Dear George Takei,
I number among the Autistic Trekkies. There are quite a few of us. I saw how many people from the original Star Trek joined the Sound Off For Autism Speaks, recording messages for people in return for a $299 donation to Autism Speaks, and I admit it. I cried. I cried when I saw each name of a person I respected giving money to an organization that considers me afflicted with my neurology, that silences those whose neurology is the same as mine for offenses so simple as believing ourselves not to be afflicted, for opposing the idea that we are broken, sometimes for (protected) parodies.
I wonder if it is because you understand being in a minority group that people think needs fixing that you didn't record for them. I admit that I don't really care why you didn't at the moment- I just care that you are not helping an organization that would like nothing more than for no more people like me to exist, that does horrible things to people like me.
Just like I am saddened by people helping organizations that want to cure me of who I am and scared of the effects no matter why they are doing so, I am grateful to those who don't no matter why they don't. So thank you, George Takei. Never feel badly for failing to support those who make the lives of Autistic people harder on a daily basis, spreading the fear of us in the race to cure us. Never feel badly for failing to support a group that will use the work of a person from the minority they claim to represent... without that person's permission, then lie about taking it down. Never feel badly for failing to support those who will throw the Autistic people who are here now under the bus in the race to find a cure for who we are, that no one ever be subjected to our existence again. Instead, be glad. Be glad that you did not hurt those you meant to help.
Know how many of us are glad that you did not join in this, whatever your reason for not joining may have been. Know that I am one of them, and that I am glad to be a fan of yours.
Alyssa
I number among the Autistic Trekkies. There are quite a few of us. I saw how many people from the original Star Trek joined the Sound Off For Autism Speaks, recording messages for people in return for a $299 donation to Autism Speaks, and I admit it. I cried. I cried when I saw each name of a person I respected giving money to an organization that considers me afflicted with my neurology, that silences those whose neurology is the same as mine for offenses so simple as believing ourselves not to be afflicted, for opposing the idea that we are broken, sometimes for (protected) parodies.
I wonder if it is because you understand being in a minority group that people think needs fixing that you didn't record for them. I admit that I don't really care why you didn't at the moment- I just care that you are not helping an organization that would like nothing more than for no more people like me to exist, that does horrible things to people like me.
Just like I am saddened by people helping organizations that want to cure me of who I am and scared of the effects no matter why they are doing so, I am grateful to those who don't no matter why they don't. So thank you, George Takei. Never feel badly for failing to support those who make the lives of Autistic people harder on a daily basis, spreading the fear of us in the race to cure us. Never feel badly for failing to support a group that will use the work of a person from the minority they claim to represent... without that person's permission, then lie about taking it down. Never feel badly for failing to support those who will throw the Autistic people who are here now under the bus in the race to find a cure for who we are, that no one ever be subjected to our existence again. Instead, be glad. Be glad that you did not hurt those you meant to help.
Know how many of us are glad that you did not join in this, whatever your reason for not joining may have been. Know that I am one of them, and that I am glad to be a fan of yours.
Alyssa
I hope you post this to his page.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if it will stay up, but I took the liberty to post it to his Facebook page
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/georgehtakei/posts/312904208815215