Work Text:
Video Title: The ASL-Brothers Discuss Sexualities
[The camera is pointed to a white background where a rainbow flag is hanging. In front of that there are two sofas. On one sofa the three brothers are sitting, on the other one sits a large person with purple hair.]
Ace: Welcome back to another special episode for our pride month series!
Sabo: Today we sit down with our guest, Professor Emporio Ivankov, who is a Professor for Queer studies here at the University in Sabody.
Luffy: Hi Iva!
Ivankov: Hello my Monkey-Boys! So what do you want to talk about today?
Ace: We thought to give our viewers a bit of an overview of what LGBTQ+ means. Since, you know, it can be very confusing at the beginning and you may not know where to start.
Ivankov: Well then! When we think about sexual orientation, what probably comes to mind for most people are the three listed in the well-known acronym: LGBTQ+. Those five letters stand for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer. But keep in mind that transgender is a gender identity, not a sexual orientation. Someone can be both transgender and straight, or transgender and bisexual, for example. Any questions so far?
Luffy: So, it’s a bit like a mix and match? To find out what fits best for you?
Ivankov: I didn’t try to think about it that way yet, but you’re not entirely wrong.
Sabo: What does the “+” stand for then?
Ivankov: The "+" encompasses those who aren't straight but aren't covered by those five letters, either — for example, asexual, pansexual, or questioning. If you're a little confused by this, it's understandable. LGBTQ+ representation in the media is hardly stellar, and when it's there, it's often limited to cisgender gay, lesbian, and bisexual characters — and these characters are all cisgender. Zero major studio releases in the last few years showed any transgender characters.
Ace: Tell me about it. It’s just sooo frustrating to start a series or watch a movie, hang your heart on the only representation you can find and then for this person to be, I don’t know, killed or something! Or be forced in a relationship with someone they have zero chemistry with, just because that makes them straight.
Ivankov: Oh my boy, if we started to talk about queer baiting and the horrible representation in media we would be sitting here for a long time.
Ace: It’s just so frustrating!
Sabo: There, there Ace.
Ace: I just have a lot of feelings about this, ok?
Ivankov: Let’s put a stop to it here and start talking about the different orientations we have. But please, dear viewer, keep in my that language around sexual orientation is always evolving and can change over time, so what I say now may not be completely true or relevant in the future!
[Black background, white letters: Sexual Orientation/Sexuality]
Ivankov: This describes a person's enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction to another person. Gender identity and sexual orientation are not the same. Transgender people may be straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer. For example, a transgender woman who is attracted solely to men would typically identify as a straight woman.
Luffy: You identify as neither, right?
Ivankov: Exactly, I think of myself as non-binary, neither man nor woman. Some days I like to dress more feminine some days mare masculine. But that too is not the same for everyone. Every person has their unique experience which is valid and should be respected.
Sabo: And if you ask a trans-person if you can see their genitals you deserve to be bitch-slapped.
Ace: TERF’s can just fuck off.
[Black background, rainbow letters: Gay]
Ivankov: The adjective used to describe people whose enduring physical, romantic, and/ or emotional attractions are to people of the same gender, for example gay man or gay people. Sometimes lesbian is the preferred term for women. You should avoid identifying gay people as "homosexuals," which is an outdated term considered derogatory and offensive to many lesbian and gay people. If I remember correctly, you are gay Ace?
Ace: Gay as fuck and proud of it!
Ivankov: How’s your boyfriend doing by the way?
Ace: He’s fine. Very fine, if you know what I mean.
Ivankov: *winks at Ace*
Ace: *Makes finger guns back at him*
Luffy: Zoro’s gay too.
Ivanov: How long has he been out?
Luffy: I don’t know. We never really talked about it, he just is.
Sabo: You rarely talk about sex with anyone Luffy.
Luffy: Why talk about sex if you can talk about food? Or pirates?
Ivankov: You are a precious little bean.
Luffy: Can I be a meatball instead?
[Black background, rainbow letters: Lesbian]
Ivankov: A woman whose enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction is to other women. Some lesbians may prefer to identify as gay or as gay women.
Luffy: Nami likes to quote something whenever someone hits on her in bars.
Sabo: After she hustled them out of their money of course.
Ace: She’s a fierce business woman.
Luffy: She says: ‘The only thing I’ve ever been with a man was annoyed.’
[Black background, rainbow letters: Bisexual, Bi]
Ivankov: A person who has the capacity to form enduring physical, romantic, and/ or emotional attractions to those of the same gender or to those of another gender. People may experience this attraction in differing ways and degrees over their lifetime. Bisexual people need not have had specific sexual experiences to be bisexual; in fact, they need not have had any sexual experience at all to identify as bisexual.
