Sign with a handprint that reads "NOLA Disability Pride Festival" hanging on a wrought iron gate.

I Celebrate Disability Pride, But Am I Really Proud of My Mental Illness?

When advertising for this year’s New Orleans Disability Pride Festival I was blown away by the positive responses we received, but there was one outlier expressing their disapproval whose words I just cannot shake. Amid the cries of “This is…
a gavel resting in front of a scale.

Florida’s New “School Safety” Law Discriminates Against Students With Mental Illnesses

Note: In an effort not to conflate the specific legal meanings of “mental illness” with the intentionally broad umbrella term “neurodivergent,” the following article predominantly uses the terms “mental health” and “mental illness” rather than “neurodivergent.” However, in certain cases…
Transgender flag pattern on the fabric texture

Navigating the Twists and Turns of Healthcare as a Trans Disabled Person

Statistics on the transgender community are hard to come by — we can’t even agree on how many people in the United States are trans. We do know, however, that trans people experience significant health care disparities, particularly in…
A watercolor painting of a person painted in rainbow colors sitting on a the edge of a cliff.

Anti-Stigma Mental Health Campaigns Often Ignore Our Realities

I have to be honest: I am not a fan of anti-stigma campaigns. Or, at least, not the way the campaigns are normally run. Let me explain why: I am forever grateful to live in a time where openness about
A person's hands holding a cell phone with message bubbles coming out of it, in front of a laptop.

Before You Offer Unsolicited Mental Health Advice on Social Media, Read This.

If you have a mental illness and you talk about it on the internet, someone is bound to respond almost immediately with unsolicited advice. Have you tried medication? Have you tried not taking medication? Meditation? Crystals? Yoga? A fad diet?…

Are We Turning a Corner on Discussions of Gun Violence and Mental Health?

Content note: this post discusses gun violence, mental illness, and sexually abusive behavior. Like many of us living in the United States, I’m constantly bracing for the news of yet another mass shooting. As a human, I’m horrified by the…
A cardboard sign being held up. The sign says "blame rapists, not victims."

Don’t Use “Functioning Labels” to Victim-Blame Me

Content note: this post discusses sexual abuse and rape. When people find out that I survived a rape and my assailant was a woman, their tone often immediately shifts from sympathy to disbelief or confusion: “How could a woman rape
A photo of a person whose face is painted with lines in a rainbow of colors

Judi Chamberlin: Mad Pride and the Fight Against Institutionalizing Women

Content note: this post discusses miscarriage, mental illness, and forced institutionalization. It’s Women’s History Month, which makes it an excellent time to talk about the fact that women’s history and disability history overlap significantly; notable women from Harriet Tubman to…
A woman wears headphones sitting in front of an iPad with a concerned look on her face. a picture in picture of Rachel Maddow is in the top corner

VIDEO: People With Mental Health Disabilities Shut Down Dangerous Ideas About Gun Violence

The assertion that severe mental illnesses cause gun violence, specifically mass shootings, is not helpful and not accurate, but it is harmful. It is a dangerous idea. And we hear it from the media and our leaders all the time.…