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Autism Speaks and the Color Blue

Cutesie

Cutesie

Struggling to exist, trying to believe in change.
V.I.P Member
Here are two questions:

1) What is your opinion concerning Autism Speaks? Please answer only briefly, because I don't want this thread to be a discussion or debate about that particular organization. This question is simply a setup for the next one.

2) Do you support the color blue representing autism? The question is relevant no matter how you responded to the first one. Even if you like Autism Speaks, should one group get to decide an important issue for all autistics? Even if you despise them, should we reject therefore the gains already made by the awareness created by their campaigns?

As someone still fairly new to the community and not all that educated about these debates, I don't want to express an opinion myself yet.
 
All I know about Autism Speaks is it's apparently a really awful thing or something.


Life will go on whatever the colour of Autism Speaks is.
 
1) The fact that the board is almost exclusively populated by NTs is not something that strikes me as useful, unless the one autist on the board has veto power. A big no from me.

2) I do not think a single color is representative of a wide and varied spectrum, and I certainly would not pick a color that in my mind represents sadness.
 
Cutesie said:
Here are two questions:

1) What is your opinion concerning Autism Speaks? Please answer only briefly, because I don't want this thread to be a discussion or debate about that particular organization. This question is simply a setup for the next one.

2) Do you support the color blue representing autism? The question is relevant no matter how you responded to the first one. Even if you like Autism Speaks, should one group get to decide an important issue for all autistics? Even if you despise them, should we reject therefore the gains already made by the awareness created by their campaigns?

As someone still fairly new to the community and not all that educated about these debates, I don't want to express an opinion myself yet.
Click to expand...
1. Misguided prioritization of parental fears, corporate financial interests, and eradication of autism over autistic autonomy and acceptance.
2. The color blue is likely from the 2010 "Light It Up Blue" campaign to mark World Autism Awareness day on April 2. I think this is fine. No thoughts either way on the topic.
3. Should one group, especially one with the history and agenda of Autism Speaks, be a voice for all autistics? NO.
4. The autism awareness "gains" from Autism Speaks has historically been in the realm of creating parental fear instead of autistic autonomy, acceptance, and advocacy. As a result, the awareness they bring to the public discussion has been that of negativity.
 
I have heard both good and bad about them and don't know enough about which things are actually true or not to be able to form a definite opinion about the organization one way or the other. As for the color, I don't see how or why it matters which color is or is not used to represent ASD.
 
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