SUBMISSION GUIDELINES for ANTHOLOGY ON AUTISM & RACE

WHAT IS THIS PROJECT?

A collection of things written by autistic people of color talking about their lives, experiences, ideas, work, or other stories. The project will become a book available in different formats. Lydia Brown is the lead editor for the anthology, which will be published through the Autism Women’s Network.

WHO CAN BE PART OF THE PROJECT?

Anyone who self-identifies as:

1. Autistic (with or without a formal diagnosis, includes PDD-NOS and Asperger’s)

2. Person of color, racialized, or non-white

Specifically, you might consider yourself one or more of the following:

Transethnic, transracial, or transnational adoptee

Mixed race, biracial, or multi-racial

Migrant

Indigenous, Native, Aboriginal, or First Peoples

Black, Caribbean, or African

East Asian, Southeast Asian, or Pacific Islander

South Asian, Desi, Central Asian, or Middle Eastern

Brown

Latin@, Hispanic, or Latin American

WHAT CAN I SUBMIT?

Anything that you write or have already written. Your submission can be short or long, prose or poetry, formal or informal, academic or personal. Some possible formats include personal essays, creative non-fiction, poetry, blog posts, speeches, and academic writing. You may also submit more than one thing.

Some suggested topics (but you don’t have to choose from this list):

Living at the intersection of disability and race

Cultural and community spaces for disabled people of color

Passing as white or neurotypical

Conceptualizing disability in non-white communities

Intersectional social justice for disabled people of color

Police brutality and profiling of disabled people of color, and state violence

Intimacy, kinship, chosen family, romance, and sexuality

Education

Employment

Housing

Disability services

Healthcare

Activism and advocacy

Further marginalized experiences (i.e., also being queer, migrant, trans*, poor, multiple-disabled, etc.)

Representation and visibility

Voice, silencing, erasure

Socialization, communication

Interdependence, healing, trauma

Violence and abuse

Resilience, power, reclamation, and solidarity

If you want more specific guidelines or concrete rules about submissions, contact Lydia Brown at lydia@autistichoya.com

* Note: If it was published somewhere else, you need to have the legal right to submit it here.

CAN I USE A PSEUDONYM OR ALIAS?

If we choose your submission, we will use whatever name you want to appear.

HOW DO I SUBMIT WRITING?

Email your writing to Lydia Brown at lydia@autistichoya.com. Submissions can be attachments or in the email.

WHEN ARE SUBMISSIONS DUE?

15 November 2015.

WHEN WILL I FIND OUT ABOUT MY SUBMISSION?

You will find out by December 1. If we choose one or more of your submissions, we will begin communicating with you about the editing process at that time.

HOW ELSE CAN I HELP?

We need to raise $10,000 to cover publishing and printing costs for the anthology. If you or someone you know can donate any amount of money, everything helps. Check out our fundraising video and donate online!

(Alternate link: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/autism-and-race-anthology/x/6878690)

WHO ARE YOU?

My name is Lydia Brown (though you might know me better as Autistic Hoya). I’m an activist and writer focusing on violence against multiply-marginalized disabled people, including hate crimes, policy brutality, and prisoner abuse. At present, I am serving on the board of the Autism Women’s Network. I am also president and co-founder of the Washington Metro Disabled Students Collective. I have worked with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network’s national office, and am a past Patricia Morrissey Disability Policy Fellow at the Institute for Educational Leadership. In 2013, I was honored by the White House as a Champion of Change for disability rights.

The mission of the Autism Women’s Network (AWN) is to provide effective supports to Autistic women and girls of all ages through a sense of community, advocacy and resources. AWN is committed to recognizing and celebrating diversity and the many intersectional experiences of Autistic women. AWN welcomes all women, supporters of women, those who have at one time identified as women and non binary gender variant individuals. AWN recognizes and affirms the gender identity of each individual. AWN also welcomes the support and community of those who do not and have not identified as women as allies to support us in our work.

I HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS!

You can contact Lydia Brown, the editor, by email at lydia@autistichoya.com or by phone or text message at (202) 618-0187.