Listen to this post: 

You ever heard of that rule about treating others the way you want to be treated? I heard a great take on it last night:  treat others how they want to be treated. This is really a big, recurring theme on this blog. Yet I’d never thought about it in terms of reframing that old Golden Rule.

I don’t know who brings this idea to life with more punk awesomeness than British band Heavy Load. They have this extremely fabulous song called “That’s Not My Name” where they lay it out pretty straightforward. Here’s a few lines from the song:

“They call me special.

They call me cripple.

They call me mongol.

They call me special.

That’s not my name.

They call me retard,

But I’m a riot.”

So I left out most of the song. I just wanted to give you a taste of how not shy they are with the lyrics and with their work in general. I first learned about these guys in the documentary film called “Heavy Load” a couple years ago. Instant love.

I’ve always been thrilled to be part of the Disability Art and Culture Project. And now their Inclusive Arts Vibe Dance Company for youth and young adults (with and without disabilities) is online with a gorgeous dance set to “That’s Not My Name.” There’s nothing more I can say. Please check out this video to see what I mean. Closed Captions are available if you watch it on YouTube instead of just watching on this page.