Dear Kid Rock,
I watched with deep concern your recent appearance on Fox News with Jesse Watters, where you mentioned you were going to be a “retard” for Halloween. The R-Word deeply demeans and harms people with intellectual disabilities. I’m writing to you personally with an urgent request: please acknowledge the hurt caused and use this moment to stand with us in rejecting that word and the prejudice it represents.
You have a powerful voice and a massive platform, and the world is watching. As an artist and cultural figure who influences millions, you can shape conversations and attitudes across this country. People with intellectual disabilities, one of the largest groups of people with disabilities in the world, have suffered generations of discrimination and humiliation. In the 21st century, we’re still continuing to fight for the simplest form of justice: the recognition of our full humanity, a recognition you undermine when you use the word retard.
Language plays a crucial role in that fight. Words like “retarded” and “retard” have a long, painful history of being used to belittle and dehumanize. When anyone, especially someone in the public eye uses them, it reopens wounds that so many of us have worked so hard to heal.
Through our “Spread the Word” campaign, Special Olympics and Best Buddies have joined hundreds of thousands of advocates around the world to end the casual use of the R-word and replace it with something far more powerful respect. We’ve made great progress, but every public use of that word sets us back and reinforces the stigma we’re trying to overcome.
I know this pain personally. Growing up, I heard that word used against me again and again. It hurt deeply then, and it still hurts today. But I’ve also learned that every moment of hurt can become a moment to teach, to grow, and to move forward together. I believe this can be one of those moments.
You have the chance to turn this incident into a statement of strength, to acknowledge the harm, to stand with people with intellectual disabilities, and to help lead the conversation toward greater understanding and respect.
I would be honored to speak with you and share more about the movement for inclusion and respect that has changed so many lives, including my own. Together, we can use this moment to build a world where every person is valued and respected.
With hope and sincerity,
Loretta Claiborne
Chief Inspiration Officer, Special Olympics
