Queerness, Autism and Fan Fiction with Erin Ekins (Queerly Autistic)

In this episode, Hannah is joined by Erin Ekins, who is the author of Queerly Autistic: The Ultimate Guide for LGBTQIA+ Teens on the Spectrum. Erin discusses coming out as bisexual, being diagnosed with autism, and the combination of societal hypersexualization of bisexuality with the infantilization of autistic people. She and Hannah talk about the potential vulnerability of being autistic and the potential for abusive platonic or romantic relationships. They chat about Torchwood and how fandoms and fanfic can be a great way to explore your sexuality. Finally, Erin tells Hannah about the term "queerplatonic", gives advice for people in relationships with or friends with autistic people, and talks about the current poor state of research into autism.

CW: abusive relationships (12:00 - 17:29; 4 minutes 30 seconds) and suicide (30:46 -31:59, 1 minute and 13 seconds). These timestamps are without ads: you may or may not be served ads whilst listening to the episode which may change the time stamps. If you hear a section start and don’t want to listen, just skip ahead the length of the section to avoid it.

✨MORE ABOUT ERIN EKINS✨
I am a queer, autistic woman who writes and advocates on issues surrounding being queer and autistic. I also work on wider disability justice and various other social justice topics. I have written for The Independent, Huck Magazine, and Neuroclastic, and have featured on Channel 4, The Victoria Derbyshire Show and BBC Radio 5 Live.

My first book, Queerly Autistic: The Ultimate Guide for LGBTQIA+ Teens on the Spectrum was released by Jessica Kingsley Publishers in 2021. I run a YouTube channel called Queerly Autistic, and you can also find me on Twitter as @QueerlyAutistic

- Queerly Autistic: The Ultimate Guide for LGBTQIA+ Teens on the Spectrum: https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/9781787751712
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/queerlyautistic
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOTz1cKoHxSieKCV_4p5UQ
- Website: https://queerlyautistic.com/

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