Autistics Aloud

Welcome Wednesday!

Back with graphic 7 of 10 from the 2SLGBTQIA+ Pride edition of Autistics Aloud LifeSpans series to celebrate Pride Month 2024!

This time we are highlighting an excerpt from a truly must-read submission from Roniya entitled, The Colours of Whoe, What and Why.

It reads,

"When Person pieced the colours together, Person was no longer alone. High above them in the sky, it shone, proud and bright. Colourful, beautiful, yet not overwhelming. Suddenly Person understood everything. The ‘why’ behind their difference. Person was a person, just like all the others, but Person was simply made of more colourful stuff,"

To read the rest of Roniya's submission, you can visit:

www.autisticsaloud.ca/lifespans

and click on the magazine cover to download the pdf of the magazine.

Or, you can visit:

http://eepurl.com/iAnqTU

and read it on a webpage without having to download anything.

Roniya's submission can be found on pages 3 - 6.
Back on Friday with the next graphic!

Thanks so much, Roniya!

We can't get to Friday if we don't start with a Monday so here we go!

Back with graphic 6 of 10, which also happens to be the second of three poems published in the 2SLGBTQIA+ Pride edition of Autistics Aloud LifeSpans series.

"Autistic Conversion Therapy in Spite of Ole Ivar Lovaas" by Taylor Yeomans is an emotional read and I feel very privileged to have been entrusted to publish it.

It reads,

2009

In the music teacher’s bright yellowish sunroom
my eyes traced the notes in her songbook
and my voice followed.
I used to love how freeing it felt to sing.
She lifts her fingers from the piano keys
turns her chair
and looks straight at me:
if you want to become a singer, you need to make better eye contact.
Each time I looked away, she stopped playing.

2013

I learned a song called “she” on the guitar.
Why would you sing a song like that?
The rest of the afternoon, I sing she smells like lemongrass and sleep quietly, like a secret.

2023

you don’t seem q***r
you don’t seem autistic
Where is the q***r autistic girl I once was? Where did she go?
I want to say:
She has been mostly dissolved
And you can only see the remnants left behind
The pieces of her that stayed as a protest
But I do not.

To see Taylor's poem how it was designed for the magazine, you can visit:

www.autisticsaloud.ca/lifespans

and click on the magazine cover to download the pdf of the magazine.

Or, you can visit:

http://eepurl.com/iAnqTU

and read it on a webpage without having to download anything.

You can find it on page 15.

Back on Wednesday with the next graphic!

TGIF!

Back as promised with graphic 5 of 10.

This one highlights the amazing artwork of Madisyn Snow.

You may also recognise Madisyn's name from our new interview series, Conversation.

The excerpt reads,

“I’m finally starting to find a bit of peace along this journey, and I’m happy accepting my autism, being asexual/aromantic, and just existing as myself.”

To read the rest of Madisyn's submission, you can visit:

www.autisticsaloud.ca/lifespans

and click on the magazine cover to download the pdf of the magazine.

Or, you can visit:

http://eepurl.com/iAnqTU

and read it on a webpage without having to download anything.

Madisyn's submission can be found on pages 16 - 17
Back on Monday with the next graphic!

Thanks so much, Madisyn!

This week sure is going quickly and we're back with graphic 4 of 10 to celebrate our amazing contributors to the 2SLGBTQIA+ Pride edition.

This time we are featuring Jane Meadus who taught me something I didn't know about - Autigender!

The excerpt reads,

"Yes, you are reading this right. I am Cisgender, yet my experiences with gender are far from typical, so why is that? The answer is Autigender.

Autigender is when one’s Autism affects how they perceive their own gender. Given that Autism affects the way we perceive everything else, it shouldn't be surprising that Autism affects the perception of gender as well."

To read the rest of this very informative submission, you can visit:

www.autisticsaloud.ca/lifespans

and click on the magazine cover and download the pdf of the magazine.

Or, you can visit:

http://eepurl.com/iAnqTU

and read it on a webpage without having to download anything.

Jane's submission can be found on pages 8 - 10.

Back on Friday with the next graphic!

Thanks so much, Jane!

It's the 2nd full week of June 2024 already!

We're back again with the 3rd of 10 graphics being shared throughout Pride month!

This is the first of 3 poems published in the 2SLGBTQIA+ Pride edition. The poetry is being highlighted in its entirety because as a poet myself I didn't feel it was correct to share an excerpt.

