Monday, October 26, 2015

On Stigma (Ode to the Secretly Neuroqueer) by E.J. (Ibby) Grace

It is a very serious problem that for many people, the heavy and unfair stigma attached to their disabilities forces them to live "in the closet" in order to be safe.

I was just thinking about definitions, and for me, my being neuroqueer means I'm both neurodivergent and deliberately fierce and fabulous about it.  But this way of living was not always within reach for me.

You can be secretly neuroqueer. You can be secretly fierce and fabulous while keeping yourself safe. Be who you are with people you can trust. We are rebuilding the world so that we can all reach a point where we don't have to keep worrying about the very real repercussions of our labels.

If I'm talking to you, and you see yourself in this, love and solidarity. I have your back, and there are many others like me who feel the same way. Please pass this on to others who may be wondering if anyone could ever understand.