Eli Clare Against The Grain Analysis

Eli Clare in Reading Against the Grain mentioned that the mainstream culture has a tendency to stereotype people into eroticizes culture such as thinking all African Americans males and Latino women are hyper-sexual, perceiving Asians as passive beings, and assuming that disabled individuals have no sexual desires. Somehow people regurgitate these stereotypes as if they’re empirical facts. Objectification usually reinforces or maintains the institutionalized power differences, which can deprive some groups such as the disabled from self-determination. The section of Pride and Exile brings to light how some members of the disabled community feels that they are denied of their personal autonomy. In Clares case, she explains how the MDA fundraisers

money by evoking “pity and tragedy” which indirectly harms the disabled community more than the money obtained actually helps (123). Another struggle that impeaches on their autonomy is the question that is asked to the public and private business “ who gets to control the lives of disabled people?” (140). In the United States, disabled people have had little self-determination. “Forced sterilization of cognitively disabled people was common and legal practice until the mid-1970s.” This is super surprising and completely inhumane. To my understanding, it goes against all American values that are implicitly written in the constitution (article 1) and even the declaration of independence.
It implies that disabled people aren’t citizens or even humans prior to mid-1970s.

On a positive note chapter, 23 of Trans Bodies, Trans Selves: A Resource for the Transgender Community focused on art and culture amongst the LGBTI community. Everyone is entitled to self-expression through whatever means necessary. By generating more art and displaying it in the public the LGBTI community is able to increase visibility, which in return will increase representation. The early documentaries were fixated around telling positive uplifting stories of overcoming the societal pressure or discrimination.