Eroticism and Disability

What really should draw us as aesthetic concept is diversity, because the beauty is not just a single form.

José Eduardo Magalhães Martins Junior, the Dudé - musician, singing teacher and singer.

Growing up, falling in love, dating, sex. That's what usually happens to people. But when the encounter with someone - can get around in a wheelchair, can not see with the eyes, does not communicate with speech and hearing, has a different intelligence of most people and / or does not see and hear at the same time - probably not imagine that this man can, of course, feel desire and sexual relations.

Eroticism and disability are terms that seem to match when placed side by side. But combine! We do not perceive. When a person with disabilities, says that has sex in general, can react with suspicion or pity. First, it doubted that anyone could be attracted to her, is more likely to be taking advantage or getting an advantage. Second, by supposing that she is fantasizing or lying. Sorry, then, human impotence in the face of deaths that go through our lives!

As the new always frightens us, we seek to bind to the already known. And so we seek refuge in the images that society usually presents us with both sex (sexy is who displays a perfect body and balanced, according to the standards of beauty and aesthetics of media) and people with disabilities (someone who mistakenly assume be imperfect, incapable, weak, and can not be part of society itself 'normal'). The result is a mixed lot of alienation, misinformation and prejudice.

These feelings and reactions do not require trial, but a review in the light of information to see beyond the stereotypes. The internal layout to reflect on these attitudes and change is the first step towards a more inclusive of people with disabilities.

The provision of love includes the ability to receive, bring affectionately towards him the world and life in their faces more plural. It is rewarding to receive the other, if the disabled person, willing to understand it within their circumstances. Approaching their sexuality as something natural, not like an obscure topic and narrow, helps explain the range of meanings that society usually writes in that body and free it of subliminal content, the red tape, reserve and block their personal experiences and affective[1].

For Eduardo José Magalhães Martins Junior (Dudé) "love is the basis for life. You must love to dwell on without dogma, clichés or formulas. Seeing the love in its simplest essence - so obvious lesson, but insist on not seeing. Aesthetics is only an expression of beauty! That is all that draws us to the body. In it fit so many variables, as we can imagine. Restrict it to a standard is summarized as a mathematical theorem - which seeks to explain the complexity of the universe - a mere multiplication tables. We can not be careless about the difference. The greatest gift of the human being is its complexity! What really should draw us as aesthetic concept is DIVERSITY, because the beauty is not just one way! ".

[1] Excerpts from the fourth-hood (edited by Leandra Migotto certainty) of the work: "Sexuality and Disability: Breaking the Silence". DE PAULA, Rita; REGEN, Mina, Lopes Penha. Expression & Art Publishing - Brazil - 2005