Our Bodies, Ourselves, Our Families
I wrote the previous sentence as a new mother, at a time when I felt particularly vulnerable and strong; and thinking, as I always do when I enter a new life stage, about my sister. What does she think of the new baby? What does she think of being an aunt? What questions has my daughter’s birth raised for her about children and family, about her life and mine, in the same way it has for me?
I do not know the answers to those questions. But I do know that whatever path she takes, my sister deserves to have her choices affirmed by our society, by the individuals in her own extended family, and the programs we have collectively set in place. I also believe that as feminists, we have a responsibility to listen to, include, and follow the lead of disabled women—those like my sister, and those different from her—when we debate and work on issues related to the family. There is too much we share, and too much at stake for all of us, not to do otherwise.
Works Cited
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