A Lesson in Intersectionality: Disability, BIPOC, and Queer Identities

by Megan Juneau, Advocacy & Family Support Manager

This month, we celebrate Juneteenth and Pride Month. It is a month full of music, love, quirkiness, dancing, friends, art, and community, and a time to recognize and appreciate the beauty and diversity of queer and BIPOC people around the world. But it is also a time to embrace identities, acknowledge history, and critically think about what it means to achieve equity in our communities. We cannot do this without discussing disability, sexual orientation and gender identities, and racial injustice.

LET’S START WITH ‘INTERSECTIONALITY’

Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the term “intersectionality” to draw attention to the multiple dimensions of marginalized people’s experiences. The term is used to explain how experiences of oppression and identity are impacted by people’s overlapping identities of race, class, gender, and sexual orientation.

The Black Lives Matter movement, Disability Rights, and LGBTQIA+ Rights have a long and entangled history of being interlaced. All groups struggle for liberation and often face the same types of discrimination.

Some argue that the phrase “Black Lives Matter” implies that white lives, disabled lives, etc. do not. Some might even claim that prioritizing Black lives is a form of reverse racism. However, the phrase is not meant to be divisive. “Because our lives are treated as if they don’t matter, we have to specifically say that they do. It’s just a phrase to get people to understand that because you have black skin does not mean that you should be treated any differently and certainly doesn’t mean that your life should be cut short. We’re not saying Black lives matter more¸ we’re saying they matter, too,” says Melisa DePino, co-founder of From Privilege to Progress. If “All Lives Matter,” than Black Lives Matter, too.

The bottom line: if not all of us, then none of us.

That is the basis of intersectionality.

It is impossible to support LGBTQIA+ rights but ignore the Black Lives Matter movement. It is impossible to support Black Lives Matter but ignore disability rights. Our approach to equity must include all identities because identities are complex and composed of many layers.

Black Lives Matter is a social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and inequality experienced by Black people. This includes trans, gay, gender non-conforming, and disabled Black people as well.

The pride movement is a space for people of all gender identities, sexualities, and races to come together and find empowerment and community. But its origin comes from fighting against the ruthless cruelty against queer people – and in particular, trans women of color. Pride began as a result of queer people being deprived of access to physical spaces, to healthcare, to jobs, to representation. Its history is deeply intertwined with issues of police brutality, homelessness, and access to public services. The people who were hardest hit by these obstacles were those who already faced other barriers to socioeconomic wellbeing—communities of color. This is why intersectionality was and remains an essential part of the pride movement. Since its origin, the pride movement has always been entwined with the needs to address racial justice. One of the most profound activists of the LGBTQIA+ community was Marsha P. Johnson, a Black trans woman and a veteran of the Stonewall Uprising. We cannot celebrate pride without recognizing the Black people who acted as change agents, leading the original pride movement.

Strides are being made in recognizing and prioritizing BIPOC voices and LGBTQIA+ advocacy. In 2017, the City of Philadelphia revealed a new pride flag that included black and brown stripes to the original rainbow layout, recognizing the advocacy of queer and trans people of color. A year later, Daniel Quasar, a Portland-based designer, released a wildly popular redesign of the Pride flag, incorporating the colors of the Transgender Pride Flag and black and brown stripes.

There is still a great deal of work to be done in truly leveling the playing field for Queer and Trans People of Color.

The College of Liberal Arts at Texas offers a comprehensive list of resources for intersectionality novices and veterans, in honor of Pride Month. Their list encourages us to go “back to the basics.”

HOW DOES DISABILITY FIT INTO ALL THIS?

For many disabled folks, their government disability benefits are a lifeline. Those benefits pay for food, electricity, water, and housing and they cover the cost of expensive health care and prescriptions.

