‘Can You Really Be a Queer Muslim?’: Intersectionality and the Complexity of Identity
‘The Feeling of Inadequacy Doesn’t Just Disappear’: How Schooling Has Affected My Self-Esteem as a Neurodiverse Person
What did this teach us? It taught us that academic achievement was all that mattered. And it didn’t matter how much my parents insisted that I should ‘just do my best’. These achievements could be used to barter favour, boast and compete, and I didn’t have any. I’d turned up to a sword fight with a French baguette…
How My Disability and Queerness Intersect, and Why Marginalised Communities Should Unite and Fight
Both the disabled and LGBTQ+ community have been facing inequality for decades. Even though there are more forms of representation and a bigger collective voice, serious issues are still being ignored and we still lack representation in larger bodies such as political landscapes and corporate groups. One way we combat this is by banding together…
Why I Am Done Being an ‘Inspiring’ Disabled Person
Recognising what I cannot do because of and what I can do despite my disability enables me to see how my disability affects me. In turn, it allows me to see what I am capable of as a result of my disability. I am capable of things that do not come easily to neurotypicals…
‘Weird, but Proud’: Why Netflix’s Wednesday is a Big Deal for Autistic Girls
A real-life Wednesday Addams, with unorthodox habits, dark interests, gothic fashion, monotone expression and poor understanding of others’ feelings, would most likely mask herself to resemble her peers. This is where Burton’s new character became so important for autistic people, especially women; she doesn’t…
Bi The Way, I’m Autistic: Learning to Navigate Sexuality as a Neurodivergent Individual
According to studies, autistic people are significantly more likely to identify as LGBTQ+. For people classified as rigid thinkers, it’s true that many of us are over sexual and gender norms. We question stuff; we don’t respect arbitrary norms for their own sake. Of course, I didn’t know I was autistic back then…