can i have autigender positivity please
Lee says:
I’m Autistic as well, although I personally identify as genderqueer and not Autigender.
Some Autistic people identify as Autigender because they feel that their autism created how they relate to their gender identity or that the two are intertwined enough that you can’t separate them.
There is even a link between gender dysphoria and autism, although the research isn’t totally solid yet. I read in the WPATH-SOC that people on the spectrum are actually more likely to be trans or gender non conforming: “The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders seems to be higher in clinically referred, gender dysphoric children than in the general population (de Vries, Noens, Cohen-Kettenis, van Berckelaer-Onnes, & Doreleijers, 2010).”
I think it’s because a large part of gender identity and gender roles are socially constructed and we have issues picking up social cues, so we might not always notice the way others are performing their gender and then we don’t internalize it to apply it to ourselves, but that’s just my personal theory as an Autistic person myself.
I think there’s also an overlap where a lot of Autistic people also have alexithymia, and if you have a hard time describing your feelings in general, it can also be difficult to recognize and describe your gender feelings.
Anyhow, identifying as Autigender is valid but we’re really more of an information/advice blog than a positivity blog- the Other trans resource blogs page lists some positivity blogs that you could send an ask to if you’re looking for traditional positivity posts, and we have a Self-validation link if you’re looking for validation.