October is LGBTQ+ History Month!
October is LGBTQ+ History month! Now, you might be thinking, “Cool, but what does that have to do with disability OR sexual health education?” The short answer: EVERYTHING!
By analyzing the data collected in the 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the Human Rights Campaign found that one in three (36%) LGBTQ+ adults reported having a disability. Additionally, more than 35% of cisgender LGBTQ+ adults and over half (52%) of transgender adults were identified as having a disability. In 2019, the Movement Advancement Project estimated that 3-5 million LGTBQ+ people have disabilities.
When we look at the LGBTQ+ history movement, we cannot help but recognize some of the most influential icons were also a part of the disability community.
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Intersectionality in Sex Education
The intersection of LGBTQ+ history, the fight for equality, and disability cannot be ignored. But where does sexual health education fit into this? In 2020, Campbell et al. explored the intersection of sexual health education, disability, and sexuality. They concluded two things. First, many formal sex education programs are inherently ableist and heteronormative. They position “sex as a heterosexual act and disabled people as non-sexual” (Campbell et al., 2020). Second, “the failure to provide disabled people with adequate formal sex education negatively impacts their opportunities for sexual expression insofar as it compounds experiences of shame, stigma and isolation by reinforcing the expectation that sex occurs between two non-disabled, heterosexual persons” (Campbell et al., 2020). As it exists today, formal sex education promotes little inclusion - LGBTQ+ or disability.
Looking at the SEICUS Sex Ed State Law annual report from 2022, only nine states*, or 18% of the United States, require that sex education include sexual orientation instructions and sexual health for LGBTQ+ youth. Even more alarming, is that while many states do not mandate inclusive education (or sexual health education at all), six states** specifically prohibit inclusive LGBTQ+ education. Virginia does not require schools teach sexual health, however, it is one of the states that requires that if sexual health is taught, it must promote heterosexual marriage.
While the data surrounding the percentage of youths with disabilities who also identify as LGBTQ+ is lacking, if it is anything like the adult statistics one in three LGBTQ+ youth also identify as having a disability. Additionally, if as Movement Advancement Project suggests there are 7 -9 million LGBTQ+ individuals in the world and 3-5 million have disabilities. This means that 42% to 55% of persons with a disability are also LGBTQ+!
In order for our sex education to be disability-inclusive, it also needs to be LGBTQ+ inclusive. LGBTQ+ month and all its advocates and historical icons remind us that inclusivity is intersectional, that we are all human beings who have a right to comprehensive sexual health education!
* California, Colorado, Connecticut, D.C., Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington
** Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas
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Tip: Use YouTube's media player controls to make videos more accessible. Find out how at the links below:
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Youth Advisory Board Connection
Three Key Figures in LGBTQ+ Disability Ancestry
Did you know that the Supreme Court case that nationally legalized LGTBQ+ marriage equality was sparked by the marriage of a couple where one spouse had ALS, or that the first X gender marker on a US passport was issued to a disabled advocate? Throughout history, the LGBTQ+ and disability communities have shared rich overlap and solidarity. Below we share three of the countless LGBTQ+ people with disabilities who have fought for change in our communities. For more information on Queer Disabled History, please read our comprehensive article, written by members of YAB, at https://www.sexedva.org/dshn/news/queer-disabled-history.
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Image description: Frances Thompson is depicted in the only known representation of her. It is a black and white etched drawing on yellowing paper. She sits in a tasseled chair wearing a long sleeved dress and scarf and holding an open umbrella above her head. [38]
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Frances Thompson (1840-1877) was a trans woman and activist who was born into slavery and walked with crutches due to cancer in her foot. While living as a free woman during the Memphis Riots of 1866, she and her roommate were beaten and sexually assaulted by white men and police officers. Afterwards, she became the first recorded trans woman in the US to testify before a congressional committee as she spoke out about the Memphis Riots. Ten years later, she was arrested and sentenced to work on a chain gang, and fell ill and died shortly after her release. Many documents containing information about her life were destroyed by state and government efforts, yet her activism and story living openly as a woman for nearly all her life is a critical piece of queer ancestry. [39, 40]
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Image description: Frida Kahlo paints “Portrait of Frida’s Family,” while using assistive technology and laying on a bed. She wears her hair in a bun done up with ribbon and a child standing behind the bed gazes at her painting. A pot full of paintbrushes, stacks of books and papers, and a pile of pillows are visible in the background. [51]
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Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) was a famous Mexican painter and bisexual woman with disabilities. She contracted polio as a child and was later involved in a car accident that damaged her pelvis and spine. [53] She lived with chronic pain and utilized assistive technology to create paintings from bed or wheelchair. She represented disability in multiple of her works and self-portraits, revealing how her experiences enriched her artwork.
“I used to think I was the strangest person in the world but then I thought there are so many people in the world, there must be someone just like me who feels bizarre and flawed in the same ways I do. I would imagine her, and imagine that she must be out there thinking of me, too. Well, I hope that if you are out there and read this and know that, yes, it’s true I’m here, and I’m just as strange as you.”
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Image description: Marsha P. Johnson sits at a table smiling and holding a glass. She is wearing a pink dress, matching pink blush and eyeshadow, and a bouquet ring of flowers in her hair.
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Marsha P. Johnson (1945-1992) was a Black trans woman famous for her critical role in the Stonewall uprising, and had both physical and psychiatric disabilities. Due to her multiple marginalized identities she was often wrongfully arrested and forced into medical treatments, which fed her drive for liberation from interconnected forms of oppression. [58] She co-founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) with her friend Sylvia Rivera, which focused on trans and disability rights. She worked to stop forced psychiatric incarceration of LGBTQ+ people and put an end to conversion therapy. Her work was a cornerstone of the LGBTQ+ and Disability Rights movements today. [56]
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Disability-inclusive Halloween Tips!
Everyone deserves the opportunity to have a fun Halloween experience, but Halloween celebrations are often difficult for children with I/DD. Here are a few tips for making your Halloween more accessible!
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Make Getting Treats Easier
Depending on where you live or are setting up your trick-or-treat spot, accessibility could be an issue. Instead of having trick-or-treaters walk up onto your porch to receive their treats, consider setting up a station on the sidewalk or at the bottom of the driveway.
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Offer non-candy Treats
If you are trying to find ways to make your trick-or-treat stop more inclusive, consider offering non-candy options. Some youth with disabilities can find it difficult or impossible due to dietary restrictions to eat certain candies. Providing a small toy or stickers can ensure that everyone is able to enjoy your trick-or-treat stop!
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Look for Local Events
Halloween can be a fun, but scary time for children with I/DD. With costumes, lights, jump-scares, and all this in the dark (eek!) trick-or-treating can easily become overwhelming. Consider looking for daytime events in the community geared toward children. Trunk-or-treats or local Fall Festivals can be a great opportunity for your child to experience Halloween without all the sensory overload that comes with trick-or-treating in the dark.
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Comfortable Costumes
The comfortability of clothing can severely impact the Halloween experience for children with I/DD. There are a few ways to ensure comfort while trick-or-treating. First, play to their interests! If they are not able to communicate what they want to dress as, find something that reflects their current interests. Second, allow your child to wear the costume around the house (if they want to!) before Halloween. Lastly, add fabric or remove pieces that they maybe have indicated feel irritating.
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