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parent e81fddc25e3626a4084789c4dcf74894f69e1701
Author: Drew DeVault <sir@cmpwn.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Sep 2024 18:28:50 +0200
Neurodivergence and accountability in free software
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+---
+title: Neurodivergence and accountability in free software
+date: 2024-09-25
+---
+
+In November of last year, I wrote [Richard Stallman's political discourse on
+sex][0], which argues that Richard Stallman, the founder of and present-day
+voting member of the board of directors of the Free Software Foundation (FSF),
+endorses and advocates for a harmful political agenda which legitimizes
+adult attraction to minors, consistently defends adults accused of and
+convicted of sexual crimes with respect to minors, and more generally
+erodes norms of consent and manipulates language regarding sexual harassment and
+sexual assault in his broader political program.
+
+[0]: https://drewdevault.com/2023/11/25/2023-11-26-RMS-on-sex.html
+
+In response to this article, and on many occasions when I have re-iterated my
+position on Stallman in other contexts, a common response is to assert that my
+calls to censure Stallman are ableist, on the basis that Stallman is
+neurodivergent (ND). This line of reasoning suggests that Stallman's awkward and
+zealous views on sex are in line with his awkward and zealous positions on other
+matters (such as his insistence on "GNU/Linux" terminology rather than "Linux"),
+and that together this illustrates a pattern which suggests neurodivergence is
+at play. This argumentation is flawed, but I think it presents us with a good
+opportunity to talk about how neurodivergence and sexism presents in our
+community.
+
+Neurodivergence (antonymous with "neurotypical") is an umbrella term that
+encompasses a wide variety of human experiences, including autism, ADHD,
+personality disorders, bipolar disorder, and others. The particular claims I've
+heard about Stallman suggest that he is "obviously" autistic, or has [Asperger
+syndrome][1]. The allegation of ableism in my criticisms of Stallman are rooted
+in this presumption of neurodivergence in Stallman: the argument goes that I am
+putting his awkwardness on display and mocking him for it, that calling for the
+expulsion of someone on the basis of being awkward is ableist, and that this has
+a chilling effect on our community, which is generally thought to have a high
+incidence of neurodivergence. I will respond to this defense of Stallman today.
+
+[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome
+
+A defense of problematic behavior that cites neurodivergence to not only
+explain, but excuse, said behavior, is ableist and harms neurodivergent people,
+rather than standing up for them as these arguments portray themselves as doing.
+To illustrate this, I opened a discussion on the Fediverse asking neurodivergent
+people to chime in and reached out directly to some ND friends in my social
+circle.
+
+---
+
+### Aside: Is Stallman neurodivergent?
+
+Stallman's neurodivergence is an unsolicited armchair diagnosis with no
+supporting evidence besides "vibes". [This 2008 article][2] summarizes his
+public statements on the subject:
+
+[2]: https://www.computerworld.com/article/1683286/asperger-s-oxymoron.html
+
+> “During a 2000 profile for the Toronto Star, Stallman described himself to an
+> interviewer as ‘borderline autistic,’ a description that goes a long way
+> toward explaining a lifelong tendency toward social and emotional isolation
+> and the equally lifelong effort to overcome it,” Williams wrote.
+>
+> When I cited that excerpt from the book during the interview, Stallman said
+> that assessment was “exaggerated.”
+>
+> “I wonder about it, but that’s as far as it goes,” he said. “Now, it’s clear I
+> do not have \[Asperger’s\] — I don’t have most of the characteristics of that.
+> For instance, one of those characteristics is having trouble with rhythm. I
+> love the most complicated, fascinating rhythms.” But Stallman did acknowledge
+> that he has “a few of the characteristics” and that he “might have what some
+> people call a ‘shadow’ version of it.”
+
+The theory that Stallman is neurodivergent is usually cited to explain his
+various off-putting behaviors, but there is no tangible evidence to support the
+theory. This alone raises some alarms, in that off-putting behavior is
+sufficient evidence to presume neurodivergence. I agree that some of his
+behavior, off-putting or otherwise, appears consistent, to my untrained eye,
+with some of the symptoms of autism. Nevertheless I am not going to forward an
+armchair diagnosis in either direction. However, because a defense of Stallman
+on the basis of neurodivergence is contingent on him being neurodivergent, this
+rest of this article will presume that it is true for the purpose of rebuttal.
+
+**tl;dr**: we don't know and the assumption that he is is ableist.
+
+---
+
+This defense of Stallman is ableist because it infantalizes and denies agency
+to neurodivergent people. Consider what's being said here: it only follows
+that Stallman's repugnant behavior is excusable because he's neurodivergent if
+neurodivergent people cannot help but be repugnant. An autistic person I spoke
+to, who wishes to remain anonymous, had the following to say:
+
+> As an autistic person, I find these statements deeply offensive, because they
+> build on and perpetuate damaging stereotypes.
+>
+> Research has repeatedly proved that, on average, autistic folks have high
+> empathy and a higher sense of values than the general population. We are not
+> the emotionless robots that the popular imagination believes we are.
+>
+> But we are not a monolith, and some autistic folks are absolute assholes who
+> should be called out (and held accountable) for the harm that they cause.
+> Autism is context, not an excuse: it can explain why someone might struggle in
+> some situations and need additional support, but it should never be an excuse
+> to harm others. We can all learn and improve.
+>
+> I have witnessed people pulling the autism card to avoid consequences for CoC
+> violations, then calling out the organization for "not supporting true
+> diversity" when they're shown the door. This is manipulative and insulting to
+> the other neurodivergent members of the community, and should never be
+> tolerated.
+
+Bram Dingelstad, a neurodivergent person who participated in the discussion, had
+this to say:
+
+> Problematic behaviour is what it is: problematic.
+>
+> There are a lot of neurodivergent people out there that are able to carry
+> themselves in a way that doesn't make anyone unsafe or harm victims of sexual
+> assault by dismissing or downplaying their lived experience. In my opinion,
+> using neurodivergence as an excuse for this behaviour only worsens the
+> perception of neurodiversity.
+>
+> Richard Stallman should be held accountable for his speech and his actions.
+
+Another commenter put it more concisely, if not as eloquently:
+
+> It's fucking ableist to say neurodiversity disposes you towards problematic
+> behaviors. It's disgusting trying to hide behind it and really quite
+> insulting.
+
+I came away from these discussions with the following understanding:
+neurodivergence, in particular autism, causes people to struggle to understand
+unstated social norms and conventions, sometimes with embarrassing or harmful
+consequences, such as with respect to interpersonal relationships. The people
+I've spoken to call for empathy and understanding in the mistakes which can be
+made in light of this, but also call for accountability -- to be shown
+what's right (and, importantly, *why* it's so), and then to be expected to
+behave accordingly, no different from anyone else.
+
+Being neurodivergent doesn't make someone sexist, but it can make it harder for
+them to hide sexist views. To associate Stallman's sexism with his perceived
+neurodivergence is ableist, and to hold Stallman accountable for his behavior is
+not. One commenter puts it this way:
+
+> I've said quite a few times is that sexism is not a symptom of autism. Writing
+> this sort of behaviour off as "caused by" neurodivergence is itself ableist,
+> I'm not a huge fan of the narrative that I have "the neurodevelopmental
+> disorder that makes you a bigot".
+>
+> I fundamentally disagree with the idea that the pervasive sexism in tech
+> is because of the high incidence of neurodiversity. It's because tech has
+> broadly operated as a boys club for decades, and those norms persist.
+
+Using neurodivergence as a cover for sexism and problematic behavior in our
+communities is a toxic, ableist, and, of course, sexist attitude that serves to
+provide problematic men with space to be problematic. Note also how
+intersections between neurodiversity and identity play out: white men tend to be
+excused on the basis of neurodivergence, whereas for women, transgender people,
+people of color, etc -- the excuse does not apply. Consider the differences in
+how bipolar disorder is perceived in women -- "she's crazy" -- versus how men
+with autism are accommodated -- "he can't help it".
