Jillian GTZ

14/08/2021

Teamwork really makes the dream work!!!

And like Rhonda said, ProTactile is beneficial for so many people! Looking forward to having more resources available in the future. Keep it going.

29/04/2021

Please help this Deaf family and spread the word!

They need support for their barely 4-year-old daughter, who’s now fighting for her life, and their family, who is in search of a safer home—you can donate here:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-helena-and-her-family-during-this-life-crisis?sharetype=teams&member=10423638&pc=fb_co_campmgmt_m&rcid=r01-161955999728-2bafb241799c4657&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=p_lico%2Bshare-sheet&fbclid=IwAR1JVv2INxf5kaAppkewjAKaC16Rj6F-3s4ET6KEvEsXLY0q2lnjkHlZMVs

On Monday night in Houston, a 3-year-old girl named Helena who has deaf parents (Coda) was shot in the head from a stray bullet. She is hospitalized in stable condition, but hasn’t woken up. The parents, Frederick and Martha, have three young children including Helena. The Harris County Sheriff

23/04/2021

This is real TALENT!

06/03/2021

Go, Jehanne!!! I’m constantly amazed at how quickly our community keeps growing and evolving. We are getting more and more Deafies in a variety of professions out there and I’m ready for more!!!! 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

Jehanne McCullough, a University of Virginia School of Law student who is deaf, recently argued a federal excessive force appeal through the school’s appellate clinic, and three American Sign Language interpreters were also involved in the process.

06/03/2021

Got a Deaf baby 5-18 months old? Sign up for this study! Gift card provided.

Help me answer big questions about language acquisition without leaving your home! ​ I am seeking Deaf infants ages 5-18 months to participate in an important project. I am also looking for...

26/02/2021

This is the first ASL translation work I have done on my platform. Please read/watch and sign the petition below!!!

Petition · Maternal Child Health Bureau: Remove federal grant funding from NCHAM, led by Karl White · Change.org

https://www.change.org/p/maternal-child-health-bureau-remove-federal-grant-funding-from-ncham-led-by-karl-white

Image descriptions provided in description with YouTube video.

This is the first ASL translation work I have done on my platform. Please read/watch and sign the petition below!!! Petition · Maternal Child Health Bureau: ...

02/02/2021

Hello, everybody! Today marks the start of Black History Month! While we learn about Black history all over social media this month, we also still need to remember that we are in the middle of making history. Please remember this...YOU ARE HISTORY.

Without further ado, it’s my honor to kick off this month on my platform by sharing this video from Koko Thomas, a proud Black DeafBlind man, explaining the ProTactile signs for BLM, Black Lives Matter.

Descriptive transcript:

(Koko, a Black DeafBlind male, with a bald head and salt-pepper beard, wears a black shirt, silver necklace with a black zodiac sign “Virgo” pendant, and a black ring on his right hand.)

Hello to you all. I am Koko, a Black DeafBlind man.

I am going to demonstrate to all of you the ProTactile signs for Black Lives Matter to cherish our culture as Black DeafBlind people.

Black DeafBlind Lives Matter is a part of Black Lives Matter.

(Koko demonstrates ProTactile signs for “Lives Matter.” He first places his right hand, balled up in a fist, on the middle of his chest, over his heart. His left hand spreads open and covers his right handed fist. He then closes his eyes, bows down his head, and draws his arms towards his body a little closer.)

Black DeafBlind (signed in ASL) Lives Matter (signed in ProTactile).

Black DeafBlind Lives Matter.

30/01/2021

MUST WATCH!!! So many great pieces in this video.

“The system should not be designed for us. It should be designed with us.” -Keith Clark

We need more of those conversations! The hearing system, the White system, able-bodied...those systems with their standards are incredibly powerful. Let’s keep working on dismantling them and remembering how important representation is.

Viral TikTok video: Helen Keller Did Not ExistTranscript: www.dailymoth.com/blog/viral-tiktok-video-helen-keller-did-not-exist

29/01/2021

YouTube version of my video! This may make for better viewing for some people since you can see me in full screen without the annoying black background showing at the sides. Like, comment, subscribe, and share away! 🤗

This is what GASLIGHTING looks like in the field of accessibility. We SEE YOU. ...and so many more! ————Descriptive transcript:(Opens to ...

