Ashley is a girl from Washington State whose parents are blogging what they are calling The Ashley Treatment. Due to precocious physical development in spite of a severe brain injury, Ashley had hormones administered to her to interfere with her growth. Recently, with the approval of a hospital's medical ethics committee, Ashley had surgery which involved a hysterectomy along with removal of her appendix and breast buds. Ashley's parents wish her to remain at approximately the weight she is now [65 lbs] along with her height. Their presented reasoning is that she is easier to manage, and will avoid sexual abuse by future caregivers if she remains in the body of a child. I am sickened by this.
Someone should tell these two parents that sexual abuse can and does happen to people who have bodies-- old people, middle-aged people, young people, children, babies, and dead people. Sexual abuse-- okay, rape-- has nothing to do with sexual attraction or whether or not the body of the victim is developed. Ashley will grow up to be a disabled woman with a freak's body. And someone should also tell these two parents that "g-d" has nothing to do with this one. That is their widely quoted comment after all. Some divinity of theirs would want them to use their brains to fix it so that way it is easier for Ashley to be included. Being a "pillow child" [also an offensive and appalling concept] forever is the fate that awaits Ashley.
And there are other less invasive ways to prevent or delay menstruation and to prevent decubitus. I know. I used to work in a nursing home. And I also worked with people who have developmental disabilities. I see this as another form of denying our sexuality. If society can desexualize the disabled, then the disabled will present a pleasing non-threatening picture of compliant children.
Those of us with disabilities are not devoid of sexual arousal, masturbation, or gender-specific sex organs. Wake up folks and smell the lubricant.
radical sapphoq
http://healingtbi.sapphoq.com/2007/01/from-adapt-11007.html
http://ashleytreatment.spaces.live.com/blog/
http://novus-
http://www.adapt.org/
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