[Redway]

Originally Posted by Holiver_and_Ivy

That's how she referred to her hair I'd say they're dreads in the same way that Jedward have mohawks

However she referred to it, any normal person wouldn’t be tempted to touch it. It didn’t look good at all if we’re being honest.

[Oliver_W]

Originally Posted by Redway

However she referred to it, any normal person wouldn’t be tempted to touch it. It didn’t look good at all if we’re being honest.

Oh I've never denied it was bad manners.

[Redway]

Originally Posted by Holiver_and_Ivy

Oh I've never denied it was bad manners.

And listen, Oliver, what’s your opinion on the link between autism and gender-identity confusion (this is one for my other thread)? I don’t like to play to gender stereotypes at all but there may be an element of truth to the claim that autism and Asperger’s (not that I’m super-sold on those labels as we use them today) are an exaggeration of certain stereotypical masculine qualities (which is one reason why the majority of diagnoses obviously go to males) but at the same time there’s a certain androgyny and gender-ambiguity that a lot of people on the spectrum report and they’re probably slightly over-represented in people who choose to biologically transition so it’s a tricky one. Y’know?

[Oliver_W]

Originally Posted by Redway

And listen, Oliver, what’s your opinion on the link between autism and gender-identity confusion (this is one for my other thread)? I don’t like to play to gender stereotypes at all but there may be an element of truth to the claim that autism and Asperger’s (not that I’m super-sold on those labels as we use them today) are an exaggeration of certain stereotypical masculine qualities (which is one reason why the majority of diagnoses obviously go to males) but at the same time there’s a certain androgyny and gender-ambiguity that a lot of people on the spectrum report and they’re probably slightly over-represented in people who choose to biologically transition so it’s a tricky one. Y’know?

Neuro-atypicality is something I've definitely heard of as being common in trans-identified people, as is those who've suffered some form of child abuse.

It could be that (for want of better phrasing) the autistic view of femininity and masculinity is seen as more literal, and someone who acts in a way which is contrary to gender norms "must be" trans?

[Redway]

Originally Posted by Holiver_and_Ivy

Neuro-atypicality is something I've definitely heard of as being common in trans-identified people, as is those who've suffered some form of child abuse.

It could be that (for want of better phrasing) the autistic view of femininity and masculinity is seen as more literal, and someone who acts in a way which is contrary to gender norms "must be" trans?

But then (especially with the widening of the concept of autism that’s been communicated to the lay-public) a lot of people with other disorders that might cause deficits in things like non-verbal communication (complex p.t.s.d., dysthymic depression that goes untreated for a long time) are often mislabelled as autistic by people who don’t understand them and in those cases there’s often a certain asexuality resulting from it which is less a reflection of them than it is the loss of energy and interest in a wide variety of things so it’s hard to tell how accurate the data about trans. ideas being somewhat higher in the autistic community. There’s definitely something going on in-between all that but what’s truly autism/being a quirky, androgynous weirdo with Asperger’s and what’s complex p.t.s.d. with bad social anxiety and lack of sexual assertion misinterpreted as asexual ambivalence isn’t always easy to tell.