the idea that disabled and queer and intersex people are so incredibly Different than and Separate from other human beings that our needs could never be relatable to others or the tools or methods that we’ve developed to suit our needs could never benefit anyone else is inherently dehumanizing and othering.
gender is fake! all dichotomies are artificially imposed! you can be cis and perisex and still experiment with your gender presentation! what does being a perisex cisman or ciswoman mean to you?
life is difficult and exhausting! even if you’re abled, there is literally no reason to make things harder for yourself when there’s an easier way. why do cashiers have to stand on their goddam feet all day when they could be sitting down? why is avoiding unnecessary suffering considered something that should be reserved for disabled people?
the idea that you should be forced into doing stuff that’s stupid and artificially imposed on you like gender norms or unnecessary physical exertion because that’s Respectable and Moral is a mentality that has been normalized specifically to oppress the working class, and it weaponizes the threat of being included in the “othered” groups to keep people in line.
“why are you complaining about unlivable wages? what do want, handouts? what are you, disabled? can’t you provide for yourself and your family?”
“why are you not performing gender norms correctly? what are you, gay?”
we’re all human. we all have complex needs. sometimes our needs are going to differ, and sometimes they’re going to overlap--even with people who have different experiences than us. that’s not a bad thing!
i remember seeing a post (i think reposted from reddit?) of a cis man talking about how much knowing trans men has made him more confident in and proud of his masculinity because they taught him that it isn’t defined by other people: it’s his own.
and abled people could really learn something from the disabled wisdom that there is no moral value in hurting yourself to attain someone else’s expectations of “success.”
we can all learn from one another and grow together. that’s a beautiful thing. that’s what it means to be human!
