LGBT+ hitching their cause to autism and neurodiversity

[PostingForTheFirstTime]

Sorry, I don't know how to provide a token.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lgbt-and-autism-project-postponed-after-ad-included-10-year-olds-hv68kkwgz

"The youth consultation project — called “Exploring Intersectionality” — was organised by Galway Autism Partnership and a volunteer group called Amach! LGBT Galway. It was funded under the LGBTI+ capacity building initiative by Tusla and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.

The project documentation said it was aimed at promoting awareness within family support services of the issues faced by young people aged 10-24 who were autistic or neurodivergent and gay or trans."

The Times is reporting on it because the promotional literature advertised an age range 10 - 24, when the Galway Autism Partnership agreed to 16 - 24. It is being spun as a genuine mistake.

I rebel by always writing LGB and TQ+ because about a decade ago Stonewall forcibly teamed their existing LGB interest with T. The same is happening to intersex and neurologically diverse people now. Don't accept it. Don't use the terms they are trying to force us to accept.

More forced teaming. Having said that several autism organisations have firmly attached themselves to identity politics to the extent of autism itself being an identity - the next step from self-diagnosis and 'de-medicalisation'. Very similar to the change from transsexuals who had and accepted they had a recognised medical condition to transgenderism.

The 'hitching' is going the other way too. 'Autism Pride' has been about for several years too. It was about being autistic, not autistic and lgbt+ though the 'pride' confused that and a lot of people seem to think it means both.

Tania Marshall M.Sc (Psych.) Clin. Psychotherapist covers the issue of hitching GD to autism ...

"There remain serious ethical and moral safeguarding issues in relation to transgendering Autistic and Aspergic girls and teens. Some of them briefly outlined below:"
taniaannmarshall.wordpress.com/2013/03/22/moving-towards-a-female-profile-the-unique-characteristics-abilities-and-talents-of-young-girls-with-asperger-syndrome/

Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine SEGM "In recent years, there has been a sharp increase in referrals of adolescent females to gender clinics. Many do not have a significant history of childhood gender dysphoria and a number suffer from comorbid mental health issues and neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)."
segm.org/

@Shedbuilder

I rebel by always writing LGB and TQ+ because about a decade ago Stonewall forcibly teamed their existing LGB interest with T. The same is happening to intersex and neurologically diverse people now. Don't accept it. Don't use the terms they are trying to force us to accept.

Me too. I’m retro - LGB all the way.

Some medical literature in Gender Dysphoria Resource for Providers: 3rd Edition, mentioning Autism, From the desk of William J. Malone, MD:

1. Steensma, Thomas D., et al. “Gender Identity Development in Adolescence.” Hormones and Behavior, vol. 64, no. 2, 2013, pp. 288–297.

Etiology: The currently understood causes of gender dysphoria include: 1) autogynephilia (a heterosexual male who is sexually aroused at the thought of himself as a woman), 2) internalized homophobia, or a rejection of one’s homosexuality (for example a preference to live life as a “trans woman” attracted to men, vs living as a gay man), 3) concrete thinking processes that characterize autism spectrum conditions (“I don’t like “girl” things therefore I must be a boy”), 4) sexual trauma (a protective mechanism to avoid repeat sexual trauma), 5) conflation of sex and gender (due to the stress of simply not fitting into societal expectations of gender roles).

2. Clarke, Anna Churcher, and Anastassis Spiliadis. “‘Taking the Lid off the Box’: The Value of Extended Clinical Assessment for Adolescents Presenting with Gender Identity Difficulties.” Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, vol. 24, no. 2, 2019, pp. 33

Common themes: prior to GD onset patients had “experienced teasing/bulling, exclusion, isolation, difficulty in social communication, distress in relation to awareness of a developing sexed body.”

The majority “had an existing diagnosis of an autism spectrum condition (ASC) or would be likely to obtain one.”

gdworkinggroup.org/2020/02/06/gender-dysphoria-resource-for-providers-2/

I have an autistic daughter who very much sees autism as her identity, this isn't encouraged by us or discouraged. It is preferable to her brother who is also autistic who hates the fact so much he treats it as a dirty word.

The teaming of trans issues with autism is deeply disturbing. Because of her autism my daughter has sensory issues and social issues that mean that she doesn't present with the typical gender stereotypes of girls either in her looks or in her interests. However happily for now although she buys into the TWAW message and hates JKR etc she has not attempted to say that she is not a girl. She is so vulnerable as a result of this co-teaming though. It does really worry me.

