‘Angry, when things don’t go my own way’: what it means to be gay with learning disabilities

Community-based arts research for people with learning disabilities: challenging misconceptions about learning disabilities

“…Likewise, poetry may have a similar effect of empowerment and inclusion. Writing poetry can be a way in which to express issues relating to sexuality and oppression (Richards, 2017), and poetry has been used to tackle sensitive subject areas (Leavy, 2009), such as issues relating to social exclusion, enabling poetry to create spaces that may enable new ways of understanding the world better (Leggo, 2008;Redman-MacLaren, 2015).…”

“…Mark shared his perspectives and experiences of being gay with the men in the project using poetry as a way to engage with people and talk about a topic that is often a taboo for people with learning disabilities. Mark was not pressurised into doing anything, but at his own pace, he made the decisions about how he expressed his intimate and personal views (see Richards, 2017). In one instance, he commented on why he continued to write in this way:…”

Using PAR to Promote Social Justice for Older People and People with Intellectual Disabilities

“…While the project involved creative and engaging workshops using visual methods such as photography, art, drama, filming, poetry, and sculpture, and the participants enjoyed and participated in all these activities (see Richards, 2017), there were obvious tensions between the different stakeholders. For example, in one situation it led to one of the men, Winston, being banned for life from the museum:…”

“…While the project involved creative and engaging workshops using visual methods such as photography, art, drama, filming, poetry, and sculpture, and the participants enjoyed and participated in all these activities (see Richards, 2017), there were obvious tensions between the different stakeholders. For example, in one situation it led to one of the men, Winston, being banned for life from the museum: Winston had become agitated (having been to the dentist earlier in the day) and his carer thought it was best that he was taken away from the group, to another room with the aim to make him feel more relaxed.…”

Young disabled and LGBT+: negotiating identity

“…Some also contend that disabled young people who demonstrate any sexual intent are going through a 'phase', or deem it to be part of the disability (Corker, 2001). Recent research by Richards (2017) which explored the poetry of one gay man with a learning disability (authors term), described how society is ignorant to the sexual desires and identities of people with learning disabilities. Stauffer-Kruse (2007) argued that gay men with learning disabilities (authors term) are particularly vulnerable when it comes to parents and carers repressing their need to sexual expression, which can lead to behaviour which is subsequently defined as challenging.…”