If ever I despair of my abilities as a writer…

[Emilymcplugger]

Here in the states, it's "protect the children." They're going through the LGTBQ (especially the T there) as the point of attack, banning drag shows, "Don't Say Gay" laws, etc. Look at what Florida and Texas are doing for how they're handling things on this side of the pond.

Yes. It is very important that headteachers be fired for exposing students to utter filth…like…er…Michaelangelo’s sculpture David.

 

[JaxRhapsody]

I don't read most of what's on Lit, so I wouldn't know. Nor do I know anything about Danielle Steele. True erotica may be hard to find. Anaïs Nin I found disappointing; there was only one hot scene in Little Birds before I gave up.

Some "mainstream" authors have worthwhile erotic scenes. Updike, of all people, did some good ones. Erica Jong and Philip Roth could be very funny when they got it right. Norman Mailer wrote some truly terrible "erotica" in his career. Fifty Shades of Grey is a story in itself; I'm considering a parody of that although actually it might be more realistic.

A fanfic of a fanfic, lol

 

[gunhilltrain]

In general the World seems to be going through a “crazies are in charge, doing crazy things” period.

Em

At least we don't have the Mongols, the Huns, the Cossacks, the Nazis, etc. to worry about for the moment. The Romans could get nasty too if one didn't buy into their system. The world is usually going through a crazy things period with the crazies in charge. Look at the list of wars/interventions America has been in since 1776. We've been quite busy ourselves. I'd link to it but there is such a list on Wikipedia if one is curious. Stay safe out there!

 

[gunhilltrain]

Yes. It is very important that headteachers be fired for exposing students to utter filth…like…er…Michaelangelo’s sculpture David.

Or Bosch, or William Blake. Those guys called themselves Christians, but I think they had a good time getting away with painting the nasty bits. And they weren't the only ones by any means. But, hey, God bless them!

P.S.: Michaelangelo and others were part of the movement to revive the ancient Greek and Roman sensibilities.

 

[gunhilltrain]

A fanfic of a fanfic, lol

Yes, I've heard of that! I'd still like to do my version, but then I'd have to read more of the original. There was an extensive review of the book that I have somewhere that might be enough. A future project.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Here in the states, it's "protect the children." They're going through the LGTBQ (especially the T there) as the point of attack, banning drag shows, "Don't Say Gay" laws, etc. Look at what Florida and Texas are doing for how they're handling things on this side of the pond.

There's a vocal anti-trans lobby that's growing here and partly funded by American evangelicals, but trying to pretend they're just fine with the LGB, honest - eg the 'LGB Alliance' who last I heard didn't have any non-straight members. So while there's been a few fights between drag queens reading in libraries and neo-Nazis (seriously), given that we don't have the religious sector opposing LGBT stuff any more (outside about two constituencies where the DUP have MPs in NI, it's agreed that talking about religion at all is a vote loser - unless it's very subtly anti-Islam...), the drag thing isnt going to go far here because drag and panto are so well embedded in popular culture.

The anti-BDSM stuff was (at least in the last 20 years) couched as feminism, wanting to object to the 'oops, sex game went wrong' defence to murder, with added fear of modern technology. Wanting to update porn regulation for the 21st century was necessary, eg circulating images of under-18s or revenge porn, but a lot got thrown in - most of which got thrown out once the lawyers got drafting, not least because legislation lawyers are kinky bastards...

Back in the days of the Spanner case, homophobia and BDSM got conflated, but mostly that's died out. But there's still widespread beliefs that BDSM obscures abuse, and pressure from various 'concerned citizens' not to licence BDSM clubs.

We need to fight together.

 

[Emilymcplugger]

There's a vocal anti-trans lobby that's growing here and partly funded by American evangelicals, but trying to pretend they're just fine with the LGB, honest - eg the 'LGB Alliance' who last I heard didn't have any non-straight members. So while there's been a few fights between drag queens reading in libraries and neo-Nazis (seriously), given that we don't have the religious sector opposing LGBT stuff any more (outside about two constituencies where the DUP have MPs in NI, it's agreed that talking about religion at all is a vote loser - unless it's very subtly anti-Islam...), the drag thing isnt going to go far here because drag and panto are so well embedded in popular culture.

