In June 2023, I wrote an article titled ‘Since Last Pride’. It was a brief reflection on the continued struggles for LGBTQ+ rights, highlighting the barriers that still exist and, in some cases, are becoming even more challenging to overcome. Now, as we enter LGBT+ History Month 2025, I can’t help but feel like we are not moving forward but going backward.

The official theme of LGBT+ History Month 2025 is Activism and Social Change, a theme that is both timely and urgent for our attention. LGBT+ History Month is meant to celebrate progress and honour those who fought for the equity of sexually and gender diverse people over time. However, we continue to see attempts to erase identities, particularly those at the intersection of gender identity and expression. 

The history of erasure

Erasure is not a new concept. Historically, LGBTQ+ identities and people have been denied, hidden, or pathologised, not dissimilar from those who identify as neurodivergent. From the criminalisation of homosexuality to the forced institutionalisation of neurodivergent people, so many have been stripped of their identities; erased from textbooks, laws, and even their own communities.

Unfortunately, this erasure continues today, particularly for those who exist outside of the binaries of gender. Policies restricting gender-affirming care, the removal of inclusive education in schools, and the silencing of trans and non-binary voices in public discourse all serve to diminish the presence of this already minoritised and vulnerable community.

But there’s another layer to this conversation that is often overlooked: neurodivergence.

LGBTQ+ and neurodivergence: An overlapping identity

A significant proportion of neurodivergent people identify as non-binary, agender, gender-fluid, gender-expansive, or transgender (Warrier et al., 2020). The reasons for this are vast and can be complex. Researchers suggest that neurodivergent people experience gender in a more fluid way, unbound by traditional social expectations, as well as the potential for heightened introspection and self-awareness common in neurodivergent brains (Kallitsounaki and Williams, 2022).

Therefore, when LGBTQ+ identities are erased, the experiences of neurodivergent people are erased alongside them. If trans and non-binary identities are denied legitimacy, what does that mean for the many autistic, ADHD, and otherwise neurodivergent people who identify outside of the gender binary?

Moving forward: How to challenge erasure

LGBT+ History Month isn’t just about looking back, it’s about taking action. Here’s how to advocate against erasure and for a more inclusive future:

• Amplify neurodivergent LGBTQ+ voices: Support and listen to those at the intersection of these identities. Read their work, follow their activism, and share their stories. 
• Challenge misinformation: When people dismiss the existence of trans, non-binary, or neurodivergent LGBTQ+ people and identities, speak up. Education is a powerful tool.
• Create safe spaces: Whether online, in workplaces, or in community groups, work to create environments where people can exist authentically without fear of judgment or exclusion.
• Advocate for policy change: Support inclusive policies that protect gender-diverse and neurodivergent people, particularly in healthcare, education, and employment.

A future of visibility

History has shown that erasure is a tool of oppression, but activism is a tool of resistance. The theme of Activism and Social Change reminds us that while progress can feel slow, every voice raised in defiance of erasure makes a difference.

This LGBT+ History Month, let’s commit to visibility. Not just for the LGBTQ+ community, but for those whose identities exist at its intersections. We cannot afford to let history repeat itself.

References

• Kallitsounaki, A. and Williams, D. M. (2022) Autism spectrum disorder and gender dysphoria/incongruence. A systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 53. 
• Warrier, V., Greenberg, D. M., Weir, E., Buckingham, C., Smith, P., Lai, M-C., Allison, C. and Baron-Cohen, S. (2020). Elevated rates of autism, other neurodevelopmental and psychiatric diagnoses, and autistic traits in transgender and gender-diverse individuals. Nature Communications, 11 (3959), 1-12.