Happy Disability Month

July 6, 2022

Content Warning: Disabilities / Capitalism / Supreme Court

With LGBTQA+ Pride in June, all corporate companies turn their logo to the rainbow filter. Even if it is capitalism pandering to the working class, it is representation and acknowledge, and that is better than nothing. It is still a great time to celebrate the progress made, the human rights won, and marriage equality. We would attend the St. Pete Pride Parade, which while a far cry from the Stonewall Uprising, but was amazing to see so many people out in the open practicing their love.... during this time the United States Supreme Court would have other ideas. At the St. Pete Pride Parade

Within only a couple of weeks of time, the Supreme Court managed to attack Tribal Sovereignty, weakened Miranda Rights, Prayer in Schools and Reverse Roe v. Wade which allows states to ban abortions. While claiming to oppose most of those actions, President Biden and Democrats remain unable or unwilling to actually stop them. And Conservatives look to push this into taking away more freedom such as LBTQ+ marriage and birth control. the supreme court judges that overturned roe

So as a nation we enter July as people hit the streets again to protest. Every July 4th is probably an eye roll or something to endure by most leftists or anyone that has actually studied the history of the United States. But for many, this may have been a wake up call that not everything is "land of the free."

While these are devastating developments, it is important to remember that many of our nation have been struggling for a long time and treated like second class citizens such as trans people, poc, convicts, indigenous peoples, and the disabled. disabled charts

That leads us to July, Did you know that July is disability month? Did you know that in 2022 some people have to chose between their income or getting married. They have to choose healthcare or marriage. How is that something that is still going on? (oh right, I am not surprised based on what I just described above).

no marriage equality without disabled marriage equality

So Disabled is a large title, and many fall into this category. The simple definition is just "physically or mentally impaired, injured, or incapacitated". That was unhelpful. This includes people using wheelchairs, deaf, blind, have limited movement, different bodily developments, irregular digestive system or other internal system, injuries, rely on alternative means to communicate, mute, and also personality disorders, anxiety, depression, other mental illnesses, autism, learning disabilities, down syndrome, and so many more groups that I have not listed. (I apologize if I wrongly spoke or used outdated or poor language on any of these groups. Please let me know and I will fix it.)

living with disabilities

Not only do disabled people have to learn to manage their own disability and how it relates to them, they must do so while navigating a world that treats them like second-class citizens. Non-disabled people seem to have difficulty understanding or caring to understand the struggle that not having accommodations leads to. Non-disabled people use disabled people to feel good about themselves such as "thank god I am not like that." WE ARE NOT HERE TO JUST JUSTIFY YOUR OWN LIVES! On top of that many organizations that are for disabled people are not run by people in their own community and are instead run by non-disabled people. Cough Cough Autism Speaks. This leads to even more miscommunication as organizations push for things not desired by the community they are supposed to be working. Example, the "people's first language" for Autism while most adult Autistics do not prefer it.

what is disability pride month

After everything, the disabled community is still here and still fighting for basic human rights. In July 1990 the USA disabled community won their greatest legal achievements with the "American's with Disabilities Act." This civil rights law prohibit many discriminations and was expanded in 2008 amendments. That year the first parade was held in Boston and has since spread to other cities.

So Happy Disability Month. I want you to know that we see you and empathize what you are going through. Keep doing what you have to do to survive. You have every right to be here, and we will keep fighting for that until the government understands that as well. :)

disability flag