Nerd Church - Sing It For The World

This week, dearest nerdlets, I'm going to get all multimedia on your butts in an attempt to explain why your voice - and everyone else's too - is important right now.

(OK, so I ramble and get off-track a bit in this post, but hopefully there's a point in here... somewhere.)

It's inevitable that you're aware of the general feeling in the world.

The Trump threat, Brexit, and the rise of the far right here there and everywhere, means that never has it been more important for you to raise your voice for this world.

The legacy of this generation can not be the rise of intolerance and bigotry. We have to work to make this world a better place.

One MCR song comes to mind. 'Sing' is about refusing to give up and just let sh** happen to the world.

It's a song that my fellow Killjoys, MCRmy, and members of the Black Parade will know well. But to those who might not, this song is a battle cry for speaking out. It says that you have to keep trying - no matter the odds.

Please, if you get the chance, listen to it; and pay attention to the lyrics. There's a lot of truth in there.

It's more than a little concerning just how relevant both the album Danger Days, and the Green Day album 21st Century Breakdown, are, given that they're both dystopian-set.

Then there's using your voice as a well-known figure to try and do some good.

(Like the Save the World campaign did this week. Please, Americans - let the world see Mark Ruffalo naked!)

But it doesn't always take big things to change the world.

Do you want to hear about something beautiful that made me tear-up this week?

The actor Nico Tortorella has a new podcast available called Love Bomb.

Love Bomb is all about sexuality and understanding each other, and is generally awesome sauce.

The beginning of the first episode is a spoken-word poem-type thing. It's also at the start of the extended preview which you can check out on iTunes here. (Please do!)

That first spoken-word poem thing is about being sexually fluid.

Nerdlets, do you know what it feels like to hear the things that you haven't been able to put into words? Do you know what it's like to know that there are people out there - albeit a continent away - who feel like you do?

So yeah, I teared-up.

I also tweeted about it - cos dudes, I'm aware that most people don't understand sexual fluidity; and this meant a lot to me.

Then, something awesome happened:

So yes, that felt... completely amazing! XD

Cee, you seem to have got off track.

This may very well be true dearest nerdlets - but I had a point! (Somewhere... at some point...)

My point, (I think,) was that we can all change the world - we can all have an impact (even if it's only on a 20-something book-nerd in her front room in South Wales.) 

We can all mean something.

Yes, we can all change the world. But you have to raise your voice.

'...You've got to make a choice
If the music drowns you out
And raise your voice
Every single time they try and shut your mouth...'

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Nerd Church is a weekly post where I try to keep the world from going to sh** all on my lonesome - feel free to come and help me out! ;)

Like this post? Try these:

• Nerd Church - Being Yourself and Other Extreme Sports
• Nerd Church - Mae Hi'n Bwrw Eira

5 Simple Rules For Reading and Reviewing LGBTQ+ Books

I don't claim to be the expert when it comes to reviewing queer books - far from it.

I'm human, I make mistakes. I may even make mistakes in this post (but I'm damn well gonna try my best not to.)

But, I don't want people to be afraid of reading and reviewing books with LGBTQ+ characters.

So I figured I'd give you some tips which seem common sense, but, as you may have seen this week, clearly need to be spelt out.




So listen up my nerdlets, hopefully this will be helpful (and feel free to correct me if I do make a mistake,):




1. Neither sexuality nor gender are a lifestyle or a preference.


Would you refer to a straight person as having a heterosexual lifestyle? I doubt it.

I know that a lot of the time, referring to LGBTQ+ people as living a certain lifestyle, or having a certain preference, is well-intended.

I may even have done so in the past myself.

Some LGBTQ+ people may not have a problem with it; a lot do.




It gives the wrong impression.

To a lot of LGBTQ+ people, it is offensive. It feeds into the idea that this is something that people could 'choose' not to be - which is just wrong.



It can also give the impression that you find their sexuality too disgusting to even talk about in the open - which is hurtful.

Sexuality is not a lifestyle or a preference. Gender is not a lifestyle or a preference.

via GIPHY

I know that what language is acceptable, and what is not, has changed a lot over the course of the 20th, and even 21st, centuries.

(And I will never get elderly relatives to understand that times have changed *face palms.*)

But please understand that a heck of a lot of people do not like it when people refer to their sexuality that way. It's a misconception at best.





2. Sexuality does not require a content warning.


Sexuality is not the same as a sexual act. Sexuality is not in any way explicit or pornographic.

I am sexually fluid - but haven't had sex, with anyone; that doesn't change the fact that I'm sexually fluid (I'm ok with the term queer too, by the by.)

(I know, if a dragon comes I'm going to be the one with my a*s tied to a rock as sacrifice.

But I have too much respect for myself to be with someone who I'm not in love with, and I simply haven't found that person yet. #DealWithIt.)

via GIPHY

Likewise, you can be involved in a sexual act which doesn't conform to your sexuality.

See the difference?

So, unless you are planning on putting a warning in for cis-het characters too, please do not put one in for an LGBTQ+ character.

If there are sexual acts in the book, then you can point out that the book is sexually explicit in your review. No problem.

Otherwise, in order to convince me you're not being prejudicial, you're going to have to point out when straight characters kiss or fancy each other. #JustSaying

3. Gender and sexuality are not the same thing.

Yes, they are inter-linked. No, they are not the same. Just remember that. Please.

4. Refusing to allow genuine criticism is not acceptable.

People are allowed to question you. Take their feedback in. Apologise and correct your statement if necessary.

Under no circumstances act like a jerk and become aggressively defensive (yes, that's a thing that happens.)

Do not follow-up legitimate concerns by claiming that they are not legitimate concerns. Do not get personal in your response.

In case you need more, here's an example of a good response to criticism (albeit on a different representation issue):

I pointed out to a blogger that they had called a fictional character weak next to a gif of them literally committing suicide.

Their response was to apologise for the mistake (and I believe it was a genuine mistake,) profusely, and change the wording immediately.

This blogger's grace and acceptance (not to mention their genuine remorse,) actually made me think better of them than I had before.

5. Not all LGBTQ+ people are the same.

So your gay best friend read your review of a book about a gay person, and said it was fine.

Someone else read it, and was offended. But they must be making it up, mustn't they? After all, you got a gay person to look it over, so it must be fine. NOPE. Guess what? People are all different.

I - and a lot of LGBTQ+ people - don't like it when my sexuality is referred to as a lifestyle. There are people who are fine with this. That doesn't mean that no-one can be offended by it.

People's concerns are relevant. Please at least take the time to really think about what they're saying.

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Doubtless, there are a million other things I could've said in this post.

But I just wanted to point out a few key things about how to approach LGBTQ+ book reviews.

Mistakes happen. It's how you react to them, it's how you learn and move forward, that matters.





Like this post? Try these:

• Nerd Church - Being Yourself and Other Extreme Sports
• 5 Diversity Myths Debunked

Nerd Church - Being Yourself and Other Extreme Sports

How do I even begin?

Once there was a girl who just wanted to be herself. Problem was, she didn't really know who that was.

Sometimes she liked boys. Sometimes she liked girls. Sometimes she liked both. And sometimes she didn't really have any desire at all.