LogFAQs > #951007670

I think it's safe to say that whoever runs that Twitter account you linked to in post 3 is either bonkers or trolling. Given how scattered their entire feed is, I'm inclined to think that they're trolling.

I haven't seen the 31 year old dating a 24 year old situation. It would depend on when they met tbh, like if they met at their current ages then whatever, but if they met when she was 19 and he was 26 that'd be worse. The further back it goes like that, the worst the gap would get.

Given that we have a user who confessed to meeting his wife online when she was 14 and he was 19, who only got slapped with a warning for saying that 12 year olds can "technically" consent to sexual relationships with older people, I don't think it's ridiculous to call age gaps into question when the person advocating for them is shady as fuck. Saying that, there are some extended age gaps that are reasonable, given that both parties are comfortable and reasonably informed about the whole situation. And not knowing about this situation you mentioned in the OP, I can't judge the character of whoever's making the post and I don't know any further context behind the backlash. But yeah, it might be a little overzealous. I couldn't tell you.

As to why progressive spaces like to crack down on age gap relationships - I think it's because power dynamics in relationships are a part of the discourse. The older you are, and the more life experience you subsequently have, the more power you can wield over someone who isn't as informed as you. Someone who's 26 has 8 years of adult life experience over a 19 year old who has 1 year of life experience - I think that's a tangible difference that's worth a mention. But a 31 year old has 13 years of life experience, while a 24 year old has 6 years. That time spent in the real world is substantial, and it can help the younger party make more informed decisions because they've had time to develop life experience.

Maybe the older person is more withdrawn and sheltered, and maybe the younger person is more outgoing. It's all rule of thumb, and it's all relative. But that generalisation is there because on average, people who have lived for less time and who've spent less time in the adult world have less life experience than someone who's older than them - and that difference in life experience is one form of power imbalance in a relationship.

A 6 year age gap between a 24 year old and a 31 year old might be a bit suss to some people. It depends on the people in that relationship, and I think it's more appropriate to leave that one up in the air given that the older person isn't coming across as a fucking creep. But the reason why progressives might be more hung up on age gaps is because of that age gap contributing to an imbalance of power within that relationship. It's not the only way that a relationship might be imbalanced, but it's a form that can stunt someone else's personal growth and hurt them for the desires of the party with more power in the relationship. It's worth keeping an eye out for.

There's no definitive way to make a judgement call on a relationship, but a significant difference in age can indicate that something's wrong. Again - given that we have a user who A) groomed a 14 year old girl on the internet when he was 19 and B) said that he thought that 12 year olds can "technically" consent to a sexual relationship with an older party, I think it's important that we approach the topic with more depth than "crazy liberals shouting down a couple of adults over a consensual relationship". People do go off the deep end from time to time when they don't treat a situation with nuance - purity police-types tend to reach beyond the point of good taste. But the subject is a part of leftist discourse for a reason, and I think the basic rule-of-thumb logic behind it is a reasonable call.

---

I can feel it in my bones, I'm gonna spend another year alone.
Now Playing: Persona 5, Minecraft