7. Break for love

While writing the last post, I felt required to say this.

I know that when I've talked about this before I've been disrespectful to people who identify as socially impaired and I'm afraid of being that way again. And I'm also afraid that bringing up the whole love thing will sound like a cop-out--"you can't disagree with me or be offended if you feel like I'm erasing your experiences, because I'm only saying this because I love you so much."

So I mean, you can still be mad at me, okay.

But I love a lot of people who have autism, and autism-ish things. And I've experienced so much connection and affection and support and sensitivity, with/from these people. This is why I am so upset about the pop-culture-and-even-a-lot-of-professionals concept of people with autism as lacking love, or not knowing how other people are feeling or how to support other people, or not knowing how to connect with other people--because who the fuck has been supporting me and connecting with me, Nailbunny? And I'm really really upset about the medical model, "the person is the problem" way of looking at weird and/or disabled people who are bullied or isolated. Because I love people who were/are bullied or isolated, and it's fucking damaged them, and they didn't and don't deserve to have that happen to them.

I mean, I like arguments. And sure I'm defending myself too. But I think this is a project that comes out of love and the rage that comes from love.