In solidarity with the Palestinian people, I have withdrawn from my panel at SXSW.

SXSW platforms defense contractors like Raytheon, and has a strong Department of Defense presence. I cannot in good conscience speak to disability justice issues on a stage that promotes genocide.

I have chosen to withdraw from my panel at SXSW entitled “Nothing About Us Without Us: Patient-Driven Autism Research,” out of solidarity with the Palestinian people. In doing so, I am joining numerous other principled artists, including Squirrel Flower, Abe Batshon, Mamalarky, Merce Lemon, Eliza McLamb, Shalom, and others, all of whom have cancelled their official SXSW performances due to the conference’s close ties to weapons manufacturers and the United States Department of Defense.

SXSW features multiple panels headed by top executives of defense contractor Raytheon, and lists Raytheon subsidiaries Collins Aerospace and BAE Systems as conference exhibitors. All three entities supply missiles, bombs, and other munitions to the Israeli “Defense” Forces, which has used them to slay well over 30,000 people indigenous to the region.

In addition, SXSW has a robust Department of Defense presence, accepting sponsorship dollars from the…