Disabled, LGBTQ+ community leaders speak about intersectionality, advocacy

On Wednesday, the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy and Garden State Equality hosted a virtual event titled "Queerly Disabled Panel Discussion: Policy, Pride and Possibility — Queer and Disabled Voices in Advocacy."

The panel consisted of LGBTQ+ leaders in community advocacy who deal personally with disabilities. Raisa Rubin-Stankiewicz, a Rutgers alum and the mental health lead for Bulletproof Pride, moderated the discussion.

Victoria Kirby York, director of Public Policy and Programs for the National Black Justice Collective, has narcolepsy, fibromyalgia and polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Giovanni Santiago, founder and chief executive officer of META Center Inc. and veteran of the U.S. Air Force, listed his disabilities, including insomnia and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Richard Hutchinson, co-founder of He is Valuable, added how his experience living with neurodivergence and HIV shaped his advocacy.

Aisling MacDonald, a Babs Siperstein fellow at Garden State Equality, described how she lives with chronic pain due to degenerative disc disease.

Airelle Smith, a graduate student at the School of Communication and Information, described her experience with the intersection of Blackness, femininity, queerness and neurodivergence.

Rubin-Stankiewicz began the discussion by asking how the panelists straddle between their visible disabilities, their invisible disabilities and their LGBTQ+ identities. 

York responded that authenticity and honesty are her tools for navigating her identities. For example, she sometimes needs to use a cane, but sometimes she does not. In some circumstances, a forthright discussion about her disabilities is necessary to keep her safe.

Hutchinson said that authenticity creates communities where people can speak about their identities and empower people with similar experiences.

Santiago added that in addition to honesty, adjusting his schedule and knowing his boundaries helps him manage his day-to-day life.

MacDonald pivoted the discussion to her gender transition and its repercussions.

"As a direct result of that transition, I lost every single thing that I owned — my family, my friends, most of my possessions. I was unhoused for a time," MacDonald said.

She said that she makes the choice every day to be her true self, and she has finally gotten to a point where she can find happiness in her identity.

Rubin-Stankiewicz asked how policymakers can include intersectionality to build policies that address everyone's needs.

Santiago said he has been involved in public policy for a "long time" and that giving a voice to the community is important in getting able-bodied people to see that people with disabilities exist.

York maintained that community members should take a more active role in policymaking and advocacy in order to rewrite laws so they consider all types of people.

"We need people who are willing to lead disability forward, who are willing to talk about their lived experiences, who are able to own certain moments that our symptoms do show up," York said.

Smith suggested that one method for creating more inclusive policies could be reflecting on and potentially changing data collection and analysis methods.

After the discussion, Rubin-Stankiewicz asked for questions from audience members. Multiple audience members inquired about the intersection of queerness and having a learning disability in an educational environment.

Hutchinson expressed feeling confused and isolated due to cultural stigmas around neurodivergence and how receiving access to adequate health care allowed him to understand himself better.

The next question delved into how the process of advocacy evolved as the panelists navigated their disabilities. York said she has incorporated into her advocacy a willingness to learn about various assistance programs, the ability to be forthright about her needs in the workplace and open discussion of her and others' stories with their disabilities.

When asked about social, athletic organizations catering to LGBTQ+ people with disabilities, Santiago said Stonewall Sports and the Gay Games are examples of LGBTQ+ concentrated athletic spaces, but he recommended audience members introduce more inclusive elements to their nearby chapters of these organizations.

Smith praised the University's Center for Social Justice Education and LGBT Communities for its efforts to consider inclusivity in its programming.

In their concluding remarks, Hutchinson and Santiago said that audience members should recognize the inherent worth of their perspectives on their own disabilities. Hutchinson said they should believe in their abilities to push for necessary policy changes.

Santiago and Smith both alluded to the 2024 general elections, with Smith telling the audience to reflect on their beliefs and priorities, particularly in consideration of voting.

York also said to advocate for oneself by asking questions and harboring healthy skepticism toward authorities, including medical professionals. 

"Stand in your power — whatever that is, stand in it. Be strong in that nobody knows you better than you know you," Santiago said. "Whether that is managing your disability, whether that is talking about your LGBTQIA identity, no one knows you better than you."