A Conversation on Conformity, Q-ness, and Neurodivergence with Addie

Host Matti (they/them) welcomes Addie (they/them) to Grief Liberation Conversations in Community. Addie, a nearly 50-year-old parent in West Philadelphia, shares a definition of liberation as an ongoing practice of giving oneself permission to live authentically against social mores, including modeling liberation for young people through child-led homeschooling. They discuss neurodivergence, the grief of being pathologized rather than resourced, and how hyper-individualism and conformity are reinforced by systems that profit from compliance. Addie connects liberation and grief through the difficulty of helping others see what’s possible, explores adult friendship loss and boundaries, and describes chosen family rooted in queer/trans community.