It’s No Secret ABC…that was a Lie
March 17th, 2015; posted by: WeBleed Staff
On March 15th, the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) aired a show titled Secrets and Lies and referred to hemophilia as a “nasty byproduct of incest” in the 4th episode of the season (The Sister S1, E4) and caused quite an uproar within the community.
“This kind of thoughtless inaccuracy by ABC—linking hemophilia to incest—is insulting. I cannot imagine what ABC was thinking when airing this scenario, especially against the backdrop of Hemophilia Awareness Month. If ever there was a time for network television to promote a more comprehensive view of hemophilia and the Americans living with this and similar conditions, it would be now. We cannot understate our disappointment with ABC today,” said Kimberly Haugstad, HFA Executive Director. “ABC’s attempt to manufacture drama has now inappropriately linked 20,000 known Americans living with hemophilia to an ugly taboo.”
HFA has requested a formal, public apology from ABC for creating a stigma around hemophiliacs.
Patrick James Lynch, the executive producer of Stop the Bleeding and himself an actor/writer, penned a scathing open letter to ABC and shared it via the Stop the Bleeding Facebook Page. He claims that at least the statement made during the show is “inexcusably ignorant” and “at it’s worst, it’s openly discriminating against and defaming a minority community that’s already faced such incredible misrepresentation in the media.”
Below is an excerpt, to read the entire letter you must be logged in to Facebook and click here.
Here is the clip in question…you be the judge. Was ABC out of line?
Image/Video: ABC’s Secrets & Lies