29/01/2021

This is what GASLIGHTING looks like in the field of accessibility. We SEE YOU.

...and so many more!

———

Descriptive transcript:

(Opens to an up close view of a white woman with long brown curly hair, wearing clear glasses and comfy sweats. She is sitting down and captions appear above her head.)

[signs in ASL] Wow...I’m getting really frustrated and TIRED of seeing so many content creator/distributors, esp the big companies, abuse captions. [stop sign emoji] STOP [stop sign emoji] IT!

They often post videos (3, 4, 5 min long). I always get so excited when I see their captioned videos and rush to watch them. Then around 1 min in...the captions just DISAPPEAR completely!

The original excitement I experienced over being able to ACCESS and ENJOY the content come to a JARRING HALT. This happens over and over and over. Then I feel worthless. And PI**ED OFF. [double face with symbols on mouth]

It feels as if they are TEASING me. Ohh, you can access and enjoy our content...then BAM! [stop sign emoji] Nah, sorry. [squinting face with tongue, repeat] I gotta deal with this s**t over and over? [face with raised eyebrows] F**K YOU.

(Transitions with a glitchy effect into a black background with white texts appearing line after line.)

Captioning your content?

GO ALL THE WAY.



(Ends with the texts glitching lightly and colorfully.)

———

Also available on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

16/01/2021

Yaasssss!!!! We need more of this type of policies. Prosecute the rapists, not the “prostitutes.”

National advocates said the policy from Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit is a win for marginalized people.

11/12/2020

Love this post.

Couldn’t agree more, Leslie! We as SLPs need to be much quicker at saying, “I don’t know enough ASL to service this child. They need a Deaf professional or a near-native ASL speaker.”

08/12/2020

Deleted but not forgotten. Hulu, we still see you.

*Correction: perspectives, not propositions.

h/t Brandon Pace



ID 1: Tweet from Hulu , “subtitles or nah?” Tweeted at 7:29 PM, 12/7/20.

ID 2: Reply tweet from Brandon Pace , “This is NOT funny. Not only people with disabilities, but EVERY HUMAN BEING can benefit from subtitles greatly when looking from different propositions. Get it together! ” Tweeted at 9:15 PM, 12/7/20.

ID 3: Reply tweet from Jillian GTZ , “Hulu or nah? ” Tweeted at 9:29 PM, 12/7/20.

ID 4: White text in the middle of the black background reading, “This tweet has been deleted.” Another line of text below (but in red) reading, “Deleted...but NOT forgotten.”

01/12/2020

20/11/2020

VD: Image of a starry night sky background overlaid with a tweet from Jillian GTZ’s Twitter reading,

“It’s more than just a human right. Sign language is also the deaf child’s BIRTHRIGHT. It was created FOR US...BY people like US. ”

Posted at 10:52 AM on 8/28/20. Distributed from Jillian GTZ’s IG .

14/11/2020

11/11/2020

Hey y’all!! Please help out my sweet friend, Jocelyn JoJo Porter, achieve her goal of becoming a CDI! Let’s support our Deaf community members and uplift them!

***Here’s the letter she wrote:

Hi!

This is really hard to do but I’m going to try anyway.

My name is Jocelyn Porter. I am a Black Deaf woman from Detroit, Michigan. All my life I have been told that I wouldn’t succeed in life. People said I wouldn’t make it out of high school, and I did. People said I wouldn’t be able to get a college degree because I didn’t have the best English skills, but I did. I got my BA in Deaf Studies from Gallaudet University in Washington DC in 2019. I’m not going lie- it was hard. I struggled with self-doubt. I experienced a lot of setbacks but something inside of me kept pushing. I kept going. I bet on myself when nobody else would. And I “made it”. You would think life would be easier out here because I finally have a BA degree in Deaf studies. Jobs should be aplenty, right? That’s not the case. The struggle is real. It is hard to find a decent job.

