SEXUALITY
Here are a few signs: queer, lesbian, gay, bi, straight, and transgender.
Something I wanted to point out was that this first video is not in ASL grammatical structure, the captions and the signs line up perfectly which means that this is an example of signed English (for an overview of ASL grammar please see the grammar tab.) It is a valuable resource none-the-less. This video is great because it is fully captioned, many of the ASL videos are not which makes my presenting them to the hearing word quite difficult.
Something I wanted to point out was that this first video is not in ASL grammatical structure, the captions and the signs line up perfectly which means that this is an example of signed English (for an overview of ASL grammar please see the grammar tab.) It is a valuable resource none-the-less. This video is great because it is fully captioned, many of the ASL videos are not which makes my presenting them to the hearing word quite difficult.
I knew gay (0:40) and the sign for transsexual (1:19 the one that the signer says is outdated). I also know a similar sign for lesbian (0:30) except in the version I learned, the tip of your pointer finger touches your chin (an example is provided in a picture below). The signs for queer (0:20), bi (0:49), straight (0:56), and transgender (1:09) are signs that I've not encountered before. This could be due to my regional dialect, my inexperience with the deaf LGBTQA community, ect. There are three other signs for bisexual that I've found but all of them have negative connotations. They are either linked to having multiple lovers at the same time (which some bisexuals practice, but not all) or promiscuity.
different perspectives
This is the sign I learned for Lesbian. There's only a slight difference in where it is placed, however the way I learned ASL is that sometimes small differences like this can change the word into a completely different word. Some signs I've learned are the exact same in terms of palm orientation, handshape, and movement but have a different place they are performed in proximity to the body and because of this are completely different words.
Also the sign that the signer above does for Transssexual I learned meant "sex-change" which adds complication to the term. This is why I think that the sign for transgender is more often used.
Below is another YouTube video of GLBTQ signs that I found. Much of the signs are the same however her English translations are different which is important to note. Her translation for queer is also faggot which is a little strange because of the negative connotations associated with that word in the hearing world.
Again, this signer seems to be signing English, however her facial expression is closer to that which is used in ASL. It was difficult for me to find videos of sexuality terms so I'm very thankful for the resources and I've learned a great deal from them. This video is not captioned, but her definitions are in info bubbles on the screen for each term so the important information is conveyed.
Also the sign that the signer above does for Transssexual I learned meant "sex-change" which adds complication to the term. This is why I think that the sign for transgender is more often used.
Below is another YouTube video of GLBTQ signs that I found. Much of the signs are the same however her English translations are different which is important to note. Her translation for queer is also faggot which is a little strange because of the negative connotations associated with that word in the hearing world.
Again, this signer seems to be signing English, however her facial expression is closer to that which is used in ASL. It was difficult for me to find videos of sexuality terms so I'm very thankful for the resources and I've learned a great deal from them. This video is not captioned, but her definitions are in info bubbles on the screen for each term so the important information is conveyed.
From what I've seen of ASL, it has undergone semantic change for signs whose cultural referent has been outdated. There are also signs that have been replaced all together like #TTY (for an explanation of "#" in use when describing signs see the About ASL tab). Because home telephones with large text machines are no longer necessary with new developments like videophone and cell phones with texting. (for more information on semantic change see the Semantic Change tab).
As a side note, the prevalence of LGBTQIA individuals in the deaf community is the same as in the hearing community.
As a side note, the prevalence of LGBTQIA individuals in the deaf community is the same as in the hearing community.