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Proud to Be LGBT and Autistic? Previous  1, 2, 3, 4  Next  
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invisiblespectrum
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 2:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You can count me in the neither-proud-nor-ashamed group. It's hard for me to comprehend feeling proud or ashamed of things that are entirely beyond my control. I understand the political usefulness of declaring oneself to be proud of something society says one should be ashamed of, but the emotion just isn't there. To me these are neutral characteristics, they don't make me a better or worse person.
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Mus
Tufted Titmouse
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 3:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am proud of neither. "Pride" denotes a feeling towards something earned or accomplished (proud of good grades, proud of winning an award, proud of my children). I neither earned nor accomplished autism or homosexuality. That would be like saying I'm proud to be right-handed. I'm not, nor can I be. It's simply how I am.
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d057
Deinonychus
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 4:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am glad that somebody agrees with me. Being Autistic is different from being gay, while I know I didn't choose either.

invisiblespectrum wrote:
You can count me in the neither-proud-nor-ashamed group. It's hard for me to comprehend feeling proud or ashamed of things that are entirely beyond my control. I understand the political usefulness of declaring oneself to be proud of something society says one should be ashamed of, but the emotion just isn't there. To me these are neutral characteristics, they don't make me a better or worse person.

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redrobin62
Phoenix
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 2:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Today? No. I'm not proud to be either. Ask me on another day when I'm not feeling down.
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d057
Deinonychus
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 07, 2012 5:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm sorry you feel down. Hope you feel better soon!

redrobin62 wrote:
Today? No. I'm not proud to be either. Ask me on another day when I'm not feeling down.

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Vlad_
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 07, 2012 6:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well I've always been very proud to be me and to be who I am as an unusual and unique person.

But I wouldn't say I'm proud of being autistic since this is limiting in some ways. But I'm proud of the strengths I've developed in spite of everything. I used to think of several of my unusual strengths as aspects of my autism, but I have later found that non-autistic people can present with the same traits, so... I'm satisfied with just saying I'm proud of my strong sides and am continuously working to get better at dealing with my flaws and weaknesses.

As for GLBT... Well, again I'm proud to be me, but do I call myself male or transgender? If I apply semantics of the reality I live in to what I am, I have to call it transgender. And in doing so I am also saying that I am then not male in the same complete way as other men are. This is not because of how I feel - though it influences how I feel - it is because of how our language is structured.

It isn't easy to be proud of something that you can only acknowledge partially when you put it into words!

So I guess the answer is double and maybe somewhat self contradictory because I truly am proud of being me, but I'm not proud of everything that comes with it. I acknowledge being transgendered and having autism, but I treat these as neutral facts that help me navigate and communicate in my/our reality.

I don't want to sound corny, but the 'me' I'm truly proud of can't really be put into words or described, it can only be sensed as a combination of phenomena at any given time, place and situation.
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chessimprov
Toucan
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 11:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As it is relatively still unusual to be gay, Aspergers, or both, we can't expect the majority to understand, but we can demand respect.
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bettalove
Raven
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2012 10:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't know that I'm proud to be either, honestly. Why should I be proud of "random" effects from my DNA?

I just finished making an identical mother dog and puppy plush set. I'm proud of that, because it took my time, dedication, and previously learned skills.
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AnonymousAnonymous
Is Not A Sociopath
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 2:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Today, I'm proud of my sister who came out as queer because
she doesn't see herself as straight nor as bisexual, nor as lesbian.

Now, how do I come out as bisexual in a way that won't shock her?
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tomamil
What the #$*!?
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 4:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

saying i am proud being gay or autistic is like saying i am proud i was born. my mom pushed me through her vagina, she should be the one being proud of that.

but i am proud of who i am and what i've achieved and what i've achieved is thanks to who i am and therefore thanks to my being gay and autistic. although i guess i could achieve the same even if was NT.
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invisiblespectrum
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
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Joined: Oct 19, 2011
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 4:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

tomamil wrote:
saying i am proud being gay or autistic is like saying i am proud i was born. my mom pushed me through her vagina, she should be the one being proud of that.

That is a great of way looking at it. Thanks for making me smile. Smile
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DonQuoteme
Tufted Titmouse
Tufted Titmouse


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PostPosted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 3:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

AstroGeek wrote:
I wouldn't describe myself as proud considering both my AS and homosexuality were things that I was born with. I didn't do anything to achieve them, so I see no reason to be proud. That said, I'm not ashamed either.


You make a good point. The phrase "Out and proud" or just "proud" doesn't really make a lot of sense when you consider we've done nothing to become gay or autistic. Perhaps "comfortable" would be a better way to express how we're dealing with who we are. Similarly, why should anyone feel ashamed of who they are? You can only be ashamed of choices you have control over.
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muzikislyf
Hummingbird
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Joined: Mar 29, 2011
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 3:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

When used in this way, I do believe proud just means that you are not ashamed of those aspects.

I am a proud lesbian Aspie!
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Joshp406
Tufted Titmouse
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Age: 16
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 5:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What's to be proud of? I can't look in the mirror without hating myself (I'm trans), and I'm socially awkward as hell. Yeah sure, that's something to be proud of alright!
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Teuthida
Butterfly
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Joined: Jun 17, 2012
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 8:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am not ashamed of my sexual orientation or my gender identity (XX chromosomes, identify as an androgyne). I was only just diagnosed, so I'm working on not being ashamed of my mind as well. I hope I can one day be as loud and proud about my ASD as I am about my transgender status and sexual orientation.
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