Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Expression, and How These Identities Intersect with Disability
Beck Levin
Session Overview:
The disability community often uses the phrase "nothing about us without us" to describe Independent Living Philosophy, but did you know that this slogan was also used in the HIV/AIDS movement of the 1980s? In this session, we discuss how sexual orientation, gender identity and expression intersect with our identities as disabled people, and how we can unite our struggles for the betterment of both movements.
Additional materials for this session:
About Your Presenters:
Beck Levin (they/them) is a transgender non-binary pansexual advocate with a wealth of experience with the disability and HIV service communities. As a Systems Change Advocate for the Dayle McIntosh Center in Orange County, CA, Beck works to make life easier and more accessible for people living with disabilities in Orange County and across the state of California. As a graduate of Georgetown University’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program, Beck’s focus is on equity, especially as it pertains to accessibility. Active listening is at the core of Beck’s work. They focus on the non-Anglo American, non-cisgender, non-heteronormative, and disabled voices in the room, those who are traditionally underrepresented, silenced, or made to feel as though they do not belong. Beck serves on a variety of councils and boards, including the board of California Walks and the OC Senior Citizen Advisory Council.