#Disability is a social construct

[capricorn-0mnikorn]

Annoyingly, this report wasn't aired until the end of the last day of the first comment period. But there will be a second comment period coming up "in the spring."

Keep your senses perked.

[samwisethewitch]

Happy disability pride month to my fellow disabled witches and pagans!

[disasterhimbo]

The difference between day clothes and night clothes is made up btw. You can do whatever you want forever

[1000dactyls]

I wanna know if you have any thoughts on Valka and Sroicks parenting and how that affects hiccup? Because I'm loving so much of your content rn, especially your drawings!! But when I see stuff like Tgirl Hiccup while I think they would be supportive, I don't think they would be ... the best because their not really the best. Like ofc they tried even Val when she came back, but it doesn't and won't ever make up for everything else it's so complicated, and nuisanced would love to hear your thoughts!!

Im going to break this post into addressing stoick and valka separately because valka is such a non-entity in hiccup and stoick’s familial life. valka’s section will be underneath the ‘read more’

But I definitely agree! Unfortunately for Hiccup (and also not to project ijbol), it’s so hard because stoick’s best isn’t enough. Oh, stoick tries! He tries so hard — between the movies and the shows, he so clearly cares for his son. But he can never be just Hiccup’s dad; Stoick is the Chief of Berk before he’s Hiccup’s father, and both he and Hiccup know that. Hiccup grows up self sufficient and is used to a lonely home. The kind of free reign that he gets (and the resulting knee-jerk reaction he has to any kind of responsibility after 15 years of said free reign) doesn’t make for great conditions to cultivate a healthy, loving, traditional parental relationship

Still — i think stoick is more supportive than we give him credit for, at least going off the RoB/DoB characterizations. (Again, I haven’t finished watching RTTE, so Im not gonna speak for anything there.) When Hiccup makes moves for more freedom and responsibility, even as early as s01e01 “How to Start a Dragon Academy”, Stoick works with Hiccup to grant him that freedom. He makes attempts to connect to his son, albeit misguided and inevitably circling back to his own interests/role as the chief of Berk and not just Hiccup’s dad. For example, s01e07 “How to Pick your Dragon” shows Stoick ending up listening to Hiccup about getting a dragon, even though he mostly gets a dragon because it further suits his interests as a chief, which he realizes on the flight Toothless and Hiccup take him on. Which also leads to the core conflict of the episode! Because Stoick’s attempts to understand Hiccup are ultimately rooted in his own narrow perception of the world, that there is a Right way and Wrong way to do things, and Hiccup’s way is most definitely not the right way.

But Stoick listens. Over time, he picks up the signs when his child is frustrated and genuinely asks how he can help (s02e15 “A Tale of Two Dragons” 3 options talk). And after the events of the first movie, Stoick makes more attempts to involve Hiccup in his going-ons, such as the portrait of the chief’s family or contacting Johann to find a beloved childhood plushie. So i think stoick tries, and his best isn’t enough, so thank god hiccup isn’t dependent on only stoick and the both of them know this. And just because the both of them know this doesn’t mean that stoick doesn’t try to improve their relationship at all. In the end, he’s just really set in his own ways and his own traditions.

So in a world where Hiccup is trans, I do think Stoick is supportive no matter what direction Hiccup ends up going. Is he confused? Yes, always, because there isn’t a very established tradition even if Berk does have a history of trans folk. I think stoick has to try really really hard, and he messes up a lot in the beginning. Like, you know when your parents are trans affirming in a really weird and even insulting way? That happens a lot for Hiccup and Stoick. But they work together and Stoick works to try and get on Hiccup’s level, whether that means sending terror-mail to Johann to inquire about trans literature or gender-affirming clothes or dialing Gothi to move Hiccup’s t/e prescription to the front of the line.

……..argh, Valka.

Of course Valka tried when she came back, but the conscious decision to stay away for twenty years and miss some of the most important milestones in your child’s life says a lot, and I think Hiccup also knows that. Especially because of how similar they are, even though Valka would immediately accept and adore and absolutely love Hiccup and all his Hiccup-ness right off the bat… I think he’s aware of how different and better his life could’ve been with Valka’s understanding presence. In the end, one parent stayed and tried their best. And one didn’t really try at all, not until they reconnected again.

