Autistic Pride – #Resist

Autistic Pride – #Resist

Back when I was first diagnosed autistic, way back when I was in the first throws of understanding and accepting the reality of who I was I discovered a day known a Autistic Pride Day. I thought this was great. I’m not sure how well I understood it and I am sure I wasn’t really that able to articulate what I had to be proud about.

A typical response to pride festivities is why be proud just for being something. On the surface this seems to have some merit as a question. But I think to really answer it we must ask ourselves where does this pride emanate from? What are its roots? Without that it is somewhat hard to explain what it is to have Pride in your Autistic personhood.

Autistic Pride day sits right in the middle of LGBTIQ+ Pride month, consequently there is lots of Pride images and memes and posts all over the socials. One that is currently doing the rounds and is one explaining some of the roots of LGBTIQ+ pride. It goes something like this:

Pride exists because of a woman

Pride exists because of a trans woman

Pride exists because of a trans woman of colour

Pride exists because of a bisexual trans woman of colour

Pride exists because a bisexual trans woman of colour picked up a brick and threw it at a cop and a movement was born.

Pride then is born of resistance. Resisting the status quo that seeks to other, to sideline, to make less than.

Pride then is born when a marginalised group of people stand and say no more! We aren’t having that any longer! We are people just like you and we aren’t going to take this shit anymore.

All the parades, the flag waving the dancing in the street are the outpouring on the surface of what has come at a far deeper level; resistance.

This resistance in the LGBTIQ+ community has achieved much for equality: decriminalisation, marriage equality, emerging transgender rights, all of which are a part of a larger journey away from being othered by society, away from being considered less than by society and towards inclusion as just another part of the wonderful tapestry of diversity that makes up the human condition.

It would be easy to say but autistic people aren’t othered or seen as less than but nothing could possibly be further than the truth. Just look at the way autism is talked about in greater society.

A disorder

An epidemic

A vaccine injury

A child lost.

Just look at how we are spoken to and about by professionals and parents.

Never be able to look after themselves.

A non verbal stimming puddle

You don’t speak for my child

Don’t call yourself autistic you are a person with autism

So many othering statements are made about us and to us. So many decisions are made about us and for us without our input or consent.

Autistic Pride then comes too from resistance. It started when some autistic people started to say, no we aren’t having that. No we won’t put up with this any longer. No we are just as human as you and just as capable of self-determination as you are.

Autistic Pride comes from a place of resistance, no longer are we going to accept being othered. No longer are we going to accept being described as an epidemic, an injury a lost child. No longer are we going to accept being described and treated as though we are less than the rest of humanity.

Autistic Pride resists! Autistic Pride says no more othering. Autistic Pride says Nothing About Us Without Us. Autistic Pride says we are Different NOT Less.

So my autistic tribe, my neurodivergent siblings, be proud, embrace pride! Embrace yourself as the beautiful wonderful unique gift to humanity that you are.

On June 18 embrace yourself, pick up your infinity symbols of neurodiversity and grasp them with Pride and #resist. Resist those that would other you, resit those that would pathologise you, resist those that would prevent you from self-determination.

#Resist and get your #Autistic #Pride on!