(What a load of patronizing, belittling crap)
FROM THE WORLD OF THE EARTHBOUND TOMBOY
by Heidi Johnson-Wright
Oh, yeah…you know you want to.
You burn to click on that link and watch the video clip with
its provocative title. You want it to pull you in, to take your focus off the
world around you for a few minutes. Maybe you even keep Kleenex by the
computer, just in case.
Finally, you give in to your urges and cue up the video. And
there it is: a one-legged guy running a 5K. You feel warmth surging through
you. The tears well up and roll down your cheeks. You grab that handy Kleenex
and wipe them away.
No, I’m not talking about fetish porn. I’m talking about
inspiration porn: the objectification of people with disabilities as inspirational
simply because they are living their lives. Non-disabled people do this for
their own benefit, as if disabled people are not people but are merely props to
make the non-disabled feel good. To make them feel inspired, all warm and
fuzzy.
Well, I got news for you. If you feel the urge to compliment
me simply for getting out of bed each day and pulling my clothes on, stick a
sock in it.
Don’t get me wrong: I enjoy getting compliments. Tell me my
blue eyes are gorgeous, and I’ll blush and smile back. But if you tell me I’m
fiercely independent just because I drive myself to work, you’ll get a wilting
glare.
Might as well tell me I’m a credit to my kind. You know, the
gimpy kind. Those handicapped, the wheelchair people who shouldn’t be expected
to do more than weave potholders and soil their diapers.
Seriously, if you need people with disabilities to make you
feel good about your own situation, I suggest you find a good psychotherapist.
Just leave me out of it.
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