Happy Halloween Weekend

 

Happy Halloween

May this be a weekend of good magic

A weekend of dreams coming true

A candy filled weekend

A weekend to dress up as who ever you want

May this be a weekend of good magic

This is going to be a full weekend for so many of us between parties and campfires and Halloween parades. Halloween has a long history going back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain.

The tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints. Soon, All Saints Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a day of activities like trick-or-treating, carving jack-o-lanterns, festive gatherings, donning costumes and eating treats.

 Some Halloween Fun

The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell (Netflix)

What We Do in the Shadows (Hulu)

The Addams Family (Pluto TV)

Happy Ace Week 2021

Being Ace:

• Ace Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness, build community, and create change globally. It is said that Aces make up about 1% of the population but that is likely to be an undercount since there is still a real lack of ace awareness plus there are many cultural norms/cultural expectations that can mislabel and dismiss asexuality.

Historical Context For Asexuality:

• Aces have left fewer marks on the historical record. For historical figures it often comes down to a lack of evidence that they had sex. But since asexuality is based on sexual attraction we will never know if individuals were ace or simply did not have sex for other reasons. Plus it is possible that figures were asexual/did not experience sexual attraction but lived in times where social norms such as reproducing forced them into sexual relationships.

• On the Kinsey Scale there was an X grade used to mean "no socio-sexual contacts or reactions" that is often thought of a a proto-asexuality classification. This X has many of the same issues as trying to identify asexuality in historical figures because it was not really set up to capture sexual attraction like we think about it today but it is evidence that while the term asexuality might be one of the newer ones it does not mean the identity itself is new. 

Asexuality:

• Asexual – A term used to describe someone who does not experience sexual attraction toward individuals of any gender.
• Gray-A, gray-asexual, gray-sexual are terms used to describe individuals who feel as though their sexuality falls somewhere on the spectrum of sexuality between asexuality and sexuality.
• Demisexual individuals are those who do not experience primary sexual attraction but may experience secondary sexual attraction after a close emotional connection has already formed.

Types of Attraction:

• Sexual attraction: attraction that makes people desire sexual contact or shows sexual interest in another person(s).
• Romantic attraction: attraction that makes people desire romantic contact or interaction with another person or persons.
• Aesthetic attraction: occurs when someone appreciates the appearance or beauty of another person(s), disconnected from sexual or romantic attraction.
• Sensual attraction: the desire to interact with others in a tactile, non-sexual way, such as through hugging or cuddling.
• Emotional attraction: the desire to get to know someone, often as a result of their personality instead of their physicality. This type of attraction is present in most relationships from platonic friendships to romantic and sexual relationships.
• Intellectual attraction: the desire to engage with another in an intellectual manner, such as engaging in conversation with them, “picking their brain,” and it has more to do with what or how a person thinks instead of the person themselves.

Romantic Orientations:

• Romantic Orientation – Describes an individual’s pattern of romantic attraction based on a person’s gender(s) regardless of one’s sexual orientation. 
• Aromantic: individuals who do not experience romantic attraction toward individuals of any gender(s)
• Biromantic: romantic attraction toward males and females
• Heteroromantic: romantic attraction toward person(s) of a different gender
• Homoromantic: romantic attraction towards person(s) of the same gender
• Panromantic: romantic attraction towards persons of every gender(s)
• Polyromantic: romantic attraction toward multiple, but not all genders
• Gray-romantic: individuals who do not often experience romantic attraction
• Demiromantic: an individual who does not experience romantic attraction until after a close emotional bond has been formed. People who refer to themselves as demiromantic may choose to further specify the gender(s) of those they are attracted to (e.g. demi-homoromantic).
• Queerplatonic Relationships (QPRs) are those relationships that are not romantic in nature but they involve very close emotional connections that are often deeper or more intense than what is traditionally considered a friendship. Since there is not adequate language to describe queerplatonic partners, some people refer to these partners as zucchini.
• Squish is a term used to identify aromantic crushes; the desire for a non-romantic/platonic relationship with another person.

Asexuality In Media:

• There are historical characters who are often read as being asexual such as Sherlock Holmes. Since Sherlock Holmes was written long before Asexuality was a term being used we can never know if Sherlock really was Ace but many of his interpretations portray him in a manner that could mean he is Ace. 

• Now more than ever before there a books and story lines that include ace characters. Like stories that involve other members of the LGBTQ+ community some of these are in name only, some are harmful (spreading the negative idea that if someone who is ace finds the right person they will no longer be ace), and some are positive explorations of the complexities of being asexual.

• A great example of asexuality being handled in a positive fashion is this clip from season two of the show Sex Education. (Of course this is a representation of one experience of being Ace and others who are ace might describe it completely differently)

Friday Afternoon In The Loop

Today I had a nice adventure in the Chicago Loop

I got to the The Chicago LGBT Hall Of Fame exhibit

At the Harold Washington branch of the Chicago Public Library

Picked up this months grab and go art project

Was walking down the street and found Mindworks 

"The world's first lab and interactive discovery center dedicated to behavioral science"

 And my brain shows I am more into the social sciences

(Or I do not know my complete heritage and I have a few extra country's somewhere LOL)

Got to an small art gallery and got to watch a painter painting

Boy Chicago is getting creative when it comes to getting us all vaccinated.

Found a new museum which is soon to open

Only in a big city like Chicago

But a good FYI for any authors interested in the topic

Another Halloween Walk

Been busy with a few projects so today's post is another Halloween Walk. 

This dinosaur is excited to meet you.

A Visual Tour

National Coming Out Day

 

Today is National Coming Out Day. 

