ASL interpreters made history at the 2025 Grammy Awards as they were officially included in the Premiere Ceremony for the first time, with stars like Cynthia Erivo, Paris Hilton, and Janelle Monét bringing their own interpreters to the red carpet. While many in the Deaf community, including influencer Jackie G, celebrated this groundbreaking moment, conservative commentator Charlie Kirk criticized the use of ASL interpreters, reigniting debates about accessibility. His remarks, especially regarding emergency broadcasts, were met with strong backlash from Deaf educators and activists who emphasized that closed captioning alone is not a sufficient alternative.
The controversy also ties into larger discussions on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), particularly as former President Donald Trump rolls back accessibility efforts. Despite some pushback, the demand for ASL interpreters continues to rise, as seen in viral moments like Justina Miles’ celebrated performance at the 2023 Super Bowl. Fans and critics alike took to social media to weigh in on the Grammys' approach to accessibility, with some praising the move and others questioning the necessity of interpreters in televised events.
As the conversation grows, so does the push for increased visibility and accessibility for the Deaf community in mainstream media.
The controversy also ties into larger discussions on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), particularly as former President Donald Trump rolls back accessibility efforts. Despite some pushback, the demand for ASL interpreters continues to rise, as seen in viral moments like Justina Miles’ celebrated performance at the 2023 Super Bowl. Fans and critics alike took to social media to weigh in on the Grammys' approach to accessibility, with some praising the move and others questioning the necessity of interpreters in televised events.
As the conversation grows, so does the push for increased visibility and accessibility for the Deaf community in mainstream media.
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00:00American Sign Language interpreters made history at the 2025 Grammy Awards as it was the first time interpreters were officially included in the premiere ceremony and several stars, including Cynthia Erivo, Paris Hilton, and Janelle Monáe, walked the red carpet with their own ASL interpreters, but not everyone was on board.
00:19Deaf influencer Jackie G shared highlights from the Grammys and quote, literally started tearing up while watching.
00:25Jackie's comment sits under her original post that states,
00:37Now for context, Charlie Kirk is a conservative commentator and the founder of Turning Point USA, which has a YouTube channel where he hosts versus style debates with students at various colleges who hold up opposing views on hot topics in America.
00:50When Kirk saw ASL interpreters on screen during the emergency broadcast of the recent LA fires, he decided to publicly share his disapproval, stating they were a distraction.
01:00Kirk's comments come at a time where President Donald Trump is rolling back DEI and accessibility efforts, according to the ACLU.
01:08Of course, Kirk's comments did not go over well in the Deaf community, with many reposting his video and stitching their own opinion, including It's So Gerald, a Deaf LGBTQ educator, influencer, and creator.
01:20In the video posted to Instagram, Gerald stated,
01:23That is lame. Request to remove the interpreters from screen? No.
01:29Continuing his comment with,
01:37In Charlie Kirk's video, closed captioning was mentioned as an alternative to interpreters, which led Gerald to explain,
01:43Just having the caption is not enough.
01:46Gerald then went on to explain that interpreters allow Deaf individuals to fully understand information in their first language, whereas reading closed captions can often lead to misunderstandings.
01:57Especially during emergency evacuation.
02:00Despite some fans linking the Grammys to recent DEI conversation, this isn't the first time American Sign Language interpreters have made headlines.
02:09In 2023, Justina Miles went viral for her incredible ASL interpretation of Rihanna's Super Bowl halftime show, and the demand for interpreters is only growing.
02:19ProCareTherapy explains that demand for sign language interpreters is high throughout the country, especially in schools.
02:25And according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for interpreters and translators is projected to grow 4.3% by 2032.
02:34As for the Grammys, fans took to X to share their thoughts on the addition of the ASL interpreters.
02:39One user called out accessibility issues at the event, stating,
02:47Another pointed out a possible message celebs were sending, as one fan wrote,
02:51In the midst of the DEI controversy, Cynthia Erivo has a sign language interpreter with her for interviews at the Grammys.
02:58But of course not everyone was pleased, with many bringing up closed captioning. Maybe they missed Gerald's explanation.
03:05So what do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, and follow us everywhere at What's Trending.