The Voiceless Minority

  The person above is on a stage with their arms spread wide, standing in front of a microphone, looking out over a large audience.  Anyone who knows me knows I love to crack a good joke. Sometimes they’re clean, and sometimes they’re filthy, depending on my mood. I recently learned of an inclusive comedy show that caters to people with disabilities. In particular, this comedy show catered to people with Autism. By catered, I don’t mean it infantilized them; it treated them like the weird but awesome people they can be. My good friend Michelle Zeman, who also writes for this blog, has a form of Autism that causes her to interact differently socially sometimes, but it does not detract from her awesomeness. I think more people with disabilities need to engage in the world of stand-up comedy. I have performed twice, and it is not only fun and free but can also be used as an educational opportunity for those who don’t have disabilities. The inclusive comedy show I mentioned above ...

Image description: Above is a poster for Patrice, The Movie. It shows two people holding hands, a man in a wheelchair and a woman standing beside him. Patrice, The Movie is written in yellow above the picture.    Happy Tuesday, everyone. I hope your week started on a good note. Today’s article will be brief. The last several posts have dealt with the topic of disability and marriage. Apparently, our advocacy is getting some attention throughout the nation. On January 13, 2025, Congressman David Valadao of California and Congresswoman Susie Lee of Nevada reintroduced a bipartisan bill that would eliminate the “marriage penalty” for people with disabilities who receive Supplemental Security Income. I will link an article that outlines the proposed legislation at the bottom of this blog. The bill was initially introduced in January of last year. However, it has been reintroduced because of shows like Love on the Spectrum and Patrice: The Movie . The fascination with attention...