#ableism on the left

[hussyknee]

Courtesy @crutchesandspice

Please view the video directly on TikTok to support the creator.

Follow Imani Barbarian on bluesky, twitter, Instagram

Please understand the context behind this request: a Black disabled woman is asking those who have the privilege, access and capacity to speak MAGA people, who they might listen to because they come from similar backgrounds, to try and understand them and talk to them. She's not demanding that a mentally ill queer person try to argue their humanity with family members who think they should burn in hell. She's talking about those liberals (especially white ones) who are tempted to dehumanise and write off anyone that voted for Trump as an act of political tribalism instead of engaging with why fascism takes hold of ordinary people.

Video description and transcript under the cut.

Video description:

A TikTok of a Black woman with locs speaking in front of a screenshot. The screenshot is of a YouTube video by Ben Shapiro titled "The EVIL Revolutionary Left Cheers Murder!"

Transcript:

Something is happening. Something is definitely happening. And I would be remiss if I didn't talk about this particular funnel into the alt-right that is informing how the alt-right is reacting to this moment right now. [Screen changes to a diagram titled "Right Wing Content Funnels", showing four red funnels that all point down to "The Alt Right". The first three are obscured by TikToker's head, but she's pointing to one that has "Health, Fitness Cures Holistic" over the funnel labelled "Eugenics".]

Because despite Ben Shapiro uploading this video, this was their response. And we'll all do image descriptions for this but yeah. Yeah.

So Ben Shapiro uploaded this video that says "The Evil Revolutionary Left Cheers Murder!" in reference to the United Healthcare CEO being gunned down in midtown Manhattan. But then something happened. (And shout out to Wild Greeters on Bluesky for bringing this up.) [Screen changes to show a post by user Wild Greeters showing screenshotted comments.] But these are the responses to Ben Shapiro on his own video:

"I'm as much right wing as they come. I have as much empathy as he had for those who lost their lives due to not recieving healthcare."

"Sorry Ben but nobody on either side feels sympathy for this man."

"As a long time Ben Shapiro fan buddy, your wealth is showing. It's not a right or left thing."

And that's what encapsulates this moment the most. Let's go over some more responses.

"Deny. Depose. Defend. We don't recognise him."

"Benny this is a non-partisan issue. Please stop trying to constantly divide the country."

"I'm proud of this comment section."

"Idk why you're trying to keep pushing this as a left issue. It's clearly across the board."

"While I don't agree with people celebrating this man's death, I don't believe this is a partisan issue like you're making it out to be. It's not right or left, it's people who have health insurance (it goes on to say)"

"Ben can afford any healthcare out of pocket plus his wife is a physician, must be nice."

And a lot of people have otherwise been flummoxed. I've even seen sentiments like this from liberals. I myself have gotten comments like "I can't believe that the alt right wants to celebrate this, the right is so violent, that's why they voted for that man."

No. No. This is one of the very few times when a majority of people are agreeing on the exact same thing. And it's important to understand how people get into alt right to understand why the left and the alt right are reacting to the very same thing in the very same way.

And it's because of this funnel right here: the "Health, Fitness, Cures, Holistic" into "Eugenics" and then into the "Alt Right". A lot of people can easily brush off why people get into the alt-right. The reality is that a lot of them did not start off with racism and sexism as their ideals, and the things that the left and liberals attribute to why people voted for Donald Trump. The reality is that with fear-mongering, which the right is very skilled at, they take advantage of people's fear of the healthcare system, not necessarily poor health in and of itself. This is why you're just as likely to find people in the alt right in groups on diabetes, cerebral palsy, autism—because the system itself is so terrifying that people will find any alternative to it. That's why they get into eugenics and then into the alt right. Not necessarily because it starts off that way a 100% of the cases, it's because they fear the very system that would allow for somebody like Brian Thompson to deny them care over and over and over again.

