Uncomfortable Labels: My Life as a Gay Autistic Trans Woman

by Laura Kate Dale

Overview

"So while the assumption when I was born was that I was or would grow up to be a neurotypical heterosexual boy, that whole idea didn't really pan out long term."

In this candid, first-of-its-kind memoir, Laura Kate Dale recounts what life is like growing up as a gay trans woman on the autism spectrum. From struggling with sensory processing, managing socially demanding situations and learning social cues and feminine presentation, through to coming out as trans during an autistic meltdown, Laura draws on her personal experiences from life prior to transition and diagnosis, and moving on to the years of self-discovery, to give a unique insight into the nuances of sexuality, gender and autism, and how they intersect.

Charting the ups and downs of being autistic and on the LGBT spectrum with searing honesty and humour, this is an empowering, life-affirming read for anyone who's felt they don't fit in.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781785925887
Publisher:	Kingsley, Jessica Publishers
Publication date:	07/18/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	769,245
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Laura Kate Dale is a queer trans woman and author, who uses She / Her pronouns. Laura lives near London, UK, with her cat Smudge, and her wife Jane. When Laura isn't writing she loves to play roller derby, and play video games with her friends.

Table of Contents

Prologue - Being LGBT and Having Autism is Actually Pretty Common; PART I - Life Pre-Transition & Diagnosis; 1. The Ignored Early Signs; 2. Being the Weird Kid; 3. The Teen Tipping Point; 4. Coming out the Closet; 5. Depression and Addiction; PART II - Living through Transition and Diagnosis; 6. Transition, and learning to read who I wanted to be; 7. Squeezing a Late Youth into Adulthood; 8. I'm Proud I'm Not Invisible; PART III - Life Post Transition and Diagnosis; 9. LGBT Spaces are not for Autistic Adults; 10. Transgender Conflicts and Autism; 11. Learning to Watch Your Friends Die; 12. Being a Trans Woman with Autism is Sometimes Pretty Rad; 13. Roller Derby: The Intersection of LGBT and Autism Friendly Group Sport; 14. Where do I go from here?; Further Resources

Editorial Reviews

05/27/2019

In this insightful memoir, Dale, a 20-something gay British trans woman with autism, explores the connection between gender dysphoria and autism. She laments that “it was never pointed out that the two might share any links, that fixing one might help relieve symptoms of the other, and that I might benefit from understanding the areas where my struggles could overlap.” As a child, Dale writes, “because I was already being bullied for my autism symptoms, the fear of being further bullied for expressing femininity, or rejecting masculinity, caused me to not tell people something felt inherently wrong to me about being male.” Instead, she self-medicated with everything from caffeine to MDMA and attempted suicide three times. When she finally pursued gender transition in her late teens, she found that the autism symptom of “touch-based oversensitivity” makes wearing makeup and many articles of women’s clothing a struggle and that the sensory hyperstimulation of gay bars and pride parades poses a challenge. The internet, on the other hand, is a “socialising goldmine” for LGBTQ people with sensory issues. Dale’s prose is charmingly matter-of-fact and conversational, weaving in asides on cats, video games, and her “favourite ever vegan chocolate cheesecake,” and she perceptively identifies the challenges she has faced and workable solutions for them. This hopeful and reflective account will resonate with readers affected by similar issues and inspire others. (July)

Publishers Weekly

Hauntingly relatable, Uncomfortable Labels is an incredibly necessary tale of living at the intersection of transgender and autistic identities. Humorously and accessibly written, Laura Kate Dale's story treads grounds scarcely discussed in memoir. A valuable addition to any library collection - personal or academic - on disability or gender issues.

Jes Grobman

As well as being incredibly informative, the book was a joy to read, due to Laura's unique voice...
The book is overall an inspiring, celebratory read, and marks Laura's talent of being able to balance the uplifting drive of the book with the harder struggles and serious topics she writes honestly about.

NetGalley reviewer

Laura has written something that highlights the personal challenges that arise from an intersection of identities that are commonly paired, but rarely discussed in the public sphere.

Mia Violet