Recently the Mental Health Association of San Francisco and Protection and Advocacy Inc. came out against Proposition D because it violates 9 different State and Federal anti-discrimination laws. Both are some of the most credible disability rights advocates in the state of California and even the nation. Yesterday, in the Bay Area Reporter, Bill Hirsh, the Executive Director of AIDS Legal Referral Panel, came out against Proposition D.

Some of the supporters of Proposition D, including a doctor and a political consultant, disputed this, but in the face of growing opposition from advocates who have immense standing in the disability advocacy community, their arguments are becoming less and less credible. In fact, even more advocates will soon be coming out publicly against Proposition D. They are outraged that the Proposition D campaign is stigmatizing those with mental health issues, not unlike how people bash immigrants. Those with mental health issues are an easy target in politics, and advocates are rightly outraged.

In fact, statistics show that those with mental health issues have the same rate of violent behavior as the general population so to exclude them is not only bad public health care policy, it is simply bad science. In fact, they are 23 times more likely to be victims of violent crime.