Lydia X. Z. Brown

Last updated

Lydia Brown
Lydia Brown at Colorado Trust (cropped).jpg
Brown speaks at the Colorado Trust in 2017
Born1993 (age 30–31)
Education Georgetown University (BA)
Northeastern University (JD)
Known forDisability rights advocacy

Lydia X. Z. Brown (born 1993) is an American autistic disability rights activist, writer, attorney, and public speaker who was honored by the White House in 2013. [1] They are the chairperson of the American Bar Association Civil Rights & Social Justice Disability Rights Committee. They are also Policy Counsel for Privacy & Data at the Center for Democracy & Technology, and Director of Policy, Advocacy, & External Affairs at the Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network. [2] In 2022, they unsuccessfully ran for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 7A, [3] losing to state delegate Kathy Szeliga and delegate-elect Ryan Nawrocki. [4]

Contents

Student activism

As an undergraduate student at Georgetown University from 2011 to 2015, Brown was a student organizer and advocate for disabled students on campus. [5] Brown served as the first Undersecretary of Disability Affairs for the Georgetown University Student Association [6] and was on the planning committee for the first university-recognized Disability Cultural Month in October 2012. [7] They wrote and disseminated a citywide guide to resources for students with disabilities, [8] surveyed student government candidates on disability issues, [9] [10] organized a Twitter chat by Georgetown students with disabilities, [11] and hosted and organized a lecture & performance series on Disability justice that featured talks with disability activists, scholars, and cultural workers including Karen Nakamura, Margaret Price, Leroy F. Moore Jr., Kassiane Asasumasu, Stephanie Kerschbaum, and Shain M. Neumeier. [12] [13] [14]

In the fall of 2012, Brown designed a proposal for and organized a planning committee of over 20 university community members to advocate for the creation of a Disability Cultural Center on campus. [15] The planning committee's recommendations, in combination with a 2014 #BeingDisabledAtGeorgetown (shortened version: #BDGU [16] ) online campaign, contributed to the Disability Studies Minor Working Group's establishment of a Disability Studies Course Cluster [17] in the fall of 2015 and Georgetown University's subsequent approval of the creation of a Disability Studies minor [18] in 2017. It also led to the creation of a dedicated fund for sign language interpretation and real-time captioning, and the creation of a dedicated access coordinator position. [19] A Disability Cultural Center has not yet been established as of May 2022. [18]

As a Public Interest Law Scholar at Northeastern University School of Law, [20] Brown helped to found the Disability Justice Caucus. [19]

Disability activism

Brown has described themselves as having "fallen into activism by accident". [19] Their experience raising over $1200 for an autism awareness nonprofit advocacy organization then returning funds to donors after discovering behavior "counter to the organization's stated mission" led them to seek out and later work with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. In Massachusetts, Brown first wrote and introduced legislation in 2010 on autism and developmental disabilities training for law enforcement, including corrections officers, and has continued to lobby for passage of that bill. [21] [22]

In 2011, Brown wrote a petition demanding school district-wide policy changes in Mercer County, Kentucky after viewing local news coverage of an incident in which Christopher Baker, a nine year old autistic student, was punished by being placed inside a large bag. [23] The petition gained over 200,000 signatures [24] and media attention. [25] [26]

In 2013, Brown co-organized a protest outside the Food and Drug Administration White Oak Campus in Maryland against the Judge Rotenberg Center, which is known for its use of aversives as a form of behavioral modification on people with developmental disabilities, including many autistic people. [27] Later, in 2014, Brown testified against the Judge Rotenberg Center's use of electric shock aversives at a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel hearing. [28] Prior to the hearing, Brown submitted a written testimony on behalf of TASH New England arguing that electric shock aversive devices should be banned as an ineffective and dangerous form of treatment. [29] Brown maintains a living archive of documents and other resources related to the JRC on their website. [30]

During college, Brown co-founded the Washington Metro Disabled Students Collective. [31]

Brown was the lead editor of All the Weight of Our Dreams, an anthology of art and writing entirely by autistic people of color published by the Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network in June 2017. [32] [33]

In 2020, Brown supported the FDA's ban of electric shock devices at the Judge Rotenberg Center and said that there should be reparations for survivors of this method of torture. [34]

Gendervague

A study by Nature Communications found that trans individuals were three to six times more likely to be autistic, and gender diverse people are more likely to report symptoms of autism. [35] The intersectionality of gender and neurodivergence has led both communities to coin the term gendervague. Lydia X. Z. Brown has popularized the term which refers to an intersection between their neurodivergent and the transgender identities. [36] Gendervague falls under the non-binary and transgender umbrellas, although individuals who identify with this term feel their gender identity is intertwined with their neurodivergence. Brown noted, "for many of us, gender mostly impacts our lives when projected onto us through other people's assumptions, but holds little intrinsic meaning." [37]

