Quaden Bayles: Show Your Truth

Animation Ave
Feb 28, 2020
2 min read

Quaden Bayles, a 9-year-old Austrailian-indiginous boy, has taken the internet by storm in his case of bullying by peers. He suffers from a subset of dwarfism known as achondroplasia; this condition means that he has short limbed dwarfism which is rooted from having no cartilage formations in his body. His mother Yarakka Bayles, released a video with her child crying in the backseat and wishing to end his life based on the treatment he received at school. This has left many wondering the reason for sharing a personal moment in the first place. This phenomenon has been coined "sharenting" and a CNN article states that, “ Here's a simple guideline: don't post photos and videos of your kids online without their consent” (CNN). Yes, it will lead to sharing of the story, but it also is tied to Quaden's name forever. As parents are adjusting to the new age of media their needs to be an understanding of the content that one should share about their child with the world. One avenue that may make sense for sharing the video is Yarakka Bayles prominent roots in the social activist community. Quaden’s great-grandfather, Tiga was a social rights activist for their community, advocating for equality for the indigenous people of Australia. In The Point news program it was stated that,

“...her father was known as "the voice of, you know, Indigenous Australia…[he] died in 2016 at the age of 62 following a battle with cancer, according to The Point report. Bayles was known for his Monday-to-Friday radio show "Let's Talk," which was broadcast on Australia's National Indigenous Radio Service of Brisbane Indigenous Media Association.” (Insider)

Being raised by such a prominent figure in her own marginalized community definitely has played a role in her actions of promoting this story. Quaden’s family has done a lot in the forefront of fighting against inequalities for the indigenous community similar to the issues the black public in the United States face everyday. Quaden’s sister, Guyala Bayles , has focused on this effort when she vocalizes that people should,

"...focus [their] energy on; why our kids are still being taken away, why there are numerous unexplained Aboriginal deaths in custody, why our kids are killing themselves at such an early age, why the incarceration rate is increasing for our mob…” (Insider). This has been the case for marginalized societies everywhere and she wants to tackle it at its knees.

While Quaden’s story about his mental health is important and valid, it is safe to say that his form of marginalization comes with his not only his dwarfism, but his indigenous background as well. Quaden’s story has highlighted the mistreatment of two distinct communities, but has connected them with the will to form a new narrative. It is important to note whether it is vocalizing the voice of the disabled or fighting systematic racialized oppression; make the media aware of your truth.