And in general, and this is probably a very unpopular opinion, I find it very irresponsible for people to consistently just boil things down to, "well, they're part of the alt right, they're just hateful," because a lot of the times, people don't start off that way. A lot of the times, their desire to go into the alt right starts with fear. And fear over being rejected as part of these very systems.

The issue is though, what the alt right does, is it blames the individual and not the systems because they want the systems to remain in place, or for those systems to get worse so that people they don't like die. Which is why our healthcare system is considered a medical apartheid.

This is also the reason why I'm not really impressed when you cut off your MAGA family members a 100% of the time, right. You share this moment. If you are not talking to them now about healthcare—and be mindful, I'm not saying berate them or argue with them— but this is the one thing you all relate on! Talk about it!

But yeah. I don't want to hear you cut off your MAGA family members now, and then hear from you two years from now asking everybody what we're gonna do. Now's the time! Now is it! Go out there! Go talk to people! Because if everybody is reacting to this moment the same way, now. Is. Your. Chance. Do you hear me? Now's your chance!

End transcript.

[batwynn]

I’ve been awake since five am so take this with a grain of salt but why is there this weird assumption that depressed people want to be depressed? That we’re intentionally staying depressed, or choosing to be, or even sabotaging our mental health by choice?

I’ve tried 20+ antidepressants and 50+ different therapists over the years with varying degrees of success and failure. When something works, I hold on for it as long as I can. It’s never my choice to stop using something that works. It is always a really bad side effect, a therapist leaving the profession, insurance changes, etc. I have never, in my entire life, knowingly, intentionally tried to sabotage my health. I have always tried my best, in spite of everything working against me.

I try to tell every new doctor some version of this when I rate high on the depression test they do at the start of every appointment. I also try to explain that four of the questions are rated the way they are because I have ADHD and chronic illnesses that make eating and having a good attention span difficult. That I have anxiety, and my life is one stressful situation after another. I also lie every single time about being suicidal, because doctors do not understand that it’s a chronic, back-of-the-mind state of being and the fact that I’m Still Here means I know how to fucking manage it. (Hint: that therapy for intrusive thoughts helped!)

And every single time, they treat me like I’m doing it to myself. That I’m not Trying Hard Enough. That I’m making a choice to ‘not get help’. They never, once, consider that the record in front of their faces proves that all I’ve always done is try to get help. Or that I’m still here. Or that I’ve survived every deep depression I’ve been in. Or that I’m still visiting doctors at all after years of medical abuse.

The assumption is and always will be that I am intentionally making myself unhappy and not ‘fixing myself’. That I just don’t want to be happy.

And honestly? Fuck y’all for that. Because that right there is a high-tier reason people who get those suicidal thoughts get one step closer to death. That makes you ten times more dangerous to our health than anything we could fucking do, or not do.

[disableddyke]

disabled people don’t have places to sit/rest in public >> disability activists advocate for public seating >> on rare occasion it gets approved >> abled people take advantage and use up all the seating >> abled people refuse to give up seating for disabled people who advocated for it & need it most >> disabled people still have no place to rest and remain isolated from general public. rinse & repeat

[tangents-within-tangents]

As much as I love sweet headcanons and found family fics about the Batch accepting Echo and supporting him through his adjustment and PTSD/trauma, gotta remember that what we were actually given in canon is this:

Hunter: Me and the boys will tag along anyway, if only to say I told you so. Crosshair: I would have left him for dead too. Besides, he's just another reg.

(his rescue was just a mission for them, wouldn't have done it otherwise)

Tech: To be blunt his mind belonged to the Separatists until we unplugged him. We don't really know where his loyalties lie. Rex: Yeah? Well I know. Hunter: Alright Echo what are you trying to pull? Tech: How do we know that's what you're really going to do? Hunter: Well I guess you actually are on our side.

(They openly doubt his loyalty even though they saw what he went through, and he already fought alongside them on Skako. Feels kinda victim-blamey to me, and it's odd that it goes straight from this to him joining them, like he had to prove himself worthy first? It's just the opposite of fanon which usually has the Batch be immediately sympathetic/protective and assume the regs would distrust him)

Tech: You are more machine than man, percentage wise at least. Echo, a triple amputee: *sigh* lucky me...

