raghad ☀️🍊
@raghadjibril
writer, medic she/elle/هي
Picked these up from a quaint bookshop in Cairo full of antique, rare, and used books earlier this year.
Haven’t posted a snippet in a while From my short—a cabinet of curiosities
Writers, what are the tropes/themes in your WIP? #circuswip has: 🎠evil albino trope subverted 🖤found family of marginalised outcasts at the heart of the british empire 🎠enchanted circuses & courtesan masquerades 🖤political intrigue & revolutionary fervour
I’m long overdue for a new profile pic because my hair has grown and my makeup game has levelled up but can we take a moment to appreciate my birthday selfie from last summer? It was the first time my hair was completely back to its natural colour after years of dyeing it darker 🫶🏻
When you go to a coffeeshop, order coffee, and prepare to write, then realise your device needs charging and there’s no outlet sockets to put your charger in
Almost done drafting this little beauty about an inherited victorian manor, asymmetrical relationships, caged curiosities, and family secrets that won’t stay buried
Me explaining how Freakshow performers being anarchists makes complete sense because the state backs their exploitation and institutionalisation and penalises difference and disability:
With the way the book is set, #Circuswip actually has multiple antagonists. One of the main antagonists are the anatomists and private collectors who profit off of the exceptional bodies of sideshow performers. Exploding the ways in which disabled bodies were exploited by the medical community.
And the models in this thread include @zooeydelvalux @kiker_chan @lainatopia
For my francophones, @Vickylyzzz is a TikTok Black beauty content creator with albinism
@lydiahaneunsem A Korean content creator with albinism who makes lots of fun content
@kayla_lud A latino content creator with albinism who makes videos educating on the condition and answering many more questions.
@unsightlyopinions on tiktok A content creator with albinism who sheds light on life with visual impairment and blindness!
Sharing some of my favourite content creators with albinism, including those I’ve used photos of! @ambsholly on tiktok A beauty content creator:
They, like other disabled people, have been exploited in carnivals & freak-shows, forcibly sterilized, fetishized, and marginalized. However, as a result of the condition being so rare, it isn’t a widely researched topic. 19/
This led to many misconceptions that continue to live on in people’s perception of albinism today. But this also means people with albinism have been widely persecuted, discriminated against, & violently ostracised. Including in European & westerm society. 18/
From as far back ass we can trace, there have been legends & myths & superstitions associated with albinism that evolved over time. People with albinism were revered as priests & priestesses, sacred beings, or manifestations of supernatural phenomena, & sometimes even sacrificed 16/
How does albinism affect ethnicity & race? Albinism affects all ethnicities & races. It’s also found in nature where it can be seen in animals & plants. It’s more common in people of ‘Sub-Saharan’ African heritage. Which is why people think it’s particular to a specific heritage. 11/
What are the common features of albinism? The lack of melanin in the skin, body, & eyes means you don’t have that natural protection from the harmful effects of sunlight. People with albinism are more susceptible to getting sunburnt, & are at a higher risk of skin cancers. 4/