#artisannerd

That’s not what asexuality is, and it kinda sucks she’s kinda trying to convince you otherwise.

Thank you so much!

Oh man I have no idea when this was sent. But yup, I sure did go to Swarthmore! I had an amazing time there. The workload is a LOT, don’t get me wrong. It will vary from department to department (and semester to semester), but Swat kicks your ass. The work is generally interesting and exciting, but there is plenty of it.

The trick (as with most things in life!) is to always, always be willing to ask for help. Ask your professors! Ask your friends! Ask the deans! Get extensions, get tutoring, get advice. My biggest lesson from Swarthmore was that yes, I probably could get through alone... but it would suck. It’s much better to get through with a team.

Okay, but... the community is LGBTQIA, right? So.... it seems to me that the point is "we are something other than the expected norm, and that is okay, and you are not alone, and you have a family here." I guess I've always seen it as a place of inclusion, and caring, and you don't have to be alone. Why would we need to try to create an entirely new community? Especially when some people will fit in both? Why complicate it? Why not just be nice, and inclusive, and get along? Seriously, what is the point?

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Okay, but... the community is LGBTQIA, right?

No, the community is LGBT. People have experimented with adding letters, but they are unnecessary as LGBT covers all Same/Multi-Gender Attracted and Trans people.

So.... it seems to me that the point is "we are something other than the expected norm, and that is okay, and you are not alone, and you have a family here." 

No, again we are not a community of “abnormals”. We are defined by what we are, and that is not those who deviate from the norm- it is LGBT people. 

I guess I've always seen it as a place of inclusion, and caring, and you don't have to be alone. 

We are not a social group of “all inclusiveness” we are an oppressed social class. We are focused on ending the oppressions of homophobia/transphobia.  If you want a validation club, by all means start one, but that is not who we are. And for the safety of our vulnerable members, we cannot include our oppressors who are Cishet people. 

Why would we need to try to create an entirely new community? Especially when some people will fit in both? Why complicate it? 

We each have a variety of identities, and there is a community for each one. We do not mix them “just because it is easy”. POC members are not asked to include tan while people, as they are not POC. We can only include people who are LGBT.

Yes, making a community can be difficult, but the A-spec community has already begun and merely needs the focus, attention and commitment of its members to flourish. 

Why not just be nice, and inclusive, and get along? Seriously, what is the point?

Because the point is we are oppressed and fighting against it by uniting. Subjugated people do not have to be nice and friendly with their oppressors.

Right now, we are inclusive of everyone who is LGBT, but we need to keep our oppressors from invading our safe spaces and taking our meager resources. That is why we cannot just “let everyone in”.