Sunday, July 9, 2023

Disability ‘Pride’ : Autism and sexual diversity

The Disability Pride Flag, as adopted in 2021. Against a muted gray background: straight diagonal stripes in muted colors that are, from left to right: red, yellow, white, blue, and green.
Disability Pride Flag (from Wikipedia)

Happy Disability Pride Month! As an autistic person, this annual occurrence is deeply relevant to me.

Along with commemorating passage in July 1990 of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Disability Pride Month also celebrates “people with disabilities, their identities and culture, and their contributions to society” (Wikipedia, “Disability Pride Month”).

In my opinion, it’s especially fortuitous that this month so closely follows LGBTQIA+ Pride Month in June, and it’s entirely appropriate that the word “Pride” is used for both month-long observances.

I’m interested in ways that autism intersects with other minority identities, including sexual diversity (orientation, gender expression, attitudes around social norms, and more).

At her professional website, Neurodivergent Insights, Dr. Megan Anna Neff has compiled statistics from several studies related to sexual diversity and autism. Depending upon the study, autists (people on the autism spectrum) are 3 to 9 times more likely to identify as LGBTQIA+.

Autists are more likely to identify as asexual and/or aromantic, and they are less likely to adopt typical social norms around gender and sexuality. They are more likely to be trans, gender non-conforming, and agender. They are more likely to be polyamorous.

Neff cautions that “It’s important to note the statistics vary quite a lot depending on the study.”

Learn more about Disability Pride Month:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disability_Pride_Month

Learn more about the intersection of autism and sexual diversity:
https://neurodivergentinsights.com/autism-infographics/autism-and-sexual-diversity

1 comment:

  1. Image description: The Disability Pride Flag, as adopted in 2021. Against a muted gray background: straight diagonal stripes in muted colors that are, from left to right: red, yellow, white, blue, and green.

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