In Defense of Autistic Trans Self-Determination

image: a square with multiple shades of fractured blue within it. image by annainthefields

On April 13th, 2023, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey put into effect an emergency order barring trans healthcare in his state. In 2023’s onslaught of trans-hating legislation, this is the first ban of gender affirming care for trans adults. This order is a perfect storm, a convergence of anti-trans hate and medical ableism that leaves trans people throughout the United States vulnerable to violence. 

His reasons are the same as most anti-trans bigots with power: to end trans self-determination, criminalize trans people and our families, and advance a campaign that seeks to eliminate us from public life entirely. 

Their arguments are drawn directly from The New York Times, The Atlantic, and other powerful opponents of trans freedom. 

Like these outlets, AG Bailey and his ilk believe that neurodivergent trans people are not competent. They believe we don’t know what our genders, our bodies, and our minds require. 

As Erin Reed tweeted the day the emergency was declared we are “firmly in the ground of targeting trans adults now. They 100% intend to eliminate all of our care entirely. Stockpile your medication and be there for your peers.”

We are two autistic trans and nonbinary Black and brown people enraged by last week’s declaration and the ongoing war on our communities. We understand this is an attempt to ban all gender affirming care for trans adults. We also know that this is Bailey’s attempt to play to the United States’ worst and most hateful elements, as he prepares to run for election to a full-term in 2024.

If this attempt on our lives succeeds, other politicians will repeat this strategy. 

AG Bailey even attempts to frame this violent termination of trans healthcare as a form of trans mental health care. The wording of the declaration weaponizes existing ableist sentiments about madness and neurodivergence against trans people.  

The emergency declaration effectively bans gender-affirming care for all trans adults and youth without a single vote. It also targets mad and autistic trans and nonbinary adults for exclusion from care.

The emergency declaration insists that any provider who gives trans affirming care to someone with “psychiatric symptoms from existing mental health comorbidities” that have not “been treated and resolved” is a criminal. 

This is the first attempt to ban gender-affirming care for trans adults. It is a dangerous escalation of facism. It also displays the ableism and trans hatred that fascism requires.

We have been fighting to live as sick, autistic BIPOC survivors since we were born. We know how to fight. We are not going back.

We know that destroying the fascism that trans bans embody requires a militant anti-ableist analysis. It requires us to understand that ableism underpins all attacks on bodily autonomy. 

Hidden within ableism and trans hatred is a fear that our self-determination will erode the medical industrial complex, the patriarchy, and the state. 

Trans and nonbinary people's resistance to gatekeepimg from the MIC mirrors autistic people's insistence that we are experts on our experience and lives--not cis people, not allistic doctors. 

We know we are not a problem to be fixed.

Our assertions of freedom through self determination are terrifying to a state and a Medical Industrial Complex that wants to control our bodies. 

If we are seizing our own bodily autonomy, they are less able to control and profit off of us. Free people are hard to control

Any organizing to defeat trans-hating legislation must understand these connections and articulate them if we’re going to win.

 Part of why we decided to write this statement was that we’ve seen a lack of understanding and articulation of these connections coming from many who condemned the resolution.

 This has to change!

As this progresses, we encourage you to: 

• Pay attention. If you do not live in the South or the Midwest, do not think that it’s “just Missouri” or “just Texas.” That is racist, classist, and disrespectful to the legacy of radical organizing work happening in the South and Midwest. These bans can happen anywhere unless we stop them.

• Form coalitions of marginalized bodies. The NoBody is Disposable Coalition, who brought together disabled people, fat people, and elders early in the pandemic, is a good model.

• Continue to build coalitions with reproductive justice workers. They are fighting like hell to defend bodily autonomy. They are  pushing back on abortion ban laws. They are working creatively to get people what they need, with or without the law. 

• Heed the leadership of autistic and disabled trans BIPOC people

• Use any skill or talent you may have to work against these laws. We all have something to contribute. As Cyree Jarelle Johnson recently wrote “anything worth doing helps end fascism.” 

• Become ungovernable. Shut down legislatures where this is happening. Look at Tennesse Two being reinstated when people fucked up shit so hard at the state house and in public. All fascism that was defeated happened because people got loud.

• Be aware of the fascists strategy. This shit doesn't come out of nowhere. There was  a national organizing campaign on the part of far right organizers  to target trans people under the rubric of “protecting youth.” 

• Use what we have like the element of surprise, creativity, relationships, networks of care, and love.  Look at past disabled and allied organizers- from AIDS activists who dumped their ashes on the White House lawn and took over Catholic churches, to disabled protestors who locked down in their wheelchairs, to the K pop stans who jammed Trumpian portals- for inspiration of things you can do. Keep our eyes on where we want to be in four years.

• Learn from our elders how we got hormones and treatment before the modern trans movement.

• Get a fucking passport if you can. Keep an eye out for what states are passing trans refugee asylum laws.

