In her Integrating Disability, Transforming Feminist Theory writing, Rosemarie Garland-Thomson is explaining. to readers how gender, specifically in the aspects of representation, the body, and activism, can be looked at in certain ways as a disability. This of course hearkens back to Jasbir Puar’s The Right To Maim, where the author talks about how race can be viewed as a disability in the fact that Thomson is opening readers eyes to yet another form of every day disability that we may not realize we are witnessing. Thomson explains how stereotypes of individuals, particularly women can place these people in a negative light, but also put them is debilitating situations, essentially almost labeling them as disabled. Thomson even states that feminists, businesswomen, Asians, Northerners, and black professionals are oftentimes stereotyped as highly competent an so they are often envied, while on the other hand housewives, disabled people, blind people, elderly people, and the so-called retarded people warm and having low competence, thus they were pitied. I think Thomson’s approach and views are extremely important to take in and evaluate, as they do prove a point in that stereotyping can be a very debilitating and negative thing. With her piece, Thomson is also bringing to light a new way to look at feminist theory and how it can directly relate to disability theory.
If anybody has any exciting or interesting thoughts to share about Rosemarie Garland-Thomson’s Integrating Disability, Transforming Feminist Theory piece, or if they have any insightful discussions they want to have about the material, I would love to hear what your ideas are on that in the comments 🙂
