The Correlation between LGBTQ+ Identity and Neurodivergence

• In Event: Navigating Public Health Challenges

Abstract

Queer identity holds connections to the world of neurodivergence on several levels, and the concept is one of the less-studied areas of neurodiversity. The history relating to the classification of queer identity, such as sexual orientation and gender identity holds a significant impact on the way society, particularly cisgender and/or heterosexual people, view queer individuals, from both a social and medical standpoint. This paper considers the importance of negative vs positive rights, alongside the separation and correlation of the physical and mental experience of queerness in evaluating its intersectionality with neurodiversity. Better understanding the association between the two aids in the productivity of a more understanding and open-minded societal view of both neurodivergence and queer identity.

Author

• Arin Cavin, California State University Channel Islands