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1t’s hard to imagine by today’s stan
dards that there once was a time
l when Deaf people were perceived
I in the United States as mentally
and physically deficient. Many intel
ligent, articulate Deaf people, includ
ing children, were locked in mental
institutions for life simply because
they could not hear.
In mainstream schools and insti
tutions, Deaf people were severely
punished for communicating in sign
language and often had their hands
tied to prevent them doing so. The
label “deaf and dumb” commonly
was used— not so much because of its
archaic meaning but because of
resounding prejudice and ignorance.
Forced underground, Deaf people
began to develop an intricate and
unique culture with their own lan
guage, traditions, art forms, idioms
and stories. This culture flourished in
bars, clubs and schools throughout
the United States— pockets of free
dom in a sea of misunderstanding and
bigotry. Greatly influenced by French p £
forms of sign language that had devel
oped during the 19th century, Ameri
A sign of Pride 2000
can Sign Language evolved into a
complex visual language complete
with its own syntax, grammar and vocabulary.
doms of gay, lesbian, bi and trans people.
As this culture grew behind the scenes,
What exactly makes up Deaf culture? Deaf
mainstream society continued to harass, dis
people have their own churches, schools and
criminate against and, perhaps worst of all, pity
clubs, their own specific and unique codes of
Deaf people. Finally tired of their second-class
etiquette and their own jokes and rhetorical
status and lack of liberty, Deaf people began to
constructions.
rise up and rebel.
Deaf people maintain that the word “Deaf’
In 1988, Gallaudet University, the premier
should be capitalized to connote a cultural dis
tinction as opposed to merely an auditory con
Deaf liberal arts college in the United States
dition. But most importantly, the culture is
and ground zero for Deaf culture, chose for its
defined by the predominant use of American
new president the only hearing person of the
Sign Language among its members.
three final candidates. Students and other Deaf
“Just for your information,” says Debi Duren,
people protested, eventually shutting down the
a culturally active Deaf lesbian from Portland,
school, until the board caved and elected a
Deaf president. This was a turning point for the “English is my second language, and I prefer to
communicate in ASL as my primary language.”
Deaf rights movement— a movement that con
Duren is not alone. More than 1 million
tinues to gain ground and attention to this day.
Deaf people consider their primary common
Does any of this sound familiar? It should.
language to be ASL, which is actually the third
The story of the rise of Deaf culture is sim
most used language in the United States.
ilar to that of queer culture: oppression by the
American Sign Language is not merely Eng
mainstream, a developing underground cul
lish translated into signs; it has been documented
ture, a pivotal protest (Gallaudet for Deaf
and recognized by linguists as having its own indi
people, Stonewall for queer people) and a
vidual language, as separate from English as Eng
growing, outward-radiating civil rights move
lish is from Spanish. Says Tim Amundson, a Deaf
ment. In this sense, Deaf people and queer
gay Portland man, “Deafies have a huge different
people have much in common. Deaf people
culture
because of our American Sign Language.”
were instrumental in the creation of the
As Duren and Amundson remind us, Deaf
Americans with Disabilities Act, while queer
culture and queer culture are, happily, not mutu
people have been instrumental in the political
ally exclusive. A good percentage of hearing peo-
actions that have improved the lives and free-
Northwest Rainbow Alliance
ot the Deaf
D
eaf queer culture is on the rise. Look
ing for a place to experience it?
The Northwest Rainbow Alliance of the
Deaf supports Oregon and Washington Deaf
queers by playing host to special events and
educational workshops. The organization
generates newsletters, maintains a Web site
and holds large general meetings three times
a year and social gatherings every month.
NW RAD is a member of Deaf Gays &
Lesbians of the West and of the Greater
Seattle Business Association, a gay chamber
of commerce. Last April, Canadian mem-
bers created a British Columbia chapter.
NW RAD is playing host to the Rain
bow Alliance of the Deaf’s national confer
ence from July 3 to 7, 2001, in Seattle.
“Facing Tomorrow: Breaking New Ground”
will feature workshops and seminars on top
ics of interest to Deaf, Deaf-Blind and Hard
of Hearing gay, lesbian, bi and trans people
across the country.
All Deaf queers are welcome to sign up.
For more information, write to P.O. Box
94116, Seattle, WA 98124, or check out
the excellent Internet site www.nwrad.org.
am Deaf and a lesbian at the same time.
So I have this unique bond with other
Deaf gays and lesbians."
