Queer Disabled People in History
TW: discussions of hate crimes, suicide, mental illness, violence
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Disabled people and queer people alike are both likely to be hidden, but both have existed for as long as humanity has - as have queer disabled people. Those who rose to historical prominence often have those parts of their identities shrouded by the world - or at least it's attempted.
I couldn't possibly even begin to look at all the historical figures who were both queer and disabled, but I'll take a look at some - a few of the most prominent and some that are not as widely recognized.
Michelangelo
Portrait by Daniele da Volterra, c. 1545
Yes, that Michelangelo! The Italian sculptor is considered one of the best artists to ever live and has some of the most recognizable works including: David, The Creation of Adam, Madonna and Child, Pietá, and many others. His work is seen in places such as the Sistine Chapel, San Pietro in Vincoli, the Louvre, the Medici Chapel, among others. He's still iconic, even though he's been dead for over 459 years!
But did you also know that he was queer and disabled?
It's no secret that there was a lot of homosexuality among the aristocratic men in Renaissance Italy, and Michelangelo was no exception. He never married or had children, but was said to have love affairs with men and women; his most notable love interest is Tommaso dei Cavalieri, an apprentice 34 years his junior.
The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo c. 1512
Michelangelo sent a lot of poetry (~300 poems) in his letters and about 30 were dedicated to Cavalieri. Michelangelo was said to have a "monk like celibate" lifestyle, but in several poems, seems to express passionate desire for men he wrote to; Cavalieri was said to have rejected him at some point due to the sexual undertones of some poems. The Roman Catholic Church's official stance on homosexuality is acceptance - if they remain celibate; which could account for his mix of "burning" and suffering into love poems.
Though no specific terms existed in the 1400s and 1500s, Michelangelo was noted to have limited interests, poor social skills, an unusual lifestyle, and a single minded work routine. He didn't receive much instruction before showing considerable artistic talents. If he had been alive during the age of modern medicine, he would have easily been diagnosed as an autistic savant.
David by Michelangelo c. 1501 - 1504
He's been a very popular subject of study for psychologists and doctors who study historical figures and posthumously diagnosis them. Several studies have concluded that he was autistic and "high functioning", that is, didn't require extensive support or accommodations for activities of daily living and his main symptoms were social or behavioral. From accounts of his family, it's likely that it was common in his family.
Marsha P Johnson
Also known as Malcolm Michaels Jr.
Johnson was a self-proclaimed drag queen and transvestite who was heavily involved in the American gay liberation movement of the late 1960s to mid 1980s. Johnson is best known for her role in the Stonewall Uprising, but states she wasn't around when the riots began. She was a founding member of The Gay Liberation Front and co-founder of Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR).
The accounts of her role at the Stonewall Uprising are conflicting, but it was clear she was at the front lines. She started to go to rallies, sit ins, and meetings with the Gay Liberation Front and was an active member fighting for her rights as well as those of other queer people.
She later co-founded STAR with Sylvia Rivera and aimed to help the homeless LGBTQ+ people in their area. Though its most prominent focus was helping the homeless queer community, disability rights and support were also key tenants of the group, and several people in the group had disabilities that made it difficult for them to independently support themselves. One of its most well known causes was calling for the end of forced psychiatric institutionalization of queer people and the abolition of "conversion therapy", which was unfortunately common at the time. They called for medical treatment and therapies to be free for disabled people as well - it's worth noting here that medical expenses are the most common debt in the USA, which can result in a person becoming homeless.
Marsha P Johnson herself was disabled and had psychiatric and physical disabilities. Because she was black, trans, and disabled, she faced a lot of bias, including frequent arrests and being subjected to medical treatments without her consent. She contracted AIDS in 1990 and was found dead July of 1992. Police were quick to rule it a suicide because of her medical conditions and traumatic experiences, but after protests, they later stated that it was a "possible homicide", then later "undetermined".
Activists have fought to reopen the case and in 2012 and 2016, succeeded in doing so. As of now, it remains unsolved but is being re-examined, and I hope that it will be solved and we can bring justice for Marsha, who put the needs of others before her own and dedicated her life to helping others.
