Deaf LGBT People:
Dual Identities of Deaf People and of Sexual Minorities
Taehwan
[Standing Activist of Korean Deaf LGBT Preparatory Committee]
In the deaf community, deaf sexual minorities become the target of hatred or are often treated as if they were invisible. In the reality of the Korean deaf community, deaf people are forced to take on a unified identity as deaf people and to suppress all the other identities they may identify themselves with. When expressing their sexual orientation in the Korean sign language, the core of the Korean deaf community culture, deaf sexual minorities face a contradictory situation where they need to use signs conveying hatred toward LGBT people. Within the existing Korean sign language system, it is almost impossible for deaf LGBT people to explore and communicate their experience and identity in a positive light. It is also hard to completely avoid the use of such derogatory signs against LGBTI people when translating the content and information of LGBTI human rights movements that have been carried out in Korean society into the Korean sign language.
In order to resolve the problem of deaf sexual minorities being forced to use self-deprecating signs, “Korea Deaf LGBT”, a soon-to-be established organization, announced in last June a new set of unbiased signs under the name of “Deaf LGBT People X Korean Sign Language: A Language of Respect and Affirmation, A Breakaway from Prejudice and Hatred (www.deafqueerkor.org)”. They identified problematic signs that imply hatred against sexual minorities in the Korean sign language and created neutral signs that will replace those selected signs. This goes beyond the act of simply replacing signs. It is the first step taken by LGBT human rights activists to find ways to eradicate hatred against LGBT people within the deaf community and to help deaf LGBT people boost their self-esteem.
How are deaf sexual minorities faring in Korean society? While creating the new signs “Deaf LGBT People X Korean Sign Language” we met with many activists from social minority groups who have been carrying out human rights movements in Korean society. Although civil society movements for human rights in Korea have expanded to include various fields, it is still hard to find a place for deaf LGBT people. Even if a deaf person intends to learn the results of human rights movements written or spoken in the Korean language through translation into the Korean sign language, the absence of signs related to human rights creates a situation where the signs used by the sign language translator come across as meaningless gestures or reproduction of hatred to deaf people. (Further details are omitted here.)
Deaf LGBT People:
Dual Identities of Deaf People and of Sexual Minorities
Taehwan
[Standing Activist of Korean Deaf LGBT Preparatory Committee]
In the deaf community, deaf sexual minorities become the target of hatred or are often treated as if they were invisible. In the reality of the Korean deaf community, deaf people are forced to take on a unified identity as deaf people and to suppress all the other identities they may identify themselves with. When expressing their sexual orientation in the Korean sign language, the core of the Korean deaf community culture, deaf sexual minorities face a contradictory situation where they need to use signs conveying hatred toward LGBT people. Within the existing Korean sign language system, it is almost impossible for deaf LGBT people to explore and communicate their experience and identity in a positive light. It is also hard to completely avoid the use of such derogatory signs against LGBTI people when translating the content and information of LGBTI human rights movements that have been carried out in Korean society into the Korean sign language.
In order to resolve the problem of deaf sexual minorities being forced to use self-deprecating signs, “Korea Deaf LGBT”, a soon-to-be established organization, announced in last June a new set of unbiased signs under the name of “Deaf LGBT People X Korean Sign Language: A Language of Respect and Affirmation, A Breakaway from Prejudice and Hatred (www.deafqueerkor.org)”. They identified problematic signs that imply hatred against sexual minorities in the Korean sign language and created neutral signs that will replace those selected signs. This goes beyond the act of simply replacing signs. It is the first step taken by LGBT human rights activists to find ways to eradicate hatred against LGBT people within the deaf community and to help deaf LGBT people boost their self-esteem.
How are deaf sexual minorities faring in Korean society? While creating the new signs “Deaf LGBT People X Korean Sign Language” we met with many activists from social minority groups who have been carrying out human rights movements in Korean society. Although civil society movements for human rights in Korea have expanded to include various fields, it is still hard to find a place for deaf LGBT people. Even if a deaf person intends to learn the results of human rights movements written or spoken in the Korean language through translation into the Korean sign language, the absence of signs related to human rights creates a situation where the signs used by the sign language translator come across as meaningless gestures or reproduction of hatred to deaf people. (Further details are omitted here.)