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Tag: grammar

Call Me By My Name/s

Call Me By My Name/s

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My name is joshua. My pronouns are they/them/theirs and joshua.I am neuro-queer and gender-vague. I also have no name; or pronouns; or neuro-type; or gender; and i am no-one. Having a break-down woke me up to the understanding that my identity has been largely shaped by external sources. “My” given birth-name is Joshua, and “my” given nick-name is Josh. “My” given pronouns are he/him, and “my” given “sex/gender” is male/man. And so on. I didn’t choose these things as fundamental…

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Person-First or Identity-First? It’s Simple; Both!

Person-First or Identity-First? It’s Simple; Both!

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The debate over whether to use person-first language (PFL) (e.g., person with autism) or identity-first language (IFL) (e.g., autistic person) has been ongoing within the autism community, and while many identify with and use PFL, the majority seem to identify with and use IFL. I’d like to end this debate by pointing out one simple thing: it’s a red herring! In other words, it should not be a discussion of one versus the other (as the argument posits). This fallacy…

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(Neuro)Queering Medical Rhetoric: The Case Against Autism Functioning Labels

(Neuro)Queering Medical Rhetoric: The Case Against Autism Functioning Labels

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TL;DR appears post-script. First and fore-most, let me say that functioning labels are not formal medical or clinical terms with regard to autism. They are not formally recognized medical conditions them-selves, and the DSM (or what i ironize as “the clinician’s dictionary”) no longer recognizes “low- or high-functioning autism” as official classifications (note that they were actually never diagnoses). This distinction is necessary (in my opinion) when philosophizing about issues of “good and bad” (in this case, whether or not…

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Why Starving Autist?

Why Starving Autist?

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Content Warning: dis-ordered eating Why not The Starving Autist?I’m sure i’m not the only one. Why not A Starving Autist?Starving Autist looks and sounds better (to me). Why Starving?I’ve always hated food, and i’ve always been “under-weight” (a word i now give little weight). I have distinct memories (equally hilarious and troublesome) of both (1) hiding food around the house when no one was looking and (2) being the last one at the dinner-table, my plate still full and my…

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Myself. My-self. My Self.

Myself. My-self. My Self.

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I’m an alien from inner space.– Jamila Woods Things stick with me. When i wash my hands, the line from the HBO series Westworld about the mechanicality (i also love making up words) of soap inevitably manifests in my mind. When my dog kisses me, i am inevitably (and immediately) reminded of Cat Stevens’ I Love My Dog, which begins to play inside my head. When i am given a play-by-play, i recall from the film 13 Going On 30 the (hilarious) line, Do whatever you…

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