Experiences of LGBTIQA+ People with Disability in Healthcare and Community Services: Towards Embracing Multiple Identities

Abstract

Healthcare and disability support services are increasing their efforts towards inclusion and recognising the needs of different groups. This research project was conducted by academic and peer researchers (LGBTIQA+ people with disability) in Victoria, Australia using four focus groups with LGBTIQA+ people with disability. We report on two overarching themes relating to participants’ experiences of accessing health services as LGBTIQA+ people with disability: difficulties in managing multiple identities and the impacts of community services and supports. Participants described having to repeatedly ‘come out’ in a range of ways and contexts as complex and layered processes in which it was difficult to present their full range of needs and experiences to services. We also found that the role of community in promoting a sense of belonging and resilience increased capacity to manage health service use and advocacy. Services and communities aiming to be inclusive to all have the opportunity to recognise and respond to the issues faced by LGBTIQA+ people with disability as a way to pay attention to how overt and subtle practices of discrimination continue to operate despite repeated attempts at or claims of being ‘inclusive.’ Our research suggests actual inclusive, accessible services can be achieved in part through policy and practice that actively responds to the specific needs of LGBTIQA+ people with disability, in addition to LGBTIQA+ education for disability services and disability and accessibility education for LGBTIQA+ focused services. As we do in this article, we argue that this work must be done by prioritising authentic participation of LGBTIQA+ people with disability in the services and research that is about them.

Gender‐inclusive practice in pregnancy determination for transgender, gender diverse and non‐binary patients in medical imaging

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Variables that enhance the development of resilience in young gay people affected by the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…The acronym LGBTI+ identifies different realities that straddle sexual orientation and diversity in sexual expression (De Lira & De Morais, 2018). The language used to describe this group is constantly changing, that is, these people present multiple identities and specific ways of describing their life stories (O'Shea et al, 2020), which leads them to experience violence, rejection, prejudice, harassment and discrimination from childhood (Diaz‐Serrano & Meix‐Llop, 2016) through into adulthood (Alozie et al, 2017). This has led them to suffer significant emotional disturbances, especially in youth and adolescence, and in the most serious cases has led to suicide (European Commission, 2020; Sánchez‐Teruel & Robles‐Bello, 2014).…”

Supporting occupational therapists to initiate conversations about sexuality with people with intellectual disability: Co‐design by deliberative dialogue

“…The results of this tandem reality mean people with intellectual disability experience the disproportionate impact of restrictive and paternalistic community and social attitudes on their rights to sexual health and sexual expression (Carter et al, 2022;Coulter et al, 2023). This is further pronounced for people with intellectual disability who identify as LGBTIQA + (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/ questioning, asexual, and/or other non-normative identities), resulting in negative experiences with service providers and in sexual relationships (O'Shea et al, 2020;Ramasamy et al, 2021).…”