In the age of social media, many 2SLGBTQIA+ artists, performers, activists and writers have been at the forefront in advocating for queer and trans identities to be included in a larger platform for a wider audience.

For those with a disability, their work has helped to create an intersectional and visible space within not only queer and disabled communities but also in mainstream spaces. It is thanks to them that there is more representation in both editorial and entertainment – but the work is far from over.

In USA and Canada, there are at least 3-5 million 2SLGBTQIA+ people with disabilities, with 2 in 5 disabled adults identifying as transgender, and 1 in 4 identifying as Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual. However, according to a 2020 GLAAD research study on 2SLGBTQIA+ media representation, there was only one mainstream TV show to feature a queer main character with a disability.

To celebrate Pride Month, we want to take the time to highlight 2SLGBTQIA+ disabled personalities in the media who are continuing to spark conversations about what it means to be 2SLGBTQIA+ and disabled.

Ryan O’Connell

Explore Ryan’s work at @ryanoconn on Instagram, People Magazine feature

Ryan O’Connell is a writer, actor and activist for the 2SLGBTQIA+ and disability community, and has been outspoken about his experiences as a gay man with cerebral palsy. You may know Ryan from his critically acclaimed Netflix series, Special, based on his bestselling 2015 memoir, I’m Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves.

As a writer, his work has been featured in Buzzfeed, Vice, The New York Times, and he has also written for TV shows such as MTV’s Awkward and the iconic Will and Grace. Ryan’s work mostly focuses on advocacy for queer and disabled representation in the media, using a refreshingly comedic take on his life as a physically disabled gay man.

Aaron Philip

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Aaron Philip, model and activist, is quickly becoming one of the most recognizable faces in the world of fashion. In 2018, Aaron became the first black transgender and disabled model to be signed to a major modelling agency. Within the last few years, Aaron has been featured in several major campaigns, including Nike and Sephora, and three international Vogue magazines.

Aaron was also the face of the Fall 2020 Moschino campaign (see above image), and interviewed by supermodel Naomi Campbell for Paper Magazine. Aaron was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a child and continues to speak out about their experiences as a black disabled trans woman, and her desire to make the fashion world more inclusive for POC, queer folks with disabilities.

Julian Gavino

Explore Julian’s work on @thedisabledhippie on Instagram

Julian Gavino is an NYC-based writer, model and activist for the trans disabled community. Many of his written work speaks out about the discriminations he has personally experienced online as a disabled person and transgender man.

Julian was born with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and uses his platform to talk about the need for intersectional equality for both the trans and disabled community. Julian has also modelled for various fashion brands and has taken part in the runways of New York and Los Angeles Fashion Weeks.

Jessica Kellgren-Fozard

Explore Jessica’s work at @jessicaoutofthecloset on Instagram, and on youtube (link below)

British Youtuber Jessica Kellgren-Fozard is best known for her vintage fashion and makeup tutorials, as well as her videos on queer and disabled communities. Jessica is both deaf and physically disabled, caused by her hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsy, Ehlers–Danlos syndrome, and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).

Much of her content focuses on her knowledge and passion for vintage fashion, as well as educational videos and personal stories about her experience as a disabled lesbian.

Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

Explore Leah’s work at brownstargirl.org

Based in Toronto and Oakland, California, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha is a queer and trans writer, poet, performer and activist who has dedicated her work to bringing representation to 2SLGBTQIA+ people of colour, particularly through the Sri Lankan and South Asian experience.

Many of her writings and performances are inspired by her experience as a disabled person and shifting the narrative of what living with a disability truly means. In Toronto, Leah co-created the Performance. Disability. Art collective (PDA) along with fellow activist, Syrus Marcus Ware.

Syrus Marcus Ware

Syrus Marcus Ware is an award-winning visual artist, activist and educator who co-founded the Performance. Disability. Art collective (with writer and activist, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha), Black Lives Matter – Canada, and the Wildseed Centre for Art and Activism in Toronto.

Much of Syrus’ work has been featured in some of Canada’s most prestigious galleries and universities, for example “How Disability Studies Stays White and What Kind of White it Stays”, as well as writing about disability, Deaf culture and transgender experiences in Trans Bodies, Trans Selves.

Ruby Allegra

Explore Ruby’s work at @rvbyallegrea, @rvbytheartist, @rvlmakeup, @zineandheld on Instagram

Ruby Allegra is a non-binary, disabled artist and Instagram influencer based in Kaurna Land, Australia. Ruby shares a lot of their artwork on Instagram, which often depicts queer disabled experiences. Through their creative art and content, Ruby speaks out against intersectional injustices of POC disabled members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

Jillian Mercado

Fans of The L Word: Generation Q will certainly recognize Jillian Mercado as Sophie’s sister, Maribel Suarez, and as one of the leading disabled models in the fashion industry. Jillian has been featured in some of the biggest magazine editorials, such as Cosmopolitan and Glamour as well as many fashion campaigns, including Diesel. Jillian identifies as queer and has been a trailblazing force for 2SLGBTQIA+ and disabled representation.

Dominick Evans

Image from Disability Visibility Project. Explore Dominik’s work at @dominikevans on Twitter and Twitch, dominikevans.com

Dominick Evans is an American filmmaker, 2SLGBTQIA+ and disability activist, and media consultant for major Hollywood Movie and TV Studios. He identifies as transmasculine, non-binary queer and has been heavily involved in movements that advocate for disability rights and representation in mainstream media, both in front of and behind the cameras. You may find Dominik streaming on his Twitch channel, and on Xbox and Steam as TheCripCrusader.

Disabled Representation and Pride Month

We celebrate the awesome of these remarkable people and their continued impacts throughout Pride Month.

Most references for this article are linked under each name. For a great intro to queer and disabled intersectionality, check out Invisibility within queer and crip communities: subverting the gaze by Amber Reid.