This one which appears on page 7 is by Louise Tardif and is titled, BI+

The poem reads,

Biography
A finicky infant, an anxious toddler, an overwhelmed child
This sensitivity of mine was seen as a flaw
My exteriorization of such perceived flaws of mine therefore exiled
My resulting mature demeanour left adults in a sense of awe

Bipolar
A first misdiagnosis
My drive, overexcitabilities and intensity
Tilted the so-called expert’s clinical opinion axis
My teenage years living with a label where I felt no affinity

Binary
Only two genders were discussed growing up
How wonderful it was that my understanding evolved in my youth years
Non-binary, androgyne, and bisexual, my identity shakeup
Identities that were met with support from a community of peers

Bifold
My 30s, a time of beautiful discoveries and affirmations
Where my bifold was replaced with a magnifying glass
Knowing I’m Autistic, finally allowed me to build better foundations
Freeing myself to feel like I no longer needed to try to pass

Bicultural
I am proud to call myself a q***r neuroq***r
Terms I used to describe two beautiful cultures I belong to
Both have been instrumental in meeting my next life chapter without fear
I am forever grateful for these communities of identity that have aided me in being born anew.

There are 2 ways you can read Louise's poem and see how it was originally designed for the magazine.

You can visit:
www.autisticsaloud.ca/lifespans
and click on the magazine cover and download the pdf of the magazine.

Or, you can visit:

http://eepurl.com/iAnqTU

and read it on a webpage without having to download anything.

Thank you, Louise, for sharing such a personal poem about your journey as a Bi+ Autistic person.

Back on Wednesday with the next submission!

We're back with the 2nd of 10 graphics being shared throughout Pride month!

This time we are sharing an excerpt from Keyaunna's submission that reads,

"We all deserve a chance at friendship, love, and acceptance. For any 2SLGBTQ+ autistic people who may be reading this article, let me say this to you. You are not embarrassing. You are not weird. You are not a burden. You are not "using your autism as an excuse. You are not too much, and you are not alone. You deserve to know you're loved.”

What a beautiful message to take us into the second last weekend of Spring 2024.

There are 2 ways you can read the rest of Keyaunna's submission.

You can visit:

www.autisticsaloud.ca/lifespans

and click on the magazine cover and download the pdf of the magazine.

Or, you can visit:

http://eepurl.com/iAnqTU
and read it on a webpage without having to download anything.

The submission is located on pages 11 - 14.

Back on Monday to share the next submission!

Have a great weekend.

As mentioned in yesterday's post, for the rest of June we will share a graphic every couple of days of one of the 10 contributors to the 2SLGBTQIA+ Pride Edition.

We're going to begin with an excerpt from Riley Messon's submission.

It reads,

"Not everyone has the support of their loved ones, it can be really difficult if you live with family members that are opposed to your journey. Part of the LGBTQ+ community that appeals to me is the concept of a “chosen family”, I have a chosen family and I am so glad they are in my circle.”

What an important message to share. It's part of why Pride Month is still a needed resource. The increase in visibility of 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations can act as a way for those whose families are not supportive to find people who will be.

There are 2 ways you can read the rest of Riley's submission.

You can visit:

www.autisticsaloud.ca/lifespans

and click on the magazine cover and download the pdf of the magazine. Or, you can visit:

http://eepurl.com/iAnqTU

and read it on a webpage without having to download anything.

The submission is located on pages 23 - 27.

Back on Friday to share the next submission!

Some Pride Month trivia.

Do you know what 2SLGBTQIA+ stands for?

2S - Two Spirit
L - Le***an
G - Gay
B - Bisexual
T- Transgender
Q - Q***r or Questioning
I - Intersex
A - Asexual
+ - includes additional sexual orientations and gender identities under the 2SLGBTQIA+ umbrella.

Autistics Aloud is very proud to have published 10 Autistic folx who fall within the 2SLGBTQIA+ spectrum. Speaking of the word spectrum, here's some more trivia for you!

Autism is also known as a Spectrum and so being Autistic and falling within the 2SLGBTQIA+ spectrum is sometimes called being under a double rainbow.

For the rest of the month every few days, I'll be posting a graphic highlighting one of our 10 Autistic contributors to the Pride Edition of Autistics Aloud. I hope you'll take the time to read their submissions and share!

