundred characters, flick through Reddit GIFS/images, all when I could’ve been reading. But these actives are immediate satisfaction, they supply my brain with the rush of its choice within seconds, and I can be off onto the next, big thing in the time I would’ve read 2 paragraphs.

This is something about myself that I’m personally working on. Not only getting out of this instant-gratification-habit, but becoming more patient in general. I worry, though, that this is a bigger cultural issue that we’ll have to out effort into fixing on a wider-scale, and we as a people just don’t care enough to do it.

The following is the draft for my annotated Podcast script:

[Musical intro – Brockhampton’s Teeth (Instrumental)]

[Excited tone] Hello! Welcome to the New Age Analysis podcast, my name is Piper Baron. [Pause]

This week’s episode will be a little different. I wanted to talk about my personal experiences with being an artist. What it’s like, why it’s useful, and some of the difficulties in being an artist by trade. I hope that in talking about this, I can provide some guidance and advice for anyone interested in the industry. [Pause]

Now, to start us off on the topic, there’s a misconception that I’ve encountered many, many times in my life, that I’d like to clear up right here and now. People seem to have the perception that I was born with my artistic skill, that I came out of the womb with a paint brush in my hand. Well, I’m here to tell you that none of this is true. It just isn’t, because that’s not how skill works. I may have been predisposed to an interest in art, but being born with the ability that I have just isn’t reality. [Pause]

I suspect that people have this reaction, because they feel some sort of shame in “lacking” artistic ability themselves. I understand that, I really do sympathize, and I’m not here to talk down to anyone. But, I think dispelling some of these myths about the art world will help bring more people in, which has been a priority of mine for all my life. [Pause]

The truth is that, we’re all born artists. This isn’t just me waxing philosophy, I mean it literally. If you walk into any kindergarten class, what do you expect to see? A bunch of kids coloring! Children do “art” constantly: they draw with crayons, write little stories, make images with macaroni… [Pause] They engage in all the behaviors an “artist” would, just in their very juvenile and inexperienced way. [Pause]

But walk into a class of first graders. Then some fifth graders. Go up through middle school, high school, to college, and you’ll notice the number of kids doodling in the margins of their notes dwindling and getting smaller with each year. These kids lose the motivation or encouragement to continue doing art, but that doesn’t erase the fact that they were artists once. Professional artists are just the kids that never stopped doodling. We never gave up our coloring books or our macaroni art. The only reason I’m as good as I am now is because I’ve been doing it for 20 years straight. It’s a skill that been in development for 2 entire decades. Anyone, and I mean anyone, can be just as good as me, if not even better, if they take the time to connect to the artist they were as a child and spend that time to nurture that ability, to allow it to grow into a fully-fledged skill. [Pause]

Beyond just talking about the technicalities of art, it can be an amazing way to express yourself. Okay, this seems extremely obvious and cliche, but hear me out. [Longer pause]

[Solemn tone] My childhood was a turbulent one. Without getting into too many details, I ended up with some pretty severe mental health issues that I continue to struggle with to this day. I maintain that my art saved me. I doubt that I’d even be here if it wasn’t for my work being my heart on a page, a representation of my despair and anxiety. It was a way to expel all of the negative feelings that were building up inside of me in a very healthy and genuine manner. [Pause]

My art during this time wasn’t very pretty. It was ugly and strange looking, with discordant colors and misshapen figures. This was my intention. These pieces were for myself, they were the horrible things in my head taking a visual form, so of course they were garish. Sometimes it was just color on page, not really in any particular shape or representing something concrete. [Pause]

I’ve met others with similar issues. People who didn’t personally identify as artists and who didn’t plan to go into a career or field that requires artistic ability, but who nonetheless vent and give form to their pain with drawing, painting, music, poetry, sculpture… [Slight pause] If you have something trapped in your head, something that haunts you, art — of any form– can be an extremely cathartic way to free yourself, at least a little bit, at least for now. [Longer pause]

