Leaving Evidence
I am a proud autistic of color working with the Autism Women's Network to create the first ever anthology of writings by autistics of color about our lives, our experiences, our histories, our communities, our struggles, our passions, and our resilience. Our stories deserve to be told both for us and for future generations that will come after us. They are stories of segregation in education, police brutality, families of birth, adoption, and choosing, ableism connected to racism, finding community, making home, survival, and resilience. They are stories of being autistic in a neurotypical world and stories of being racialized in a white-dominant world.
Disabled, queer, and racialized activist Mia Mingus urges us to leave evidence that we existed so that our stories and our lives will not be erased or forgotten. The Autism Women's Network is committed to supporting projects that connect disability rights to other struggles and movements. This anthology will help us explore new ground for autistic communities of color whose stories need to be told.
As an autistic person of color, it's not uncommon for me to go to autistic community events and find myself to be the only non-white person there or sometimes one of only a few. Yet it is impossible to separate my experiences as autistic from my experiences as a transracial East Asian adoptee. Here's the important part -- I'm not the only one. We are everywhere. Indigenous and native, mixed-race and multiracial, Black, Brown, South Asian, East Asian, of color, racialized -- and autistic. Our lives and our stories matter.
We invite you to support us in amplifying our voices.
What We Need
We are raising money to cover the costs of printing and publication, which include print and alternate formats, ISBNs so we can place copies in libraries, and small stipends for the project leads.
Additional funds raised will go toward increasing availability of alternative formats, including online access. Any further additional funds will go to the Autism Women's Network to support other projects empowering autistic women.
Risks & Challenges
Because we are soliciting contributions from people who may have multiple disabilities, chronic pain or other illnesses, and language and communication impairments, it is possible we will fall behind schedule. We aim to finish publishing the anthology in 2015, but may need to be flexible about deadlines.
Who We Are
My name is Lydia Brown (though you might know me better as Autistic Hoya). I'm an activist and writer focusing on violence against multiply-marginalized disabled people, including hate crimes, policy brutality, and prisoner abuse. At present, I am serving on the board of the Autism Women's Network. I am also president and co-founder of the Washington Metro Disabled Students Collective. I have worked with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network's national office, and am a past Patricia Morrissey Disability Policy Fellow at the Institute for Educational Leadership. In 2013, I was honored by the White House as a Champion of Change for disability rights.
The mission of the Autism Women’s Network (AWN) is to provide effective supports to Autistic women and girls of all ages through a sense of community, advocacy and resources. AWN is committed to recognizing and celebrating diversity and the many intersectional experiences of Autistic women. AWN welcomes all women, supporters of women, those who have at one time identified as women and non binary gender variant individuals. AWN recognizes and affirms the gender identity of each individual. AWN also welcomes the support and community of those who do not and have not identified as women as allies to support us in our work.
Other Ways You Can Help
You may not be able to donate money, but that doesn't mean you can't help:
- Ask folks to get the word out and share our fundraiser on social media and in your network! (Indiegogo has some nifty buttons that let you do that.)
- Consider submitting your own writing or suggesting autistic people of color who may be interested in submitting!
Thank you so much for your support. Onward!
