Published on 12, July, 2020
I can't stand stereotypes and do not wish to be defined by my condition. I would rather people saw me as an individual with strengths and weaknesses, some of which can be explained by me having Asperger's syndrome, rather than defining me by a label. This is why I can't stand the word 'aspie'. While having Aspergers is an important part of my identity, it is no more important than me being female, no more important than my sexuality or my age. I would hate it if someone did not see past me being a woman or past my age, why is having aspergers any different? The disability movement campaigned for disability to be seen not as an individual affliction or difference, to move beyond individualising disability and to see it as a societal problem: people with disabilities should campaign collectively to change society, making it imperative to see the person before the disability. I am a person with asperger's syndrome, not an aspie. I share traits that other people with AS may have, but I don't share all the traits, just enough to have aspergers. We are all different, to say I am an aspie suggests conformity with other 'aspies' and obliterates the part of me that defies easy categorization.
So you refuse to accept that racism and sexism exists Scorpian? I am afraid arguing with people like you is as effective as getting a dog to talk.
Yes, court cases are fought and won but this does not mean sexism is not a reality. Rape conviction cases are notoriously low, many women don't report domestic violence or verbal sexism through fear. Unequal pay is an institutional phenomenon, not as bad as it used to be but it is still endemic and can only be rectified through ongoing political action, cultural and systemic change.
If you think women and men are hard-wired to think differently, what consequences do you think this will have on policy decisions or politics in general? Do you see a person first or do you see a man or women? If the former you will have no expectations as to how they are supposed to behave (my position), if the latter, you are prone to prejudice and ultimately discriminatory practice.