Hello, welcome to another episode of Unpacking Neuroqueerness. This episode is
honestly another episode that I really wish I didn't have to record. I really
wish that people knew better at this point and I didn't have to record another
episode like this calling someone else, calling someone out. In this case a major
streaming, probably the biggest streaming network in the world, Netflix, for their
deeply irresponsible, deeply ableist and offensive narrative around autism
featured in their Hack Your Health the Secrets of Your Gut new documentary
that just came out. Now a big sad thing about this is that I ended up exposed to
this deeply offensive content as an autistic person because I was actually
curious to watch this documentary because I myself struggle with with gut
health on and off. I've struggled with it throughout my life and I I know a lot of
other autistic people have struggled with it as well and there might be a link
there and so I thought maybe they're gonna discuss this in a positive
neurodiversity affirming way where they're gonna want to study the talk
about the relations, the relationship in between having developmental
disabilities and having poor gut health and what could be done to help folks to
make the world more accommodating and to help folks understand and have
tools to like figure out what's going on with their gut and how to help their gut
but within the first two minutes of this documentary they managed to offend and
insult and its entire community where they're eugenics narratives by characterizing
autism as a disease. This old narrative again of calling autism a
disease and trying to cure, talking about curing autism which is basically
eliminating autistic people like myself from the planet. Classic eugenics just
months after I had to do an episode about a eugenics article that came out that
was done by UCSF which is considered to be a majorly progressive university in
a progressive city which turns out they're not very progressive after all
and a lot of progressive spaces do not do not seem to include neurodiversity
inclusion and anti eugenics in their values clearly because they come out
with an article about curing or curing autism months ago that I had to call out.
Now here we are I'm calling out Netflix for this deeply problematic
narrative in this documentary where within the first two minutes they refer
to autism as a disease they say in this phrase quote diseases like anxiety
depression cancer autism and Parkinson's are all related to the gut so terrible
start right there where you characterize autism as a disease and then they go on
to refer to it as a brain problem which is also deeply problematic and
offensive it is not a brain problem there is nothing to be fixed or cured it
is a disability a lifelong disability to be accommodated and it's nothing and
it's not a disease to be cured or fixed and I can't believe that we're still
having this conversation in 2022 but it seems we are and of course the National
Autistic Society of the UK was also quick to call this out Tom Nichols head of
influencing and research at the National Autistic Society highlights the not
only the problematic use of brain problem in relation to autism but also
this link that is casually made and not backed up by any scientific evidence
and the National Autistic Society have urged Netflix to take down the
documentary it is Mr. Nichols goes on to explain that it is disgraceful that
next that Netflix has given a platform to a show which casually promotes dodgy
and untested science about autism and autistic people watching will have heard
themselves talked about in the most stigmatizing deeply offensive and
unacceptable ways they will have heard autism referred to as a disease as a
brain problem a chronic condition that we need to get a handle on whatever that
means whatever the heck that means please explain to the autistic community
what you mean when you're calling us diseased and you're saying that you
need to get a handle on us please I'm very very curious to hear if Netflix has
any or the makers of this documentary if they have any response to this and for
Netflix the airing something like this and Mr. Nichols goes on to explain as
I have mentioned as well autism is a lifelong disability not a disease or a
temporary symptom linked to gut health it cannot be treated or cured to suggest
otherwise is wrong deeply irresponsible and offensive to autistic people and
their families the National Autistic Society as I mentioned is now urging
Netflix to take down the documentary stating that autistic people are not
clickbait from media companies to entice viewers we will challenge their
stereotypes stigma and misinformation about autism wherever we see it so we
can create a society that works for autistic people and apparently Netflix
has thanked the National Autistic Society for their feedback adding they have
made a note of their complaints have contacted the streaming service for
the way now the National Autistic Society has contacted the streaming
service for further comment but our get to receive a response now this should
not even be a thing that flicks Netflix should know better there there is just
too much information out there on your diversity for Netflix a major streaming
service who has already released shows with autistic actors and advocates and
actually trying to move the needle and do better with autistic representation
that the idea I was getting up until this point and then they release complete
ablest garbage like this and and this affects autistic people that are watching
the show let's let's remember as mr. Nichols said there are autistic people
including like myself that watch the show and that have to see this deeply
offensive stigmatizing information about themselves and let's not forget that
as that partly because of all this misinformation out there that
autistics have to constantly see about themselves that is why suicide rates
are so high in the autistic community that's why autistic people have an
average life expectancy of 35 years old that's why 80% of the autistic
community has attempted suicide so how do you think someone an autistic person
that's struggling with their mental health that's already struggling with
their self-worth and their self-image and what once they've been told about
about themselves from society and this narrative of society considering them
diseased as an autistic person that is struggling with their mental health how
are they supposed to feel when they see something like this this person might
already be I'm sorry this person might already be I'm just gonna be very
straight and telling it how it is they might already be experiencing suicidal
thoughts and ideations and they turn on Netflix and Netflix is calling them
diseased and disordered and they have a brain problem that needs to be gotten a
handle on do you think this is going to take them out of that suicidal state or
do you think it is going to lead them further into it like this exacerbates a
major problem that we already have in the community this makes people feel
broken this makes people want to take their lives and this is unacceptable I
am livid I am livid I'm living at this this garbage that has been released by
Netflix let's just be honest let's not mince any words here this is garbage
documentary and I hope I have I hope I have warned enough people to not watch
it don't even waste your time watching this garbage this is outdated ableist
deeply offensive piece of garbage that Netflix has just released so yeah I just
wanted to touch on that for this episode and I really wish I weren't still
having to do episodes like this but apparently the world does not still
does not listen enough to neurodivergent people and our lived
experiences so I am having to do this once again on a more positive note I
have a brand new website shout out to my friend Christina Yarmelich for helping
me design this this website I have a great new website it has a collection of
my acting work my podcasting work as you all are familiar with and a little bit
of my of the essays I have written on my blog I used to have a blog called
different not broken and now it's all integrated into this one at this one
website so feel free to check that out if you'd like I will be putting the link
below in the episode description without further ado thank you for listening I
hope you're able to get something from this episode and please spread the word
if you can on how problematic this documentary is and I'll see you guys
next time thanks