Simon Reeves

I think it is abundantly clear that the elite multimillionaire class love to preach inclusion, acceptance and understanding of disabled people until they are actually confronted with disability. They will stand on stage and applaud a film about the struggles of living with Tourette’s. They will celebrate the awareness. They will congratulate themselves on being progressive. But the moment they are faced with the hard, gritty reality of Tourette’s uncensored and unscripted for all to see and hear, the tone changes. Suddenly they are shocked. Suddenly they are appalled. Suddenly they are not quite as inclusive, accepting or understanding after all. The mask of virtue slipped. You invited a man with Tourette’s into the room. You were made aware of his condition. You applauded him. And then when Tourette’s did exactly what Tourette’s does, you recoiled. You cannot celebrate the story and reject the reality. Tourette’s is not tidy. It is not convenient. It is not performative. It is neurological. It is involuntary. It does not edit itself for elite comfort. The irony is this. Tourette’s is louder than ever right now. More people are learning. More people are asking questions. More people are understanding. You tried to distance yourselves from the reality. Instead you amplified it. We are all thinking of you Johnny. We are with you. And support for you and for everyone living with Tourette’s is only growing. – at Straiton, Scotland