Outsiders
Support Network
Support Network
Barry Humphries
Let’s face it,
Outsiders is an adorable
emotional safety net for
the Madges of this world.
Outsiders is an adorable
emotional safety net for
the Madges of this world.
Barry
You are doing a damned good job there; addressing and bringing to light
issues of sex/sexuality and disability that many people still wish to deny;
they don’t recognise that disabled people have needs/rights just as all others do.
Organisations such as The Outsiders and TLC (Tender Loving Care)
do invaluable work to recognise the sexual needs of the disabled and do what they can to help — campaigning in a pretty forthright way.
The rest of us may not want to know, but that doesn’t give us the right to dismiss what is all too real to those concerned.
Is sex for the disabled the last taboo? Disabled people say that sex is one of the last things people think about when they check if we are OK. Claims that health professionals ignore the sexual needs of disabled people arguably reflect a general taboo about sex and imperfection. When sex is associated with the elderly, overweight, with those who are physically scarred or who have, for instance, a speech impediment, many of us squirm with embarrassment. It seems like we would rather think of such people as asexual.
Outsiders helps disabled people meet their emotional and sexual needs. One blind man joined, aged 72, saying that he’d never even been cuddled
Disabled people and their friends have as much right to enjoy singles
socialising as the next person. In this perfection-obsessed world, some disabled people need this club, and that’s why I support Outsiders.
Outsiders is an outstanding organisation, and does extremely important community service. There’s nothing else like it. In an ideal world, there would be Outsiders groups everywhere. I greatly admire Tuppy’s commitment and creativity.
Let’s face it, Outsiders is an adorable emotional safety net for the Madges of this world.
Tuppy Owens and Outsiders will prove to be a major influence on the future of society,
and should be respected as such.
To say Outsiders is brave would be an understatement. The Outsiders
scale of operation is impressive and the way it works a lesson to many voluntary agencies.
Outsiders is committed to being utterly
inclusive and supportive and it is, quite simply, the bee’s bollocks.
Outsiders have served an important role for people with physical and social disabilities for 25 years.
Outsiders campaigns for the acceptance of disabled people as sexual partners, they are unique in the world and admired by disabled communities everywhere.
If you try to assist socially and physically disabled people to lead ordinary lives with emotions, needs, and relationships that can stretch from friendship and conversation to the bedroom and beyond, you will soon understand why the charity Outsiders might bear that name. Its own sense of isolation includes relying mostly on its members, volunteers, and events for funding, since foundation, government, or lottery grants for projects and core costs are hard to find. That Outsiders is still here, and struggling on, suggests (as the old slogan goes) that attitudes are the real disability.
Outsiders has become a strong
community of people supporting each other against the social stigma of being a disabled person on the lookout for Mr. or Mrs. Right.
Outsiders is more than good fun —
it increases one’s understanding of being disabled.
Outsiders is unique.
It has members worldwide and is cited on the Internet, in books and in resource packs and talks openly about sex and disability.
Outsiders changes people’s lives by giving them confidence and helps them become the person they want to be.
Outsiders is the first step in an international campaign
for the sexual rights of disabled people.
