Reflections on “Disability Pride”

A few weeks ago, I had a really interesting conversation about the word “pride.” While it’s certainly been strongly associated with the LGBTQIA+ community for a long time, in recent years, it’s also become connected with disability. In fact, this month is Disability Pride Month.

The idea of Disability Pride has sparked diverse views among people I’ve spoken with. For example, a woman I met last year, who shares a similar disability to mine, told me she felt there was “nothing to be proud about.” On the other hand, many, myself included, believe it’s simply an opportunity for everyone to feel good about themselves and express “it’s okay to be me; I feel proud.”

My experience with various LGBTQIA+ activities, including a pride group at my workplace, reflects a similar dynamic. Some people enthusiastically embrace it as a celebration, while others see it more as an acknowledgment of who they are, simply stating, “that’s just the way I am.”

This divergence isn’t unique to these communities; we see it play out in other movements, like the feminist movement, and even in politics, such as the debate around quotas for Members of Parliament versus merit-based selection. I’m sure these discussions will evolve over time.

Today, I attended the Disability Pride Expo at Sydney Town Hall, where the keynote speaker was a truly fascinating individual, Alastair McEwin. Born profoundly deaf, he has held significant roles including Australia’s Disability Discrimination Commissioner and a Commissioner with the Disability Royal Commission.

During his Q&A session, he was asked about the intersectionality of his identities, and when he first felt pride about either his disability or his sexuality. He seemed to genuinely grapple with finding a single answer, likely because, as he explained:

“We all have our own journey, and our journey to work out who we are now. Disability is just part of who they are, but there are many parts.”

He reflected on his own “coming out” journey:

“I grew up in Adelaide, so you know the city of churches, that kind of influenced my coming out. That word gay, that was a word that I didn’t embrace straight away, but I certainly look back at my experience and go, I fell in love with people, I fell in love with my PE teacher at high school and realized, oh, okay!”

He highlighted the impact of environment on identity, saying:

“When I moved to Sydney… part of my coming out experience was moving into a community that was more visible. You know, Sydney and Melbourne, the gay community was a big part of the everyday culture, which was very different to Adelaide. So I met people who I connected with and realized I’m not the only one, that this is okay.”

He used a powerful example to illustrate this point:

“So the yes vote [for marriage equality] was a perfect example of how the disability sector got involved. Love is equal. The whole of Australia now understands that very simple concept, so you know that was one very simple message that changed the landscape.”

What struck me about this particular Disability Pride event was its grassroots feel. Many disability expos I’ve attended have been heavily populated by NDIS providers and government agencies. This expo, however, was filled with numerous local community organizations, with People with Disability Australia (an organization I’m involved with and which is very much grassroots) being there, and it was lovely to catch up with a couple of people working at their stall today.