To Temple Grandin, an Open Letter

To Temple Grandin,

You need to stop now. Stop talking about autism, about autistic people. Stop pretending to know about people whom you don't even interact with, whom you have shown nothing but disdain for.

When you started going to autism conferences and doing the talks, it was a big thing. I'll give you that. You were part of the beginning of autistic voices demanding to be heard, to be taken seriously by professionals and researchers and parents. It feels good to be making a difference, doesn't it?

But you're no longer making a difference; now you're harming people with what you're saying. So you need to stop.

What have you said? You've said that autistic people need to "get [our] butts out of the house and get a job." You've only deigned to pay attention to "high functioning" people who not only have jobs, but "careers." This ignores the fact that for many autistic people, there are systematic and environmental barriers in place that prevents us from getting jobs, never mind leaving the house. This ignores the fact that even if autistic people had the training and skills to look for work, the economies in many countries make it increasingly difficult for disabled people of many types to look and gain employment. This ignores the huge amount of depression and PTSD present in the autistic population, which does impact whether someone can work. 

This ignores that someone's worth isn't based on whether one can work. On whether someone can talk, on what skills or talents a person has. 

In other words, Temple Grandin, you are being ableist, to other autistic people and other disabilities. You speak from a place of unchecked white privilege, without knowing about the lives or truly interacting with other autistic people, yet you try to speak for us. Your words are taken on as gospel by parents and professionals, but in truth, you know nothing about us. And you need to stop, right now. 

Signed, 
~Corina Becker 

Lindt and Autism Speaks No More

I heard through Tumblr and Twitter that Lindt doesn't support Autism $peaks anymore. So last Wednesday and Thursday, I messaged the Lindt Facebook account to confirmation.

These are the screencaps from that conversation:

The conversation went like this:

Me "Hi, I was wondering whether you support Autism Speaks or Autism Speaks Canada?
either through the sale of the bunnies or as a corporate sponsor?"

Lindt "Hi Corina, Lindt Canada does not currently support Autism Speaks."

Me "What about Lindt USA? Does it support Autism Speaks USA? Thank you for your response early"

Lindt "Hi Corina, Lindt USA is not partnering with Autism Speaks USA."

Me "Okay, thank you. Then you should know that Autism Speaks USA still list Lindt as a corporate sponsor. Lindt is not a corporate sponsor?"

Lindt "Hi Corina, Thank you very much for letting us know that our logo is still on their site. We've advised our USA team to get in touch to have our logo removed since they are not a corporate sponsor.

Me "okay, thank you and you're welcome"

Today We Fight

Taking a look at my archives , I've been blogging for quite a while.  I started this blog in what, 2009? And I know that I had been lurking around the autism web since 2005.  I remember having conversations with people about whether or not to blog under an alias or a real name.  The short form is that while an alias provides more privacy, a real name grants more authenticity and authority.

Which is nonsense. This, and the practice of having to write up disclaimers saying, basically, "this is just our own individual opinions" is utter nonsense.  As if what we have to say, as individuals, has to be pointed out.  For any majority group, this would be assumed, with the language we use, with the fact that it's not an organization's official blog, any of that.  It is an attack on minority groups, on protesting activism groups, to demand that autistic people disclaim own words.  It is telling us that we are not like their children, we couldn't possibly relate to their children, so even our opinions can be ignored because they just represent us. 

It is a subtle attack of violence and oppression.  It is a pin-prick compared to the slaps and stabs that it foreshadows, cummulating in the mass acceptances that our lives are not worth living, that we cannot have a say in even if we live and whether we are better off dead. 

I have been doing this blogging thing for a while.  I have seen a lot of the same stuff come by, over and over. It can be wearing, trying to respond to it all, as if it were fresh and new.  Saying the same things, again and again.  

We have made some progress. I believe we have.  It has not been perfect progress, it is not enough.  There just has been some progress made. 

It doesn't feel like much, sometimes. Especially when March 1st comes around and we read off the ever growing lists of our dead, murdered.  Our progress was not enough to save them.  Each of their deaths is a slap, a reminder that it could have been any of us. 

But they haven't killed us yet.  So we remembered our dead, so that one day, there will be no more names to add to the list.  Today, during April and beyond, we fight like hell for the living. 

