Being Disabled and PROUD

This past month we recognized the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Inn riots. Since then, we have recognized the month of June as Pride Month in which we remember how far the gay rights movement has come and recognize the resilience of the LGBTQ Community.

Unfortunately, at a time when diversity and inclusion are front and center in the discussion, people with disabilities continue to be absent from the dialogue. Just last year, the historic Stonewall Inn bar denied entrance to a blind queer person because they didn’t provide paperwork for their service dog, in violation of Title III of the American with Disabilities Act.

That is only one of many examples of how Pride remains mostly inaccessible to individuals with disabilities. Accessibility issues are a rampant problem and they are present in gay bars, parties, big parades, as well as protests and rallies. I haven’t looked but I am willing to bet if I had gone and looked at the website for Twin Cities Pride, it probably flunks digital accessibility standards across the board.

While each individual experiences a disability differently, the obstacles experienced speak to a common theme that people with disabilities are asexual or incapable of being in a relationship.  At the core of the concept of Pride is the invitation for people to be Proud of their body, their sexuality, etc . However the same invitation is all too often denied to persons with disabilities, despite the fact that they want the same thing that everyone wants in life: understanding and not to be “othered”

Including people with disabilities at the table should never be an afterthought but rather a priority because as Elizabeth Warren once said If you don’t have a seat at the table, you’re probably on the menu. Both the LGBTQ and Disability communities have spent an ample amount of time on the menu and recognizing opportunities for such inter-sectional solidarity can only serve to benefit both of us.