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Writer's pictureThe Autistic Realm Australia Inc.

IDAHOBIT May 17 2023

With love from The Autistic Realm

https://www.idahobit.org.au/news/the-history-of-IDAHOBIT-may-17


Today, Wednesday 17 May is IDAHOBIT - the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.


It is an important day to remember because safe, affirming, culturally appropriate care and acceptance for all LGBTIQ+ communities is under threat. Oh, that threat never seems to go away, but right now it is more important than ever. When local councils have to cancel library events because the safety of staff and attendees is threatened it is essential to stand up and be counted as allies. The Autistic Realm Australia stands in solidarity with LGBTQIA+ communities today and every day.


To state the obvious - gender diversity and gender diverse children are real. Gender diverse people are up to 6 times more likely to be Autistic than the general population, so gender diversity is Autistic reality.


The Autistic Realm Australia wholeheartedly supports, validates and celebrates gender diverse children and adults. Our stance is based on unconditional love for all our gender diverse siblings, and is backed by large scale scientific studies* on Autism and gender diversity, and the broad and deep lived experience of Autistic people.

IDAHOBIT stands as an antidote to the latest cynical and confected moral panic as Drag queens are accused of "grooming children" through drag story time events.


This panic is not new and distracts from the real issue of child sexual abuse at home. These accusations wrongly blame outsiders like trans people, gay men, and "stranger danger," while ignoring the actual risks children face. Despite occasional panics, progress has been made towards acceptance and celebration of LGBTQIA+ rights. However, some people struggle to adapt to modern community expectations of equality and non-discrimination.


As acceptance grows, young people are more comfortable exploring their identities, but they are also more vulnerable. Research shows the harmful impact of homophobic and transphobic messages on them. Drag story time events are a suitable way to embrace diversity and educate all children about consent, dignity, self-determination, and human rights.


Therefore, today, on IDAHOBIT we call on all Australians to:

  • support and validate all Australians of all gender identities and expressions

  • respect all diversity

  • reject and oppose hate, discrimination and exclusion against trans children and adults


If you would like some information about how to stay safe online that is specific to gender diversity hate speech TARA has this resource. https://www.tara.org.au/post/red-flags-transphobic-groups-and-content


For media comment, please contact The Autistic Realm Australia - anna@tara.org.au


*Some of the research evidence:

Warrier, V., Greenberg, D.M., Weir, E. et al. (2020). Elevated rates of autism, other neurodevelopmental and psychiatric diagnoses, and autistic traits in transgender and gender-diverse individuals. Nat Commun 11, 3959 (2020). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-17794-1


de Vries, A.L.C., Noens, I.L.J., Cohen-Kettenis, P.T. et al. (2010). Autism Spectrum Disorders in Gender Dysphoric Children and Adolescents. J Autism Dev Disord 40, 930–936. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-010-0935

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