Summary: First published in 1999, Exile and Pride: Queerness, Disability, and Liberation by Eli Clare is a groundbreaking book in the political realm of disability politics, and essential reading for anyone wanting to understand the intersections of queerness, disability, environmentalism, class, race, and more. The book, written by Eli Clare, a white, disabled, genderqueer activist/writer, uniquely weaves together poetry, memoir, creative nonfiction, and analysis in an effort to ease people into a political disability consciousness. KEY QUESTIONS: What is disability justice? Why does the author use the word ‘exile’ when talking about disability justice? What does ‘exile and pride’ mean? What does the author want readers to take away from this book, especially nondisabled progressive activists? What is the medicalization of disability? Who is ADAPT (Americans Disabled Attendant Programs Today, formerly known as Americans Disabled for Accessible Public Transit)? What does it mean to make an event space “accessible?”
