The riddle of autism and gender intersectionality

There’s been talk recently about some statistics showing that neurodivergent individuals identify as transgender or nonbinary at a much higher rate compared to the general population.  And there have been many discussions about what the cause of this might be.  As usual, the answer appears obvious to those with a worldview that doesn’t blindly fall in lockstep with the popular culture.

Hey, good thing I know somebody like that.
So here’s a parable to help me explain.

Imagine you’re traveling on foot in ye olden times.  You haven’t eaten in days. You are literally starving.  You have a great need for food and no food is available.  Let’s say you have enough money to afford several meals but didn’t plan well and didn’t bring enough provisions.  You finally arrive at a town, expecting there will be some food available somewhere. Speaking to some townsfolk to find the closest food merchant, you find that in order to purchase food, you must be part of a specific guild.  Membership is free, you only have to sign a contract agreeing to be in alignment with that guild’s worldview.

To summarize: you have a very strong need and desire for something, and that thing is being held behind membership in a group. 
Do you join? 

The answer is most likely yes.

This is what has happened.

Autistic (and by extension, neurodivergent) individuals often feel different from their peers.  And usually, their peers notice this difference as well.  This causes the autistic individual to be ostracized and set apart.  We tend to strongly desire social interaction and to fit in just like most people, but it is intensified by our characteristically inadequate social abilities.

And now a social movement has come along saying “see this group over here?  You must accept and validate them and their beliefs or else you are a terrible person and will be ostracized.”  So you’re saying that if what I desire is to be accepted and validated, and all I need to do to receive those things is to join a group?  Of course I’m joining that group, sign me up right now.

People are trying to make this more complicated than it is.

It’s hegemonic assimilation disguised as empowerment.