tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432354593645182056.post2234459510124244385..comments2023-09-15T05:46:39.963-07:00Comments on Quirky Black Girls: Reflecting on Frida Kahlo’s Birthday and The Importance of Recognizing Ourse...lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08265539602839655150noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432354593645182056.post-31453594216377202512010-07-10T11:06:46.281-07:002010-07-10T11:06:46.281-07:00hi hilden, no, i don't think you can be politi...hi hilden, no, i don't think you can be politically disabled without being descriptively disabled. In the way that i am using, it is very important that politically disabled folks' political understanding of disability be grounded in their lived experience of being descriptively disabled (even if they don't identify as "disabled"). <br /><br />I think for folks who are non-disabled (not descriptively disabled) it could be useful to have a different word to describe them. there are a lot of comrades who are working to confront their ableism/ableist privilege, trying to be in support of disabled folks and communities and figuring out what solidarity looks like. This is very important. We need this. but of course whenever privilege folks begin to examine their privilege and start to learn about a lived experience that they do not share, there is always the risk of able-bodied/temporarily able bodied people feeling entitled or authorized (and being empowered) to speak about, on behalf of the very people that their privilege works to oppress. Disabled people (like all oppressed groups) have a long history of able-bodied folks speaking for us, defining our lives, and exploiting us. Right now, we have the phenomenon where disability politics are actually becoming (or on the edge of becoming) trendy, so you have places where disability is being talked about, but there are no descriptively disabled people present. Or you have non-disabled people being asked to speak about disability or feeling entitled to disabled-only spaces. <br /><br />This is why it is so important for politically disabled people to be descriptively disabled because it is so important that we speak for ourselves and that comrades do the work of being in solidarity, taking lead from us, stepping back and most importantly, working with other able-bodied folks on their ableism, calling ableism out when it happens and doing their own work of confronting their ableism. <br /><br />My opinion. I hope this helps!leavingevidencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11894194689850792808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432354593645182056.post-61232506462264160032010-07-06T19:13:16.611-07:002010-07-06T19:13:16.611-07:00I loved reading this piece. Frida is an inspirati...I loved reading this piece. Frida is an inspiration!<br />I also have a question for you: do you believe it is possible to be politically disabled and not descriptively disabled at the same time?Hildenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01733811126279278467noreply@blogger.com