People With Autism Are Tweeting Photos of Their Eyes to Make an Important Point
Update Monday, Jan. 25: On Monday morning, the blogger who created the hashtag in this article, updated her blog to say she will no longer promote its use because she does not want to add to the stigma around autism. We have updated the story accordingly.
A New Yorker article has sparked outrage in the autism community.
The article, called “Seeing the Spectrum,” published online and in the January 25 issue of the New Yorker, was written by Steven Shapin and attempts to trace the history of autism spectrum disorder and how it has been shaped by activism. One passage in particular has upset many in the autism community.
The passage reads:
For parents of autistic kids, awareness is desperately important. It’s a searing experience to have a child who doesn’t talk, who doesn’t want to be touched, who self-harms, who demands a regularity and an order that parents can’t supply, whose eyes are not windows to their souls but black mirrors.
The phrase “black mirrors” offended many and inspired the hashtag #NotBlackMirrors on Twitter on Saturday, Jan. 23.
People have since been tweeting photos of their eyes or the eyes of loved ones on the spectrum to show that they are not black mirrors and to try and get the publication’s attention.
See some of the photos from the hashtag below:
@NewYorker My eyes are not black mirrors! Stop stigmatising #ActuallyAutistic people & listen to us #NotBlackMirrors pic.twitter.com/Afa2Xo04EQ
— Mabz Beet (@MabzBeet) January 23, 2016
See? @NewYorker, my eyes are #notblackmirrors #ActuallyAutistic pic.twitter.com/MHuLtI19Ip
— Kyler Greywacz (@Ky_grey95) January 24, 2016
Dear @NewYorker, Are you getting the message yet? #NotBlackMirrors #ActuallyAutistic pic.twitter.com/BRG1qmeEY5
— Tamara Rice ( ˘ ³˘)♥ (@tamarahvt) January 24, 2016
Hey @NewYorker my son is #autistic and his eyes are #NotBlackMirrors pic.twitter.com/pt8PSdt0xF
— Sharon McArdle (@sharonmcardle10) January 24, 2016
These are some #ActuallyAutistic eyes. #NotBlackMirrors pic.twitter.com/acxP9W2xQn
— Snow Wight (@crimefish) January 24, 2016
The Mighty reached out to the New Yorker for comment but has yet to hear back.
Melissa McGlensey is the former News Editor at The Mighty. Her writing can also be seen in Ms. Magazine, on the Ms.Magazine blog and in The Huffington Post’s Good News, Comedy and Impact sections. Melissa is also a New York City comedian who does sketch, improv and stand up. She is passionate about social justice, politics, Thai food, literature, disability rights and more. She is currently in a long-distance relationship with her cat, Sneakers, who lives in California. You can follow her on twitter at @OhHeyMeliss.
melissa-mcglensey