Class Readings And Homosexuality Through The Perspective...

A privilege is any unearned advantage available to a particular person or group of people. As McIntosh had described, privileges are invisible, weightless knapsacks containing special provisions, maps and passports (White Privilege). The privileged rarely see themselves as the oppressor, but instead take the majority of their rights for granted, which protects them from many kinds of hostility, distress, and violence. In the following paper, I describe the hardships associated with disability and homosexuality through the perspective of Connie Panzarino, as portrayed in her memoir The Me In The Mirror. I will then relate her experiences to class readings and describe how able-bodied and heterosexual privileges are threats to those who do not fit into either category. The inequalities posed by able-bodied privileges are illustrated throughout the memoir, which will be compared to examples from The Invisible Backpack of Ablebodied Privilege Checklist. To begin with, Connie has limited mobility due to her disability. As a result, her condition requires her to have constant attendant care because she is unable to tend to her own needs. For example, Connie s disability prevents her from using the restroom, and she is unable to turn in bed. Like most disabled individuals, Connie has limitations on what she can or cannot do without assistance. When reflecting on her childhood, Connie mentions how she always depended on her mother. According to Connie, her mother took care of her