Gary Oye-Steven supports Autistic Pride Day and shares personal experiences

Thank you, Chair Hanif and Chair Nurse, for inviting me to testify regarding the Autistic Pride Day Resolution, Resolution 510-2026.

I am Gary Oye-Steven.

I'm a CUNY student, and I used to be a student, but now a graduate from NYCPS.

Today, it is an honor for me to reiterate the importance of socially and systemically affirming the autistic population.

As an autistic and intellectually disabled individual,

I experienced being socially and systemically passed on, excluded, and overlooked by both neurotypical individuals and even autistic individuals with lower support needs.

I have to deal with having to read the room or feel like I don't belong and just

question, do I even belong in the space when I have to constantly deal with my peers or staff who lean towards those peers?

or anyone else as a CUNY student or even in my past NYCPS institutions passing me over to others just because I don't socially conform.

Another thing, as an Indonesian individual and a person of immigrant descent,

I face cultural barriers when trying to find an autistic community that would be able to support me due to experiencing certain neuroaffirming groups that dominate towards Western norms.

Experiences and voices over those who might come from different backgrounds, especially those from collectivist backgrounds like myself.

Also, as a queer and trans individual, I even struggle in trying to find a community that would accept me for my sexual orientation or gender identity

when others in the LGBTQ plus community see me as incapable or

not qualified enough of expressing my own identity in the way they see it.

This is why we definitely must use Autistic Pride Day to encourage ongoing and meaningful education,

academia, training, reform, and widespread encouragement until every autistic individual

or every neurotype of all diverse support needs levels is universally affirmed in our society.

We must also encourage continuous progress, education, academia, training, reform, and widespread encouragement in cultural, social,

and all other labels and competencies until every autistic individual or every person of all cultural and social identities is universally affirmed in society.

My biggest ambition and goal is to build a human rights career in the United Nations in order to connect my experiences,

knowledge, and advocacy to their mission on reducing inequality and advancing inclusion for disabled individuals all over the world.

I am trying to enter youth opportunities and majors in global affairs.

I'm currently

and applying for certain youth opportunities there.

Again, thank you, Chair Hanif and Chair Nurse, for letting me testify today.