Graphic imagery of sexual performances have always made me feel uncomfortable, (especially if I’m not particularly looking for it.); after all, “There can be few practices in everyday life that arouse such strong responses – both positive and negative – as sex.” (Keywords in Disability Studies – Sex, Margrit Shildrik, Pg. 164). So I was not really excited about watching the short documentary film “Sins Invalid”. Now that I’ve seen the film, I must say that it’s not as bad as I thought, but I still had a hard time watching it. The film follows the experiences of a theatre troupe each dealing with their own physical and mental disabilities, as they perform one of their performances on stage.
I had very little problem with the actual message of the film; people with disabilities should be able to develop strong romantic and sexual relationships, and most importantly, be able to express their love for sex and their need for intimacy and desire. People should not be forced to not have sex, or be sterilized because they are disabled, or feel like they don’t deserve love or children because they are physically or mentally disabled. The disabled need a space and a voice to express who they are as humans and individuals; “It is rare, as a disabled person, that I [author S.E. Smith] have an intense sense of belonging, of being not just tolerated or included in a space, but actively owning it[.]” (Disability Visability, Pg. 272). In my personal opinion, the performances were at their best when they talk about the women during the 50’s and 60’s because she was mentally disabled. The performance of the woman in the blue dress, talking about this story of sterilization and abortion was very compelling and heartbreaking. Another compelling performance was that of a deaf performer dancing. It was intriguing, because the dancer can’t hear music, but he enjoys the art of dance – why should he not perform dance, since it’s a unique art that’s distinct from music and is not dependent on it to be an art form? These sections where probably the best examples of “Crip space” as described by S. E. Smith, “A place where disability is celebrated and embraced – something radical and taboo in many parts of the world and sometimes even for people in those spaces.” (Disability Visibility, Pg. 273)
When the film starts having very colorful language, describing masturbation and sexual acts between disabled people, or even displaying violent sexual displays – that is when it became difficult for me to watch. (Having descriptive audio playing didn’t really help very much – it probably made me feel more uncomfortable.). I have no problem with someone with disabilities enjoying sex. I’d encourage more people with disabilities to explore their sexuality. But I do not like watching people have sex. It’s a deeply personal and private act for me. And then there is the case of mental disabilities; when it comes to mental disabilities, it becomes hard for me to encourage sexual exploration, especially with another person (how can a person with developmental disabilities like severe-autism or Asperger’s properly consent to a sexual relationship?). It’s a hard debate. How much can someone with a disability consent to having sex, and how do you prevent sexual predators from manipulating the disabled for their own pleasure?
3/5 stars: This film, overall, has a positive message, and these people have the right to explore their sexual expression in whatever way they desire. I cannot honestly say that I will watch these kind of performances, because I don’t like watching sexual performance art, but it was certainly intriguing, and it certainly made me ask a lot of questions. Author S. E. Smith explains my apprehension very well in her short essay, the Beauty of Spaces Created for and by Disabled People: “The nondisabled people are hesitant, nervous, unsure about what to say in response to the work in progress we’d all been invited to witness.” (Disability Visability, Pg. 273)