SYNTHESIS

After in depth research into both Queerness and Neurodiversity there are many commonalities we can begin to enlarge, mend and celebrate.

There is a need for intersectional representation.

Analysis suggests 15-35% of people with ASD identify within the LGBTIQ+ communitywith disproportionately high representation against the 4.5% of the general population who identify as LGBTIQ+1. There is a biological tether between these intersectionality’s which is still being grappled with scientifically, but can become tangible in designed space.

Before I go into too much depth I would like to acknowledge some of the other considerations I would like to explore adjacently. Queerness and Queer rights activism is deeply connected to equal rights within BIPOC populations, who have paved the way for the progress we have seen to date.

To briefly touch on immense western histories of colonisation, there is a need for built space to invert dominant power structures and advocate for intersectional rights and accessibility.

Within the broader context of the Anthropocene there is a need to acknowledge these truths - Comprising less than 5% of the world’s population, First Nations people protect 80% of global biodiversity2– this is to say sustainable design reinforces the values of Queer and BIPOC population’s as well as the convergent and substantial representation of Neurodivergent folk within Queerness.

2 Gorodetsky, Gleb. 2018. “Indigenous Peoples Defend Earth’s Biodiversity—but They’re in Danger.” National Geographic

Solidification these intersectional interests into space can be achieved by basic observation of queer spaces.

I recently attended an exhibition called Queer Love which is curated based on the thread of queerness, but to observe the opening night was to see intersectionality in action – it was diverse, considered and beautiful – the closing night of this exhibition was designated as a sensory friendly event.

It really is just about people and place, and the ways we operate with empathy.