The way DickBabs shippers guilt-trip people into shipping dickbabs because Babs is disabled (who mind you, is currently no longer disabled btw). 🙄
They brand it as "revolutionary" representation but apparently, calling something representation is supposed to erase all the ableist and misogynistic writing that helped prop it up.
Remember when Jason Bard, a disabled man who uses a cane, got retconned into a villain so Dick (an able bodied man) can become Barbara's one true love. And at the same time, '90s Oracle Barbara who was disabled at the time, literally slutshamed Kory and Helena just because she was jealous of the fact they had a romantic history with Dick and she also slutshamed Power Girl too just because she's hot and men admired her.
Is Dickbabs really a "revolutionary" romance if it only works by throwing another disabled person under the bus and dragging innocent women over a man????
And then there's the bizarre idea that Barbara can only represent disabled romance if she's dating Dick. Since when did her disability become dependent on Dick? She's still a disabled woman regardless of who she's dating. She could be with someone else and still be meaningful disabled representation. In fact that would actually be good for her if she dates other guys other than Dick as a disabled woman because that would show that there are more than just 1 guy who can find a disabled person person like her attractive. Like why are they ignoring her other love interests? Jason Bard and Ted Kord were also in love with her when she was disabled. Why won't they appreciate TedBabs and JasonBabs and call them revolutionary too??
Why are they limiting her other potential as a disabled woman just for Dick. Is she only important because of Dick? Does disability only matters if you ship Dickbabs.
And wow, instead of talking about Barbara's resilience, her disability or the realities of navigating the world as a disabled woman, so many fans seem far more interested in talking about... Dick. Her relationship with Dick gets treated as her only character defining trait as a disabled person.... as if her value as a disabled person only exists through him......
Like, do they even realize you'd still have revolutionary representation for disabled people even if Barbara can't date Dick? Isn't Barbara and her disability alone enough to inspire other people? Does she really need a man to be considered strong, brave and revolutionary?
I can help but wonder, do they actually like Barbara Gordon or do they just like the fact she's Dick Grayson's girlfriend? Because if DickBabs had never happened, would they be this passionate about Barbara and disability? Judging by how little attention they give other disabled characters like Jason Bard, I'm not convinced.
If your idea of "disabled representation" only matters when it's attached to your favorite male character, maybe what you're celebrating isn't disabled representation at all. It's just shipping with a social justice label slapped on it.
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