What racial, disability and LGBTQ justice have in common
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/poetry/racial-disability-lgbtq-justice-common/
Ulanday Barrett, who uses the pronouns “he,” “they” and “K.,” testifies to living at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities: “transgender, disabled, a person of color (and) from a rough economic background,” he said. “It’s been my struggle and my commitment to elaborate on these experiences that overlap.”...
Poetry is particularly important in giving visibility and voice to people who are disabled and LGBTQ — people who are too often silenced, or told that only one part of their identity is valid, he said.
“Queer and trans people and people who are disabled are told, ‘You are something to be ashamed (of). You are something to be fixed. It’s okay if you are isolated. Fit this mold or you will be left behind,’” he said. “As a trans person, policy and government do not reflect my livelihood or the lives of my friends or family. So we have to harvest and cultivate our own stories, not just to feel valid, but to feel rejoiced.”...
Ulanday Barrett’s spoken word poem “Homebois don’t write enough” challenges the narrative of traditional masculinity, which they said does not leave room for people of color, queer people or disabled people. “‘Masculinity’ is super straight, American, husband-y, and typically able-bodied,” they said. “Masculine people aren’t supposed to be vulnerable. What happens to gender when we defy the expectations?”
