Not that long ago, but before the ADA was thought of, womyn’s groups, festivals, gatherings, whatever were all inclusive almost to a fault. No perfumes, no chemicals; interpreters for the deaf, readers for the blind, wheelchair accessible everything; people of all skin colors, hair colors, and belief sets were welcome. No one was left out. Well, except for perfume wearing racist anti-cripple people.
Now, long after the ADA is law, accessibility and inclusivity is gone. Gay bars? In basements or up stairs. Lesbian dances? In a really cool place up stairs. Womyn monthly dinners? Up stairs. Anyone interesting in moving the venue or making the place accessible? Nope. “Gee, you’re right. Someone ought to get right on that.”
So, again, Lorna and I won’t be going to the Women’s Dance this month. Nor will we go to the Lesbian/Gay Prom. Or the monthly dinner. The LGBT community has a growing case of NIMBY syndrome. (not in my back yard)
Years ago, I attended a writers club meeting. It was up the stairs above the cafeteria. When the meeting was about to end, I headed for the stairs. Poor able bodied people had to wait for the cripple to struggle down the stairs, one at a time, very slowly. They moved the meeting location a couple of months after that.
You got a manual wheelchair? Send Lorna upstairs to get a few folks to help carry your . . . up the steps.