Deaf News Briefs: Deaf performers at coronation; WaPo article on fake ASL on TikTok
Here are two Deaf News briefs.
Deaf performers front and center during coronation
In Britain during the Coronation of King Charles III, there was a performance by the Coronation Choir on Sunday night in front of the royal family and many others.
A video clip from BBC shows that the deaf performers, who are a part of a group called “Unify,” were standing just right of the front of the stage. They were easily visible in their blue tops and black pants.
[Clips] Credit: BBC
There was a part in the song when everyone in the choir signed “day.” It was nice to see that, and it is for sure that the royal family noticed sign language, British Sign Language, as an important part of the community there.
In separate but related news, BBC featured students from the Royal School for the Deaf Derby performing the national anthem in a video to mark the Coronation. The students did the anthem in accompaniment with the Derby Cathedral’s choir. See this clip.
[Clips] Credit: BBC
It’s clearly a very exciting time in Britain and it’s nice that the Deaf community is a part of the celebrations.
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Washington Post article on fake sign language on TikTok
Here is the second Deaf News brief. The Washington Post published an article on Monday about how social media influencers using fake sign language are gaining popularity on TikTok and the concerns raised by deaf people who use ASL. It was written by Amanda Morris, a disability reporter who is hard of hearing and has deaf parents.
The article explains that there are several hearing TikTok creators with hundreds of thousands of followers that are gaining popularity for signing songs, but that their signs are often wrong.
The article features Sheena Lyles, who is a Deaf creator that is well known for her comedy and satirical videos on Instagram and TikTok, as one of those who are working to call out the incorrect signs out there.
If you read the article, you will see five different video animations where Lyles demonstrates the correct sign and exposes what the incorrect sign is. Lyles said she is selling merch with the term, “S.O.S.” which stands for “Save Our Signs.” Lyles told the Post that “we cherish ASL because this is our communication tool.”
The article explains that there are clashes on social media between the creators who use the wrong signs and deaf people who call them out.
One of the main areas of concern is whenever those “fake” signers end up getting opportunities to teach sign language in their local communities or charge people to take sign language classes with them.
Another area of concern is that deaf creators are struggling to get the same amount of popularity that hearing creators get because TikTok’s algorithm favors those who can speak with their voices and use music in their videos.
You can read the article at the link in the description or transcript.
That’s the two Deaf News briefs for today.
Sign Language at the Coronation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncx_St_w4JM
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-derbyshire-65502763
Washington Post Article:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/05/08/fake-sign-language-asl-tiktok/