Episode 31: Sex and Disability

This episode features people with physical disabilities talking about the able-bodied world's tendency to erase their sexuality, using Tindr in a wheelchair, disability-related sexual superpowers, and much more. Comedian Spring Day makes her triumphant return. She and her boyfriend, comedian Tim Renkow, both have cerebral palsy and talk frankly about their sex life. The fetishization of disabled people, often called devoteeism, also comes up in this episode. Check out the excellent BBC3 documentary Meet the Devotees here. We also talk about the role sex workers sometimes play in enriching the lives of people with disabilities. Check out Rachel Wotton's Ted Talk exploring this topic. Her film Scarlet Road also comes up, as does the 2012 feature film The Sessions about Mark O'Brien's experiences with a sex surrogate. You can watch an Oscar-winning documentary short about Mark O'Brien here and read his article “On Seeing a Sex Surrogate” here. Other articles mentioned on the show include this Vice piece about Hand Angels, this guide to sexual positioning devices, and a fascinating obituary published by Salon about Mark O'Brien. Other podcasts mentioned on the show include the Death Sex and Money episodes Newlywed and Paralyzed and Two Wheelchairs and a Baby, as well as an episode of Everybody Swing entitled Swinging in a Wheelchair. Finally, Ryan Lythall can be reached at rythall@me.com if you have any follow-up questions or would like to book him for a speaking engagement.