“These Experiences also Relate to my Neurodiverse Identity”: An Intersectional Understanding of Heterosexist Events Among Autistic-LGBTQ+ Individuals

Background: Given the high likelihood of Autistic individuals also being sexual and gender minorities, it is important to understand how Autistic-LGBTQ+ people understand prejudice events in the context of their intersectional identities. Methods: In this study, we used reflexive thematic analysis guided by an intersectional lens to explore experiences of heterosexism among 49 Autistic-LGBTQ+ adults. Specifically, we explored two issues as follows: (1) the nature of the heterosexist events they experienced and (2) the identities Autistic LGBTQ participants thought were related to a distressing heterosexist event they had experienced. Results: Heterosexist events were characterized by four themes, including rejection, harassment, invalidation, and discrimination. Participants often felt that several identities were salient when considering their heterosexist event. The four themes that described the experience of intersectional stressors for Autistic-LGBTQ+ participants are abbreviated here as follows: (1) assumptions about autism, (2) gender “as a bit of a double blow,” (3) queerness as “abhorrent,” and (4) “too young to know better.” Conclusion: We use intersectionality theory to frame stigma experiences for Autistic people who are also sexual and gender minorities, exploring clinical implications and future directions for research.