Monday, June 18, 2012

Autistic Pride Day

So. Tomorrow is Autistic Pride Day. It's the day when those of us who want to shout ``I'm autistic, and it's FINE, thank you very much" can do so in a big group. It's probably a rather uncomfortable day for any autistic people/people with autism who wish they weren't autistic. (I'm guessing most of the folk who wish they weren't autistic prefer to be called people with autism, but I'm really not sure.)
Out here on the internet, I'm shouting Autistic Pride. People who read this blog are looking for something about autism. I can do that. In the non-internet life? I'm going to be pretty scared when I go to the chem lab and my robotics class wearing that neurodiversity T-shirt. To some extent, I'm wearing that shirt BECAUSE I'm scared to. See, if there were no embarrassment whatsoever to the fact that I'm autistic, I wouldn't be scared to wear a shirt that out and out said that I AM AUTISTIC. As is, I'm nervous with the neurodiversity one, which doesn't even state that the wearer is autistic. No matter what I might like to think, I'm not entirely happy about this autism thing. Sometimes, like when I don't understand the subtexts flying around me or when I can't handle the sensory input I'm getting, I'm pretty embarrassed about it. But if I'm going to be happy, I have to be comfortable in my own skin and in my own head. So I'll be wearing that shirt tomorrow, more because I'm scared to than in spite of the fear. (insert whatever adjective you feel most appropriate) Autistic Pride Day!

(Apparently it was actually today. Oops. Still wearing the shirt tomorrow.)

1 comment:

  1. I wandered/stumbled upon your blog while looking for information on Autism and being Trans (trans female with mild Autism here). I wasn't aware there was an Autism Pride day.

    Thank you. :)

    ReplyDelete

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