The Sessions film by Ben Lewin, is a masterpiece movie that shows matters of sex and disability. Given that people with disability are normally marginalized by the greater society because they are different from the mainstream society, they ought to be undermined and segregated from the community (Shuttleworth 2007). The main character in this movie is known as Mark O’Brian who got polio at age six and uses an iron lung for respiration. This paper explains that people with disability have the right to explore the sexuality despite being seen as a taboo by the greater society.
The society at large has instilled stereotypes regarding people with disability in that they do not have the ability to have sex. Shuttleworth writes, “disabled people are actively constructed as nonsexual because they are a threat to both the social body and heteronormative sexuality (Shuttleworth, 2007).” I chose this topic because disabled people have been socially constructed as people who are needy and dependent in that they cannot live a normal life as the average person. Thus, the movie The Sessions show a story of a young man that had Polio at age six thereby making him disabled. Like any other human being, O’Brian desires sexual fantasies and activities which are not at par as the stereotypes engrained in the society despite the diverse community.
Disabled people have been stigmatized in the society. Most people in the society believe that people who are disabled should not reproduce or have sex as they are regarded as retarded because of their disability. Sally Sargeant discusses how people with disability are seen as undesirable (Sargeant, 2013, pg. 2). This film aims at dismantling some of these stereotype and social constructs embedded in the society. The prejudice regarding people with disability is eminent in the world we live in today such that disabled people feel like outcasts.
O’Brian is a Catholic who opens up to the father regarding his desire for sexual fulfilment. Contrary to the traditional expectations from theology, Father Brendan encouraged O’Brian to explore his sexual desires. Father Brendan encourages O’Brian that “God will give him a pass and should go for it (The Sessions 2013).” O’Brian explores his sexual life by having sex with a girl that he met at therapy. The main purpose of this film is to show that people with disability should also enjoy their rights as human beings and that they can also live a normal life as the rest of the people.
Sexual intercourse between two people forms a common bond and that everyone should have the right to explore it. People with disability should have the ability to be sexually intimate and have a right to choose their own sexual partner. Cohen-Green and Father Brendan help to boost O’Brian sexual esteem which is a fundamental thing during sex (Sargeant, 2013). This film educates and helps breaks the social constructs in the society regarding people with disability. All human beings desire companionship and attachments including people with disability.
In conclusion, it is evident that stereotypes regarding people with disability are deeply embedded in the society in that disabled people can and should not have sexual intercourse. O’ Brian rises above these prejudices by seeking guidance and pursuing his sexual fantasy despite being disabled. Disability should not characterize an individual’s identity. Thus, everyone should dismantle the stereotypes regarding people in the society by not judging them by their physical features.
Personal Opinion: Human Sexuality should be a personal decision and that the society should not judge anyone. Intimacy and companionship bring great joy and love to the universe. Thus, sexual intimacy is a beautiful thing and should be celebrated.
References
Sargeant, S. (2013). The Sessions. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 417-420.
Shuttleworth, R. (2007). Introduction to Special Issue Critical Research and Policy Debates in Disability and Sexuality Studies. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 4(1).
The sessions [Motion picture on DVD]. (2013). 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.
