As awareness about neurodiversity grows, let’s acknowledge some autistic LGBTQ+ activists, celebrities and public figures who are challenging misconceptions by sharing their stories.
Bella Ramsey
With roles in successful series such as Game of Thrones and The Last of Us, Bella Ramsey has already built an impressive career at the young age of 21. After coming out as non-binary, Ramsey also openly spoke about getting their autism diagnosis when they were 18 and filming the first season of The Last of Us.
In an interview with The Times, they revealed that the way they experience the world has had a massive impact on their career. They explained, “I don’t know if I’d be an actor if it wasn’t for that.”
bella ramsey starting press interviews! thats my baby pic.twitter.com/1qdQm2DuPf
— mila ! (@dayasrussell) March 28, 2025
Wentworth Miller
Best known for his role in hit TV show Prison Break, Wentworth Miller came out as gay in 2013, while later in 2021, he shared on Instagram that he was autistic. Back then, Miller revealed the news, saying it came as a “shock, but not a surprise”.
He also wrote: “Meanwhile, I don’t want to run the risk of suddenly being a loud, ill-informed voice in the room. The #autistic community (this I do know) has historically been talked over. Spoken for. I don’t wish to do additional harm. Only to raise my hand, say, ‘I am here. Have been (without realising it).’”
“I told no one. You only cry for help if you believe there’s help to cry for”. “Make sure you talk to yourself, in your head or out loud, like you talk to your best friend or how you’d want your best friend to talk to you.”
Wentworth Miller pic.twitter.com/EkLUsBJyYd
— Juan NAVARRO (@jnavarrosimon) June 19, 2024
Hannah Gadsby
Beloved Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby first opened up about their autism diagnosis in 2018 in their Netflix comedy special Nanette. Since then, they have toured the world with their show Douglas, which later released on Netflix in 2020, and published their memoir Ten Steps to Nanette: A Memoir Situation in 2022.
In a previous interview with PinkNews, they shared their journey with autism, saying: “The diagnosis helped enormously because I now know that I’m probably not seeing the entire picture all the time, so there’s humour to be mined there.”
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Ethel Cain
American singer-songwriter Ethel Cain publicly came out as a trans woman on her 20th birthday, sharing: “As I got older, I found out there were other options.”
The singer, who also identifies as bisexual, learned she was autistic in her adulthood. “I’m autistic, and so that definitely heightens sensory everything,” she shared. “I think that’s why I have so much crossover between media, because it’s like, there’s never just one sense.”
this ethel cain shoot consistently haunts me….. pic.twitter.com/m3YxwiLfqw
— jas (@lessbienism) March 29, 2025
Bradley Riches
Gay actor Bradley Riches was diagnosed with autism at nine years old. He has been open about his identity, emphasising how important it is for autistic characters to be played by autistic actors, referring to his role as James McEwan in the beloved LGBTQ+ TV series Heartstopper. In a video statement, the actor shared how it was “hard to navigate” a world “fit for neurotypical people”.
Riches then stated, “I think this was due to me not fully understanding myself, be it in my sexuality or me being an autistic person. I think this was also down to not seeing myself represented in a character. I never saw an openly gay, autistic character in anything I’ve seen, which made understanding myself even more difficult.”
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Fern Brady
Another groundbreaking comedian on this list of autistic LGBTQ+ public figures is Fern Brady. The Scottish stand-up comedian started her four-year journey to getting diagnosed after a show in 2017. Joking with the crowd about her struggles to fit in with other women, a spectator came by later to tell her how her story felt like a description of autism. After a series of meltdowns in her 30s, Brady was finally diagnosed with autism at 34 in 2021.
In her book Strong Female Character, Brady shares her experiences of being misdiagnosed as a kid, her acceptance journey with autism and her bisexuality. Since she revealed her diagnosis, the comedian has been campaigning with charities such as Autistica–funding research for understanding autism–and participating in campaigns for World Autism Awareness Month. This year, she is embarking on her new tour for her show I gave you milk to drink.
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Tylan Grant
Hollyoaks star Tylan Grant is a British trans actor playing the autistic character of Brooke Hathaway in the series. Grant became the first actor of colour and the first openly autistic actor to play an autistic character in a mainstream TV soap. Diagnosed aged seven, he became an ambassador of the National Autistic Society, with whom he shared his experience of being on the spectrum in 2019.
He said: “I’ve come to a point where I’m really comfortable with who I am and I’m very proud to be black and autistic.”
