On Wednesday, October 21 at 4:30 pm, I attending an online Zoom meeting titled “Disability, Sexuality, and Human Rights.” I was immediately introduced to multiple educated female researchers and scholars who wanted to share their research and input on human rights around the globe, specifically the rights of those with disabilities, and the LGBTQ+ community. My first impression of this discussion was extremely positive: the panelists were all female. I feel inspired when I see a group of all female panelists. They introduced themselves by saying their name, race, and ethnicity, and describing their appearance and background, which was informative and interesting to me.

The panelists explained their research studies on various topics related to human rights. Some related to laws regarding people with disabilities, and how these laws are discriminatory. A few mentioned India specifically, and how the country has pushed to ignore the rights and care of those with disabilities. I was especially intrigued in Eunjung Kim’s powerpoint on human rights in South Korea. Her call to action at the end of her presentation resonated with me. The common theme I noticed throughout the discussion was that these problems are mainly systematic. So to even begin to fix these issues, we need to focus first on and prioritize that aspect, and hopefully change within the system will allow for individuals open their eyes as well.

This discussion was really insightful. I have always known discrimination based on sexuality and disability exists, but not to the extent to which the panelists described. They all gave me a new perspective on specific instances related to this, but also inspired me to do my own research and to advocate more for human rights around the world.