Social anxiety when autistic

I see a lot of posts advising people to go to shows to meet other musicians and a lot of posts about social anxiety in these situations. The advice usually seems to be exposure, but what if your social anxiety comes from being autistic in a neurotypical world? If I mask, I'm still awkward, I'm just also unable to be vulnerable and creative. And if I don't, I'll be extremely awkward unless the other person is neurodivergent and gets it. Is exposure even worth it? Or will I just build a negative reputation as some weirdo/freak? Does one mask and risk being extremely quiet and boring? I haven't really seen any advice that's specific to autism.