Disabled Women, Care Regimes, and Institutionalised Homophobia: a Case Study From Poland

Abstract

Introduction The intersection of non-heterosexuality, gender, and disability became a prolific field of research among both queer, crip, and disability studies scholars, though focusing mainly on Western regions. In the paper discusses how women narrate their experiences in relation to ableist and heteronormative regimes in the context of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The case study of Poland, a country characterized by institutionalization, lack of individualized disability support, and state homophobia contributes to a growing body of research on non-western sexuality and disability studies. Methods We conducted interviews with 11 non-heterosexual disabled women living in Poland. Results By tackling care regimes, our analysis explores women’s experiences in the context of discursive confusions resulting from being at the intersection of often-contradictory local narrations on gender, disability, and sexuality. We identified three intertwined processes to understand how care regimes work in Poland: (1) the separateness between queer and disabled policies and discourses, (2) the coopting/obscuring of homosexual relations between women by category of care, and (3) familiarisation of care and its consequences for non-heterosexuality. Policy Implication We suggest that social support systems must better address the needs of non-heterosexual women with disabilities which are profoundly impacted by structural, political, and cultural constraints and possibilities.

Stratified reproduction and ableism: Women with disabilities and navigating reproduction and social control in Poland

“…In Poland, a vast disability-based inequality gap in access to gynaecological services has been confirmed (Wołowicz et al, 2022a), as well as discrimination faced within healthcare system by non-heterosexual women with disabilities (Wołowicz et al, 2022b). Rare studies on motherhood describe social and institutional barriers (Ciaputa et al, 2014), as well as alternative models of motherhood to the dominant ones practised by women with disabilities (Wołowicz, 2015).…”