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Outing

Disability

Stories from LGBTQIA+
people with disabilities

Outing Disability encourages you to reflect on your attitudes and assumptions about the sexuality, sex and gender of people with disability. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) people with disability are often excluded from both disability and LGBTIQ communities. They can face multiple discriminations that can inhibit their ability to experience sexuality, sex and gender as positive aspects of their lives. You are invited to consider how we as individuals and as a community can work to become more inclusive and uphold the sexual rights of LGBTIQ people with disability. The Outing Disability project was led by  Family Planning NSW, who continue to use this work as an education tool to create community engagement. Developed in collaboration with internationally acclaimed photographer, Belinda Mason, Outing Disability is an intimate portrait series which takes the viewer on a journey into the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) people with disability. Each person experience is different,  there are stories of coming out, transitioning, dating, and finding acceptance in a world that often makes invisible, the sexuality of people with disability.

“These portraits and their accompanying stories challenge assumptions about people with disability, especially that people with disability cannot openly express their sexuality and pursue healthy sexual lives. The exhibition has been a really liberating and empowering experience for many of the participants. The opportunity to present oneself to the world as who you really are is incredibly powerful, and should be everyone’s right.”

– Rob Hardy
Manager Health Promotion, Family Planning NSW

Outing Disability premiered at the Sydney Mardi Gras in February 2014 and went on to be exhibited at the Newcastle Regional Library in New South Wales in May 2015. The exhibition was shown at The Substation as part of the celebrations of International Day of People Disability in December 2015 with support of the Hobsons Bay Council. In January 2016 the exhibition is a part of the Melbourne Midsumma Festival and will be exhibited at the Footscray Library with the support of the Maribyrnong City Council.

“My work focuses on creating platforms for people who experience multiple discriminations. The power of their stories, and their portraits becoming a part of our visual landscape is integral in ensuring misconceptions and stereotypes are shattered. The portraits are all printed on larger than life mirror panels, which are not easy to see, in fact it takes a bit of time to aline yourself with the image so that you can see it, and when you do, what you also see, is a reflection of yourself. Art often imitates life, and in doing so, we need to take time to think and challenge our own perceptions, rather than challenge someone else’s lived-experience. The images of Outing Disability are printed on 1.6 metre high mirrored panels. To see the image clearly you need to take your time and move around the image until it appears clearly in front of you. This process is a reflection of the time that people should take to look beyond their own misconceptions about other people and discover the person within. When you can see the image clearly you catch glimpses of your own reflection. This also mirrors the journey of understanding and empathy when we feel a connection to another person’s story, often because somewhere in their story we find part or a glimpse of our own. My intent is to engage the viewer to discover our similarities rather than our differences. Through our similarities, a greater understanding of our differences can, I hope, create a more tolerant environment.”

– Photographer, Belinda Mason

THE EXHIBITION

by Belinda Mason Knierim OAM

DOCUMENTARY

by Knierim Brothers Productions

THE EXHIBITION - by Belinda Mason Knierim OAM

PROUD

“I am Daniel.  I am proud and strong about who I am.  I am gay and I have an intellectual…

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THE KISS

Rebecca & Jamayaha, 2013NSW, Australia Artist : Belinda Mason Series : Outing Disability Size : 850mm x 580mm Type :…

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BUDDIES

Rob and Andre, NSW 2013 Artist : Belinda Mason Series : Outing Disability Size : 850mm x 580mm Type :…

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Izzy

“I think I’m just as capable as any other person, just in different ways.” Iz Connell, 2018NSW, Australia Artist :…

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Finding Space

“There’s space in you, there’s space in the community for you to be able to express yourself” Harley Mahon, 2018NSW,…

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Creating Myself

“Able bodied people, straight people, cis-gendered people, need to stop and realise that sometimes they don’t have all the answers,…

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Mark

“It’s really important to create more visibility, to get out there and talk about your experiences, share your story and…

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DOCUMENTARY - PRODUCED BY KNIERIM BROTHERS PRODUCTIONS

“Dieter and Liam Knierim, of Knierim Brothers Productions, created a series of self narrative interviews of the participants of ‘Outing Disability’, which accompanies this exhibition. These portraits and their accompanying stories challenge assumptions about people with disability, especially that people with disability cannot openly express their sexuality and pursue healthy sexual lives. The exhibition has been a really liberating and empowering experience for many of the participants. The opportunity to present oneself to the world as who you really are is incredibly powerful, and should be everyone’s right.”
– Rob Hardy, Manager Health Promotion, Family Planning NSW

Having people with a whole lot of disabilities talking about their sexuality makes us really think through assumptions we make about the way we define people, and the way we make assumptions about lots of things in their lives which are not necessarily part of the label that they’re wearing at that moment. We all have multiple labels. We all need to define ourselves. We all need to be seen as part of a diverse humanity that deserves respect. Too often what is defined as disability, obscures a very human variety of needs, and wants, and desires of the people that we label that way. These vignettes affirm before humanity and all the participants.’

Eva Cox AO, 2014

 

www.thegoodsociety.net.au

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Family Planning NSW is the state’s leading provider of reproductive and sexual health services. They are experts on contraception, pregnancy options, STIs, sexuality and sexual function, menstruation, menopause, common gynaecological and vaginal problems, cervical screening, breast awareness and men’s health. They have five fixed clinics in NSW (in Ashfield, Fairfield, Penrith, Newcastle and Dubbo) and use innovative partnerships to deliver services in other key locations across the state with more 28,000 client visits annually. They also operate Talkline 1300 658 886, a confidential telephone and email information and referral service, connecting their expertise to communities across NSW. They provide information and health promotion activities, as well as education and training for doctors, nurses, teachers and other health, education and welfare professionals. As an independent, not-for-profit organisation, they recognise that every body in every family should have access to high quality clinical services and information. Their services are targeted to marginalised communities, including people from culturally and linguistically diverse and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, refugees, people with disability,  young people, people from rural and remote communities and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex communities.

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