5 Ways to Support People With Disabilities in the LGBTQIA+ Community
Recently, I came out to my family as demisexual. It had been a secret for 11 years. If you are demisexual, the people you feel an emotional connection with are attractive to you.
I have been thinking about ways to support those with disabilities in the LGBTQIA+ community, while I am coming out to my family and friends.
1. Make LGBTQIA+ Pride events more accessible for those with disabilities.
In the LGBTQIA+ community, many people with disabilities have complained about the lack of accessibility at events. The LGBTQ community would feel more inclusive and accepting if we focused on accessibility at pride events for those with disabilities.
2. Being a listening ear for those with disabilities in the LGBTQIA+ community.
We feel heard and matter when we feel this way. We often feel unnoticed by society because of our disabilities, even in the LGBTQIA+ community. Many people still believe that people with disabilities cannot identify their sexuality and be comfortable in their own skin when that is far from the truth. To help the LGBTQIA+ community become more supportive of those with disabilities, people must take the time to listen to us and our stories.
3. Don’t say you’ll pray for us.
Don’t ask if you can pray for someone with a disability when they come out and identify their sexuality. I am an Afro-Latina woman who is disabled and demisexual. According to certain people, they told me, “I’ll pray for you since you have cerebral palsy and are demisexual.” You can’t help us by saying you’re going to pray for us. We would appreciate it if you offered guidance and support rather than prayers. That’s what we need to overcome obstacles and challenges.
4. Take it day by day with us.
It takes a toll on members of the LGBTQIA+ community to be disabled. Our collective identity is slowly emerging. Taking it day by day and allowing us to process our emotions is the best way to support us. With this mindset, we are better able to understand where we’re going.
5. Media outlets should publicize our stories.
Our LGBTQIA+ community needs your help in spreading awareness about people like us. By sharing stories of LGBTQIA+ people with disabilities in news and social media, we are one step closer to having a home in the LGBTQIA+ community. Furthermore, it will enable others to gain a deeper understanding of what it’s like to live with a disability. Perhaps it will even bring about positive changes relating to accessibility and placement within pride events.
Everyone in the LGBTQIA+ community should be celebrated. Every individual is part of something that makes them unique and diverse within themselves and their own stories.
Getty image by Inna Miller
Tylia L. Flores is a twenty-eight-year-old born with Spastic Cerebral Palsy. Despite her condition that affects her mobility, she does not allow it to affect her will and determination to make a difference in the world. Through her many life challenges and obstacles, she discovered her passion for writing. Tylia’s goal in life is to share her stories with the world. In doing so, she hopes to help others with disabilities realize that they, too, have the potential to make their dreams come true. Tylia is not only an author. She’s a radio show personality and a disability activist. Tylia has written about disability-related topics for Yahoo Life, Your Tango, The Mighty, ReadUnwritten.com, Words Between Coasts Project, Wednesday, Spilwords, and Goble Thrive. Worth Living Among her other appearances are Disability on the Spectrum and Why I was Afraid of Sexuality. Previously, Tylia was nominated to Diversabilities list of the most influential Disability Impacts of 2022. Additionally, Tylia holds the position of chairman in the creative director role for the North American Association Of Cerebral Palsy Advocates. She serves as a mentor for the Disability EmpowHer Network as well. Tylia also works for Write It Up Publishing as a sensitivity reader focusing on disability representation. Tylia has also been involved in many movie press releases for Samuel Goldwyn Films Come as you are Piece of me which was the short film directed and written by award winning filmmaker Bruna Cabral as well as the film adaptation of the book Calvin can’t fly by Jenifer Burnes Tylia is also a keynote speaker at 2020’s Cerebral Palsy Awareness conference. She has also been a guest speaker at Northeastern State University Broken Arrow where she talks to college students about disability and inclusion in education. She has also been a guest speaker at Plantation Middle School, where she discussed inclusion and disability with classmates. Tylia is fully certified in Education for All: Disability, Diversity, and Inclusion through Cape Town University. She’s also certified in Understanding Diversity and Inclusion through Purdue University. She’s also certified in creative writing at the University of East Anglia. Tylia hosts the Stomping On cerebral Palsy radio show with DJ Ty on Asheville FM with DJ Mouse during the Come On In the Kitchen segment once a month she also helps the staff behind the scenes, help bring awareness to disability awareness and inclusion within the radio broadcasting industry .
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