How My Disability and Queerness Intersect, and Why Marginalised Communities Should Unite and Fight
By Sage McAlpine-Lee
Imagine not being able to enter a place simply because there are stairs. Or not being allowed in for expressing yourself and presenting how you feel comfortable. When people think of discrimination, they think of racial exclusion, religious barriers and gender stereotypes. These are all huge major issues for the general population, but discrimination against queer, trans and disabled individuals is often vastly overlooked.
As a queer individual, I have fought hard to see myself represented in the media, accepted into ‘safe’ spaces, and feel safe walking down the street holding hands with my partner without being laughed at and jeered at by people. So often I must hide and protect my true self. Sometimes I yearn to be ‘normal’; to just go out and not have to be afraid. This is the 21st century. And yet for me, and so many others of varying identities, we still aren’t welcome.
Everything from options on forms with restricted pronouns to struggles to adopt as a queer couple makes queer people feel abnormal. Even pride isn’t safe, with people getting attacked and assaulted year after year. Despite my status as a human being, I cannot express my human rights like heterosexual individuals. This is horribly shocking. All the tools we need to invoke change are at our disposal: why do we continue to face discrimination?
There are many answers to this rather complex question. One idea is that others benefit from our misfortunes. Many queer and other LGBTQIA+ identities are denied jobs, promotions and other opportunities. These vacancies and spaces often go to others who may be less qualified based on whether they fit the status quo. Another reason is that the LGBTQIA+ community has for many years had a proportionally smaller voice on the world stage. When fighting for change or combating large corporate groups we have to struggle twice as much to get heard and taken seriously.
Many also believe that if something doesn’t affect them, they shouldn’t care or get involved. Humans have been hardwired to take care of themselves and others who are very emotionally close to them. If LGBTQIA+ issues and discrimination doesn’t concern them, there is no responsibility to fight for equality and peace. Despite wanting to believe others are the best versions of themselves, the harsh reality is that most people don’t care about the inequality and discrimination we as a community face.
I am also a part of the disabled community. I am autistic and have a Functional Neurological Disorder. One of my conditions gets me compared to 5-year-old boys with train obsessions (an incorrect and harmful stereotype for autistic individuals). The other is not new in its existence but a relatively unknown condition. FND essentially means the software in the brain doesn’t interpret input and output signals correctly.
This condition has a whole host of symptoms. The ones I have experienced include: temporary paralysis, extreme pain, fatigue, dissociation, loss of vision, tremors… the list goes on. For me and many other disabled individuals, the world isn’t welcoming or accommodating. From loud and bright spaces with no quiet areas to a lack of ramps or lifts, simple things most consider fine can be extremely hard for disabled individuals.
So many spaces are not friendly for those with wheelchairs and mobility aids or those with hidden disabilities. During COVID-19 (the dreaded era), many individuals who wished not to mask purchased sunflower lanyards despite not having a hidden disability. This hit the community hard – now we were not only being questioned regarding our disabled authenticity, but we were having our form of expression and representation stolen from us.
Our medical care can is often compromised by the personal biases of doctors or a lack of trust. The number of times I have sat in a hospital bed and been told nothing is wrong, that everything is in my head, has been so extremely damaging for my mental health. I constantly have to question my own pain because a lot of doctors and medical staff will simply dismiss me. This, unfortunately, is a very common experience within the disabled community. Most people can go to a hospital or doctor and have a treatment plan or high-quality care, but FND is one example of a chronic condition that cannot be treated. Instead, they treat the symptoms and take a more preventative approach.
Both the disabled and LGBTQ+ community have been facing inequality for decades. Even though there are more forms of representation and a bigger collective voice, serious issues are still being ignored and we still lack representation in larger bodies such as political landscapes and corporate groups. One way we combat this is by banding together. Marginalised groups such as the black, Asian, LGBTQIA+ and disabled community have been combining their voices to help lift up and support each other. An estimated 3-5 million LGBTQ+ people have disabilities, according to AmeriDisability reports. People with differently wired brains may also experience the world in a different way or be freer to acknowledge and understand their true identity; also linking the disabled and LGBTQ+ communities.
The labels cast upon you by others do not define you, nor do the challenges you face. Regardless of whether it is your fight or not, helping a cause you agree with is how we can raise and challenge these issues. As a young, queer, disabled individual I hope so much for the world to evolve into a more inclusive place. This can happen through invoking change, not backing down, supporting each other and daring to be our true, unapologetic, authentic selves.
Sage (Sylvie) McAlpine-Lee is a writer, poet and musician based in Edinburgh. They run clubs and events for queer individuals and campaign for disabled rights and accessibility. Their email is sylviemcalpinelee@icloud.com and you can direct any questions or discussions there.