Today is the kick off to Diabetes Awareness month, and there is a campaign #t1diabeteslookslikeme going on. I felt bad posting because it's also the kick off to #shinethelight and Women's Abuse Awareness month to end #VAW and I didn't want to take away from that message by focusing on diabetes But. The deal is I'm a T1 Diabetic. AND a survivor of gender based violence. Because being #t1D means I'm often in a life or death situation where I need someone to help me because I forget complex things like how to get juice out of a juice box. T1D is a tool and a weapon in the hands of an abuser, I carry that tool in my body. But I prefer to think about it as built in resilience training. I took this picture while walking through the playground of my elementary school Bedford Park. I did it for general nostalgia. BUT the place I'm standing in this picture is where I was first welcomed to violence as a diabetic. The week after diagnosis I was playing at recess and a bully came up with a game of keep away because bullies. She stole my hypo supplies, refused to give them back and she and a group of fellow 9 yr olds teased me and kept it away until end of recess. It all got resolved, I learned how to advocate, and how to speak up for my safety. So that's what I'm going to think about. Diabetes made me much stronger, more resilient and yes more vulnerable to abuse. BUT It also made it easier for me to get out of a violent situation. Because when you have a near death experience every day it makes threats of death less soul numbing and scary. Diabetes made me a bad ass survivor and resilient as fuck. So that's me shining the light on how gender based violence impacts my disabled bad ass diabetic queermo body.
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