1/22 I hate to do it, but I’m weighing on the @kathygriffin and Sia thing, and comments made to @EricMGarcia. First off, I’m a neurodivergent mother of 2 autistic sons. I’m also in my mid-50s. Griffin accused those of us who were offended by Sia’s movie of misogyny and ageism.
2/23 I’m an old as dirt lifelong raging feminist. Our objection to Sia’s film had nothing to do w/her gender or age. I think the way @KathyGriffin was discarded for the severed head pic of trump reeked of sexism and ageism. There’s one essential difference between the 2 women
3/23 Griffin’s act was punching UP, making a statement about an awful POTUS. Nobody was in danger from the pic. Nobody believed Kathy was a danger. The overreaction of law enforcement was absurd, and that came from Trump punching DOWN. He used his power to harm 1 w/less power
4/23 The pearl clutching and overreaction to a tasteless photo were preposterous. The only person harmed by the photo was @kathygriffin herself. It gave a lot of people a chance to virtue signal. Male comedians can go much further than that and not be forced into evaporating.
5/23 I think KG was clearly wronged; the Mennonite shunning by many was disgusting. I can see why in 1 sense she relates to Sia, reached out. KG has only heard 1 side of the story from one who clearly only regrets the outcome of her actions, not the harm and pain she caused
6/23 Sia punched DOWN. Like Griffin, she is a wealthy known star, but her victims have far less privilege. From the beginning until the end of the project autistic people were dehumanized. I get that it wasn’t her intention, nonetheless, it was the impact.
7/23 Sia chose to not speak to autistic people developing her concept, or when casting, making, only when releasing the film. Which is why it’s a disaster. It’s not just offensively ableist, but an objectively bad movie. I reviewed it in more detail here: endseclusion.org/2021/02/16/i-w…
8/23 There was not only prone restraint, which has injured and killed many autistics, but supine restraint, also lethal. I made a film short about dangers of restraining neurodivergents. When we saw trailer, we begged her to remove restraint scenes
9/23 She promised she would, then didn’t. She promised she’d put a warning on the film and didn’t. She and KG both seem to not understand 80% of children restrained in US schools are disabled, and more than 50% are autistic. Autistics and many NDs are triggered by restraint.
10/23 I’m ADHD, a restraint survivor, so is my autistic son. It’s painful, lethal & traumatizing. Reactions may have seemed “vicious” but trauma causes reactivity. Many were re-traumatized by her dismissive, demeaning responses. I saw pain, not vitriol. Restraint hurts & kills
11/23 now she says she’s autistic, but given how she portrayed restraint, as an act of love, and calming, she’s clearly not an autistic who is a restraint survivor. She’s not been involved in global movement to end lethal restraints. Sia’s normalization of it is dangerous
12/23 There is a worldwide movement to end all use of lethal forms of restraint. Maybe putting her star power behind that would be an act in good faith to show fellow NDs and autistics, she feels remorse for the harm caused.
13/23 as offensive as the film was for too many ableist tropes for a thread, it was also jarring to begin the movie w/an autistic girl covered in electric bolts, to music about feeling electricity in her body. For many of us, it invoked shock torture from Judge Rotenberg Center,
14/23 and the #StopTheShock campaign waged by autistic and ND rights activists for many years now. Had Sia engaged autistics in planning her film, someone would have surely told herto punt the lightning bolts, bulging eyes, and “I feel electricity” lyrics. That hurt me to watch
15/23 my review above took me 4500 words to say what hurt me & my autistic sons in the film, “Music,” and 4500 words was after I edited at least 2000 more. The casting, the content of the film itself, and reactions to the pain/trauma expressed by autistics was a trifecta of harm
16/23 I’m truly sorry both Griffin & Sia have suffered trauma from their being cast aside, but for me, the main issue that differentiates their falls from grace was that Griffin punched up and caused nobody harm or danger; Sia punched down & normalized dangerous restraints.
17/23 I knew Sia would resurface. I was just hoping when she did she’d apologize, participate in some authentic anti-restraint activism, and not make herself out to be the victim of all SHE did to us. She did none of the three, which is disappointing to say the least.
18/23 and now @kathygriffin without speaking to any autistic people, or trying to understand their pain has shown she learned nothing from Sia’s mistakes, swerved way out of her lane, punched down, and attacked Eric and the whole autistic/ND community who dared to share our pain
19/23 @kathygriffin I wasn’t offended by the severed head photo. Trump is garbage & deserves whatever comedians throw at him. I was deeply offended by your reaction to @EricMGarcia. Diminishing the trauma and pain of autistic people is dehumanizing; they need no more of that.
20/23 KG was the victim in trump severed head thing. Autistic people were the victims of all Sia’s choices and actions. There is redemption, but remorse for the pain caused to autistics would be a great start. It still feels to me Sia’s main concern is what SHE has been through.
21/23 I didn’t realize how much Sia has hurt me personally. I really hate this has gurgled back up w/seemingly no lessons learned. I hope the next time she re-appears, it’s to simply give an unqualified apology. That’s all. Join #StopTheShock campaign, or to end restraint.
22/23 or Sia could confer w/nonspeaking autistics & platform them. Anyone wanting to do any project about nonspeaking autistics, listen to THEM. (film by @Communica1st) or watch this documentary: Autistic people are human beings.
23/23 Restraint of autistics has only continued so long for so many because of their constant dehumanization. They aren’t “vicious;” they’re hurt. Anyone who can’t see the difference between pain and cruelty should just not weigh in on marginalized groups at all. Don’t punch down
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