❤️ Don't Light It Up Blue – Do Red Instead 💖

At Neurodivergent Friends™, we stand for Autism Acceptance, not just Awareness.

For years, Autism Speaks has promoted the "Light It Up Blue" campaign during Autism Awareness Month. While this campaign claims to raise awareness, many autistic individuals and their families reject it because it promotes a narrative of tragedy, cure-seeking, and exclusion of actual autistic voices.

Instead, we say 🔴 RED INSTEAD!

❤️ Why Neurodivergent Friends™ Supports "Red Instead" 💖

🔴 Red Instead is an autistic-led movement that rejects outdated, harmful narratives that autism is something to be "fixed" and instead promotes real advocacy, support, and respect for autistic individuals of all support levels.

💖 Autism is not a puzzle to be solved, a mystery to be unlocked, or a missing piece to be found. Autistic people are whole just as they are.

💜 We are not broken. Autism is a part of neurodivergence, and we do not need to be made "normal" to be valuable.

💖 We are not tragedies. We deserve support, respect, and the right to exist as ourselves.

❌ Why We Reject "Light It Up Blue"

🚫 Autism Speaks has a history of harmful rhetoric. They have pushed the idea that autism is a burden on families, something to be "cured" or prevented, and have funded research into genetic screening that could lead to the selective prevention of autistic births.

🚫 Autism is not a disease. Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition. It cannot be "cured." The only way to eliminate Autism is through Eugenics, but that discounts the unique perspective on the world and the many gifts we bring to the world because we don't think like everyone else. We recognize that some people with Autism have higher support needs, and the answer isn't to eradicate us as a whole, but to support those who need it. 

🚫 Autistic voices should be leading autism advocacy. Autism Speaks has a history of excluding actual autistic people from leadership and decision-making. Their messaging has historically focused on parents and caregivers rather than autistic individuals themselves.

🚫 The puzzle piece is a harmful symbol.

💔 It promotes the idea that autistic people are "missing something" or need to be "fixed."

💔 It was created without autistic input and has been used to justify harmful therapies.

💔 Its original design included a crying child, symbolizing that autism is tragic.

💜 Instead, we use the 🌈 rainbow infinity symbol to represent neurodivergence and the full spectrum of autistic experiences.

💖 What "Red Instead" Stands For ❤️

✔ Acceptance Over Awareness. Awareness campaigns focus on autism as a problem—acceptance means working toward better supports, accessibility, and inclusion.

✔ Autism Advocacy for All Support Needs. Autism advocacy should include those with high support needs, who may require lifelong assistance, as well as those who can live independently with accommodations. No one should be left behind in the conversation.

✔ Nothing About Us, Without Us. The autistic community must be at the forefront of any conversations about autism policy, research, and services. Autism organizations should be run by autistic people, not just parents and professionals.

✔ Celebrating Neurodivergence. Autism is not just a disability—it is a way of experiencing the world. Many autistic individuals bring unique perspectives, strengths, and insights that contribute to society when they are properly supported.

💜 How to Support "Red Instead" 💖

✅ Wear red in April to show your support for autistic-led advocacy.

✅ Listen to autistic voices and amplify their experiences.

✅ Challenge stereotypes—autism is not a tragedy, and every autistic person has a unique experience.

✅ Support autistic-led organizations, including Neurodivergent Friends™, that prioritize the well-being and rights of autistic individuals rather than cure-seeking.

✅ Advocate for better supports, services, and accessibility to ensure that autistic people of all abilities can thrive.

🚨 Autism is not going away.
Autism needs to be understood, accepted, and properly supported.

By rejecting "Light It Up Blue" and embracing "Red Instead," we move toward a world where autistic individuals are respected, empowered, and included—not treated as problems to be solved.

🔴 Neurodivergent Friends™ proudly stands with "Red Instead."

We are not puzzles, mysteries, or burdens. We are whole.

❤️ Choose acceptance.
💖 Choose support.
💜 Choose belonging.