Today (2 April) marks Autism Acceptance Day – a celebration of the more than 1% of the human population who live with autism.
Originally known as ‘World Autism Awareness Day’, the autistic community has reclaimed the event (and its name) to focus on acceptance rather than simple ‘awareness’. Why is it of particularly relevance to the LGBTQ+ community? Because there is a notable but little-understood correlation between being autistic and being LGBTQ+.
The largest study committed to the topic of autism and gender identity shows that “[eople who do not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth are three to six times as likely to be autistic.” There have been many other studies published in the last 10 years that show that the rate of LGB people among the autistic community is two to three times higher compared with the general population.
Unfortunately, society and even the LGBTQ+ community itself still struggles to accept and understand autistic LGBTQ+ people. I know, as a trans autistic person with 10 years of experience in both disability and LGBTQ+ activism, that we could and should do a lot of things better.
Struggles of trans-autistic community
Despite the number of autistic trans adults and kids, the media – including LGBTQ+ media – often don’t represent autistic trans people, instead treating us as some sort of special story. As a journalist, I can say first-hand that it’s quite difficult to publish something where you may describe yourself as both autistic and queer without this intersection becoming the story, or editors turning it into sensationalism.
Meanwhile, influential figures like Elon Musk and JK Rowling have used autism (or the assumption that this person is autistic) to undermine their gender identity. The dangerous assertion that ‘autistic people often confuse their gender and shouldn’t be trusted with making their own decisions’ has created situations where GPs have refuse to provide hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for autistic trans people and the relatives of autistic adults taking legal action to prevent those adults from accessing gender-affirming surgery.
This is a problem LGBTQ+ activists should talk about more.
LGBTQ+ services and lack of inclusion
We also need more inclusive LGBTQ+ services that help improve accessibility for autistic people. It’s not just about transgender autistic people like me – lesbian, gay and bisexual autistic folks need to be treated equally as well.
To access support from LGBTQ+ groups, you often need to do a lot of talking, engage in small talk, follow non-direct hidden rules and spend time in a noisy environment – all of which can be extremely exhausting or nigh-on impossible for autistic people.
LGBTQ+-friendly talking therapists often fail to understand that autistic people show emotion differently or often don’t understand the emotions of non-autistic people well. Solicitors in LGBTQ+ services often insist on calling rather than communicating in writing, despite the fact many autistic people struggle with making phone calls and verbal communication.
Even something as simple as Pride events not beginning on time or a lack of warning about possible plan changes can be overwhelming for autistic people. This is why many autistic people distance themselves from the community and don’t access support. Ultimately, the things that make services more inclusive for autistic people can benefit everyone.
Why autistic inclusion good for everyone
I remember when I was volunteering for the Russian LGBT Network, the biggest Russian LGBT umbrella organisation in those days. I was advising the leadership on disability inclusion, and one of the issues was creating communication badges – it is quite simple; you just need green, yellow and red paper and a badge holder.
This badge is needed to help people in communication: a red badge indicates someone is not willing to speak with anyone during an event, a green one indicates they want to chat or be asked but don’t know how to start conversations, and a yellow one indicates a person is happy to speak only if it’s needed or only with a person they know. Your mood and well-being may change during an event, so it is important for you to have all three badges available, just in case. Easy, right? I even heard a conversation among wo non-autistic gay men, who had come from a smaller city and who found badges very helpful. Apparently, non-autistic folks who are shy or struggling with social anxiety can also benefit from using these badges.
This is just one of the many examples of how by accepting autistic people, you can help make your community more inclusive and welcoming for everyone. Running events on time and being clear about plan changes may help LGBTQ+ parents with small children and people who have a tough work schedule, while openness to the way different people show their emotions may help work with LGBTQ+ refugees from different cultural backgrounds. The list of benefits is endless
Accepting LGBTQ+ autistic people in the community is not just a question of fairness, nor is it just about serving the core principles of the LGBTQ movement. In the long run, it makes life easier for everyone.
So, please, spend this Autistic Acceptance Day and Autistic Acceptance Month listening to the autistic people around you, and remember that autistic people are the experts when it comes to their own experience. We all deserve better.
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