Almost Time For Anime North

Before I begin, I have to thank both Gryvon for getting my blog back online and for providing hosting, and Greg for writing the script that allowed me to get my content off of LiveJournal’s servers, now that they’ve totally sold out to their Russian Federation overlords (speaking of, if you can afford to make a donation to the Rainbow Railroad to support evacuating our brothers in Chechnya, please do so).

Please forgive me as I work to get back into my writing groove, and as I work to get some maintenance done around here (like categories, etc.). I am just so thankful that, at the very least, my content was able to be saved from LJ…if not things like mood, the music I was listening to when I wrote my posts, etc.

Anyway, that said! It’s almost time for Anime North! I cannot wait! This is honestly one of my favorite times of the year. Anime North is that one time of year where those of us who are heavily into geek culture get to be ourselves: where we get to dress up like our favorite characters, talk (non-stop) about our favorite shows, and our favorite games, find groups that represent us (like Yaoi North & the Toronto Gaymers).

In the immortal words of Jonathan Larson “It’s about being an us for once, instead of a them!”

I remember when I was working on Long Island (while almost all of my friends were back in Buffalo, Israel, or Canada) and how depressed I would get being so far away from my support network; but I’d look at something on my desk I had picked up from con (in this case, from my friend at Pixel Visions), and it would instantly lighten my mood, because it was a connection, and a reminder that my tribe existed, was there, and that there were folks like me…and while they may not have been there on that sandbar with me, that we’d all be together again soon.

https://www.instagram.com/p/o7d6bUjJzW/

Anime North (and more specifically, Yaoi North) are sometimes the one time a year that some folks get to come out of the closet (not just the geek closet, but the LGBTQ* closet); when they get to explore artwork, and media, and TV shows, and books that represent them and who they are as a person, and that reflect the community that they want to live in…and I find that so incredibly special…because when I was working (even as an out Queer guy) in a very cis-het-business world; it was that connection to the community that I knew existed that kept me going, until I finally got there.

So as I begin to get this blog back into shape, I get to breathe a deep sigh of relief that my content is saved, and I get to show thanks that my tribe exists.

So, here’s to starting a new adventure, and to seeing the Toronto part of my family in just a couple of weeks 🙂

https://www.instagram.com/p/BT76F99BiQU/