Attitudes to disability in the 1980s
1986
Attitudes to disability in the 1980s
Trevor, who is severely
disabled and uses a wheelchair says “Attitudes were very different
twenty years ago both to being gay and disabled. We’ve moved on. The
reaction to me as a disabled gay man has not been easy. It would have
taken longer had it not been for the Lesbian and Gay Community Centre, (Aston).
Just because you’re a member of one oppressed group doesn’t mean that
you’re not perfectly capable of oppressing others. We all do it. It’s
no different for gay men and disabled people. I remember feeling very
uncomfortable on the commercial gay scene because of people staring.
An
example of the attitudes was, after I‘d been part of the gay community
in Birmingham for some time, a group of us gays had gone to the Power
House, and while I’d gone for a dance, a guy had asked another of my
friends ‘Is Trevor gay?’. My friend couldn’t believe it, and asked him,
‘Why else would Trevor be here, going to the Community Centre etc?’.!
It had clearly never dawned on that guy that disabled people could have
a sexuality.”
Contributed by: Trevor Sword, 50