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This is still bothering me this morning, so we need to have a chat about why it's still a problem if you're only applying the ableist language to people you don't like. (thread)
I grew up with a constant stream of images that associated "healthy" and "attractive" with "morally good", where the opposite traits were mostly seen in villains. We all did.
Oh sure sometimes you'd see the nice bright-faced kid in the wheelchair, or figures who heroically lost a limb in battle (which gets into what we call "inspiration porn", but that's a whole other subject and not what this thread is about).
Disabled people get left out of activism a lot as it is. Even more so if the disability is deemed inconvenient, unattractive, or unsettling to nearby abled people, or if there's no fascinating story in answer to the question "what happened to you".
But "ugly" disabilities need your support too. I often wonder how many people who know me, who seem to like and support me, would drop that support if they ever saw me during a meltdown. It isn't pretty. It isn't quiet. It isn't dignified. It isn't something I can fully control.
But even then, you can ignore that bit of "ugly" when it's not actively happening. Not everyone has that luxury. They need your support too. They need to be treated like human beings too. Their condition is not a moral failing.
The other insidious thing is, in addition to the association of disease with immorality, it is often associated with feebleness of the mind. Disabled people all too often get infantilized. Treated like they don't know what's best for them. At worst, get their autonomy taken away.
This is one of the reasons it took me so long to get last year's autism diagnosis. I've known for TEN YEARS that I probably had it. Some of that was difficulty finding a provider. But most of it was fear. Would diagnosis affect my freedom to choose? I still don't know for sure.
So when you use ableism to make fun of a certain politician, and think it's okay because "well he's really bad and I'd never do that if it was someone good" - it's not. I've seen people make assumptions that well, if he has this physical problem how can we trust his mind?
I would ask you to reexamine your biases. Think long and hard about who it's really hurting. Don't leave your disabled friends out in the cold. There are many reasons that man is not fit for office. Having trouble holding a cup is not one of them. (end)
(Side note this is not about any specific person so please don't think it is. The mess was all over my feed yesterday and I don't think people realize what they're doing. I'm not angry but I am upset and I want people to understand.)
