[ID from alt: a presentation titled “let’s talk about the Aromantic Invalidation Pipeline: a short and shitty but important powerpoint.”
Slide 2: “aromantic invalidation pipeline” equals the series of (usually misused) phrases that people will string together when they’re talking to an aromantic, in order to invalidate and distort the aromantic’s identity, choices, and autonomy
…okay, so what does this look like, exactly?
Slide 3: Here is the pipeline of dismissive phrases that I hear aros talk about dealing with:
"You don't want to date?" becomes "So you're aromantic." which becomes "Well, aromantic people can still date!"
mental gymnastics & self-contradiction are a feature here, not a bug
used to pressure aromantics into dating
very true to life, and rightfully critiqued… but IMO, 99% of the time, there’s one more step in the pipeline that we need to understand what’s happening
Slide 4: The full pipeline, in my opinion:
"You don't want to date?" becomes "So you're aromantic." which becomes "Well, aromantic people can still date!" which becomes: “You’re dating, so you’re not really aromantic!”
the end goal of the pipeline is to not have to accept any aromantics! none of us are spared!
different aros do have different “entry points:”
aros who don’t date will “enter” at the start, and experience the full process of mental gymnastics
aros who do date will be “skipped” right to the end, and have their aromanticism invalidated immediately (what a convenience /sarcasm)
this is not an aroace exclusive experience. aroallos and “just aros” are also affected
but, there is a parallel phenomenon for aces, and for the phrase “asexuals can still have sex”
Slide 6: i’m of the opinion that this all matters a lot to aromantic solidarity, & to understanding that there’s no form of aromanticism society really “accepts.” neither partnering nor non-partnering aromanticism are validated.
this concludes “let’s talk about the Aromantic Invalidation Pipeline: a short and shitty but important powerpoint.” thanks for reading it! End ID.]
jacobvanloon
izzy806
turnnoffyourmind
andulkaphoto
prguitarman
titsay
stormborns
