March 1st will mark the twelfth annual Disability Day of Mourning, when disabled community members gather in various locations across the country to memorialize disabled victims of filicide. Vigils will take place both in person and virtually, and will include speeches, readings, and the list of names of victims.
Filicide is the murder of a disabled person by their family member or caregiver. The Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), which tracks these cases, has compiled a list of over 1600 reported murders of people with disabilities by relatives or caregivers over the last 40 years. ASAN, which also helps to coordinate all of the vigils, says that “The total number of killings is likely higher than the amount which are reported in news media. This problem is made worse by irresponsible news coverage which presents these murders as the sympathetic acts of loving and desperate parents, by a justice system which often gives a lighter sentence to a parent who kills a disabled child, and by the dangerous cultural prejudice that says a disabled life is not worth living.”
The first Disability Day of Mourning was held in 2012 after the murder of George Hodgins, an autistic man in California who was killed by his mother. Media coverage of the murder focused on how “difficult” it is to parent an autistic person, lending sympathy to the murderer and justifying her crime rather than focusing on the terrible tragedy of George Hodgins’ death. Zoe Gross, who now serves as the Advocacy Director for ASAN, wrote this about the media coverage of the murder: “Why is the story being told this way? Because we live in a world that doesn’t acknowledge the value of our lives as disabled people. Because so many people in our society can’t imagine a disabled person living a fulfilling life, so they don’t see the tragedy and the wasted potential when one of our lives is cut short.”
The socially accepted devaluation of disabled peoples’ lives is the underlying issue at the root of both filicide and assisted suicide. Not Dead Yet applauds ASAN for their important work in raising awareness of this issue and giving our community space to learn, process, and grieve. Interested in hosting a vigil, either virtually or in your local community? Sign up to be a vigil coordinator here. ASAN will give you all of the information and support you need to organize the vigil. Their 2023 Anti-Filicide Toolkit contains a step-by-step guide to putting together a vigil, either in-person or virtually, as well as tools and templates for promoting your vigil on social media. ASAN will support you through the process and answer any questions you may have. This is a great opportunity to bring your community together and engage in important advocacy work!
