“Don’t define me by my disease.” On abortion and ableism.

[Today’s guest post is by Deb Jones. If you would like to contribute a guest post, email your submission to info@secularprolife.org for consideration.]

Deb and Shooter

One of the main staples of the argument that abortion needs to stay legal is for those with disabilities, those diagnosed with diseases, syndromes and things of that nature. Why? Because those people suffer and we want to eliminate the suffering. Let me explain why that argument is offensive, bigoted, ableist, disgusting, and just plain incorrect.

I live with Behcet’s disease, a rare autoimmune disease where I’m in constant pain (the pain began 12 years ago when I was 15, the diagnosis for the pain wasn’t solidified until I was around 23). Medication and exercising through walks usually help me keep the pain at a manageable level. There are some days, however, where wearing even the loosest, softest, gentlest clothing is excruciating (some days, I can’t even be touched or touch myself) because my nerves are so sensitive and no amount of medicine can even take the edge off.

Lucky to Be Alive: Zika Coverage, Ableism, and the Terror of Disabled Bodies, Huffington Post, February 5, 2016
How the Pro-Choice Movement Excludes People With Disabilities, Rewire News, October 17, 2014
“Didn’t you get tested?” Salon, April 28, 2013