Facebook "Deafhood? No thanks" membership soars!

The new Facebook "Deafhood? No thanks" group has rapidly grown over the last few weeks, especially over the last 7 days. People are delighted to see new members join this group. Yet some are calling this new group a controversal one. But it shouldn't be controversal at all when members simply go by the concept of respecting everybody no matter what a person's background or communication preferences. There is no need to surreptiously attack hearing parents for their decision to implant their deaf child. There is no need to surreptiously attack parents on their decision on how best to proceed with the educational and communication aspect for their deaf/hh child. Yet we see this happen on a daily basis.

My recent blog, "F*ck You, Deaf Community!" highlighted a discussion forum frequented by hearing parents of deaf/hh children. They voiced their frustrations and disgusts and recount stories of someone from the Deaf community who attacked them for their decisions on how to raise their deaf/hh child, or the fact their child has a cochlear implant. This isn't nowhere near what "deafhood" is supposed to be like but all about hate.

"Deafhood" leaders, as far as I can tell, never made the effort to condemn those people for their actions of hate. What I saw on Jamerica's video blog and how some of the leaders of "deafhood" responded to one fervent follower of "deafhood" simply begs the whole agenda and effort behind this so-called "deafhood" movement by leaders, including some of their close followers. I see more red flags than honest efforts to accept people for who and what they are, and mend fences along the way.


This Facebook group began on May 18, 2010 and as of today it has reached 297 members so far. It has averaged about 23 new members each day while on some days they have seen jumps of 50 or 60 new members in one day. These new members simply do not want anything to do with "deafhood" and with the current leaders of "deafhood." Many agree that the best approach would be a more neutral-positive approach than to attack, label, villify, and go after people who may simply disagree or have a different way of doing things. This "Deafhood? No thanks" Facebook group simply do not desire to be a part of such selfish acts and dishonesty.