Individuals with dwarfism, also known as little people, face immense discrimination, mistreatment, and adversity on a daily basis in the United States.
Exacerbating all of these injustices is the fact that in 48 states, something called
"dwarf-throwing" is completely legal -- and it's just as horrific as it sounds. During these events, normally held in bars and similar spaces,
individuals with dwarfism are voluntarily picked up and thrown by people for fun.While activists from within and outside of the little people community have been trying to get dwarf-throwing banned in the name of dignity and safety, people in power are mind-bogglingly trying to keep this violent tradition alive.
One such person who is a supporter of dwarf-throwing is Trump-appointed United States judge Neomi Rao.Sign the petition to demand the immediate disbarment of Neomi Rao for her support of violence against little people!Neomi Rao's horrific opinions have recently come into the public eye because of a TikTok posted from an account called
Dwarfism History, run by filmmaker, educator, and activist Aubrey Smalls. Smalls is currently trying to get dwarf-throwing
banned in his home state of Arizona.
Judge Rao claims that her
support for dwarf-throwing comes from a place of wanting to protect little people's dignity and individual freedoms -- a deeply ironic, backwards take.
If she wanted to protect dignity and freedom, she would be working hard to make the world a more accessible, equal, and kind place for people with dwarfism, since there's still such a long way to go.Little people are constant targets of
cheap jokes or damaging misconceptions in film and television, often offered roles that dehumanize them and reduce their worth as people. Research shows that people with dwarfism face
discrimination in the workplace that causes them to have reduced employment opportunities. A general lack of accessibility in the world, from grocery store shelves to public transportation layouts and so on, creates an
inhospitable environment in many little people's day to day lives. People with dwarfism are often the targets of
stares, nonconsensual photos or videos, and even being physically touched or picked up.Dwarf-throwing does not create spaces of safety, freedom, and opportunity for little people; whether or not they are consenting to it, dwarf-throwing perpetuates biases and violence.
And there are certainly instances where little people have been thrown without their consent and suffered horrific injuries because of it.This antiquated, dangerous tradition deserves to be banned entirely, and it is a failure of our judicial system that a person like Neomi Rao is still allowed to be a U.S. judge while promoting such discrimination and violence.
That's why we're asking that the U.S. House of Representatives disbar Neomi Rao immediately, before she does any more damage to marginalized communities. Sign the petition if you agree!"File:Neomi Rao (Official).jpg" by Dcwonkywonk is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.