Happy Pride Month from Autistics Aloud!!!

Please come on over to:

www.autisticsaloud.ca/lifespans

To read our 2SLGBTQIA+ Pride Edition for free.

🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈

Happy to share that Madisyn's Conversation Interview is now uploaded to the newly designed Autistics Aloud Website!

I've made it easy to navigate and have provided several options. I still need to get the text-only version on the website.

I tried my luck with a photo slide gallery and it seems to be working well. But if you don't want that option you can download it as a pdf, or you can click on a link that opens the interview in your webpage browser.

Remember to please share like and follow!

After the incredible success of our Seasons and LifeSpans editions, Autistics Aloud is proud and excited to announce the latest addition to the Autistics Aloud family - our brand-new 5-question interview series - Conversation!

This new series is intended to shine a light on Autistic folx who may not always have enough opportunities to connect and express their authentic lived experiences.

So without further ado, Autistics Aloud is honoured to present our first Conversation, with talented artist Madisyn Snow.

You can click through the photos or click the link below and be taken to a webpage. The interview will also be uploaded to the newly designed Autistics Aloud website soon.

Thanks, Madisyn!

Please enjoy the interview and make sure to share it with others.

https://us1.campaign-archive.com/?u=d58c08854c63c0a0c3097a7ff&id=fc467b8407

Well, sometimes the best-laid plans don't work out and so we're going to have to push our exciting announcement to next Monday, May 13th

But no worries because I come with a sneak peek of our new logo!

Isn't it awesome!

You may notice the butterfly which was part of the LifeSpans series.

In the past, we always shared our new magazine editions to our mailing list first. So in keeping with that tradition, if you'd like to be among the first to get to see what our next series is called and who will be highlighted, please sign up for our mailing list.

It's hosted by MailChimp and you'll get 6 or fewer emails a year.

http://eepurl.com/dlQtiL

See you on Monday! We can't wait!

Last week, Autistics Aloud announced that we have two significant announcements to make in the upcoming week. To begin, we would like to address a long-standing goal of the Editor-in-Chief, who has strived for the transformation of Autistics Aloud from a newsletter, initially founded in 2005, to a fully-fledged magazine in 2017.

That goal was to get copies of the magazines into libraries. Particularly, school libraries.

As it so happens, during Autism Awareness/Acceptance month a teacher from West Bedford School reached out to say he'd had a conversation with the Librarian and she was interested in meeting me and getting some copies!!

So during the final week of April, I was able to make the meeting happen.

It is with great excitement that I share the news that Autistics Aloud, the LifeSpans Series is now available to be borrowed in a school library!

We extend our sincerest congratulations to all our wonderful contributors for their valuable submissions. Your contributions will undoubtedly enrich the public's understanding of the perspectives and experiences of autistic people. Furthermore, they will serve as reflections for other autistic folx, providing solace and reassurance that they are not alone and that there is nothing inherently wrong with them.

As it's been mentioned, the core guiding value of Autistics Aloud is the disability rights mantra, Nothing About Us Without Us.

As I was looking around the library area I saw something that made me so proud and excited. There was an amazing Autism Acceptance Month display arranged by Autistic business owner and advocate - Naphtali Tucker of Brainy Buttons, https://www.facebook.com/brainybuttons

When I saw the neurodiversity symbol, the mantra and the amazing display, I felt like my life's work for Autistic people was having the rippling effect that I hoped it would. It was an all-around day of autistic pride. We're very impressed with your work here at Autistics Aloud, Naphtali!

Stay tuned for our next amazing piece of news this week! Big, awesome changes are coming! See you soon.

www.autistics.aloud.ca

As always we encourage you to visit our website where you can look through any of our 8 magazines for free!

April sure flew by! So we say farewell to Autism Awareness/Acceptance Month for another year.

Until next year, please take the things you've learned from Autistic folx and move from awareness, through to acceptance and then your ultimate goal should be Autistic appreciation.

Awareness says, hey, we are here and these are the things that could help make our lives better!

Acceptance opens up opportunities. It's a part of the conversation when it comes to inclusion. But it's not the final destination.

Appreciation should be your goal. Appreciation says we want you to be here. We have listened and incorporated changes that help you feel welcomed and a vital part of the environment you are in.

If you are Autistic and reading this, I hope this month wasn't too difficult. I know it can be but we made it! And here at Autistics Aloud, we appreciate YOU!