We fight for our right to represent ourselves, to make decisions in our own lives.
We fight for our right to affordable housing, for the right and access to jobs that make more than sub-minimal wage, to make a living and pay for our own rent, our bills, without living in poverty.
We fight for the right to live our lives, to communicate however we can, to live at any and all abilities and limitations.
We fight for support systems across the lifespan, for mental health series that access meet our needs, for non-verbal crisis support, for accessible shelters from abuse and violence.

We fight for the simple right to be human, to be included in human rights.

We don't need to prove anything to exist. We are enough as we are. Any changes in our lives, from the smallest detail to the largest of decisions, is our choice, our say. We exist, we are human. 

It seems like common sense, but it's something that apparently we have to continue saying.  And I'm not just saying this for myself, but for all of my autistic siblings, of all ages, of all abilities, wherever in the world they might be. For autistic people currently living, and those whose lives are yet to start.

We are not alone, and together, we will fight.

The following is a list of posts I've made over the years.  They aren't all perfect; I've grown and learned over that time. Some of the wording, particular phrases, that I've used before, are not what I would write now.  However, I think that these articles, from the past, in the present, and towards the future, communicate a lot of what autistic people this month have been fighting for.

Where are the autistics? (2012)
What's the Point of World Autism Awareness? (2013)
25 Things I Know as an Autistic Person (2010)

What I Want People to Know (2010)
Why "Retard" is a Hate Crime (2011)
Blogging as Communication (2009)
On Neurodiversity (2009)

Static Bubbles: The Myth of Functioning Labels (2011)
-- Functioning Labels and Meaning (2011)

Spoons, Batteries and Autism (2009)
-- Expanding Spoons (2012)
-- Expanding the Battery Levels (2013)

Video series from 2009
Real Autism Awareness
Speaking is not Communication
Let's Talk Neurodiversity


#REDinstead

What's the Point of World Autism Awareness?

Autism awareness, I have to ask, what are you doing it for? What is your point? In the words of many a university professor, so what?

If you’re doing it because it’s the “right thing to do” or the cause of the month, because it gives you a warm fuzzy feeling and a pat on the back, just stop. Especially if you’re cutting off and silencing Autistic people. Stop, and pick a different cause. Thanks, but no thanks. We don’t need no crocodile tears, no false allies distracting the world from what really needs happening.

Go find yourself a cause that affects you personally, or learn what’s truly important about autism awareness.

I’ll tell you a secret, or rather, not a secret, if you’d pay attention. It’s not actually about the autism awareness. Oh sure, increased awareness seems good, less of us slipping through the cracks, more of us figuring out who we are earlier, how to function, how to navigate the turbulent and disabling seas of society.

But there’s a down side too. It means THEY can find us, the bigots, the bullies, our rapists, abusers and murderers. You think I’m joking? You think I’m being over dramatic?
The statistics say otherwise. In violent crimes involving autistic people, autistic people are mainly the victims. In general, disabled people are ten times more likely to be victims of violent crimes than non-disabled people, ten times, with just the crimes that are reported. Studies have noted that disabled people often have no confidence in the police and the justice system, so crimes they face are often not reported.

At least ten times. Think of the statistics on rape, on violent crimes, on murder. At least ten times more likely. You should feel sick.

Awareness is not enough. Allies is not enough. What is the point?
The point?
The point is this: I think, therefore I am.
I am a human being. I am Autistic.
I am an Autistic person.
The point is that as a human being, as an Autistic person, I have rights. Human rights. Disability rights. Autism rights.

I refuse to add the “self” to advocate, to my activism, because I am not advocating just for myself, but for every Autistic person alive, now and future generations. For our rights as humans, our rights as Autistic humans.

So what? What’s the point?

The point is that without acceptance, without human rights, autism awareness is worthless. You may not like each and every one of us personally, but we have human rights. And it is my right, as a human being, as an Autistic person, to decide my own future. My future, my choice.

Nothing about us, without us.
It’s as simple as that.
At the front of any conversation regarding Autistic lives should be Autistic people. It is our lives, after all, that are ultimately affected by any decision. We are then supported by any support staff, family members, caregivers, professionals, academics. Scientists may research merrily, but when it comes to affecting our lives directly, we have the final say. Our lives, our choice.

So the point? It’s not autism awareness, it’s Autistic awareness.
Here we are. This is what we want. Our rights. Our lives. Ours.
Ours. Period.