Palpatine: ...the attempt on my life has left me scarred and deformed Wrecker: You can say that again! Echo, a physically disabled person:

Echo, who was medically experimented on: *injured and having a panic attack in the medbay* The Batch: *off somewhere joking/betting about if he’s dead*

Tech: -from the Citadel rescue when you... how shall I put this? Wrecker: Blew up!! :D Crosshair: And turned into that Echo: *sigh* yes

Random stranger: *mistakes Echofor a droid* Hunter: *smiles and goes along with it for the credits* Echo, who was SOLD and dehumanized as a pow: *visibly uncomfortable* Hunter: Echo, go to your new owner.

Echo, who was treated like property by the Techno Union: *explains why slavery is wrong* And we are gonna stop it from happening to that kid. Tech: As well as earn a decent amount of credits once the job is complete. Echo: (bitterly) yeah, that too *leaves the room*

Tech: The client being a Separatist is not relevant. Echo, who was imprisoned and tortured by Separatists for over a year: It is to me! Hunter: Forget politics! We're here to do a job.

Tech: This squad existed before Echo was a part of it, and it will exist after.

For the record, yes people can and do joke about their trauma and disabilities

But look at Echo’s reactions/tone/body language in these scenes. It’s downcast sighs and discomfort, while the others are smiling, sneering, or dismissive. And because it's animated that means that every facial expression was intentionally designed.

What really clinches it for me is this moment:

Omega, a child who he just met, comforts him and helps him through his panic attack. But when the Batch, his squad who he's been living with for at least ~6 months, comes into the room he visibly closes himself off and hides his vulnerability :(

There are good moments too (though tbh i can't think of many)

I don't wanna discount that, but that doesn't discount this either. And it's just really weird when you think about it. Like half of these were in the first episode, which is the first time we are actually seeing how these characters interact together as a squad. And this is coming from the "defective" clones who supposedly know what it's like to not fit in? Who offered Echo a place with them specifically because they thought he wouldn't be accepted by others?

As with anything, there are ways we can read into or explain these moments (like honestly 'selling' your brother or betting that your brother died by lunch tray is very accurate sibling energy (And my personal headcanon (to reconcile it for myself bc the show didn't) is that Wrecker was worried about Echo so Crosshair jokingly exaggerated that he was dead and turned it into an argument/bet to distract him (which is also why I think he turns battles into a game/competition with Wrecker)) but Echo is very traumatized and there's a complete lack of consideration there). But that doesn't excuse it nor does it change the fact that this is what was presented to us in the writing. Characters aren't actually people (shocking I know lol), so any of their 'choices' are actually made by a real-life writer. And whether the implications of these moments were fully considered/intended or not, it still portrays the characters and their attitudes/relationships in a certain way.

[autistic-ben-tennyson]

A rant about Jedi Stans from an ex-Jedi fangirl

After some time I've had to reflect on my own behavior as well as my time in the pro Jedi fandom, I decided it's time to call this shit out. Some people take it really personal if someone criticized your favorite characters or their beliefs. Ironically, you all act more like the Sith than the Jedi with how obsessive you can be and insisting any criticism is equal to wanting genocide.

I'm going to start by saying I was in the pro jedi fandom for a few months. Truth be told, I was using it as an outlet for some of my anger issues with my hate towards Anakin, seeing him as similar to a lot of people I've had to deal with. Some of it was wanting more followers and fear of being disliked by the majority. I would pick fights with Anakin fans and was a bit of an asshole and I apologize for that. I still don't like him but no longer HATE him. Seeing how fandoms treat abuse victims who aren't perfect angels like Shinji Ikari or Lapis Lazuli has caused me to loosen up a bit. Many Jedi stans would probably hate those characters for not being “perfect” victims. In retrospect, this wasn't a good community for me. It was very puritanical and I often felt like I was wrong for enjoying media that went against the beliefs Jedi Stans put on a pedestal. Three of my favorite ships (Madohomu, Reishin and Hodaka x Hina) involve "burning the world for one person" and I felt like I couldn't talk about them without being a hypocrite. That and me agreeing less and less with Luca's beliefs pushed me to leave.

