Persephone's (Gothic) Insights

I'm returning to short-form content, which you can support on Patreon! Said content includes pin-up art and educational essays, both made support the rights of sex workers, trans people, and other minorities. Here's a copy-paste of the announcement post, originally from my Patreon account : (artist: Persephone van der Waard ) Hi, everyone! Now that my book series on Gothic Communism is finished , I'm getting back into making short -form content. Part of the same basic trend, said content revolves around my political voice—chiefly one of a trans, an-Com sex worker* whose anti-fascist political activism includes standing up for sex workers and/or trans people, but also a variety of other groups; i.e., that reactionaries (and their moderate allies) historically target and abuse, under Capitalism; e.g., Indigenous and queer actor, Jonathan Joss, who I covered recently by writing about Joss' murder at the hands of a Texan bigot targeting Joss' trans husband . Sex worker...

Owing to reasons beyond my control, I could not attend Pride where I live, specifically "No Kings." To combat this, I've written a short essay in response, one that pointedly reflects on Pride—but also various events surrounding Pride—to consider its performative value; i.e., from a revolutionary standpoint: workers are whores who perform in chains to liberate themselves to varying degrees of failure and success; e.g., Jessie Gender 's more dove-like ideas of rebellion during Pride, versus my own (as inspired by Bob Ross but also Medusa, Satan, and various other ne'er-do-wells). Update, 6/21/2025: I did a live reading of this essay for my YouTube channel . Note: This is the SFW version of the article, whose images have been censored, cropped or omitted. Click here to go to the NSFW version, on my website. Disclaimer: All opinions are my own; i.e., as part of my research, conducted alongside my book series, Gothic Communism (2023). The material within is writt...

This essay, "White Moderates Don't  Challenge Fascism," responds to a critique I received from a political opponent, and which my reply recruits from my own social network of friends, lovers and associates. It remains part of my Sex Positivity series, albeit coming from outside the books, themselves; i.e., belonging to a disparate body of essays and interviews that fall under the same basic umbrella, but often will engage with more than the usual suspects: someone who vocally disagrees with us in times of state, even planetary crisis, and with whom various members of the Sex Positivity project make themselves heard. Update, 6/11/2025: I've added a preface directly after the title card; i.e., mainly as a quality of life change—one meant entirely for those unaccustomed to Gothic and the Humanities' more flexible "grey" elements and usage. For the more impatient or schooled among you, skip ahead to "Explaining My Basic Approach" and go from ther...