In Defense of Queer Villains

                Queer coding is the time honored process of implying a villain is LGBTQ without saying it. From the effeminate princes prancing across Mel Gibson films (yes, both Braveheart and weirdly The Passion. No, neither was historically accurate) to lackluster “gender reveal” finales (Crying Game, Ace Ventura) it’s a cringe worthy way to enforce gender stereotypes.  However, sometimes these villains are deliciously despicable: The Little Mermaid’s Ursula is based on the drag queen Divine and she has the best song of the film with “Poor Unfortunate Souls." She also has a healthy dose of personality opposite a, let’s face it, flat heroine (although Ariel herself shares an unexpected following among trans children who long to feel “part of this world”).  Likewise, although overtly femme, Scar in The Lion King is a love-to-hate villain with an impeccable mane. The problem then isn’t when villains are queer but rather when queer characteristics are villainized. When the motive for stalking is spurned advances the lusty lesbian villain it falls flat, but if perhaps she is power hungry and fierce we can forgive a less-then-ethical power grab.

Aliens

This world is so hot, sticky, and alien. The air breaths on my neck causing my hair damp and limp  to form a small knot resting on my nape. It’s never quiet, something howls or sings in the night. Last night I caught a tiny lizard in the house with a cup and paper, the same motion of arachnid catching as the Midwest but for a completely different creature. There is no equivalent to a lizard in the Midwest, they inhabit more space here than mice, but mice might be the closest example. They are reptilian mice. Every time I go outside they skitter from the porch by the handful. I am fascinated by these alien creatures, these little dinosaurs. Keeping lizards is exotic where I’m from, requiring special heat lamps and a mister to simulate humidity. I’ve never owned one but it seemed complex visiting the lizard keepers of the Midwest. It’s weird to think of them outside. Breathing this air. Thriving.

                My cat shares this sentiment. The other night he let out a cross between a moan and a howl. Awwwwoooo. Awwwooooo. This was similar enough to his car song for us to look at each other, concerned. It is his call to the unfamiliar. We found the cat in the hall with something rubbery and limp dangling from his mouth. Awwoooo. Awwooo. Look at what I’ve hunted, my strange alien prize. Before we could grab it he swallowed the lizard in his mouth.

Prelude: The Barbie Art Project that Made its Point Before I Could Start it (and How it Almost Didn’t Get Off the Ground)

Representation Matters Barbie

Simple Premise: Every kid should have a doll family that looks like their family or the family they want one day. How hard could this be to DIY a less pink, more inclusive Barbie set? It should be a simple case of a few repaints and mixing a few doll set. I’m from a multi-racial, multi-ethnic, blended family, and I’m gay I wanted to use some of these elements to create a representative American Barbie family. I dabble in doll making and collecting from time to time but have really basic skills. This is a simple project anyone could do with supplies they already have at home (probably).