The Relationship between Autism and Gender Identity
Tags: Autism, Acceptance, Gender Identity

According to an article published by the National Autistic Society titled “Gender Identity and Autism”:

³ “There is some evidence to show a link between gender dysphoria and autism, and that autistic people may be more likely than other people to have gender dysphoria. However there is little evidence about the reason(s) why, and some recent research suggests the link between autism and gender dysphoria is not so clear. More research is needed. More research is also required to develop and test assessment tools, support and treatment for autistic people eperiencing gender dysphoria.”

The National Autistic Society also conducted interviews with Autistic folx as a part of their “Stories from the Spectrum” series, and the interviewees were Dr. Wenn Lawson (an Autistic psychologist) and Madge Woollard (an enby Autistic pianist who goes by she/her). In the words of Woollard, “A lot of us Autistic people don’t really fit in society, and I think that this extends to ideas around gender”. Her words can imply that Autistic folx often have difficulties navigating society in terms of the relationship between themselves and their gender identities.

She also states that there is also a “huge overlap with Autistic people and with transgender people” and that there is also “a lot of non-binary Autistic people around”, which is also true because of the fact that (as I have stated earlier and will state again since I have a tendency to repeat myself a lot) plenty of Autistic folx do not really fit in with the binaristic and neurotypical world in a social manner, and that can also extend to the ideas around Gender Identity.

It is not relevant to the topic I am currently writing about, but I would also want to add something that can also give some knowledge about Gender Identity in terms of culture.

In history, there were a vast variety of Gender-Modal cultures [hell, even Judaism (both a religion and ethnoculture) has more than two narrow categories of Gender Identity, such as Androgynos and Tumtum] way before Eurocentric and Christian colonialism came and destroyed almost every single gender identities from each modal culture, with the exception of a couple that still survive today, such as Japan’s X-gender [another way to say non-binary, which can also be the same term outside of Japan in different countries], the Samoan Fa’afafine, the Indian Hijra, the Latine (and/or Mexican) Muxe, the Indigenous Two-Spirit, the Thai Kathoey (as it translated to “ladyboy” at a website that had interesting information about culturally diverse gender identities, but with improper/outdated terminology), the Jewish Aylonit (depicted in the Jewish Talmud as a woman who was designated female at birth, but cannot have children and/or is percevied as “man”-like), and plenty of more modal gender identities that are still thriving today under Eurocentric and Xtian colonialism.

There is also the acronym known as MOGAI (also another LGBTQ2S+ acronym, but easier to use and much more inclusive than LGBTQ+), which is lengthened to Marginalized Orientations, Gender Alignments, and Intersex.

As also stated in Laura Dattaro’s article of Gender and sexuality in Autism, explained, Gender Identity and sexuality is actually various among Autistic people than in the general population (a majority of whom are non-intersex [or perisex], allosexual [describes someone being sexually attracted to someone] or alloromantic [is described as someone who is being romantically attracted to someone], cisgender and heterosexual, able-bodied and neurotypical). To summarise what Dattaro stated, Autism is more common among people whose sense of Gender Identity is in misalignment with their designated sex at birth, which is “three to six times as common” in accordance with an August study that was conducted by researchers who want to understand how to be able to best accommodate and support people who identify outside of Eurocentric and Christian colonialist genders.

For plenty of centuries, most neurotypical parents and/or caregivers had the false belief that Autistic individuals (especially people of different neurotypes with intellectual disabilities) “shouldn’t” be given information about sexuality and that they are “less” interested in romantic and/or sexual relationships than neurotypical (or as I also like to refer to them as “allistics”) individuals are as Dewinters (the author of this information) states. However, this often false, inaccurate and harmful belief is changing for the betterment of the well-being of Autistic individuals as researchers begin to acknowledge that providing relationship support is vital to ensure the well-being of neurodivergent, neurodiverse and Autistic people (disabled and neurodiverse/neurodivergent and/or Autistic people should also be able to have access to equitable opportunities to have beneficial relationship support), just as it is to ensure the well-being of neurotypical people. A comprehensive and accurate sex education can also be beneficial for both Autistic and neurodivergent/diverse individuals as well because they are typically left out of the sex education discourse (since said discourse is dominated by neurotypical people who shouldn’t have a say in which Autistic person “should” love who).

Dattaro’s article says that “only 19 percent” of American sex education has relevant material that is more inclusive to MOGAI individuals in accordance to what the advocacy group GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) says about America’s lack of or a seldom amount of a relevant and accurate sex education in its curriculums, which can and will create barriers for Autistic people who are also MOGAI as well.

When it comes to the relationship with Gender Identity and Autism, it is NOT just a Eurocentric/white issue, but rather it can also relate to intersectionality (in terms of when one’s identities intersect with another which can aid comprehension on how both privilege and oppression can intersect with one another). For example, there are Autistic folx who are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour), Autistic folx of different religious creeds (Jewish, Xtian, Muslim, Pagan (and/or Neo-Pagan), Hindu, Shinto, Wicca, Jain, Sikh, Baha’i, and so forth), Autistic folx of modal ethnicities, intersex Autistic folx (since intersex folx are also part of the MOGAI community, but not every single intersex person wants to be included in the MOGAI community), and many more Autistic folx of all intersectionalities.

So if there is someone you would like to recommend this article to in terms of understanding the relationship between Gender Identity and Autism, then y’all can send them this!

~ From a Russian-Jewish Autistic person!