Heterosexuality is not a disease? Or aibu?

[theoriginalgin]

I have an acquaintance who has for many years identified as Queer. She's gradually become more and more militant about LGBT + rights in recent times and has started to make some quite offensive statements about heterosexuality and heterosexuals in general.

As a heterosexual person I generally hear these things and don't react because I don't feel that there's any response I can give that won't get me an ear bashing about "the patriarchy" and my "privilege".

However today she's bought home a cushion that she's posted a photo of on Instagram which says "heterosexuality is a disease". I strongly disagree with this and I find it truly offensive. I don't think any sexuality is a disease and I don't think that this is an ok thing to say. I think if a heterosexual person said that about homosexuality for example, they'd be called out for it and probably absolutely lambasted for being homophobic on social media. And yet nobody has said a word to her about this!

AIBU? And if not, any ideas for a witty response to get the point across?

Yes you catch planet wide extinction?

Time to start avoiding her.

Well historically heterosexuals have not been told they are diseased whereas homosexuals/bisexuals have. So...

She sounds like a self-centred pain in the arse. Why don't you just drop her? If she wasn't banging on about this, she'd just find some other cause to bore everyone to death with.

You are right that anything you say will be taken badly. That is the point. This person simply wants to push and push the boundaries of acceptability until something snaps. Destruct testing the friendship. God knows why but life is too short to play a game like that.

Given that you say "acquaintance" rather than "friend" I guess you wouldn't be too heartbroken to just add a little distance and disengage? You can't fix people.

Time to distance yourself from her.

Well historically heterosexuals have not been told they are diseased whereas homosexuals/bisexuals have. So...

Would you care to finish that sentence? Because what you appear to be saying is that because the LGBT community were once referred to as diseased that they can now throw it back. I'm sure you don't mean that though after all two wrongs don't make a right or do they?

isn’t the pillow suppose to be a joke - spinning round what is said about gay people? Or she really believes that to be true? Probably best not to be friends anymore!

@slipperywhensparticus reply would be great to post! Love to see her reply to it

In woke-cult theology, the natural state of all humans is pansexuality - none of us give a monkeys what genitalia any potential sexual partner has. It's only an imposed patriarchal construct that makes people think that most people are heterosexual with some being homosexual or bi, but these outdated concepts will soon seem totally irrelevant as everyone will come out as demi romantic pansexual eventually once we have all educated ourselves.

Unfollow her

She sounds fab!

@motherheroic so why does that make it ok? Two wrongs dont make a right.

I have started avoiding her to be honest, so although its a shame to lose a friendship I am more than willing to do it over this srt of thing. I just think she needs to be called out on it, but I'm not wonderful at this sort of stuff...

She wants people to be offended and say something, so she can launch into a tirade of abuse/complaints/explanation about how hard done by she is.
I wouldnt bother to bring it up, it won't change her mind, but I would stop seeing her.

She just sounds like a nob. If it wasn’t this it would be militant veganism et al... she’s just one of those types. I would ignore and unfollow her if it annoys you so much or just leave her to her nonsense views on the world x

I agree she would probably like a rise. Put a laughing face

She is actually also a militant vegan. That's also very new...

Gay person: makes an obvious joke using the historical (and in some places/minds, contemporary) oppression of minority sexualities and inverting the language of that oppression.
Triggered straight snowflake: “As A hEtErOsExUaL!!!”

She is an acquaintance so you can unfollow her.

Problem solved.

If you are ever asked why mention her militant veganism.

She sounds daft - maybe she wishes she had more women to sleep with.

I would ask her whether it isn't hereonormativity that's the real problem. And how she thinks she would have been born in the first place without millenia of heterosexual activity? How can the reason she exists be a 'disease'?

Or maybe just reply with that: "It's hetero normativity that's the problem. Hetero sexuality is the reason you exist at all. Xx "

I would see it as an ironic play on what people used to say about homosexuality. I’m not sure I’d find it offended.

She does sound generally annoying, though.

*offensive

There is no point in calling her out on it - she will just rant at you. And she has been preparing to argue with someone for ages.

I'd just "block" and make new friends. And be very relieved she isn't a relative or someone I can't get away from.

It could also be that she has underlying issues that she is masking with her new causes - but she almost certainly won't listen to you whatever you say.

I know one person who it took going to Prison (for her Vegan actions) to get any help. And she is still not "cured".

I’d ignore but technically it could be interpreted as hate crime (not having the cushion obviously but posting hate messages on social media particularly if aimed at individuals)
The CPS define hate crime as a range of criminal behaviour where the perpetrator is motivated by hostility or demonstrates hostility towards the victim's disability, race, religion, sexual orientation or transgender identity.These aspects of a person's identity are known as 'protected characteristics'. A hate crime can include verbal abuse, intimidation, threats, harassment, assault and bullying, as well as damage to property. The perpetrator can also be a friend, carer or acquaintance who exploits their relationship with the victim for financial gain or some other criminal purpose.

Heterosexuality is a protected characteristic just as much as homosexuality. I can’t see it going anywhere though. Might be better to have an adult conversation about how it upsets you.