Amidst the excitement surrounding “National Coming Out Week,” the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Campus Center hosted an event Wednesday dedicated to disabilities and circus freaks in conjunction with other LGBT and campus organizations.
Eli Clare, an activist and writer specializing in disability and LGBT issues, spoke about the history of freak shows, defined as spectacles that feature humans with unusual characteristics.
Clare, who has a disability himself, said he is no longer fazed by people gawking at him because he has grown used to it.
“I’ve spent so many years shutting staring out,” Clare said. “Just once, I want someone to tell me what they are staring at.”
Clare highlighted connections between the roadside freak shows of the past and the staring that takes place today. He said modern gawking happens through current reality television, especially in shows including “Hoarders,” “The Biggest Loser” and “Little People, Big World.”
But Clare said this form of modern staring may not be all bad, since the subjects of entertainment might not have many other opportunities for employment. According to Clare, 74 percent of disabled people who want a job do not have employment opportunities, regardless of if the economy is in a boom or a depression.
Clare also used the historical shows to advocate for the general population to accept people who are different than themselves.
“I am looking for places where we encourage each other to swish and swagger, limp and roll,” Clare said. “And I am looking for places where we learn the language of pride.”
UW-Madison senior Caroline Mansueti said she agrees with Clare that people, especially students at UW-Madison, need to be more accepting of those who are different from themselves.
“We shouldn’t put pressure on people to change,” Mansueti said. “We need to change our ideas [about people], we shouldn’t force people to change who they are.”
