The coronavirus is extraordinarily scary for all of us. As of April 24, 2020, there were 50,243 counted deaths in the United States from this horrible virus. A lot of people are losing their jobs as well. People with disabilities especially are frightened during these most uncertain times. Doctors are rationing masks, ventilators, and other necessary medical supplies, without prioritizing the lives of members of the disability community. It’s no wonder there is so much anxiety and fear in the world right now.

So, what can be done in such a moment of crisis? First, we can read “Half Assed Disabled Prepper Tips for Preparing for a Coronavirus Quarantine,” by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha (link below). Piepzna-Samarasinha, a writer on disability justice, offers us several helpful tips about food, sanitation, and mutual aid for surviving the coronavirus as a person with a disability. She acknowledges that some people may not have the finances to stock up on necessities and suggests alternatives. While she does offer solutions for those in need, we must also urge government officials to heed the advice of social activist, Shaun King. In an episode of his podcast, “The Breakdown,” Shaun King pressures both landlords and politicians to disregard rent and utility bill payments during this time. Between the currently high rates of unemployment and institutionalized ableism and racism that inherently create obstacles to employment, a lot of people do not have the economic resources to deal with this unprecedented state of the world. People should not be forced to choose between a home and a meal; mutual aid should not be rent money. #Nobodyisdisposable #ICUgenics

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rIdpKgXeBHbmM3KpB5NfjEBue8YN1MbXhQ7zTOLmSyo/dit

While I realize that I have been writing a lot about inclusion and diversity lately, this post also gives a personal glimpse into one of the most empowering experiences of my life. In 2016, during my first year at UC Berkeley, I was accepted into The Vagina Monologues. For those of you who may not know, The Vagina Monologues is a performance of a series of vignettes related to the experience of being a woman, commonly coupled with original pieces written by the cast. I was lucky enough to be chosen to write an original piece about being a person with a disability and not feeling sexy. In one line, I talked about how I use to watch all those hot, steamy, sex scenes from Grey’s Anatomy, but somehow could never picture myself in the scenes because of my disability. The purpose of that line was to shed light on the fact that society believes that people with disabilities are asexual, and to challenge this faulty assumption. Being able to discuss disability and sexuality in a live theatrical production was extremely powerful.

The Vagina Monologues was an exceedingly influential time in my life in many other ways as well. This was one of the first time that I had the chance to perform live. In high school, the drama teacher did not allow me to audition for their production of “Beauty and the Beast,” because they did not want a person with a disability in the show. At UC Berkeley though, the wheelchair did not matter, and this helped greatly in my confidence to express myself honestly on stage. More importantly, through this process, I made really good friends (Jas, Ace, Devin, and Christine, to name a few.) Having friends was a new concept, because while in an all abled-bodied high school, I didn’t really have friends. Two of my other friends, Mayra and Victoria, created the most unbelievable piece about the real hardships that goes along with trying to cross the Mexican border, in order to live a life without danger in the United States. If we approach undocumented people who need to come to America with compassion, instead of throwing them in detention camps like President Trump has done, the world would be a much better place.

Netflix’s “Crip Camp” is taking the world by storm! This film, produced by former President and First Lady, Barack and Michelle Obama, tells the story of how the activists who spearheaded the Disability Rights Movement were inspired by their time at summer camp as teenagers. Much of what these important people with disabilities shared about their memories of camp strongly resonated with me emotionally. For example, when Judy Huemann, an internationally recognized leader of this movement who has Polio, was talking about dating for the first time at camp, it reminded me of my own camp experience. As a person living with Cerebral palsy, I found my life partner at camp. Another relatable moment was when Jim LeBrecht, the co-director who has Spina bifida, was discussing how although he had friends in high school, he didn’t have any friends with disabilities except for at camp. Being mainstreamed into an able-bodied high school, I know what it’s like to be isolated most of the year and to only have a true sense of belonging at camp.

