April 06, 2002

Choice... Two Deaf Lesbians is

Choice...

Two Deaf Lesbians is not a rock band, but rather a couple of, um, deaf lesbians, Sharon and Candy, one of whom impregnated herself with sperm from a deaf man in hopes of fulfilling their cherished dream of passing on their handicap to their offspring. The baby has been born, but they'll have to wait two or three months before a test can determine whether they have successfully doomed their child to a life of severe disability.

The parents

see deafness as an identity, not a medical affliction that needs to be fixed. Their effort -- to have a baby who belongs to what they see as their minority group -- is a natural outcome of the pride and self-acceptance the Deaf movement has brought to so many.

This is the most perverse "natural outcome" I've ever heard of.

According to the author of this article (which I found via A Dog's Life):

Sharon and Candy are a little like immigrant parents who, with a huge and dominant and somewhat alien culture just outside their door, want to ensure that their children will share their heritage, their culture, their life experience.

No they're not. They're an example of identity politics run amok, of wanton indulgence in a kind of demented narcissism at the expense of an innocent victim.

Sometimes news stories can confer new life upon old bumperstickers: in this case, I'm reminded of the one that goes "if you can't trust me with a choice, how can you trust me with a child?"

Posted by Dr. Frank at April 6, 2002 11:50 AM | TrackBack
Comments

Who are you to criticize these two women? And what's to say that you wouldn't do the same thing, if you were in their shoes? Yes, by all means, most parents do want to see their children share the same general life experience. At least in terms of culture, anyway. And while Deaf people may be at a handicap that is created by the "dominant" culture, those Deaf people are not in and of themselves 'handicapped'. I see nothing wrong at all with Sharon and Candy wanting to have a deaf child, so that they can raise s/he to be a culturally Deaf adult. GET OFF THEIR BACKS!!

Posted by: April at December 24, 2004 06:33 AM