My feelings around Autistic Pride Day are complicated af, mainly because it takes place during Pride month and yet isn't focused on LGBTQIA+ autistics folks, and I've seen the creator aggressively refuse to listen to LGBTQIA+ autistics about the issue.
Also, the assumption that autistic spaces are inherently safe for LGBTQIA+ people is false. Yes, there are a large number of LGBTQIA+ autistics, but the autistic narrative is still driven by white cis het men. The queer and transphobia I've seen from within the community is wild.
I only really got involved in these conversations last year, but I know others have been having them for years, and they have been stressful and harmful to many LGBTQIA+ autistics.
Just feels weird seeing cis het autistics centring themselves during Pride month.
Just feels weird seeing cis het autistics centring themselves during Pride month.
My personal feeling, after thinking about it a LOT, is that we should have LGBTQIA+ Autistic Pride Day during Pride, because we are a unique subsection of the LGBTQIA+ community and deserve celebrating, and then have Autistic Pride Day for ALL autistics NOT during Pride month.
And before anyone says anything - yes, I know that the LGBTQIA+ community does not have unique ownership of the concept of Pride. It originates from the Black community. I'm all for Autistic Pride! Just in one of the other eleven months of the year.
Anyone who thinks the autistic community doesn't have a serious problem with queer/transphobia need only look at the response Lilo got for tweeting about this exact issue yesterday...oh wait, you can't, they had to delete their tweets because the response was so disgustingly bad.
Addition: I've since spoken to people involved in discussions last year and before, and it turns out that LGBTQIA+ autistic were being jumped on just for assuming that APD was LGBTQIA+ related (June, rainbows, Pride, what do you expect). Ugh. Mess. All of it.
Additional Addition: this tweet thread is NOT about saying that people shouldn't celebrate APD as it stands now if they want to. Do what you want.
But please allow for a conversation around all the issues it raises (preferably without being queer/transphobic in the process).
But please allow for a conversation around all the issues it raises (preferably without being queer/transphobic in the process).
