When a loved one doesn't get why you're a brony

[immblueversion 331]

I am an autistic brony in the sense that I like the show, but don't collect anything beyond a few pony shirts. I have a brother who couldn't care less about the show. I've tried showing him some episodes, but the only ones he has any interest in are the ones with John de Lancie (my brother's about as much a Trekkie as I consider myself a brony). My brother says it's okay for me to like the show, but because I'm autistic, he says that everyone else who likes the show is autistic as well. He also doesn't seem to care if he's stereotyping, because as far as he's concerned, everyone on the internet is autistic. That makes me angry. Part of me feels I shouldn't, yet I do.

 

There are times I want to talk with my brother about how I feel, but he's just so good at asking questions I can't give immediate answers for that I start to second-guess myself. There are other times when I want to stop talking about it, but I've gone on how much I love the show for so long that he sometimes brings it up on his own, even when I'm not in the mood for it. This frustrates me in ways I can't even properly convey.

 

Now I'm afraid this is starting to affect how my whole family feels about me. My parents respect that I am a brony, but can't see why I like the show. I'm not ungrateful for their respect; I should consider myself lucky that they aren't demanding I stop watching the show altogether. But nowadays I feel I'm taking that respect for granted. I'm afraid that if I don't stop expressing my love for the show, they'll reach a point where they'd feel I'm too obsessed with the show to face any real world challenges. I feel so awful, I just want to curl back up into my brony closet.

 

Have any of you felt the same way I do, or suffered a similar experience? If so, what would you do?

[Tan 91]

I am not an autistic brony, but people do think I have autism... My father is a great man, he is a rock star and part of 2 bands. He has incredible guitar skill and he knows(or at-least has a really good idea) of how much i love this "girls" show. He wont give it a chance but i haven't given up yet. My mom on the other hand enjoys the show and watches it somewhat regularly. My little brother also likes the show, but he won't go admitting it in public and hides the fact. I myself am a shameless, out-loud and proud fan. My plan is to get my dad into the show. I am also trying to get him into video games...but that's a whole other story. Good luck on your endeavor my brony brother. All I can really say is keep trying.

 

Oh and your brother sounds like a bigot. . .no offense. He might be spending too much time on 4chan, to have such an extreme view. I really had no intention of insulting him but from your description he fits the bill of bigot rather nicely.

[Shanks 10,811]

With me it is mostly my brother and my Mom, my brother for whatever reason hates bronies (I have been meaning to talk to him about why that is) after my Mom found out her initial reaction was positive but my brother told her some story about how the brony fandom is full of pedophiles and most of them are cloppers. I sure as hell am not a pedophile but am a clopper which thankfully they don't know which poised my Mom's perception by giving her information which she really really didn't need to know. They are not accusing me of either, but have expressed concern about me publicly expressing this (I occasionally wear pony shirts), they are afraid that people will think I am these things and my Mom has even said that she is worried about me getting jumped. Like you I am on the Autism spectrum but both of them respect that and haven't resorted to any such stereotyping.

[LunaFlower226 38]

My sister that's one year younger then me watches the show most of the time, I tell my older sis about the show every now and then (even though she dosent watch it), I don't know if my big brother knows I watch MLP, my mom laughs at the funny parts when she is cooking or some thing (I record the show) and my dad approves of me being a brony, my best friend and another friend is a brony and the rest of my friends know I'm a brony but they just don't care I'm a brony they love me for who I am.

[Oblivion 20,266]

Thats why for the most part, I just don't tell my family about me liking the show, I am pretty sure that the only people that have a hint that I like the show are my brother and my mom, who both live a state away, also how he found out is, I went over to his place once, he was on xbox one, and of course he "accidently" played the "bats" episode of MLP, then I quitely asked if he was a brony, he looked at me a bit odd and kinda muttered "no" So, that was actually VERY awkward for me, but as far as the rest of my family, I am pretty certain that no one else knows about it, and at least for the time being I inted to keep it that way.

[Kabuu 59]

My mom and sister found out I was a brony, my mom was very accepting about it and thought the fanbase and artwork were both awesome. My younger sister thought I was the coolest older brother around and we both watched mlp together for a short time. However, father isn't nearly as accepting towards my interest in mlp as the rest of my family, but I'm not bothered by it too much.