Supporting the Suicidal (No Matter What)
Holding body autonomy, dignity, and grief all at once.
As an abolitionist, a trans person, and a believer in harm reduction, I support the freedom of all people to do what they wish with their bodies. But in this world, that principle can prove quite unpopular and difficult to uphold.
Legal and educational institutions regularly deny trans children the freedom to alter their bodies or gendered presentations. They do it to trans adults, too. Virtually every fat person in the world has been blamed at some point for the body they have and then denied medical help, as if choosing to become fat would be a suitable reason to deny someone healthcare. Every abuse survivor and addict has been told they’re hurting because they made the wrong choices, and should not be trusted to make them anymore.
If you say that you believe people should be free to bang their wrists, gain weight, use methamphetamine, date whom they like, or live in “risky” seeming circumstances, you’ll be accused of encouraging flagrant self-destruction and welcoming the downfall of society. The fear of unfettered bodily freedom is so great that people continue to cling to it despite mountains of evidence showing that harm reductionist approaches work far better than expecting every person to make “healthy choices.”
