thom
A queer autistic man in his 30s, Thom was born in the Lake District but was lucky enough to spend much of his childhood in the south of Spain. After leaving Spain, he spent a decade of his life in London before returning north to Manchester.
Thom feels most comfortable identifying as queer, as he finds it’s the broadest label that runs no risk of putting him in a heteronormative box. He’s demisexual and views romantic and sexual attraction as two different things that don’t always cross over.
In his spare time, Thom enjoys Lego, reading, board games and spending time with his apricot Cockapoo, Bruno. His relationship with his family wasn’t always easy, especially prior to his autism diagnosis, but now he’s happiest sitting at his mum’s table with his parents and siblings, having a chat and playing cards.
What does your identity mean to you?
I don’t really know what my identity means to me, but I prefer to say I’m queer because it feels like placing less importance on who I sleep with as a part of my identity. I’m Thom, I just happen to also be queer.