Two Communities, One Family: Experiences of young Deaf LGBT+ people living in a minority within a minority

Michaels, Paul; Gorman, Abigail

Two Communities, One Family: Experiences of young Deaf LGBT+ people living in a minority within a minority

Michaels, Paul; Gorman, Abigail

Authors

Paul Michaels p.a.michaels@durham.ac.uk
PGR Student Doctor of Philosophy

Abigail Gorman

Contributors

Alex Toft
Editor

Anita Franklin
Editor

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the young Deaf1 LGBT+ community. We draw parallels to Third Culture Kids who are raised in a culture other than their parents which is often the case for Deaf children and almost entirely the case with young Deaf LGBT+ people. This community has a shared experience of growing up Deaf and LGBT+ which means that very often, meeting new people requires a degree of trust. Once that trust is built, there is strong support and acceptance from within the community. Certain cultural markers are examined within this chapter; these cultural markers identify a person as being involved with the Deaf LGBT+ community, including a sense of community, Gay Sign Variation, supporting other members of the community when access to information in a signed language is limited, keeping in touch, meeting up and acceptance of difference. We also look at the impact of how a lack of discussion around gender identity and sexual orientation can affect the identity of the young Deaf LGBT+ people and how their lives may have been different if discussions were conducted earlier on their life.

Citation

Michaels, P., & Gorman, A. (2020). Two Communities, One Family: Experiences of young Deaf LGBT+ people living in a minority within a minority. In A. Toft, & A. Franklin (Eds.), Young, disabled and LGBT+ voices, identities and intersections. Routledge

Online Publication Date	Jan 23, 2020
Publication Date	Jan 23, 2020
Deposit Date	Mar 3, 2020
Publicly Available Date	Jul 23, 2021
Publisher	Routledge
Series Title	Routledge research in gender and society
Edition	1st
Book Title	Young, disabled and LGBT+ voices, identities and intersections.
Chapter Number	8
ISBN	9780367188146
Publisher URL	https://www.routledge.com/Young-Disabled-and-LGBT-Voices-Identities-and-Intersections-1st-Edition/Toft-Franklin/p/book/9780367188146

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Copyright Statement
This is an Accepted Manuscript of a book chapter published by Routledge in Young, disabled and LGBT+ voices, identities and intersections on 23 January 2020 available online: http://www.routledge.com/9780367188146