Neurodiversity and privilege

Something that struck me while reading Far From The Tree (ages ago) was that there's tension in America over palatable neurodiverse people that are still able to function in society speaking for those who can't. I'm arguably not neurodiverse, but bipolar is hereditary and latent from birth, so I'd say that counts, and there is some evidence that trans brains are different to cis brains. Yes, I read those articles and listen to people talk about the way in which those that aren't able to function 'normally' are treated. NZ has a bloody awful record when it comes to these things, but for me - who is eccentric but largely able to take care of myself - to speak out about that would seem opportunistic. It's not my brain that's preventing me from becoming gainfully employed and part of the mundane social fabric of Aotearoa. That's why people want me: it's the clothes I wear that turn them off, not the eccentricities, which is a very different kettle of fish.

- AMPP isn't supposed to comment on every issue. There's a core focus on social reform, and this fits that remit. I don't know anyone who is secluded - obviously - so all I can go on is the experiences of my friends who were sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

Since the first blog, I've been mentioning how NZ isn't great at crisis response. My brother pointed out from his own experiences that it was often a bunch of brown people being punished for not conforming to the imperial way who were being held involuntarily. - If you're wondering why I'm not fond of the alphabet soup and associated jargon, look at the way in which autistic has become this scary word. Like, if you read the newspapers, you'd form the impression that an autistic kid is like a dud, a dead lump of clay rather than the joyous perfect child that the parent class want. In the US, this is slightly more obvious, but from my newsroom experience I'd say that we have our own version of that. As an editor, it's fair to say that my grasp of NZ English is very strong, and I notice a dismissive or patronising slant when the subject of autism comes up (as opposed to ADHD or dyslexia).

The transgender narrative was becoming mired in that same shit. It's a much more difficult sell to say that somebody far from the tree deserves the same rights and dignities that neurotypical, cisgender members of the ethnic majority enjoy in Aotearoa-New Zealand. Something to work on in the future... the Greens seem to have the neurodiverse vote, but perhaps some people might find AMPP more responsive.