Mod Post: So let's talk about this ableism thing.

[iambickilometer.livejournal.com]

Disclaimer: After writing this, I sent it to the other mods and some friends of mine to check to make sure it didn't say anything problematic, but if they or I missed something important or said something wrong, please don't hesitate to let me know. I'm still learning.

Something's been brought to our attention in regards to language people have been using re: disability, and problematic depictions thereof. It's great that we have a character in this fandom who is disabled, and it's great that there is a lot of interest in writing about him! But there are people on this meme who are also disabled, and insensitive or simply ignorant words can really hurt them. As our goal with this meme is to maintain a space where everyone present can feel comfortable participating, we'd like to keep this from happening, and we hope you feel the same way.

You may have noticed that "ableism" has been added to the list of triggers to warn for. If you're not familiar with the word, it refers to any speech, action, or treatment that hurts, oppresses, or discriminates against disabled people. Words like "cripple" and "gimp" fall into this category. Prompts using these words (with a few exceptions, noted below) will be deleted. So do stories that depict Charles' disability as disgusting or unacceptable, or erase it completely. Language like “the crippled man”, “the disabled man”, and “the handicapped man” focuses on his disability, perpetuating the common mindset that disabled people are only disabled, and never have any other defining traits.

Now, we're not going to ask you to stop writing these stories, because this is a kink meme and it is not our business what you choose to ask for or write about. But we do ask that you warn for it, if you think your prompt or fill contains it. Wanting stories about Charles and Erik having acrobatic post-movie sex does not make you a bad person, but that doesn't really matter to someone with a disability who reads it and is hurt by that erasure. Taking the time to consider if your content could hurt someone is just the considerate thing to do.

Likewise, it’s entirely possible to write about ableism without taking part in it yourself -- for instance, depicting Charles dealing with being visibly different for the first time and showing the ways people treat him. Unless they are part of the prompt (“someone calls Charles a “cripple”, cue him defending himself/the team defending him”), ableist slurs are unnecessary; comments in which the prompter casually uses them to refer to a character are unacceptable. But no matter how you write about it, any ableist content needs a warning.

The mods will treat this as any other warning issue: if we see ableist language or actions in your fill or prompt (or it's called to our attention by someone else) and there is no warning, we will ask you to post it again with that warning and delete the offending prompt or fill. We'd rather not do this, so please just be aware of what you're writing so that we can all enjoy this meme.

Please also be aware that we are not perfect; if you find unwarned-for ableist content that we haven’t caught, please feel free to contact the poster or us about it.

So to clarify: I am asking you to either change your wordings or warn for your content. Not because of politics or what bothers you, but because this is a space for everyone to enjoy their kinks and it's courteous to let people know that you've written content that might upset them.

And appended: took "crazy" out of the post because it's not that relevant to the discussion and I was informed that lumping mental and physical disabilities together was a bit insensitive, which, yes, I see now. I am leaving the computer for a while; if I don't get to replying to you in a timely fashion, that's why.

One more edit. Someone suggested having a "choose not to warn" option. Is this something people can agree on/ are interested in? It's not ideal but it seems like a good compromise so that we can all get back to the meme. 

Comments

[texmas.livejournal.com]

To be fair, I think some people who operate in an AU where Charles was never injured/isn't disabled aren't necessarily doing so because they want to erase his disability or avoid doing research. I've done a lot of research on disability, SCI and sex, but I would still be quite nervous about writing a fic that attempted to realistically depict his experience after his injury. Not least because I, lacking any personal experience in the area, would be concerned about depicting something that is inaccurate or inadvertently disrespectful. According to the research I've conducted, sex after spinal cord injury is highly variable and not particularly well understood by the scientific community (which is only just beginning to unravel the mysteries of the nervous system), and the literature on the subject is quite limited. The sources differ wildly on whether or not someone with an injury like his could achieve an erection, ejaculate or orgasm. I have yet to find any solid general consensus regarding any of these matters. And while I like fic that deals with his situation realistically, I don't know how comfortable I would feel writing it myself for that reason.

[coffeeandfrogs.livejournal.com]

I'm a couple days behind this whole issue, but I didn't realize that wanting an AU where Charles wasn't disabled made me an ableist. I thought it was just me wanting something of a happier ending for my pairing of choice.

Like you, even though I have a best friend who has a disability, I still don't feel comfortable writing about a disability like this. Especially when sex is involved.

[(Anonymous)]

Who is calling you an ableist?

[coffeeandfrogs.livejournal.com]

This is the interpretation I'm getting from this whole situation.

Though to be honest, I might just be so damned confused that I think I'm going to just skip making any prompts for a while and just watch what goes on.

[(Anonymous)]

Yeah, you sound confused because so far I have yet to see anyone calling anyone else an ableist.

[texmas.livejournal.com]

Seconded on all counts.

[(Anonymous)]

For me at least, saying that a world where Charles isn't disabled is 'a happier ending' is a problem. Plenty of people with disabilities have incredibly happy, fulfilling lives. Maybe you meant 'a world where Erik didn't hurt Charles so profoundly,' but it definitely tips toward erasure. Does that make sense?