California Protection & Advocacy Inc. invited four people with disabilities who are also members of the GLBT community to talk about their experiences, identify some primary issues and suggest how legal advocates can better serve people at the intersection of these two communities.

Moderator Dara Schur begins by presenting some of the issues that face this community: harassment, discrimination in housing, benefits, and employment; double, triple discrimination for people of color; barriers to health care and insurance, increased youth suicide, increased breast cancer among lesbians; stigma, stereotyping, invisibility and access.

All speakers highlight the pernicious impact of invisibility and non-inclusion on the GLBT disability community, Corbett O’Toole warns us that most clients will not self-identify: "Hi, I'm a lesbian, will you help me?" Bill Compton describes how deep the closet is for gay people with mental illness.  Keith Dubois challenges us to tear down the "not welcome signs" with a vengeance. Karyn Hernandez recounts how she doesn't fit either in the lesbian or disability world demonstrating why working for inclusion is so vital.

Join us now to witness these eloquent personal histories — stories that provide insight and practical suggestions to help us develop our competence to serve this community.