It's fine to enjoy a fictional character and defend them if you feel that they're being unfairly criticized. I've done it myself and have written essays defending my faves. The problem is that Jedi stans don't know when to stop. So many are quick to compare the Jedi to minority religions or marginalized groups as a shield against criticism, not recognizing how insulting that can be. Jewish, asian and aroace people are the ones normally used due to the Jedi beliefs being based off Eastern religions as well as Judaism as well as some aroace people identifying with the Jedi.

One thing I noticed about Jedi stans is their similarities to Jumblr which is full of religious chauvinism reworded to sound progressive. Many of them talk about how the Jedi shouldn't have to change their traditions with the times or to accommodate a few individuals like Anakin or Ahsoka. This can be similar to how a lot of people are quick to defend minority religions from outside criticism based on how they were treated by Christian colonists or missionaries. The problem is that this can veer right into ableist or queerphobic territory. You know who else believe that their religion shouldn't have to change with the times to accommodate people? Conservative Christians who hate being told to be affirming of LGBTQ people. Also, schools and parents/guardians do have a responsibility to accommodate kids with disabilities, mental health issues or trauma, even if it may be inconvenient or force you to bend the rules. Claiming they need to just suck it up is honestly disgusting.

This was all a big reason for why I left this garbage pit of a fandom. While there are some who hate the Jedi because they stan the empire or think people need 50s nuclear families to live fulfilling lives, not everyone does that. Believe it or not, some people have faced abuse and bigotry under Judaism and Buddhism. People can also criticize how Lucas presented their beliefs as some Buddhists think he didn't do a good job. Libsoftiktok is a vile transphobe, an Orthodox Jew and her beliefs are said to be fairly common in her community. Many people of color identify with the clones and dislike how even the nicer Jedi treated them. When Obi Wan told Anakin, "It's okay to have romantic feelings, but you must let them pass," that hits different for queer people who have been told similar things from "polite" homophobes. Some queer people do choose celibacy like Side B christians which is fine as long as they don't treat it as a moral failure to want a relationship. There are many neurodivergent people who don't like the Jedi beliefs as they hit close to home. Lucas may have not intended to come off as ableist but the Jedi did with their beliefs about negative emotions. To some people, platitudes like "just let go" aren't helpful and treating it as bad for not living up to those principles is gross.

I deleted the post, but a while back I made a post asking a popular pro jedi blogger their views on adoption since they claimed Anakin not viewing the Jedi as his "found family" was a moral failure. I found their response to be tone deaf and insulting. I responded in a decent way of course, but felt a bit judged and unhappy for wanting to know my birth mother. Adoptees are another set of people this fandom is insensitive and gross to. The Kenobi series I find insulting for that reason too, having Leia be a foil for Anakin and Obi Wan romanticize his recruitment as a child.

Jedi fans are also shitty to those with religious trauma and who faced abuse. Accusing anyone who criticizes the Jedi of projecting their issues with Christianity while simultaneously talking like conservatives as shown above. Tumblr in general has a weird habit of treating religion as if it’s either conservative evangelicalism, liberal reform Judaism and some vague pagan or eastern spirituality with little nuance. Some Jedi stans really come from a place of privilege. Claiming "they can just leave" is insulting to real religious abuse survivors who were raised with harmful beliefs like creationism or homophobia. I'm no antitheist but treating non christian religion as inherently progressive dismisses a lot of people's experiences.

Let's be real, the writing in this franchise was always a bit sloppy. Lucas's issue was wanting to simultaneously create both a black-and-white morality tale for kids based on the fairy tales and serials he grew up and a deep socio-political commentary about the Vietnam and Iraq wars which required some morally grey themes. Thus, along with his terrible dialogue that made the characters seem unlikable, is why the fandom is so divided over whether he intended people to agree with the prequel Jedi.

