"who was diagnosed with autism early in
her life"
LOL at the way the author just tries to avoid the obvious:
"I see several commenters pointing out controversial statements Chris-Chan has made in her vlogs. I did not mention these in the piece because they are not integral to the larger themes I address. She fits in as an important character in the history of how ASD has been handled in online games culture. Her personal beliefs are not entirely relevant to my article’s main themes, although I do acknowledge that many are offensive."
Translation: Sure, Chris is disgusting and racist, but "she" is a trans so that make it OK in my book.
And totally ignores the fact that Chris
IS the reason why people fling "autistic" as an insult at people online. Chris has become the face (and gut, and moobs) of Autism.