Gay with a Disability: A College Student's Multiple Cultural Journey.

Abstract

Traditionally, student issues regarding disability and sexuality have been viewed and addressed in isolation on college campuses. However, students with multiple minority identities are in need of services and personnel that are responsive to their unique needs as members of two historically oppressed minority groups. This qualitative exploration gives voice to the campus experiences of a gay, male college student with a disability. Multidimensional identity theory is used as a framework to contextualize his personal perspectives concerning various aspects of his collegiate experience. Findings suggest that the participant vacillated between several options of Reynolds and Pope's (1991) Multidimensional Identity Model, which illuminate the need for more integrated services and support within the campus environment. Practical implications are offered to assist college and university personnel respond to the needs of GLB students with disabilities. ********** The last several decades in higher education have witnessed enormous strides towards equal opportunity and a multiculturally competent approach to individuals with disabilities (Smith, Foley, & Chaney, 2008). The simple truth is that the world is comprised of countless varieties of individuals with varying degrees of ability, personal culture, religious beliefs, sexual preference and practices, etc. This type of diversity has clearly set the stage for Counselor Education and Student Affairs Professionals to develop appropriate approaches to higher education that would create the most favorable environment for all students. Prior to the passage of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and most recently the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, most students, faculty and staff had minimal exposure and understanding of individuals with disabilities (Evans, Assadi, & Herriott, 2005; Smith, Foley, & Chaney, 2008). Until recently, disabled individuals were generally viewed singularly, without acknowledging other dimensions of their identity. Therefore, much needed attention to the dynamics of multiple dimensions of identity and multicultural competence is necessary to comprehend the marginalization of this minority (Sherry, 2004). Multicultural competence has been pinpointed as an important criteria within the Counseling and Student Affairs professions, however attention to the intersection of class, race, gender, ability and sexuality has been slow to be fully incorporated within the training of employees in these professions (Smith, Foley, & Chaney, 2008, p. 303). Traditionally, disability and sexuality have been addressed as separate identities, and individuals with disabilities have been desexualized within greater society. According to Sweeney (2006), society focuses on individuals' disabilities and neglects to recognize them as sexual beings. Individuals have multiple identities, all of which need to be valued (Sweeney, 2006). Inherent in the understanding of an individual's experience is the need to recognize the influence each part of that person's identity has on the person as a whole. Therefore, contemporary diversity advocates are challenged to reexamine disability within a precise and interwoven context that can also account for the oppressive experiences of the disabled based on sexual orientation, gender, race, and class (Thompson & Bryson, 2001). The purpose of this article is to investigate the experiences of a gay male with a disability through the lens of multidimensional identity theory (Reynolds & Pope, 1991; Abes, Jones, & McEwen, 2007). This qualitative study explores the voice of an individual with multiple identities regarding his daily experiences and understanding of the campus environment. The goal of this research is to better understand how a gay male with a disability navigates his surroundings and utilizes the resources available, or lack thereof. …