Self advocacy of a minority group having your voice heard versus toxic identity politics? Where do you draw the line?
- Thread starter Margot
- Start date
Well, the article is a political opinion about specifics in the US. What is identity politics in relation to autism and what is not?
Autism initially has been described and conceptualised by observation from the outside. It was given identity by outside observers who did not understand it. Increasingly the understanding is shifting, informed by the insider perspective. Autistic people are developing and increasingly articulating their autism. And indeed for many it is part of their identity.
Positive autism identity, the concept of self is reported to be instrumental for wellbeing and good quality of life for autistic people by an increasing number of studies. Informing interventions by insider autism perspective is a key recommendation in the recently published parliamentary report. The practice of participatory research involving autistic people is an established practice.
The key in this is changing the narrative from externally observed deficit model to an internally lived experience and needs.
So where do you draw a line of identity politics and when does it become toxic?
Autism initially has been described and conceptualised by observation from the outside. It was given identity by outside observers who did not understand it. Increasingly the understanding is shifting, informed by the insider perspective. Autistic people are developing and increasingly articulating their autism. And indeed for many it is part of their identity.
Positive autism identity, the concept of self is reported to be instrumental for wellbeing and good quality of life for autistic people by an increasing number of studies. Informing interventions by insider autism perspective is a key recommendation in the recently published parliamentary report. The practice of participatory research involving autistic people is an established practice.
The key in this is changing the narrative from externally observed deficit model to an internally lived experience and needs.
So where do you draw a line of identity politics and when does it become toxic?
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I don't see the link between the article and being autistic. Do you differentiate between being autistic, i.e. having a different but equally valid perspective on the world and being called autistic, implying otherness, deficiency and invalidating the autistic perspective. Having a voice and having it heard is not toxic. Using ableist tactics to silent voices of a minority group is toxic.
Having a voice that promotes equality of opportunity and advocates for a minority group to overcome the disadvantage of their disability and achieve their life goals on the par with non-disabled people is advocating for equality, which is protected the law in this country. Advocating for equality of a disadvantaged group, for help that is helpful is not divisive. Equality benefits society as whole, it is for common benefit. Labeling advocating equality as toxic is an ableist silencing tactic. Don't fall for it.
Having a voice that promotes equality of opportunity and advocates for a minority group to overcome the disadvantage of their disability and achieve their life goals on the par with non-disabled people is advocating for equality, which is protected the law in this country. Advocating for equality of a disadvantaged group, for help that is helpful is not divisive. Equality benefits society as whole, it is for common benefit. Labeling advocating equality as toxic is an ableist silencing tactic. Don't fall for it.
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Rosapurple
Member
I hope people wouldn't over react..
Identity politics are toxic is the identity itself is not relevant to the political issues. Everything is so polarised these days that I hesitate to give an example lol. . Autistic people speaking with their own voice is important.
Identity politics are toxic is the identity itself is not relevant to the political issues. Everything is so polarised these days that I hesitate to give an example lol. . Autistic people speaking with their own voice is important.
Having your voice and to be able to speak up about about things that are important to the young person with Autism or having someone advocate for that person and speak up for them is great and a really positive thing as it gives young people a chance to be heard about what is important to them and even signing a petition on a website like change.org to keep services open for young people with Autism is good but when peopke start shouting in the street with banners instead of having one person speak up for them to the government I personally feel its important to get the voice of people with autism heard but it is not right to stand shouting in the street about it and their are certain ways you can get your message across without causing too much upset to anyone else.
Russell Elliott
Member
I see identity politics being at the heart of empowering us. We have so much to learn from the rest of the disability rights movement and us positively embracing our identity as autistic people is that central power we have. To define ourselves and not to accept how others have identified us.
Thunderchild
Administrator
I think it's the heavily partisan attitudes that become destructive. We really are all in this together. So why does one group have to trump another?
Russell Elliott
Member
Intersectionality is the only way to make things work, where disempowered minorities make common cause with other groups.
Russell Elliott
Member
Russell Elliott
Member
I shared a video from a right of centre publication on purpose. I have only heard the alt right complain about identity politics, not because they don't identify with a segment of the population but because they don't want the right of the 'male, stale and pale' part of the population to tell everyone else what to think, challenged! I see no arguments between disempowered minorities, I never see disabled people competing with BAME, LGBT+ or feminists. All I see is old white men, like myself, feeling threatened by diversity and wanting to remain the definition of the 'normal human'. So to me this is only a concern of the far right, but correct me if I'm wrong.
EdgySpirit
Member
Autistic and other neurological types are a diverse minority and that is a point worth keeping front and centre in advocacy. In fact that is what is meant by neurodiversity.
ProfessorWorm
Active member
The problem with many forms of advocacy, including neurodiversity, is that the most marginalized of the group are shut out of the movement’s gains. An intersectional approach needs to be taken and a prioritization of the most marginalized groups’ needs has to occur. Inadequate social care is an important issue that needs to change, but keeping disabled people of color from being killed is even more important. Ableism will never stop until the entire system of oppression is torn down. Until then oppression and violence will just shift down to ever more marginalized groups who won’t have the protection and platform of a large and loud movement anymore.
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