Trigger warning: slight intolerance
I was window shopping for my sisters birthday present and decided to go into store to get a better look at one of the items. It was a black shirt with a non-binary flag heart on it (my younger sister is nonbinary). While looking at the shirt, I also looked at other items in the store. When I went back to the shirt, I ran into an older lady who said ace people (both asexual and aromantic) were going to be the end of the world.
This was the following conversation~
(K is me and IW is Intolerant woman)
IW: you know, these aces or what-cha-ma-call-its are going to end up killing off the human race. Who wouldnāt want to have babies. *glares at me*
(This lady is with no one, so I assume she expects an answer)
K: technically, ace people are helping by not having babies. The world is overpopulated enough, and if somewhere down the line they do want a kid, they can adopt of foster a child who needs a loving home.
IW: *continues to glare* you have good hips, for having children. Theyāre wasted on you
K: *me slightly creeped out this older woman gave me an underhanded compliment about my hips* Iām not ace, Iām pan. This shirt is for someone else.
IW: all these f*cking names are confusing. But at least I know all the easy ones.
K: uh, just so you know, this isnāt the ace flag.
K: *getting agitated* no itās not, itās non-binary. The ace flag doesnāt have yellow
IW: well, these kids keep coming up with more stupid things. First, pan and now this!
K: itās not stupid, itās what makes us feel happy
K: thatās why Google exist
IW: what is pan and non-binary anyway?
K: *despite her attitude, I calmly explain* pan means I like all genders and non-binary means they donāt identify with a gender, they use them/they pronouns. The person Iām shopping for uses still uses female pronouns sometimes though, but they really like it when people remember the right ones.
K: I dunno, itās not my place to ask. I just accept them for who they are.
IW: but if she was born a girl, sheās a girl
K: biologically, yes. But mentally and emotionally, they donāt care
IW: but all that matters is what she is physically *starts to get pissy*
K: *finally done with her bullshit* and itās THAT type of mentally that makes seeing people for who they want to be impossible. *takes a picture of the shirt so I can buy it online* now have a nice day!
Like...lady... the world is overpopulated as it is... Ace people are saving the world
As stated in the story, Iām not ace, Iām pan. But still, who gave her the right to say that? Maybe itās the fact she was older and uneducated about the subject? But, times are changing and she needs to be caught up.
