Thread by @sophiassocials

2 years ago, I found a card in a Paperchase and posted about it on Twitter.

This then led to national headlines for me & the legendary @lemnsissay after the card was removed from Paperchase’s shelves.

Looking back on these events that took place, I have some thoughts… (🧵1/10)

https://twitter.com/sophiassocials/status/1338885827804401664

When I found this card, I wasn’t shocked. I grew up seeing stereotypes about care experienced people/adoptees throughout the mainstream & particularly in the media.

My community has often been used as the butt of the joke - like in the card I came across in 2020. (🧵2/10)

In recent years, I feel more and more hope that opinions & portrayals of our community are changing; from the John Lewis Christmas Advert, to the 2019 Care Experienced Conference, the work of various charities & orgs like @article_39, and projects like @CareExp_Culture. (🧵3/10)

But, as this card demonstrates, these jokes still happen. Thinking back to how I felt when I found that card makes me angry, because I felt numb. I felt sad of course, but frankly, unsurprised.

I hate that this is how I felt. And that I almost did nothing about it. (🧵4/10)

Before posting the tweet, I actually showed the picture to a few friends (who aren’t #CEP), to get their thoughts and check I wasn’t ‘overreacting’ to what I deemed to be a super offensive Christmas card.

I think my instinct to do that stems back to being in care… (🧵 5/10)

…and feeling like people are going to call me ‘over sensitive’ because of my past.

I think if it’d been today, I would’ve gone with my gut & posted it straight away. Because really, I should have considered how I would’ve felt if I’d found this card as a child in care. (🧵6/10)

Yes, it made me feel sad as a #CEP adult, but I can’t imagine how it would’ve made me feel while I was still living with foster parents. The card depicted one of my greatest fears as a kid; being sent away because I wasn’t wanted. Because I wasn’t loved unconditionally. (🧵7/10)

So looking back on the 15 Dec 2020, I’m glad I did what I did, and I’m glad it led to the card being removed, though this wasn’t my original intention. My intention was to start a dialogue - why is this card in the shop in the first place? and I think it did that. (🧵8/10)

At the time I made a super cringe collage for my Instagram of some of the headlines, because it appeared in national papers over here, and also in Denmark & Mexico. It got people talking.

Which is why 2 years later, I’m writing this thread to continue that conversation. (🧵9/10)

I thought this story was worth resharing; not just so I could thank @lemnsissay & @DavetheCareBear again (& many others) for sharing my OG post, but to ask this question again.

How did this card get on the shelf? And what can society do to stop it happening again? 💛 (🧵10/10)