Understanding Gaslighting, Lovebombing, and Other Manipulative Tactics

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Luz Media

These days, everything has a label. Buzzwords like "gaslighting" or "lovebombing" might have come across your social media feed or been mentioned in your favorite podcast. As jargon-y as they might sound, these terms are essential to have but also to understand. By putting a name to these behaviors, we begin to demystify them, allowing for open discussions, recognition, and crucially, a means to call them out or in.



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Growing up Latina, we often grow up in the shadows of certain behaviors, deeply ingrained and normalized due to the constant influence of machismo in our culture. These practices, inherited from generation to generation or sometimes even demonstrated within our own family dynamics, can begin to chip away at our mental wellbeing, often without us being consciously aware of their impact.

Have you ever felt uncomfortable after having a big fight with your partner, only for them to show up later with an over-the-top bouquet of roses? (Bonus points if it happens in a public place, that way, you won’t turn them down.) Or felt sad and betrayed after having a date you thought was successful, only to find your date has seemingly vanished from the face of the earth, never to be seen or heard from again?

In our increasingly individualistic society, emotional responsibility is often overlooked, but we’re slowly making our way toward bringing more and more awareness to it. And a crucial step in this journey is calling out harmful practices that belittle emotions and are potentially manipulative. Let's have a closer look:

Gaslighting

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Picture this: You find yourself in a situation where you point out something your partner did or said, only for them to vehemently deny it ever happened, despite your unmistakable memory of the event. Alternatively, if they acknowledge an event occurred, they might belittle your emotions by saying things like, "You're too sensitive," or shift the blame to you, saying that it’s you who misunderstood or misinterpreted the situation.

This psychological manipulation technique is now commonly referred to as gaslighting. It involves the perpetrator making you question your own sanity, experiences, and perception of reality. It’s a tactic often employed in abusive relationships to sow confusion, undermine your feelings and experiences, shift blame, and establish control over you.

To be clear, if this happens to you, you are not “crazy” as they often allege and make you feel. Once you identify you are dealing with a gaslighter, it’s best to try to keep your distance and establish healthy boundaries, or if possible, just cut the person off completely because a gaslighter rarely tends to take responsibility for their actions and the impact of those actions on those around them.

Lovebombing

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Have you ever found yourself in a sudden downpour of affection that felt overwhelming, too coincidental, or almost too good to be true? If so, you might have experienced lovebombing. Lovebombing is a technique in which someone showers you with an excessive amount of love and attention, either to compensate for their abusive behavior, to manipulate you into feeling guilty for receiving such affection and subsequently compelled to reciprocate it, or to prime you for a cycle of giving and withholding which they then use to emotionally manipulate you further.

The ultimate aim is to make you feel deeply indebted and dependent on them, to the point where you cannot imagine life without their presence. This tactic is often accompanied by periods of withholding or "ghosting" you, and, in some cases, even periods of abuse. All these elements are deliberately designed to keep you in a state of confusion, with your adrenaline constantly running, which can lead to an unhealthy emotional attachment.

Ghosting

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Ghosting is the art of disappearing without a trace, cutting off all communication without any prior indication. It's a phenomenon that, while initially tied to dating, has spread to friendships and even professional connections. While it may seem like an easy escape for the ghoster, who is someone who potentially lacks emotional responsibility or maturity, it often leaves the ghosted feeling disoriented and hurt.

Benching

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In dating lingo, benching refers to someone keeping you in their life but not fully committing, much like a sports player kept on the bench during a game. This can also lead you to get stuck in the dreaded “situationship.” It can feel like they're playing with your emotions, engaging with you just enough to keep your interest piqued, while they explore other options or hesitate to take things to the next level, meanwhile, you’re holding on, thinking that someday they will fully commit.

The person doing the benching may have an underlying fear of commitment, enjoying the attention but hesitant to fully invest emotionally. Some people simply thrive on the thrill of the chase and lose interest once they feel they've won the other person's attention. But always remember, relationships should be built on mutual respect and genuine interest, not on uncertainty and doubt.

