Queerness and Autism

Welcome back everyone :)

For our first official blog post of the new year, we will be diving into the topic of queerness and autism! During this week's general body meeting, we discussed the article, "As a Queer Person With Autism, I'm Doubly Erased", by Kez Cochrane. It explores the intersection of being queer and having autism, shedding light on the unique challenges and erasure faced by individuals with both identities. Individuals who identify as queer and autistic make up a majority of the neurodivergent community, yet current media portrays harmful stereotypes of autistic and queer representation in films. This impacts marginalized communities because individuals that identify as autistic and queer are then erased twice: through neurotypical actors being cast in neurodivergent roles and through the pattern of casting straight cis actors in queer roles. Any representation is not enough, we need proper representation. Others must take the time to listen and understand the community's unique experiences to limit the spread of misinformation and unfortunate ignorance surrounding disability and queerness.

Notable Quotes:

"I feel like an outsider in the LGBTQ community, and lots of autistic people feel the same way"

"Queer people with autism are part of a huge neurodivergent community, and it’s about time that the misinformation and woeful ignorance around our disability changed"

"autistic people are the experts on autism, and they should be treated as the authority on the subject"

Discussion Questions:

1. Starting off generally, why is representation in media so important?

2. How does understanding the intersectionality of queerness and autism transform self-discovery and acceptance within different communities?

3. How can we increase awareness and acceptance in the college campus environment to ensure safety and inclusivity for queer autistic people?

Thank you for reading with us today. Please feel free to take some time to reflect and leave any questions or comments in the comment section. Check out our instragram page for the post version of our weekly blog posts and future updates. Don't forget to subscribe down below so that you don't miss out on upcoming posts!