June AWN Newsletter

Hi, I’m Lei, the Community Outreach Coordinator for the Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network and I wanted to wish you a happy Pride! Last month AWN sent you an update about our LGBTQIAP+ and Gender Justice policy work and asked for your support for our Give Out Day fundraiser. I really appreciate everyone who donated! Yet even if you do not have the ability to donate to LGBTQIAP+ causes, I want to encourage you to support your local queer and trans community this month (and every month) by other means such as volunteering. I believe change really does happen at the local level, and maybe to inspire your creativity I wanted to share some of the ways I’ve been supporting my LGBTQIAP+ community in Stanwood & Camano Island Washington this month. 

In addition to AWN, I’m also involved with other local nonprofits including NeurodiversityLibrary.org, PFLAG, Stanwood Camano Alliance For Equity, and the Stanwood-Camano Arts Advocacy Commission. At our local pride, AWN and NeurodiversityLibrary.org hosted a booth that was a sensory-friendly quiet space for people to take a break, relax, create, or enjoy a few moments alone before rejoining the celebration. We also handed out earplugs to pride attendees. This was our way of helping to make Pride more accessible, and we know many people of all ages including families benefited from the environment we created at our Pride booth.

Also during Pride the Stanwood-Camano Arts Advocacy Commission had a trailer where people could craft jewelry and write letters of love, support, and empowerment for trans and nonbinary people. The jewelry and letters will be included in care packages which I’ll help them distribute to local trans and nonbinary people. This will be our second round of packages! On June 5, AWN hosted a local in-person watch party of the streaming version of the play “Let Me Know If I Hurt You,” written and performed by autistic playwright Dave Osmundsen. It’s a powerful coming-of-age tale about a gay and autistic young adult. I know our audience was so grateful for Dave sharing this important story. AWN is working to co-host some upcoming community events beginning in August with the Stanwood Camano Alliance For Equity to further their disability justice and equity work. At our first event, Inclusion For All will present an Inclusive Education 101 Workshop and share their research. It has been personally fulfilling to work with AWN and all these local organizations to promote understanding, access, and equity for all, and I want to encourage you to get involved with your community however you can!

Autistic People of Color Fund Survey:

One more important update before I go is that our partner organization, the Autistic People of Color Fund has a survey collecting information about the experiences of autistic people of color’s with higher education. I hope you’ll take a moment to take and/or share the survey:

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I’m proud to be in community with you!