The anti-BDSM stuff was (at least in the last 20 years) couched as feminism, wanting to object to the 'oops, sex game went wrong' defence to murder, with added fear of modern technology. Wanting to update porn regulation for the 21st century was necessary, eg circulating images of under-18s or revenge porn, but a lot got thrown in - most of which got thrown out once the lawyers got drafting, not least because legislation lawyers are kinky bastards...

Back in the days of the Spanner case, homophobia and BDSM got conflated, but mostly that's died out. But there's still widespread beliefs that BDSM obscures abuse, and pressure from various 'concerned citizens' not to licence BDSM clubs.

We need to fight together.

To be fair that whole defence is utter bullshit used by blokes who have violent streaks using BDSM as a flimsy "I saw it online" argument for their own monstrosities, but, there are plenty of utter bastards in the porn business who do treat women awfully so, you know, there's that.

Perhaps the more worrying thing is the disgraceful state of the Watchmen with the Met Police being branded as institutionally and individually...CRAP! (the official language was sexist, homophobic and racist, but you get the idea).

 

[Kumquatqueen]

To be fair that whole defence is utter bullshit used by blokes who have violent streaks using BDSM as a flimsy "I saw it online" argument for their own monstrosities, but, there are plenty of utter bastards in the porn business who do treat women awfully so, you know, there's that.

Perhaps the more worrying thing is the disgraceful state of the Watchmen with the Met Police being branded as institutionally and individually...CRAP! (the official language was sexist, homophobic and racist, but you get the idea).

The Met was branded institutionally racist back when the concept was coined in 1999 in the Macpherson Report. Efforts to improve have been hugely hampered by the mass exodus of officers coinciding with underfunding over the last 15 years - if you've got two arms and two legs they've been desperate to keep anyone.

Of course back in the 90s they were legally required to be homophobic - one of the more pleasant shocks of my life was at the end of Pride in the 2000s, England football fans were morose because 'they' had lost some football match on penalties yet again, so thought beating up that swarm of queers would be a good idea as they got kicked out of pubs - only this time the police were on the side of the queers not the footie fans.

Sexism wasn't on their radar then either. I don't know if domestic violence was a crime in the 90s but it was deemed impossible to do anything about. Rape within marriage was still legal.

Some might say we'd be better off with half the police London needs, but seeing as they get to also mop up the effects of the underfunded health and social care systems, I'm not convinced.

 

[Emilymcplugger]

The Met was branded institutionally racist back when the concept was coined in 1999 in the Macpherson Report. Efforts to improve have been hugely hampered by the mass exodus of officers coinciding with underfunding over the last 15 years - if you've got two arms and two legs they've been desperate to keep anyone.

Of course back in the 90s they were legally required to be homophobic - one of the more pleasant shocks of my life was at the end of Pride in the 2000s, England football fans were morose because 'they' had lost some football match on penalties yet again, so thought beating up that swarm of queers would be a good idea as they got kicked out of pubs - only this time the police were on the side of the queers not the footie fans.

Sexism wasn't on their radar then either. I don't know if domestic violence was a crime in the 90s but it was deemed impossible to do anything about. Rape within marriage was still legal.

Some might say we'd be better off with half the police London needs, but seeing as they get to also mop up the effects of the underfunded health and social care systems, I'm not convinced.

The exchange I used 6 weeks ago seems even more appropriate than ever in HOT AND FUZZY PRELUDE.

You see we at the Met may not be the most corrupt force in the country..." the Chief Inspector continued.

"Service," I mumbled, almost inaudibly.

"But that's what people think. Now having an exceptional officer like yourself with ten special commendations and zero complaints should make things easier...but it doesn't. Instead everyone's always "why can't the rest of your officers be like Michael Angelo?" Urgh! It's so annoying," the Chief Inspector whinged.

"So I'm being sent away because I'm too good?" I asked.

"You see! I told you he'd get it! No-one in the Met thinks being you is achievable, whereas the next person down with two commendations and three complaints is achievable".

 

[Seadog777]

I'm actually struggling a bit with this right now.
I've been absolutely hopelessly stuck on finding a way to end "My Sneaky Wife Jennifer".
I've written and erased probably close to 50 different versions for the Part 2 final.
That's even after talking with someone I trust quite a bit on here as well.
It really has me down.