Desexualization

The social phenomenon in which disabled people are assumed to be uninterested in, incapable of, or undeserving of sexual relationships and intimacy. This manifests as invasive questioning about sexual function, disbelief when disabled people form romantic relationships, and the broader cultural assumption that disability is incompatible with sexuality. Desexualization is a form of ableist microaggression that denies a fundamental aspect of human experience, reinforcing the perception of disabled people as incomplete or less than fully human. It intersects with other forms of discrimination and is particularly harmful because it reduces disabled people to their disability while ignoring their personhood.