And like! I dont think Valka and Hiccup would ever be as close as Stoick and Hiccup were. Like it is one thing to idolize your parent in absentia and build up this idealistic wholesome perfect image of who they are, getting your characterization from their partner who never got over them even after 20 years. And it is another thing to meet that parent and realize… wow! They also don’t measure up to what I needed them to be as a child.

And so for all of Valka’s understanding, for all of the easiness it is for Valka to understand Hiccup, especially in a world where Hiccup is trans — it’s not Valka who had to deal with the bureaucracy of Hiccup’s gender change, nor aided in the social transition for people Hiccup has spent his entire life with. It’s not Valka who asked uncertain, blunt and somewhat invasive questions about Hiccup’s new identity, or found weird and strange ways to support it. It’s not Valka who would’ve gotten an entirely new wardrobe commissioned or talked to Gothi about medical transition.

Like, I think Valka tries, and it’s easy for her to understand the idea and support Hiccup. But i dont think she’d ever be Hiccup’s first choice when it comes to questions about who s/he is, not when there are people who stayed and tried much harder than her, and know far more about Hiccup than she ever did and maybe will.

[obstinatecondolement]

It feels like every day I read attempts to debunk the social model of disability that fundamentally misunderstand what the social model of disability is and who the people who developed that model were, including what the nature of their disabilities was, and I want to scream.

But I don't, because yelling at people on the internet is basically pointless. Instead I check to see that I'm not mutuals with whoever reblogged said misunderstanding and vague about it.

[eggy-tea]

wild when someone’s kid gets a diagnosis and the parent’s response is “there’s nothing wrong with them, i’ve had those same struggles my whole life! they keep inventing new things to be wrong with you! no one’s allowed to just be normal these days.” you are so close to getting it, friend

[neurotypicalabusesurvivor]

ASPD is a prefect example how psychology and mental health industry is bullshit.

One of the main criteria for ASPD is a consent disregard for the rights of others. But what is a right? Who gets to decide what a right is? A right is just something someone feel entitled to. Men right activist, father rights, private property rights are things used to oppress people that claim to be rights. A "right" is just something people feel entitled to which may or may not be helpful to society. Even rights which are for the most part good, like freedom of speach can be used to advocate for genocide. The freedom of Assocation can be used by queerphobic parents to disown their queer children. Private property (liberal definition) rights can be used to justify artificial poverty. In other words people with ASPD do not buy into the entitlements of others.

under this logic all men have ASPD because of the patarachy. All white people have ASPD because of white supremacy. All ableist (both neurotypical and neurodivergent) have ASPD. So why are these groups of people who have a history of civil right violations not label as ASPD. Because they do so in a socially acceptable way. Sexism and Racism is still social acceptable to a degree even after many decades of social justice activism.

the basing morality in and of it self is inherently problematic as you are being dependent on a biological function to decide who is moral and admoral. there are many reasons why someone might not feel guilt or remorse. The chief amongst these is dehumanization, racism, sexism, queerphobia, ableism, ageism, classism is all rooted in dehumanization. as a result, a lot of abusers engage in similar behaviors as cluster Bs. This comparison is only on surface level. Abusers get away with abuse because their behavior are protected by society, the verry same society that condition them to be abusers. Are jails are filled with narcissist and sociopaths because they do not have neuronormative privilege. When they act "abusive" they do so in ways that are not socially acceptable. meanwhile rapist, child molesters, killer cops, imperalist soldier get away with their brutality.``

The status Quo doesn't want to admit that the patarachy exist, so when a man become a serial killers they claim they have ASPD refusing to admit that people with ASPD are not immune to the patarachy. If the patarachy did not influence people to become serial killer a equal amount of men and women would be a serial killer and they would kill for the same reasons. Tough ASPD may influence why the serial killer's behavior the ASPD is not the root cause. The role of the medical model of disability as will all forms of oppression is deradicalizations. Just as the ruling class and the privilege class redirected attention away by blaming the jews, immigrants or othger margalized people the medical model redirect attention away by blaming "mentally ill people"

This brings me to my next point neurotypes are social constructs. They are the interpation of human biology that involves the brain. These interpations is done so for the neruonormative gaze. We decide them by comparing neurodivergent people to a standard of health that is also socially constructed. Alot of time people are deemed "disabled" or "mentally ill" because they are not compatible with the status qou, as status qou that is also socially constructed, but also socially constructed for the benefit of the ruling class at the expense of everyone else.

but.... but.... alot of these people are neurodivergent. Neurodivergent people can benefit from the oppression of other neurodivergents who is not the same support level as them and neurotype as them. Being neurodivergent is not a magical pill that make you anti ableist. A neurotypical is just the highest possible amount of neuronormative privilege possible. Alot of neuronormative privilege is required to get a college degree and to become a psychologist or a neuroscientist so even if the mental health professional is neurodivergent they still have a respectable degree of neuronormative privilege.

