Now, there’s talk about the “problem of masking” in the ASD community–especially females.
Articles concentrating on how the females are “hiding” symptoms more than males.
How they’re missing out on “needed support” or “better futures”. How they’re being stressed by the “masking”.
Support in what if we’re living our lives to the best of our abilities and according to our terms?
Better futures dictated by whom and from where? I could have sworn the only acceptable author for any person’s definition of a happy life was decided by that one person.
I didn’t realize there was a single standard chart for such things.
Links to a few of these articles.
https://axia-asd.co.uk/evidence-autistic-people-hiding-masking-difficulties-educational-settings/
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/autism-it-s-different-in-girls/
Now we’re at this “damned if we do, damned if we don’t” nonsense.
It disturbed me greatly that they labeled us as “mentally ill” after sweeping multiple conditions into one massive catch-all.
Now it disturbs me that the efforts we make to better ourselves..AS EVERYONE TENDS TO DO…is being called to suspicious attention.
Bald people buy wigs. Fat women buy Spanx. Old men buy Viagra.
Are they truly now focusing on those of us deemed as “mentally disabled” and truly saying that our deciding to keep ourselves together like EVERYONE does…is somehow a troubling thing, never mind an obstacle to “progress”?
With a straight face?
Why on this earth are we hearing terminology like “hiding” and “masking” when both are well known negatives? When people hide or mask things the assumption is about willful covering up , hand in hand with the notion of “deceit”.
How the doors of Hell would explode off and out…
if there were publicly discussed studies over how harmful it was for minorities “masking” behind “white” accents or how unfortunate it is for homosexual men “masking” by playing in sports.
Yet , we’re quiet about what’s being said/done on this side of the fence –
Despite ASDs also being conditions of birth and genetic inheritances and also (rightfully) not anyone else’s damned business other than one’s own.
If some of our actions are considered unpleasant and anti-social, and then the actions taken to correct them are also held up to the light as being bad or unfortunate..then what the heck are we left with?
And who the hell is anyone to believe they even have a right to have anything to say about other people’s “intentions” ? Why the urgency for folks to get diagnosed?-to the point of ridiculousness where advice is to “keep seeking experts” until one gets a diagnosis if one wasn’t given in the first place.
“Push until you find something wrong, even if there’s nothing that wrong going on.
Don’t you dare cover up . You’re not allowed to cover up.
We need to look at you whether you like it or not”
That’s what it feels like to me..that kind of creepy, bullying sort of unexplained urgency.
It’s not our masks that need the constant eye.
Those who shamelessly announce their ongoing studies on us like lab vermin.
Those labeling us as “not normal”
(WITHOUT SUPPLYING PROOF, NOR THEMSELVES LIVING AS EXAMPLES OF THIS SO-CALLED ‘STANDARD’ perfect “normal” human being)
without explaining the purpose for the discussions and cataloguing other than vague “for a better future” generalities…
THOSE are the wretched masks that need lifting.
A friendly “No-I’m-not-paranoid” reminder that the legislated “hunt” has been on almost 20 years now.
photo By Igor Normann
Ramsy's Joint 