Our guiding principle has been and will always be, Nothing About Us Without Us.

Please keep a look out over the next week as we have a couple of very exciting announcements!! 👀🥳

Here we are already, the 2nd last day of April which means Autism Awareness/Acceptance Month is almost over for another year.

Here at Autistics Aloud, we hope you strive to take it a step further and embrace Autistic appreciation.

If you head over to www.autisticsaloud.ca you will find the amazing LifeSpans series. There are 41 Autistic contributors throughout the 5 editions. It's truly worthwhile to click over and read their stories.

We hope you've connected with and learned a lot from Autistic people this month.

Nothing About Us Without Us!

Autism Awareness/Acceptance Month is winding down but our beautiful Seasons Series of 3 magazines from 30 unique Autistic perspectives from 2018-2018 remains as important as ever.

Please come on over to:

https://www.autisticsaloud.ca/past-editions

and check them out!

Nothing About Us Without Us!

Talk about an amazing find!

Autistics Aloud Editor-in-chief has learned so much from Unstrange Mind over the past 13 years. One of the first Autistic written books I ever read was, No You Don't: Essays from an Unstrange Mind back in 2013. Then in 2016, I bought a copy of their book, The ABCs of Autism Acceptance.

A few days ago Max posted a link I knew I had to share here, especially with it being Autism Awareness month.

The website is called, The Autism Books by Autistic Authors Project.

As stated on their website, it "is an (ongoing) attempt to catalogue all books — non-fiction and fiction — written about and related to autism by Autistic authors.

Current number of books listed: 1,556"

WOW!!! That's incredible!

The website is easy to navigate and they even break the books down by category.

So after you follow Max's FB page, please click through and check out the amazing website.

The Autism Books by Autistic Authors Project The Autism Books by Autistic Authors Project is an (ongoing) attempt to catalogue all books — non-fiction and fiction — written about and related to autism by Autistic authors.

With it being Autism Awareness Month, lots of people are posting ways to help promote awareness.

Here at Autistics Aloud, we strive to move beyond awareness and towards acceptance. We do that by staying true to our guiding principle, Nothing About Us Without Us.

This year we've noticed that Autistics are championing an initiative that takes us beyond the limitations of awareness and acceptance. And that's transitioning towards Autistic appreciation.

Here's a wonderful article by Autistic and ADHD activist Ben VanHook, a master’s student at George Mason University studying public policy.

"This Autism Acceptance Month, I want to challenge us, as a community, to take the steps necessary to go beyond acceptance and towards the true appreciation of autistic individuals.

Just as awareness is seen differently from acceptance, so too, is acceptance from appreciation. The difference between acceptance and appreciation is not “just semantical”, but rather important, with crucial implications. We must begin to realize that acceptance is the bare minimum and that we can do better to support the autism community.

Awareness is acknowledging that bridges exist. Acceptance is tolerating these bridges’ existence. Appreciation is actively taking steps to strengthen and grow these bridges to better understand and support them."

Please click the link to read the rest of the article:

Transitioning From Acceptance to Appreciation in the Autism Community | Organization for Autism Research This Autism Acceptance Month, I want to challenge us, as a community, to take the steps necessary to go beyond acceptance and towards the true appreciation of autistic individuals. Just as awareness is seen differently from acceptance, so too, is acceptance from appreciation. The difference between....

Happy World Autism Day from Autistics Aloud!

Please come help celebrate and recognize the amazing 63 Autistic individuals who have been published over the past 6 years in our grassroots magazine by visiting our website:

www.autisticsaloud.ca

We are a big believer in the disability rights mantra, Nothing About Us Without Us and we hope you carry that mantra through April.

Look at our beautiful cover for the Pride Edition!

Do you know 2SLBGTQIA+ Autistics are said to fall under a double rainbow?!

Please come on over to our website where you can read and download the latest and last edition of the Autistics Aloud LifeSpans series, for free!

www.autisticsaloud.ca

Here at Autistics Aloud's home office, we are so very excited but also acknowledge how bittersweet this day is.

Today, the 5th and final edition of the Autistics Aloud, LifeSpans series is live on our website and ready to be read and downloaded.

