Gay and Deaf Communities: Parallel Experiences Series

Below is a translation of this ASL vlog:

“You’re deaf? Oh! You’re deaf?!  You can’t hear me?! HELLO!”  “Can. You. Read. My. Lips? A little bit?!…. I’m so sorry.”   “You can’t talk?”

“Oh! You talk so beautifully!”

“You’re so smart.  You’re not like those who sign.  Poor things! You talk so beautifully!  Sigh!”

“You’re gay?!  You’re kidding me!  That’s unnatural!  It’s immoral! It’s so wrong!”

“You have mental health issues.  You need to get some counselling. There’s therapy available to help you get straight.  It’s better to be heterosexual.”

Did you notice the similarities between the Deaf and the Gay? What are the similarities?

a)    Negative views by the majority of both deafness and homosexuality

b)    Oppressive behaviours towards both Deaf and Gay people

For the Deaf, it’s called audism which is the view that it’s better to (have the ability to) hear.  The first example (given at the very beginning of the vlog) is that of pity, which is expressed frequently.  To be deaf is to be disabled.   The second example: It’s better to speak than to sign. If good oral skills is displayed, one is praised. The exhibition of good oral skills implies that an individual has “overcome deafness.”

For the LGBT, homophobia is expressed through sneering as well as terms used such as: unnatural and immoral.  Heterosexism is the belief that it is better to be heterosexual.  There is the belief that homosexuality can be resolved through mental health therapy to overcome same-sex attraction and go straight.

I have created a 6-part blog series under the title “Parallels Between Gay and Deaf Communities.” The 6 parts consists of:

I: Parents of Gay and Deaf Children
II: The Impact of Medical Labels
III: Culture and Education
IV: The Burning Question: To Come Out or Continue to Pass in Society?
V: Eugenics
VI: CONCLUSION

By reading all the six blog posts, one will see many parallels between the experiences of both minority groups that show beyond a shadow of doubt that not only do homophobia and heterosexism exist, but so does audism.

V/BLOGGER’S NOTES:

CLARIFICATION: For simplicity’s sake, I use the term gay to describe the LGBT community, although other terms may crop up here and in my subsequent posts. I have been advised that some individuals prefer the term gay. Others prefer LGBT. Yet others prefer GLBT. Some even accept the term homosexual. Some are offended by certain labels, while others embrace them.

ASL TRANSLATION HICCUPS:  I apologize for the lack of ASL vlog translations for each of the subsequent blogs.  I did make the vlog translations; however, I was dissatisfied with the way I wrote the blogs and edited them.  This rendered the ASL translations obsolete.Preparations must be made for the approaching school year.  So, time has run out for me to redo the translations.   ASL translations will be produced, but I cannot give a definite date for that.  It’s important to have bilingual versions that are of equal quality, so it will take a good amount of time to do a decent job at translating.  Thank you for your patience.

COMMENT AREA: Oh, and one more thing. I have video comments available below.  You have the option of making video comments (ASL) and text comments.  I look forward to receiving your thoughts.