Unicorn Roots

Society & Gender

In Western society, disability tends to be de-gendered, creating an environment that’s generally androcentric — neither gender neutral nor genuinely gender-inclusive. According to 2019 CDC data, 25.4% of men and 28.1% of women in the US identified as or were diagnosed as disabled. The US Transgender Survey also found that 39% of transgender participants had at least one disability, compared to 15% of the general population. But to fully understand the connections between these identities, it’s important to consider how societal gender roles affect, and are affected by, the experience of disability (Slayter & Johnson, 2023).

Society tells us how women and men are supposed to look and behave. However, these complicated societal rules of gender expression and sexuality become even more complicated by the daily requirements of disability. Femininity isn’t the only personality trait that’s affected by these requirements; masculinity is as well. While masculinity is culturally associated with strength and dominance, disability is often associated with weakness, submission, and inability (Slayter & Johnson, 2023). These cultural assumptions simultaneously demean masculinity, femininity, and the entire disability community.

To properly understand how these assumptions affect physical, psychosocial, and political outcomes, it’s important to consider how coexisting minority identities add to the harm already caused by the stigma of disability. Stereotypes like the “angry black woman” and the “sissy gay boy” are good examples.  They are clear markers of difference that reinforce othering and contribute directly to harmful social constructs (Slayter & Johnson, 2023).

A 2017 UK survey actually backed this up with concrete data. The survey showed that 34% of disabled LGBTQ+ adults had experienced inappropriate curiosity from staff, 20% had experienced unequal treatment, 15% had been outted in front of others without their consent, 8% had been pressured to change or suppress their LGBTQ+ identity, and 33% had seen a lack of understanding of LGBTQ+ health needs. Disabled transgender adults were also significantly more likely to have faced discrimination when accessing mental health centers, rape crisis centers, domestic violence shelters, and drug treatment programs. This discrimination was the most pronounced among those with learning disabilities, multiple disabilities, and those with Latino heritage (Green et al., 2023).

Dating also adds another layer of complexity. Disabled LGBTQ+ women are significantly more likely to have a transgender partner and more likely to be single than their able-bodyminded counterparts. Research has shown that transgender people are around 1.7 times more likely to have experienced domestic violence than cisgender people, and in the US, 61% of disabled transgender adults have experienced some form of financial, physical, or emotional abuse. The wide range of disabilities and LGBTQ+ identities has limited the scope of data, however. So more studies are definitely needed on this subject. That said, many LGBTQ+ people with disabilities can benefit from dating within the community, as a sense of understanding and belonging is already present (Green et al., 2023).

References

Green, A.K., Gomes, R.S.M., Heinze, N., Kempapidis, T. (2023). Queer and Disabled: Exploring the experiences of people who identify as LGBT and live with disabilities. MDPI.com. https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7272/4/1/4

Slayter, E., & Johnson, L. (2023). Social Work Practice and Disability Communities: An intersextional anti-oppressive approach — Chapter 7. Salem State University. ROTEL Project. https://pressbooks.salemstate.edu/disabilitysocialwork/chapter/chapter-7-gender-gender-identity-and-gender-expression/