Being part of the autistic community

I've been part of "autistic communities" before. I didn't feel truly welcome and there's so many arguments over the smallest things ("how dare you call yourself a person with autism") that I just can't be bothered, and it seems to be a few powerful people who can control what goes on there.

As someone who was piled on viciously by people who are also autistic, who also decided that I wasn't actually autistic, and was not defended by anyone, I side-eye anyone who says the autistic community in general is wonderful.

HMO said:

I side-eye anyone who says the autistic community in general is wonderful.

Oh we are just people too at the end of the day and there are plenty with bigoted views, bad behaviour and mean personalities - just like any other part of society.

But they are all welcome here so long as they play by the rules so it does encourage a degree of social cohesion.

I'm not sure I could put up with too much nicey-nice bahaviour anyway as it seems just too fake. Odd coming from someone who masks I know, but I guess we can all be paradoxes sometimes

It took me a long time (alarmingly too long) to realise that only interacting with other autistic people is not really a healthy way of living. 

I agree that calling those of us diagnosed much later in life not genuine is stupid, but I think there's a level of shock at how quickly things have changed, don't forget that these days people get taught about Margeret Thatcher as history, whereas to us who lived through her premiership just see it as old news.

I agree that calling those of us diagnosed much later in life not genuine is stupid, but I think there's a level of shock at how quickly things have changed, don't forget that these days people get taught about Margeret Thatcher as history, whereas to us who lived through her premiership just see it as old news.