Sabo: Bisexual people are valid and they exist and we need to stop erasing them or turning them into a fetish.
Ivankov: You feel very strongly about this.
Sabo: My wife is bisexual, so she told me a lot of stuff she experienced.
Luffy: Yeah, that can be really harmful. Sanji is still struggling with himself. And Vivi was afraid to tell people she liked women too because they dismissed her very quickly.
Ace: Why is it so hard for people to just accept something they’re told? When I tell you I’m gay, shouldn’t I be the expert on that? No one needs others opinions on this and they’re not wanted.
[Black background, rainbow letters: Pansexual, Pan]
Ivankov: A person who has the capacity to form enduring physical, romantic, or emotional attractions to any person, regardless of gender identity. Pansexual people need not have had specific sexual experiences to be pansexual; in fact, they need not have had any sexual experience at all to identify as pansexual.
Luffy: I like that word. Always makes me think of food.
Ace: Many people confuse this one with bisexual. What is the difference?
Ivankov: It’s hard to put the difference into words. Some people feel more comfortable with one or the other label, but they are both valid and it is important to note that neither is excluding trans or non-binary people.
Luffy: Franky always says he likes to be as PANtastic as possible.
[Black background, rainbow letters: Queer]
Ivankov: An adjective used by some people, particularly younger people, whose sexual orientation is not exclusively heterosexual. Sometimes, for those who only identify as queer, the terms lesbian, gay, and bisexual are perceived to be too limiting and/or fraught with cultural connotations they feel don't apply to them. But many people identify as both queer and another sexual orientation. Once considered a pejorative term, queer has been reclaimed by some LGBTQ+ people to describe themselves; however, it is not a universally accepted term, even within the LGBTQ+ community.
Luffy: Yeah, someone once got really offended when Ace used that to describe himself.
Ace: I mean, I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes and I get that many people have a negative emotion tied to that word, but I really like it. And I think it’s important to reclaim some of our history.
Sabo: Very well said.
[Black background, rainbow letters: Asexual]
Ivankov: An adjective used to describe people who do not experience sexual attraction.
Ace: So that means, they don’t want sex.
Ivankov: No, it means they feel no sexual attraction. It’s difficult to explain, but these two things are inherently separate from one another. Some Asexuals prefer to not have sex, some do just to get off and some do it to be close to their partner. As long as no one is forced into anything and everyone is feeling good and safe while they do it of course. But just because someone who identifies as asexual is having sex with someone doesn’t make them any less of an Asexual. There are more descriptor you can apply to someone like that, like Demisexual or Grey-Asexual, but it would take too long to get into all of these. Asexual still applies to all of those sub-categories.
Luffy: I learned a lot about that recently!
Sabo: You always identified as asexual though.
Luffy: Still do. But you know, since Torao I started to think a bit more about it.
Ace: Why would you do this to me? I don’t want to think about my younger brother having sex!
Luffy: I don’t. Not yet anyway. And what about Sabo? He has sex with his wife all the time!
Sabo: Hey, leave me out of this!
Ace: It’s different with Sabo. You’re the baby!
Luffy: I’m not a baby!
Ivankov: Boys, please, stop hitting each other.
Sabo: Give it a few minutes.
[Black background, rainbow letters: Aromantic]
Ivankov: An adjective used to describe people who do not experience romantic attraction.
Sabo: But that doesn’t mean they can’t form profound, life-long bonds with other people.
Ivankov: Correct.
Luffy: Like me and my friends!
Ace: That’s one bond you can form. It is important to accept that platonic love can be just as real and important as romantic love.
[Black background, white letters: Heterosexual]
Ivankov: An adjective used to describe people whose enduring physical, romantic, and/ or emotional attraction is to people of the opposite gender. Also straight.
Ace&Luffy: *jazz hands towards Sabo*
Ace: Behold, the token straight brother!
[Black background, rainbow letters: Coming out]
Ivankov: A lifelong process of self-acceptance. People forge a LGBTQ+ identity first to themselves, and then they may reveal it to others. Publicly sharing one's identity may or may not be part of coming out.
Ace: Not everyone is coming out in the same way. It’s important to respect people boundaries and not force someone to reveal something about them before they’re ready.
Sabo: Being forced into something like this can be harmful and dangerous, so please be considerate towards others.
Luffy: And don’t forget to love each other!
[Black background, white letters: Closeted]
Ivankov: Describes a person who is not open about their sexual orientation or gender identity. It's better to simply refer to someone as "not out" about being LGBTQ+. Some individuals may be out to some people in their life, but not out to others due to fear of rejection, harassment, violence, losing one's job, or other concerns.
Ace: We support you, if you’re out or not! You’re still a valid part of the LGBTQ+ community!
