Since Pride Month starts tomorrow, allow me to introduce you to my plan for it.

Before I start, let me make something clear: Hate speech of any kind will NOT be tolerated. If you're not LGBTQ+ supportive for religious or personal reasons, then don't look at this. It's for anyone who wants to see it. This goes both ways. We need to remember that everyone is capable of having hateful or closed-minded views, not just the worst people imaginable. People who have these kinds of views should be held appropriately accountable and nothing beyond that.

That said, let's get into this.

I know some people question why we need Pride Month, or why we still need it. Some people don't see the point of celebrating something as arbitrary as one's sexual orientation over actual honorable achievements, or they understand that Pride Month is about rebelling against oppression but don't see why we still need it now that so much progress has been made at least in the U.S. and other more progressive countries.

I could dive into a lecture about the history of Pride Month and talk about how things still aren't perfect, but that's a discussion for another day and one that would be handled better by people more educated than me. My point is this: Whether or not you think we still need Pride Month or have ever needed it in the first place, it makes me sad that such a thing exists at all.

It's really disheartening to think that people throughout history have opressed others based on something as arbitrary as who they're attracted to. Unfortunately, that's just how people are. They get it in their heads that the world has to be one way, then refuse to accept it being any other way. I get that the combination of man and woman is what allows us to produce future generations, but will the world really end if some people die without having biological children for what ever reason? Is it really so wrong for some people to deviate from this supposed norm? Is it wrong for me, an asexual person, to not want to have sex with anyone at all? Transphobia is especially egregious these days. I get why certain trans-related issues are controversial, but the way some people frame their concerns is flat-out harmful. It depresses me that most of my family is on the Right's side of this issue.

Anyway, I thought I'd remind people that LGBTQ+ people have not only always been around but been accepted in some form by certain ancient cultures, with ancient Greece being a prominent example. Yes, how they went about it was problematic by today's standards: it was acceptable for older men to have sex with pubescent boys, and what we now call lesbians weren't really accepted given how misogynistic the culture was. Even so, it does show that being LGBTQ+ hasn't always been completely frowned upon until now.

My plan was to compile and make drawings/comics based on various LGBTQ+-themed myths, not just Greek myths but myths in general, uploading one a day throughout Pride Month. I thought I'd also be a little more flexible and have pics based on modern mythology-themed media. Percy Jackson, for instance, lots of LGBTQ+ representation; gotta talk about that. I should warn you, though: some of these myths have elements that are considered problematic by today's standards. I'll try to get around those as much as possible.

I chose the god Dionysus/Bacchus as this series' mascot because he was apparently hailed as a protector of gay and gender-nonconforming people by the civilizations that worshipped him. As the god of revelry, he didn't obey societal norms, including those related to gender and sexuality, and was often depicted wearing female clothing (the outfit I put him in here was inspired by one of those outfits). People even held parties in his name in which they defied the boundaries of gender and sexuality and dressed however they wanted. The name "I'm Your Bacchus" was inspired by the song Venus, by Shocking Blue ("I'm your Venus! I'm your fire! I'm your desire!")

Like I said, I'll try to upload one pic a day, but what time I'll upload them may vary. Unfortunately, I didn't get as much done as I would've liked these past several months; I procrastinated and got busy with college. I'll also be busy in other ways some days; I have my graduation ceremony tomorrow, and one of these days I'll head back to finish moving my stuff out of my apartment. I might end up skipping a few days and uploading twice the days after those. What I'm saying is please be patient.

I hope you enjoy. If you're a young LGBTQ+ person who's stuck in the closet or surrounded by people who don't accept you, I hope you can find solace in my work, and remember, I'm your Bacchus.