Do you still believe in the Autistic Community & Culture

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(Sorry, your post just reads like an advertisement.)

There is no 'autism culture'. There is only 'autistic culture'.
While the Autistic Culture is indeed made of various loosely related strands (which is a good thing), those various strands are connected to each other in myriad ways and do form one cohesive Autistic Culture, as distributed as it is (which is, again, a good thing).

It might be necessary to go beyond coalitions. Many of these communities have very similar, overlapping needs, and guaranteeing that they are met will benefit all. Also, many people are members of multiple communities (minority categories) and find that when they interact in a particular context that they might have to leave those other parts of themselves behind.

I believe it's necessary to build stronger connections than those that lead people to call themselves "allies" to a cause or community they don't have a personal stake in, and I think a good way to do this is to build causes and communities around needs rather than identities or single issues.

In the 1990s, I found only a few dozens of autisitcs online, but they were all enthusiastic about the autistic community and culture.
Nowadays, I find thousands of autistics online, yet it seems that still only a few dozens of them are enthusiastic about the autistic community and culture.

Do you mean the autism community? or the autistic community?
The two communities are very different from one another:
The autism community is comprised mainly of parents and professionals, while the autistic community is comprised mainly of autistics.

Ahh, thanks for explaining the difference.

Many of us who are over, say 40 years of age, probably spent our whole lifetimes wondering just what was wrong with us and why we were different from other people. To many of us late-diagnosed aspies, the autistic culture is still new to us and we never realized, until recently, that we were not alone, that there were actually people like us out there. For us, Wrong Planet is a valuable resource as it allows us to connect--perhaps for the first times --with others who have had similar experiences and to whom we can relate. However, I too am wondering where I go from here. i would like to do more in the field of self-advocacy and to help othertic persons. Due to lack of funds, I really cannot do too much trqaveling, but I do live near New York City and there must be some opportunities there to advance the autistic culture. Any idea, anyone

Yes. The Autistic Self Advocacy Network has a chapter in New York City.
The chapter is directed by Jeniffer (whose e-mail address is on the Autistic Self Advocacy Network's website).
The chapter has regular meetings, which can be read about here:
http://www.meetup.com/aspergers-309/

I'm sure you can join them and help them with whatever they are doing.

I believe that an Autistic Community/Culture is possible. It's just too damn difficult for us to organize. My friend and I couldn't get past level one of a club we had tried to form at our university for autistic students. NTs are alot better at this kind of leadership and organization thing but then again...they are NTs and most still don't get what it's like socially for aspies or our difficulties.

I'm worried it's gonna be alot harder now that autism seems to be ingrained into our society as more of a "kid disease". Whenever I hear about autism in the news, it's always a kid who has it, not an adult, and nobody ever talks about what happens to these kids once they reach 18...which I think they should be far more concerned about.

WP is probably the best that it's gonna get as far as forming a community or culture.

i'm wondering if the fact of economic marginalization may have something to do with the lack of a forceful off-line AS movement. it seems to me that a lot of us are struggling with daily life, & don't have extra energy, time, or money for any special activism. i wouldn't blame it on apathy.

Perhaps.

The time is NOW.
I share your idea that there will probably be no turning back.
With each passing year, we are moving away from the world that we knew and hated, and into a new world of new possibilities.

Where are you getting these posts from ediselfi that you're replying to ?

All those things sound great in theory, but the most natural Autism activity is to sit around posting the same sorts of things on internet forums for years at a time.

From the 9th post in page 2 of this thread. (posted on December 19th).

There already is an Autistic culture. They're called "Trekkies".