Making Pride More Accessible for Disabled 2LGBTQIA+ Folks

2LGBTQIA+ is an acronym that includes various people’s genders and sexualities.

Let’s talk about how having and disability and being in the 2LGBTQIA+ community impacts each other. But first, for those who may be unfamiliar with the acronym 2LGBTQIA+ and Pride Month itself, let’s take a moment to break it down.

• The 2 stands for 2 Spirit. 2 Spirit is a label used by Indigenous individuals. 2 Spirit people identify as having both masculine and feminine spirits. This term refers to an Indigenous (sometimes also stated as Native person, in the US, this would be Native American) person’s gender. Only an Indigenous person can claim this identity.
• The L stands for Lesbian. This is someone's sexuality. Typically, this refers to a woman or feminine person who loves other women, feminine people, and non-men.
• The G stands for Gay. This is someone’s sexuality. Typically, this is a man or masculine person who loves other men, masculine people, and non-women.
• The B stands for Bisexual. This is an individual’s sexuality and means that a person may like more than one gender. This could be their own gender and others.
• The T stands for transgender. Like the name suggests, transgender is someone’s gender. Someone who is trans feels that their sex assigned at birth doesn’t match their gender identity they truly are.
• The Q in the acronym stands for Queer or Questioning. Queer is an umbrella term that some people may use to say they are not straight and do not identify with their sex assigned at birth. The Q can also mean questioning, which refers to people who may be unsure, or questioning’, what their sexuality or gender identity is and are exploring what it could be.
  • It is very important to note that queer is a reclaimed term by the LGBTQ+ community. This term is formerly a slur and has a dark and violent history. It should only be used by an individual in the community to describe themselves. Unless you have permission to refer to someone’s identity using this word, you should be cautious about saying it.
• I stands for intersex. Intersex is a general term used for people born with reproductive or sexual anatomy/traits that don't appear to fit the typical definitions of female or male.
• A stands for asexual. Asexual is an umbrella term for anyone who experiences little to no sexual attraction toward other people of any gender.
• The + sign is for other gender or sexuality identifiers and allies. 

Note: These definitions are not fully comprehensive, and non-binary and trans individuals may view these definitions more fluidly. These labels are self-identifiers, and not something anyone can place on someone without permission.

You can learn more about sexuality and gender identity on The Trevor Project's website.

Now that we’ve gone over what these identities are, what is Pride? What is Pride Month? How did it start?

• Pride month is a celebration of the 2LGBTQIA+ community each year in June. It honors the Stonewall uprising that happened on June 28^th, 1969. At that time, it was still illegal to be gay, and many people experienced discrimination and violence because of who they are. These protests led to the gay rights movement, led primarily by Black trans women, who were the most impacted by discrimination due to their intersectional identities.
• Over 50 years later, we honor this history and the continued struggles of the 2LGBTQIA+ community in the month of June.

2LGBTQIA+ people with disabilities face additional unique challenges:

• Limited access to 2LGBTQIA+-inclusive and fully accessible services: Accessing affordable, accessible and inclusive health care, community services and more is challenging for 2LGBTQIA+ people with disabilities; and especially so in rural communities.
• Bullying and exclusion for 2LGBTQIA+ youth with disabilities: 2LGBTQIA+ youth with disabilities report high rates of harassment and are more likely to be bullied or harassed than students without disabilities.
• Added barriers to employment: People with disabilities report incredibly high rates of employment discrimination and unemployment.
• Overrepresented in the juvenile and criminal justice systems: Research finds that 2LGBTQIA+ and gender nonconforming youth and 2LGBTQIA+ people are greatly overrepresented in the criminal and juvenile justice systems, as are people with disabilities and people of color.
• Invisibility within both communities: 2LGBTQIA+ people with disabilities often report that it is challenging to have their identities fully recognized.
• 2LGBTQIA+ people are more likely to experience mental health conditions that can impact daily life: Mental health conditions can potentially impact a person’s daily life to such an extent that it is a disability in the eyes of the law, medical professionals and/or the individual living with that condition.

Source: AmeriDisability.com