Ashley and Morgana’s
story shows the
importance of being
true to who you know
yourself to be, especially
when others do not
understand, or even
seek to undermine you.
Managing more than
one aspect of diversity,
it is heartening to hear
how social media has
allowed them to build
the sense of community
we all need in our lives.
Their resilience is a
moving testament to
what is possible if we
stay true to our own
values, and
way of being
in the world.The ‘safe spaces’
that the media
mocks are where
people like us
go to rearm and
fortify, not where
we go to fall apartFe Robinson | MUKCP (reg)
Psychotherapist and couples counsellorSocial media has allowed Morgana
to find other autistic women, many
of whom happen to be transme into sexual situations
with female colleagues, to
‘prove you’re not a f****t’.
I’ve had to come up with
an explanation as to why
a ‘bit of banter’ made me
so uncomfortable, that
doesn’t out me.
After days like that,
knowing my social media
feed will include people
who’ll make me laugh,
inspire raging hair and
fashion lust, and provide
enjoyable, intellectually
engaging discourse, is
essential to my wellbeing.
For Morgana, social
media has allowed her to
find other autistic, nerdy
women, many of whom
happen to be trans. She
gets the respite of being
in a society where she’s
not out of step, or running
to catch up, and where
people engage with her
naturally, and respect her
without conditions.
Even in the communities
we’ve found, the opinions
of the rest of the world
still get in, as people try
to process hate-filled
headlines, inaccurate
representation, and
personal encounters.
What it is, is our space –
filled with and dominated
by people who understand
and accept us, even if they
don’t like us. And that
makes it safe. It gives us
the same ‘world-adjacent’
respite as people who
experience the privilege
of being automatically
accepted by society.
I was trans before social
media took hold. I was
schizophrenic before
people talked openly.
Morgana grew up as an
autistic person without the
benefit of a social mediascene that allowed her to
meet others like her. She
was trans in the physical
reality first.
We would get by without
it, but social media makes
it a lot easier to manage
our mental health and
neurodivergence. The
‘safe spaces’ the media
mocks are where people
like us go to rearm and
fortify, not where we go to
fall apart.
Being trans, being
neurodivergent, having
mental health issues, will
never be easy, but the
same social media that
gives those who object to
our existence an outlet,
also provides us all with
an enjoyable, accessible
way to affirm our
personhood, and our right
to enjoy the world, as well
as embracing our own
definition of success.September 2019 • happiful.com • 55OUR EXPERT SAYS