How The World Gaslights Aspec People
Image description: An image from the 1944 film Gaslight . The film is the reason why we have the term "gaslighting" - or the act of someone manipulating another person by making them doubt their own sense of self or perception of reality. It's a very broad and very heavy psychological topic, but today I want to focus on instances I've seen in my own life of gaslighting aspec people, whether in fandoms, in media, or in society in general. As an aspec person in fandom, I have seen and experienced a fair degree of aphobia in my day. This aphobia has taken many forms over the years and depends largely on the circumstances, but it’s one of the many reasons why even my best and most cherished fandoms have started to feel toxic . However, there are plenty of instances where the worst attitudes I see in fandom, media, and society at large aren’t actually overtly aphobic in the sense that they’re not overtly showing fear or disdain of aspec people. Rather, some of the most p