[Black background, rainbow letters: Demiromantic]
Ivankov: People who do not experience romantic attraction until a strong emotional or sexual connection is formed with a partner.
Luffy: That’s me! And Robin too!
Sabo: A rather recent discovery on Luffys part.
Ivankov: Like I said in the beginning, there are many ways to define oneself and nothing is set in stone. You can always learn new things about you.
Luffy: Yup!
Ivankov: If I may ask: What made you realize Luffy?
Luffy: I didn’t want Torao to date a mystery person. And then I started to think about why and realized that I wanted to be the one to date Torao!
Ivankov: And I take it, it all worked out in the end?
Luffy: Yup!
Sabo: Much to Ace’ disappointment.
Ace: I don’t like him. He’s too old for you! And he’s creepy.
Luffy: Your boyfriend looks like a pineapple and loves his bird more than you!
Ace: *affronted gasp*
[Black background, rainbow letters: Demisexual]
Ivankov: People on the asexual spectrum who do experience some sexual attraction, but only in certain situations, like after they’ve formed a strong emotional or romantic connection with a partner.
Luffy: Maybe also me!
Ace: Lalalala, I can’t hear you!
[Black background, rainbow letters: Polyamorous]
Ivankov: Describes people who have consensual relationships that involve multiple partners. Polyamorous people talk openly with their partners about having or having the desire to have sexual and/or emotional relationships with multiple people and often set ground rules for their relationships. Polyamorous people can be in relationships with monogamous people.
Sabo: The most important thing for this kind of relationship: You gotta talk to your partner ALL. The. Fucking. Time! If there is no healthy communication and both parties don’t give their consent it’s not poly, it’s cheating!
Ace: Hear, hear!
Ivankov: And on that note, let’s end it here for today my boys! It was a delight to talk to you.
Luffy: Thanks for coming here Iva!
Sabo: Yeah, it’s was great to have you.
Video Title: The ASL-Brothers Go To A Pride March
[The camera points towards a street where already a lot of people decked out in Pride-regalia are walking around.]
Ace: It’s Pride Month y’all!
Luffy: And that means going to pride parade!
Sabo: We’ve been going every year since Luffy turned 16, most of the times with our friends and family. So we thought, why not make a video out of it for our pride month series?!
Luffy: Everyone! Say hi!
[camera turns around to show a large group of people, all decked out in different pride flags]
Group of people: WOOOOO!
Ace: Alright! Let’s get this party started!
[Montage of walking through the crowd]
Ace: What are you being proud of?
Random girl: I am proud that we can be comfortable and open. This is a judgement free zone. And no hate.
Ace: No hate! *high fives her*
[Montage of dancing on top of a car]
Sabo: *watching a girl twerk*
Sabo: *twerking*
Sabo: I learned something!
[Montage of couples kissing on the side of the street]
Luffy: What are you being proud of?
Random guy: I am proud to be here with my best friends, who are straight and not straight
Luffy: Hey, me too!
Random guy: Woho!
[Montage of swinging flags]
Sabo: What are you being proud of?
Random girl: I’m proud of Pride and being pansexual!
Franky: SUUUUPER! Up top!
[Screen switches]
Ace: What are you being proud of?
Random guy: My Abs!
Ace: Yeah! I’m proud of your abs too! Look at them!
Random guy: Well, I’m proud of your abs too!
Ace: Thanks! Hear that babe? My abs are something to be proud of!
Marco: Yes, very impressive. *Leans over and kisses him on the cheek*
[Screen switches]
Luffy: Look Torao! I can wear a new flag now! *points to the colours on his cheek*
Law: Looks very good.
Luffy: Shishishi~ Thanks to you!
Law: *blushes* Stop saying stuff like that when there’s a camera pointed at us!
Luffy: No! *hugs him*
[Screen switches]
Sabo: What are you being proud of?
Random girl: I’m celebrating my two moms, they’re getting married.
Sabo: Weddings! I love Weddings! Look at my beautiful wife! *does the Will Smith pose towards Koala*
Koala: *waves* Congrats to your moms!
[Screen switches]
Luffy: What are you being proud of?
Random guy: I am proud of being who I am and celebrating how I am.
[Screen switches]
Ace: What are you being proud of?
Random girl: I am proud that we can all celebrate us being able to be whoever we are.
[Screen switches]
Sabo: What are you being proud of?
Random guy: Everything
Sabo: Everything!
[Screen switches]
Luffy: What are you being proud of?
Random girl: Myself.
Luffy: Yeah! The Morale of this, be proud of who you are!
[Screen switches]
[You can see anti-gay protestors and instead of fighting back with more hate and anger the people here are fighting back with love]
Ace: It’s important to remember, it doesn’t matter how far we come, there’s still a long way to go for us as a community. And we need to keep fighting.
Luffy: We love you all!