Career

Brown is a former Patricia Morrissey Disability Policy Fellow at the Institute for Educational Leadership. [38] They were a policy analyst for the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. [19]

They were the chairperson of the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council [39] from 2015 to 2017, the youngest appointee chairing any state developmental disabilities council in the U.S. [40]

As a graduate student, they were the 2018-2019 Justice Catalyst Legal Fellow at the Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law. [40]

Brown has lectured on neurodiversity; connections between trans, queer, and disability experiences; racial justice and the disability rights movement; and intersectionality at numerous colleges and universities, including Yale University, [41] [42] Bellevue College, [43] University of Virginia, [44] Grinnell College, [45] College of William & Mary, [46] and Vanderbilt University as part of the Inclusive Astronomy Conference. [47] In 2015, Brown gave the keynote speech at the Students of Color Conference held in Yakima, Washington, [48] and in 2016, Brown gave the keynote speech at the Queer I Am Leadership Symposium held at South Puget Sound Community College. [49]

They previously taught as a visiting lecturer at Tufts University's Experimental College, and as an Adjunct Lecturer in Disability Studies at Georgetown University and Adjunct Professorial Lecturer in American Studies at American University's Department of Critical Race, Gender, and Culture Studies. [2]

Awards and honors

In 2013, Brown was recognized by the White House Champions of Change program in commemoration of the 23rd anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act. [50]

The Washington Peace Center selected Brown as the recipient of its 2014 Empowering the Future Youth Activist Award for their work with the Washington Metro Disabled Students Collective and the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. [51] [52]

In 2015, Brown was named a Top Thinker Under 30 in the Social Sciences by Pacific Standard and included on Mic's inaugural list of "the next generation of impactful leaders, cultural influencers, and breakthrough innovators." [6] [53]

In 2018, Brown was awarded the National Association for Law Placement Pro Bono Publico Award, which is annually awarded to one law student in the U.S. who makes significant contributions to underserved populations through pro bono services. [19]

Selected works

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Related Research Articles

The disability rights movement is a global social movement that seeks to secure equal opportunities and equal rights for all people with disabilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neurodiversity</span> Non-pathological explanation of variations in mental functions

Neurodiversity is a framework for understanding human brain function and mental illness. It argues that diversity in human cognition is normal and that some conditions classified as mental disorders are differences and disabilities that are not necessarily pathological.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autism rights movement</span> Disability rights movement for autistic people

The autism rights movement, also known as the autistic acceptance movement, is a social movement allied with disability rights that emphasizes a neurodiversity paradigm, viewing autism as a disability with variations in the human brain rather than as a disease to be cured. The movement advocates for several goals, including greater acceptance of autistic traits and behaviors; reforms of services - i.e. services that focus on improving quality of life and well-being instead of suppression and masking of autistic traits that are adaptive or not harmful or imitations of social behaviors of neurotypical (non-autistic) peers ; the creation of social networks and events that allow autistic people to socialize on their own terms; and the recognition of the autistic community as a minority group.

The Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting behavior analysis. The organization has over 9,000 members. The group organizes conferences and publishes journals on the topic of applied behavior analysis (ABA). ABAI has issued detailed, specific position papers intended to guide practitioners of ABA. The ABAI publishes six scholarly journals including The Psychological Record and their primary organ, Perspectives on Behavior Science, formerly The Behavior Analyst. They also publish an informational journal, Education and Treatment of Children, describing practical treatment of children with behavioral problems.

Self-advocacy is the act of speaking up for oneself and one's interests. It is used as a name for civil rights movements and mutual aid networks for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The term arose in the broader civil rights movements of the 1960s and 1970s, and is part of the disability rights movement. Today there are self-advocacy organizations across the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judge Rotenberg Center</span> Controversial American special education institution

The Judge Rotenberg Center (JRC) is a controversial institution in Canton, Massachusetts, United States, for people with developmental disabilities and emotional and behavioral disorders. The center has been condemned for torture by the United Nations special rapporteur on torture. The JRC is known for its use of the graduated electronic decelerator (GED), a device that administers electric shocks to residents as part of the institution's behavior modification program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People-first language</span> Putting the person before the diagnosis

People-first language (PFL), also called person-first language, is a type of linguistic prescription which puts a person before a diagnosis, describing what condition a person "has" rather than asserting what a person "is". It is intended to avoid marginalization or dehumanization when discussing people with a chronic illness or disability. It can be seen as a type of disability etiquette but person-first language can also be more generally applied to any group that would otherwise be defined or mentally categorized by a condition or trait.

