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Mount Holyoke College

Publication Date

Fall 12-1-2014

Program Name

Netherlands: International Perspectives on Sexuality and Gender

Abstract

This research is the study of the intersection between queerness and disability within the context of Amsterdam Gay Pride, specifically the Canal Parade. The study examines the intersection between LGBT identity and physical disability at the event and in surrounding organization and events within the Amsterdam LGBT community. The primary research question was: how does Amsterdam Canal Pride’s accessibility affect both the positioning of the LGBT and disabled identifying community in Amsterdam and the relevance of the event as a place of activism and celebration? Five interviewees identifying as lesbian or gay, possessing a physical disability, participating in activism within the field of LGBT and disability, or some combination thereof participated in oral history interviews to discuss their experiences with Canal Pride. Key themes of accessibility (physical, social, and emotional) of the event, identity formation and representation, organization of community, and normalization were analyzed. Results of the study concluded that the claiming of multiple marginalized identities and navigation of those identities is highly personal and can affect the organization of communities. Amsterdam Canal Pride shows variance in its social accessibility, and it is deemed necessary for improvements to be made in physical accessibility.

Disciplines

Accessibility | Civic and Community Engagement | Communication Sciences and Disorders | Community-Based Research | Disability and Equity in Education | Eastern European Studies | Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies | Gender and Sexuality | Inequality and Stratification | International and Area Studies | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies | Other Medicine and Health Sciences

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