• Get your surgery and scripts as soon as you can. Here is a link to Erin in the Morning’s  map of places doing informed consent gender affirming treatment

The lines of united ableism and trans hatred are crystal clear. We must inform ourselves and our communities. We must come together to resist.  And we will.

Signed,

Cyree Jarelle Johnson & Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

Signed as supporters:

Signed as supporters:

Sandy Ho, Disability and Intersectionality Summit

Dr. Sami Schalk, University of Madison Wisconsin

Ali Blake, genderqueer educator and teacher educator

Rev. Anne Dunlap

Casper Carver

Kate

Katie Meyer, Boston University Graduate Workers Union BUGWU-SEIU 509

Jané Mackenzie

Muna Mire

Noel Barrera

Melissa Marver

Marcia Belsky

Neuro Cosmos, Drag Artist

Nicole McAfee, Freedom Oklahoma

Audre Wirtanen, Hyp-ACCESS

Rasha Abdulhadi

Sarah Kurchak

Simon Shieh

Amrita Chakraborty

Rob Newman, Concerned grandparent

Elly Fireside

Meredith Bartley

jay besemer

Kelly Hayes, Lifted Voices

Joselia Hughes

scantima

S.J. Barone Shannon, Tucson, Arizona

M. Téllez

Spencer Frank

Emily Iknayan

Ruth Sangree

Madeline Townsend, National Lawyers Guild

Amaranthe Rae Zinzani

ang williams

Mollie Holmberg, University of British Columbia

Rebecca Liss

Lauren Mitchell

Jillian Zdepski

Skye Johnson

Kemi Alabi

E Young

Harris Lockard

Alex Hobbs

Jen Lowe

Tina Zafreen Alam

Vanessa Bretas, Domestic Workers United, Survived and Punished NY

Owen Marciano

noam keim

Gur Keer

Danez Smith

Hannah Harris-Sutro

Atia Haq, Registered Psychotherapist

Josh Klopfenstein

Megan Groves

Camellia Grass

Sydney Goldman

Maya Schenwar

Courtney Gray

Nancy Yang

Lo b

Mack A. Thompson, Applied Anthropology MA student at the University of Kentucky. Multiply-disabled Autistic and Trans/Nonbinary self-advocate who has ALWAYS been acutely aware of my bodymind and my relationship to it

Tannara Yelland

Mia S

Jason Bowen (they/them), IDHA NYC

Victoria Rowe

Chandler

Sam Armbruster, MPH

Dean Boland

Rosen Ferreira

Chris Lester

Raevyn Emrick, Trans and neurodivergent

Megan Shaughnessy-Mogill

Leigh Hendrix, psychotherapist

Eli Kean, Ph.D.

Rowan Peterson

Nael French

Lawrence Wilde

Co Clark

Dr Syrus Marcus Ware

Dianne Brunelle

Sharon Arnold

Coco Wilder

Marriah Ferguson

Theodora bell

Jules

Kelly Ward

Tam J Guy

Wendeth Rauf

Lillian Pink

Adrianna Schuh

Melody

Katherine Nicole

Caitlyn

Braxton Wallace

McKenzy Green

Danielle F

Rachel Cockrell

Kristene

wren ❀

Cyn Gonzales

Michelle Hoxie

André J Daughtry

Katie B.

Milo Samudio

Hannah Ciesil

Jacks McNamara

Jaylynn Tomko

Claire

J May

Madeleine Williams

Jolene Beatty

Autumn Hanna

cam carter

Lücién Reubens

Rebecca Traquair

Victoria Hutchinson

Shewit Zerai

Tara Salamone

Blake McCreery-Cullofer

Russ Montiero

Demitra Olague

Avery Anne Johnson

Aviva Galpert

Petra Floyd

Isa Smith

Tikeah Miller-johnson

Joan Co

Neve Jahn

Ellie Taylor, Ellie Wolfe Taylor Psychotherapy

Jacqueline Brooks

Anne

Stephanie Doig

Sofie Benson

Adele Turner

Nicole Thomte MS LMFT

Katherine Greenstein, St Louis, Missouri (National Disabled Students Coalition)

