Coping with "Light it Up Blue" attacks in early April

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http://m.wikihow.com/Support-an-Autisti ... ness-Month

If you don't already know:

Light it Up Blue is not an awareness campaign for ASD people, as it claims to be; it is an advertising and PR campaign for Autism Speaks, which is dedicated to ridding the world of autism.

I'm only recently diagnosed so this might be a dumb question.

I realize the blue puzzle piece is from Autism Speaks . However, I see 2 other symbols and different Autistics and Aspies tend to like 1 or the other. Is there a difference between the ribbon with multicolored puzzle pieces and the rainbow infinity sign? I see both as positive but want to know the difference. Before being diagnosed I only saw the puzzle piece ribbon but it seems like aspies tend to like the infinity symbol more (for example in this wikihow has the infinity symbol 4 times but no puzzle-ribbon).

PaulAspie,

The puzzle piece represents the idea that there's a part of us missing and that we're only partially people with a mystery to be solved to put back the missing piece. The infinity symbol in contrasts symbolizes we're indeed whole people with infinite possibilities across a spectrum.

This commentary expresses my response to the Light it Up Blue (IMO an advertising, money-seeking and dehumanization campaign), and is beautifully expressed by this writer:

http://respectfullyconnected.com/2016/03/hello-april/

also, on disrespect for difference:
http://respectfullyconnected.com/2015/0 ... embracing/ and diversity:

The Rainbow-Infinity graphic symbolizes neurodiversity, not just autism.

As such it promotes the idea of endless possibilities instead of a problem (ie a missing puzzle piece), denotes a spectrum instead of a binary (normal vs abnormal) and is far more inclusive. It also evokes a helix as a reference to DNA to remind people that, "diverse neurological conditions appear as a result of normal variations in the human genome."

Also, the first time I heard the slogan, "Light it up Blue" I assumed it was a campaign by cigarette companies.

The puzzle piece represents the idea autism is hijaking cute normal kids and is turning them into non humans. Autism Speaks uses that symbolism to raise money.

Unfortunately also the truth

The autism puzzle piece was designed in 1963 to be used as the logo for the U.K. National Autistic Society, long before Autism Speaks (AS) was an idea. As with its mission statement, AS co-opted the logo. My personal favorite autism-related logo is the rainbow-colored infinity symbol for neurodiversity.

I know ASAN is around and a few other autism related groups, but the next one to pop up needs to just flat out call itself Rainbow Infinity. Who doesn't like rainbows? Who doesn't like infinite rainbows? Pure sales pitch, but that's what NTs like.

edit: correcting dumb grammar mistake I consistently make.

I think the anything with the word 'rainbow' in it these days might be confused with LGBT groups.

The autism charity I worked for was getting local buildings to light themselves blue for autism awareness, it was pointed out that Autism Speaks did this and they seemed to have stopped thank god.

Rainbow colors do seem to be attached to LGBT+ people, but maybe that isn't such a bad idea. Recent research suggests that, while about 3-5 percent of a population is gay, lesbian or bisexual, about 10 percent of autistic females are gender dysphoric while, similarly, about 10 percent of the female gender-dysphoric population is autistic. In other words, sexuality among female autistics is much more diverse.

As for Autism Speaks, wear red on April 2.

Unless you live in a very urban area. Then don't wear red OR blue. And keep your hands out of your pockets.

ASAN (rainbow faceted circle) and the Neurodiversity movement (rainbow lemniscate, or infinity symbol) use a color spectrum because at the core of both of their philosophies is the inclusion of the entire spectrum as part of normal humanity over time & across populations.

LGBT groups adopted a color rainbow with the original Pride flag in part because they wanted to be *inclusive* of everyone on the gender & sexuality spectrums. They have their own "Autism Speaks" in groups who wish to "cure" them, too. Interestingly, 40 years later it's now accepted in neurology that there are indeed, male-attracted & female-attracted brain sites, on a spectrum so perhaps the two movements are fighting a very similar battle.

Inclusion, not exclusion. Acceptance and celebration of variation, not try to "cure" anyone who is different.

I was nearly going to have my Facebook picture tinted blue all month, until I saw #redinstead in someone's signature (on another website)

Gosh, I feel dumb... Are there any other 'negative' campaigns I should be aware of?

That 3-5% is way to high.

3.4% is the commonly accepted, low end, most conservative figure & does not include anyone who doesn't fit the question criteria, people who don't "identify" as gay, people who are closeted, people who engage in same sex relationships or sexual activities yet consider themselves straight...basically that 3.4 only reflects the most secure, extreme people.

Also, the HHS study that produced the 3.4% low end baseline figure was criticized somewhat sharply for it's methodology that guaranteed undercounting. The figures were gained by locally hired people going door to door in states/areas that often were fairly conservative asking the person who answered the door if they were gay.