At a time in history when the rights and lives of 2SLGBTQIA+ community members are being greatly threatened, 10 Autistic members of the community referred to as being under a double rainbow bravely share poetry, artwork, essays and photography about their experiences with gender identity, sexuality, transitioning, finding community, finding self-acceptance, bullying, resources to help make 2SLGBTQIA+ spaces also more Autistic accessible, and more in this impactful, important last edition in the Autistics Aloud LifeSpans Series.

6 of the 10 Autistic contributors are new to the magazine. We are so proud to welcome them to the Autistics Aloud family! That's 62 unique Autistic contributors over the past 6 years. What a major accomplishment for everyone involved!

There are also 2 other important milestones to mark. An impressive 100 contributions to the LifeSpans series!!! And 40 Submissions published in the 3 Edition "Seasons" series means 140 Submissions over the past 6 years have been published read and shared!

W O W!!! What an entirely special labour of love this has been for me as the Editor-in-chief of Autistics Aloud for the past 6.5 years now.

So please come on over to our website where you can read or download the 2SLGBTQIA+ Pride edition for FREE!

To the 10 brave and wonderful Autistic folx who have shared your stories in this final edition - thank you. I know that I personally was able to see parts of myself in all of your powerful submissions. And I know many other of our neurokin will be able to as well. That type of representation is life-saving.

Autistics Aloud is headed on a new adventure now. I can't wait to share with you all what we'll be doing next!

But for now, all the sun is shining on the 2SLGBTQIA+ Edition so please come on over, grab a tea or your beverage of choice, and come give it a read: www.autisticsaloud.ca

With gratitude, your Editor-in-chief,
Patricia

Hi friends!

Last September we introduced you to Thomas van Kampen, a 2D Animator in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Thomas was working on his film, Mixed Signals which debuted at Carbon Arc Cinema last December 3rd.

We're happy to share that Mixed Signals will be showing at the AFX - Animation Festival of Halifax this Friday, May 12th at 6pm and will also be available to stream online.

You can find out more information here: https://afx.eventive.org/films/644319bf47daed0032a24ed9

*Please note: there is some flashing in the movie, so please be aware of that for anyone with photosensitive epilepsy or migraines.

Thomas shares, "Mixed Signals' is an allegory for living on the autism spectrum. As an autistic creator myself, many of the events that take place in the film are inspired by my childhood experiences before my diagnosis."

You can follow Thomas on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/scrawnydutchman/

On Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/TomboToons

You can check out Thomas's website at:
https://thomasjvankampen.wixsite.com/tjvk

You can also connect with Thomas on his LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasvankampen/

'Mixed Signals' takes place in a world where everyone is a robot. There's no language of any kind and none of the characters have faces. Instead, they communicate by sending visible coloured wavelengths at each other using the satellite dishes on their heads. Different wave colours mean different things. They can also display what they're thinking on their heads like television sets."

Mixed Signals In a world of robots, a child comes to find out it's very different from all the other kids.

Autistics Aloud is thrilled to share that registration is now open for an exciting new online social program for late-diagnosed/self-identifying Autistics in Nova Scotia.

Late Diagnosis Autistic Chat (LDX-ACHAT) is a safe online space for those 20 and up who consider themselves late-diagnosed, either by self-identifying or a medical diagnosis. There is no cost for this program.

LDX-ACHAT begins May 3rd and will meet 2 times a month for 8 sessions. The sessions are on Zoom and will be facilitated by a late-diagnosed Autistic.

There’s an online form to fill out, and once that’s done, you’ll be contacted for a short (approx. 20 mins) intake over Zoom with the facilitator.

You can find the online form here: https://forms.office.com/r/Ky3htmpQHR

Happy World Autism Day from Autistics Aloud!!!

If you'd like to do something today to show your support we have 2 suggestions!

You can come visit our website and read the past editions of Autistics Aloud. There you will find the contributions of over 50 Autistics folxs. There is poetry, artwork, essays, photography, recipes and more!

Or, you can help us get the last few submissions for Edition 5 by sharing the last post. The topic is 2SLBGTQIA+, the PRIDE edition.

I'll link the website and the last post in the comments.

On a personal note, I didn't know I have autism until I was in my early 40's. Autism awareness is important but it's incomplete without acceptance.

So during April, please listen to Autistics of all ages and abilities.

Autistics Aloud's core value resides within the disability rights mantra, Nothing about us without us.

Autism is Autistic people.

Please remember that as you navigate April.

Have a fantastic day!

Would you like to be in our magazine? 🎉

Now looking for submissions from Autistic Canadians.

