a

I strongly disagree. I participated in fandom way before I turned 18.

sure, fandom space, as well as anything that is on the internet, can be 18+ and not suitable for minors (but even then, that does not mean “minors must not engage with these things” — I read smut and watched porn when I was a minor, what matters isn’t whether or not they engage with “adult contents”, what matters is if they can safely consume/engage with stuff without revealing their personal information online and jeopardizing their own safety). but just like anything else on the internet, there are spaces, including fandom space, that minors can safely enjoy.

also fandom is about fun and having a source of comfort/a temporary getaway from reality when/if things are hard.

minors have just as much rights — to enjoy fandom space and have these fandom space as their source of comfort — as adults do.

it’s extremely selfish to try to gatekeep these to adults only.

People ask you about your medical history at random and sometimes without even a cursory greeting

People target you because they know you (presumably) can’t fight back

People treat you as both more or less capable than you actually are (whichever is more ableist)

Infrastructure is not accessible in many ways and even hostile at times (impacting those with blindness, deafness, mobility aid users, and more)

Your rides from apps get canceled due to your disability equipment

People get grossed out by what keeps you alive (ostomies, tubes, ports, etc)

People grabbing and moving you without consent

Being treated like furniture the more you are perceived to be disabled

-cops assuming that visible disability=homeless and coming over to harass you

-People in cars also not seeing you or seeing right through you and then driving right at you

people hitting on/threatening/fetishizing you in public, and often get mad if you ignore them or tell them to get lost (if you’re a wheelchair user then you also get the ‘you cant run away’ bullshit)

people staring at you like you’re an exhibit at the zoo

people shouting at you on the streets that you’re a waste of resources