[ scroll down for longer image descriptions + a version of the text with no caps ]

PEOPLE LIKE TO ASSUME THEY KNOW MY LIFE,
BASED ON WHAT I SHARE ONLINE.
AS IF I HAVE CHOICES.
AS IF I HAVE AGENCY IN MY OWN LIFE.

WHEN IN CONTRARY,
IT IS FIGHT FOR MY LIFE,
EVEN WHEN I DON’T WANT TO,
OR NO ONE WILL.

ESPECIALLY IN MULTIPLE PANDEMICS
THAT HAVE ONLY PROVEN TO ME
IT’S MUCH EASIER TO HAVE COMPASSION
FOR SOMEONE WHO IS GOING THRU
THINGS YOU CAN RELATE TO.

BUT WHAT ABOUT COMPASSION FOR THOSE
WHO ARE GOING THRU DIFFERENT STRUGGLES FROM
YOUR OWN ?
WHAT ABOUT THE PERSON WHO IS UNABLE
TO ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES?

I KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM,

DO YOU ?

I STARTED MY LIFE WITH ONE HALF
OF THE INSTRUMENTS THAT BROUGHT ME
INTO THIS WORLD.

WHICH MEANS I’VE ALWAYS HAD TO
PARENT MYSELF.
SO I CAN’T BE YOURS.

TELL ME,
WHEN WOULD YOUR "PROUD" SELF ASK FOR HELP ?
WHEN WOULD YOU GIVE UP ?

WHEN YOU’RE AT THE BOTTOM OF A WELL
A MILE DEEP,
AND NOBODY CAN HEAR YOUR PIERCING SCREAMS.

I’M SO TIRED OF DISABLEDS BEING LEFT TO DIE.
FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO ARTICULATE THEIR NEEDS, DUE
TO PHYSICAL AND/OR MENTAL
INHIBITIONS. DAY IN, DAY OUT.

SILENCE IS ALLOWING THIS INTERNALIZED ABLEISM TO
OVERCOME YOU.

SILENCE IS A CHOICE.

AND IT WILL BE REMEMBERED,
NOT LIKE THE WAY
DISABLED LIVES HAVE BEEN ERADICATED
FROM THIS PLANET.

AS DISABLED PEOPLE WILL REMIND YOU,
YOU ARE NOT IMMORTAL
AND THERE WILL BE A RECKONING.
WHETHER YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT
OR NOT. BUT CONSIDER THIS FORESHADOWING,
DOOMSDAY PREPPING.

YOU ARE NOT IMMUNE TO DISABILITY.

WHO WILL SUPPORT YOU
WHEN YOU ARE?

HELP KEEP THAI ALIVE.

DONATE:

CLICK HERE to DONATE MONTHLY.

DONATE via Venmo — SensiSkins
DONATE via Cash App — $sensiSkins
DONATE via PayPal — [email protected]

FOLLOW THAI @LITTLEOM ON INSTGRM.

please care & share & remember that this does not even address my living costs or food or inability to get paid for the labor & education i do in all my waking seconds.

if u are white, cisgender, abled-bodied/minded, what do u lose by advocating for someone else’s safety? do you think it impacts ur autonomy? if so, how & why do u think that comes up for u?

the answer is internalized ableism
& unrecognized privilege.

thai Lu (pronouns: they/them/theirs) is a transdisciplinary artist, writer, and community organizer from a family of Vietnamese refugees. They center their practice on the social, cultural, and physical effects of chronic illness. Follow thai @littleom on instgrm.

— artwork by @littleniamh

Image Descriptions:

Image 1:

A grid of twelve photographs illustrate Thai in the process of applying medical dressings to their face. This is an action that they must complete to provide temporary relief for their painful and debilitating chronic inflammatory skin condition. The photographs are arranged into four rows and three columns separated by a thick white border. The images read sequentially from left to right. Each photograph illustrates a step further in the process until Thai’s full face is covered. The first photograph begins with Thai seated before a white wall in a white scoop neck shirt. Their black hair is pulled away from their face to reveal medical dressings across their forehead, nose bridge, and cheeks. Each progressive image features Thai in a further stage of coverage. Their arms and hands, heavily layered in dressings and white gauze bandage, flicker in and out of frame to smooth the dressings onto a new area of their face. Once the dressings are fully applied, Thai covers their face with white gauze bandage. They move the roll with expert precision across their forehead, down their jawline and across the bridge of their nose. Thai’s expression remains neutral throughout the process. Only a slit for their eyes and a small upside-down triangle for their nostrils and mouth are left exposed. The final photograph features Thai seated alone, head tipped down. Their gaze is no longer attached to the camera. Their hands, having recently adjusted the bandage on their face, are out of frame.

