There’s certain hobbies and interests that aren’t inherently conservative or regressive but do attract a lot of people who are those things or worse and when you’re a progressive person involved in those hobbies hearing that someone else is interested in your hobby usually has to involve some “But are you normal about it?” conversations before you get too excited
Someone: I think the Vikings are really cool. I like Viking metal and stuff like that.
Me: *threateningly holds up plastic fork* Answer me quickly. Do you have normal opinions about immigrants?
age of sail/napoleonics, allotment/food gardening, keeping chickens, golden age detective fiction, Celtic languages, Waldorf/steiner-montessori parenting - not even touching on permaculture; do not touch on permaculture - foraging and food preservation, the lord of the rings, horses -
Military history. Dear god, military history.
“so are you into historical costuming in the way where you do lots of primary source research and half your friends are queer, or the way where you get all your information from the 1970s Little House on the Prairie show and run a blog talking about your ten kids and Godly Helpmeet husband?”