To move on from these heavier subjects, let’s discuss how being an artist [Joking tone] can often be what feels like an awful curse [Laughter]. I’m of course talking about how you will, inevitably, be absolutely bombarded by friends, family, acquaintances, people you don’t even know who will hound you for a drawing. [High-pitched tone] Draw my cat! Paint this picture of me and my boyfriend! [Lower-pitched tone] Can you make me a logo, banner, and some emotes for my Twitch stream? I’ll give you 5 bucks. [Pause]

Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to do some art for a loved one as a present, or for someone who’s willing to pay for my time and services. But, man, does it get old after the hundredth time of being begged for a tattoo sketch or for a mock-up for someone’s logo. Art takes time, unique and good-looking designs are difficult to come up with — that’s why there’s a degree and profession dedicated to it! This is yet another misconception. [Slight pause]

Most art — especially if you’re still in school or in the process of learning to become an artist — isn’t seen as “professional” in the way that say… [Slight pause] accounting or software engineering might. Conceiving, sketching, outlining, and painting a full design of something, even if it’s relatively small, not only takes time, like I said before, but skill. You wouldn’t just ask your friend in Computer Science to code you a program real quick — you’d understand that it’s time-consuming and comprehensive. So, why can’t the same thought process be used with artists? [Pause]

This leads me to my next grievance: being constantly told, or having it implied to you, that you’re making a mistake. That maybe you should go into a field that will actually earn you some money. That, obviously, you’ll end up in a cardboard box, because art is a dead-end and the only kind of artist is a starving artist. [Pause]

This is just total BS. I promise you. Being a graphic or logo designer, photographer, video or photo editor, 3D modeler, web designer, musician, author, graphic novelist or comic creator, fine artist, illustrator, art historian or curator, user-interface designer, concept artist, and animator are all viable careers that pay just fine, some have very impressive salaries. This is a whole entire industry, a big world in and of itself that encompasses any and all types of art that you may be interested in. [Pause]

I’ve had too many people throughout my life attempt to convince me to change my career path. Unfortunately, I even listened to them, and declared myself a Software Engineering major in my freshman year. The stress of it nearly made me drop of out college all together, because I knew that this wasn’t what I wanted, but I was convinced that there was no other choice to make. [Slight pause] I ended up changing to the Digit major, a degree which involves digital art combined with web and program coding. [Pause]

It was the best decision I’ve ever made in my life. I’m so, so much more happy with the path I’m going down. I enjoy my classes, I’ve been given opportunities to work within my field, and I’ve met some of the most amazing people who’ve helped to expand my love for art more than I ever thought was possible. [Pause]

If I had listened to everyone in my past, I would be miserable right now. I followed what I knew in my heart I wanted, and I’m a better version of myself for it. If you know you want to pursue art professionally, don’t let anyone tell you to stray from your dream. Art is a viable career choice, and it will never be a mistake to be a part of the industry. [Pause]

Image from: Harvard Business Review

My favorite podcasts are basically about nothing. I’m sure this sounds completely idiotic, but it’s true.

My Brother, My Brother and Me is a well-known podcast hosted by the McElroy brothers, a very hilarious and Internet-famous group of guys. They find silly Yahoo Answers! questions then do their best to answer them with sincerity. They usually have their own commentary, but what makes this show great really isn’t the questions nor the “answers” provided. It’s the wonderful personalities of all three brothers, their magnificent sense of humor, and the truly special chemistry that they share between them.

A similar show, though I’d say it’s much more “adult,” is If I Were You, hosted by best friends Jake Hurwitz and Amir Blumenfeld. Jake and Amir have fans e-mail them about problems they need to solve in their personal lives, like seeking advice on how to deal with an ex-girlfriend or how to talk to your friend about something embarrassing. The podcast consists of the duo reading two or three of these questions aloud and giving their personal views and guidance. The advice they give is usually terrible and impractical, which they readily admit, because — again — that’s not really the point of the show. The banter that passes between these two feels so familiar sincere; the way they talk to one-another really illustrates the strength of their decade-long friendship. You listen for their incredible humor, their enthusiasm and charm.