Image 2:

A statement from Thai reads in dark brown 8-bit type across a bright green gradient; the text stretches boldly from top of frame to bottom. At the bottom righthand corner of the image, an angelic white and pale pink cartoon creature spreads its wings as it floats in space. Its facial expression is serene and happy, rendered simply in two black dots for eyes and a pink dash for a mouth. Text reads:

PEOPLE LIKE TO ASSUME THEY KNOW MY LIFE,
BASED ON WHAT I SHARE ONLINE.
AS IF I HAVE CHOICES.
AS IF I HAVE AGENCY IN MY OWN LIFE.
WHEN IN CONTRARY,
IT IS FIGHT FOR MY LIFE,
EVEN WHEN I DON’T WANT TO,
OR NO ONE WILL.

ESPECIALLY IN MULTIPLE PANDEMICS
THAT HAVE ONLY PROVEN TO ME
IT’S MUCH EASIER TO HAVE COMPASSION
FOR SOMEONE WHO IS GOING THRU
THINGS YOU CAN RELATE TO.
BUT WHAT ABOUT COMPASSION FOR THOSE
WHO ARE GOING THRU DIFFERENT STRUGGLES FROM
YOUR OWN ?
WHAT ABOUT THE PERSON WHO IS UNABLE
TO ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES?

I KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM,
DO YOU ?
I STARTED MY LIFE WITH ONE HALF
OF THE INSTRUMENTS THAT BROUGHT ME
INTO THIS WORLD.

WHICH MEANS I’VE ALWAYS HAD TO
PARENT MYSELF.
SO I CAN’T BE YOURS.

Image 3:

Thai’s statement reads in dark green 8-bit type across a bright pink gradient; the text stretches from top of frame to bottom. At the right of the image, an orange octopus with many tentacles floats. Its only facial features are two darker orange dots for eyes. Text reads:

TELL ME,
WHEN WOULD YOUR "PROUD" SELF ASK FOR HELP ?
WHEN WOULD YOU GIVE UP ?

WHEN YOU’RE AT THE BOTTOM OF A WELL
A MILE DEEP,
AND NOBODY CAN HEAR YOUR PIERCING SCREAMS.

I’M SO TIRED OF DISABLEDS BEING LEFT TO DIE.
FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO ARTICULATE THEIR NEEDS, DUE
TO PHYSICAL AND/OR MENTAL
INHIBITIONS. DAY IN, DAY OUT.

SILENCE IS ALLOWING THIS INTERNALIZED ABLEISM TO
OVERCOME YOU.
SILENCE IS A CHOICE.
AND IT WILL BE REMEMBERED,
NOT LIKE THE WAY
DISABLED LIVES HAVE BEEN ERADICATED
FROM THIS PLANET.

AS DISABLED PEOPLE WILL REMIND YOU,
YOU ARE NOT IMMORTAL
AND THERE WILL BE A RECKONING.
WHETHER YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT
OR NOT. BUT CONSIDER THIS FORESHADOWING,
DOOMSDAY PREPPING.

YOU ARE NOT IMMUNE TO DISABILITY.
WHO WILL SUPPORT YOU WHEN YOU ARE?

Image 4:

A flyer for mutual aid by Niamh depicts a glowing orange gradient with several sea creatures floating in the center: a large oyster with a glowing, happy-faced pearl, three green jellyfish, a green octopus, two angelic white creatures, and a large pale pink fish. At center, a mermaid with long pale blue hair, a white bandeau top, and a sparkling green tail leans back on one arm, their facial expression inviting and casual. Their tail fins feature four piercings with pink hoops; one piercing is also set with a spiky ball on a chain with a cartoon face; its mouth is rendered as a small ‘O.’ At the top of the flyer, a call for mutual aid is expressed in light and dark green type which recalls 8-bit video game fonts, reading “DONATE >> SHARE >> COMMENT >> SAVE,” and, below in darker green font, “SUBSCRIBE @ SENSISKINS.COM.” At the bottom of the flyer, a larger call for mutual aid is written in neon yellow, green, and grey, with specific guidance on where to send funds for the person in need; their Venmo and CashApp username is SENSISKINS and their PayPal ID is PATTYPOCKET. At the very bottom, the flyer’s artwork is credited to @littleniamh for @littleom in light green type.

image description for image 1 written by @pag_me_for_help.
image descriptions for images 2-4 written by @sssshhhharon.