Simi is 21 years old and "a Black, Disabled, queer person." You can read more about them in the article "Black, Disabled, queer and proud: why I love my identities."
(For how i crafted these quotes, see What i changed in survey-takers' responses and What i didn't change.)
I can't "choose" between my disability and my queerness/ transness
"I'm a trans and queer disabled teen, I have some mental health issues, and am someone who tends to be told to pick a struggle, and is constantly told that I need to get over one and stick to only one issue. Which tends to make me feel like absolute shit."
"I am disabled and queer. I sometimes feel as though my existence is already too much of a 'burden' or 'complex identity' for others to handle, so I tend to minimize one or the other as much as possible in order to reduce that burden."
Experiencing ableism and queer- or trans-antagonism
"Being disabled and agender, I'm treated as less than a human being at first glance when they see I'm disabled, and then even less when they learn that I am LGBTQ+. It is exhausting having to explain every aspect of my identity to everyone (i.e. why I use a cane, why don't I want to have sex, etc.) I deserve to be treated with the same respect others are."
"I'm a little disabled. Going to the doctor is stressful as a trans person because you never know exactly how a new nurse or doctor will react. I have to go to the doctor a lot for my chronic illness and it's extra anxiety for the whole process."
"I relate most to disabled queer adults and I feel like they best understand my experiences."
Problems with access (or the lack thereof)
"I am disabled, and being that makes it hard to participate in activism."
"It often feels like accessibility is an afterthought at queer events and spaces. We need seating to be available for disabled people who need it, ASL interpreters should be present on stages, gay bars and clubs need not only have an accessible entrance but accessible bathrooms as well. And Disabled people should for sure be involved in planning."
"There is often a lot of intersectionality in the identities of queer/trans youth like myself I am a disabled power wheelchair user and I often feel left out in queer spaces in the past because they haven't been accessible like the pride in [my Southern city] has been VERY inaccessible for me and this is not uncommon occurrence at pride and queer events. Also we are still in a pandemic and immune-compromised people like myself often are left out of queer spaces bc people have stopped taking pandemic precautions."
