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The original was posted on /r/amitheasshole by /u/Vegetable_Potato9508 on 2023-12-26 21:54:02+00:00.
My (26F) brother (32M) is not talking to me because I have not invited him or my sister in law to my family birthday dinner.
I am planning a birthday dinner at my favourite restaurant. I absolutely love seafood, and so does everyone in my family, so I want to make a reservation for a popular seafood place in my town.
The issue is, my sister in law (Beth) is autistic and has some wishes when it comes to picking a restaurant. I have no trouble with that whatsoever, and I am happy to accomodate dietary wishes, but I can not tolerate weaponized illnesses. She is fine with seafood, but having dinner with her in a public place is incredibly exhausting.
I will spare you the details of our previous dinner, but here are some of Beth's wishes:
- Beth must sit in a booth, against a wall. Chairs are a no go (I do not know the reason)
- If Beth does not like the music, it needs to be turned off (Taylor swift is a yes, any other pop songs are a no)
- No one is allowed to eat vegetables, because Beth does not eat them, and will lose her appetite if she sees them. (broccoli trauma?)
- No kids in the restaurant (this will overstimulate her)
- We are not allowed to taste any of her food, but she will eat off your plate without asking.
If any of these wishes are not followed, she will sulk/complain, and write a one star review for the restaurant. Whenever you confront her, she will make a scene and say stuff like ''It's because i'm autistic'', or ''You hate people who are neurodivergent''.
Because of this, I talked to my parents about not inviting her. They agree with me, since it's my birthday, but told me to talk to my brother about it.
I called up my brother and explained the situation. He got angry because he feels that I do not consider her family, and that I could at least pick a restaurant that will make her feel welcome. Beth overheard the situation and has texted me several angry messages, and that I will never be invited to their house again.
Am I the asshole for not inviting her?
Edit:
Some questions/notes that I will add/answer here:
**Is there a restaurant that can accomodate to all 5 wishes?**There is one. It's in another town. It's an American Style buffet with booths, no music, 99% of the food is just pizza, fries, BBQ, pasta's and a tiny salad bar that you can easily miss if you're not looking for it. They do child free nights every first monday of the month. I did not want to go to this restaurant, because I simply do not enjoy the food or atmosphere. Also, my birthday is on a Friday, but I planned dinner on Thursday because it's more convenient for everyone.
**Have I given my brother and Beth another option to celebrate?**No, and that is a great point. Something like not inviting them to dinner, but celebrating with them at their house with some drinks in a ''Beth safe'' environment. When I was on the phone with my brother that is exactly what I wanted to talk about. Sadly it could not get to that point of conversation.
How many people/who are invited?
List:
Parents
Fiancé
Younger sister (20)
2 childhood best friends (who grew up with us and lived with us)
**Will there be other neurodivergent people?**Yes, I have invited my 2 best friends, and my sister (20F) who are also on the spectrum. This is the list of their wishes (combined)
- Fries and fishfingers/nuggets on the menu (they have a kids menu with fish fingers, fries and other fried snacks that my friend likes)
- No metal cutlery (she will bring her own plastic cutlery from home)
To me, these are incredibly reasonable and easy to manage.
**What do my parents think about the situation?**They agree with me, but would like me to make peace with my brother. My dad has sent a message to him, asking if he could call me back to talk about it.
We live in a western european country where booths are not very common, especially in nicer places.
I would pay for the entire dinner
I also apologize if I hurt anyone's feelings with the words "weaponized illnesses". I am trying to describe someone who is using their illness as an illegetimate excuse instead of an explanation