Politics | Identity | LGBTQ+ | Racism
Respectability Politics: Who Defines What Normal Is?
There is no ‘default’ human being
We all feel a need for approval and validation from those around us.
Did that sentance put your hackles up? Did it make you uncomfortable, angry, defiant or sad? I know how that feels. I spent a lot of my youth absolutely rebelling against the idea that I should care what anyone thought about me.
In my case, I rebelled so hard because I felt the lack of acceptance from my peers so keenly.
I was an undiagnosed autistic girl, unknowingly asexual, and I had no idea why people treated me so differently. I had no idea what it was about me that set me apart.
I struggled to read and follow the typical norms of social interaction. I had no concept of what a crush was, let alone why all of my friends kept badgering me to share mine or calling me a prude when I said I didn’t have any.
At first I tried to hide my differences by just following their lead. I mimicked my friends’ behavior, taking on their mannerisms and trying to dress like they did. I pretended to have a celebrity crush just so I had something to say when the subject came up.
