Pari Kim isn't just "unapologetically autistic" — she's also "unapologetically queer."
The 23-year-old has captured audience hearts on season three of Love on the Spectrum, a Netflix dating show that features adults with autism. Pari's relationship with her now-girlfriend, Tina Zhu Xi Caruso, marked the show's first LGBTQ+ romance — and the couple is still going strong.
"It's going really well with us. I just love her so much," Pari tells The Advocate. "She is really the Amtrak to my commuter. She's just perfect for me. I love how we both get so excited together. She's just the sweetest and I can always count on her. She also holds me accountable for things, keeps me on track. No pun intended."
Love on the Spectrum's Pari Kim and Tina Zhu Xi CarusoNetflix
Not only are the two still together, but they're starting to get serious. Pari says, "We talked about someday getting married and having a train-themed wedding. Maybe like, rent out a private Amtrak charter train. A nice vintage steam engine would be really cool, but yeah, it's gotta have trains in it."
Though Pari finally did get her "Princess Charming," it wasn't without a little awkwardness that everyone experiences while dating. One scene from the show has gone viral for a sweet interaction in which Pari and Tina both seemed too nervous to make the first move, despite wanting to.
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"I always wonder what it would be like to kiss a girl, honestly," Pari said in the clip, to which Tina responded, "Yeah. I wonder, too." The two then stood together in silence, creating a moment that queer women both on and off the spectrum have been relating to.
Not to worry though — Pari eventually got her dream kiss while riding a train over a scenic city bridge with Tina, who had thoughtfully avoided eating gluten just in case they ended up locking lips.
Pari says that it's been "awesome" to watch her season and see just how far she and Tina have come. She would "love to come back if they invite me back for season four on Love on the Spectrum, and maybe someday be in more movies or TV shows."
"I almost teared up at the ending when they show who's still together and that the Railfans got another member," Pari says. "I wish there was more. I want another season because I just feel like there's more to a story and I want to continue just telling it. And [Tina] has so many things I know she wants to tell, too. I really want to get to share more of my journey with everyone."
As a leader of the "Railfans" — a group of friends that share a special interest in public transportation — Pari says that her dream job would be an influencer or partner for a railroad's social media, such as the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in her home of Boston. Amtrak would also "be a dream come true."
"I have so many great ideas I want to bring to the table," she says. "I feel like I have a good creative vision and they could use more diversity in their teams."
Pari's life has drastically changed in the weeks since season three of Love on the Spectrum premiered, as she's become a public figure almost overnight. The influx of followers to her Instagram profile even caused her to be temporarily locked out of her account because the platform assumed they were bots instead of new fans. While there's been some negativity online, Pari says she's "overwhelmed in the best way by all the kindness flooding in."
"Some [fans] want to reach out and ride the T with me, say they've been touched, they have a kid who's on the spectrum, they love watching the show, or they feel like they can be themselves because of me. It doesn't go unnoticed," Pari says. "Every nice comment I read makes me smile, and I'll never forget the heartfelt gratitude. I just love all my fans and I hope they realize how much of an impact they make on my life."
Pari wants the world to know that "there's nothing wrong" with being autistic or LGBTQ+ — or both. She says "there's a lot more of us out there than you think, and it's just part of who we are."
"There's people saying, like, 'You're confused' or 'Your sister's a bad influence.' No, this is just who we are and we don't have to change ourselves," Pari says, adding, "Just ignore the haters and bullies because they just want to get a rise out of you. There's always going to be way more people who love and support you than ones who want to bring you down."
