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Why doesn't autistic identity follow the same format as LGBT identity? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 4 weeks ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

9 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Today's conventional wisdom is that both are spectrums. That means one person's experience with autism isn't another person's experience with autism, and one person's experience as a member of the LGBT can differ from another's.

However, that's what the whole point of the letters in the LGBT is. You could be a lesbian, asexual, aromantic, a lesbian who is aromantic, an asexual who is trans, and so on. Someone I know (who inspired me to ask this) has said they began to question why this isn't done regarding people with autism due to constantly seeing multiple people fight over things people do due to their autism because the people in the conflict don't understand each others' experiences but continue to use the label "autism".

One side would say "sorry, it's an autism habit."

"I have autism too, but you don't see me doing that."

"Maybe your autism isn't my autism."

"No, you're just using it as a crutch."

My friend responded to this by making a prototype for an autism equivalent to the LGBT system and says they no longer encourage the "umbrella term" in places like their servers because it has become a constant point of contention, with them maintaining their system is better even if it's currently faulty in some way.

But what's being asked is, why isn't this how it's done mainstream? Is there some kind of benefit to using the umbrella term "autism" that makes it superior/preferred to deconstructing it? Or has society just not thought too much about it?

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

LGBT+ are the values of a nominal variable sexuality. (maybe not the T tho). Ls are almost only going to sex with other women. If they go both ways, then they're B, not L. If they go all ways, then they're P(ansexual). So it seems like less of a spectrum, and more of a single variable. I may be wrong since Im not up on the latest in sexual identities.

While autism is a variable (levels 1-3), it's ordered, not nominal. The autism spectrum is made up of many variables that are also continuous, not discreet. And they are positively correlated. If one variable is high, it's likely others would be too. So, you can't say someone is a kind of autism anymore than levels 1-3. Beyond that, the spectrum varies way to much to typify.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 weeks ago

The LGBTQ mixes up several things. Sexuality and romantic attraction with gender identity. And we've also added skin color to the pride flag (because people of color also have special issues within the community.) So it's more a mix of several variables, spectrums and things that are part of being human. I think the common denomitor is that it has to do something with being marginalized and discriminated against. But it's not about one single concept.