sassy-autistic:

Tomorrow is April.

Dear fellow autistics,

I know it will be hard for you. Hearing all the hate, the anti-vaxxer bullshit, the raging ableism, the Autism Moms annoucing to the world how their child is a pain in the ass simply for not being neurotypical.

It will be hard for all of us. Every April, when the White House and Empire State and Big Ben light it up blue, we suffer. When we see our favourite celebrities and organizations voicing their support for Autism Speaks, we suffer. When we hear the President saying how a cure for autism is needed, we suffer. And no-one ever hears us.

That’s not entirely true. In the UK where I live, the National Autistic Society has more influence in April than Autism Speaks. Half the members of their board are autistic. They are anti-cure. They don’t light it up blue, they light it up gold.

In America, ASAN is gaining support, though it’s sadly not nearly as significant as Autism Speaks. They have a long way to go. But eventually people will hear us.

It may take 10 years, 20, 30. But we will be heard. We will be accepted.

But that won’t happen if we passively sit around waiting for acceptance to magically come. We need to act and we need to act now. On Monday, Autism Awareness Day, we must make the world aware of the evils of Autism Speaks and how they oppress the people they claim to advocate for.

Spread leaflets (like @butterflyinthewell is doing). Tell your friends/family if possible. Go outside with a sign. Inform your school or workplace. Do something.

If you’re low on spoons or for any other reason can’t do any of that, post things online. Online activism is still valid activism.

I will post my Autism Acceptance version of Do You Hear The People Sing and sing it in front of my parents (who are ableist assholes). That’s me doing my bit. What will you do to help the Autistic Revolution?

Come on guys, we need April 2nd to be the day we are heard. We need to show them we have a voice (that’s not meant to be ableist, sign language or AAC is still a voice) and we’re not afraid to use it.

We need to stand up to the organizations that bully us into silence! Don’t let them light it up blue! Go #RedInstead!

Rise for the Autistic Revolution!

@contemporarysnowflake @autisticrevolution @neurodivergentrebel @butterflyinthewell @autasticanna @neurodivergent-crow