To wrap this up, I found the pro jedi fandom to be a terrible experience. It was a mix of faux progressivism mixed with fear of judgement for disagreeing. I ended up editing a post I made, and eventually deleted, comparing Yoda with Garnet from SU because I included a tiny bit of criticism and didn't want to get backlash. As long as it’s not gross or bigoted criticism of your favorite characters isn't the end of the world. People don't have to like George Lucas or his beliefs and put them on a pedestal. I feel like the fandom's worship of George comes in response to OT purists who claimed he "raped their childhoods" but there's fair criticism to be made. Just like how not everyone who criticizes Disney SW or any Disney media in general is an "anti woke" grifter. To the pro jedi fans reading this, here's a suggestion. Just block and ignore people, write an essay if you feel it's important, but don't act like an entitled bully if a blog or even a SW writer disagrees with the Jedi, interprets the story differently or criticizes your favorite characters.

[queeraliensposts]

I would like to preface this post by clarifying that obviously you should wear and present however you feel comfortable and the way you dress doesn't actually say anything about who you are as a person and what your values are.

Anyways, in my experience interacting with alternative subcultures, I've noticed that alt girls who dress alt but still try to look coventially pretty tend to say the most problematic things, will treat trans men and transmascs like absolute fucking garbage especially when we set basic boundaries like "please don't call me girl, even if you're using it in a gender neutral way", engage in cringe culture, often say the most ableist things about problematic people, and throw around terms like "pick me girl" and "chronically online".

Whereas alt girls who dress alt and don't care about looking conventionally attractive are often very progressive and really nice.

In my opinion maybe this boils down to internalized misogyny and wanting to signal to others that you're better than "other girls" because you're not afraid of offending people, because being alt these days isn't as "edgy" or "cool" as it used to.

It could also be that a certain amount of nonconformity is admired but there comes a certain threshold where it's no longer acceptable.

Obviously wanting to be pretty =/= having internalized misogyny or being problematic, as I've seen a few examples of alt girls who don't care about looking conventionally attractive being problematic, and alt girls who do care being nice, but that's not the majority.

Before anyone twists my words beyond recognition, I always encourage everyone to dress however they feel comfortable, and dressing a certain way does not make you inherently problematic, I am simply pointing out a pattern I've noticed, commenting on it, and giving my own theory as to why it is.

[gryficowa]

Boycott!

People who say "You're not a real activist if you only use the Internet" piss me off because they clearly show that they are ablietic shit

People with ASD, social phobia, agoraphobia etc… They exist, will you finally fucking come to terms with the fact that there are people who don't take part in strikes for logical fucking reasons and that's why they use the Internet?

If your activism consists in attacking activists who cannot physically take part in fundraisers, then you have shit to say that you are fighting for equality and those discriminated against when you fucking show ableism towards different groups

Now that I have your attention:

---------------------------------

People like this just piss me off because their ego is fucking huge and they show their Ableism and people are silent about it…

[youngchronicpain]

Just sent in a complaint to Frontier Airlines about how one of the flight attendants treated me while I was trying to get from my personal powerchair to my seat on the flight. She ignored my request for assistance and just watched as I struggled to get my things to the seat. She let other passengers start to load as I was still getting my cushions from my powerchair and I ended up falling as a result. She just stood there with a look of distaste on her face. Like, if you hate disabled people so much why work in an industry where you are required to assist them? Or am I just not the "right" kind of disabled person? Like????

[westywallowing]

it has always baffled me that ASL isn't taught as a second language in American schooling. or as a requirement for certain jobs that work with, well, people. the HLAA says that around 48 million Americans have hearing loss!! 1 in 5 teenagers!! 1 in 3 people over the age of 60!!! it's crazy to me that sign isn't more widely taught and used considering that you probably DO or WILL know someone who has hearing loss at some point in their life

[thatveganwhiterose]

Man I love unfollowing blogs that I 99% have agreements with on moral and political beliefs solely because they reblog misinformation about what veganism is, and other related topics, because they decide to make tags like “I hate vegans”.

