Blog > Thoughts > Sean's Thoughts > Tired, weary and bummed out
Tired, weary and bummed out
Written by Sean on Sunday, June 15, 2008
There has been quite a flurry of activity on the web discussing Body Integrity Identity Disorder. Some say "any publicity is good publicity", and if that’s the case, then we’re getting jolly good publicity for the condition. But to read some of the articles, blog entries and comments, it’s not just people disagreeing with us. It’s people who are violently and aggressively against us. And that is wearing me down.
The Newsweek article was quite good. Well balanced and all. But the comments on it, Geeeesh!
It’s not like I’m expecting everyone to agree. I’d *like* everyone to get it, but I don’t expect it. I’d appreciate people to at least listen objectively to "our side" before deciding that they don’t agree. But it’s not even what is happening here.
They are immediately declaring us scum of the universe. They don’t think much, and then they slam us. They slam us hard. And they spew venom and poison.
It used to be that I would enter into debates with these people. Trying to at least explain my side of things. But nothing you say, no amount of pointing to the research that exists even comes close to making them think on it a bit. Then I kept on explaining because I thought if the person I’m "talking to" doesn’t get it, other readers of a thread of post might actually gain benefit from it. But I’ve stopped doing that too, because it exposes me, wide open, to the acrid and bitter attacks of the people who just refuse to get it.
I won’t stop educating people about BIID. I won’t stop advocating for surgery and correcting factual mistakes when I find them. But I shan’t be engaging when there’s even a whiff of close-mindedness. Because I’m tired, I’m weary, and it’s bumming me out.
We’re not asking for much, I don’t think. We’re asking for people to actually listen, and consider our position instead of making snap judgement based on no information.
All this venom from them, it’s incidious. For some of us, reading these renew feelings of shame and guilt. As if it was our fault that we have the feelings we have. We never asked to feel this way. We did not wake up one morning and decide it would be fun to have a pathological need to be physically disabled.
These people remind me of my 7 year old niece who was adamant she hated brocoli, but had never actually eaten bocoli in her entire life. She just "knew" it tasted disgusting. She did not have all the information to make that decision. As it turns out, ten years later, she loves brocoli. At some point down the road, she actually did try it and realised it was not so horrid after all…
Tags: Body Integrity Identity Disorder, Pathology, Transabled
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5 Comments
I guess somehow we have to get folk to the place where my brother finally got, along about 50 years old, about gays: “Well I guess they wouldn’t put up with so much shit if it weren’t for real.”
I read some of the comments from the Newsweek article and have also read some staggeringly cruel reviews of “Quid Pro Quo”.
I wish the reviewers especially would substitute “homosexual” or “gay” or “transgendered” for every time they use “freakish”, “perverted”, and “revolting” whenever they refer to people with BIID and devotees. It might give them a shock to see how rabidly close-minded they are.
But probably not.
This is precisely what will happen when the media decides to lend its ‘expertise” to a situation. I would strongly recommend nobody attempt to talk sense into these idiots. They are not interested in serving the public, nor presenting fair and balanced coverage to any topic. They are only interested in headlines and sales. A Canadian newspaper magnate once said the editorial content of a newspaper is only there to separate the ads.
Most unfortunately the public at large blindly assumes whatever crap is printed has been researched. We have all drawn these false conclusions about ourselves in our own minds over the years, we do not need any of their “help”.
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1 On 15 June, 2008, Chloe said:
This made me cry, Sean. I am so sorry people have been mean to you. Anybody who seriously thinks that we choose to need to be disabled must really be crazy. Please make your own well being your top priority. Thank you for everything you have done.