Back on my soapbox, and a chant from the Stonewall days

[idiotgrrl]

Earlier this morning I posted a rant as a comment to someone else's post. The rant was about the intolerance of the normal population being responsible for a lot of our problems, and I made a muddled reference to the plight of the Native Americans. Thinking it over while cooking breakfast, I realize our case and the solution of it is not parallel

Comments

[codeman38]

I just watched Milk about a month ago, and I made much of the same observations. There are really a lot of parallels between the autistic-rights and gay-rights movements.

[cynonymous]

I'll second your point to say that, in some countries, because of the religious influence, homosexuality is a crime punishable by death. Autistic persons, since we're not specifically cited as "unclean" in any holy books, at least don't have to worry about that. On the other hand, Hitler tried to exterminate both, and prenatal monitoring are targeting the autistic for pre-emptive death, if you will.

[guardians_song]

"Secondly, I've never heard of someone being killed just for being autistic."
What about by their parents?

[kisekileia]

Aside from the problems inherent to likening forms of oppression to each other, I really disagree with the idea that autism is just a difference rather than a disorder. I know that's an unpopular view in this community, but I believe that considering my autism and ADHD to be differences rather than disorders trivializes how disabling aspects of them (mainly my problems with executive functioning) are for me. I also think it neglects the reality of how much more enjoyable life generally is when one has friends, and how autism would make it harder for us to make friends even if society were friendlier to us.

[hollowman]

I think there are pretty substantial differences between being homosexual and having aspergers - homosexuality is a single attribute and reactions to it are largely rooted in learned or political responses. Asperger's is more personal in a sense - not that it is more personal for the person with the attribute

[cluelessinchi]

i agree. At one point homosexuality was considered a disease that was curable. They also blamed the mothers. Basically I am seeing the correlation (sp?) between the two.

The Deaf culture has done the same. Fighting the stigmatization of being Deaf.