Would you be coming out, if you go for a career in Autism Rights politics?
I wouldn't have much of a choice would I there - but at the moment I am already involved very discreetly, without having to publically reveal anything. To go much further, I would have to be out there, unless I went for a backroom job.
Not exactly. I get a good number of speaking gigs and have yet to actually ever publically say I'm an Aspie. It's kind of interesting because no one has ever asked me during my Q&A. Unless I'm just that bloody obvious. Never thought of that until I started typing my response. 
Damn. Maybe I'm not as under the radar as I originally thought. Ha.
Depends what you are talking about - if you are talking about something else then you can be under the radar. The fact you have an AS child helps, I can't exactly play that deflection. Asides, I think its time an Aspie who is a good public speaker takes the stage and starts to say what needs to be said. We need to be a lot more direct. We need our people to gain some self-respect and stand up against the system. It is a matter of freedom, if nothing else - we need a certain degree of freedom from social expectations if we are to live comfortably in this society. At the minute, for most Aspies its pretty shit - employment rates being a prime example.
I worked in an ASD/ADHD information centre for a while, as a volunteer. We also had awareness meetings (not that much, the organisation was a mess). The founder/boss of the organisation never revealed her ASD diagnosis. But she did present her volunteers as experts through experience. This was one of the reasons for me to distrust her more and more. She was flaunting with the dx-es of her kids and volunteers, and playing the NT herself. Coming out, well, can't be done everywhere, I am aware of that, but it is important that it happens.
I am more ready to tell about my own diagnosis, than about the one of my child. Because I don't like making her someone to talk about in gossip. She has no control about what I say about her. I rather respect her privacy. She can come out, when she wants. That's not really my task. Unless it is necessary for school, dentist or things like that.
