Karthik Damarsetti (they/them) is a Senior Consultant Application Developer, at Thoughtworks. As a person with Disability who also identifies as Queer, they want to expand people’s understanding of intersectionality, drawing on their lived experiences.
Can you share your thoughts on "Why Representation Matters" to you as a queer person with cerebral palsy (spastic diplegia), why is it important to 'see more like me.'?
As someone with multiple marginalised identities, I knew that I was not the so-called ‘normal.’ Being born with a Disability, I struggled to understand that Disability is normal. I internalised a lot of Ableism and rejected the ‘Disabled’ identity and accepted the ableist idea that I was ‘specially-abled’ or ‘differently-abled’; yet, I was wholly acceptable of my disabled condition - I never felt/wanted pity for myself.
But as realisation dawned on me that I was not cisgender-heterosexual (cis-het), and identified as a Queer person, I remember thinking - ‘Oh come on.. Not another marginalised identity’ because it was isolating to not have visible representation either in person or in the media. I found almost no representation of Disabled/ LGBTQ+ people on Indian media. Interacting with the society, I found a thriving community for LGBTQ+ folks but there was no Disabled person in sight.
Even among peers, I felt invisible and isolated due to the lack of visibility. Visibility is important, because it can assure you that you are not alone, knowing that there is a community that can support you.
How does representation help in increasing belonging and challenging the Imposter Syndrome?
Having visible representation can help people know that there are others who have gone through a similar journey, and that they can be a reliable source of support or advice. This builds a sense of community and increases belonging. People with marginalised or non-majoritarian identities deal with Imposter Syndrome more often than others because our lived experiences defy the norm, and are not considered the traditional way. The path we take is unprecedented - different from what is generally prescribed by the larger populace. As we grow and progress, we move along this path, overcoming challenges and uncovering new questions and concerns.
Visible representation serves as an example that people with similar lived experiences have overcome the similar challenges, and allows us to change our mindset from “Can I do it?” to “If they can do it, so can I.” This mindset shift allows for people to recognise the imposter syndrome and seek out support to challenge and overcome it and progress onwards.
How does representation and authentic inclusion provide validation that the organisation cares?
Having visible representation in an organisation gives a few signals -
There is a safe space/support network for people to be themselves : Safe spaces can only provide community support. Organisational support is codified in the policies and benefits offered.
There is a career path progression in the organisation for People with marginalised or non-majoritarian identities. If there is no defined career path progression defined, then people can demand it. There is strength in numbers - even if it is one person.
If there is visible representation, it is validation that the organisation or some folks in the organisation care about People with marginalised or non-majoritarian identities. People won’t stay where they are not respected or included. People won’t stay where they are not respected or included.
There is work to be done in DEI and leadership needs to be made aware of what is missing and a strategy needs to be put in place to ensure inclusion of everyone.
What inspired you to start ‘Queer & Cripple (Q&C)’?
One day at the gym, I was wondering about the commonalities and differences between being Queer and Disabled was. So far, we only got ‘sanitised’ versions of lived experiences from Disabled and Queer folks. People who were cautious when sharing during speaking engagements and such. Q&C was my way of ‘saying the quiet part out loud.’ Trying to compare and contrast Queer and/or Disabled experiences, all the while emphasising that what I share was just from my own experience and not reflective of any one else’s experience.
The nuance that Queer and Disabled experiences are not silos has been lost - with most people wanting to hear points that only reinforce their own preconceived biases. I want to disrupt this thinking. I wouldn’t mind reiterating that not all Queer and/or Disabled experiences are the same.
Are there specific areas where you believe more attention is needed in terms of inclusivity for people with intersecting identities?
People have become so used to a single idea of what it means to be ‘Disabled’ or ‘Queer’ or for that matter, any identity. The concept of intersectionality is lost and people can’t fathom that multiple aspects of one’s identities bleed into one-another, the intersectionality is very fluid. It is not as simple as an on-off switch even with multiple identities - because identities are all on a spectrum. What does it mean to be a Woman, a Disabled person, a Queer person, someone from a privileged caste/section of the society, from a minority religious background? We can never get a common answer that is agreeable to everyone. Yes, we can identify common themes, but that’s it. Each of these themes would then be coloured by the people’s identities, in various hues.
Everyone has intersectional identities, however some are marginalised and need equitable support. We should come out of our echo chambers and be willing to listen, unlearn and learn.
Any personal experiences you'd like to share?
It took me 15 years to understand that I am Queer, and took me more than 27 years to come to terms with my ‘Disabled Identity’ (even though I was born with a disability) and that my Queerness & Disability is normal.
Until very recently (around 2015-16), I didn’t have a support system to rely on as I faced life’s challenges or celebrated life’s successes. To have the support system did wonders to my confidence, it also brought me into contact with people who had similar lived experiences, and furthered my drive to become more visible. I realised that I have the capacity to be the ‘Visible Representation’ for others like me and has given me direction for my career aspirations.
Some personal experiences I would like to share around the point that “Inclusion is never complete without intersectionality”.
An Accessibility advocate deleted my comment on social media because I called out that Disability is not a monolith and there is a lot of nuance and we need to be careful when conducting sensitisation sessions, so as to not reinforce our own existing biases.
Organisers of a LGBTQ+ Pride march failed to take into consideration that Disabled people would also participate in a LGBTQ+ Pride parade and didn’t make arrangements. Ironically, we are friends, and I called them out on being exclusionary after the event.
You can connect with Karthik and read their newsletter series Queer and Cripple on the links provided below -
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7058392099053850624/
Connect with Karthik in Linkedin