Haunting

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Imagine this: The person who ghosted you suddenly starts appearing in your social media notifications. They don't make direct contact, but their sudden presence, liking an Instagram post here, reacting to a story there, makes them hard to ignore. Or your ex, the one who must not be named, who only resurfaces twice a year - once to wish you Merry Christmas and then once more to ask you to pass along birthday wishes to your mother on his behalf.

This behavior is commonly referred to as haunting, a low-effort attempt to reconnect that can evoke old feelings and create confusion. It’s similar to Zombieing, where they resurface from the dead, only in this case, they aren’t even putting in as much effort as a zombie which really says a whole lot.

Haunting's intermittent and unpredictable nature leads to an emotional rollercoaster, causing anxiety and unsettled feelings. It fosters false hope for reconciliation, only to disappoint when genuine efforts to rebuild the relationship don't materialize. This emotional tether to the past hinders moving on and finding closure. This is where leaving the dead permanently blocked really comes in handy.

Stealthing

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Photo by cottonbro studio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-pulling-a-condom-out-of-a-pocket-6474007/

While stealthing is often mentioned alongside all these other dating terms, it’s important to mention it goes far beyond simple dating jargon and is, in fact, dangerous and physically abusive. Stealthing involves the non-consensual act of removing or tampering with a condom during sexual activity without the knowledge or agreement of the other person. Originally associated with cisgender men's actions during penetrative sex, the term now includes the non-consensual removal of any barrier during any sexual activity.

Stealthing profoundly damages relationships, shattering trust and consent. It leads to feelings of violation, shame, and powerlessness, with lasting emotional trauma. The risk of STIs and unintended pregnancies adds further strain.

Stealthing is not a slip-up or a minor inconvenience; it is a form of sexual assault that violates a person's boundaries, trust, and consent, and at least one state, California, has made it illegal to do it.

Emotional manipulation is ever-present and ever-evolving. Therefore, giving a name to these sneaky tactics, no matter how they sound, is always essential. Being able to identify when someone is behaving in a way that is manipulative and/or emotionally abusive is the first step in being able to then respond in a way that protects your well-being and mental health.

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Originally published in Common Dreams. Reprinted with permission.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

In November, abortion rights measures will appear on ballots across ten states, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and New York, where Latinos make up a significant portion of the electorate. For decades, pundits and politicians have recycled long-held misconceptions about Latino voters and abortion access, citing our conservative and religious beliefs.

Anti-abortion extremists have long fueled these misconceptions through misinformation and disinformation campaigns targeting Latino communities with egregious lies and inflammatory rhetoric about abortion. Yet, polling, focus groups, and direct interactions with Latino communities have debunked these outdated tropes.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

For Latinos, the freedom to decide, a pillar of our American democracy, is critical. Meanwhile, Latinos are being hit directly with anti-abortion efforts that take away that freedom such as the six-week abortion ban put into effect by the Florida Supreme Court and the 1864 abortion ban upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court. In the wake of the Dobbs decision, people of color and Latinas have felt the impact of a lack of abortion access, an element of basic healthcare.

A 2023 report by the National Partnership for Women and Families estimated that nearly 6.5 million Latinas, or 42% of all Latinas of reproductive age in the country, live in a state that either had or was likely to ban abortion. Ironically, it will be abortion access and anti-choice efforts to restrict freedom of choice that will mobilize Latino voters this election.

In a poll conducted by three national reproductive justice organizations, 87% of Latinas named abortion and women’s rights as one of their top priorities as they head to the polls. Another battleground poll conducted by Somos PAC and BSP Research found that 61% of Latino registered voters expressed a more positive/favorable view of Kamala Harris after hearing that she will protect abortion rights, versus only 19% of Latinos who said they had a more negative view of Harris after hearing that.

In key states to secure the White House and both chambers, Latinos make up large chunks of the electorate: Arizona (25%), Colorado (15%), Florida (20%), Nevada (20%), and New York (12%). In the face of unprecedented attacks on basic healthcare access and targeted attempts by extremists to mislead and divide our community on this issue, this November Latinos will be key deciders on abortion access across the country.

Mari Urbina, Managing Director of Indivisible, Battleground Arizona Lead and former Harry Reid advisor.

Héctor Sánchez Barba is president and CEO of Mi Familia Vota (MFV).

