How are Autism and Queer Identity Related?

Oftentimes, an autistic individual will differ from the norms in more than one way. Statistics show that neurodiverse people tend to be gender non-conforming at a much higher rate than their neurotypical peers. This overlap is especially true for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder. A term sometimes used to refer to those that fall into both categories is “double rainbow”, due to existing on multiple spectrums.

The relationship between autism and gender is often complicated and poorly understood. For some autists, the concept of gender is inextricably linked to their neurotype, forming a neurogender. Xenogender identities are another kind of gender identity almost solely found in neurodivergent individuals. A xenogender is an umbrella term under which many identities fall, and can be further split into more distinct segments. A noungender is a gender that relates to an object, animal, or concept outside of the normal confines of gender (such as catgender). These are just some examples from a huge range of gender experiences.