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy organization run by and for individuals on the autism spectrum. ASAN advocates for the inclusion of autistic people in decisions that affect them, including: legislation, depiction in the media, and disability services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ari Ne'eman</span> American autism rights advocate

Ari Daniel Ne'eman is an American disability rights activist and researcher who co-founded the Autistic Self Advocacy Network in 2006. On December 16, 2009, President Barack Obama announced that Ne'eman would be appointed to the National Council on Disability. After an anonymous hold was lifted, Ne'eman was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate to serve on the Council on June 22, 2010. He chaired the council's Policy & Program Evaluation Committee making him the first autistic person to serve on the council. In 2015, Ne'eman left the National Council on Disability at the end of his second term. He currently serves as a consultant to the American Civil Liberties Union. As of 2019, he also is a Ph.D. candidate in Health Policy at Harvard University.

Communication Shutdown is a global fundraiser on behalf of autism-related organizations in more than 40 countries. Beginning in 2010, the day is commemorated by individuals voluntarily refraining from using social media such as Facebook or Twitter for one day on 1 November.

Discrimination against autistic people is the discrimination, persecution, and oppression that autistic people have been subjected to. Discrimination against autistic people is a form of ableism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shain Neumeier</span> American lawyer

Shain A. Mahaffey Neumeier is an American autistic and nonbinary transgender attorney. Neumeier advocates against coercive and forced treatment, including advocacy to close the Judge Rotenberg Center, an institution for people with developmental disabilities. They are also an activist for autism rights, disability rights, and other associated causes.

<i>Citizen Autistic</i> 2013 film

Citizen Autistic is a 2013 documentary film directed by William Davenport exploring the advocacy work of autism rights activists. Citizen Autistic features interviews with autistic activists including Ari Ne'eman, co-founder and former president of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, and Zoe Gross, creator of the Disability Day of Mourning annual vigils held in honor of filicide victims with disabilities. The documentary covers topics important to neurodiversity such as the debate over whether researchers should seek a cure for autism and controversies surrounding the nonprofit organization Autism Speaks and the Judge Rotenberg Center, a residential institution known for using electric skin shock aversive treatment as a form of behavioral modification.

Morénike Giwa Onaiwu is an American educator, author, and autism and HIV advocate. Alongside E. Ashkenazy and Lydia Brown, Onaiwu is an editor of All the Weight of Our Dreams, an anthology of art and writing entirely by autistic people of color published by the Autism Women's Network in June 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Graduated electronic decelerator</span> Electrical torture device

The graduated electronic decelerator (GED) is a device that delivers powerful electric shocks to the skin, described by the United Nations as torture, created by Matthew Israel for use on people at the Judge Rotenberg Center as part of the institution's behavior modification program. The school has since been condemned for torture by the United Nations special rapporteur on torture for its use of the GED and other inhumane punishments. In 2020, the device was banned in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration, however the ban was overturned in federal court a year later. In response, the United States Congress amended the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to expand FDA's authority to ban such devices.

Matthew Israel is a controversial American behavioral psychologist who is known for founding the Judge Rotenberg Center and inventing the Graduated Electronic Decelerator. As a freshman in college, Israel read B. F. Skinner's novel, Walden Two, in which the heroes build a utopia by conditioning the residents of a commune through the behaviorist principles of reward and punishment. Israel said that reading Walden Two was like a "religious conversion" for him. After reading the book, Israel devoted himself to making the utopia described in it a reality. Israel said that the period between reading the book and his first attempts to start the utopia was a very difficult time of his life. "I thought about committing suicide," he said. "If I couldn't bring a community into existence, [in] what sense was life worth living?" Israel went on to study behaviorism under B. F. Skinner and to receive his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1960.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessica Benham</span> American politician and disability rights activist (born 1990)

Jessica L. Benham is an American politician and disability rights activist serving as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 36th District. She is the first openly LGBTQ+ woman and first openly autistic person elected to the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Benham is one of the only autistic state lawmakers in the United States. She cofounded the Pittsburgh Center for Autistic Advocacy in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disability Day of Mourning</span> Annual filicide commemoration

The Disability Day of Mourning is observed annually on 1 March to commemorate disabled people murdered by their caregivers, especially their parents. First observed in 2012 and propagated by disability rights organizations such as Not Dead Yet and the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, the day aims to bring attention to the issue of filicide of disabled children and adults, and the degree to which such murders are treated as different from or more socially acceptable than similar murders of abled people.

