Identity Management and Community Belonging: The Coming Out Careers of Young Disabled LGBT+ Persons

Abstract

Coming out is best viewed in terms of a career with no discernible endpoint. Popular discourse and stage-based models which emphasise a linear phased approach tend not to accurately represent contemporary coming out experiences. Using data from interviews, focus groups and interactive workshops, this article explores the perceptions and strategies towards coming out by young disabled LGBT+ people. I suggest that viewing coming out careers as an identity management technique helps to shed light upon the relationship between intersecting identities and helps to examine the negotiations taking place, whilst teasing out how such identities impact and inform one another against the backdrop of misunderstanding. The stories of the participants also show that the framing of coming out as an imperative to living honestly and authentically was not a common experience. However, coming out to feel a sense of belonging within communities remains central to the perceived benefits. Coming out for the participants reveals tensions between their identities based on ableism and heteronormativity that led them to reconsider the viability and benefits of coming out. However, the participants revealed a challenging two-way relationship between the LGBT+ community and them as disabled people.

Autism, Queer Identity, And Applied Behavior Analysis: A Case Study In Multiple Minority Identity Development

“…While Abigail explains that the queer and autistic communities are so intertwined that there is no need for her to seek out a queer community separately, she does note that, in college, it was ultimately her experience of spending time around other queer individuals that encouraged her to actively explore this part of her identity. Toft [44] notes that nding a community can create a particularly suitable atmosphere for coming out and embracing queer identity, especially for LGBT people with disabilities. Even more, nding a community of like-minded individuals contributes to a feeling of safety for the queer disabled individual who are thinking of coming out [44].…”

Parallels and Alliances: The Lived Experiences of Young, Disabled Bisexual People

“…Again, questioning was open and broad to allow the young people to explore aspects they viewed as being the most important but guided by the interviewer (the author) to ensure everyday lived experiences were explored. Building upon previous research (Toft et al 2019;2020;Franklin and Toft, 2020) it was important to not rely on traditional question and answer sessions and a number of engagement techniques were employed including card games where random cards were turned over containing words (disabled/gay/bisexual etc.) encouraging the young person and research to explore ideas more freely.…”

“…The participants discussed how, even if others were able to accept their identities, in general the response was to work towards a fix. My previous work has highlighted how LGBT+ identities are consistently framed as a phase through which one passes, and that this does much to affirm the notion that any other sexuality beyond heterosexuality is can somehow be fixed (Toft et al 2020;Toft, 2020). Alongside this is the prevailing idea that the young people should strive for cures for their impairments.…”

“…LGBT+ is still outside of the norm and unsuitable for disabled people [Toft et al 2-19;2020;Franklin, 2020, Abbott andHowarth 2007]. Such thinking is ableist and affirms narratives on the overprotection of young disabled people (Franklin and Smeaton, 2017).…”

“…In relation to the work of Shakespeare (2000Shakespeare ( , 2009 the framing of disabled people as non-sexual denies access to any sexual identity. LGBT+ identities are further outside the reach of disabled persons as they continue to be portrayed as non-normative Toft, 2020).…”