Autism Speaks: Still a hate group.

[conuly]

https://www.gocomics.com/nonsequitur/2020/5/30
https://www.arcamax.com/thefunnies/nonsequitur/

So don't link to them.

(Edit: Only posting two links in case somebody wants to go duke it out in either of their comments sections.)

Comments

[marahmarie]

Are you kidding me? Back when I still read newspapers (it's been a few years) I liked to read the Non Sequitur comic. I had no idea the author was an Autism Speaks supporter (then again, I may have never heard of Autism Speaks before then, either - The More You Know).

[conuly]

You'd be amazed how many people still haven't gotten the memo about them.

I only wish I knew how to contact him directly....

[archangelbeth]

As of 11 hours ago, he's walking it back?

Dear readers:As for Autism Speaks, I was not aware of the controversy about the organization. I was simply looking for a quick way to direct people for information about autism in general, not to support the organization.

Had I known what many of you have informed me about here, I would have looked for another website. It never seems to fail that when charitable organizations get too big, corruption almost always ensues. I wish I had done more research before slapping that tag on there…which was a last minute decision when working on deadline.

The last thing I want is for that to divert attention away from what I am trying to accomplish with Jack, which is show children with autism are to be celebrated rather than thought of being a problem or need to be “cured”.

For those who don’t already know this, Jack is patterned after our grandson of the same name, and, as far as I know, is the first austistic character in comics. Thank you all for your support and for helping educate me.

[archangelbeth]

He needs to edit the comic, though.

[marahmarie]

Oh, that's too cool. Go conuly!

[conuly]

Of course, it's certainly not just me.

[conuly]

I mean, okay, but it's been fifteen years and they've been awful from the very start, not only after they got "too big". And this information is not exactly hard to find.

[archangelbeth]

It is astounding how much neurotypicals can Not Notice the whole A$ thing, even when they're related to someone who knows better. A$ has the schools mostly hoodwinked, for one. -_-

[conuly]

Not just NTs - how many times do we hear about people getting diagnosed only after a child in the family does, because they thought they were perfectly normal just like everybody else in their family... none of whom, of course, were actually anything of the sort.

Edit: Sorry, I thought this was a response on a totally different thread, read that as AS instead of A$, and my reply was completely wrong.

New reply that makes sense: A$ can go fucking die in a fire, and so can all their board.

[archangelbeth]

*snicker*

*fistbump*

[conuly]

:D

[marahmarie]

Oh wow, I couldn't even find the comments 'til I went back at the first link. Interesting crowd, to put it kindly. I make it a habit to not comment on anything off-DW anymore so I gotta sit on my hands - the reason I don't is the sharks you've encountered. They're all over and I need to sleep at night (or sleep, in general). You have my sympathies.

[conuly]

Sharks are lovely animals!

[marahmarie]

"You might be able to help find a cure or to alleviate any suffering!"

It doesn't need a cure *grrrr*

And who is "suffering" in this example, exactly?

[conuly]

According to AS, the parents are suffering, obvs. Poor, put-upon parents :(

[marahmarie]

Exactly. I hate when someone comes off as sympathetic but just read between the lines and there it is. Like autism's version of "I'm not racist, but". Gah.

[conuly]

It's not even between the lines. I don't think they've ever formally recanted their "all parents really want to kill their autistic children" line. They can scrub the video from their site, but that doesn't mean they don't still think it.

On the subject of sharks, seen this? https://andrewducker.tumblr.com/post/618389960332099585/maetyu-y-bransonreese-aurora-gleam

Some people, man. When you're obviously being trolled, stop playing!

So smooth

[marahmarie]

It's not even between the lines.

I was referring to the commenter in question, Not to Autism Speaks.

And yes, I have. I actually thought at least some of the replies were people trolling him back. Sort of like a wink-wink nod-nod type thing, all around. Kind of blown away by the entire thread, regardless.

Re: So smooth

[conuly]

I don't seem to have seen that comment.

Re: So smooth

[marahmarie]

I can't find it now myself, and didn't bookmark or save my web History from last night, sorry. tl;dr: Mostly, they were a condescending jerk.

Re: So smooth

[conuly]

So, typical.

Re: So smooth

[conuly]

Also, while I might not have been thrilled with last week's storyline, at least I can honestly say it wasn't curebie nonsense, so stfu, random commenter who wants a cuuuuuuure.

[gwydion]

Thank you for fighting that battle.

[conuly]

Seriously, though, they're the worst.

[gingicat]

I couldn't find the link in question?

[conuly]

In my post? Or do you mean the comments didn't show up when you clicked it? Oh, or do you mean you don't see where anybody linked to AS? It's at the bottom of the comic strip itself, so it's not a link proper.

[rmc28]

Thank you for speaking up.

[conuly]

When it comes to AS, you can't shut me up.

[rhoda_rants]

Yeeesh...

Although this does explains why I always liked Danae so much. I'd like to think it's because AS has such a huge platform and is the only Autism related group people who haven't gotten the memo have heard of. Which sucks.

[conuly]

Given the past week of strips, I'm not entirely certain he understood what he was writing, or ought to have been. I wasn't too thrilled with the whole storyline at all.

[rhoda_rants]

We don't get Non Sequitur in the paper anymore; this is the first I've seen of it for like [insert vague period somewhere between 6 months and 2 years, time is an illusion]. Is there a theme happening?

[conuly]

The past week was Danae following her friend's autistic brother into this dream state and it was... sheesh.

[rhoda_rants]

Aww, boo! Here I was thinking Danae was on the spectrum. :( In fact, I'm going to headcanon that anyway.

[conuly]

If Jack is based on the writer's grandson of the same name, then a few things increase in probability: one, that he has other relatives on the broader autistic spectrum, two, that he doesn't read her as "autistic" because on some level he doesn't realize what that looks like if you don't have a diagnosis.

[rhoda_rants]

that he doesn't read her as "autistic" because on some level he doesn't realize what that looks like if you don't have a diagnosis.
Yeah. I get the impression he's listening and trying, with the addendum you included upthread, but the stigma is still there.

[marahmarie]

Danae's my girl, too.

[rhoda_rants]

She's a baby Goth weirdo I respect that!

[marahmarie]

And a feminist! I just love love love that girl.

[delight]

Thank you for fighting the good fight. I'm also glad to see so many supportive replies to your comments. The tides are turning, A$.

[conuly]

Thank goodness.

[sabotabby]

One of my proudest moments this year was teaching the centralized Spec. Ed. teachers in my school board that Autism Speaks is a hate group and making them retract a campaign by them that they were sending around.

[conuly]

Oh, good job!