When I heard the description of the typical "ROGD boy", it was describing me (AGP).
Regarding the link between autism and AGP, I'm cautious.
I think it could easily be that AGP and autistic traits are completely separate, but having autistic traits could make AGP more pronounced, e.g. increased tendency to ruminate, difficulty in forming regular relationships making leaning into AGP more appealing.
Then again, I have also read studies that suggest a correlation between paraphilia and autism. [1]
By the way, I managed to get another short piece published in a regular publication:
Something I find ridiculous, is how much "gender critical" counselors themselves behave like autogynephiliacs in denial.
It's always "something else", it's never, ever autogynephilia. Ridiculous. Even if these counselors accept autogynephilia exists, along with "something else", it's always the "something else" they focus on, as that's a nicer story. This is how we ended up with "gender identity" in the first place.
And then their clients who have "something else" inevitably always end up saying semi-privately it was autogynephilia anyway.
There's no large body of peer reviewed evidence for much to do with female sexuality. Meanwhile the evidence for AAP is overwhelming. It's co-occurance with autism (see detrans women) isn't compelling to you?
I have my own opinions. I can see that there is a high visibility of AGP and autistic traits.
But it could be visibility bias, e.g. autistic trait AGPs go online a lot, so are visible, whereas non-autistic trait AGPs don't go online.
Or it could be that autistic traits, e.g. rumination, could increase the likelihood of AGP dysphoria, but the two are ultimately unconnected. So any man is likely to have AGP, but AGP+autistic traits increase the risk of dysphoria.
It could be the same with AAP.
All the evidence for AAP needs to be put forward in an article and published in a journal. Then everyone needs to present their arguments for-and-against.
Except pre internet Blanchard saw the same thing (called them "computer nerds", not autistic) and so did Lawrence (called it aspergers, instead of autism). Yes, that doesn't discount your theory that AGP plus ASD rumination is what makes these cases clinical. But I think the two are linked on a more fundamental level. It's linked to that 'inward turn' of ASD and it makes complete sense it would occur in both sexes (though look different for natural, sexually dimorphic, psychological reasons).
When I heard the description of the typical "ROGD boy", it was describing me (AGP).
Regarding the link between autism and AGP, I'm cautious.
I think it could easily be that AGP and autistic traits are completely separate, but having autistic traits could make AGP more pronounced, e.g. increased tendency to ruminate, difficulty in forming regular relationships making leaning into AGP more appealing.
Then again, I have also read studies that suggest a correlation between paraphilia and autism. [1]
By the way, I managed to get another short piece published in a regular publication:
https://www.healthsense-uk.org/publications/newsletter/newsletter-128/434-128-letter.html
It's short enough to tweet out verbatim, if you wanted to.
[1] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5789215/
Thanks, Orlando. I RT’d Debbie’s link. - Aaron
Something I find ridiculous, is how much "gender critical" counselors themselves behave like autogynephiliacs in denial.
It's always "something else", it's never, ever autogynephilia. Ridiculous. Even if these counselors accept autogynephilia exists, along with "something else", it's always the "something else" they focus on, as that's a nicer story. This is how we ended up with "gender identity" in the first place.
And then their clients who have "something else" inevitably always end up saying semi-privately it was autogynephilia anyway.
I've noticed a similar pattern with autoandrophilia
There's no large body of peer reviewed evidence for autoandrophilia.
If this issue -- e.g. "ROGD boys" -- has taught me one thing, then there should be research and peer discussion first.
There's no large body of peer reviewed evidence for much to do with female sexuality. Meanwhile the evidence for AAP is overwhelming. It's co-occurance with autism (see detrans women) isn't compelling to you?
I have my own opinions. I can see that there is a high visibility of AGP and autistic traits.
But it could be visibility bias, e.g. autistic trait AGPs go online a lot, so are visible, whereas non-autistic trait AGPs don't go online.
Or it could be that autistic traits, e.g. rumination, could increase the likelihood of AGP dysphoria, but the two are ultimately unconnected. So any man is likely to have AGP, but AGP+autistic traits increase the risk of dysphoria.
It could be the same with AAP.
All the evidence for AAP needs to be put forward in an article and published in a journal. Then everyone needs to present their arguments for-and-against.
Except pre internet Blanchard saw the same thing (called them "computer nerds", not autistic) and so did Lawrence (called it aspergers, instead of autism). Yes, that doesn't discount your theory that AGP plus ASD rumination is what makes these cases clinical. But I think the two are linked on a more fundamental level. It's linked to that 'inward turn' of ASD and it makes complete sense it would occur in both sexes (though look different for natural, sexually dimorphic, psychological reasons).
I tend to think there might be a connection, I want to steel-man the argument.