South Florida Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf helps connect those who are hard of hearing
By JOHN SKLBA
- South Florida Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf’s Joe Horta, Sahara DeVol, Jordan Isea, and Michael Baker. ( photo courtesy of Mr.
Isea)
- South Florida Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf’s Joe Horta, Sahara DeVol, Jordan Isea, and Michael Baker. ( photo courtesy of Mr.
Isea)
While the LGBT population prides itself on embracing all the nellies, there is one unrecognized section that struggles to make friends with the rest of the community.
Jordan Daniel Nassar Isea is a man looking to help gay and lesbian individuals who happen to be deaf find their voice.
“Growing up deaf I can say it was hard to make friends,” Isea said.
Isea said that trying to take pride in your identity can be an even more daunting task when the world around is based in large part on the sound that vibrates in it.
“I have seen a lot of great services and activities being offered to gay individuals in the gay community but much of it is not accessible to the deaf,“ Isea said.
In order to expand the social scene for gay deaf individuals and obtain more recognition from the gay community, Isea started the South Florida Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf (SFRAD), a chapter of the National Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf.
“By being recognized, we hope it would foster increased accommodations, further inclusion, shared knowledge, and expanded awareness of all things related to both the deaf and the gay communities that are important to gay deaf individuals,” Isea said.
Together the group offers a variety of tools to build a bridge connecting deaf and hearing LGBTQ individuals, including teaching American Sign Language to anyone interested in learning.
Joe Horta and his boyfriend Michael took up that offer to learn a second language and found the experience very engaging.
“Attending one class turned into attending our seventeenth class last week. We both were so excited about the class and learning a new language that we wanted to do more for the community,” Horta said.
Julie Sherman, SFRAD director and event coordinator, has found offering this service as an avenue for creating networks at multiple events.
“We have managed to coordinate involvement in Winterfest, Ft. Lauderdale Pridefest, Miami Beach Pridefest, and hold several presentations to the public,” Sherman said.
Networking in today’s world also means using the internet. Social media has transformed not only how the gay deaf community keeps abreast of the hearing world it lives in, but extending connections to those within their own neighborhoods.
“While we know a lot of gay deaf individuals, it’s harder for us to know those in our local gay community,” Isea explained. In terms of more personal endeavors, it might open more doors into the dating world too.
“If you think every gay guy knows every other gay guy in the community, the gay deaf community is even more tight-knit,” Isea said.
The internet has been a blessing in reaching out to the gay deaf community in the eyes of Isea since it removes many of the communication barriers that were traditionally large obstacles.
“With social media integrating itself with text messaging, emailing services, and other things, even traditional media is becoming more accessible for the deaf,” Isea said.
Still with social networking leveling the field of communication, raising awareness about the needs of SFRAD for volunteers and grant writers has been an uphill battle.
“We’re always looking for support and volunteers. It has been challenging sometimes to find places to meet on weekends especially when our resources are limited,“ Isea noted.
While challenges are a part of every growth process, Isea remains very optimistic because of what SFRAD has done for him personally.
“It allowed me to make new friends, meet more gay individuals, and even meet more gay deaf individuals when I thought I knew them all,“ Isea said. Isea said that others have benefited from the services that SFRAD offers. “I’ve seen other gay deaf individuals feel a sense of pride when they see there’s a group out there that represents them on a local level. It makes them feel comfortable and even wanting to reach out to work and help us out to achieve our goals,“ Isea said.
For more information about the South Florida Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf visit their website.
