The section for the keyword “Sexuality” discusses the connections between sexuality and disability. Specifically, with how queer identities mirror and often overlap with disability. The historical role of queer identities being labeled as disabilities heavily ties into the role of the “abnormal sexuality”, which McRuer explains connects the physical differences of disabled bodies to “abnormal desires”, which results in the abnormal sexuality. (168) There is a stigma around people with “abnormal sexuality” having excessive sexuality, which also contrasts with the stigma of some disabled people being seen as non-sexual people, often being initialized as well.
McRuer discusses the historical impact that “shock therapy, sterilization, and castration”(168) have had on these communities. McRuer argues that a newer mindset has emerged that discusses alternative sexual experiences, and how this as diverged from a hetersexual/homosexual binary. McRuer quotes Foucault, who “famously insisted: that homosexuality materialized a ‘new species’ of person” (168), and examines how this “new species” would be increasingly regulated by the state for many years.
The queerness of disability itself has challenged heteronormativity, which McRuer argues almost requires able bodied-ness. McRuer ends the section reflecting on how sexuality has continued to oppress disabled people, “but it has also become a profoundly productive site for intervention, experimentation and transformation”(170). I think this really reflects how in-depth discussion has brought this aspect of disability forward, and how continued discussion and awareness of these topics are vitally important marginalized communities.
One thing that really resonated with me is connecting queerness to disability. Specifically the author categorized heteronormativity being perpetuating the expectation for the norm to be cishet, allosexual, and able bodied. With LGBTQ+ identities being labeled disabilities throughout history, the connection to sexuality and disability is impossible to deny. I really feel as though the connection between the two could further the destigmatisation of these communities.
What also really stood out was the discussion of sterilization and the medical attempts to “fix” disabled people, or to prevent them from having children. This is a very horrifying aspect of this discussion, that shows the painful aspects of what dehumanization and othering made people think it was okay to do this to disabled people and reading about it really angered me.
The authors terminology was also really fascinating, especially with how efficiently McRuer was able to convey such complex concepts. “Abnormal sexuality” to note was a very effective term that is fluid enough to cover both the stigma of excessive sexuality and of reduced sexuality. It was also really eye opening for McRuer to use film and literature from these times that reflect the historical oppression of sexuality in the disabled community. Using examples from William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury (1929) to show an example of a disabled man who is castrated for his disability, as well as using examples of Shakespeare and the movement to show disabled people in a nonsexual light. This also helps really put into perspective the vast timeline of these issues, and how this has been going on for centuries.