Hello, and welcome!
To our brand-new website! We are all so excited to be able to launch this website, and start raising awareness of the Deaf LGBTIQA+ community as well as providing valuable information in an accessible way. We have been anticipating this launch for several months, and it would not have happened without so many people being involved!
So, to start with, I’ll explain the basics of this website. It’s a central hub where deaf people can visit to find information, guidance and educate themselves on the deaf LGBTIQA+ community, such as what to do if you are not sure, what it is like to come out as LGBTIQA+, and also the history of the deaf LGBTIQA+ community. Of course, this is only the beginning, so we will be gradually adding to the website, and the contents will always be changing with the times. If you have anything you’d like to see, please feel free to contact us at hello@deafrainbowuk.org.uk.
If you’re thinking, ‘Why is this website necessary/important/relevant?’, then here’s your answer. For years the LGBTIQA+ community have endured oppression and harassment, and there has been a lot of changes over the last few years (such as same sex marriage being legalised in various countries). However, there is a minority within that minority, which is the deaf LGBTIQA+ people – there is not a lot of information being provided for the Deaf LGBTIQA+ community, mainly due to accessibility issues. We, within the Facebook group, decided the time was ripe for a change, and this website came to fruition – we wanted to be able to educate the Deaf community and also provide guidance for those who may be struggling with their identity (sexual, gender and Deaf) in an effective way on an accessible platform.
So, all in all, we all hope that this website will be a success in the sense of managing to raise awareness, educating others and also guiding people to the right source of information and support. This entire project is voluntary, so we are currently relying on donations and volunteers to keep the website running – if you are interested in volunteering, see the FAQ page!
We all thank you for your support, and we hope that you will be able to take something away from this website for your own knowledge. Please feel free to share the website with others, and spread the love (and knowledge)!