So here I am now. I am currently working as an aide at Maryland School for the Deaf. I started as a resident care youth child practitioner, but recently got moved to a classroom aide due to someone else’s seniority. The pay as a classroom aide is a lot lower than what I was making as a resident care youth child practitioner. I share this information because while I am frustrated with my current employment situation, I am not giving up. I decided I will return to school for my Master's degree as well as become a Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI). I believe this will put me in a better position for employment opportunities. Gallaudet University has an upcoming CDI training program on January 4, 2021- January 14, 2021. Tuition is $592 with a $35 one time application fee.

With the little money I earn as a classroom aide, my rent and living expenses in Maryland, I just cannot afford to cover the cost of this program. But I absolutely need this program right now. That brings me to this gofundme. I am asking for $627 to cover the cost of tuition and the application fee. I am asking you to bet on me and help me achieve this goal.

Thank you!

Jocelyn Porter

Hi! This is really hard to do but I’m going to try anyway. My name … Jocelyn JoJo Porter needs your support for Helping my tuition for Gallaudet University.

10/11/2020

PART 3 -- Here is Karen Quinones’ input in the discussion on President-elect Joe Biden’s sign name! I love what she and her mother came up with too! Whatcha think???

Shared with permission.





VD: Karen, a Latinx woman with dark hair held up in a bun, is wearing a pair of gold hoop earrings and a purple sweater top. She is visible from the waist up, sitting in a chair with a green screen behind her in the background.

09/11/2020

Mike Friess has known President-elect Joe Biden since he was 3 years old. He sent this vlog to me and I loved his story. What an amazing history! His name sign makes perfect sense to me! Whatcha think??

09/11/2020

Such an awesome and pure ASL story! This is just sooooo Deaf! 🤣😍🤣



*No transcript available for non-signers.

09/11/2020

--UPDATE--

I have made a new post of the vlog response I got from another Deaf individual, Mike Friess, who has a personal history with Biden. Shared on my IGTV and FB page with permission. Please watch it in addition to this vlog!!! Link provided below.🤗😁

https://www.facebook.com/102637784927741/posts/146406110550908/?d=n

--ORIGINAL POST--

Let’s decide on a sign name for President-elect Joe Biden! There are already some ideas floating around but here’s THREE more for y’all to consider! Let’s VOTE!

This is a historic and important moment for all us in the United States so let’s honor President-elect Joe Biden with his own sign name before he goes into the White House on January 20, 2021!!



VD: Jillian, a White woman with long curly brown hair, has her hair down and is wearing a black tank top and a pair of oval hoop earrings. She is visible from the mid-chest up. There is an antique map on the wall behind her.

08/11/2020

My most recent video, “Deafies & Dating,” is also available on YouTube if you would like to view it on there or share from that platform!

Upon request, I have created this video from one of my previous stories. Please feel free to share this video on your platform (but be sure to also share ...

08/11/2020

Upon request, I have created this video from one of my previous stories.

Please feel free to share this video on your platform (but be sure to also share ’s video since it is what inspired me to create this particular content).

Link to Ms. Deaf Queen’s video here: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CHQ0zBwH4gC/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Let me know what you think of this content in the comments below!



Video is also available on YouTube. Link to my YouTube channel is in my bio!

Descriptive transcript:

(opens with black background and white text, reading: “To understand this content, please watch ‘My first HOH date’ by the Deaf comedian, Ms. Deaf Queen. Instagram ”)

(cut to a White Deaf woman with brown curly hair tied up in a ponytail, wearing a dark pink top and gold jewelry, seated at a dining table with an antique map on the wall behind her)

[signs in ASL] See that video? (It was really made) for Deafies like me who grew up immersed in the Deaf culture, using sign language and everything. Some people who didn’t have that opportunity early in life…
..or whatever may find that video offensive or something. I also saw some comments that were ehh. What some of you may not realize is that we (Deafies) often experience those moments where many hearing people who know nothing about the Deaf community and our culture…
..that also goes for some hard of hearing people and even some deaf people themselves. We call them “hearing-minded.” What that usually means is they lack Deaf consciousness. They tend to find us embarrassing or off-putting.

