Young, Disabled and LGBT+

Young, Disabled and LGBT+ brings together the work of an international team interested in exploring the intersection of sexuality, gender identity, and disability in the lives of young people and aims to further develop this area as a distinct area of study. This volume features original research and writing into lives that are often misunderstood, marginalised and under-represented in research. It is framed with artwork, poetry and writing from young disabled LGBT+ people, and centralises the voices and lives of young disabled LGBT+ people throughout. Drawing from disciplines including: sociology, psychology, disability and youth studies, and with contributions from practitioners, it examines experiences and research from a number of perspectives, such as education, personal lives and activism. Featuring work from the UK, Canada, United States, India and Australia, it is a timely and topical book which will appeal to scholars particularly interested in sexuality, gender, disability and youth studies; professionals within health, education, social work and youth work who aim to understand and support young disabled LGBT+ people; and young people themselves.

Alex Toft is a Research Fellow in the Nottingham Centre for Children, Young People and Families at Nottingham Trent University. His research focuses upon sexuality, gender, disability, spirituality and identity. His publications include Bisexuality, Religion and Spirituality: Critical Perspectives (2020, with Andrew Yip). Anita Franklin is a Professor of Childhood Studies at the University of Portsmouth. Her research focuses predominantly on disabled children and young people and their experiences of: decision-making, education, health and social care provision, child protection and issues of inequality and inclusion.

Section 1. Theoretical and research landscapes; Introduction. Disguise; 1. Sexuality and gender identity in the lives of young, disabled LGBT+ persons: Initiating a Dialogue; 2. Also Here, Also Queer: The Work of LGBT+ Disabled Activists/Scholars in "Cripping" Sexualities; 3. The Psychosocial Coping of Multiply Marginalized LGBTQ+ Adolescents with Mental Health Issues; 4. Developing a psychological understanding of the lived experiences of young lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or trans (LGBT+) people labelled with intellectual disability (ID); 5. Centring the voices of disabled LGBT+ young people in research: Ethical and methodological considerations; Section 2. Identity, experience and voice; Introduction. My life in Sport; 6. Lived Difference: Ordinariness and Misfitting in the Lives of Disabled and LGBT Youth; 7. Between and Betwixt: Experiences of Being Young, Trans and Disabled in India; 8. Two Communities, One Family: Experiences of young Deaf LGBT+ people living in a minority within a minority; 9. Walking through treacle: The educational experiences of a group of young, disabled LGBT+ students; 10. Young, Disability and LGBT+ identities: Personal explorations of intersectional discrimination and support challenges; Section 3. Support and Inclusion; Introduction. Why Spark has been good for me; 11. 'A Forbidden Topic'? Sexuality and Young People with Intellectual Disabilities; 12. Creating an LGBTQ+ alliance in a specialist college setting in England: Reflections from practice; 13. Towards expansive and inclusive relationship and sex education: Young disabled LGBT+ people's ideas for change.