References

  1. ↑ Brown, Lydia. "Keeping the Promise of the ADA: Unequal Justice for Disabled Victims of Murder", White House , Washington, D.C., August 15, 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Adjunct Professorial Lect". American University. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  3. ↑ "2022 Voter Guide: Lydia X. Z. Brown, candidate for Maryland House District 7A". Baltimore Sun. May 18, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Maryland Election Results". The New York Times . November 8, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  5. ↑ Quallen, Matthew. "For Disabled Students, The Struggle Continues", The Hoya , February 26, 2015.
  6. 1 2 Andrews, Avital. "The 30 Top Thinkers Under 30: The Self-Described Queer, East Asian Disabled Person Devoted to Defending Anyone on the Margins", Pacific Standard , April 4, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Disability Month Focuses on Diversity". October 24, 2014. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  8. ↑ Welch, Caroline. "GUSA Tackles Accessibility", The Hoya , September 6, 2013.
  9. ↑ Henry, Lacey. "Disability Survey Reveals Support From GUSA Candidates", The Hoya , February 24, 2013.
  10. ↑ Gregory, Matt. "Candidates Surveyed on Disability for Second Year", The Hoya , February 27, 2014.
  11. ↑ Monyak, Suzanne. "Strong Words From GU's Disabled", The Hoya , January 14, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Lecture & Performance Series on Disability Justice", Disability Justice for Georgetown University, 2015.
  13. ↑ Allen, Charlotte. "Speaker Discusses Incarceration of Disabled People", The Hoya , November 11, 2014.
  14. ↑ Wallender, Andrew. "Panel Talks Disability Rights", The Hoya , October 31, 2014.
  15. ↑ Rouge, Dominique. "Brown's proposal for establishment of Disability Cultural Center gains momentum", The Georgetown Voice , March 5, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Protest Thrives in Diverse Forms". April 25, 2014. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Disability Course Cluster Established". October 23, 2015. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  18. 1 2 "EDITORIAL: Establish the Disability Cultural Center". February 5, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 "The autistic, non-binary, queer, law student fighting for disability justice". News @ Northeastern. April 19, 2018. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Celebrating the Public Interest Law Scholars Program: Recipient Biographies for the Classes of 2003-2018", Northeastern University School of Law , January 2016, page 19.
  21. ↑ General Court of Massachusetts, "Journal of the House", June 23, 2010, page 1498.
  22. ↑ Segelbaum, Dani. "Student pushes bill on autism training", Milford Daily News , February 9, 2016.
  23. ↑ Schreiner, Bruce. "School accused of putting autistic student in bag", Associated Press , Boston Globe , December 22, 2011.
  24. ↑ Brown, Lydia. "Petitioning Special Education, Mercer County Board of Education Emma Jean Tamme and 14 others: End abuse of Autistic students in Mercer County, Kentucky", Change.org , December 2011.
  25. ↑ Schreiner, Bruce. "Mom wants changes before she'll let autistic son return to Mercer school", Associated Press , January 4, 2012.
  26. ↑ McVeigh, Karen. "Mother condemns Kentucky school for putting autistic son in duffel bag", The Guardian , December 27, 2011.
  27. ↑ "FDA meets on school electric shock device used on disabled students, warns of violations", January 11, 2013.
  28. ↑ Food and Drug Administration. "Transcript of Open Public Hearing of the Neurological Devices Panel, Medical Devices Advisory Committee, U.S. Food and Drug Administration", April 24, 2014, pp.192-195.
  29. ↑ Brown, Lydia. "Moral and Legal Bases for Banning Aversive Conditioning Devices Used for Contingent Electric Shock Lydia Brown Comment", April 18, 2014.
  30. ↑ Brown, Lydia. "Judge Rotenberg Center Living Archive", last updated July 22, 2016.
  31. ↑ Washington Metro Disabled Students Collective, "Leadership".
  32. ↑ Brooks, Emily. An Interview with Steve Silberman, Author of NeuroTribes, The Toast , March 29, 2016.
  33. ↑ Brown, Lydia X. Z. & The Autism Women's Network. All the Weight of Our Dreams: On Living Racialized Autism, 2016.
  34. ↑ Adams, Heather (March 9, 2020). "After FDA bans Massachusetts school from using electric shock devices, advocates seek public apology, reparations". masslive. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  35. ↑ Dattaro, Laura (2020). "Largest study to date confirms overlap between autism and gender diversity". Spectrum. doi: 10.53053/wnhc6713 . ISSN   2770-0976. S2CID   251633487.
