March Against Monsanto activists: ‘Do not use my disability to promote your agenda’

Ignorant people say the recent rise in autism diagnosis is not because of revised diagnostic criteria, or the result of people like me finally being included in our communities instead of locked up in mental institutions. They insist the neurology of Autistic children (Autistic adults don’t exist) is the result of vaccines, GMOs and ambiguous “toxins”.

I did something about it. I went to the March Against Myths About Modification counter-protest against the March Against Monsanto anti-GMO activists and took a stand for science and my Autistic neurotribe. I did so knowing that the shrill, screaming masses would be torture to my hypersensitive hearing and their anger would overload my extreme empathy. I knew it was likely that I would meltdown or shutdown, and could even be physically assaulted or targeted for stalking but I choose to go like a sacrificial lamb to slaughter.

I don’t know how long I was in shutdown mode before the topic of autism came up. Like being jolted awake from a nightmare, I heard someone say the words “Autism”, “catastrophe”, “only in the last 30 years” and “all because of GMOs”. Just like waking up from a nightmare, I wanted to scream “STOP USING MY DISABILITY TO JUSTIFY YOUR AGENDA!” but the only thing that came out was “AUTISTIC PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HERE!” A man wearing a white tyvek jumpsuit screamed back at me to shut up, silenced my voice like so many have silenced Autistic voices before, told me to get my own march and leave his alone. Then I was gone again.

Next time, I will bring a big, colorful sign with me that says “I am proudly Autistic, do NOT use MY disability to promote YOUR agenda” so I can just yell “STOP AND READ MY SIGN” if they start to spout off about epidemic/catastrophe nonsense. I am not asking anyone in the Autistic community to join me in Hell and I will stand as a sacrificial lone Autistic against the extremists if I have to, but I will be there again.

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: Into the Depths of Anti-Science Hell

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