Deserving of Care

I'd just like to apologize for not posting much recently. I've been thoroughly overwhelmed between my actual work responsibilities and my obsessive brains being stuck in a rut. I'm going to really make a point of posting something at least every few days but in the mean time I want to say thank you to all the people who seem to be sticking around anyway: You guys are awesome!

I've been thinking a lot about institutional accommodations and how we treat disability in the bureaucracy. It seems like there are a lot of needless roadblocks placed in the way of people with disabilities when we seek accommodations, even when said accommodations wouldn't be "unfair to everyone else" if an "everyone else" went and tried to procure them. It didn't make a lot of sense. Why would someone limit access to an accommodation unless someone who needs it is able to prove that they need it?

Then I realized that that's not what they're doing at all. They're not concerned at all whether or not you actually need it. They're not gatekeeping based on need. They're gatekeeping based on what they perceive as merit. Merit is not need.

Need is not enough. You need to "deserve" it, even when the accommodation is not a finite resource.

Pretty messed up, isn't it?

~~

The same can be said about trans issues, as well. I was born and assigned male at birth. Yet, I need to be able to live honestly and be able to present myself as the woman I am and have that presentation respected by those around me. Scratch that: I need to to accepted as female, full stop. It doesn't matter why, I just do. I need it.

I could be a flaming man-in-a-dress for all anyone cares but I need to be able to have my expression respected. I need it. When it matters why it no longer becomes a question of need. It becomes a question of merit.

... and that's wrong.