Why are neurodivergent people more likely to be lgbtq
Higher numbers of neurodivergent people are LGBTQIA+ - this article explores why
John Anderson is The Brain Charity’s LGBTQ+ characteristic. Here, he shares his thoughts on LGBTQ+ and neurodiversity.
Society is gradually accepting that all of our brains work in different ways—that there is no one ‘correct’ type of brain! A parallel to this is our gradual acceptance of the many identities that plunge under the LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, homosexual, intersex, asexual) umbrella.
Higher numbers of neurodivergent people are LGBTQIA+
Evidence suggests that neurodivergent individuals, particularly those diagnosed with autism, are significantly more likely to name as LGBTQIA+ than those who are neurotypical.
Latest data from the Office of National Statistics recommend that around 3% of the UK population identifies as lesbian, gay or bisexual (though this is likely to be an under-representation), while between 15 -20% of the population is neurodivergent in some way.
However, a recent Cambridge University study create autistic people might be three times more likely to identify as transitioned, while another study set up neurodivergent individuals were 8 times as l
Marina Sarris
Date Revised: June 12, 2024
One evening, Riley Smith learned from some former co-workers that an acquaintance had approach out as gender non-conforming. Smith felt pleased for the acquaintance, but she also felt something else. “Afterward, in the days and weeks that followed, I felt a unlike emotion that I recognized as envy. It led to me to inquire myself increasingly complex questions about who I was.”
Assigned male at birth, Smith eventually came to realize that she is a trans woman. As an autistic person, she is not alone. A higher percentage of autistic people identify as sapphic, gay, bisexual, transsexual , or queer (LGBTQ) than the general population, according to research studies.1-5 A 2017 Gallup poll found that 4.5 percent of Americans identify as LGBT.
Studies vary widely on the percentage of people with autism who are queer , lesbian, or fluid. One analysis suggested the rate is 15 to 35 percent among autistic people who complete not have intellectual disability. 2
“Most of the data that we’re seeing is that [the LGB rate] is two to three times higher,” says clinical psychologist Eileen T. Crehan, Ph.D., an assistant prof
The Link Between Neurodivergence and Queerness, Explained
“Coming out” is a phrase we look after to associate with individuals from the LGBTQ+ collective. But it’s a term that often captures an integral milestone in the journey of self-acceptance that many neurodivergent individuals undertake, too, especially if they’re diagnosed late.
Interestingly, the journeys of coming to terms with one’s neurodivergence — in a neurotypical nature — and of accepting one’s queer identity — in a heteronormative culture — aren’t just parallel. On occasion, they merge as well. Studies present that individuals with gender and sexual identities outside the cis-hetero binary were also three to six times more likely to contain a diagnosis of autism. This excludes autistic individuals who remain undiagnosed, suggesting that the overlap could, in fact, be greater. Researchers have also observed higher rates of OCD and ADHD diagnoses among queer individuals — reiterating the overlap between neurodivergent and LGBTQ+ identities.
“[Their] idea should not have shocked me. Autistic is one of the most transitioned things you can be,” Jude Doyle, a correspondent and author, wrote of their reaction to organism suggested
Neurodiversity and the LGBTQ+ Community
This year's theme for LGBT+ History Month is medicine and healthcare.
As an organisation in the healthcare and education sectors, MacIntyre both provides assist for and employs neurodivergent people.
Our Diversity Advisory Community works to raise consciousness of issues around equity, diversity and inclusion. For LGBT+ History Month this year, we've been reflecting on the link between LGBTQ+ and neurodiverse identities.
As more research is done on the topic of the link between neurodiversity and LGBTQ+ identities it is becoming increasingly eliminate that there is some correlation between the two.
The Office of National Statistics suggests that around 3% of the UK population identifies as LGBTQ+ (thought it is likely that this is an underrepresented statistic) and between 15% and 20% of the population is neurodivergent in some way.
Studies show that autistic people are three to six times more likely to identify as transgender, and more widely that neurodiverse people in general are eight times more likely to be asexual.
Medical professionals and wider world as a whole hold often wrongfully attributed the LGBTQ+ identities of
As the visibility of queer and neurodivergent people increases, more researchers are curious about the overlap between these communities. Recent research estimates that 15-20% of the population is neurodivergent in some way, and 7-8% of the population is a part of the LGBTQIA+ community. The percentage of individuals in the LGBTQIA+ people is estimated to be even higher, but many don't feel safe enough to share that they are gender non-conforming. Also, as more awareness is raised about how neurodivergence looks in underrepresented populations, such as females and BIPOC individuals, the rates of conditions enjoy autism and ADHD are increasing.
It's estimated that anywhere from 30% to 70% of those who are neurodivergent are also part of the LGBTQIA+ communities, with the greatest overlap organism found within the autistic community. There isn't a unattached answer that explains the overlap, but one assumption is that neurodivergent people are less likely to be influenced by social expectations. However, the reason for the overlap will likely develop clearer over hour as we endure to identify and hear about the lived experiences of neurodivergent people.
What Constitutes Neurodivergence?
Neurodi