Robert McRuer in his article, “Compulsory Able-Bodiedness and Queer/Disabled Existence” talks about contextualising disability, able-bodied heterosexuality, queer/disabled existence and critically queer, severely disabled and compares compulsory able-bodiedness to compulsory heterosexuality, an idea popularized by Adrienne Rich in her essay “Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence”.. An able-bodied person is physically strong and healthy, rather than being weak or having a disability. Compulsory heterosexuality is the assumption that it is natural and “normal” for men and women to be attracted to each other and any identities outside of this system are “alternatives.” One similarity he points out is that ideal able-bodiedness and ideal heterosexuality are both things to be striven for but are impossible to achieve.
McRuer explains how compulsory heterosexuality creates queerness and compulsory able-bodiedness creates disability. In the second half of the article, McRuer makes the connection between being queer and being disabled, rather than just paralleling them. He states that if you are heterosexual, having a disability queers you. If you are able bodied, then being queer disables you. In the second half of the article, the author makes the connection between being queer and being disabled, rather than just paralleling them. He states that if you are heterosexual, having a disability queers you. If you are able bodied, then being queer disables you.
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