Fandom Experiences - Tumblr Posts

I'm so upset by antis sometimes. once i made a few mistakes with a minor as an adult:

acted inappropriately with them, i thought they could handle more than said they could, things they consented to at the time they were facetious about how 'comfortable' they were-- probably to set me up

now everyone labels me as a predator just because of that and the fiction i like. so much for 'forgive and forget', huh? :/ i hate child brats in Fandom so much they ruin it for everyone. i don't get mad if i see some kid get shit bc at this point i know they're lying or exaggerating claims to get out of trouble.

This is one of those scenarios where I really can't comment on anything except future safeguarding because "acting inappropriately with a minor because they consented" could literally mean anything and I'm not about to validate actions I do not actually know.

However, in the future, its best to adopt the practice of setting firm boundaries with minors. Very firm boundaries. Unfortunately the internet never forgets, no matter who forgives, especially when it comes to things like this.

While minors are absolutely welcome in fandom spaces and I refuse to participate in trying to segregate minors off and treat them like fragile little glass babies who can't know about murder and sex until they're 21, I also understand for the safety of both sides there needs to be a certain level of separation and firm boundaries in place.

For example, I refuse to have any private conversations with minors online. Any discussion I have with one must happen publicly so there is evidence and witnesses to the original texts, and evidence that can't be so easily manipulated.

(E.g; if someone edits a screenshot of a post I made, its all too easy to link to the existing, original post proving its fake.)

I don't roleplay with them or collaborate on fanfiction (again, this involves too much closed-off and private communication, unless its something public like a SFW round robin). If I'm in Discord servers I use the note box on their server profiles to mark who is a minor so I know what is and isn't appropriate to say or involve them in.

It really is better to be safe than be sorry. I can't control what a minor chooses to involve themselves in or expose themselves to but I can control how much I involve them in and expose them to.

I'd also fully recommend blocking anyone who attempts to contact you or interact with you in bad faith. Some people will simply weaponise anything they can against someone they disagree with.

Putting on "The End" and wiping off my makeup in the sharp white light of the hotel room mirror as Gerard sings for me to do so. Thinking about them towelling the bloody bullet hole off of their forehead somewhere, either in a nicer hotel room than this or perhaps on the bus. Picturing all the makeup coming off all the faces of all the fans, rinsing down a thousand drains as adrenaline fades to weariness and the concert high fades to a vague, aching yearning for more. There is a mournfulness at the end of the celebration, but there is yet a celebration in the mourning, a togetherness even still. And after all, is that not what this band is about? The twinned emotions of mourning and rejoicing and the times when the two are inextricable?

Putting on eyeliner this morning for the My Chemical Romance concert and thinking about how many other fans might also be doing this at the same time; thinking about how many fans have done their eyeliner for a show over the years in the past. Thinking about Gerard doing his own eyeliner. Achieving spiritual union with the MCR fandom through slightly messy eyeliner.