I also think that it can be very convenient for CAMHS to refer to gender services for anxiety and depression where an autistic child is not gender conforming & struggles as a result.

[quote FindTheTruth]Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine SEGM "In recent years, there has been a sharp increase in referrals of adolescent females to gender clinics. Many do not have a significant history of childhood gender dysphoria and a number suffer from comorbid mental health issues and neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)."
segm.org/[/quote]
It's genius isn't it. This forced teaming effectively means that kids who identify as trans and have trans are to be celebrated unquestioningly, rather than an exploration of whether their identity is related to their autism.

There is an element to this that is about securing funding, for sure. The leaders of these groups are essentially business people making strategic decisions to capture market share.

I don't believe for a split second that 10 was a mistake. Stonewall and all the other adult lobby groups are desperate to get into primary schools - the CEO of Stonewall brazenly admits that targeting primary children was her next big aim.
Numerous parents of primary children are reporting their children coming out as gay, bisexual, trans etc. All because too many schools are failing to safeguard children from dubious adults promoting their age inappropriate beliefs about sexual identity to little children in schools. Children need the space and time to develop as brothers and sisters, friends, family members, learners, to sing, play sport, have hobbies, become part of their communities. Not spend their time obsessing about sexual identity and whether they fancy their peers at the age of 7.

I have an autistic daughter who very much sees autism as her identity, this isn't encouraged by us or discouraged

My point is it is being pushed as something you identify as, not diagnosed with. Identifying as autistic is now 'valid' and not to be questioned.

Why does your son dislike 'autistic'? Is it because he feels it makes his life more difficult and doesn't buy into the superpower nonsense? If so, then why should he not feel that way? Or is it because he feels the autistic community does not reflect him or speak for him and doesn't want to be associated with it? If so then tgat us also legitimate.

How interesting. I have literally posted about 10 seconds ago, but the post is already hidden and being looked at...

I mean, what I wrote didn't even go up, it defaulted to going straight to hidden.

Did I use some trigger words?

I'll try again. Given Tusla's attempt to suppress the free Irish press in relation to a certain controversial and distressing case, involving a highly dangerous individual, they are not a body whose judgment I would trust. I would be extremely worried about their meddling in the lives of autistic children.

I am not happy about the teaming of autism + T.

Data shows that Autistic children and teens are vulnerable to adults peddling queer theory, so perhaps Autism could be considered as a new protected characteristic in law?

Titbum I really wish my son was happier in himself but he isn't. He has major mental health issues. He blames being autistic for those issues.

Autistic people, at least the ones i know, are not happy with people adopting autism as an identity without diagnosis. It is not being a bit quirky. Everyone is not a little bit autistic.

The main point of my first post was to say as a parent I think this teaming of trans issues with autism puts already vulnerable young people at risk and I think that some professionals are encouraging it because it passes the buck to someone else and reduces waiting lists. It's appalling.

The other point is that 'identifying' as autistic is becoming a thing. My daughter is 12 and looks at youtubers etc. She has opinions on people like Sia using a non autistic person in an acting role. She knows words like neurotypical because she's heard youtubers talking about these things.

Autistic people who often really struggle socially are vulnerable to embrace being part of a community. Girls who do not like the clothes that girls typically wear because they are uncomfortable or make up because it doesn't feel right are vulnerable to being led to believe that they are part of another community. My daughter is not in school due to her complex needs. The only thing that is good about that is that she is not being told or made to feel that she is something other than a girl by her peers.

@Shedbuilder

I rebel by always writing LGB and TQ+ because about a decade ago Stonewall forcibly teamed their existing LGB interest with T. The same is happening to intersex and neurologically diverse people now. Don't accept it. Don't use the terms they are trying to force us to accept.

This. LGBTQ++ etc has fuck all to do with lesbians, gays & bisexuals.

Autism is not an "identity" you can just put on, it is a disability, although not everyone finds it as disabling as others if in the right environment. One has to have significant difficulties in the neurotypical world to be diagnosed. Not everyone is happy to call themselves disabled. (Me) There is so much subtext with that.

I hate that autistic people are being preyed on and are being exploited by the radical elements of the trans movement. Just so many vulnerable children and adults.