To be as a child...

There's something inherently inspiring about the honesty and purity in a child's curiosity. Neither biased nor conditioned by outrageous standards of social graces, they have no qualms about staring at things that intrigue them. In this case: a little girl playing near a resting area in the mall that I've perched in who was gazing at the piercings adorning my face.

Unlike others, there was no eye of disgust or repulsion--no blatant joy or entertainment elicited from her observation--but simple and pure intrigue. Noticing this, I offered a smile from over my laptop, and the gesture was happily returned.

The truth of the matter is that those who practice body modification aren't rebelling or trying to offend; they are simply utilizing an alternative means to enhance a sense of self. Much like a hairdo or an article of clothing, tattoos and piercings are not a means of sparking a rise among the masses--or, rather (as there's always THOSE people), they SHOULDN'T be--but a means of putting on the outside an aesthetic representation of what exists on the inside. Much like the hairdo or the clothing they can be adored or despised by others, but to treat them--and, by extension, the wearers--as somehow divided from society is a far greater faux pas than being noticeably intrigued.

For the most part, if somebody has tattoos and/or piercings, they're not only aware that they'll attract attention (both the good and the bad kind; don't fool yourself, haters, you aren't the first to cast a glare and you won't be the last--you'll remember my face LONG after I've forgotten your scorn) but that people will be curious about what it all means.

Like the child in the mall, don't make an ass of yourself trying to follow some convoluted sense of etiquette; simply be aware that--no matter how many layers of ink or metal or wood or bone might divide your wandering gaze from their core--there IS a person lurking underneath.

Is Disney's "Brave" heroine a lesbian?? ... WHO CARES?!

And The Literary Dark Prince stares… and blinks… and stares… and blinks… and as the words on this post refuse to alter their conveyed message he begins to see the error lies not with them, but the fact that—despite every iota of logical reasoning screaming and crying at lung-bursting degrees—there are ACTUALLY people out there that would CARE!! So-goddam-what if a Disney character is gay?! Snow White lived with SEVEN men who constantly bribed her with diamonds, Belle fell in love with a 10-foot GORILLA-DOG, Ariel pranced about with exposed genitals on a public beach several days prior to being married to Eric by a priest with an obvious erection, Jasmine all-but WHORED herself to Jafar to distract him from Aladdin, Jane fell for Tarzan when he was barely a coherent human being, and Mulan was a cross-dresser.
Society, get ready for a bomb-shell of a shocker: SEX EXISTS!! All elements associated with sex (nudity, arousal, exploration, experimentation, curiosity and—HOLY SHIT?!—homosexuality are a PART of the human condition that drives us to discover both other human beings AND ourselves)!
Ready for another world-melting revelation? KIDS ARE NOT STUPID!! They see Mommy and Daddy pucker up with pursed lips and—here comes “2 + 2”—if men and women can kiss one another, then who’s to say it stops there? The deductive reasoning of the minds society tries so desperately to cloud from every truth they deem unsuitable are more-than capable of rationalizing the facts for themselves. Hiding sexuality from children is not going to make them not realize that, if they cast their gaze downward, THERE’S SOMETHING BETWEEN THEIR THIGHS, and THAT alone is motivation enough for children to explore avenues of WHAT it is and WHO else has them.
If a Disney princess is gay, then I’m certain a perceptive child that gives enough of a damn to psycho-analyze the broad while she’s slinging arrows and being badass will be happy as a pig-in-shit to do so, but, seeing how the notion of BIGOTRY and HOMOPHOBIA—the only REAL lesson that all this song and dance teaches kids—have yet to enter into their minds, I severely DOUBT that they’re going to care one way or the other.
To the kids out there: stay young forever!
To the adults out there: grow-the-fuck-up!!