April is essentially a cash grab. April is a soapbox for well-meaning organizations and corporations to bank on us. We’re the inspiration porn, the example to strive for, the burden to be eased that’s big money to them.
Emmanuel Abua remarks on the growing number of businesses hiring autistic people. He makes the case that this is not the victory we need.
If you read The Freak Factor, you can’t help but leave it seeing the strengths in the weaknesses of people that others and businesses complain about. The pushover kid is altruistic. The coworker who’s indecisive is cautious. My stubborn father is persistent.
Emmanuel Abua discusses the disabling insecurity of the imposter syndrome all autistics feel when forced to mask and the healing power of solidarity of shared experiences among other autistics.
I realize that there’s a lot going on right now that doesn’t fit anywhere in my comfort zone. It has made me outrageously uncomfortable. Through
Self-hate is a tricky thing to talk about for me. When I look back and realize how long I have sat with that resentment towards myself, it’s a wonder that I have held it together as long as I have. I am continuously appreciative of the autistic community and their continued support. Without it, I don’t think I would have made it this far.
Emmanuel, a Black autistic man, notices the patterns present in the aftermath of every Black life lost to police brutality.
A Black autistic man reflects on the murder of George Floyd, a Black man who was murdered by police for shopping.
Emmanuel is tired of the illusion of democracy, of the choiceless elections, and of the corporate bailouts that always favor the wealthy.
It is a theme I have noticed too often in governments, political parties, and corporations: that a voice and their suffering only matter to the powerful when the ends justify the means or fit a narrative that suits them.
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