Any idea what percentage of Neurodivergent people – particularly Autistic and ADHD – come under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella? You may well be surprised.
Some neurotypes have a way higher prevalence of LGBTQIA+ people among their number, notably Autistics for whom 30% is a pretty conservative estimate.
One thing we know about being Neurodivergent is that you are a lot more likely to encounter issues around mental health, mainly due to things like exclusion, misunderstanding, bullying or gaslighting.
Of course, this is very much in line with the experiences of a lot of LGBTQIA+ people also, particularly around gender identity, which is exactly where the crossover with Neurodivergence seems strongest.
At this point you should be unsurprised to hear that LGBTQIA+ Neurodivergent people are really, really, vulnerable when it comes to maintaining good mental health. They are assailed on multiple fronts.
That’s a huge problem.
So what can we do about this?
Well, a great start is taking the significance of this intersection seriously; learning more about both sides of the equation, and doing so by attending to the voices of actual LGBTQIA+ Neurodivergent people. And in terms of ways forward to a better, safer, more accepting future? Same. Ask us. Listen to us. Follow our guidance.
That’s really obvious, isn’t it? You would think so and yet… Somehow this topic has largely been ignored… and our mental health has suffered as a direct result.
That’s why we’re thrilled to have one of the most important voices working in this area in the country today featured at this year’s Minding Autistic Minds conference: Nem Kearns.
This topic is too important to not be centre-stage.
Don’t miss your chance to be part of this all-too-rare opportunity.
Nem’s workshop will be accessible to online attendees on Day 1 (unrecorded livestream) as well as people attending in-person. You can sign up here
