Horizontal Identities

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I've been reading a book about horizontal identities (vs vertical identities from your family) which addresses identities develop through an outlying trait such as homosexuality or disability. It raised an interesting point I'm still kind of mulling, because I see it echoed in the Autism Speaks debates. In something such as autism, there is autism=identity, and autism=disability. They aren't mutually exclusive of course, but when people are so invested in one of the equations, they tend to wall themselves off from the other reality. How does everyone find a way to marry the two, away from the "Autistics should rule the world", and "Wipe autism off the planet" extremes?

I think you may be making the same mistake a lot of us make:

Assuming that many of us really are at one extreme or the other. I don't really think that's true.

I think if you look at discussions and follow the individuals involved, there's a little of both in many of us.

For example, Autism = Disability doesn't necessarily mean we want autism wiped off the planet. Neither does Autism = Identity mean one thinks we are superior.

I think the vast majority of us believe it's a disability, but also gives us strengths. That it is part of our identity, but doesn't necessarily define us, and doesn't make us superior.

Those who think in extremes, I believe from my own observations, are the outliers.

It is also easy to see a discussion, pick out certain statements or arguments made by one individual that seem to favor one extreme or another and assume they adhere to that extreme, but that's the "mistake" I referred to earlier. If you really get to know a good number of autistics, I think you'll find most of us, though we might discuss and appear to agree with extremes, don't really subscribe to extreme views.

Another problem with sussing out what the reality is, is that extremists tend to be the most vocal, so you'll see the extremes rage like wild fires from time to time.

Over all, I don't really think the extremists are much of a concern. I really think most of us stand somewhere in the middle ground.

That said, I don't see any real need to "marry the two," because for most of us, we already get it.