50. S4, Ep7: Autism, feminism and sexuality: reflections on an undiagnosed life

Carolyn Gage is a American playwright, performer, director, and activist. She was diagnosed autistic last year, at the age of 68. She is the author of twelve books and close to 90 lesbian and feminist themed plays, and her work is widely published and performed.  Carolyn toured for 22 years in her internationally-acclaimed one-woman show, The Second Coming of Joan of Arc. She has won numerous awards, including the Lambda Literary Award in Drama for best LGBT books in the US.  She was born in Virginia and currently lives on Mount Desert Island, off the coast of Maine, where she still writes and occasionally performs.  In our conversation we talk about: ➡ Growing up undiagnosed autistic in the 1950s in a dysfunctional home ➡ Escaping from reality as a child - and confronting it as an adult ➡ Energy, shutdown and burnout ➡ The intersection of autism, feminism, gender and sexuality ➡ Masking and relationships ➡ Choosing to live alone   TRIGGER WARNING Please be aware that there is mention of childhood trauma and abuse from the start of this episode, so if you don't want to hear about this topic you might want to give this one a miss.   Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes. I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences. I'm Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I'm now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn't quite fit.   EPISODE LINKS: Carolyn's website: www.carolyngage.com   If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/  Or on my website: https://squarepeg.community/    THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS! A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast: Abigail J Moore, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Corinne Cariad, Elise, Jackie Allen, Jessica, Karawynn Long, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Laurie Green, Lea Li, Lilli Simmons, Pete Burke and Vera Cady.   If you're enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from just £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast