Assimilate or Be Punished: A NeuroDivergent, Queer Memoir of Survival and Awakening in a World That Demands Conformity A Look at the harms and traumas of NeuroDivergent Conversion "Therapy" and other methods of forced assimilation. A NeuroDivergent Rebel's Journey to Self-Acceptance In a world that demands conformity, to be NeuroDivergent and Queer is to live under the constant, crushing weight of "normal." Lyric Rivera felt this weight from a young age. Branded as rebellious, difficult, and a problem to be solved, Lyric faced a world that tried (unsuccessfully) to force them to assimilate. The Weight of Normal is a raw and powerful memoir of survival and awakening. It is an unflinching indictment of the systems of forced assimilation-the NeuroDivergent and Queer conversion "therapies"-that teach self-abandonment as a virtue. Lyric reveals the devastating trade-off at the heart of these methods, designed to force conformity-a price that nearly cost them everything. A searing look at the trauma of forced conformity and the journey back to oneself. CONTENT WARNING: This book discusses themes that may upset some readers, including Autistic and other NeuroDivergent Conversion "Therapies," forced assimilation, manipulation, coercion, abuse, and suicidal ideation. Reader discretion is advised. Lyric Rivera (they/them) from Austin, Texas, is an Autistic self-advocate who runs the internationally recognized NeuroDivergent Rebel blog.The NeuroDivergent Rebel was launched in the fall of 2016 to introduce people unfamiliar with Neurodiversity to this new perspective on neurological differences. The blog explores the ideology of Neurodiversity and the creative expressions of Autistic people. Rivera's blog pushes for acceptance of neurological differences and respect for the autonomy of NeuroDivergent people.Lyric is also the owner of NeuroDivergent Consulting and the author of the best-selling business ethics book Workplace NeuroDiversity Rising, which was praised in Forbes as "an excellent 'how to manual' based on lived experience and professional competence."Neurodivergent Consulting is a consulting agency that works with businesses "to create new policies that attract and increase the tenure of current and future NeuroDivergent employees." The philosophy of Neurodivergent Consulting is to advocate for accessible workplaces where NeuroDivergent employees can fully implement their unique talents and fresh perspectives.Rivera is also known as the creator of the #AskingAutistics hashtag, often accompanied by a short question about common Autistic experiences. These simple questions prompt open-ended responses that autistic people can easily chime in with, inviting participants to engage each other in conversations related to the topic. This simple hashtag connects both Autistic & non-autistic people who would not otherwise have a reason to engage with each other and fosters a collective understanding of the Autistic experience.
