Frank Stephens (advocate)

John Franklin "Frank" Stephens (born April 9, 1982) is an American disability advocate, actor and athlete. He has Down syndrome and has often acted as a spokesman for those with the genetic disorder. He is an ambassador for Global Down Syndrome Foundation and represented the Foundation at the first US congressional hearing for Down syndrome research.

Frank Stephens
Stephens in 2019
Born
John Franklin Stephens

(1982-04-09) April 9, 1982[1]
Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States of America
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Down syndrome advocate
actor
Special Olympics athlete

Early and personal life

Stephens was born April 9, 1982, to Cornelia and John.[2] He is from Fairfax, Virginia.

Advocacy

Stephens has been a public spokesman for those with Down syndrome for many years.

In October 2012, he wrote an open letter to Ann Coulter about her use of slurs against mentally disabled people when referring to then-US President Barack Obama.[3][4] Coulter refused to apologize, and Stephens spoke publicly to Piers Morgan as a result of the publicity.

In 2016, he received the Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award from the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, after the Coulter incident and a discussion that year with comedian Gary Owen about an offensive routine.

In September 2017, he joined Global Down Syndrome Foundation to testify before the US Congress on the importance of Down syndrome research and talked about abortion of fetuses with Down syndrome, arguing it is immoral. One of his most famous lines was "If you take one thing away from today, I want you to know that I am a man with Down syndrome and my life is worth living." Stephens received what is believed to be the first and only standing ovation at a congressional briefing and his testimony on C-Span went viral receiving well over 1M views. Today he is also the Ambassador for the Foundation and represents the organizations at many research and medical care conferences and workshops.[5][6]

Acting

Stephens has acted in multiple plays for ArtStream, a local theater group.[7] He has also had roles in feature-length films including Touched by Grace and Dawn.

Special Olympics

Stephens has competed in the Special Olympics in equestrian events. He is also on the board of Special Olympics Virginia.[8]

References
  1. Shriver, Tim; Stephens, Frank (October 23, 2012). "An Open Letter to Ann Coulter". Special Olympics. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  2. "Frank Stephens Stars on the Runway, on the Big Screen and in DC". Global Down Syndrome Foundation. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  3. D'Arcy, Janice (October 25, 2012). "The hero at the center of Ann Coulter's storm". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  4. Walsh, Michael (October 27, 2012). "'Screw them!' Ann Coulter refuses to apologize to the 'word police' for using the 'R word' in tweeted Obama insult". Daily News. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  5. Friedersdorf, Conor (October 30, 2017). "I Am a Man With Down Syndrome and My Life Is Worth Living". The Atlantic. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  6. Smith, Wesley J. (October 27, 2017). "Man with Down Syndrome Justifies Life". National Review. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  7. Strater, Kelsey (October 30, 2017). "Watch: Man With Down Syndrome Slams Abortion as the 'Final Solution' Before Congress". Faithit. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  8. "Frank Stephens" (PDF). United States House of Representatives. October 25, 2017. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
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