Lgbt Terms Listed By Date Of First Use In Writing

Happy International Women’s Day! Every March 8, the world celebrates the social, economic, and political achievements of women everywhere. For centuries, women around the world have become heroines of all shapes and sizes, reshaping their communities and achieving their goals. For over a hundred years, international communities have recognized this day as a time to honor their accomplishments and fight for gender equality. Today is the day to fight for women’s rights, to global equity, education, and dignity. So what history will you make, on March 8, 2018?

Every man on the radio these days is telling his crush how beautiful she is. He’s crooning “How can you not see how beautiful you are? You capture my attention every time you step in a room, and I would do anything if I could tell you so each day.” His crush, a girl with immense physical attraction, does not know how many are captivated by her, and he takes it upon himself to gush to her about her own gorgeousness. A good sentiment, kind hearted, for how many girls out there are self-conscious about their body, hair, features? Isn’t it every girl’s dream to be noticed by a guy who looks at her as though she is his everything?   

    But what if this girl, being serenaded by every male pop star out there, was aware that she was beautiful? What if you complimented her, and she responded with “Thanks! I thought this dress looked nice too.” Would the man she’s wooed be attracted to her self-assured stride, the way she holds her chin high - or would she seem too arrogant for his ego? Would she be more appealing for her confidence, her knowledge that she is exactly where she’s meant to be, or would he loose interest because the need to shower her with appreciation is gone?   

    These are questions in our society that must be asked. Are men more attracted to weak, unsure women, or determined ones who know the only person they need are themselves? Why? Why does a woman have to conform to men’s standards of how much self-love you can have? The only person a woman needs to keep her happy and strong is herself. She does not need to have you gush through the false speakers of the radio to tell her she is beautiful. She’s not arrogant for knowing she deserves the world, she is not a “bitch” for condescendingly thanking the whistlers on the corner, she is not stuck-up for taking compliments and knowing they have a reason to be said.   

    But a girl at peace with herself is deemed unattractive by a man who wants to be emotionally dominant in a relationship. Because a girl is not supposed to know her own self worth.

I am the challenger. Standing in the ring,  your foolishness thundering at me, two beady eyes of human hate, two sharpened horns that prick where I’ve wounds. That turn on others when it hurts them most. I challenge you, counter you, shouting in rage at what you’ve done to hurt us; what you’ll do to hurt anything you fear. And you fear me, my swift foot, bent knee, flick of red from muscled knowledge. (I might be young, but I’ve the strength of a thousand fighters) Reading has done me so well, but experience, out in the real ring, is where I present my skill. Crowds are stomping, howling. You charge at me. I am the challenger - I will cut you down. Because I know I deserve better than this. As does all. You run, I swoop; You stomp, I switch; You bellow, I roar, and we are at it again, a bullfight of wit and change and progress. Your bright eyes are misinformed. Mine know enough to prove you wrong, to slow you, cut you down, and then we will be human again. I am the challenger, of all I see to be wrong, of all I know I can change. I am proud. You can be changed. Changed by I, the challenger. 

I’m here for photography, beach days, and my favorite flower. Yes. 

Sunflowers are the perfect flowers

Well, this blog might not get very far. 

According to recent news, Net Neutrality, the set of rules that protect our Internet rights and freedoms, is on the line. The principle that enables online freedom to publish, access, and receive any content you wish might be impacted on December 14th, 2017. If Congress votes to change the bill, millions of Americans’ safety, First Amendment rights, and access to information would be affected. 

Almost since President Trump took office, his FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has been pushing for Net Neutrality to be reconsidered on Capital Hill. Millions of Americans have spoken up, on social media and directly to our government officials, requesting that the bill stay the same. Pay has ignored these messages and insists that Net Neutrality limits innovation and economic growth. But what he’d really be doing, if he manages to get the bill off the board, would be clearing away regulations that prevent telecom giants, like Verizon or Comcast, from controlling what content users obtain. Right now, companies can’t pick what websites and services get to us faster, for censorship or economic reasons. They aren’t allowed to slow down or speed up their own content or sites to stifle a competitor. The general fear, and the reason for Net Neutrality, is that if they could, they would. Booming businesses could profit off of the violation of our constitutional rights, if Ajit Pai’s mission succeeds.   

You can say and view and do whatever you want online. All the information and opportunity on the planet is at your fingertips, because of Net Neutrality. Heck, while writing this I had to research the details of what’s actually been going down lately. How? Net Neutrality. Social media, websites, applications, databases - so much would be effected, and not for the better. A lot of people who use the Internet to make a change, marginalized communities standing up for their rights, all these people could be silenced. For money. 

We owe it to Net Neutrality, the result of millions of activists in 2015, that America is as safe, informed, and free as it is now. Hey, it’s the reason I’m able to run this blog - using my voice to talk about what I believe in, which not everyone out there can do.   

There’s still time. In just days, on December 14, the bill will be voted on. Send this to friends, contact government officials and politicians, take action now. While it isn’t too late.

Thank you!

Thank you so much for 200 followers! I’m so grateful for the support; it’s really encouraging to se that so many people are interested in my writing, in my thoughts and musings and ideas. This means so much - thank you.

Keep shining, beauties. Have a lovely day. :)

I hope this makes you feel better.

It wasn’t your fault. You weren’t in the wrong place at the wrong time, wearing the wrong clothes in front of the wrong people, living the wrong person in the wrong life.

It wasn’t because you were born to suffer through that, or because something about you seems to say they have a right, because they don’t.

