Change the "Autism" community tag to "Autistic"
The newly added "autism" tag from Twitch differs majorly from other community tags. Instead of focusing on people from the community specifically (such as the Blind, d/Deaf, Disabled, and many other tags), the tag calls on a "broad" autism community. The tag as it currently is will very likely result in usage by family members, friends, allies, and professionals in the autism world and end up minimizing actually autistic voices. In order to full uplift autistic voices, please change this tag to "autistic" or at least add an additional autistic tag.
Hey there!
Just wanted to let you all know that we now have an autistic tag along with our already added autism tag.
We really appreciate feedback like this and please let us know if there are any other tags you would like to see added to Twitch <3
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keennethh commented
Its frustrating to me that this is even something that needs brought to y'alls attention. Do better.
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RadicalLynx commented
This is another instance that would benefit from my suggestion to separate "content tags" from "identity tags".
Streamer is talking about autism? use content tag "autism"
Streamer is autistic? use identity tag "autistic" -
ShaneSpace commented
Definitely should be Autistic, not 'autism', and the description should specify that it is for use by autistic people (not 'autism community'). I was really disappointed to see the way this tag was implemented.
I saw someone below mentioned they would like a separate tag for Aspies - note that Aspergers is no longer current terminology and it carries some offensive connotations due to its history so I can't recommend it for inclusion on Twitch. If you're on the spectrum and identify as Aspie you do 'qualify' as autistic, but if you don't feel comfortable using the autistic tag I would recommend the Neurodivergent one which is more of an umbrella :)
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TheChrisD commented
As well as this change, I'd also like to see a separate tag for us Aspies who don't feel like we're as far along the spectrum to use the autistic tag.
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SystemOfAwoos commented
Along with the autistic community preferring autistic to autism for numerous reasons, I'd like to add that grammatically speaking, this is one of the only tags that takes a noun form as opposed to an adjective form. There's neurodivergent, transgender, disabled... why does this identity tag, in addition to not being preferred by the community, take a noun form?
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i_am_slab commented
100% this! "autistic" is the better tag. We want an identity tag to find autistic people. "autism" tag implies more that we're going to get people who know autistic people and who speak over Actually Autistic people.
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timisaverage commented
Probably a fair call to use the language the community is asking you to use.
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gentlebeasts commented
we are autistic people, we are the autistic community. how many times must we re-hash the identity-first language debate. please do not allow non-autistic people/organisations to co-opt our identities and online-spaces that should belong to us. "the autism community" refers mostly to people who are not autistic and often tend to spread negative stereotypes about autistic people. they have a long history of silencing and speaking over us. they do not deserve to take our identity spaces from us.
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GenderMeowster commented
YES THIS. We are autistic, we are not autism.