A day to celebrate wherever we fall in the gender, sexual, and romantic multiverses. For some of us we are in safe spaces, and can publicly share who we are, sometimes for the first time, sometimes for the millionth time. For others to "come out" would be dangerous or simply something not ready to be shared. It does not matter how you celebrate or don’t celebrate, how you share or don’t share where you fall in the gender, sexual, and romantic multiverses, all that matters is you remember you are not alone, you are beloved and loved, you are absolutely amazing exactly for who you are.

National Coming Out Day

By Dreaming Ace 

National Coming Out Day

A day to celebrate your truth

Ace, Aro, Bi, Gay, Lesbian, Pan et al.

Day celebrating all places in the

Romantic and sexual multiverses

National Coming Out Day

A day to celebrate your truth

Trans, Non-Binary, Gender-fluid et al.

Day celebrating all places in the

Gender and gender identity multiverses

National Coming Out Day

A day to celebrate your truth

Known world wide by many

Known only in your deepest heart

Known by your people, or a stranger

National Coming Out Day

A day to celebrate your truth

In a manner that is safe for you

Shouting from the rooftops

Or taking but a moment with yourself

National Coming Out Day

A day to celebrate your truth

You are absolutely amazing

You are absolutely loved

You are absolutely never alone

World Mental Health Day 2021

 

Today October 10th is World Mental Health Day. This is a day to build awareness about the struggles of those of us who have mental health challenges. As a reminder no matter who you are or what you are experience know that you are important, worthy and loved and no matter how you might feel you are never alone. No matter what mental health struggle you are dealing with there are uncountable others who are struggling with a similar issue across the globe.

As the World Health Organization states:

The overall objective of World Mental Health Day is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health.

This year the focus is on: Mental health care for all: let’s make it a reality. 

As the World Health Organization States:

The health argument: 

• Close to one billion people have a mental disorder and anyone, anywhere, can be affected.
• Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide and is a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease. Globally, it is estimated that 5% of adults suffer from depression.
• Globally, one in seven 10-19-year-olds experience a mental disorder. Half of all such disorders start by age 14 years but most are undetected and untreated.
• People with severe mental disorders such as schizophrenia tend to die 10-20 years earlier than the general population.
• One in every 100 deaths is by suicide. It is the fourth leading cause of death for young people aged 15-29 years.
• The COVID-19 pandemic has had a considerable impact on people’s mental health.

The care gap

• Despite the universal nature and the magnitude of mental ill health, the gap between demand for mental health services and supply remains substantial.
• Relatively few people around the world have access to quality mental health services.
• The serious gaps that still exist in mental health care are a result of chronic under-investment over many decades in mental health promotion, prevention and care.
• Stigma, discrimination and human rights abuses of people with mental health conditions remain widespread.

The economic cost

• The lost productivity resulting from depression and anxiety, two of the most common mental disorders, costs the global economy US$ 1 trillion each year.

The investment deficit

• On average, countries spend just 2% of their national health budgets on mental health. This has changed little in recent years.
• Despite an increase of development assistance for mental health in recent years, it has never exceeded 1% of development assistance for health.

The good news

• Some of the most common mental health conditions, depression and anxiety, can be treated with talking therapies, medication, or a combination of these.
• For every US$ 1 invested in scaled-up treatment for depression and anxiety, there is a return of US$ 5.
• For every US$ 1 invested in evidence-based treatment for drug dependence, there is a return of up to US$ 7 in reduced crime and criminal justice costs.
• Generalist health workers can be trained to diagnose and treat mental health conditions.
• Regular health checks of people with severe mental disorders can prevent premature death.
• The quality of life of people living with conditions such as autism and dementia can be greatly improved when their caregivers receive appropriate training.
• The rights of people living with mental health conditions can be protected and promoted through mental health legislation, policy, development of affordable, quality community-based mental health services and the involvement of people with lived experience.

A Halloween Walk:

Here are several Halloween themed pictures I have taken on various walks over the last few weeks. I hope this is a nice pause from any work or stress that is challenging right now for you. May the colors of the season bring a bit of joy to your day, and warm your spirit since this week has been pretty gray and grim outside.

This Tour As A Video 

October Knocking

Happy Happy October. Welcome to a new month of new possibilities. I hope you have a wonderful month. This month is a month of magic/prep for Halloween, in addition to being LGBTQ+ History Month. (And don't feel bad if your first thought is I thought that was in June. June is LGBTQ+ pride month which is related but different than LGBTQ+ history month) In honor of both of these, my plan is to do one "Halloween" and one "LGBTQ+ History" related activity each day. If you like the idea of doing one item each day too here are a sampling of possibilities.

• Many streaming services have curated lists of Halloween inspired TV and movies. You can find lists of scary movies as well as lists of lighter kid friendly shows/episodes you can watch.
• There are many different playlists you can listen to this season such as Classic Dark and Spooky, Horror Film Soundtracks, Halloween Party Music, or Relaxing Halloween Music.
• If you don't mind blending your holidays there are a wide range of Halloween Theme Yule Logs.
• If you are into the history of Halloween or of Horror there are many options online such as
• A History of Horror with Mark Gatiss, or BBC In Search of Dracula with Mark Gatiss
• You can also find a whole range of individuals reading classic spooky poems or stories or authors reading their own stories such as Neil Gaiman reading his "Click Clack the Rattle Bag"

• For LGBTQ+ History Month you might consider watching an LGBTQ+ film or documentary. For example Hulu has a whole list which I explored parts of for Pride month.
• You might consider reading a book by an classic LGBTQ+ author such as James Baldwin.
• You might listen to a playlist of LGBTQ+ Music