Grant also emphasised how important playing Brooke is for him, knowing that he is contributing to having more diverse representation of autism in mainstream media: “As a child I didn’t know who I was because I didn’t see anyone like me and now I think that there’s a community because people are showing themselves.”
British and Irish film/TV birthdays 9 October
Happy birthday to Tylan Grant
(born 9 October 2001)
English actor pic.twitter.com/4VK2uEe9GC— Mark Fowler (@MarkFow74007631) October 9, 2021
Lydia X. Z. Brown
American autistic disability rights activist, writer, attorney, and public speaker Lydia X. Z. Brown was honoured by the White House in 2013. For over 15 years, the activist has been working for disability rights and against violence targeting disabled people. Giving lectures all around the US, the American Bar Association Civil Rights & Social Justice Disability Rights Committee chairperson has given presentations about neurodiversity, notably through a queer lens.
They also founded the Autistic People of Color Fund and the Bearing Witness, Demanding Freedom: Judge Rotenberg Center Living Archive. They have established themselves as one of the most notable queer and autistic activists in the US.
Lydia X. Z. Brown [they/them] is an activist and public speaker who addresses violence against marginalized people living with disabilities. They have worked to advance transformative change through organizing, testifying, writing legislation and leading anti-ableism workshops. pic.twitter.com/ek4WHyAPVv
— HRC (@HRC) October 20, 2022
Lucy Bronze
Queer English professional footballer Lucy Bronze was officially diagnosed as having autism and ADHD about four years ago. Speaking about the diagnosis, she said, “It was something I always knew about in a way.”
In an interview with the BBC, Bronze shared, “I just learned more about myself, understood why in certain situations I saw things differently to other people or acted in a different way to other people.
“Before, it was so frustrating because I felt I had to do that to make other people feel comfortable, but it made me feel more uncomfortable. It’s important for everyone to understand the differences in people.”
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Josh Thomas
LGBTQ+ comedian and actor Josh Thomas was diagnosed as autistic while already in his adulthood, and he said that it helped him in the making of the podcast How To Be Gay.
In an interview with The Guardian, he shared: “I was more aware of the fact that (I’m) bad at some stuff…getting people to feel comfortable and talk about themselves–I wouldn’t say I’m the frontrunner for that job. Which I think got us interesting interviews because I’m so direct, and nobody sounds like they’re bullshitting or being performative.”
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Left at London
Nat Puff, better known by her stage name Left at London, is an American singer-songwriter and comedian. Identifying as a lesbian and a non-binary trans woman, she has spoken about having ADHD, PTSD, borderline personality disorder and OSDD-1b, and also being autistic.
Speaking about her performances, she said autism is what allows her to be so good at impressions. “I’m used to mimicking others in order to seem neurotypical and I’ve gotten really adept at observing things like speech patterns,” she shared.
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Jeanna Fridman
Jenna Fridman is an autistic LGBTQ+ TikToker and activist. They first started advocating and raising awareness for disability rights on social media by creating videos to educate on autism and ADHD.
The creator also works outside of social media on a practicum placement in an autism organisation, and leads the student organisation for disability rights at Western Sydney University. Their reach is significant, as over 86,900,000 people follow them on TikTok.
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Corinne Duyvis
The critically-acclaimed young adult author of Outherbound, Corinne Duyvis is a Dutch sci-fi and fantasy novelist. Speaking to The Guardian, she shared how her diagnosis of being autistic helped her write her first novel: “I learned that limitations do not equal broken. I came to understand that disability is simply another facet of human experience. I embraced the disability movement and all that comes with it. Community. Ingenuity. Advocacy. Connection.”
Duyvis originated the hashtag #OwnVoices in 2015 to emphasise the lack of representation and diversity in young adult and children’s literature. The movement has since expanded beyond these categories, with its aim to promote characters written by authors of diverse identities.
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Talia Hibbert
Also an #OwnVoices writer, Talia Hibbert is a bestselling British novelist. Writing in the contemporary and paranormal genres, her novels address various narratives, creating characters from her own experiences as a queer, autistic, Black woman. In 2017, she started self-publishing her novels thanks to her great-grandmother’s inheritance and is now most known for her 2019 title Get a Life, Chloe Brow.
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These are only a few of the amazing autistic LGBTQ+ activists, actors, authors, comedians and celebrities who are raising awareness about neurodivergence. And for a list of queer characters paving the way for autistic visibility in media, check out this article.
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