Later in the movie, we witness Judy Huemann and other camp attendees organize the 504 Sit-in. The 504 Sit-in was about trying to advocate for the ratification of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits the exclusion of people with disabilities from anything that is federally funded.  This is an undoubtedly worthwhile cause to protest for. The Black Panthers, a famous Civil rights group, assisted the activists with disabilities by delivering food to them. Yet, I couldn’t help but notice that most of the prominent leaders of the Disability Rights Movement were not people of color. Why? Is it because people of color did not have the opportunity to have their experiences and/or stories be expressed at the sit-in? Alternatively, did the filmmakers of “Crip Camp” simply decide not to include the perspective of people of color as much as the points of view people who are white? Either way, “Crip Camp” is a move in the right direction in including people with disabilities in the media, but it only touches the tip of the iceberg in celebrating true diversity.

https://thehill.com/changing-america/respect/diversity-inclusion/490120-how-the-directors-of-netflixs-crip-camp

During this creepy time of social distancing, due to the Coronavirus, people are watching films and TV now more than ever.  However, watching movies and television shows is often quite emotionally draining for me, as a person who deeply believes in Patty Berne’s 10 principles of disability justice. Berne’s first principal of disability justice called Intersectionality states, “We are not only disabled, we are also each coming from a specific experience of race, class, sexuality, age, religious background, geographical location, immigration status, and more,” (Sins Invalid, 23). The majority of the time though, we see able-bodied, thin, white, actors and actresses in starring roles. Now, I am not only talking about the old shows, like “Sex in the City,” (where Sarah Jessica Parker who played Carrie, Kim Cattrall who played Samantha, Kristin Davis who played Charlotte, and Cynthia Nixon who played Miranda,) all fit this profile. Several of the movies nominated for Academy Awards this year also have this same makeup of its casts, including “Bombshell,” a film that exposes the story of the women who were sexually harassed by Fox News CEO Roger Ailes, and “Little Women.” Why couldn’t a more modern version of “Little Women” have more diversity in its choice of actors? Why was it so important for Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth, (played by Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Plough, and Eliza Scanlen respectfully) to be able-bodied and white?

A lot of the queer media is honestly not that much better. The 2008 movie, “Milk,” which is about the first openly gay man who runs for City Supervisor in San Francisco, still follows this trend of having an able-bodied, white cast. “Any Day Now,” (2012), is a heartbreaking film about two gay men trying to adopt a young man who has Downs Syndrome in the 1970s, which also does not have any of the main characters who are played by people of color. This film is inclusive though, in that the director hired Isaac Leyva, a young man who truly has the disability. Isaac is a member of John Paizis’ Performing Arts Studio West, the most wonderful program that always encourages the entertainment industry to include actors with disabilities in its content. Thinking about inclusion in a slightly different light, the 2018 television show, “Pose,” could be considered one of the best. First, the director hired mostly trans people of color as the principal roles. The beautiful MJ Rodriguez, a half African-American, half Puerto Rican, trans, actress, stars as Blanca. Indya Moore, a gorgeous, Haitian, Puerto Rican, and Dominican, trans, performer, who played Angel, and the stunning, Dominique Jackson, a Tobagonian-American, trans, actress, who played Elektra, are two of Rodriguez’s amazing co-stars. “Pose” additionally discusses a wide array of intersectional issues that are not often talked about on mainstream TV. For one, we gain a pretty deep understanding of what it’s like to be a poor, trans woman of color who is struggling with HIV/AIDS, through witnessing Blanca’s experience. Additionally, the show paints a very vivid picture of transphobia, by presenting an episode where Frederica, the white landlord, takes away Blanca’s ability to have her own nail salon, just for being trans. We need to support “Pose” and other media like this, as a way of celebrating diversity and inclusion. 

Update: A judge struck down President Trump's plan to deplete the American food stamp program, due to the current national state of emergency. Still, the fact that the President wanted to make these changes proves that he does not care at all about all of the severe hardships that people living in poverty go through everyday. This is shameful! The President of the United States has no kindness in his heart at all, so please don't vote for him in  November!

Donald Trump, the worst president the United States has ever seen, is dramatically decreasing money for the food stamp program, starting in April. Hundreds of thousands of people on low-income will starve without government assistance. Even though this legislation does not directly target people of color or people with disabilities, it will have grave impacts on their lives. This is due to the institutionalized racism and ableism that create many more barriers to employment for these populations. No men, women or children should go without food, especially in this current state of emergency. If any of you want to hold a meaningful conversation about how to help those who are going to be the most impacted by this injustice, please message me, Blair Webb, on social media.

(Image Description: 9 volunteers standing around a square table that has various foods on it. Surrounded by small, orange, Post-Its on the back wall, is a dark blue sign. The sign reads, “Welcome, customers.”  Below a horizontal line on the same sign, it reads, ”BIENVENIDOS CLIENTES.”)

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/04/us/politics/trump-food-stamp-cuts.html