Jess Jones\/Pahichan – BEING\u00a0LGBTI brings a unique set of challenges in how we navigate our relationships and the world. For some people in our community, being on the autistic spectrum also means experiencing and managing things differently.<\/p>\n
Autism (which is known formally as autistic spectrum disorder, and includes what was formerly known as Asperger syndrome) refers to a range of conditions of brain development. Some autistic people consider it a disability, while others think of it as just a difference.<\/p>\n
Being both LGBTI and autistic is more common than you might think. In particular, up to about one in 10<\/a> young trans people are autistic, with another one in 10 having \u2018autism traits\u2019 like impaired social skills.<\/p>\n As far as sexuality goes, being asexual<\/a> is much more common<\/a> among folks on the autistic spectrum. Whether being autistic is related to being gay or bi is harder to find figures for, but ask someone with a lot of friends on the spectrum if they know many straight people, and you\u2019ll get an idea.<\/p>\n Cory is a 24-year-old gay cis guy. He is involved in advocacy for LGBTI rights and for people with disabilities. He works with groups including Rainbow Labor Network Victoria<\/a>, which works for equality and diversity, and Inclusive Labor<\/a>, which addresses policymaking around people with disabilities.<\/p>\n He was diagnosed young and went to a school for autistic kids. Cory had a difficult relationship with his family because of his autism, which made coming out to them in his teens much more tumultuous.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was very challenging, growing up identifying as gay and also having Asperger syndrome,\u201d he says. \u201cEven the autism side of things was very challenging to my parents. Then it took them a lot to adjust to me being gay.\u201d<\/p>\n Cory lost his job due to a company downturn a few years ago. He was unemployed for a year and a half. He was rejected for jobs because of his disabilities, which also include a significant vision impairment.<\/p>\n \u201cI put myself out there as me, not someone who has autism,\u201d he says. \u201cBut I had people in interviews ask me if I thought my disabilities may impact my ability to do the job.\u201d<\/p>\n Cory believes the way he speaks and his problems with eye contact were what made interviewers notice his autism.<\/p>\n \u201cThey would actually say, \u2018We notice you have a bit of autism.\u2019 It would always end up with, well you can\u2019t get the job.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of employers don\u2019t like hiring people with disabilities,\u201d he says. \u201cIt would be great for them to start thinking about looking at people with disabilities and give them a try at least.\u201d<\/p>\n Senswide Employment<\/a>, a \u201cdisability\/gay friendly organisation\u201d, finally helped Cory find work with a company that has a program to actively hire people with disabilities.<\/p>\n \u201cAt that time I thought I was the only person with autism who identified as gay,\u201d says Cory. \u201cI was blown away by that organisation. I learned there\u2019s a lot of people out there who are gay and are somewhere on the spectrum.\u201d<\/p>\n He now works in the tourism industry, where he\u2019s been in an internal customer service job assisting other staff for two years. He\u2019s learned skills like conversation and eye contact that don\u2019t come naturally, but he can now use successfully at work. His manager is even helping him work towards stepping into a \u2018front end\u2019 role working with the public.<\/p>\n Cory\u2019s partner of five years, who is not autistic, is very supportive. Their relationship is strong and they manage the occasional challenges that include Cory\u2019s trouble reading emotions.<\/p>\n \u201cHe understands how I think, and sometimes he may need to push me a bit,\u201d says Cory. \u201cHe\u2019s incredibly understanding.<\/p>\n \u201cI do not understand certain moods. For example, angry and annoyed sound very similar to me. He might be annoyed with me, and I take that as angry. So trying to understand the difference between the two is hard. And I\u2019m a bit stubborn.\u201d<\/p>\n In terms of whether he considers his autism to be a disability as such, Cory says, \u201cI think it\u2019s unfair on people with autism to be pigeonholed as having a disability. I would love for people to think of us as just human beings. It\u2019s just who we are.\u201d<\/p>\n Kylie*, a 27-year-old trans lesbian, does think of her autism as a disability.<\/p>\n \u201cI hate it so much,\u201d she says. \u201cI hate being autistic way more than I hate being trans. There\u2019s treatment for being trans, but there\u2019s none for autism. I wish there was a cure.\u201d<\/p>\n Kylie has known she\u2019s autistic since she was 14. She finds the social impairments less troublesome than the physical symptoms.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause of sensory issues I have lots of problems doing ordinary things, like doing the dishes or listening to people speak,\u201d she says. \u201cI can\u2019t filter everything else out to process speech like other people can.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I\u2019ve got no fine motor control, so I\u2019m very clumsy and keep walking into walls or falling down stairs. And I absolutely hate skin contact unless it\u2019s really firm, like a tight hug.\u201d<\/p>\n Kylie lives in Brisbane and is very sensitive to the heat, like many people with autism.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no social interaction when I can\u2019t sleep due to it being 0.7 degrees hotter than usual,\u201d she says. \u201cEven in winter I have the air con on full blast.\u201d<\/p>\n Kylie, a scientist, hasn\u2019t had too much trouble with work.<\/p>\n \u201cIn research, there\u2019s heaps of autistic people, so they\u2019re used to it,\u201d she quips. \u201cAlthough the whole \u2018autistic people being direct\u2019 thing means I won\u2019t accept bullshit and am always getting into trouble with management.\u201d<\/p>\n Kylie finds her tendency to be direct with people is often helpful, particularly in situations like seeking medical help that are often challenging for trans people.<\/p>\n \u201cI am quite frank and direct, and autism helps me look at my situation pretty objectively,\u201d she says. \u201cBecause doctors typically know nothing about trans healthcare, we kind of have to become our own primary carers and advocates.\u201d<\/p>\n