As a autistic trans person who has little to no ability to mask and the current “administration” we have in America. What is things I can do to survive it knowing that most places for community around me are not disability or autism friendly. At least not towards me.
(I’m not American so I might not have some knowledge required to assist you here)
Well, first of all, if you are able, get out of there. If not, consider some things like:
- What kind of region do you live in? Could you move to a more progressive area at some point?
- Are you out? If so, who are you out to? Just closest family or friends? How likely do you think it is that someone could find out you’re trans?
Build a community you can trust. Don’t out yourself or anyone else. Find encrypted ways to communicate with others. Maximise your privacy. Plan for emergencies before they happen. Learn basic self defense and survival skills. Build a go-bag you can grab if you have to flee for any reason.
Above all, take care of yourself. In order to survive physically, you also have to survive mentally. Don’t exhaust yourself with a constant flood of bad news. If you have safe people to be around, spend some time with them. Do silly things that give you joy.
Stay safe <3
Arm yourself, and practice your marksmanship.
Only you can keep yourself safe.
Don’t go looking for trouble, but this is the reality of life in America.
I’m not in the US but recently met someone who is, and they made a great point about nurturing and supporting the communities/groups you’re already in. Whether you meet physically or virtually, spend time with and be present for each other.
As for finding a community, one of the things that has really worked for me is finding a local hardcore punk music venue and going to shows there. Even if you’re not into the music, the chances are good that the people in that scene are inclusive of queer, trans, neurodiverse and disabled identities.
Edit: I was in a bit of a hurry in my original reply. I want to add that I hope you’re safe, and that you are able to find support, love and hope through your community. I once saw a tshirt with the slogan “QUEER LOVE DESTROYS FASCISM” and I keep holding onto that thought to get me through dark days.
I am not in America but, people in more artsy places seem more open minded. Things like painting workshops, theatre clubs, and such. I would also try looking online for autistic or queer advocacy groups in your general area.
I don’t even live in the US and I’m asking myself the same question.
I too am in the US and… yeah it sucks. :( I do agree with what others said about finding a music or arts scene nearby where there are fellow queer folk. Maybe easier for me to say as I’m in a fairly big city with lots of options, but there must be cool people hiding everywhere.
Also… don’t read/watch the news, is what I have been doing. My youtube feed is tailored to my special interests ONLY, and the only way I hear about the $#@!ing president is when my friends talk about it (which is fine, I guess). Or if I accidentally click from “subscribed” to “all” in Lemmy, lol. It helps :-/
Try to leave the US if possible. This isn’t going to be over in 4 years.
If you already live in an area that is neither disability friendly nor autism friendly, then a new federal government won’t help you regardless of who’s in charge.
The current administration doesn’t change what you need to survive, only the means through which survival is available to you. Do not seek permission to live from others; only you can justify your own existence. Humans are just another force of nature. Adapt and evolve as you always have.
Be the support you needed to make it as far as you did. Don’t underestimate the power of your voice in a community, especially a newer one.
America will jerk back in 2 and 4 years, don’t worry about that, it’s the system working as intended.
This is pretty terrible advice. We have absolutely no way of knowing that America will “jerk back in 2 and 4 years.” The future is unwritten, full stop. It may be much better than we imagine. However, we ignore warnings and threats to or survival at our peril.
Currently, trans people in the U.S. are under attack by our government. Hundreds of anti-trans bills have been submitted and passed by state governments in the past few years, including bills that carry large fines or jail sentences either for bathroom use or for “cross-dressing” in public.
Florida has a law on the books that would make it “fraud” for me to show my California ID, which shows my legal gender on it. The penalty for fraud is a prison sentence that I would serve in men’s prison, where trans women are routinely brutalized by both guards and inmates (look up “z coding” if you have the stomach for it).
That is where we stood before Trump took office and the tide shows no sign of turning. Indeed, we now have every major media outlet and social media network normalizing anti-trans rhetoric, leaving us with absolutely no reason to believe that things are going to change for the better any time soon. Hell, with the current EO, it’s unclear whether my passport will be revoked if I try to leave.
Repressive regimes don’t overthrow democracy and open camps all in one day. It’s a slow, tired slog of tiny trespasses, each accompanied by a chorus of onlookers telling the targets that they’re overreacting and that nothing truly bad can ever happen. It has happened time and time and time again throughout history. We have every reason to believe that it will happen again (and again and again…) in the future.
I don’t know where everything will lie in the U.S. in a year, in 5 years, in 10 years. Neither do you or anyone else who claims they do. But I know this: there are mass graves throughput the world full of people who thought it could never happen to them and there are millions of onlookers who did nothing except be certain it could never get that bad.
