AFA Urges NAD Sponsors to Withdraw

English text below 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNjtkLCRAZE&list=UUcY3go7tTUJuZz6b1ijVLVw&index=1&feature=plcp

26 May 2012

Greetings,

This letter serves as a request for your organization to withdraw its sponsorship, participation, and/or affiliation with the National Association of the Deaf unless they retract their invitation to Governor Dennis Daugaard as a plenary presenter at their 2012 Conference this July in Kentucky.

While Governor Daugaard is an individual who grew up as part of a family of Deaf people, he has actively worked to limit the reproductive rights of women in addition to opposing marriage equality. He has also passively stood by (rather than standing up) when the only school for the Deaf was threatened and closed in South Dakota.  And yet, he is invited to speak at the NAD Conference about civil and linguistic rights.

As a civil rights organization, NAD is obligated to support the civil rights of ALL Deaf and Hard of hearing people, regardless of their gender and choice of a marriage partner. Further NAD has an obligation to actively oppose actions which threaten the civil rights of not only Deaf/Hard of Hearing people, but also of Deaf people who are women and GLBT, and indeed ALL people. NAD’s decision to invite Gov. Daugaard to serve as keynote speaker shows a blatant disregard of their obligations to the Deaf community as well indicating that they are not committed to backing up their stated positions with actions.

It is our hope that your organization is also committed to the human, linguistic, economic and civil rights of all peoples.  One way you can ACT upon this commitment is to contact the NAD and pressure them to do the right and just thing by withdrawing Gov. Daugaard’s invitation.

Let Freedom Roll!

Patti Durr, Ruthie Jordan and Karen Christie for Audism Free America

Audism Free America is a grassroots Deaf activist network in the US, which advocates for Deaf American rights, cultural resurgence, and seeks primarily to challenge the ideological foundations of audism in America. For more information see: audismfreeamerica.blogspot.com or contact us via AudismFreeAmerica@gmail.com

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