What makes these podcasts so special are the people behind them. Both shows are hosted by comedians who’ve made their careers off of making comedy-based content for the Internet. The McElroy brothers have their own website, they’ve had their own TV show, and they produce YouTube videos that get millions of views. Jake and Amir had a successful run on the website/YouTube channel College Humor, had a limited TV series, and now own their own brand and studio.

But in my mind, all of this other content pales in comparison to the podcasts, because the podcasting format condenses down exactly what I love about these people into one hour of perfect listening. There’s no gimmick, no product to review, no message to send. They’re just speaking, letting their real personalities shine, and I can’t get enough.

Image from: LinkedIn

The “Listicle” (a portmanteau of “list” and “article”) is a fascinating genre of journalism/opinion piece that exists almost exclusively online. It really exemplifies what’s best about Internet content: snappy writing, a quick read-time, and a demonstration of the personality and flair of the person writing it. Through a Listicle we get not only a helpful list of, say, the “Top Ten Science Fiction Novels of 2019,” but the identity — the soul  — of the writer themselves. It’s guidance, analysis, and self-expression rolled into one, and I love it!

Listicles originate from music video count-downs on MTV before the Internet and computers were house-hold staples. But humans have been making lists to organize our thoughts for hundreds of years, it’s just in our nature to want to categorize and create patterns for everything on our lives. The whole idea of the Listicle gained popularity due to the Internet being the large and freely-open platform that it is, allowing one to express and arrange their opinions in a simple and efficient way and to provide those ideas to like-minded (or perhaps attempting to persuade the differently-minded) people across the Web.

Many people are opposed the whole concept and implementation of Listicles in online journalism, a backlash against “click-baiting” behavior, a lack of credibility, and a problem with “dumbing-down” or oversimplifying an idea. These criticisms are valid, of course, but I would argue that these issues apply to a majority of journalistic pieces on the Internet today; it’s a problem with how people approach writing online, not the format of said writing itself. I’d argue as Devin Largent does in his Thought Catalog article, In Defense of Listicles, that thorough coverage and in-depth analysis is not really the point of this type of article. They have their place in the Internet zietgiest, they fill their specific niche and not much else, but that’s okay. They provide simple reading material for those on-the-go or perhaps for those who want some quick advice or recommendations without being bombarded with paragraphs of effusive fact and persuasion. Not to mention that the Listicle is a prime way to express oneself as I mentioned above; you can open your ideas and personal idiosyncrasies to the world without projecting pages of word-vomit onto a diary-esque blog that no one will read.

I’m here to defend my love of the Listicle, because it’s a type of content very useful to those who know how to utilize them.

Image from: Interabang

See, I am a voracious reader, and I absolutely love the Horror and Mystery/Thriller genres. But for a while now, I’ve had trouble finding Horror-related books that I found as scary and gripping as I craved. I went off the recommendation of my friends and family, picked up whatever was at the library, and felt disappointment when I realized that they weren’t what I was looking for. It wasn’t until I thought to Google “scariest horror novels” and stumbled upon a certain little Listicle on the Barnes & Noble website entitled “25 of the Most TERRIFYING Horror Books Ever” that I found myself finally getting somewhere. This list gave me 25 amazing recommendations, and it lead me on the path to discovering my current favorite books (The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z. Brite, and Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy — I highly them all!). I probably wouldn’t have encountered these novels without this list, and I truly owe it to the “Listicle” format for that. This Listicle isn’t a deep, pages-long essay on the themes and prose of each recommended book, and there’s very little (if any) information about the authors who wrote them, but it doesn’t really need these things, does it? It just has to be a list of good Horror books, provided for a person who wants a quick run-down without giving too much away or entering into the book with bias.

This kind of writing allows pieces of other media such as books, documentaries/films, indie music, etc. exposure to an audience that might not have even known about it prior. Without it, we’d be stuck where we were a decade ago, cursed to spend hours perusing forums and threads of hundred of people arguing back and forth in long-winded dissertations over the minute intricacies of their favorite Harry Potter entry.

Listicles can be very useful pieces of Internet content, one just has to understand how to pull the relevant information and intention from them.