i'm really tired. i've been sort of disillusioned with pride month for a lot of personal reasons but i might as well do something for it. i'm taking a lazy way out and just plugging a bunch of queer video essays i really like (with some non-queer ones thrown in for good measure). i may update this later, but for now you should go watch them. youtube playlist of these videos can be found here
"The Incel to Trans Pipeline and Inside Mari" by ceicocat: a really well constructed video analyzing the manga inside mari and it's connection with gender dysphoria and incel behavior regarding femininity with a personal example thrown in. one of my favorite videos ever
"Bloom Into You Changed Me" by Mathwiz: a (second) exploration of bloom into you's aromantic themes which aren't as explored as it's lesbian ones in fandom, so it was a treat for me as a fellow aro person who felt seen by the aro characters
(i also recommend: "Togashi's Trans Characters")
"Ocean Waves - Studio Ghibli's (Accidental) Queer Film" by eliquorice: a video exploring and analyzing the unintentional queerness of ghibli's film ocean waves and even recommends another film with explicit queerness with the same concept
(i also recommend: "Coco's Feel-Good Oppression")
"I Was Wrong About Queerbaiting" by Sarah Z (and co-written by Lady Emily): a reevaluation of the term "queerbaiting" in current internet and celebrity culture and how it's muddied by the constant misuse applied to (usually) closeted and gnc celebrities and extending to non-famous people, sprinkling in some discussing of actual queer exploitation and loss of anatomy. to me this is an essential watch
(i also recommend: "Tumblr's $6000 Scam: The Story of All or Nothing", "The Supernatural Finale Aired, And Tumblr Exploded")
"100 years of queer music explained in 42 minutes" by Alexander Avila: i like music and i love reexploring queer music history, this is like my bread and butter. i love this video and i love avila's content
(i also recommend: "I was a transgender child.", "This Video Isn't Just About Taylor Swift. It's About You.")
"A Very Normal Yuri Manga" by hazel: an introduction to the yuri comedy school zone girls with vocal synth music playing in the background. you should get why i like this video
(i also recommend: "My Hunt For A Nearly Lost 90s Anime", "Ranking Anime Denny's")
"Cinema's First Kiss Was Between Two Women" by Lily Alexandre: a video about the underdocumented first "filmed" kiss by eadweard muybridge that was between two stand-in women
"James Dean: The Bi Hollywood Icon We Lost Too Soon" by Kaz Rowe: a video documenting the late actor james dean and his bisexuality. very interesting to me
(i also recommend: "The Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Eartha Kitt", "A Deep Dive into the Horror-filled Production of The Wizard of Oz (1939)")
"Why Do Gay Men Love The Golden Girls?" by Matt Baume: a video exploring the history of the golden girls and it's popularity with gay men, documenting their pro-gay episodes, cast, and gay writers
(i also recommend: "What Makes Disney Villains so Gay?", "Oh My! How George Takei fought the bigots -- and won")
"Is Rin Transgender? Love Live and Gender Identity" by AquaMarina369: a (second) video about love live's infamous 'tomboy' episode and the overall discussion of transgender readings in anime and japanese media that overlaps with gender presentation overall
(i also recommend: "The Story of Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune's Only Official Kiss", "Are Yu and Ayumu Meant to be a Couple?")