Disability Organizations, Activists Demand Sonoma County Fair Cancel Dehumanizing Performance
A Californian organization that supports disabled people to live independently has called on the Sonoma County Fair to cancel a wrestling performance featuring performers with dwarfism, planned for August 5. In a letter addressed to Sonoma County Fair Foundation Chief Executive Officer Becky Bartling, Eli Gelardin, CEO of the Marin Center for Independent Living, and Eileen Norman, president of Little People America, said that they are “deeply concerned about the Fair’s choice to promote the exploitation of disabled persons, especially little people.”
The letter continued that they are aware of shows that took place last year, and that an article published by The Press Democrat raised further concerns for them. Then, of course, they addressed the use of the M-word (which we have decided not to repeat due to how offensive it is) and its use by the county fair in its advertisements.
“Shows that make a spectacle out of disabled persons only dehumanize them for the entertainment of others. The show is an expression of ableism. The ‘M’ word was created as a label used to refer to little people who were on public display for curiosity and sport. The national organization Little People of America considers this word a discriminatory slur.”
The body says that they are worried these shows will push the stereotypes that this is all little people can do for work, or that they can’t get other jobs and so resort to performing in these outdated, dehumanizing shows. They implore for the show to be canceled and ask the fair’s board to create a Program Diversity and Inclusion Oversight Advisory Committee.
As activist Rebecca Cokley points out, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is over three decades old, so why is it still happening? It’s 2023 and people with dwarfism are still being treated this way. With the calls for the show to be canceled and the explanation of why it’s wrong, along with the olive branch of offering help, maybe we won’t see this on the agenda next time the amusement is in town. It may even, hopefully, be a wakeup call to others that this isn’t okay.
(featured image: Getty Images/MarkTantrum)
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