#why...it's almost like dismantling healthcare and taking away people's ability to make decisions about their lives and bodies and families

[shinobicyrus]

Obviously, the Alabama Supreme Court actually putting fetal personhood into law is another victory for creeping Christian Authoritarianism and yet another attack on health care, womens' rights, and bodily autonomy....but watching the Republicans flip their shit now that IVF clinics are in danger of closing is hilarious in a "the clown car is on fire" kind of way.

Because of course this was going to happen. Fetal personhood and anti-surrogacy (especially in the context of same-sex parents) has been bouncing around in conservative religious and legal circles (but what's the difference?) for decades, with those pesky liberals warning about it for just as long. Anyone with an inkling of awareness of the issue could have seen it coming.

So the fact that they were caught so off guard is myopic enough. And they're panicking for a very good reason, because yanno who generally goes to IVF clinics?

The people who can afford it.

Certainly the abortion bans in various states were bad, but if you had a lot of disposable income you could just...go to another state. Extremely inconvenient, yes, but not insurmountable. But this?

Oh my god, now the far-right pro-life politics that you've been cultivating for going on fifty years is now in a position to affect people with money? People that matter? Now you have to try and contend with the very extremist judges you installed that don't have to worry about getting elected and whose decisions are now putting you on the political chopping block?

Join us the in misery you're created for everyone else, assholes.

#Oh no my own petard! #IVF #Fetal Personhood #Alabama Supreme Court #Politics #Republics #in vitro fertilization #Women's healthcare #Abortion #For real tho? #Watching Senator #Tommy Tuberville #stammer between the pro-life buzzwords and saying ''we believe people have to have more children'' #(which...interesting. Which people do you think should have more children and why?) #and the inherent contradiction of pro-life politics outlawing fertility clinics - places that HELP PEOPLE HAVE CHILDREN #because guess what assholes? Pro-Choice goes BOTH WAYS #helping with things like FAMILY PLANNING to people who want and are prepared for children #why...it's almost like dismantling healthcare and taking away people's ability to make decisions about their lives and bodies and families #is...bad?

[capitalism-must-die]

Disability Studies: Foundations

In light of reading Leah Lakshimi Piepzna-Samarasinha’s piece, I would like to explore what the various demands, thoughts, and changes surrounding disability justice are. In order to be an accomplice with/to the disability community, we need to know what the community advocates for, what changes they (we) work for, what behaviors they are frustrated with and penalized by, etc. A few examples have been brought up in class, specifically in YouTube videos created by a disabled queer woman of color (I wish I remember her name...) like asking whether someone prefers identity-first (disabled woman) or people-first language (woman with a disability) in reference to themselves and also that in general, we should refer to groups of disabled folx as people with disabilities (language inclusivity). Another example was a video of various YouTubers advocating and explaining what online accessibility means including but not limited to: warnings of loud noises/sensors, the ability to magnify and copy + paste text, subtitles and transcripts, typed-out descriptions of images, (and more, I am probably forgetting some). In addition, I want to amplify the frustrations and advocacy from the disability community I’ve come across in my organizing work + online presence about disability justice specifically in social justice/safe/organizing/movement-building/radical spaces (and more specifically, holding activists in these spaces accountable to disabled comrades and the disability community at large). So here are some posts/quotes/ideas I’ve aggregated from my social justice/activist network:

“We aspire to exist, as we are, in a world where we are safe; where we have easy access to healthcare, medical procedures, equipment and therapy, where we can easily gain employment if we wish and are able, and to not be treated as subhuman if we are not.

We want to have access to language, communication, decision-making and social interaction so that we can ask for what we want, refuse what we do not, maintain autonomy and build community. We want to live in a world where we can access houses, shops, transport, clubs, restaurants etc. We would like to be able to exist without judgement, and for it to be okay that sometimes we ARE limited by our disabilities.” Ruby Allegra

https://www.facebook.com/madeline.lessing/posts/2030341873723612

“The fact that profit is driving the gutting of the American Disability Act is EXACTLY why I support a strong socialist state that is not driven by business incentives and can ensure MY rights in that we have the protections to not be excluded from establishments and treated like second class citizens. I was a student at a pretty disability hostile PUBLIC university and it was always hell getting to buildings with no ramps and being shamed for takin the elevator instead of stairs by their “pro environmentalism” signs🙄 anyway, solidarity with disability activists being arrested for demanding our humanity” Kimberly Miller

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=779970828864098&id=100005535648498

“Accessibility is a term that people think about wheelchairs almost right away. It’s way more than that. Does the movie theaters have subtitles for Deaf/Hard of hearing folks? Are there warning signs on doors of museums of repeated flashy lights for people prone to seizures? Are there large print and Braille menus in restaurants or your house of worship for blind or vision impaired folks? On a store or restaurant’s website does it mention busiest hours so autistic or people with sensory processing disorders feel comfortable and can plan ahead of when to go there without feeling sensory overload? Things to think about. At an event, is there a space for a quiet area?” Mateo Emanuel Alejandro Cox 

https://www.facebook.com/alejandra.cox.3/posts/1812023332243061 (I strongly recommend reading the entire post--it went viral)

“We’re in a group space having dialogue about privilege and oppression. Someone takes the floor and immediately replicates the marginalization we claim we’re here to dismantle. Before they begin to speak, this person is handed a mic and of course they do that dumb ableist shit that abled people always do “Oh, I’m loud! I don’t need a mic”—ummm yes tf you do.

- everyone does not have the same capacity to hear or vocalize. And if we only commit to inclusive practices when someone outs themselves as living with a disability in a group space, or if the only people using accessibility aids are people with disabilities, they are being othered in that group and abled bodies are being treated as norm and normative.” Nathaniel Naomi Simmons-Thorne

https://www.facebook.com/nsimmons9427/posts/780321778995853

Another issue raised by a comrade of mine is the fact that many businesses pay folx with disabilities less than minimum wage (which is already immorally low in and of itself), including here in Lexington. https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/wages/subminimumwage I don’t want to go into a rampage about how the state protects capital, property, profit, and business at the expense of working-class and oppressed people (lol, yes I do love going on these rampages! people need to know!!!!! and organize against it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) but we can’t just ignore, that just like how incarcerated folks (read: black men) are not exempt from slavery, disabled folx are not exempt from wage theft/slavery. 

I would also like to share with you/the class that on March 1st, there is an Annual Disability Pride event in Lousiville (https://www.facebook.com/events/225906474867996/). 

#disability #disability justice #social justice #organizing #activism #gender studies #women studies #disability studies #gws300