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1:17am August 11, 2014
Anonymous asked: I feel that post about being triggered by things that can turn into prejudices a lot. My abuser used an electric scooter sometimes and was also autistic and used autism as an excuse for his abuse so I get really wary around people who use scooters...

…or autistic people and I know its not a good thing but it’s so hard to break out of

I know what you mean.  For me, it was tall, fat autistic men, particularly ones with certain autistic body language (like the man who molested me).  It actually helped me to meet a variety of autistic men, including those who met that physical description, because I learned quickly that they weren’t child molesters and didn’t deserve me generalizing about them.  I understand that triggers are triggers, mind you, and that they aren’t rational.  But when a trigger can turn into a prejudice against a marginalized group of people, I have learned to be very careful.  Because then I have a responsibility to try and make sure the trigger doesn’t turn into a prejudice.  It was especially twisted, for me, because I’m autistic myself, but somehow some of his autistic mannerisms made it into my “triggers” list.

Notes:
  1. cortisolo said: “But when a trigger can turn into a prejudice against a marginalized group of people, I have learned to be very careful.” I wish I could put into words how familiar this feels to me.
  2. withasmoothroundstone posted this