Leonardo da Vinci
Another large, well known name that most don't know was queer and disabled!
Leonardo da Vinci was what we would call a "jack of all trades": painter, sculptor, inventor, architect, military engineer, and draftsman (makes technical plans or drawings). He was extremely intelligent, curious, and seemed to excel at everything he did. Some of his most well known works are his paintings, Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, and his anatomical drawings.
It's believed that he had dyslexia and that was partly why he focused on more visual expressions (drawing, painting, sculpting) rather than the written word. He is probably the most well known "mirror writer" and it's hypothesized that this method of writing is faster for left hand dominant dyslexic people to read.
In his final years, his right hand was paralyzed by a nerve injury that caused him to leave some paintings unfinished - notably, Mona Lisa.
Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci c. 1503
Much like Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci lived in Renaissance Italy and was rumored to be homosexual. He never married or had children, despite being known as very sociable, charming, and handsome. Some speculate that he was asexual.
He was charged with sodomy by an anonymous person, but was acquitted. He was known to wear clothing that wasn't masculine, took only boys as pupils, and was said to have had a particularly close bond with a pupil, Salai.
He took Salai in as a pupil when he was only 10 years old (yuck), who lived with him until his death - though he was said to be untalented and a thief. There is no concrete evidence of him ever having any affairs, so it is speculation on if he was aroace, asexual, and/or gay (it is possible to be a combination!).
I sincerely hope that his connection with Salai was a paternal role and not romantic or sexual.
Eva Gore-Booth
Eva Gore-Booth was an Irish poet and playwright. She was born into a fairly wealthy family in County Sligo in 1870. She was well educated and able to travel with her family - including her father who was an arctic explorer. During one of her trips with her family, she contracted TB, which affected her for the rest of her life.
She was well remembered for her work towards women's rights and women's right to vote. She joined organizations such as The Nation Union of Women's Suffrage Union and Manchester and Salford Women's Trade Union Council and frequently campaigned for the causes and called out elected officials who did not deliver on their promises.
Her partner, Esther Roper, was heavily involved with her work. Together, with Sarah Reddish, they founded the Lancashire and Cheshire Women Textile and Other Worker's Representation Committee with particular interests in women being able to independently make a wage selling their goods.
Esther Roper
The TB infection that Eva Gore-Booth contracted haunted her for her entire life. As her respiratory health deteriorated, Esther Roper became her carer. The two were inseparable: worked together, lived together, and some letters between them pointed to a romantic connection rather than "just roommates".
Nasreen Alkhateeb
I wanted to end with a modern day, living example of a queer disabled person who is making history.
Alkhateeb is a filmmaker dedicated to boosting the voices of the underrepresented. She describes herself as "BIPOC, multi-heritage, Black, Iraqi, Disabled, raised Muslim, and 1st Generation" and uses those identities as inspiration for her work.
She served as the cinematographer for Kamala Harris' vice presidential campaign. She's won multiple awards for her work and has worked on: Oprah's Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man, campaigns for NASA, executive production of East of the River, campaigns for the Women's March, and many more.
She's a Visions mentee of the American Society of Cinematographers, fellow of The Disruptors, fellow of the Ford & Mellon Foundation’s Disability Futures, and many more. Her resume is extensive and she has already been groundbreaking and made history, and I suspect she's not finished yet!
Closing Thoughts
This is nowhere near even mentioning everyone, but I hope it helps to shine a little light on the impact that queer disabled people have had on history. Some honorable mentions of people that I've seen mentioned in articles during my research are: Anderson Cooper, Suzanne Westenhoefer, Morty Manford, Barbara Jordan, Lydia X. Z. Brown, Edith Craig, Sylvia Rivera, Edith Cooper and her partner Katherine Bradley, Lady Francesca, Connie Panzarino, Nyle DiMarco, and I've previously written about Frida Kahlo.
I hope that one day, we will all come to accept and celebrate the vast diversity of humanity: abilities, strengths, who we love, what we look like, where we come from, and all that we are.
