Enriched Lives: Being Deaf and LGBTQ+

The LGBTQ+ community contains a truly vibrant diversity, containing people of all backgrounds. This diversity is an important strength of our community, which is why efforts to make LGBTQ+ spaces accommodating for as many people as possible is so important. Deaf individuals are an important part of the LGBTQ+ community, and have helped advocate for positive social change, both on an individual level, but also through organizations like Minnesota Deaf Queers (MDQ).

Jessalyn Akerman-Frank is deaf LGBTQ+ individual, and a founding member of MDQ who has spent decades advancing the LGBTQ+ and Deaf rights in Minnesota. She moved to the state in 2001 after graduating fromGallaudet University, but found that there was work to be done to improve the lives of deaf people in Minnesota.Describing her experience,

Akerman-Frank said, “When moving here there were not many resources for a Deaf LGBTQ+ individual so I went ahead and connected with hearing LGBTQ+ members of the community. They basically took me under their wing. I began to find my Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing LGBTQ+ community through different connections.” Hoping to establish more resources for the Deaf LGBTQ+ community, Akerman-Frank pitched the idea of an annual award ceremony. According to Akerman-Frank, “The goal of this was for people to come together, to be able to truly connect with others. We had presenters, legislators, allies come together to share information, stories and make connections.”

The first Annual Deaf LGBTQ+ Awards was held in a house for 25 people, but in the years since has grown into a large event held in a Delta Marriott hotel. For many Deaf LGBTQ+ individuals, the event has been life changing.“Every year we were told that because of this event, we saved a life, or someone was connected, or they felt brave enough to come out, or met the love of their life and that list goes on” Akerman-Frank explained.

The resources and connections fostered by MDQ are incredibly important for Deaf LGBTQ+ individuals who experience intersectional needs. According to Akerman-Frank, the organizations responsible for teaching LGBTQ+ people about AIDS and PrEP are hearing oriented, meaning Deaf people need interpreters to access these healthservices. Interpreters might not be provided by health services or might require Deaf patients to pay for their own interpreter. Interpretation services are important for Deaf people like TK Mehlhaff, a Deaf LGBTQ+ wine specialist and volunteer for MDQ. As she explains, “For us Deaf community, English isn’t our first language. It takes a lot of time and patience to translate and understand the big picture.”

There are many Deaf people that desire interpreters that reflect their identities, which can be a challenge for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC individuals. As Akerman-Frank notes, “There is not only a shortage of Interpreters, but, there are not many who are BIPOC or Trans identified.” This shortage additionally presents challenges for Deaf people that would like different interpreters for their personal and professional lives.

It can also be difficult for Deaf people to get interpreters in the workplace.

Akerman-Frank acknowledges that she is very lucky in her workplace. She works for the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing as the Director of Community and Civic Engagement. Her entire team is Deaf, DeafBlind, or Hard of Hearing, collectively speaking through American Sign Language (ASL). “At my employment, access is not a barrier, we are not second-class citizens. By having full access, and the support of an amazing team, we all thrive”. Akerman-Frank holds her workplace up as a model for how Deaf

individuals should be afforded, but not all employers live up to this standard. As Akerman-Frank explains: “I know that many people in my community do not have this and struggle daily in their jobs fighting for access for meetings, and being scolded for things that resulted in miscommunication because of ‘their’, the employers’ ignorance. Many will ask them to bring their interpreter, which is not their responsibility. No one should feel this discrimination or oppression in their jobs.” Beyond this, Akerman-Frank notes how businesses will pass up on Deaf employees for promotions or raises.

Discrimination has no place in society, and everyone deserves equal access and treatment. There are tangible steps we can all take to make the world a fairer place. For hearing organizations, Akerman-Frank recommends allocating money for inclusive measures like interpreters and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART).As she says, “When people who need ASL Interpreters, CART, or other accommodations have to ask for it, and fight for it, that is not inclusion. Inclusion means you want to serve all people therefore you budget to serve all people”.

Additionally, Akerman-Frank recommends learning basic ASL, captioning videos, adding image descriptions, and transcribing images. Social media websites like Twitter, Bluesky, YouTube, Tumblr, and others have alt text and captioning features. Anyone using these websites should take the time to make their posts accessible to all of the site’s users. For organizations, having Deaf people on boards, taking training from Deaf organizations, running decisions past Deaf advisory committees, and partnering with Deaf organizations can make their activities more inclusive.

When asked about her experiences as a Deaf person in the LGBTQ+ community, Mehlhaff said “As a LGBTQ+ person, it is really a profound experience to represent Deaf community, I enrich our community and our language.”The LGBTQ+ community is vast and vibrant, with every member making it increasingly more so. One of the goals of the MDQ awards ceremony was to bring people together into community, ultimately helping many LGBTQ+ people come out of the closet.

Every Deaf LGBTQ+ individual I interviewed for this piece said that generally their experiences within the LGBTQ+community were positive. There is still work to be done to make the world a fairer place for LGBTQ+, Deaf, and BIPOC people, but through community a better society can be constructed.