Skip to main content

Thoughts on Radical Visibility

 If you are not aware of the Radical Visibility movement for Queer Disabled people, I highly suggest looking into Sky Cubacub's website for Rebirth Garments and watch the video or read the abridged version of the zine on the topic of Radical Visibility.

Radical Visibility is an anti-assimilationist approach to wearing vibrant and unique clothing and apparel to highlight both your Queer and Disabled status, whatever that might be. Rebirth Garments is a line that produces clothing, lingerie, and apparel for Queer Disabled people that help us stand out in the world because we are often pushed aside.

Radical Visibility can come in many forms, as highlighted in Dr. Devon Price's book, Unmasking Autism. I have my own way that I have developed to express myself through Radical Visibility: wearing Cheshire cat coswear (or as I like to call it, "my fursuit") in public. I get a lot of looks from people, but I have also received a compliment. I have tried this on two occasions, as I don't get out much due to social anxiety associated with being Autistic, however, I am becoming more comfortable with myself in the process.

This is a form of unmasking, not only for Autistic people, but any Disabled person, as the clothing and apparel that society wants us to wear is often one where we tone down our Disability and conform. Sky's website will offer very colorful and geometric clothing and apparel for the full range of gender, size, and Disability status. 

If you would like to unmask, I highly suggest trying on something vibrant or what society may deem "unusual" and see how much more comfortable you start to become with yourself in the process. It may seem anxiety-inducing at first, but in my opinion it pays off in the long-run because you no longer have to hide who you are. I'm not asking for society's approval, as it does not provide me with the accommodations I need, but with the help of other Radically Visible Queer Disabled people, we can start our own Revolution in the ways we dress. While my armor might be cat ears rather than Sky's chainmaille, the concept is still the same and your Radical Visibility should be based on your own preferences as well. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Genderfluidity

 Over the years, my gender identity has shifted many times. I knew initially that I was genderfluid, but tried very hard to be a binary trans woman, along with various other non-binary identities until I came to the conclusion of being a genderfluid hypertwink and otherkin (a partially nonhuman entity).  I consider myself a girl, a boy, technogender, and aliencatgender. The latter two can fall under Xenogenders or agender. The reason I call myself a girl and a boy is because I'm uncomfortable with woman or man due to developmental delays caused by trauma that have put me in a near permanent state of regression. I am also a hypertwink and try to take twink aesthetic to its fullest reaches in my presentation, and I am on hormone replacement therapy primarily to preserve my youth, my hair, and make me more twink-like and androgynous. The only gender affirming procedures I find necessary for myself is further laser hair removal. I would also like to describe how my genderfluidity manif
Post a Comment
Read more

Introduction

 My name is Lily Maureen O'Nan, and I am currently going to university for my associate of science degree in social science, and then will be moving onto a bachelor's degree in psychology and sociology with a minor in gender studies. I am non-binary transfeminine and autistic and ADHD, and will be using this platform to publish essays as I go through academia until I have a better grasp on coding.  I will be discussing a wide array of topics from disability studies to traditional psychology to psychedelic therapy to Marxism and more. I will also be discussing gender and "neuroqueer" experience, and possibly publishing poetry and art-themed pieces as well. Be on the lookout for updates. 
Post a Comment
Read more

Mirror-touch Synesthesia & the "Empath"

 I personally do not like or adhere to the term "empath," but I believe I have figured out the explanation for this phenomenon, which I do experience. It's specifically called mirror-touch synesthesia, and is also related to mirror-pain synesthesia and mirror-emotion synesthesia, which I spoke of at an earlier time. Studies show that mirror-touch synesthetes experience heightened levels of empathy because, in addition to feeling at least an echo of another person's pain, many of us also feel their emotions as if they were our own. This sounds an awful lot like the horrific pop psychology term, "empath," but most people attribute it to a supernatural phenomenon if they're not lying about it, rather than a Neurodivergence. It's a lesser known type of synesthesia, but I experience mirror-touch, as well as more "traditional" types of synesthesia where many of my senses blend together. I was actually misdiagnosed with schizoaffective because I d
Post a Comment
Read more