Thread by @slooterman

I probably shouldn’t be pitching right now, but the fact that Greta Thunberg doesn’t put a ton of effort into smiling or putting other people at ease, and that people like that about her, makes me feel really validated as an #ActuallyAutistic woman.

I have somewhat flat affect. Or, as I like to call it, clinically-significant resting bitch face. A lot of autistic people do.

The thing is, when you’re an autistic woman (or someone generally interpreted as a woman), it’s a bigger problem.

We’re supposed to be pleasant.

I’ve been called in to HR at previous jobs because people thought I didn’t like them, or that I sounded condescending. That’s just how my face and voice are.

Some autistic men, particularly white men, get away with it. They sound like “experts,” not shrill harridans.

There’s a small amount of evidence that unemployment rates for autistic women are higher than they are for men. We’re less likely to get and maintain long term employment.

I think not seeming “nice” enough plays a huge role.

Greta Thunberg makes me feel like maybe I don’t need to apologize for how my face is. For how my voice sounds. Those are things some people like about Greta Thunberg.

Maybe they could like them about me too.

I’m not an expert on the environment. It’s not something I personally spend much time advocating or thinking about. I try to be a decent person and use canvas bags and recycle. I believe climate scientists about rising global temperatures. I feel bad for the polar bears.

Greta Thunberg means a lot to me because she is unapologetic and free in a way I couldn’t be when I was 16. Or when I was 26, for that matter.

“You get proud by practicing.” I’m still practicing at getting proud.

Greta Thunberg is proud.