  36. ↑ "Gendervague » The Trans Language Primer". translanguageprimer.com. August 17, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  37. ↑ "Gendervague: Autistic + Trans". www.halifaxpubliclibraries.ca. July 22, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  38. ↑ Institute for Educational Leadership, "IEL Celebrates White House Champions of Change", 2013.
  39. ↑ Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council, "Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council Welcomes Lydia Brown as New Chairperson: Brown is Youngest Developmental Disabilities Council Chairperson in Country", October 2015.
  40. 1 2 "National Disability Mentoring Coalition (NDMC)". National Disability Mentoring Coalition (NDMC). Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  41. ↑ Giovanniello, Sarah. "Lydia Brown: Looking Beyond the Pathology Paradigm", Broad Recognition , November 18, 2013.
  42. ↑ Lee, Jiwon. "Activist challenges social perceptions of autism", Yale Daily News , November 5, 2013.
  43. ↑ Yu, Fei. "Disability Awareness Month", The Watchdog, September 30, 2014.
  44. ↑ Parker, Elizabeth. "Queer and disabled activist Lydia Brown speaks at OpenGrounds: Georgetown University student discusses experiences with autism, self-advocacy", The Cavalier Daily , April 8, 2015.
  45. ↑ Coghlan, Nora. "Queer Culture Week Comes Out to Grinnell", Scarlet and Black , November 13, 2014.
  46. ↑ Cohen, Ariel. "College Works To Promote Neurodiversity", The Flat Hat , April 15, 2013.
  47. ↑ Tavares, Frank. "My Experiences at the Inclusive Astronomy 2015 Conference: Part 1", AC Voice, July 23, 2015.
  48. ↑ Vo, Tony (July 9, 2015). "The International Examiner – Column: Students of Color Conference—25 years of movement building". www.iexaminer.org. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
  49. ↑ "QueerIAm". Office of Diversity and Equity. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
  50. ↑ "Student Honored for Disability Advocacy at White House". June 26, 2013. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  51. ↑ "Past Awardees". Washington Peace Center. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
  52. ↑ "2014 Activist Awardees". Washington Peace Center. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
  53. ↑ "Mic50: Lydia Brown", Mic , 2015.
  54. ↑ Jennifer, Scuro (2018). Addressing ableism : philosophical questions via disability studies. Reynolds, Joel Michael,, Havis, Devonya N.,, Brown, Lydia X. Z. Lanham, [Maryland]. ISBN   9781498540742. OCLC   995285877.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  55. ↑ Religion, Disability, and Interpersonal Violence. Johnson, Andy, Nelson, Ruth, Lund, Emily. Springer Verlag. 2017. ISBN   9783319569000. OCLC   995767208.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  56. ↑ All the weight of our dreams : on living racialized autism. Brown, Lydia X. Z.,, Ashkenazy, E.,, Onaiwu, Morénike Giwa,, Autistic Self Advocacy Network. Lincoln, Nebraska. 2017. ISBN   9780997504507. OCLC   991619149.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)
  57. ↑ Barriers and belonging : personal narratives of disability. Jarman, Michelle, 1966-, Monaghan, Leila Frances, 1960-, Harkin, Alison Quaggin, 1958-. Philadelphia. February 11, 2017. ISBN   9781439913888. OCLC   969434384.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)
  58. ↑ Brown, Lydia (2016). "'You Don't Feel Like A Freak Anymore': Representing Disability, Madness, and Trauma in Litchfield Penitentiary", Feminist Perspectives on Orange Is The New Black: Thirteen Critical Essays. ed. April Kalogeropoulos Householder & Adrienne Trier-Bieniek, pp. 174-193.
  59. ↑ Brown, Lydia (2015). "How Not To Plan Disability Conferences," QDA: A Queer Disability Anthology. ed. Raymond Luczak, pp. 304-307.
  60. ↑ Brown, Lydia. "Compliance is Unreasonable: The Human Rights Implications of Compliance-Based Behavioral Interventions under the Convention Against Torture and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities", Torture in Healthcare Settings: Reflections on the Special Rapporteur on Torture's 2013 Thematic Report, Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law, 2014, pp. 181-194.
  61. ↑ Brown, Lydia (2014). "Disability in an Ableist World", in Criptiques ed. Caitlin Wood, pp. 37-46, May Day. ISBN   0991573404.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.