A Mask Within the Closet

A Case for Intersectionality in Queerness and Neurodiversity Research

Abstract

Research has demonstrated overlaps in neurodivergent and LGBTQIA+ identities and communities, yet academic frameworks still pontificate over models to handle these identities. Researchers have not kept pace with the lived experiences reported by these people. This article presents Intersectionality Theory, as conceived by Crenshaw (1989), as a theoretically robust and practically necessary framework for researching the intersection of queer and neurodivergent identities as it inherently evolves and does not require us to wait for the resolution of the ongoing medical-versus-social model debate in neurodiversity research for meaningful dialogue to continue. Drawing on existing literature, the current UK policy context surrounding ND and queerness, and preliminary observations from a Northumbria University PhD study exploring the experiences of queer parents with children on the ADHD assessment pathway, this article examines parallels between neurodivergent and queer masks and closets, the crossover in histories of the pathologisation of these communities, and compounding discriminations faced therein. The article makes a case for intersectionality as a foundational approach to this under-researched area.