Ok I get that people downvoted my comment being a killjoy, but the point I was trying to make is a serious one: namely that sign languages are real, valid langu

Ok I get that people downvoted my comment being a killjoy, but the point I was trying to make is a serious one: namely that sign languages are real, valid languages, that Deaf people who speak and think in it should be taken seriously, and that the consequences of not doing so are severely damaging for the Deaf. The Deaf community has suffered a lot of discrimination throughout history, and two of the biggest issues are non-deaf people deciding on their behalf what is best for them, and forcing them to use vocal languages (which makes as much sense as forcing a blind person to communicate via colorful paintings) while denying them access to sign language. Ask any Deaf person about Milan 1880 and why Alexander Graham Bell is so controversial in their community. A major driver in this has always been that people who don't know sign languages tend to think of them as funny interpretive miming. With that in mind comparing sign languages to "haha Italian gesticulation funny" jokes without being aware of the differences can become a form of infantilization. [0] https://www.deafhistory.eu/index.php/component/zoo/item/1880 https://www.deafhistory.eu/index.php/component/zoo/item/1880 [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infantilization https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infantilization