Queering the social emergence of disabled sexual identities: Linking queer theory with disability studies in the South African context

abstract

People with disabilities share many similar experiences to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people. Besides a history of ongoing activism, sexual minorities and disabled people share a history of social injustice, oppression and isolation. Perhaps the most compelling intersection is found in the respective disciplines of queer theory and disability studies, which both challenge hegemonic constructs of normalcy. Despite this, there have been few attempts to combine both disciplines within an African context. This absence comes as no surprise, especially given the fact that youth and adults with disabilities are typically constructed as de-gendered and asexual.

Given this lack of reciprocity, this article explores the intersections between queer theory and disability studies in the construction of disabled sexual identities in the South African context. The significance of this article is not just that a number of people with disabilities identify as LGBTI or vice versa, but the fact that queer theory can challenge and extend current debates surrounding disabled sexual identities in South Africa. Correspondingly, disabled sexualities have the potential to queer constructs of African sexualities.

keywords:

• queer theory
• disability
• sexual identities
• heteronormativity
• compulsory able-bodiedness

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Elvin Williams for his helpful comments whilst drafting this paper, and Nancy Willis for allowing me to use her illustrations in the paper.

The illustrations used in this article are from the booklet Sexuality and spinal cord injury: Gay, from the Spinal Injury Association, United Kingdom.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Paul Chappell

PAUL CHAPPELL is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Anthropology and Development Studies at the University of Johannesburg. His research interests include the development of sexual identities amongst youth with disabilities in the African context and the intersections between gender, queer and disability studies.

As a person with a disability, Paul is an experienced sexuality educator, having run several sexuality education training programmes for youth with disabilities and their caregivers in South Africa. He is also a co-chair of the HIV and Disability Task Group for the International Disability and Development Consortium. Email: [email protected]