Warning to New Amputees about Devotee's, Admirers, and Wanabee's
Amputee Alert
Apparently some new amputees don't understand until it's too late about "amputee fetish" groups,
what we real amputees call: amputee "devotee's,
wanabees, lovers, admirers, pretenders and electronic surgery artists or (ES
Artists)." Its a psychological illness linked to emotional and sexual child
abuse of varying degrees.
Definitions:
- Amputee Wanabees: Want to be amputees and will physically and deliberately
maim their own working limbs to become an amputee.
- Amputee Admirers: Almost like a stalker, try to get close to amputees
because they think amputees are helpless and can be taken advantage of.
- Amputee Pretenders: Are not real amputees, and not willing to go to the
extreme to cut their own limbs off, but get excitement dreaming and
pretending that they are amputees.
- Amputee Devotees: individual might want their partner to be an amputee,
but does not necessarily want to be an amputee themselves.
- ES Artists: Take photos of themselves and other normal people, and use
software like Adobe Photoshop to manipulate and remove their arms and legs
to make believe they are amputees. (The same way guys use Photoshop to
undress women to make nude pictures.)
jama
photos of them under false pretenses, all devotees or admirers are not
like this. Most are normal caring guys who are attracted to amputees
and other disabilities. Their attraction is not just to the stump or
paralyzed legs or whatever the disability is. For the normal
admirers, it is an interest in who we are and what we have overcome.
They are not interested in us because they think we are helpless and
they can take advantage of us. Anyone who knows a person who has
survived and lived with a disability or amputation knows we are not
weak or helpless. We are survivors!
I do believe that new amputees should be told about admirers in an
unbiased manner (including the good and bad) so they are aware and can
make their own decision about whether or not they would want to meet
one. I lost my leg in 1984 and my marriage ended not long after. I
found out about devotees in 1993 and my first response was, "Cool, I'd
like to meet one!" I had dated a few guys and be rejected by some
because I was not "whole". I have found that most of the women who
accept admirers have also accepted their amputation or disability and
the ones who don't accept admirers generally have not accepted their
amputation or disability and see themselves as ugly or deficient.
I know many devotees/admirers (I started calling them admirers in 1995
and the term caught on) and most of them are great guys. I am married
to one. I met him at a conference I hosted in 1997. Many of my
friends are married to admirers.
The statement below "*/Its a psychological illness linked to emotional
and sexual child abuse of varying degrees./*" is not factual. There
have not been any significant research or studies of devotees to state
unequivocally that devotees/admirers have histories of abuse or any
more incidences of psychological illness than the general population.
There are some admirers who like to look at pictures and videos of
amputees or disabled women. The photos are not pornographic - they
show the women in activities of daily living - walking, shopping,
swimming... I believe that a lot of the admirers who want to do this
are married to non-disabled women whom they love and looking at photos
or videos is a way of satisfying their interest without going outside
their marriages. How are these guys worse than guys who read
Playboy? Or guys who always notice blondes or women with large
breasts? Admirers just have a unique interest in amputees or disabled
women.
Pretenders and Wannabes, I don't understand, but I accept them as
having some kind of body identity disorder, much like transsexuals.
They feel like they were born into the wrong body. That is rather sad
to me...they go through life seeking a way to make themselves into
what they feel they should be. I would like to tell them about the
phantom pains I have had for over 20 years and all the other problems
that come with being an amputee.
While Wikipedia is useful and interesting, it also should be noted
that the information found in Wikipedia may not be scientific or based
on valid research. Anyone can post an article or a statement or a
definition. This is at the top of the Wikipedia home page:
Welcome to Wikipedia <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia>,the
free
encyclopedia <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclopedia> that
anyone can edit <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Wikipedia:Introduction>.
Wikipedia is written collaboratively http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collaborative_writing>
by volunteers from all around the world. Visitors do not need
_specialised qualifications_ to contribute.
Check out this link for what Wikipedia is and what it is not: <http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:What_Wikipedia_is_not>
jama