You have the right to your body, your mind, your lips, your breasts, the space between your hips. You have the right to the word no, to your defensive fists, to your shoving hands, to your screams and sobs for help. You have the right to let those tears fall, to let yourself mourn  for something that is not normal, nor justified, nor appropriate, nor kind, nor acceptable, nor right. You are your own person, and I wish you all the happiness, acceptance, and peace you are infinitely deserving of.

You are not wrong. They are wrong, as are those who taught them such behavior. They are wrong in their actions, and you have the right to call them out on it. You have the right to speak about it, to not feel ashamed or at fault. You have the right to find people who will listen to you, respect you for your pains, and love you in the way that makes you comfortable.

It is not normal. It is not okay. It is not because of you or your gender or the situation. It is them, and they are wrong, and always do what makes you comfortable and happy in the future.

Seek help. Seek support. Seek love. Seek confidence and comfort, in all aspects of yourself and your life. You deserve it, and you’ll find people who care. Someone loves you.

You will persevere. You will wake up one morning and realize that you can go on. You will count your blessings in the morning, list your aspirations at noon, and remember your virtues at night. You have something for all three. Read. Breathe. Sleep. Clear your mind of negativity. Smile. You have so much to live for, and we’ll be rooting for you.

Look at your reflection. Put your hands on your hips. Say to yourself, in whatever language or wording or way, “There is something glorious on the other side of the storm.”

Stay strong, my beautiful friend. You are deserving of so much more than they ever showed you. Don’t forget your strengths and talents in the time you’ll need them most.

Have a good day. I admire your ability to rise above the stormclouds.

You’ve probably wondered what the title of this blog means. I probably should’ve gotten around to explaining it to you a while ago.   

“Avere grill per la testa” literally translates to “to have a head full of crickets” in Italian. 

Sometime in the late spring of 2017, I was in a gift shop somewhere. I found a small, rectangular book called “The Illustrated Book of Sayings: Curious Expressions from around the World.” It was published by Ella Frances Sanders, in 2016. I really wanted this book, because it was around this time I was developing a passion for linguistics, words, and the all-around coolness of language. Either way, the book was charming, and I borrowed some money from my dad. 

“Avere grilli per la testa.” To have a head full of crickets. 

What struck me about this phrase, when I stumbled upon its entry, was it’s compelling word choice. Apparently, whoever came up with it didn’t think it was enough to say that someone is dreamy, or has a short attention span. Nope - there are jumpy insects inside their head, and that’s what makes them so imaginative. Welcome to Italy, m-effers.   

This describes me perfectly: dreamy, distracted, creative, semi-ADD. I’m prone to flights of fancy, so much that I struggle to cool down or get myself organized. There’s a whole lot of fluff and bulls*t in my head (f you’ll pardon my French); my thoughts jump all over the place. Maybe that explains the boxes of filled notebooks in my closet. Good traits, since I strive to be a good writer; bad traits, since I have a mother.   

In another way, it captures the content on this blog - my endless thoughts, opinions, and ideas, all thrown together in one place. My varied interests and passions, channeled into the mini-essays you see here. There are many things I’d like to talk and write about, to organize in a constructive way. After all, if there’s that much going on up here, why not share it with all of you?   

Also, it’s linguistic trivia. I love me some linguistic trivia.

I went to a mosque! We took a tour, saw some cool architecture and rooms and stuff, and asked a Muslim woman a bunch of questions. We sat and listened to her explain stuff in a room dedicated to prayer, with rugs and everything. Really interesting, I recommend that everyone try and learn about Islam at a mosque if you can. The woman talked for a while, about the five times of prayer, about Ramadan, about the Quran and a lot of very interesting facts and tidbits about the religion in general. I wish every Islamaphobe could hear what she had to say: Islam truly is a beautiful and peaceful religion. I felt very calm and attentive in the quiet, airy, open-door room. 

 Here are some things our tour guide explained to us, which I thought I’d share with you: yes, they are about feminism. 

 When people pray at a mosque, which is optional, there are separate rooms for men and women. This isn’t because women aren’t allowed to interact with men as inferior, but to protect them from *cough* unwanted attention. If not in the same room, women usually have their own rows or sections: not b/c they aren’t allowed to interact with men, but because when kneeling and praying, you are shoulder to shoulder with the people next to you. No woman necessarily wants to be that close to an unknown man during prayer. Women usually are behind the men as well. That isn’t b/c they are inferior, but because no woman wants a guy checking her out while she kneels or places her forehead to the floor. It’s to protect them, not prove they have less of a worth. 

The Hijab isn’t a symbol of oppression for women, contrary to popular belief. It represents modesty, which applies to both men and women. They are humble if they wear a headscarf, though not all do. I can see some nitpickers like myself argue “Well, why do women have to show their modesty with the hijab when men don’t have to wear anything extra?” I don’t know, but that presumed inequality is countered by the Quran phrase "Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and protect their private parts. This is more purer for them. Indeed Allah is Well-Aware of what they do.”(Sarah Nur: 30). So really, neither sexes are permitted to flaunt their sexuality. It’s all good, people. Most muslim women cover themselves head to toe in thick, flowing clothing, so that no skin shows. This isn’t b/c they aren’t supposed to show themselves or flaunt their sexuality, though that is part of it. When women go out in such an outfit, they are telling men that they are not to be judged for their body. Their physical form is reserved for their family members, and outside men have no right to it. It’s Muslim feminism.