by Amanda Tink
Reprinted from Blind Citizens News, March 2003.
If you’re one of those people who believes that BCA is stuck back in the middle of last century somewhere – completely out of touch with the needs of its members and only interested in the easy issues – think again: BCA recently took its first step in the journey of tackling issues relevant to blind people of diverse sexuality through the creation of a special-interest group, Blind Out and Proud (BOP).
BOP is a committee of 7 people, working on issues that are relevant to blind people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or queer. These include everything from the lack of material on diverse sexuality issues in accessible formats, to the homophobia blind people of diverse sexuality experience within BCA, and the blind community generally.
Obviously, getting information in accessible formats is an issue that affects all blind people. We know it’s not new and expect our needs will fit right in with those of a similar nature which BCA pursues on a regular basis. Homophobia, however, is an incredibly complex problem which, despite the fact that it predates getting information in accessible formats in terms of being a serious issue in desperate need of attention, has never been addressed before within BCA. We commend BCA for acknowledging that homophobia exists within the organisation and for being committed to working towards its elimination. One way in which BOP hopes to achieve this is by holding a session at this year’s national convention, where a panel of blind people of diverse sexuality will discuss issues that have affected them personally. The session will include plenty of time for questions and discussion.
Finally, we would like to express our sincere thanks and appreciation. Firstly, to Sean Tyrell for acknowledging the importance of issues relevant to blind people of diverse sexuality when I brought them up at the Youth Consultative Forum late last year; taking those issues to the National Policy and Development Council’s face-to-face meeting in November and getting the 7 of us in touch with each other to form BOP. Secondly, we would like to thank the National Policy and Development Council suggestion that the group be established, and for their support generally. Finally, we would like to thank the many people who have expressed their support for BOP and the rights of blind people of diverse sexuality either through Blind Citizens Australia’s e-mail discussion list in response to others’ hostility, or to one of us individually, or just by reading to this point in this article. Your open-mindedness and co-operation are very much appreciated.
Amanda’s 2025 footnote
At the 2003 BCA convention, a panel session on the theme of difference and diversity was held. It featured speakers from various cultural and identity groups. As a part of this panel, a representative of Blind Out and Proud presented an excellent and entertaining speech about their experience growing up in both the blindness and LGBTIQA+ communities. The convention also passed a resolution to play an active part in supporting blind people from other minority groups. Soon after that BOP began working on becoming a special interest branch of BCA. We sent the proposal including by-laws to BCA a number of times but did not receive a response.