1. United States
2. Mass.
3. Letter

I am writing to you as a constituent and someone deeply connected to the autism community, to express my alarm and heartbreak over the continued spread of misinformation and stigma—most recently from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who falsely and offensively claimed that vaccines are linked to autism. His words are not only scientifically inaccurate but deeply dehumanizing to autistic people, and they demand public condemnation. Kennedy’s rhetoric fuels a dangerous narrative that has already done enormous harm. For decades, the false claim that vaccines cause autism has undermined trust in public health, led to the resurgence of preventable diseases, and inflicted emotional damage on families. It has also created an image of autism as something to fear or eradicate, rather than understand and embrace. Autistic people are not broken. They are not a tragedy. They are our children, siblings, neighbors, friends, and coworkers. Suggesting that their existence is something to be prevented or lamented is not only deeply ableist—it is cruel. We have a moral responsibility to speak up when public figures use their platforms to spread lies and reinforce stigma. As someone with a national platform and a presidential campaign, RFK Jr.’s comments reach millions. And when those millions hear autism spoken about as something horrifying or shameful, that stigma trickles down—into our schools, our healthcare system, our workplaces, and our homes. This is not just about one person’s words. It is about the pattern of harm those words reflect and reinforce. We need our elected officials to: • Publicly denounce anti-autistic rhetoric, especially from political candidates or public figures. • Affirm the dignity and value of autistic individuals, recognizing autism as a natural neurodevelopmental difference, not a disease. • Support and expand programs that promote inclusion, access to services, and protections against discrimination for autistic people. • Stand firmly with science, and ensure public health policy is guided by research, not conspiracy theories or fear. We cannot allow a world in which autistic people are seen as something to prevent. We cannot allow their worth to be debated on a national stage. And we cannot be silent when lies are used to score political points at the expense of people’s humanity. Please, use your voice to speak up for truth, for science, and for the basic dignity of millions of autistic people across this country. Thank you for your time and your leadership.