disability, trans, institutions, indoctrination techniques
Being disabled and being trans means being indoctrinated on two fronts into a specific kind of obsessive institutional idolatry, devoted to a specific ideal of the valid body and its place in society.
In general terms, it goes something like this;
"You will never be us for as long as you live. It is nontheless important that you devote yourself to emulating us in minute detail. It is only by constant study, practice and self-flagellation for this role that you will be accepted."
In both cases, the cultural needs of the 'normal' group (invisibility, worship, subservience) are inverted; They are invariably presented as a core need of the target group, instead.
The act of ingraining this ideology on the target group is therefore depicted not only as harmless, but as essential for the subject's survival- Their erasure is a noble responsibility, taken up on their behalf by benevolent custodians.
re: disability, trans, institutions, indoctrination techniques
Was reminded of this interview recently, it's been on my mind a bit ever since, how deeply it's permeated my sense of self and how hard I've had to work to shed it.
Also how easy it is to slip back into that mindset, and how many aspects of society encourage and reinforce it.
(CWs: child sexual trauma, PTSD, ablism)
Excerpt below:
"The implicit message that permeated all my therapy experiences was that if I wanted to live as a valued person, wanted a quality life, to have a good job, everything could be mine. All I had to do was overcome my disability. No one comes up and says, ‘Look, in order to live a good life you have to be normal,’ but it’s a powerful, implicit message."
(...)
"Well I wanted all those things, to have a good life – so I ended up declaring war on my own body. It was me against my disability; and my disability was my enemy. I was bound and determined that I was going to conquer that disability."
