All credit belongs to @fogg__ ! Wanted to help spread the message :) This is a direct correction of common misinformation and normalized harm. //////////////////////////// /TW//// Religion. Weight. Abuse. Gender. //////////////////////////// — ♥ — ↻ Gender, Sexuality, & Identity ▶ Being nonbinary is real. It’s not a phase or an attention-seeking act. ▶ Trans men are men. Trans women are women. ▶ Trans people don’t need to medically transition to be valid. ▶ Neopronouns and xenopronouns are real and should be respected. ▶ Asexuality is a valid orientation. Lack of attraction is not a flaw. ▶ Aromantic people are not heartless. They just love differently. ▶ Being gay is not a sin. Being yourself is not wrong. ▶ “They/them” can be singular. You already use it that way. Don’t pretend it’s confusing. ▶ You don’t get to decide what someone’s “real” gender is. ▶ People can use different pronouns in different contexts. It’s not deception; it’s safety. ▶ Lesboys are valid. ▶ Intersex people are valid. — ♥ — ↻ Mental Health & Neurodiversity ▶ ADHD and autism are not quirky internet trends. ▶ You can’t “grow out” of autism or ADHD. ▶ Autistic people are not broken or robotic. ▶ Masking is exhausting, not a solution. ▶ Depression and anxiety affect teens and kids. Stop dismissing them. ▶ Intrusive thoughts are not desires. Stop shaming people for their brains. ▶ Self-diagnosis is valid when access to care is limited. But you need to do a lot of research to be sure and make sure to tell someone you trust to get their opinion on it. ▶ Not all mentally ill people are violent. Most are trying to survive. ▶ Trauma does not have to be “proven” for it to be real. ▶ Therapy is not shameful. Medication is not weakness. — ♥ — ↻ Body & Health ▶ Overweight people are not “lazy” or “unhealthy” by default. ▶ You are not entitled to comment on someone else’s body. ▶ “You’ve lost weight” is not always a compliment. ▶ “But you’re so skinny” is not comfort, it’s invalidation. ▶ Eating disorders are not compliments. They are life-threatening. ▶ Not all eating disorders look the same. Stop assuming. ▶ Thin does not always mean healthy. ▶ Eating disorders don’t only affect skinny white girls. ▶ Not every disability is visible. Stop assuming. ▶ Chronic pain and illness can exist without obvious signs. ▶ You don’t get to decide who’s “faking it.” ▶ Mobility aids are not just for the elderly. — ♥ — ↻ Youth, Consent, & Safety ▶ Children can know who they are. Let them. ▶ Teens can be LGBTQ+. That’s not “too young.” ▶ “Respect your elders” doesn’t include accepting abuse. ▶ No one is “too young” to have mental health struggles. ▶ Kids don’t owe adults hugs. Consent starts early. ▶ Teaching kids about identity isn’t “indoctrination.” It’s protection. ▶ You are not being oppressed just because a teen asks you to use their pronouns. — ♥ — ↻ Religion & Belief ▶ Do not share your religion with someone who is hurting without consent. ▶ Religion can be a source of trauma. Be mindful. ▶ Not everyone believes what you believe and they don’t need to. ▶ Pushing your faith onto others is not love. It’s control. ▶ You can be spiritual and not religious. You can be neither. ▶ Atheists are not “missing something.” ▶ Spread your religion to people who ask for it, not when it’s unrelated. — ♥ — ↻ Community & Identity ▶ Furries, as a community, are not z00s. ▶ Therians, as a community, are not z00s. ▶ Being in a “cringe” community doesn’t make someone less worthy of respect. ▶ Dressing up or roleplaying is not inherently strange or dangerous. — ♥ — ↻ Language & Behavior ▶ “It’s a joke” is not a shield for harm. ▶ “Cringe culture” is just another form of bullying. ▶ Apologies mean nothing without change. ▶ If someone corrects you, listen. ▶ “Freedom of speech” does not equal freedom from consequences. ▶ Ignorance is not a flex. Choose to learn. ▶ “I didn’t mean to” does not erase the harm. ▶ If you hurt someone, you don’t get to decide whether or not it was a big deal. ▶ Having an opinion is okay until it’s harmful to a community or a specific community; as in spreading misinformation. — ♥ — ↻ Abuse, Harm, & Survival ▶ Victims do not owe you their story. ▶ Not all abuse leaves bruises. ▶ Survivors don’t have to forgive. ▶ You are not overreacting. You were reacting to pain. ▶ If someone says something hurt them, believe them. ▶ People cope in different ways. Respect that. ▶ Healing takes time and especially space. — ♥ — Send this to someone who needs to be educated.
