Erasure

Randy sent me this.  This is what I have been talking about.  I hope you will take the time to watch the short one and the 3:31 minute video.  Not the most riveting I admit.  But it is designed for little kids.  Did you spot any mention of the sex of the penguins?  In all the book there is only one small hint and little kids won’t notice it.  I went looking for it because I wanted to know how so many people were sure the penguins were a same sex couple.  One word, one made up word not even in the writings or spoken in the video.  Hint it is on the cover of the book.  The name of their home and where they baked the cakes.  Pengrooms.  One other clue is the rainbow colored boards on the tree.  Yup for that the book must never be seen or read ever.  It is a sin, a horror for kids to see or hear.  It is a cute little kids book.  Randy informed me that enough people contacted Amazon about the fake negative comments that they were removed.  

See it is not about protecting kids, it is not about sexualizing kids, it is not about confusing kids that these people fear and hate.  It is about acceptance and tolerance of something different from them that they don’t agree with.  To them there is no live and let live.  There is no you do your thing and I will do me.  To them the world and all in it must be just as they are, do as they do, believe as they believe.  And most important worship who they worship.  They demand a bland world where only the things they celebrate are seen and heard, where their way is superior to all others.   

It is about removing all mention of LGBTQ+ from society.  It is about removing everything not straight cis from media of any type.  The misnamed one million moms who is one lady with a computer and a printer along with a few thousand followers on social media complains bitterly about any commercial that has even the hint of a same sex couple in it, even a hint.  It is hurting the children see.  The goal is making sure LGBTQ+ kids, and yes there are LGBTQ+ kids, don’t see or know anyone like themselves anywhere.  It is so they don’t feel accepted.  They feel they must hide who they are and tell no one.  They want those kids who are born different and feel that difference to be deep in the closet and stay there, never to come out and be happy as their true selves.  These groups pushing this hate want no anti-bullying programs as they want kids who are different to be picked on, harassed, and beat up.  They do not want them accepted by their peers, teachers and fellow students.  No they want them beaten up.  I know this because one of the co-authors of the Florida don’t say gay bill said it was why he helped write the bill.   That gay kids, that trans kids could be accepted by classmates and treated fairly drove him to tears.  Yes tears.  I saw him weep as he spoke of those kinds of kids finding acceptance in the classroom.

One guy using social media has already gotten a dozen big name companies to roll back and remove their DEI programs and support for the LGBTQ+ including pride merchandise and parades.  Because he and the others like him threaten these companies with the threat of accusing them of harming kids and trying to hurt their businesses they give in.  One guy is spearheading this but there are others.  They are driven to remove us from society, in this guy’s case so his god will love him and give him an afterlife.   We need to stand up against this guy and these haters.   We have to do that.  We must not let them drive the country back to 1950 not even to 1980.  We must remain visible and fight for the rights of all of us.  We don’t drop a letter here or there from our community to please the haters.  We have seen in history they never stop with just the one group, they work to get rid of them all.  We must get vocal, we must fight back.  Hugs

More Stuff to Read, About Stuff to Read

October 2024 Queer Romances

by Dahlia Adler · Oct 5, 2024 at 4:00 am

October’s a big month for seasonal/vibe readers, because if there are three things you can count on filling shelves, it’s spooky season reads, Hallmark vibes, and, despite Christmas and Hanukkah being months away, winter holiday romances. This month’s roundup’s got all three, and they are a delight.

  • Best Hex Ever
  • Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi
  • Author: Nadia El-Fassi
    Released: October 1, 2024 by Dell
    Genre:LGBTQIAParanormalRomanceA kitchen witch with a penchant for baking and a (literally) cursed love life meets someone who’s worth breaking a hex for in this sweet and spicy debut romance.As a skilled kitchen witch, Dina Whitlock knows her way around a pastry recipe. In fact, she runs her very own London café serving magic-infused pastries for her loyal customers. But only a select few friends know about her magical abilities or the hex that has plagued her love life. It’s hard to fall in love when your partner is guaranteed to have a string of bad luck the second they start to have feelings for you.Scott Mason is back from traveling the world and is excited to begin his new job as a curator at the British Museum. After leaving London to heal from a brutal breakup two years ago, Scott only now realizes how much he missed out on. Now that his best friend’s wedding is right around the corner, Scott is determined to be the most amazing best man ever, but he doesn’t expect to be bewitched by the maid of honor, who also happens to be the owner of his new favorite café and, more surprisingly, a witch?!After a weekend in the countryside full of peculiar hedge mazes, palm readings by candlelight, and a midnight Halloween ritual, there’s no denying the chemistry between them. But there’s just one problem: The hex still holds, and Dina knows that Scott is in danger. In the past, she’s always cut her losses, but this time is different. Scott could be the one. Will Dina be able to undo the hex, before it’s too late?Neither this blurb nor this cover gave away to me that this was a queer romance, but in addition to Dina being the first main character of Moroccan descent I’ve read, she is indeed bisexual, which is pretty central to the story. If you love reading cozy, witchy romances in fall, especially with spice (literal and figurative), this one’s got all the delicious autumnal vibes.Add to Goodreads To-Read List → (snip-MORE)
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  • Queer Romances on Sale!
  • by Amanda · Oct 4, 2024 at 11:30 am
  • We Could Be So Good
    We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian
    RECOMMENDED: We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian is $1.99! Thanks to everyone who let us know about this deal; fingers crossed it’s still active! Lara gave this one an A:
    TL;DR: Read this book if you’d like to be swept along safely in a rising tide of emotion, predominantly love.
    Nick Russo has worked his way from a rough Brooklyn neighborhood to a reporting job at one of the city’s biggest newspapers. But the late 1950s are a hostile time for gay men, and Nick knows that he can’t let anyone into his life. He just never counted on meeting someone as impossible to say no to as Andy.
    Andy Fleming’s newspaper-tycoon father wants him to take over the family business. Andy, though, has no intention of running the paper. He’s barely able to run his life—he’s never paid a bill on time, routinely gets lost on the way to work, and would rather gouge out his own eyes than deal with office politics. Andy agrees to work for a year in the newsroom, knowing he’ll make an ass of himself and hate every second of it.
    Except, Nick Russo keeps rescuing Andy: showing him the ropes, tracking down his keys, freeing his tie when it gets stuck in the ancient filing cabinets. Their unlikely friendship soon sharpens into feelings they can’t deny. But what feels possible in secret—this fragile, tender thing between them—seems doomed in the light of day. Now Nick and Andy have to decide if, for the first time, they’re willing to fight.
    Add to Goodreads To-Read List →
  • (snip-More)

Links: Romancing the Vote, Yarn, & More

by Amanda · Oct 2, 2024 at 2:00 pm ·

Good info regarding books that could be near and dear to hearts of readers, some other stuff, and Romancing the Vote helping to save democracy.