Like these people unironically claim to be leftists and support leftism, which usually includes reducing waste or harm as much as possible, but then demonize the very movements (veganism and animal rights) that put forth these very practices into action.

It’s one thing to have legitimate criticisms of things, though people also unironically seem to believe that most of these criticisms are BECAUSE OF philosophies such as veganism versus things like capitalism, classism, poverty, etc.

The fact that so many “leftists” have such brain dead takes without using actual critical thinking skills or comprehension that they shriek and cry about the right acting on makes me not trust these fucks farther than I can throw them.

Anyway, if you can’t unironically include veganism or animal rights into your advocacy or activism (which is literally just reducing animal usage as much as you can), you are unironically acting like right-wing reactionaries you cry about.

If you need any clarification or further explanation as to what that is, I am happy to engage in a civil discussion about this.

Bad faith takes will get you ignored or blocked.

I am so tired of being a minority who has to constantly explain why veganism is so important and necessary for all things leftism is concerned with. Like seriously shut the fuck up and actually listen to us and engage with us instead of this continual brain poison and misinformation campaign tumblr and other “leftist” sites love to push.

Yours truly,

A ND Jewish vegan woman

[uncanny-tranny]

Choosing not to recover is, frankly, a non-action and something neutral. While you can absolutely abuse people, choosing not to recover is not in and of itself an act of abuse, and sometimes it seems like people think that not recovering holds the same weight as abuse. While things like abuse are nuanced and dynamic, recovery is not a respite that prevents abuse from happening.

[magnetothemagnificent]

A little bit of love and patience for "messy" eaters.

People who don't use utensils conventionally.

People who chew with their mouth open.

People who leave crumbs and dribbles when they eat.

People who eat "loudly".

Whether it's because of different cultural norms, sensory sensitivities, motor disabilities, or facial differences, you all deserve to eat and be respected.

[northern-punk-lad]

The way eugenics is so popular in left wing spaces should be talked about more because yall are all progressive and pro human rights until the subject of disabled people comes up

[humanitys-strongest-bamf]

"we're respectful towards trauma-survivors but only the ones that are convenient for us" / "we encourage self-care and prioritizing your mental health but only if its convenient for us" gtfo

[kathrahender]

I don't want this to turn into a blog dedicated to politics, but I have to ask something. What -from the bottom of my heart and with all respect (which is none)- the fuck, people?

No no no like I'm seriously asking. People who keep voting right wing (and I'm not just talking about American right wing but also European right wing), what the hell are you doing with your life? Like are you an ignorant, who don't know they're racists, sexists, homophobes, transphobes, ableists, and many other things? Or you just don't care?

And no, don't make excuses saying "but the other party is woke" (as if being woke was wrong) "but the leftist" "but-". Since right wing, consevatives, or traditionalists are in the goverment, the world started to get worse every day and every year. And okay, leftism might not be the best, they also made mistakes, but it's clear that the ones who are doing more harm to the world are the right wing, the conservatives, the traditionalists, and capitalism. So don't you dare blame the left wing for something right wing is guilty of.

And don't start with the "hey you have to accept the other side" "hey you have to be respectful" "hey you have to accept that no one thinks like you" "hey you have to accept that other people vote a different party" because I will NEVER accept a party or people who are against HUMAN RIGHTS.

[illnessfaker]

the whole "you're going to become physically disabled/ill when you get older thing" is annoying because yeah combatting ableism towards physically disabled people should be a priority regardless but it's weird to me how age is always brought up and not the fact that (at least in a united states context) contemporary capitalist workplace culture seems pretty hellbent on destroying people's bodies at a more rapid rate than age would by itself. and with that being said there's a conversation to be had about the ways in which contemporary capitalist workplace culture exacerbates and worsens the conditions of people who are already physically disabled but still work.