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Issue 987
June 19, 2007
Daniel Tammet and Autism

It's nice to see The Advocate jumping on the autism awareness bandwagon without resorting to the rhetoric of characterizing autism as a terrible tragedy, as something that needs to be cured at any cost, or calling us a blight on society. As a gay autistic, I am equally as proud of my autism as I am of being gay, and I do not want to be cured of autism any more than I want to be cured of being gay. Unfortunately, the article made no mention of the current state of autism politics today, which is very similar to LGBT politics of decades ago. Like the LGBT community, many autistics have objected to the pathologizing of differences. We believe that autism is a valid expressions of human diversity, and we deserve full inclusion and acceptance - not to the degree which we can appear normal, or become non-autistic, but as we are now.

Charles Smith
Carle Place, NY
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