Topic: 2SLGBTQIA+ (The Pride Edition)

This Edition will explore 2SLGBTQIA+ Autistic identities and experiences. The acronym stands for Two-Spirit, Le***an, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Q***r or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual/aromantic and additional sexual orientations and gender identities.

Please go to our website for more information:
www.autisticsaloud.ca/submit-your-piece

Our email address:
[email protected]

Today is Orange Shirt Day.

Please visit: www.orangeshirtday.org to learn more.

Please also take some time to honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

You can learn more by visiting the links at:

https://nctr.ca/about/history-of-the-trc/trc-website/

Every Child Matters 🧡🤎

Thomas van Kampen is a 2D Animator in Halifax, Nova Scotia and is currently creating an animated short film about his experiences in childhood being someone with Autism.

The film is called 'Mixed Signals'. It's about a little robot that comes to find out it's very different from all the other kids. It has difficulty being understood by other children, is easily overstimulated and is often confused for a troublemaker by teachers. But by learning the truth about what it is and by harnessing the power of communication, it learns that just because it's different doesn't mean it can't live a happy life with a lot of friends.

'Mixed Signals' takes place in a world where everyone is a robot. There's no language of any kind and none of the characters have faces. Instead, they communicate by sending visible coloured wavelengths at each other using the satellite dishes on their heads. Different wave colours mean different things. They can also display what they're thinking on their heads like television sets.

The film is currently in production and is on schedule for being completed in late October. It's also being backed by Arts Nova Scotia.

Thomas shares, "Mixed Signals' is an allegory for living on the autism spectrum. As an autistic creator myself, many of the events that take place in the film are inspired by my childhood experiences before my diagnosis."

You can follow Thomas on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/scrawnydutchman/

On Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/TomboToons

You can check out Thomas's website at:
https://thomasjvankampen.wixsite.com/tjvk

You can also connect with Thomas and get updates about the film on his LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasvankampen/

If you'd like to help support Thomas by purchasing some Mixed Signals' Merchandise you can visit his Redbubble store at:
https://www.redbubble.com/people/Scrawnydutchman/shop

We've attached some graphics that Thomas graciously shared with us.

We can't wait to see the finished film! Best of luck Thomas!

So excited to have already received 2 submissions for Edition 5!

Autistics Aloud LifeSpans is back with our latest and last topic for the series.

In this last edition of the LifeSpans series, we are turning it over to Autistic folxs who identify as being part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. The acronym stands for Two-Spirit, Le***an, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Q***r or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual/aromantic and additional sexual orientations and gender identities.

It's becoming more widely understood that Autistic folxs have a higher likelihood of being 2SLGBTQIA+. But we still struggle with representation and understanding, even within the greater Pride community.

Do you have a coming-out story you'd like to share? What does Pride mean to you as a 2SLGBTQIA+ Autistic person?

You can submit art, poetry, photography, an essay, a video link (and more) to be published in our Magazine! We also welcome your suggestions!

You don’t have to use your actual name. The submission can be anonymous, or you can use a pseudonym as I recognize that it’s not safe for some to disclose publicly. But you still deserve a safe space to tell your story.

The deadline to submit is October 17th, 2022.

If you are published you get a free professionally printed copy of the magazine and are entered into a draw for a $50 gift card!

The email address is: [email protected]

I look forward to hearing from you! 🌈😊

Does this feel like Monday to anyone else? Long weekends always throw me off a bit!

Autistics Aloud LifeSpans is back with our latest and last topic for the series.

In this last edition of the LifeSpans series, we are turning it over to Autistic folxs who identify as being part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. The acronym stands for Two-Spirit, Le***an, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Q***r or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual/aromantic and additional sexual orientations and gender identities.

Do you have a coming-out story you'd like to share? What does Pride mean to you as a 2SLGBTQIA+ Autistic person?

You can submit art, poetry, photography, an essay, a video link (and more) to be published in our Magazine! We also welcome your suggestions!

You don’t have to use your actual name. The submission can be anonymous, or you can use a pseudonym as I recognize that it’s not safe for some to disclose publicly. But you still deserve a safe space to tell your story.

The deadline to submit is October 17th, 2022. If you are published you get a free professionally printed copy of the magazine and are entered into a draw for a $50 gift card!

The email address is: [email protected]

I look forward to hearing from you! 🌈😊