For example, I remember this one person who was taken aback when I banged on the table. [bangs table] That’s a very Deaf thing to do by the way. The person reacted negatively and said to calm down and be quiet. We experience those kind(s) of little things all the time…

That is actually considered as audist behavior. That needs to be acknowledged. While some may have felt triggered or whatever by that video, I want you all to consider taking a pause and examine yourselves…
..and ask yourself if you’re an audist. The truth here...everyone is! Everyone does have audism in them. Many of us have internalized audism without even realizing. Why? We do live in a hearing world…
..in this hearing society with its system. Some are more stuck in that world, unable to avoid internalizing the hearing society’s way of thinking and its rules. Others like us who grew up in the Deaf world are used to having more of that safe space, free of the hearing world’s interference…
..free of those “hearing” ways and able to grow as Deaf people comfortably. So, when we find ourselves in those hearing spaces with hearing people, people who are “hearing-minded,” they often do react to us, showing their clear discomfort. That’s when we notice our cultural differences…
..where it’s clear that they don’t understand us as culturally Deaf people. We often brush it off and say ok, whatever...this is also why we try to find humor in such situations. We do experience those kind(s) of frustrations often.

This is also why I DON’T date hearing people! Especially people who are VERY “hearing-minded” and completely lacking that Deaf consciousness. Why? I just don’t feel comfortable…

I have to consider my safety and prioritize my needs. I feel like that should be viewed as okay. Telling us to be more open-minded? Hold on. Y’all also need to keep an open mind and RECOGNIZE what internalized audism you may have. Let’s unpack that audism.

Just so you know...A LOT of people do need to UNPACK. That’s normal. Just keep learning and pay closer attention to all those little instances where your audism may be showing. Ok, I better shut up now that I’ve made my point! [smiling emoji with teeth showing, blushing emoji]

(cut to black background with white text, glitching lightly, reading: “ ” then “ ” then “From Jillian GTZ with [red heart emoji]”)

07/11/2020

One of my fave Deaf artists!!!!

29/10/2020

29/10/2020

A little Halloween fun for y’all! Enjoy!!! 🏚🧟‍♂️

2 stories from our A to Z DVD to get you in the Halloween spirit! You can find the DVD here, https://www.dawnsign.com/products/details/a-to-z-abc-stories-in-asl

26/10/2020

3rd location and counting!!!! Let’s goooo, Crepe Crazy!!!!

We are thrilled to announce Baltimore Crepe Crazy at Cross Street Market is now open! Our team is firing up the griddles and getting ready to serve you. All of this exciting progress is possible - in spite of this year's obstacles - because of your dedication and support. You inspire us! Thank you and as always we look forward to serving you. Congratulations to Betsie and Ruslan Kukilov of Baltimore as the first franchisee owners 🎉👏🏻🤩

25/10/2020

Please support DEAF creators instead. Back then, this may have been alright 🥴 due to the limited resources (well, not really). But nowadays? This is considered as cultural and linguistic appropriation. Support DEAF MADE products and DEAF educators.

We discourage any hearing people (even CODAs, Children of Deaf Adults, many of who grew up with sign language and are members of the Deaf community) from doing this kind of thing.

Pay the proper respect and support the Deaf ecosystem. It’s way past time. Our community and language have been exploited far more than enough.

24/10/2020

This article is very important to read in regards to the Deaf U series on Netflix.

For many mainstream audiences, the show is their first introduction to Deaf culture

20/10/2020

[VD: Light skinned woman with dark hair pulled up in a bun, wearing glasses and high necked, long sleeved, dark colored top, is positioned in the middle of the screen. She is visible from the waist up and there’s a door directly behind her with clothing items and accessories hanging up on the wall around the sides of the screen.]

This video is to generate internal dialogue within the Deaf community. Captioning and transcript will be provided as soon as possible!

NOTE: Captioning will be provided only on YouTube due to Instagram and Facebook’s limited accessibility features for captioning. Link to my YouTube channel is in my bio!