I am SO angry and disgusted that I'll burst if I don't speak out about this, so hang on for the ride - it's going to get brutal!
What the actual HELL is wrong with some of you disability activists?
I'm referring to a small, but vocal minority of disabled folks who have the infernal GALL to assert that the right of trans people to use the bathroom that fits their gender identity is nothing in comparison to the right of people with disabilities to have wheelchair access to public restrooms. They say that since trans people make up less than .03 percent of the U.S. population and there are at least 54 million disabled folks here, trans people shouldn't matter.
Really? Are you kidding me?
For those who don't know, let me give a quick definition of the term, trans. Trans refers to people whose assigned gender at birth does not match the gender that they actually are. I am cis. That means that the gender that I was assigned at birth matches the gender that I actually am.
Some may wonder that if I am cis, why do I care about trans people and their rights? Because that's who I am! I care about and fight for the rights of all marginalized groups. I grew up with a trans sibling when I was in foster care. There are trans people whom I love and trans folks who are my friends and colleagues. I cannot sit by while trans people are dismissed, disrespected, discriminated against and murdered for who they are!
When I called out someone with a disability a couple of weeks ago for making the assertion that disability rights and wheelchair access to public loos are more important than the rights of trans people to pee where they feel safe, I thought that it was just an isolated case of one obtuse, ignorant person. I didn't expect to hear any more of this foolishness.
Unfortunately, I was wrong. Each day since then, I have heard and seen more and more hatred and vitrol spewed at the trans community by people with disabilities, especially since that horrible law passed in North Carolina that says people must use the restroom of the gender noted on one's birth certificate.
So, disabled folks and activists, what the hell is the problem? Why are members of our community, who ourselves experience hatred and discrimination, perpetrating that same thing on the trans community? Why are some of us playing the "our rights versus theirs", Oppression Olympics game? Are we that petty and jealous that trans people are, for now, in the spotlight over the bathroom issue?
Apparently, those of you hollering about trans people getting rights that disabled don't have don't get it that there are disabled trans folks. Hello, intersectionality is real, folks!
Look, we should be allies fighting for each other's right to pee and do our business with access and in safety. We have commonality in that we aren't always able to use the restroom where we want or need to. Sometimes, we can't get into public restrooms, but trans folks can be, and are murdered for using the "wrong" restroom!
This hatred and violent rhetoric from folks in the disability community towards the trans community needs to stop! NOW! There are trans people with disabilities actively and passionately fighting for disability rights and what do you do? Throw them under the bus! Indeed, in the past few days, I've seen some disabled folks throw every marginalized community under the bus, making insensitive, inappropriate comparisons, playing the "we've got it worse than you" game, and asserting that disability rights are more important than other's rights because there's more of us. Then, when people from other marginalized groups, including trans folks, call you out, you have the unmitigated nerve to respond with unparalleled arrogance, hostility and tears! Really, y'all, really???
All of you disabled folks talking and writing smack about trans people and why their rights aren't as important as ours because "they choose to be trans, but we don't choose to be disabled" need to stfu and sit the hell down! Trans people DON'T "choose" to be trans and their rights and safety are EVERY BIT as important as us disabled folks!
Let's stop this ish NOW, ok? Hating on, comparing and playing Oppression Olympics doesn't help either of our groups; in fact it hurts, even destroys us both. Both of our communities live with oppressions of different kinds that, due to intersectionality, sometimes overlap. We must be allies and fight for each other or we'll both go down!
One last thing. If there is ANYONE on my social media who thinks that trans people shouldn't have the same rights as others, delete and block me! I don't care if we're family, friends or colleagues. I don't play that!