Peta's Billboard is Removed!
Bev from Asperger Square 8 tweaked the Peta ad a tad. I must say I like it way better!
Ari writes in regards to Peta's campaign...
Hello everyone,
I am happy to announce that PETA's recent, "Got Autism?" billboard has been removed by the advertising company hosting it. The billboard misinformed the public about the autism spectrum by falsely implying that milk consumption was the cause of autism. Such advertising contributes to a state of public hysteria about the autism spectrum, fueling the fear and resulting prejudice that marginalizes us from society at large. It is unacceptable for autistic people, our families and supporters to be used as instruments in PETA's political agenda or that of any other unscrupulous interest group.
Our community came together to communicate the need for a swift withdrawal of this ill-informed piece of advertising, and I'm pleased to say that were able to achieve a swift result. That we were able to accomplish this so quickly and effectively speaks well for the autistic community and the cross-disability rights movement. Thank you all for your support. If you'd still like to indicate to PETA the need to avoid exploiting the autistic community in its future advertising, you can write to them at info@peta.org as well as call them at 757-622-7382 and dial 0. You can also sign our petition on this topic, further indicating to PETA and the world that it does not pay to try to attack and exploit the autistic and cross-disability communities.
Incidents like this show the need for a strong and activist autistic self-advocacy movement, working closely with the broader disability rights community. By uniting on issues like this one, we can work to address the persistent biases that pervades the public discourse about autism in specific and disability in general. As we speak, the blind community is uniting against false and offensive depictions of their community in the new movie, "Blindness". Over the last few months, disability rights activists from all parts of the community came together to fight against outdated and damaging portrayals of people with intellectual disabilities in the movie, "Tropic Thunder". Less than a year ago, the disability community united behind our successful effort to stop the NYU Child Study Center's "Ransom Notes" ad campaign, which portrayed children with disabilities as kidnap victims.
Like any other community, we have the right to be treated with respect, in media, in service-delivery and in all aspects of society. While responses to offensive depictions of disability in popular culture are not the only battle in the broader struggle for equity, inclusion, quality of life and opportunity for all people with disabilities, this issue must remain an important priority. Culture helps to shape the reality we live in. By challenging the exploitative and offensive public discourse on disability we find today, we can advance a broader agenda for disability rights. The disability community is on the march and we will not be stopped. Thank you once again for your effective action on this issue. I look forward to working with all of you once again in the future. Remember, "Nothing About Us, Without Us!"
Regards,
Ari Ne'emanPresident
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network
1660 L Street, NW, Suite 700Washington, DC 20036
http://www.autisticadvocacy.org/
9 comments:
Wow, this is weird. Just yesterday, my mother in law was trying to tell me that she learned milk was a cause of autism, and she started thinking about all the milk Melanie drinks and the PDD-NOS diagnosis. It freaked me out, she totally thought she had it all figured it, by misinformation. That God for the Autistic Advocacy Network and all the hard working people/parents who advocate on their behalf. This one hit so close to home. Peta's really gone way to far, again and again.
Thanks for letting me know about this.
XXXXXX
So glad that they've removed it -- I signed the petition yesterday. They really need to have more accountability with their ads!
Absolutley shocking! Both the use of mostly anecdotal evidence and the fact that they used a sad face to portray autism, how very dare they?
marla, great stuff, as usual. There cannot be a more feisty group in society than the parents of autistic children, Thank God!
But that abstract painting ( a self-portrait?) in your profile section is nothing like you? ;-)
Oh, and thanks for your declared support over at mine.
I saw your post yesterday about the campaign, it's outrageous so I'm so pleased to hear it's been withdrawn as a result of complaints/pressure. We can make a difference!!
BG x
Thanks for getting the word out. I can't believe something like that is happening.
Yea! I love it when people come together and make a positive difference!
I am also glad that those ads have been withdrawn. Bev's twist on the orignal is on target. Also liked the slogan from Ari N's organization. 'Nothing about us without us' indeed!
The billboard is gone but PETA still stand by what they said.
The reply to my e mail (which was about MY SON) was all about the bloody cows. PETA have gone to far and would continue to do so if the advertisment company let them.
This has really wound me up. Asif the biomedical end of the "parent spectrum" need any more amo, bet Generation Rescue are loving this.
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