The Union College Psychology Department Speaker Series and Honors Colloquium welcome
Meredith Maroney, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Counseling & School Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Boston
for a public lecture entitled
Across the Double Rainbow: Research at the Intersection of Autism and LGBTQ+ Identities
Thursday, October 3, 2024
12:45–1:50 PM • Karp 105
Lunch and refreshments will be provided.
In recent years, there has been increased attention on the intersection of Autistic and LGBTQ+ identities, and the higher likelihood of Autistic people identifying as sexual and gender minorities (see Warrier et al., 2020). Autistic-LGBTQ+ people experience barriers and stigma across multiple domains concerning their dual identities, including healthcare settings, school, and social settings (Maroney & Horne, 2022; Strang et al., 2021). This can be explained through a minority stress framework, which describes the multiple social stressors experienced by individuals with minoritized identities. Both LGBTQ+ people and Autistic people have elevated mental health concerns related to distal and proximal stressors, and emerging research indicate lower well-being, higher stress, and greater rates of depression and anxiety (George & Stokes, 2018; Strauss et al., 2021). Despite these elevated stressors and mental health concerns, there is little training for providers interested in providing culturally competent healthcare to Autistic-LGBTQ+ people, and historically, much of the research has excluded Autistic-LGBTQ+ perspectives. Informed by participatory and qualitative approaches, this talk will summarize experiences at the intersection of LGBTQ+ and Autistic identities (i.e., double rainbow), and discuss how to conduct research and clinical work in gender and neurodivergent-affirming ways.
