Australia has been in thrall to Harry Styles over the past week, but not everyone’s had a positive experience at his tour, including one Heartbreak High actor.
Chloé Hayden, who has autism and ADHD, took to Instagram over the weekend to detail her difficult visit to Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium, accusing staff at the venue of “ableism and discrimination.”
“I just want to post my cute little Harry photos with my cute little Harry captions without the radical concept that disabled people accessing public spaces shouldn’t be fearful of being abused, discriminated against and humiliated,” she wrote, before drolly adding “If we’re asking for the impossible, I might as well be asking for a One Direction reunion.”
As Hayden pointed out, her experience contradicted the all-encompassing ethos of Styles’ tour, where the mantra ‘Be like Harry, Treat People With Kindness’ is widely preached.
“How goddamn disappointing that the same venue has proven that flying it’s woke flag and ticking the disability box is where it’s values begin and end,” she said.
Hayden then listed a number of alleged accusations that were levelled at her by Marvel Stadium staff, including “These spaces aren’t for you,” “That’s not a real panic attack,” and “You’re lying, you’re too pretty to be disabled.”
She concluded by saying “I am goddamn tired. Accessing public spaces should not be a matter of ‘am I going to miss out, or risk being abused?’ I promise you I am doing everything in my power to fight this. More to come.
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“But right now I’m not going to let mass corporates who see our existence as profit ruin the fact that for 3 (almost) blissful hours I was breathing the same air as THE Harry Styles and stimming my pants off and ugly sobbing to Matilda and truly having the utter time of my life.”
Hayden also offered more context on Twitter, noting the tiny size of Marvel Stadium’s sensory room: “Marvel Stadiums capacity is 53,359. 16.5% of the population have sensory processing challenges. That is 8,804 people (at least) who may need access to sensory spaces. Marvel Stadiums sensory room capacity is 12. This is not inclusion. This is using disabled issues to tick a box,” she wrote.
Hayden starred as Quinn “Quinni” Gallagher-Jones on the popular Netflix reboot of Heartbreak High last year, but she’s also widely known for her disability awareness activism.
In 2022 she also released her book, Different Not Less, “a neurodivergent’s guide to embracing your true self and finding your happily ever after.”
At the time of writing, Marvel Stadium hasn’t commented on Hayden’s allegations.
Marvel Stadiums capacity is 53,359.
16.5% of the population have sensory processing challenges.
That is 8,804 people (at least) who may need access to sensory spaces.Marvel Stadiums sensory room capacity is 12
This is not inclusion. This is using disabled issues to tick a box
— 🌻 c h l o é h a y d e n 🌻 (@chloeshayden) February 26, 2023
