Autistic and Living the Dream

Tag: Neuroqueer

  • What’s the best thing about being Autistic and LGBTQIA+?

    What’s the best thing about being Autistic and LGBTQIA+?

    This pride month, I asked the community: What’s the best thing about being both Autistic and LGBTQIA+? This blog is based on your answers. Autistic and queer people are often understood through issues we experience such as healthcare needs, inaccessibility, stigma and prejudice. These areas are important for us to discuss, be aware of and…

  • Shedding my labels

    Shedding my labels

    The author reflects on their journey to understanding their neurodivergent identity and the impact of labels and diagnoses on their sense of self. They express frustration with how others perceive and react to their labels and seek connection beyond their specific identities. They acknowledge the importance of labels in some contexts but strive to move…

  • What bisexuality means to me

    What bisexuality means to me

    As a teenager I thought in a binary fashion, and this affected how I understood sexuality and gender. My understanding of what it meant to be bisexual was that you liked both men and women, and that you needed to like them equally. The fact that I swayed to one gender over others meant that…

  • Lateral ableism in the Autistic community

    Lateral ableism in the Autistic community

    When I got my formal diagnosis (see my diagnosis story) I could not wait to tell the members of the Autistic groups I was in on Facebook. I made a joke about leveling up because I got a ‘level one’ diagnosis. Some people received that well, there were even a few laughing reacts, but there…

  • Definitions for Autistic Shielding and Neuro-Anarchy

    Definitions for Autistic Shielding and Neuro-Anarchy

    I created the terms Autistic shielding and neuro-anarchy and use both fairly regularly. These terms mean a lot to me, as a way to explain how I understand my own embodiment and how I see myself within Autistic communities and wider society. In true Katie style I am finally (about two years later!) defining these…

  • Trans Day of Visibility – stay proud, stay safe

    Trans Day of Visibility – stay proud, stay safe

    Trans Day of Visibility is always a strange one for me. I’ve been “out” for nearly a year and a half now. I’ve been out in various stages across my social life, the first person being my husband, who has been amazing with my new pronouns and my journey so far. My being visible has…

  • When living authentically isn’t safe: Autistic, trans and OCD

    When living authentically isn’t safe: Autistic, trans and OCD

    This is the transcript from my OCD Family Podcast: When living authentically isn’t safe. Listen to S1E30 Part IV here. Nicole: Whoa, welcome back to the OCD family podcast and I am just so excited to introduce our guest today Katie Munday, they are late diagnosed autistic person with OCD and ADHD. You can catch…

  • The New Normal audiobook review

    The New Normal audiobook review

    I have had the pleasure to listen to Emergent Divergence audiobook The New Normal: Autistic musings on the threat of a broken society. It is perhaps more poignant and powerful when listened to than simply read. The narrator Christopher Harper-Cox brings something to the reading with his deep resonance. The audio version brings to life…

  • Stories from across the “double rainbow”: trans and non-binary Autistic narratives [plain language summary]

    Stories from across the “double rainbow”: trans and non-binary Autistic narratives [plain language summary]

    In my research I spoke to 13 trans and / or non-binary Autistic people (people said to live under the double rainbow of neurodivergence and queerness). I wanted to know about their lives, what they thought about representation and their recommendations for double rainbow research. It was important for me to do this work as…

  • Trans and Autistic: no coercion, only care

    Trans and Autistic: no coercion, only care

    There is a strange fear around trans young people transitioning. So much of this is based in ignorance and very little understanding on the systems which support said young people. The words ‘coercion’, ‘forcing’ and ‘grooming’ are used by some people to deny children the chance to explore their gender in a safe environment with…