Diversity Rules Magazine

3 Diversity Rules Magazine August 2016 David-Elijah Nahmod is a film critic and re- porter in San Francis- co. His articles appear regularly in The Bay Area Reporter and SF Weekly. You can also find him on Facebook and Twitter. David developed Post Traumatic Syndrome Disor- der (PTSD) after surviving gay conversion therapy as a child and has found that many in the LGBT community suffer from severe, often untreated emotional disorders due to the extreme anti-gay traumas they endured. This column chronicles his journey. Disability comes in many forms. My disability, PTSD. can cause moments of extreme anguish and blackouts, which sometimes impedes my ability to work. My closest friend, who is blind, had to relearn how to live on his own and work after losing his sight. ere are laws such as the Americans With Disabili- ties Act. Passed in 1990, ADA prohibits discrimina- tion based on disability. e law is usually enforced, but sometimes it isn't--I've seen examples of this. And if the GOP has their way, social safety nets like dis- ability insurance and food stamps would be drastically reduced, if not eliminated entirely. LGBT people have the added disadvantage of facing widespread legal dis- crimination in many conservative states. And that's why we need to stand up for each other. With that sentiment in mind, I ask you to open your hearts--and your wallets--to Michael McCormick. Mi- chael is a fifty year old gay man in Kentucky who is living with a newly acquired disability which has ren- dered him unable to work. A few months ago he was fine, until one day his body began to fail him without warning. Michael was blindsided. "It started about two months ago," Michael told me. "ere was a sudden numbness in my right foot, which affected my ability to walk. I thought I had a pinched nerve." A month later the numbness spread to his right hand and forearm, rendering them useless. A stroke and a heart attack have already been ruled out. "I was tested for Lyme Disease and Leuke- mia," Michael said. "Lime Disease can cause these kinds of symptoms." Multiple Sclerosis is also being considered as a possible cause. "e worst thing is waiting and not knowing," he said, express- ing concern for Petey, his dog, and Charlie, his bird. Michael said that he would feed them before he fed himself. Michael may have lost the ability to work, but the bills keep coming in. Rent, phone and food all must be paid for. He's already been approved for food stamps, but Michael needs help with rent and pet food. A kind friend already covered his rent for this month. and he's begun the lengthy, often stressful process of ap- plying for disability insurance, which can take quite a long time. Many counties are notorious for turning down applicants even when disability is obvious and indisputable. Numerous disabled people are forced to hire attorneys and attend court hearings in order to get what they're legally entitled to. Michael needs our help. "I never expected my body to fail me," he said. "I struggle with having nothing to fall back on--I always thought I'd be able to get up and go to work everyday. I'm not the only person who's going through this." PTSD - Co n't on page 15 If You Could Read My Mind Help Needed for Michael By David-Elijah Nahmod

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