alt text : a blacked out silhouette of a side profile with the negative space of multiple jagged teeth curling inwards towards their head, flora in the corner.
its so hard to hang out when you're being constantly bombarded by the anxiety that romantic nonplatonic feelings might arise in the other person. Keeping your interactions sanitized so that you don't accidentally lead anyone on, but at this point simply showing anyone any form of attention is "leading them on."
I love everyone, I want to be friends with everyone, I want to invite them to my home and watch movies and share meals together. Why must this indicate romance in the sense that this escalator ends in sex?
rhetorically, why is sex and romance such a big deal anyways? Both seekers and avoiders place an importance upon it that seems excessive. Its simply a thing that happens when your lives are compadable enough.
In the end I feel objectified more than ever, just a vehicle for people's sexual and romantic desires. Not seen as a real person who views their own life as romantic, and the meeting of people as romantic (but not in the nonplatonic sense.)
this message has been brought to you by the (demi) aroace collective.
People who struggle with social relationships in general likely don't have a partner and since most people have a desire for intimacy (which is okay to not have), those who struggle with social relations end up struggling with fulfilling their intimate desires.
What one might call "true love" where both the desire to be with someone + being materially able to be with them, is also increasingly difficult under capitalism. People are materially forced in relationships they don't like, intimate or not, hookups become more necessary, they're also perfectly compatible with capitalism and dating apps that further perpetuate hookup culture.
I could go more in depth, but I'm feeling really tired now.
There's a book: "Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism: And Other Arguments for Economic Independence"
It could be related to this topic, but I haven't read it myself. Maybe someone who has read it can comment is this good book or not?