Don't Get Distracted: RFK Isn’t Talking About Autism. He’s Talking About Eugenics

When I heard RFK’s remarks about autism, my reaction—like many people’s—was strong.

I was angry.
I was disgusted.
I was hurt.

But I was also a little defensive. His characterization of the autistic experience didn’t align with my reality, and I felt a nagging urge to set the record straight with a point-by-point rebuttal, putting my biggest achievements on full display.

So I pulled up the clip of his remarks to rewatch them, and one line hit me like a ton of bricks: “These are kids who will never pay taxes, never hold a job.”

Folks, this man isn’t talking about autism at all.

I mean, he’s pretending to. And we all almost fell for it. But this is so much bigger.

He’s valuing (or devaluing, as it were) actual, real humans based on the degree to which they prove useful in the capitalist hellscape we’re all currently forced to live in. He is advocating for—promising, even—the elimination of the existence of a group of people who he deems unable to contribute, and therefore unworthy of participating in, society.

That, my friends, is called eugenics.

HARD PASS.

This part is especially for my fellow low-support-needs autistics:

Tempting as it may be—especially during Autism Awareness Everything Month—this is not the time to focus on clarifying the breadth of the autistic experience or correcting the record to ensure we’re all represented in RFK’s woefully misguided understanding.

This is a time for unity against the much more sinister agenda lurking beneath the ignorant sound bites.

It’s easy to be distracted because RFK and his ilk are hitting us with so much at once:

• Correlations that are definitely not causations

• Outdated science

• Vaccine misinformation

• Debunked myths

• Out-of-context data points

• Improperly cited research

• Inaccurate definitions

• Stereotypes

• Ableist language

• Reductive language

• Fearmongering language

• Blatant lies

...the list goes on.

But when we raise our hands in response and list off achievements as “proof” that RFK’s characterization of the autistic experience is incorrect, we become part of the problem.

Even if we only intend to clarify that his description of our community is reductive, sharing our societal contributions functions as an implicit endorsement of the ableist idea that our value as humans is derived from our contribution to capitalism.

That’s what they want.

We cannot allow ourselves to be tricked into helping them divide and dehumanize us.

All of us within the autistic community—and the broader neurodivergent and disabled communities—need to collectively and aggressively oppose the idea that this administration has the permission or power to value individuals based solely (or even partly) on their contribution to a capitalist economy.

Because that affects all of us.

Autistics with all levels of support needs, yes.

But also anyone else who can be deemed as not contributing “enough,” not contributing the “right” way, or requiring an arbitrary level of “too much” support.

Historically, that’s included those with learning and developmental disabilities, the blind and visually impaired, the Deaf and hard of hearing, the elderly, the chronically ill, those who use mobility aids, those with limb differences, those with mental illness, and more.

But the same logic can just as easily be used to question the worth of those without access to transportation, those with too many caregiving responsibilities to work, those with limited education, or the unhoused.

And let’s not forget that the last time a government embraced this mindset, the definition of "undesirable" was expanded to include LGBTQIA+ individuals, gender non-conforming people, religious minorities, political opponents, and anyone else they just didn’t like that much.

To say that autism destroys lives and families is to dehumanize and disrespect every autistic on this planet—and everyone who loves an autistic.

It oversimplifies the reality of living with disability, dismisses the resilience it requires, and fails to acknowledge the tireless effort that many autistics put in simply to navigate a world built for allistics.

It disrespects the many hardworking families that have made sacrifices to accommodate their children’s needs and make their homes a place of safety and love in a world that’s hostile to those who are different.

It disregards the countless hardworking neurodivergent-affirming doctors, therapists, counselors, teachers, care workers, and other professionals who’ve dedicated their lives to helping autistics live happier, safer, longer, and more fulfilling lives.

It undermines the efforts of generations of disability rights advocates who have fought tirelessly for inclusion, representation, and equity in healthcare settings, schools, workplaces, the media, and society at large.

It downplays the efforts of businesses and organizations that go out of their way to offer accommodations to employees and customers alike, even when it’s not the financially advantageous thing to do.

And, let’s be honest, it’s just plain rude.

I can’t truthfully say that I expected better of this administration, which has taken every opportunity to punch down at people from every walk of life, to further marginalize already marginalized groups, and to strip rights from anyone they have an opportunity to take them from.

If the powers that be spent a fraction of the time and money they spend spreading hateful and eugenics-laden misinformation on actually listening to and supporting autistics and their families, the world might be a better place for all of us.

But alas, here we are.

Together.

“Isn’t everyone a little bit autistic?” (No.)

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October 27, 2023

Any autistic who has ever expressed a struggle, asked for an accommodation, or revealed their diagnosis to someone else, has gotten some of version of this response at least once.