Autism and LGBTQ+ Identities

Sharing midterm paper by student in my 1:54 Autism Class. 

Midterm Paper 

Psych 198

Tiffy Brailow

Autism and LGBTQ+ Identities Intersecting

Autism Spectrum Disorder intersects with a vast amount of other identities. One intersection that has interested me the most is being Autistic and identifying as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Many studies have suggested that the rate of identifying as LGBTQ+ and being Autistic is significantly higher than the rate in the general population. Specifically, “‘Most of the data that we’re seeing is that [the LGB rate] is two to three times higher,’ says clinical psychologist Eileen T. Crehan.” There is a large amount of information available on the LGBTQ+ Autistic community because of the high rates of these intersecting identities.

I found many similarities within the experiences of Autistic LGBTQ+ people. One similarity seems to be that people with both of these identities tend to know or find out that they are autistic before they figure out their sexuality. My interpretation of this is that this may be the case because people tend to prioritize their social interactions with others and the experiences of day to day life before they prioritize sexual attraction. Some LGBTQ+ Autistics explain that they were delayed in recognizing their sexuality because they had a hard time getting in touch with their own feelings and did not do much introspection in their younger years. Another similarity between multiple people’s experiences from this community that I found is that many feel that their Autistic identity and their LGBTQ+ identity go hand in hand. Justin, an Autistic gay man, explains this perspective: “The intersection between being queer and being autistic is that we don’t want to be altered. We don’t want to be cured of who we are. Our worth doesn’t derive
from seeming ‘normal.’” I think that this is quite a beautiful way of thinking about one’s identity
and I can most definitely see why this is a common perspective among Autistic LGBTQ+ people.
There seems to be multiple advantages of being Autistic and LGBTQ+. One advantage is that Autistic people say that their experience within the LGBTQ+ community has been a mostly positive one. Tom Moran, an autistic gay man, stated “Generally, autistic people and those with disabilities are really well received and accepted in LGBTQ+ spaces.” While there are definitely bad apples, like there are in any community, overall it seems that the LGBTQ+ community is generally accepting of those from all different walks of life. This is great that Autistic LGBTQ+ people have a positive and safe space within a community. Additionally, there are many support groups and resources for LGBTQ+ Autistic people. There is most definitely access for LGBTQ+ Autistic people to find support and people with similar experiences as them, which I am sure is a comforting feeling.

One aspect of being a part of the LGBTQ+ community while being Autistic is celebrating Pride. The Pride celebration is very overstimulating, loud, and overwhelming for some Autistic  Pride. The Pride celebration is very overstimulating, loud, and overwhelming for some Autistic people. While the LGBTQ+ community is generally accepting, it is important that they make sure there are comforting spaces in these celebrations for Autistic people. From personal experience I can say that while Pride does tend to be inclusive, there are some hiccups here and there. For example, my sister (who uses a walker for mobility assistance) was not able to get through all parts of our most recent Pride celebration because grass was a part of some of the trails within the exhibit. So while there is a general acceptance and love towards every different type of person within the LGBTQ+ community, there are some things that they could do better to be more inclusive.

There are most definitely some disadvantages to being Autistic and identifying as LGBTQ+. From experiences that I have read about, it seems that sometimes being Autistic and part of the LGBTQ+ community go hand in hand but other times, they do not. Generally speaking, people are more well-versed in how to be inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community than they are knowledgeable about how to be inclusive of the Autistic community. Tom Moran also spoke about this issue and stated “You feel accepted for one side of your identity, but the autistic part of your identity is perhaps less recognized or understood.” Another disadvantage is that people part of both of these communities have to deal with discrimination from having both identities. People are bigoted towards LGBTQ+ people but people are also bigoted towards Autistics. Having to face multiple forms of discrimination is a very hard experience. However,
some Autistics state that a good way to deal with this is by having pride in both of your
identities.

There are many things that people can do to assist the Autistic LGBTQ+ community. One of these things is by providing better sex education. A survey done by Eileen Crehan, an assistant professor of child study and human development, found that “autistic people want information about sexual orientation and gender identity more than typical people do.” Additionally, research has shown that LGBTQ+ youth have better mental health when they are provided with more inclusive sex education. Creating and providing sex education that is inclusive of LGBTQ+ would overall have a positive effect. Another thing that people can do to help the LGBTQ+Autistic community is by being an ally. Provide support for your friends or acquaintances that are LGBTQ+ and Autistic. Celebrate their identity. Get informed on the issues relevant to the community and try to help them feel a sense of belonging. Lastly, people can continue to further the research and information that is available about this group. Awareness of LGBTQ+ Autistic people is key to more people being more understanding.

Overall, being LGBTQ+ and Autistic has its advantages and disadvantages. This is a prevalent group that should be recognized and celebrated. It is important for LGBTQ+ Autistic people to have support and resources. As a society, there is much we can do to improve and assist the LGBTQ+ Autistic community. Hopefully, there will be much more acceptance of the LGBTQ+ Autistic community in the future as awareness grows.

Being Autistic as a Minority

 Sharing Art made by students in my 1:54 Autism Class

Image Credit: George Chukwueke

Takeaways from Class

 Student Takeaways from my 1:54 Autism Class (3/10)

• One takeaway from the Special Interests student lecture was that special interests, although people may spend a lot of time on them, can help people with autism process other social structures or processes that are usually difficult to understand for autistic people.
• There are lots of ways to combat stigma, especially by humanizing stigmatized groups.
• Education alone is not the answer to societal issues. I found the study where they educate students and it only moved them to further socially distance themselves. I find that interesting and I like the example because it reinforces the idea that human connection, building empathy, is really what is important.
• Special interests can be a really positive thing for autistic people to use to understand the world and benefit others for jobs/hobbies.
• loved the presentation on Autistic refugees and the presentation on Autistics and Special interests was so illuminating and fun!
• There can be many different things that affect autistic peoples lives (such as forceful displacement and special interests), and it’s important to consider these when talking about autism.
• One takeaway is that sometimes if school-aged children and young adults are educated on different mental illnesses, it causes them to social distance more from people with mental illnesses. This illustrates the need to educate in a humanizing way that is focused on sharing stories, rather than giving cold facts.

Research Awe I am in total Awe

LOL!!