CAN (LET’S) is proud to have participated in Realize’s Real Talk: Including People with Disabilities in Pride Organizing.
CAN’s (LET’S) Executive Director Heather McCain and researcher/facilitator Harmony Bongat spoke with host Melissa Egan, National Lead, Episodic Disabilities at Realize and moderator Nkem Ogbonna, Manager, Programs and Strategic Partnerships at ASE (pronounced Ah-Shay) Community Foundation for Black Canadians with Disabilities.
We chose the title “Including People with Disabilities in Pride Organizing” because though we know that people with disabilities have been central to 2SLGBTQIA+ organizing over the decades but our queer/trans identities and disability is still often seen separate. This has led to accessibility often remaining as an afterthought when it comes to Pride organizing.
During the panel, we had a great, lively discussion as we spoke on the following questions:
- Why is an intersectional approach is critical when it comes to pride organizing and what role it plays in current conversations about inclusion?
- 2022 was the first time since the pandemic started that we saw large scale, in person Pride events happening and we have heard a lot about the notion of “Getting back to normal” during COVID-19. What does this mean for us? What does this mean for 2SLGBTQIA+ people with disabilities?
- In our opinion, how can we center the lived experiences of queer volunteers and community organizers with disabilities from the A-Z planning of Pride initiatives and move away from a “checklist” accessibility model that often solely considers spectators and attendees?
- Doing advocacy work is no small feat, especially as people with intersecting identities ourselves. It often falls solely on the back of other Queer persons with disabilities to ensure accessibility for Pride attendees and organizers, which can lead to burnout. To tie together our entire conversation from today, what collective responsibility do we all have to better center the experiences of queer people with disabilities? What are some tangible things you want to see moving forward to address this and other gaps that have been raised today?