top of page
A black square graphic. Bold, white text in the center of the graphic reads "Activism Cohort, Every Monday, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM ET." The FaceOut Project logo is at the top. The word "Activism" is tilted and has a red box behind it. A grey border that looks like paint streaks and spatters decorates the perimeter of the graphic.

 "We are powerful, not despite the complexities of our bodies, but because of them."

                                                                                              --Patty Berne, founding member of the Disability Justice Movement

Let's Be Powerful Together

• Free one-hour weekly event

  • Open to kind humans with facial difference

• Be empowered and empower others by sharing our stories and creating change together

• Optional social time after

• No commitment necessary

What To Expect

If you're new to community activism, don't worry...you're not alone! The word "activism" can sound daunting, but really, all it means is that through connecting and forming friendships with each other, we find our power to make change in the world. Here's what a meeting might look like:

 

Schedule:

• Community check-in/icebreaker

• Discussion on topic of the day

• Celebrate our work!

• Optional social time

There's no one right way to be an activist!

It can mean writing letters to lawmakers or making phone calls. It can mean working on art or writing an op-ed. It can mean using the time to focus on self-love and self-care, or even just tackling your personal to-do list....because loving and nurturing ourselves is the most radical form of resistance. Activism is limitless and can take on so many forms depending on where you're at on any given day! And, if you're active in other social movements, you can bring that work, as well! Collective liberation means we cannot limit ourselves to a single issue.

 

Our time together is short, but it certainly packs a punch! We hope you will leave feeling like you are part of a powerful community that is inviting, nurturing, and has the capacity to change the world.

​

Sign Up To Get Zoom Link And More Info!
The FaceOut Project Activism Cohort is FREE to participants.
Come activate the world with us!

Letter to NBC Universal in response to SNL "Anomalous Man" sketch

 
May 7, 2024
​
NBC
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, New York 10112

Dear Sarah Sherman, Lorne Michaels, writers and cast of Saturday Night Live, and NBC Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Department,
 
I am writing about the sketch on Saturday Night Live, aired on May 4, 2024, entitled “The Anomalous Man.” I am a psychologist, author, and burn survivor. I work with two groups of visibly different activists, C.A.R.D.D.(Coalition for Authentic Representation of Disfigurement/Difference) and The FaceOut Project (FaceOutProject.com). This letter comes from all of us.
 
In general, disfigurement is poorly portrayed in the media. The usual tropes are that disfigured people are evil or pathetic. These representations contribute to great stigma toward people who look different. We are subject to job discrimination, on-line harassment, microaggressions, and outright bullying. A 2017 study found that one third of disfigured people have been the victims of hate crimes. The entertainment industry is often unhelpful and perpetuates these stereotypes.
 
Many of us have watched SNL for decades and are big Sarah Sherman fans. However, The Anomalous Man sketch was profoundly problematic, in ways that were likely unintended, but still serious.
 
  1. The Anomalous Man is characterized as isolated and mocked, with terrible self-esteem.
  2. It is implied that the woman who loves him is saintly for doing so and he is terribly fortunate to be desired at all.
  3. His appearance is insulted relentlessly.
  4. The idea that he could be sexually active is revealed as the ridiculous punchline of the sketch.
 
The entertainment industry commonly portrays the disfigured as evil, pathetic and unlovable. We hope that you can learn better ways of representing those of us in the global facial difference community. Here is some information to help:
 
 
SNL is a vital source of humor and also information for the country. We hope to enable you to improve your representation of those of us with visible difference. Although unintended, this sketch has directly hurt us, and adds to the stigma we face. Please consider being an ally for people who look different, focusing on the actions and characters of people, rather than how they look.
 
Sincerely,
Dr. Lise Deguire
Face Equality International
Phoenix Society of Burn Survivors                    
Phyllida Swift, CEO of Face Equality International    
Sora J. Kasuga, founder of The FaceOut Project
Dr. Zali O'Dea, Karibu Anawim
Elizabeth Adams, Courageously Kind Podcast
Amy Acton, CEO of the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors
Charlene Pell, CEO of Facing Forward
Jennifer Wallace, CEO of Thunderbolt Forge Films
David Roche, C.M.
Jenny Kattlove, MSW
Adele Capitella-Liu , M.Ed
Chelsea Peat
Evelina Leppanen
Dr. Jaz Gray
Autumn Hanscom
Alexis Lee
Halley Ellwell
Austin Halls
David Martinez
Naomi Heather
Tiffany Kerchner, LPN
bottom of page