As Autism Acceptance Month continues to be marked worldwide, it is essential to highlight some queer public figures who have been open about their experiences of being autistic. Every year, the month of April is dedicated to recognising and empowering autistic individuals, as well as educating and tearing down misconceptions about autism.
In honour of Autism Acceptance Month, here are a few amazing queer autistic individuals breaking down stereotypes and norms one by one!
Wentworth Miller
First up is the American British actor and screenwriter Wentworth Miller. You may already know the star from his roles in Prison Break and The Flash. He came out as gay in 2013 and revealed on Instagram in 2021 that he was diagnosed with autism. Back then, Miller shared a blank post saying it came as a “shock, but not a surprise”.
Acknowledging his privilege to be able to get a diagnosis, the Prison Break star 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).’”
Exciting news for all Prison Break fans! A new season is finally on the horizon. Can’t wait to see Wentworth Miller back in action as the brilliant Michael Scofield. Let the countdown begin! #prisonbreak #michaelscofield #wentworthmiller pic.twitter.com/Xj11gf1Kjb
— Hollywood Box (@hollywoodboxuk) April 7, 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.”
On March 5 of this year, the comedian released a new Netflix comedy special Hannah Gadsby’s Gender Agenda putting genderqueer comedians in the spotlight. The Emmy winner has been a voice both for the queer and autistic communities, sharing their personal experiences with a touch of humour.
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Fern Brady
Another ground-breaking comedian on the list is Fern Brady. The Scottish stand-up comedian started her four-year journey to get 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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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-round the US, the American Bar Association Civil Rights & Social Justice Disability Rights Committee chairperson has given presentations about neurodiversity, notably in through a queer lens.
They also founded the Autistic People of Colour 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.
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.
For this year’s World Autism Day, why not pick up Overwatch 2: Heroes Ascendant? It’s a short story anthology with a story of autistic hero extraordinaire Symmetra! Written by yours truly and @SanguMandanna https://t.co/PMI4F6jTA5https://t.co/6k4l3E2ThQ pic.twitter.com/KQjOdHvKTg
— Corinne Duyvis | buy THE ART OF SAVING THE WORLD! (@corinneduyvis) April 2, 2024
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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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 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.”
Riches just released his debut children’s book “A” Different Kind Of Superpower, which is semi-autobiographical, referencing the actor’s diagnosis as a child and rewriting neurodivergence as a superpower.
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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 better and 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.”
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Jeanna Fridman
Jenna Fridman is a queer and autistic 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.
@jenna.frieds Replying to @travisspam_0 the autism spectrum explained #autism #autismspectrum #autismawareness #actuallyautistic ♬ original sound – Jenna
All these actors, authors, comedians and activists, have been a great voice for the autistic and queer community, paving the way for autistic visibility in media. Autistic Acceptance Month has only just started and it will continue to celebrate the community and raise awareness throughout April!
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