What is to be done, You may ask? neurodivergents must seize control of the psych industry away from those who want to benefit from neuronormative privilege and weaponize it against those who want to benefit from neuronormative privilege. People who do not accept neurodivergent trait will be pathologized. We will subject them to the same trauma that neurodivergent was violently subjected to. where therapy was weaponized against neurodivergents and used as a excuse to maintain the status Quo. we will seize control of this industry and use it to oppress ableist. Instead of expecting neurodivergent to mask ableist will be expected to learn coping skills, cognitive behavior skills to reduce distressed cause by ableism. Gone will be the days in which ableist infantilize themselves by hiding behind a therapist and psych meds.

What if this system destroys the mental health of an ableist. If you're in a self defense saturation do you care if you defending yourself result in grave bodily injury of your attacker. Do slaves during a slave revolt care about the mental health of their master family or employees. Do feminist care about the mental health of there rapist. Oppressors forfeit there right by violating the justified rights of others. There has not been a single major civil right earned that did not involve violence and trauma. The peaceful protest of the liberal is a lie. When people with neuronormative privilege rape disabled women like it goes out of style, sit by and do nothing as killer cop gun disabled people down in streets, though certian neurotype in jail, the bourgeoise drive disabled people into extreme poverty, imperialist engage in wars that destory the mental health of the global south and homelessness how dare you care about the mental health of ableist. How dare you expect mentally ill people to care about the mental health of their oppressors.

[the-dear-skull]

Watching the fit note speech made by the UK PM. Listen I don't really consider myself disabled. Technically I do wear glasses and have clinical depression, but I am able to function like the average person, perhaps just a little more quieter, emotional, and only seems to perk up during discussions of metal and electronic music.

But after watching that, there are definitely people in the UK government who would definitely MAiD me. It's weird.

I'm used to the angst of being marginalized as a contradictory lesbian or whatever. But like (I'm not saying the US is the bastion of mental health. There is DEFINITELY stuff going on with me that isn't being addressed.) I (personally) was able to find support for when my depression and GAD got too much, with the UK it seems like if I was in the same situation, they would leave me to rot.

[capricorn-0mnikorn]

The Monsters' Rhapsody

We come from regions at the edge of maps Where details of the landscape are left out. Those who journey there are warned of traps; Our histories are vague, and filled with doubt.

We crouch in corners of cathedral towers, Peering from the ledges high above Jeering at the milky, gilded saints With their songs of torment in the key of ‛love’.

We gather in the margins of the page, Drawn there by those minds too quick for text Cavorting in the space between the lines And looking out beyond the screen of Time At what has gone before, and what comes next With our piercing, wide-eyed, wild, gaze.

Cartographers of power fear us most. Perhaps by accident, or secret pledge, They were the ones who pushed us to the edge. To them, we are the “evil (demon) host.”

To curry favor with their patron lords, They pondered, and they toiled, and they forged A chain of being strung ’tween God and Earth To justify the privilege of their birth. With words of silk, and blood-black ink, They braided ropes to every link To bind each living creature into place Then doled out dwindling portions of God’s grace. But for themselves, they kept the greatest share – In sight of angels in the shining air.

But we – the vast and secret multitude, Who move through narrow spaces in between, Traversing landscapes they have never viewed – We slip through gaps in their great chain.

We are the neithers and the nors – Exceptions to each rule they write: We are the maids with fishy tails, Who sing the doom of sailing ships, And giants, standing miles high, Who scrape their knees on mountain peaks, The gryphon, werewolf, and the king Who’s neither frog, nor yet a man. The mother who can only crawl, As if she were a tiny babe, The boy who reads with fingertips, Poets who shape words with hands, And those who have divergent minds. We are the neithers and the nors – Exceptions to each rule they write.

And whether shy and shifting, or rudely bold, We can’t be collared by their ready names – Their inky, silky, fetters do not hold. They say this is our crime – that we’re to blame.

