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Comments

will

The lovely cute wife just made me laugh. Thanks.

Sydney

Happy,

Do you feel the same way about the handicapped stall in the bathroom? I've always wondered what the consensus was on that.

The Happy Feminist

Ah yes! That's an interesting one since, despite my self-righteous tone in the post, I have been guilty of using the bathroom handicapped stall. I have confessed this foible to my husband who admonished me to STOP IT! I haven't myself really thought through all the fairness issues related to this though.

My current habit is that I will not use the handicapped bathroom stall in most public bathrooms. In my firm, however, if I know there's no one around with a disability, I will avail myself of the handicapped stall, mainly because I have a pretty good sense of whether anyone is around that day who might need it.

norbizness

She's a randy maid, that one is!

will

I get the impression that Happy's hubby is a fun loving guy who would hear such a comment and respond by smacking Happy on the butt and saying "The service sent me over a damn fine piece of ass to help me, didnt they? If you want, I can put send her over to your place to help you on Wednesday afternoons. Just make sure to tip her real nice!"

j0lt

Re: the stalls in bathrooms - I often use them because they are often where the changing table for babies is located. And, if I've got both boys with me and I'm by myself its the only way to fit us all in one stall so I can keep an eye on them.

But I would NEVER use a parking space for the disabled.

Re: the word handicapped - a friend of mine in law school, who is disabled (lost the lower part of her left arm and hand) once told me that the word handicapped was not favored amongst the disabled because of old, nasty associations with begging, i.e., "hand-to-cap" So I stopped using that term. But I'm curious as to what the reactions of other disabled persons are to this term because if so, why are so many organizations for the disabled still using it??

The Happy Feminist

I'd never heard that that was the origin of the term "handicapped." The disabilities rights non-profit where my husband works always says "people with disabilities."

My husband likes "hand-dandy-capped."

will

I would like to add that I hate it when people use the word "retarded" as an insult. And yes, I typically point out my displeasue when I hear it.

norbizness

You know, between the coudroy pants and that particular sobriquet, it appears that your husband has been to Ned Flanders Re-Education Camp (or, for short, "re-Neducation").

j0lt

will: how do you call people on their ableism? I'm always curious to know how people navigate the difficulty of calling people on their ableism or heterosexism (I hear "queer" used as an insult a lot) in a way that is educational/informative as opposed to hostile. I'm not good at it, so I'm curious. . .

Which is not to say I don't get angry when the situation demands it, but sometimes that can backfire.

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