solidarity

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Let’s hope they don’t kick me off: these IACC public comments though…

#actuallyautistic, #autismacceptance, #autismawareness, AAC, ableism, acceptance, advocacy, anti-stigma, autism, autism acceptance, autism awareness, autism parent, autistic, balance, civil rights, communication, community, disability, disability rights, diversity, ethics, families, functioning labels, IDD, inclusion, intellectual disability, intersectionality, Just Being Me...Who Needs 'Normalcy" Anyway? (my blog), Morénike, neurodiversity, open letter, POC, presume competence, representation, respectful parenting, self-advocacy, solidarity, stigma, tolerance, writing / By

So…I was recently appointed to the IACC, which is the federal advisory board that handles important autism-related matters at the national level. There were ~40-ish? people appointed in total, including 23 public members…and a full EIGHT of us public members are autistic! I am beyond grateful to have an opportunity to serve my community in …

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Until we are all free, we are none of us free.

Hear Our Cry: Call for Solidarity with Autistic BIPoC and Autistic People with Intellectual Disabilities: Demands presented to the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN) for their June 20th Board Meeting

1 Comment / #actuallyautistic, #autismacceptance, #autismawareness, advocacy, allies, anti-racism, anti-stigma, autism, autism acceptance, autistic, balance, cultural sensitivity, diversity, human rights, IDD, intellectual disability, intersectionality, neurodiversity, open letter, POC, race, solidarity / By

To: Meg Evans, Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) Board of Trustees Secretary   Cc:  Current ASAN Board of Trustees; Julia Bascom, ASAN Executive Director  From: A collective of former ASAN Board and staff, which includes: Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, former ASAN Board of Trustees Vice Chair Cal Montgomery, former ASAN Board of Trustees Chair  Oswin Latimer, former …

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#SorryNotSorry: You Can Keep Your Nonpology

accommodation, activism, advocacy, allies, apology, civil rights, community, ethics, intersectionality, solidarity / By

I script a lot, mostly in my head. It calms me. And it helps me process. It seems that there has always been a phrase, a quote, a song lyric that helps to capture what’s on my mind. People often fail me, but words seldom do. This one is easy. Comes from middle school lit …

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Disability Justice is Social Justice; Lean In

ableism, acceptance, activism, advocacy, allies, civil rights, disability, disability rights, human rights, inclusion, intersectionality, presume competence, representation, social justice, solidarity / By

Cue the lights, cue the music. The video starts. A young lady with Down Syndrome stands on a grassy football field, her eyes glistening with tears that threaten to roll down her carefully made-up face as she is crowned Homecoming Queen to a chorus of thunderous applause. The next few minutes of the video are …

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grayscale photography of people raising hands

You #StandWithCharleston, you say? Prove it.

African American, bigotry, black, Black Lives Matter, Charleston, Charleston massacre, discrimination, hate crime, KKK, Ku Klux Klan, murder, POC, racism, social justice, solidarity, violence, WWJD / By

Nine innocent lives were recently lost in #Charleston, South Carolina when a white supremacist entered a historically black church, was welcomed into an evening Bible study, and announced after an hour that he hated Black people and had came to kill the people who were there. He then opened fire, murdering clergy persons, college graduates, …

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selective focus of a boxer s fist

Will you fight with me?

activism, advocacy, allies, anti-racism, community, disability, disability right, diversity, equality, human rights, inclusion, justice, self-advocacy, social justice, solidarity / By

(As an FYI, identical version is cross-posted on my advocacy blog [Advocacy Without Borders]; thanks!) In a LOT of ways I am a “minority.” A LOT. But in other ways, I also have a lot of privilege. I live in a resource-rich Western nation. I speak English. I have US citizenship. I am educated. I …

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#OurThreeWinners Died Because of Hate

#OurThreeWinners, anti-Islam, anti-Muslim, bigotry, demonstrative faith, discrimination, hate crime, Islamophobia, prejudice, racism, solidarity, violence, WWJD / By

This is going to be a very short post. Not because there isn’t a great deal to say about the three young individuals in Chapel Hill who were senselessly profiled and murdered for their Muslim faith – there is plenty than can be said. It is going to be short because it thoroughly disgusts me …

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Heckling Muslim schoolchildren? Faith is NOT supposed to be synonymous with hate!

anti-Islam, anti-Muslim, civil rights, demonstrative faith, discrimination, hypocrisy, Islamophobia, racial profiling, racism, religion, solidarity, WWJD / By

I was saddened (and angered) to read this disturbing news: that recently a group of approximately 20 “Christian” Texans called the “Patriot Defense Foundation, Inc” decided to harass another group of Texans who are Muslim.  The Muslim group traveled to the Texas capitol (Austin) for a Texas Muslim Capitol Day legislative advocacy event coordinated by …

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Gratitude/Update (#NoGroupHome)

3 Comments / #NoGroupHome, ableism, activism, adoption, advocacy, allies, community, disability rights, discrimination, families, foster care, pain, resilience, scars from the present, solidarity, survival, trauma / By

Not too long ago, I sent out a desperate plea for help. My family was (is) faced with one of the most difficult situations we’d ever encountered, and we did not have the means to handle it alone. (Many of you might be familiar with the situation; but for those who are not, this link will …

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Pass Mina’s Law to Fight Stigma: People with HIV are #NotYourInfection!

3 Comments / #NotYourInfection, AIDS, anti-stigma, HIV, HIV awareness, HIV criminalization, HIV stigma, HIV/AIDS, Mina's Law, person first language, PLHIV, social justice, solidarity, WAD, World AIDS Day / By

(This post was originally published on the Advocacy Without Borders blog here.) “The inspiration behind thi’s post is an amazing 12 year old girl we call Mina.  Mina is a sweet, kind, and awesome kid who brings joy to her family, friends, and all who know her. She is thoughtful, deeply compassionate, and full of …

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