When you grow up with a disability like cerebral palsy, you’re often seen as having no gender at all. You are “sexless”, because all anyone sees is your disability. You’re less often a part of the sociocultural milestones that girls go through, and less able to rely on them for a sense of cohesion. It gets more complicated when you enter puberty, because socially, normals have a LOT of trouble with the idea that disabled people can have fully functioning and happy sex lives.
That’s why I think, growing up, I felt less connected with my female classmates, and I think I have more trouble relating to other women as an adult, particularly when it comes to perceptions of “the patriarchy”.
Maybe it’s a double-whammy of disability+female, but I get less emotional about perceptions of patriarchal dominance because dealing with physical accessibility barriers is enough of a daly fight on its own without the added dimension of gender politics. Climbing a flight of stairs is the same, no matter what gender you are
