[Picture shows 19 year old woman, standing with use of a cane. She has a red “x” on her hand and is holding a purple pillow with statement taped to it, reading the following]
My name is Abby. I am a female, 19 year old, disabled college student and I stand with Emma Sulkowicz, but I have something to say to her that I truly hope she hears.
Emma Sulkowicz is a student at Columbia University who has been carrying around the mattress on which she was sexually assaulted as a performance art piece. Earlier today in her call to action for others around the country to carry their own mattresses in a show of support for victims and survivors of sexual assault, Emma asked that her supporters not carry pillows, stating that “pillows and ‘light’ and ‘fluffy.’” She stated that “sexual assault is neither a “light” nor “fluffy” matter, and we cannot treat it as if it were,” and suggested that by carrying pillows we are simply taking away from the number of hands to carry mattresses and instead said that people mark should themselves with a red “x” to show their willingness to help carry the weight.
But I cannot help carry a mattress. Carrying a mattress, even with a team of people, is not simply a difficult task for me, it is an impossible one. I have rheumatoid arthritis, and I walk with a cane. I am disabled. For me, even carrying a pillow is incredibly difficult, and I am far more privileged than many people with physical disability in that I can even carry that. If I were on crutches, in a wheelchair, or the use of my arms was more inhibited in any way, carrying anything would be out of the question.
According to Rape Response Services, almost 80% of people with disabilities are sexually assaulted on more than one occasion. Women with disabilities are at least twice as likely as the general population of women to be victims of sexual assault.
While I understand that Emma Sulkowicz wants to make an impact and retain the artistic integrity of her piece, disability is the often forgotten intersection in feminist activism, and I was disappointed to see her lack of consideration for those of us who cannot carry the physical weight, but are at a much greater risk to be forced to carry it emotionally.
We can’t all stand with Emma Sulkowicz.
Edit: This is a link to her original op-ed in which she presents her call to action: http://columbiaspectator.com/opinion/2014/10/26/call-carry-weight-together