According to the National Women’s Law Center, “31 States and Washington, D.C., currently have laws allowing forced sterilization of disabled people.“ These laws are ableist and perpetuate eugenics, by robbing disabled people of agency and control over their own bodies. According to Merriam-Webster, eugenics is “the practice or advocacy of controlling selective breeding of human populations (as by sterilization) to improve the population’s genetic composition.” Disabled people make up the world’s largest minority group (representing around 15% of the global population, according to the World Health Organization) that anyone can become a part of unexpectedly at anytime; whether you realize it or not, one of your loved ones probably lives with a chronic health condition or a disability of some form. As an individual living with multiple disabilities, including neurodivergence (AuDHD) and chronic pain, I am deeply concerned about the horrific practice of forced sterilization inflicted upon disabled people in the United States.

It is appalling that in a country boasting progress and equality, human rights infractions on this scale are treaty bounded. Disabled people should have equal protection under the law (under the 14th Amendment) and be free from forced sterilization because it is a cruel and unusual punishment (under the 8th Amendment); forced sterilization is no longer allowed to be done to criminals yet it is still being done to disabled people in 31 states and DC. This is just plain wrong and eugenics of any form should be illegal. Forced sterilization is a deeply embedded, institutional issue that affects thousands, and we must rise together to end it. According to recent data from Disability Rights International and the Open Society Foundations, individuals with disabilities become victims of this severe violation every year due to enduring stereotypes and societal discrimination.

Our fight is not just for the end of forced sterilization but also for the acknowledgement of disabled people's autonomy, humanity, and dignity. Our disabilities do not diminish our capacity to make decisions regarding our bodies. Disabled people were some of the first people killed in the Holocaust, and we cannot allow disabled people to continue to be dehumanized and abused by hateful, antiquated laws written by eugenicists.

So, I implore you to stand with me to end this systemic injustice. Let our collective voices echo through the halls of justice, demanding that our rights to our bodies are inherent and inviolable. Signatures on this petition could initiate the change necessary to end the horror of forced sterilization, and uphold the dignity and rights of disabled individuals within the United States. It's time for us to break down the barriers of discrimination and silence. Please sign and share this petition now to stand up for disability rights.