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I've tried to explain as best I can as to the benefits the scheme brings. That is why people want them. Not everyone is ashamed of their neurodivergence - that's why autistic pride exists.

I get why people are reticent about being that open about themselves. I don't feel the need to personally wear the lanyard, but I have no problem when my other half wears one when we're with our children (although they may have got lost). I haven't taken part in any autistic pride events either, nor do I out myself as autistic willingly (its been less than two years since I was diagnosed).

I'm not even trying to change your mind and convince you to wear one, only that they do bring benefits and people do use them and find them helpful.

I wouldn't stop others from wearing one if they choose, even if I was with them. It'd be cool. But just not something I would choose to do.

It's a good question that

You know that some people with autism didn't know they were disabled until later on in life

Maybe this might make a difference to people's feelings on this matter

People being proud of their autism is understandable, even though I don't feel that way about my ASD at all. But I wouldn't judge how others feel about their autism.

I wouldn't say I'm proud of it exactly but I've had to overcome a lot so I suppose there's something to be said for that

Yeah, I don't know how people can be proud of their condition, but some people are and I do like to respect that, as we each have a different life story to tell.

It's annoying when people tell you how to feel about your autism. For example, if you say you wouldn't want a child on the spectrum you get lectured like "that makes you a bad parent in advance! How dare you not want your child to be on the spectrum!" Then when you say "I'd prefer to have a child on the spectrum" people are then like "that makes you a bad parent in advance! How dare you wish something as awful as autism upon others, particularly your own child!" Then when you say you wish you didn't have autism (for valid and personal reasons listed), then they go "that's so offensive to the rest of us! How dare you not want to be one of us! That's wrong!"

Um, so I'm not supposed to have any feelings at all about autism and just expected to remain neutral about it my whole life in case my feelings offend someone?

(Not aimed at anyone in this thread).

If I wasn't on the spectrum I'd still exist. I'd just be an NT version of myself, which isn't that hard to imagine. Just imagine me but without all the s**t.

Saying you wouldn't exist if you didn't have autism is like saying I wouldn't exist if I was born a male. I'd still exist physically, but as a male.

When I imagine "myself" without autism here's how it goes. I wouldn't struggle with social interaction. I wouldn't have sensory aversions to certain foods. I would probably enjoy going to loud parties and things. I'd probably drink alcohol. I'd probably enjoy sports . I probably wouldn't be queer since NTs are much less likely to be queer. I'd lose my strengths in logical thinking and seeing through the things most people mindlessly believe. I'd lose my special interests and be doomed to not enjoy them anymore. I would no longer make little observations about everyday life that some people enjoy hearing. I'd lose my uniquely autistic sense of humor, and with it the ability to enjoy other people's autistic humor. These things, which you refer to as "s**t", are what makes me who I am. I can't think of a single aspect of my personality that isn't touched by autism. A few of these components might exist in an NT brain, but add all of them--the combination that defines me--and you get a very autistic brain.

By contrast, your genitals have zero effect on your personality, which makes your attempt at analogy about the least convincing one I can imagine.

I'm not saying it's wrong to want to become someone else (although I do hope you can one day learn to accept yourself), but I think you're conflating the aspects of autism you don't like--and we all have aspects of it we don't like--with the full picture that forms the blueprint for your personality. Yeah, of course there are some things like social anxiety and sensory sensitivities that I'd like to get rid of because they aren't really an integral part of who I am, and they're really annoying. But autism is such a complex and multifaceted condition that to get rid of it would essentially be getting rid of your entire personality.

If I had the brains to explain myself in more detail without a fight breaking out then I would. But I don't, so I'm just going to leave it at that.

I am still curious about where TheDandy1 got this idea.