Aspies and Activism

[JKG]

Have any of you been involved in activism to improve life for and education about the aspie/autie community? If so, what did you focus on and what was that experience like for you? Have you been an activist in other causes? Have you found a way of being an activist that works well for you?

Given that activism "NT-style" often involves massing in crowded rallies, organizing by phone, being socially connected, networking, and being smooth persuasive talkers with people in power to court and lobby them one way or another--all things many Aspies might not wish to do--how might Aspie activism look or operate differently if we wanted to join with others to create better awareness or social change?

 

[JKG]

I've been a long-time activist in the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) movement--almost by necessity. Started in the 1980s when the AIDS crisis became headline news and huge mean backlashes against gay people escalated. I'm still involved, as my current home state has no legislation protecting LGBT people from discrimination in housing, employment, or public accommodations. They are not included in hate crime legislation either. My style has been to march and attend rallies, and even speak before large crowds. But I need a ton of downtime afterwards to recoup. And I cannot do the phone stuff, or face-to-face lobbying. Rather, I write letters and emails. And, as a historian, I take photos and collect articles, to try to capture the movement in action for posterity. I greatly appreciate the NT people who can do the things that I can't.

Someone on another thread shared an insight that got me thinking in a new way: they said that places which are tolerant of gay people also seem to be places were Aspies tend to be treated better. I know that the LGBT movement has started many campaigns in schools to stop the bullying of people who are different. They teach kids how to become courageous allies of those who get targeted for bullying. This is true even in my very conservative home state. It got me thinking about how Aspies might join this cause--and in turn how LGBT people might be able to relate to and support Aspies. Perhaps this reveals my own dual-identity and wishfulness coming through...

 

[AsheSkyler]

For a few years, there was this group called Comic Creators for Freedom where us webcomic artists would draw one of our characters to be placed on a massive wallpaper. All proceeds from people donating for the wallpaper then went to one or two charities devoted to helping those who were victims of human trafficking.

I've done a few drawings for Transgender Day of Remembrance, including a goofy little strip where my lead character misunderstands "LGBT" to stand for "Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, and Guacamole sandwiches" and states that so long as the LGBT character doesn't give them a BLT with guacamole, they have no problem with each other.

Which I guess that's how I do anything related to activism. Draw or make comics. Light-hearted comics. I feel that my best bet is showing that people are just people. Staying tense and high strung just encourages anxiety, methinks.

 

[JKG]

For a few years, there was this group called Comic Creators for Freedom where us webcomic artists would draw one of our characters to be placed on a massive wallpaper. All proceeds from people donating for the wallpaper then went to one or two charities devoted to helping those who were victims of human trafficking.

I've done a few drawings for Transgender Day of Remembrance, including a goofy little strip where my lead character misunderstands "LGBT" to stand for "Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, and Guacamole sandwiches" and states that so long as the LGBT character doesn't give them a BLT with guacamole, they have no problem with each other.

Which I guess that's how I do anything related to activism. Draw or make comics. Light-hearted comics. I feel that my best bet is showing that people are just people. Staying tense and high strung just encourages anxiety, methinks.

That's great! Art has always played a critical role in social justice movements. During the Farmworkers movement in the U.S. in the late 60s, people painted murals and did theatre productions to help raise awareness and consciousness. And comics/satire can be especially powerful. I think of the profound effect Jon Stewart's The Daily Show has had with respect to getting people to think about economic and racial injustices--or the long-running power of the Bloomsbury comic strip. Thanks for sharing your gifts in that way.