here’s to the ladies who get pushed aside, who aren’t wielding swords and words and even femininity like weapons of war, who are rarely the protagonists and even more rarely the antagonists and even more rarely noticed at all. here’s to the girls that fandom prefers to ignore, who aren’t celebrated like their equally excellent peers but sit on the sidelines, who can also be selfish or petty or mean but also kind and quiet and understanding. here’s to the girls who believe in fairy tales and freedom and watching from the sidelines, who endure abuse and worse as patriarchal narratives see them as plot instead of characters, foils instead of people. here’s to the ladies who are called “whiny” and “passive” and “boring” for watching the story play out and getting swept up in it because they don’t have the ability or even the drive to be the ones calling the shots. here’s to the rival love interests, to the observant children, to the women killed off before they have a chance to shine. here’s to the ones reviled for loving someone they shouldn’t or sacrificing more than they should. here’s to the ladies out there who are never called special or stanned or remembered by more than a few.
here’s to the ladies who are rarely your favorites but who have stories- all rich, most untold- all the same.