Tone It Down Taupe!

Here, have some taupe swatches. 

It is with the most mixed of emotions that I face today, Autism Awareness Day. On the one hand, there are lots of kind people out there who are changing their profile picture on Facebook and posting about autism awareness because they really do care about the autistic people they know. On the other hand, I'm seeing a lot of puzzle pieces and Autism Speaks icons and wristbands, and many of the autistic people I know find that representation hurtful. (Here's why.) (More why.)

Awareness is the first step, but it doesn't end there. Here's hoping that we can move from awareness to acceptance this month.

Recently, I saw an idea that I absolutely loved instantly. Tone It Down Taupe is a movement to raise awareness of those lacking autism in a way that turns alarmist rhetoric on its head. It's tongue-in-cheek but the message is important: fear rhetoric hurts real people. Neither allistic (non-autistic) or autistic people want to be cured. We want care and support and the tools to navigate through life, making healthy, meaningful connections with people.

So, in honor of Tone It Down Taupe, I'm sure I'll be doing a lot of taupe EOTDs this month. I have used much less significant excuses to wear more taupe and this way I can keep y'all informed about the cool stuff I'm finding out about effective advocacy for autistic people and ways to support them!

This is a beauty blog, after all, so have some more taupe swatches!