Fear is not a 'difference of opinion'.
Imagine, if you will, that you have a Black friend. You probably have lots. So imagine it's one of those lovely people.
Now imagine that a group wanted to promote equal rights for Black and Minority Ethnic groups....by dressing like the Klu Klux Klan.
"Oh but I'm not actually Klu Klux Klan, I just dress like them. Really, I'm very keen on Black rights."
Now, if you're dressed all in white, in that outfit, like the Klu Klux Klan, how do you think that Black people feel about this?
Are they going to care that you are supporting their cause, when the colour and outfit you have chosen screams the exact opposite?
When people "light it up blue", they are using a colour and a campaign that was started by the 'Klu Klux Klan' of autism. And they are still the main promoters of that colour and campaign.
It is not a campaign by autistic people, or for us. It is a campaign that was based on eradicating us, and normalising us, and in every way removing our voices.
Imagine you are a member of the Deaf community, and a Sign Language user. You communicate using sign, body language, face expression, perhaps lip movement. You know that you need people to communicate in a way that respects your needs.
Remember the times past, when the Deaf community were forced to use spoken language, some punished for using Sign?
We are forced to speak using non-autistic language, and punished for using our own. Truly punished.
Autistic people haven't had a nice chat and a difference of opinion with this hate-group. We've been shouted at, 'torn apart' in forums, belittled, mocked., silenced The group in question has aligned itself with a centre that ties children to a table and repeatedly electrocutes them. No, really.
The group likened us to the living dead, monsters who destroy everything in our path.
It is absolutely horrific. It is traumatising.
It is not a 'difference of opinion', it's a fight for recognition as a human, and a fight for the right to live, as ourselves
So, the next time you see someone who has 'lit it up blue' for autism 'awareness', please tell them they are disrespecting and frightening the very people they claim to want to help.
Ask them to support respectful campaigns by actual autistic people. There are plenty out there.
