I'm pan and married to a cis dude, but also nonbinary who vibes pretty masc so constantly coded lesbian. Maybe I don't count. 🤣

THANK YOU!

It is a scene I’m excited to share because I think it’s super sexy, just as every vampire scene should be! If you’d like to hear it, please subscribe!
Check me out: claritysabbath.substack.com

Second of all, I am writing very queer vampire stories and I am doing another live readalong for my subscribers on December 14th, this one from the first draft of the second novel in my “Sexton” series, which has a working title of “Lovers in the Tavern.”

Why should I have to prove I'm not a monster when I haven't done anything monstrous and these people are running around saying heinous shit with no repercussion or call out? After FIFTY YEARS of doing that?!

Fuck that noise. I hit a wall about ten years ago and was like "I'm done. I'm done bending over backwards to not only educate but convince people that I am not a threat when I have done NOTHING WRONG. I'm just out here living my life! THEY'RE the ones living in hate and ignorance."

What about the cost of OUR constant research of affirming books and studies? We have to learn about our *own oppression* because straight people won't. We have to learn about our *own terminology and identities* because they have been erased or silenced on purpose to marginalize us.

Never mind the vindictiveness of outing someone, or implying we are dangerous to have teaching children, or constantly pushing us to justify our (eternal and enduring) presence in religious institutions with advanced theological degrees.

Meanwhile no one has taken to task the truly disgusting shit people have said to our faces. Those things are shared, but no one is shamed for having said them, because well we wouldn't want to CALL ANYONE OUT or BE VINDICTIVE, would we? In CHURCH?

It really does feel like being asked, "Oh but can you PROVE how hard it is to be queer in this space? We have to show people it's bad to be hateful, you see. Perform sadness so we'll get it. DEFINITELY don't get mad about it, it's not a good look for a church, you know?"

I'm sorry but y'all white men priests don't have a damn clue. For my entire life as a Christian queer people in ostensibly mainline/progressive spaces have been subject to epistemic exploitation by supposedly well-meaning people who ask us endlessly for access to our trauma.

But all your life and ministry you receive this subtle and very NOT SO subtle reinforcement to be approachable, to be safe, to be kind. Even when they scream at you. Even when they condescend to you. Even when they're openly abusive. Should you? No...but it's hard.