Agan adds, “Deaf culture seems to be a
very accepting culture, because they
know what it is like to be oppressed.” So
one would think queers, being the vic
tims of mainstream bias themselves, in
general would understand and support
the Deaf queer subculture.
But this is not always the case. Many
queer organizations still lack accessibility
for Deaf people, and queer events are
often inaccessible to Deaf queers.
“I don’t regularly attend gay and les
bian events other than NW RAD due to
the lack of access for interpreters,”
Duren admits. “The reason I tend not
to go, or make a special effort to have
interpreters there, is that no one
wants to take responsibility to inves
tigate possible funds to pay for
interpreters. It’s understandable,
especially because they may
not know anything about
Deaf people and their
needs.”
Many queer organi
zations, strapped for
funds to pay for inter
preters but wanting
to reach out to Deaf
queers, rely on the
volunteer efforts of
overworked,
understaffed area
Debi Duren
interpreters.
“I have the best job in the world,” says
Agan, who recognizes the slim resources
available for Deaf queer access. “I do a lot of
Todd Agan
pro bono work in the queer community,
because they are my community. 1 volunteer
pie are gay, and the same goes for Deaf people.
for Peacock in the Park, Basic Rights O re
Todd Agan, a gay sign interpreter from Salem,
gon and Human Rights Campaign events
points out, “There seems to be about the same
and Pride.”
ratio between straight and gay hearing people as
But many smaller queer organizations
there are straight and gay Deaf people.”
remain without Deaf representation, and
Amundson, who was bom Deaf, began at
understanding between the hearing queer and
the age of 9 or 10 to feel a “lot of chemistry
Deaf queer communities is growing slowly.
with boys, though I did not know what ‘homo
Yet sometimes the bottom falls out. On
sexual’ or ‘gay’ was.” Just like hearing queer
Sept. 28, Eric Plunkett, a 19-year-old Deaf gay
youth, he not only had to come to terms with
Gallaudet freshman, was brutally murdered in
the nature of his instincts but with the lan
his dorm room.
guage as well.
Police have yet to find the killer, but they
“When 1 was about 12 years old, I asked
are convinced it was someone inside the
one of my teachers to give me the sign for a
school. The Advocate reports Thomas Green,
boy who likes boys,” Amundson recalls. “He
Lambda Society president, saw a Deaf student
responded to me clearly: ‘It is called a homo
at Gallaudet sign to another student, “Oh,
sexual. It means a boy who likes boys.’ Then I
good, one less [gay person].”
knew I was first Deaf, then gay second.”
“Historically, Deaf people, both straight and
A Deaf queer subculture has formed across
gay/lesbian, have been fighting for their rights
the nation, bringing the oppressed within the
and to make themselves visible,” Duren says.
oppressed together for mutual support and
“If there were more opportunities for Deaf gays
understanding. Even in the Pacific Northwest,
and lesbians and hearing gays and lesbians to
Deaf queers abound and are beginning to find
get together and talk about this issue, then
their own visibility.
there would be more respect and understanding
In 1981, Amundson, with his friends Daniel
for each other equally.”
Mansfield and Steve Niven, saw the need for a
Signs of change are coming slowly but surely.
mutual support network for Deaf queers in the
“There are a lot of hearing people who
area. That year, they invited interested people
accept us,” Amundson says. “We make a lot of
to meet at Mansfield’s cabin in LaConner,
friends and teach them something in sign lan
Wash. A total of 25 Deaf queers showed up,
guage. The hearing people who understand us
and the Northwest Rainbow Alliance of the
are quite well-educated!”
Deaf was bom.
Like other hearing people, many queers
“At first, building our members and the
slowly are welcoming Deaf queers to the table.
organization was pretty tough,” Amundson
; Duren wistfully shares her dream: “To regard
recalls. “But we made it all right. Right new we
us— Deaf gays and lesbians— as equals! The
have over 100 members.”
only difference between us is communication
But which community do Deaf queers iden
rruxle. That’s all!" 8^"]
tify with more? "I feel connected to both the
Deaf community and the lesbian community,”
GLENN W illia m s is a hearing uniter from
says Duren, NW RAD secretary. “However, I’m
Portland (we all can't he perfect) ufro has studied
leaning toward (feeling more comfortable wirhl
sign language, has directed interpreters into theater
the Deaf gay and lesbian community because 1
productions and who signs horribly hut with gusto.
37