Elliot Tetreault

Emma Specter, Newsguild

Katherine Dullea

Zoraida Ingles

Tiffany Rossmoyer

Serena Pineda

Hannah Ramsey

Ashton Yount

Alysse Reanne

Jennifer Owens

Satchel Owens

Jolie Siegel

SJ

Miranda J. Stinson

Gina Velasco, Haverford College

Grace Byron

Jennifer Ferreira

Quinn Rivenburgh, Full Spectrum Therapy

Aryn Ellis

Cynthia Gorsuch

Caitlynn Thompson

Patrick MacDonald

Jaden F, Mirror Memoirs

Rider Alsop

Lindsay Eanet

Naima Lowe

Brianna

romham pàdraig gallacher, Radical Access Mapping Project

Matilda

Neyla Drink

Karly A Grossman

Amara Scheitlin

D’Andrea Lattier

Gretchen Maune

Jennifer Ritz Sullivan

Vicco Naylor, Northwest Film Forum

Han Olliver

Mathieu Leger

AJ, St. Louis, MO

Tanuja Devi Jagernauth

Hartrich Zack

Heather Goddard

Vani Natarajan

Dominic DeRamo

Sydney Schalk

Eikki Rune

Francisco Eraso, Whitney Museum of American Art

Toni Sun Prickett, NYC Department of Education

Heather Freeman

James

melissa baldwin

Lauren Frey

Satya Lopez

Sage Avery

Lyon

Jennifer Gates

Levon McKenzie

EG

Albee Horowitz

Harron Walker

Sara B Milly

Stef May

Tamara Bransburg

Katherine Rose Wolf

Troi Tran, Spoonie Uni Project

Mae Eskenazi, Disability Debility and Form Group

Naomi Extra

Sarah Krause, Becoming Better Neighbors, Evansville, WI

Julie Cloutier, Full Spectrum Therapy LLC

Jalasia Aytch

Sarah Wolfe

Joe Beima

jackie torres

Laurel McAllister

Jae Sherman

Ozzie Pace

Rayna Buckley

Saffron Turner

Marie

Charlotte

Sekai Wynn

Rae Wiest, Family Nurse Practitioner

Nerissa Osby, Chi Masks

Ari Binsau

Steph Ban

Katy Kopnitsky

Li Shandross

Zenah Baker

Harley Maher

Aliza Greenberg

Oriol Zemko, multiple healthcare organizations

Aisling Landrigan

Meaghan Desilets

AmyBeth Willis

Theo Kolbrener

Kimani Johnson

Bel Iles

Charlie Hodges

Ace

Danielle Mireles

Katie Walsh

Fiona Gordon

yiming roberts

Zefyr Lisowski

Niamh

Psyche Ready, University of Connecticut

Augustine Angel, Juniper Bone Herbals

Maria Sibanda

M. Aragon

Elizabeth Sherwin

Rachel Rovinsky

Lauren Smith

Sorana Nance

Alexa Lee-Hassan

Deborah Rosenstein

Bonnie Stegemann

Gwyn Hill

Mre. Morgana Harp

Liza Wemakor

Chloe Prasinos

Delia H

Ellen Perry, ASW

maya finoh

Carrie Hawks

Jenn Grubb

David Downes, Retired US Navy

Joseph Singer

Jocelyn Hallman

Susan Stinson

Alex Dolores Salerno

Gowri Koneswaran

Wren Hanks

Krish J. Bhatt, MPH

Margarita Ren

Eva Lewis

Zeyn Joukhadar

Gryffin

Dakin Fuller

Sonia Ramanathan

Riva Tunoa

Blue McArthur

Juliana Pino

Brandon Roiger

Barrak Alzaid

Lexie R

Daniel A. Shockley

Cas Johnston

Jodi Lin

Brenda Lao

Asher Pandjiris, Kintsugi Therapist Collective

Bazz Bazzetta

Caitlin R. Williams

Kristen McHugh

jj skolnik

Helen Rottier, Chicago Coalition of Autistic and Neurodivergent Students

Paloma Andazola-Reza, University of Washington School of Social Work

Emily Watson

Cedric Tai, Otis College of Art & Design

Jordan Lome, Partners for Youth with Disabilities

Cailin Hollis Potami

George Abraham

Glenn Shaheen

R. Neubivko

Seren Bortell

Andrea Richardson

Christina Watkins

Sabina Ibarrola

Rachel Reardon

Tony Caraveo Jr.

Janessa JB

Gracen Brilmyer

Pauline MIZON

Tracey Carswell

Nikolas Leasure, From Ohio

Athena Zeiter, Partners for Youth with Disabilities

Esther Choi

Jesse Rice-Evans

Dani Sullivan, LCSW, Intentions Therapy

Mariah Rigg

Emily Sara, cripple

Feile oconnell

Joy Messinger

Simon Crow

Lewis

J.L. Guarch

Tess Domb Sadof

Hannah Walker

Lucifer Lynn Kay

Maranda Elizabeth

Paul S Ukrainets

zaynab shahar

Dskisak, Planet Earth

Jzl Jmz

Eli Hadley

rosza daniel lang/levitsky, Survived & Punished NY; Rooted In This World network

Lucas Scheelk

griffin epstein

Lisa Ko

Matthew J.

tahnee simone

Sophie Walker

Jay Grant

Amy Gaeta, UW Madison

Allison Schubauer

HB Lozito, Out in the Open

18 Million Rising

Ariana Martinez

Shelagh Johnson

Jaime M. Grant

Muriel Leung, Apogee Journal

Avantika Shenoy

Eva Szoboszlay

Mushroom

Mollie McLeod

Selamawit Tegene

aline kohler

San Alland

Cameron Awkward-Rich

Marg E.

Michael Orsini, University of Ottawa

Raechel Velouria

Sarah Bloem, Linköping University, Sweden