Cardiff Storm Event – Identity and Intersectionality

We started the new year with many Storm member braved the cold to join us at our next Storm event at Bigmoose to discuss identity and intersectionality. Joining us for the evening was Adam the Community Engagement Officer for Pride Cymru and Jake Sawyers.

Adam kicked the evening’s discussions off by introduced Pride Cymru and their annual event, focusing on the accessibility features on offer. Throughout the Pride Cymru weekend, there are volunteers on hand specifically for any access requirements. There was a mini-quiz which involved identifying the various flags of the LGBTQ+ community and what they stand for, whilst highlighting the importance of being an ally. By doing this the discussion surrounding identity and intersectionality began. These discussions inevitably led quite nicely into a conversation about internet dating from the perspective of someone living with sight loss. For many, one of the inner turmoil’s of internet dating is whether to disclose their sight loss or not. For some, it was quite imperative to disclose such information before a first date, but for others, this was not the case.

To break up the discussions, we had a hilarious and relatable standup set from Jake Sawyers. His set included the ins and outs of being sight impaired but also identifying as a gay man.

The evening’s discussions educated those in the room who were unaware of the role Pride Cymru has, the events that they run and how diverse the LGBT+ community is. Identifying as someone with sight loss came up within the discussion, which included how this could interconnect with other disabilities. Overall, the evening contained enlightening discussions.