Ah, the pentagram. I can't remember when exactly I started being obsessed with this shape. The logo of my new website also has a star while way back when, it was always a hand-drawn cat. I'm still cat-crazy, though.
Photography
One aspect I'm not crazy about the new Wonder Woman habit is the boots. While I love the new armor-looking footwear with the practical and necessary knee and shin guards, I don't understand the wedges part. I hate wedges because they're so ugly, but running in heels can be dangerous and damaging to the body. Heck, wearing heels constantly will damage your body. Just ask Victoria Beckham.
Rarity is a fashion designer. She sews, loves gems (her cutie mark is three gems, GEMS I TELLS YOU), has a pet cat named Opalescence, always overpacks, hates mud and dirt (except when it’s at the spa), has a Transatlantic (an acquired, posh-sounding) accent, and says Edina-Monsoon things like “fabulous” and “sweetie” and “darling.” I can go on and on and on to tell you why I was (and still am) absolutely in love with her.
As an immigrant, moving to the US at this moment in history was probably not the smartest decision. But my upbringing and my being Asian put me at a (slightly, allegedly) more advantageous position than my other contemporaries of color.
Glitter has its own place in the LGBTQ community. Its function has evolved from merely as make-up, to religion (such as Glitter + Ash where churches mark parishioners with glitter-infused ash on Ash Wednesday) and politics (with villains like Newt Gingrich and Michele Bachman being glitter-bombed by the Glitterati). And who can forget the iconic ruby slippers in the positively queer Wizard of Oz?
Batik is the pride and joy of (most) Indonesians, including me. There’s such a rich, artistic history and meaning behind this textile, and in some cases, it’s borderline superstitious – like when we’re not supposed to wear a batik pattern called “parang” (the dagger) to a wedding because it’s a weapon and would bring bad luck (ie: conflict) to the couple.
Pride reminds us of those who'd come before us, of those who'd fought for us, of those who are still fighting, of those who'd been jailed or killed because of their sexuality. Pride affirms our existence. Pride reminds us of us. It took (some of us) so much blood and tears and time to accept ourselves, but we're here.
My love for reading lead me to my love for writing, which lead me to getting my MFA in creative writing, which lead me to writing my thesis about drag queens and cross-gender traditional performers in Indonesia, which lead me to being a fellow of Lambda Literary, which lead me to publishing my debut nonfiction Gentlemen Prefer Asians: Tales of Gay Indonesians and Green Card Marriages.
Men have also been wearing rompers since the jazz age. Remember those vintage swimsuits men wore? Yep, those were technically rompers. Even Sean Connery wore one in Goldfinger (1964).
I saw Wonder Woman in theaters four more times after that. In IMAX 3D at AMC Burbank 16, in 4DX at Regal LA Live, in regular digital at Vista, and finally in 70mm at ArcLight Hollywood.