sexy truscum bastard

[Picture shows 19 year old woman, standing with use of a cane. She has a red “x” on her hand and is holding a purple pillow with statement taped to it, reading the following] My name is Abby. I am a female, 19 year old, disabled college student and I stand with Emma Sulkowicz, but I have something to say to her that I truly hope she hears.

Emma Sulkowicz is a student at Columbia University who has been carrying around the mattress on which she was sexually assaulted as a performance art piece. Earlier today in her call to action for others around the country to carry their own mattresses in a show of support for victims and survivors of sexual assault, Emma asked that her supporters not carry pillows, stating that “pillows and ‘light’ and ‘fluffy.’” She stated that “sexual assault is neither a “light” nor “fluffy” matter, and we cannot treat it as if it were,” and suggested that by carrying pillows we are simply taking away from the number of hands to carry mattresses and instead said that people mark should themselves with a red “x” to show their willingness to help carry the weight.

But I cannot help carry a mattress. Carrying a mattress, even with a team of people, is not simply a difficult task for me, it is an impossible one. I have rheumatoid arthritis, and I walk with a cane. I am disabled. For me, even carrying a pillow is incredibly difficult, and I am far more privileged than many people with physical disability in that I can even carry that. If I were on crutches, in a wheelchair, or the use of my arms was more inhibited in any way, carrying anything would be out of the question.

According to Rape Response Services, almost 80% of people with disabilities are sexually assaulted on more than one occasion. Women with disabilities are at least twice as likely as the general population of women to be victims of sexual assault.

While I understand that Emma Sulkowicz wants to make an impact and retain the artistic integrity of her piece, disability is the often forgotten intersection in feminist activism, and I was disappointed to see her lack of consideration for those of us who cannot carry the physical weight, but are at a much greater risk to be forced to carry it emotionally.

We can’t all stand with Emma Sulkowicz.

^^ This graphic TW for rape

With the mid-term elections just days away, it’s not an exaggeration to say that women’s lives, safety and health are in serious danger. Nate Silver’s http://fivethirtyeight.com, which correctly predicted 49 of the 50 states in the last presidential election, gives the republicans a 68% chance of winning the senate. And that lead has been growing over the last two weeks. 

This is where slactivism needs to meet activism - don’t just reblog, GET OUT THE VOTE! Tell your friends, post to your channels, bring people with you - if everyone gets even 1 or 2 people to vote who were going to skip the election, we can make a huge difference and swing the outcome towards women’s rights.

Vote 411 site by the League of Women Voters

Know Your Rights: Voting While Disabled

•You have the right to an accessible voting location- with a loading area, clearly marked ramps and accessible entrances.

•You have the right to request a chair while waiting in line. (or curbside-voting in some locations, call your local Election Commission for details)

•You have the right to vote on an accessible voting machine.

•You have the right to assistive technology, including: a qualified reader, information in large print or braille; accessible electronic information; audio recordings of printed information, Video Remote Interpreting, captioning, and more.

•You also have the right to have anyone you choose assist you in the voting booth, including a poll worker.

Reminder— you will need to ASK for these accommodations, they will not be offered to you. 

If you run into any issues, contact the ACLU Voter Protection Hotline at (877) 523-2792

Visit the following links for more information:

http://www.ada.gov/ada_voting/ada_voting_ta.pdf

https://www.aclu.org/let-me-vote

http://www.eac.gov/voter_resources/voting_accessibility.aspx

http://www.everyonecounts.com/accessible-voting/

http://hellomynameismaddy.tumblr.com/post/101533618715/upcoming-elections-on-tuesday