+
+So, I reject the notion that it is ableist to criticize problematic behavior
+that can be explained by neurodivergence. But, even if it were, an anonymous
+autistic commenter has this to say:
+
+> If we accept the hypothesis that it is ableist to condemn behavior which can
+> be explained by neurodivergence (and I don't), my answer is: be ableist. I
+> don't like it, but it's ridiculous to imagine any other option in the physical
+> world, and it's weird to treat the virtual world so differently.
+>
+> Here's an anecdote: when I was at school, a new person, Adam, joined the
+> class. We didn't want Adam to feel excluded, so we included him in our
+> social events. Adam had narcissistic personality disorder, and likely in part
+> because of this, he was also a serial harasser of women. So what did we do
+> about it?
+>
+> We stopped inviting Adam. I wish we didn't have to stop inviting him, but our
+> hands were tied. I'm not going to say it's something only he could change,
+> because maybe he truly couldn't change that. Maybe it was ableist to exclude
+> him. But the safety of my friends comes first. The hard part is distinguishing
+> between this situation and a situation where someone is excluded when they are
+> perceived as a threat just because they're different.
+
+Stallman's rhetoric and behavior are harmful, and we need to address that harm.
+The refrain of "criticizing Stallman's behavior is ableist and alienates
+neurodiverse individuals in our community" is itself ableist and isn't doing any
+favors for our neurodiverse friends.
+
+To conclude this article, I thought I'd take this opportunity to find out what
+our neurodiverse friends are actually struggling with and how we can better
+accommodate their needs in our community.
+
+First of all, a recognition of individuals as being autonomous, independent
+people with agency and independent needs has to come first, with neurodiversity
+and with everything else. Listen to people when they explain their experiences
+and their needs as individuals, and don't rely on romanticized and stereotypical
+understandings of particular neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism. These
+stereotypes are often deeply harmful: one person spoke of being accused of
+incompetence and lying about their neurodivergence in a ploy for sympathy. They
+experienced severe harassment, at the worst in the form of harassers engineering
+stressful situations and screenshoting their reactions to humiliate them and
+damage their reputation.
+
+Standing up for your peers is important, in this as in all things. Not only
+against harassment, discrimination, and abuse on the basis of neurodivergence,
+but on any basis, from any person -- which I was often reminded is especially
+important for neurodivergent people who are not cishet white men, as these
+challenges are amplified in light of these intersectional identities. Talk to
+people and understand their experiences, their needs, and their worldview. Be
+patient, but clear and open in your communication. The neurodivergent people I
+spoke to often found it difficult to learn social mores, moreso than most
+neurotypical experiences, but nevertheless the vast majority of them felt
+perfectly capable of it, and the expectation that they weren't is demeaning and
+ableist.
+
+I also heard some advice from the neurodivergent community that applies
+especially to free software community leaders. Clearly stated community norms
+and expectations, through codes of conducts and visible moderation, is often
+helpful for neurodivergent people. Many ND people struggle to intuit or "guess"
+social norms and prefer expectations to be stated unambiguously. Normalizing the
+use of tone indicators (e.g. "/s"), questions clarifying intent, and conflict
+de-escalation are also good tools to employ.
+
+Another consideration of merit is accommodations for asynchronous participation
+in meaningful governance and decision-making processes. Some ND people find it
+difficult to participate in real-time discussions in chat rooms or in person,
+and mediums like emails and other long-form slow discussions are easier for them
+to engage with. Accommodations for sensory sensitivities at in-person events is
+another good strategy to include more ND folks in your event. Establishing quiet
+spaces to get away from the busier parts of the event, being considerate of
+lighting choices, flexible break times, and activities for smaller groups were
+all highlighted to me by ND people as making their experience more enjoyable.
+
+These are the lessons I took away from speaking to dozens of neurodivergent
+people in researching this blog post. I encourage you to speak to, and listen
+to, people in your communities as well, particularly when dealing with an issue
+which cites their struggles or impacts them directly.