This Viral Video Game Is Changing the Face of Voter Outreach

In 2024, voting campaigns have evolved greatly, to say the least. Creativity is now the name of the game and tongue-in-cheek humor is expertly leveraged to drive action. One example of that is Bop the Bigot, a revival of a viral game created in 2016 by Bazta Arpaio, an Arizona activist group, as part of a campaign to unseat Maricopa County’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio lost his re-election to Paul Penzone that year.

The game has now been updated for the current election cycle and relaunched by On Point Studios, with new features added to enable players to find out what’s on their ballot, confirm voter status, and register to vote.

Much like its former 2016 version, the game allows users to take out their political frustrations by virtually “bopping” GOP candidates in the head. It’s very similar to whack-a-mole, except the mole is replaced by former President Donald Trump, Ohio’s Senator J. D. Vance, and Kevin Roberts, President of the Heritage Foundation, which is spearheading Project 2025.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

B. Loewe, Director of On Point Studios, came up with the concept for this game when working as the Communications Director at Bazta Arpaio in 2016, and is the executive producer of this revamped version. In the first version of the game, Bop the Bigot players used a chancla (flip flop) to “bop” the characters, tapping into Latino culture by leaning on the childhood experience of being set right by a flying chancla from a fed-up mother or grandmother.

This year, the chancla is replaced by a more current element, a green coconut, referencing Kamala Harris’ coconut tree meme. There are also side characters like “the couch,” cat ladies, and more coconuts. All references to jokes about Vice-Presidential candidate Vance, or insults Vance has made about women on the campaign trail.

Another new addition is that Harris’ laugh is immortalized as the game-over sound effect, an unexpected detail that adds even more humor and levity to the game.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump, Kevin Roberts, and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

Bop the Bigot, which is playable on desktop and mobile, is intended not just as a way to vent political frustrations, but also as a tool for activism and securing voter engagement.

For example, the game supports the work of Mexican Neidi Dominguez Zamorano, Founding Executive Director of the non-profit organization Organized Power in Numbers by using the “game over” screen to prompt players to donate to it and support their efforts.

Organized Power in Numbers is focused on empowering workers in the South and Southwest of the U.S. through collective action and comprehensive campaigns. Their mission is to create a large-scale movement that challenges the status quo and advocates for workers' rights, and racial and economic justice.

Currently, Dominguez Zamorano is leading worker outreach to 2 million working-class voters in the South and Southwest through doorknocking, texting, and calls with the help of local groups in North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, and more.

“We have been blown away by the enthusiastic reception for the video game. We knew we wanted to be part of its creative approach because our movement needs more fun and laughter. We need more ways to connect with nuestra gente so we can feel joy among all the absurdity we witness every day,” Dominguez Zamorano shared with Luz Media via email.

“Our people are gente trabajadora and we deserve to feel uplifted even in our toughest moments. We are deeply involved in the South and Southwest so we know what’s at stake in this election and we’re happy this can be a resource to mobilize, raise spirits, and get out the vote," she concluded.

Dominguez Zamorano is a committed activist for immigrants and workers' rights, known for her strategist skills and expertise. She played a key role in the campaign to win DACA and has also held roles in major campaigns, including as Deputy National States Director for Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. In addition to her work with Organized Power in Numbers, Dominguez Zamorano is serving as a Senior Advisor to Mijente’s Fuera Trump Initiative.

Grassroots efforts like these have taken on new life in 2024, with Bop the Bigot adding to the larger, ongoing fight against political apathy and disinformation. Just as it did during the 2016 race, the video game uses humor to soften the serious task at hand—getting people to the polls.

"We want the game to be a fun and comical outlet for anyone who’s been insulted, frustrated, or harmed by Trump in the past and everyone who is ready to move forward as a country after election day," explained Loewe in a press release. "The proposals in Project 2025 and the beliefs of Trump and Vance aren’t just weird, they’re truly harmful. We wanted to give people a humorous and peaceful way to smack down their racism and sexism. We hope it makes people laugh and also feel empowered and motivated to get to the polls on or before election day."

With a mix of satire, sharp political critique, and nostalgia, the game is a call to action. The upcoming election, which is getting closer by the minute, has sparked fierce activism and creative yet grounded initiatives like these aim to ensure voters are engaged, especially young Latinos and disenfranchised groups.