That we exist at all is proof enough The world is more complex than first it seems They claimed a single truth. And thus, they lied – Their mighty chain was forged from human pride, A false conclusion, and a foolish dream. But we are here. And we can call their bluff.

And even as we wander city streets, Along with all the rushing, bustling crowds, The questions rise in every gaze we meet, And mystery surrounds us, like a cloud.

We span the borders by which this world’s defined – Not on the globe, but rather, in the mind.

[antiterf]

Being passionate about trans and disability rights is obnoxious because I'll get someone going "trans people are mentally ill!" And I'll go through an entire explanation of how mental disorders are also social constructions and that while treatment can help, there's still plenty of instances where that diagnosis is used for power and removing autonomy. The fact that you're claiming trans people are mentally ill as a reason to not listen to them and remove medical autonomy literally shows that.

But instead I don't say anything or go "hey that's ableism and transphobia!" And call it a day because otherwise I'd be saying that on a daily basis.

[kur0m310]

I wish the world could realize that people who struggle to function don’t choose to be that way or even enjoy it. The brain is hard wired to enjoy stimulation, physical activity, and new experiences. If you find yourself feeling miserable and tired all the time, you aren’t being lazy, you’re ill in some way, and you deserve patience and support. That’s something I’ll always stand by.

[loregoddess]

saw the first volume of Cursed Princess Club in the store last Sunday as I was walking by the manga section, and the name was so unusual that I looked it up online when I got home, and found out it was on webtoons to read for free, and just finished it, and holy shit

literally one of the best stories I've ever read

[thedreadvampy]

last night in the pub after the anti terf protests I was talking to this guy whose PhD was in I think linguistic constructions around gender? the phenomenology of gender? idk I was quite drunk and it was very loud. anyway we were talking about defining gender identity and he was increasingly enthusiastically going STOP. SHUT UP. I HEARD PEOPLE SAYING THE EXACT SAME STUFF AT A GENDER CONFERENCE LAST WEEK. YOU'RE ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF CONTEMPORARY FEMINIST THOUGHT WHY ARE YOU NOT DOING A PHD????

and I was like first of all ayyyyy ✌️😘 second of all pal you expect me to like. Justify my thoughts academically? I've met doctoral candidates you bitches are all miserable. and third literally all I was actually saying was stuff like 'there are different definitions of womanhood that are useful in different contexts' and 'there are different meanings to gender in a social and in an individual context' and 'in a lot of liberationist contexts "person who experiences misogyny" is the most useful definition, but aside from finetuning what that actually means and how it relates to people who are subject to misogyny but don't consider themselves women etc, where does that leave us in imagining a post-oppressive womanhood if we don't fill in subscribe to a gender abolitionist standpoint, which I don't, because I like being a woman and find joy in it' and like. all of those are not Deeply Considered Academic Theories as much as they're Having Thought About My Experiences In The World

so I mean fair play bc I do think it's a good sign if your academic theory is something that a layman can come to on their own terms. imo the job of academics is not to invent theory but to codify it and make it explicit and specific. so like if your theory is reflected in where people outside academic philosophy end up that's probably a positive. same as Marx right, like Marx didn't invent the idea of capitalist alienation or collective action but he did codify it and make it easier to build off.

Like I appreciate this. I appreciate when we can recognise that a theory that people NEVER come to outside academia is probably. not a very useful theory.

[mantisgodsdomain]

Also have realized that we may have worded things oddly to exaggerate the amount of the Wasp Kingdom that is actually in active conflict but in our defence the power structures we currently have there have it so that whenever there aren't things to fight something like 40-80% of the Wasp Kingdom military gets re-allocated to Basically Whatever The Wasp Kingdom Needs At That Moment since they're, like, the Designated Supply Of Able-Bodied Wasps That The Queen Uses To Do Shit.

Marble is also banned from the non-combat parts of that setup, btw. Their particular tendency towards volatile-yet-effective is not something that ANYONE wants designing things that will be used in day-to-day civilian things just Around The Wasp Kingdom because generally you don't want your heavy-use architecture to Fucking Explode if you don't read and religiously adhere to the 120-page manual.

[antiradqueer]

transabled mfs when they actually becoming disabled and it’s actually debilitating instead of making them quirky

[neurotypicalabusesurvivor]