Tell the Italian Government that Sign is a language!

Italy is attempting to declare that Italian Sign Language is a language of "mime & gesture". Foolish Deaf people, thinking they use a language! /sarcasm

( Video, Transcript below )

( Transcript )

Petition Link

FB Page for "LIS: Si - LMG: No"

Another Vlog Explanation in ASL

Another Vlog Explanation in International Sign

Another Vlog Explanation in LIS

Wikipedia Article About LIS

Vlog Explanations in *MANY* Signed Languages

English Language petition at Changes.org

I found out about this via @Deaf on Twitter.

Folks, the Conference of Milan in 1881 basically declared Sign not a language and banned its use in the classroom. Eighteen Eighty One. The people who held the vote were the hearing teachers at Deaf residential schools. Deaf teachers weren't allowed to vote. It's 2011, and people are still refusing to allow Deaf people to define their language and experiences, or to speak for themselves. Many hearing people still act like Sign Languages are just random gestures and mime. It took a hearing man, William Stokoe, writing an academic paper in the 1960s before ASL was believed to be a language in the United States, despite the fact that ASL had been in regular use as a language for decades.

Gestures & Mime? No, this is a language and what we call these things matters.

Crossposted.