You're disabled & demand access, GTFO.

This past week I wrote two blog posts about my increasing frustration with the events of Portland swing dance. This first one was basically an explanation of...why I won't pay upward of $100 to again be assaulted by a photographer & be told that the event organizers won't do anything about it. I know, I am so damn unreasonable.

This one, featuring a comment stuck in the spam trap & a photo of inadequate passive aggressive signage was a followup to both that and a "seriously? Does anyone think this sign is remotely approaching acceptable?" It's the size of a damn potholder!

Apparently someone doesn't like getting criticized on the internet, since I got an email from Mindy Hazeltine telling me that I may not go to Stumptown dance events anymore, for reasons that amount to "you are disabled and willing to make people uncomfortable to ensure your access."

That's right.

The kids who throw each other & almost drop each other on their heads? They're cool. The guy who regularly throws his follows into other couples & grinds all on new ladies? Oh, he's fine too. The retired military man who takes photos up shirts & down skirts and who has gotten into physical altercations on the dance floor? Yeah, he's all good too, just like the assaulty Evrim.

But oh man, be epileptic & insist on your access? GTFO! EMOTIONAL ABUSE! Make it much harder to switch out the good sign for the bad sign by removing it so the only choice is the good sign? OMG LARCENY. When Stumptown Dance promises to make an announcement & to talk to flashing people, and then fails, what am I supposed to do? Oh right. Be niiiiiiiice. Because it's totally expected to be niiiiiiiiiiice to people who are hurting you rightthissecond.

I wrote about that, actually. Over a year ago. I am not required to be nice. You are, however, required to not kill me. I know, I know, it makes you feel bad to be told, not asked, that you shouldn't kill me. I'm looking for a fuck to give, can't find one. Not feeling bad is not a right. Not being killed is. I wrote about this derailment, argument from tone in lateish 2011. Cuz "you were mean in telling me to not kill you" is a spurious argument, and people need to stop making it. As I wrote as one of the very first posts here, I shouldn't have to beg.

I briefly mentioned the whole flash photography issue in my BADD 2011 post, too. Being a one person anti strobe league for this long? It's hard. You get tired. You get real tired when people are like "you are inconvenient. Pay me to hurt you, or go away. I won't do the legally required accommodations because I don't want to!

A long time ago I wrote a post, Epilepsy Is, again inspired by the ableist treatment at Stumptown Dance events and the assaults by Mr Icoz and the resulting lack of acceptable resolution by Portland Lindy Society. One of the first posts on this blog was also about dance, and the ableism I've been fighting since day 1: Why This is a Battle Worth Fighting.

This is a long-standing problematic pattern. It doesn't matter if you don't find it 'convenient', or if you believe epilepsy is really demons, or whatever. The fact of the matter is there is a law, and excluding someone for insisting the law is followed rather than excluding those who will not keep it, that is a special kind of bigoted.