Thanks for asking. It was pretty weird.

I like to sit at the back of the bus, especially for longer trips. That way I don't have to be disturbed by people getting on and off. So I got on the bus and headed for the back.

The young man sitting in the back row glared at me as I headed his way. I met his eye, nodded, and smiled, and he kept staring.

I sat down in the back, and he just kept staring at me. So I nodded and smiled again, and he mouthed the words "F... you." So I pulled out my phone to do some brain exercises.

Every now and then, I felt him staring at me, and when I looked at him, he mouthed, "F... you."

The person sitting in the middle of the bus by the exit door got out, and the young man got up and took the seat by the door. Many people prefer that seat because it's easier to see out and get out from there, so I figured he chose the better seat. I like to sit in the back row, so I took a seat in the now-vacant back row.

When he got off a few stops later, he pounded on the window and flipped me the bird.

My first thought was maybe he felt that I had invaded his territory. I'm sorry if he felt that way, but the bus is a public area. I like to sit in the back so no one would bother me. We autistic folks have our routines that help us cope with life.

I'm old enough to remember when Black people were forced to sit on the back of the bus. So I started thinking, maybe to the young man's mind, the back of the bus was Black people's territory. But I'd been sitting at the back of the bus for years and had never gotten a reaction like that before. Was I committing a microaggression by sitting at the back of the bus and acknowledging the young man's gaze? I'm always careful about avoiding microaggressions; maybe I shouldn't sit at the back of the bus or greet people anymore.

Then, when my brother pointed out my Pride pin, the pieces fell into place, and I understood that the young man probably thought I was trying to pick him up. My face, body shape, and fashion choices are androgynous. The current administration got in place by promoting scary stories about migrants and gender-variant folks, and many people have bought into that. Then, I understood the young man's reactions.

While the billionaires pick our pockets and destroy our infrastructure and social safety nets, they get us all riled up over cultural differences, so we don't notice what they're doing. When that young man feels the effects of the billionaires gutting our laws and infrastructure, it won't be gay people or immigrants causing his distress. It will be the fat cats in charge, as usual.

So here we are today.

Thanks again for asking.