But often, people can’t have their disability benefits and be married to the one they love – they must choose between the two. When they get married, their spouse’s income is factored in when determining their eligibility for government benefits, and so, their income will often knock them out of the eligibility bracket for the disability benefits they probably depend on to survive. This is government basically saying, “You’re not our problem anymore.” But how many American homes are making ends meet off just one income? This forces folks to choose between marrying the person they love and keeping a roof over their heads.

I encourage you to take the time this month to learn about how marriage equality is still not a reality for disabled folks in America. You can read about The Arc’s advocacy efforts regarding the Social Security Restoration Act here.

Just as people have long pushed for the LGBTQIA+ community and BIPOC community to have equal rights and opportunities, the disability community has brought that same energy.

RECLAIMING DEMEANING LABELS

‘Crip’ is a slang word for the word cripple and was used in the 1920’s to mean "easy," which may have reflected society's low expectations of disabled people (an easy pitch in baseball was a called a "baseball crip," and an easy course in school was called a "crip course").

During the 1960’s, as disability rights movements began to gain momentum, a component of this movement was creating a sense of disability pride, which aimed to stop feeling shame because of disabilities. This is when the term crip began being reclaimed by the disability community. Presently, the terms ‘cripple’ and ‘crip,’ have shifted from descripted to derogatory, and are considered offensive terms (because they carry an incredibly negative connotation and stigma, and were used as insults). But crip has continued in common usage within the disability community, though the term has broadened to include people with any form of disability, not just those with physical limitations. The reclaiming of ‘crip’ mirrors the reclaiming of the word ‘queer.’ People with disabilities deem crip an insider term as they are the group changing the meaning and usage of the word. It is looked down upon when outsiders use the word crip, as it can lead to confusion on if crip is being reclaimed or used as a slur.

#CripTheVote is a nonpartisan campaign that engages voters and politicians in meaningful discussion about disability issues in the United States, with the hope that disability has a greater role and influence within American politics. “Cripping" something means to apply a disability justice lens in the work.

Disability rights activism has been summoning and transforming our nation for decades. Like race, class, and various other intersectional combinations, being both disabled and queer can bring about its own battles, and those in our community living with physical, mental, or cognitive disabilities.

WHAT ABOUT QUEERNESS AND DISABILITY?

People who identify both in the disability and queer communities often experience unique issues, either because of vanity or presumptions about queer people. In terms of trans and gender-nonconforming communities, being disabled can pose enormous challenges, including creating major barriers in obtaining transition-related care.

Healthcare access can be a serious pain for any citizen on Medicaid, and providers accepting Medicaid can be limited, making it more difficult for lower-income households and people with disabilities to access healthcare. Now consider how much more difficult it is going to be for a disabled, lower-income individual that is also physically transitioning…And to add the icing on the cake, their insurance may not even cover transition-related care…

Stigma and discrimination from both inside and outside of the queer community have substantial effects on the lives of disabled people and it is evident intersectionality of queer identity and disability can create challenges in receiving healthcare, shelter, support, and respect.

SO HOW MIGHT YOU WORK TOWARDS BEING INTERSECTIONAL?

HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS FROM MEDIAGIRLS:

  • Learn and Listen: Educate yourself and your family about social justice issues (past and present). Hear from people who are part of marginalized communities so you can find out how you can be a support.

  • Allow Space: Marginalized groups have been silenced in discussing racial and social justice. Allow and at times create space so that they can share their experiences and knowledge.

  • Engage with Intersectional Content: Do your own research and engage with creators who demonstrate their approach to intersectionality in their work.

  • Consider your Privileges and Inherent Biases: Our own inherent biases and privileges can easily keep us from seeing the prevalence of racism, sexism, classism, and other systems of oppressions in our society. Consider how your own identities have affected the way in which you view the world and others around you.

  • Share Resources: Many petitions, academic articles, personal testimonies, and fundraising efforts are easily found online. Share them with people in your circle.

SOME WAYS YOU CAN CATCH UP OR STAY INFORMED: