Annie Segarra

Last updated
Annie Elainey
Personal information
Born
Annie Segarra

(1990-08-22) August 22, 1990 (age 33)
YouTube information
Channel
GenreDisability
Subscribers24,900 [1]
(2021-02-03)
Total views1.6M [1]
(2021-02-03)

Annie Segarra (born August 22, 1990), [2] also known as Annie Elainey, is an American YouTuber, artist, and activist for LGBT and disability rights. [3] [4] Segarra, who is queer, Latinx, and disabled, advocates for accessibility, body positivity, and media representation of marginalized communities. [5] [3] [6] [7]

Contents

YouTube career

In 2010, Segarra created a Tumblr account Stop Hating Your Body, which became a popular forum for people to share stories about body image and self-love. [8] [9] [10] Segarra was invited to speak at schools about body image issues. [9] [10] She [lower-alpha 1] launched a YouTube channel and began vlogging, as Annie Elainey, about body image and recovery from an eating disorder. [3]

In 2014, Segarra began experiencing pain when walking, and eventually needed a wheelchair to get around. At age 26, she was diagnosed with Ehlers–Danlos syndrome (EDS), a genetic collagen disorder. [3] [5] Segarra documented her experiences and thoughts about disability on her YouTube channel. [3] [11] She has cited Frida Kahlo, another queer Latina suffering from chronic pain, as a source of empowerment. [3] [6]

Segarra felt that the 2017 Women's March lacked visibility and accessibility for disabled people. In response, she created a t-shirt with the text "The Future is Accessible", [12] modeled after a popular "The Future is Female" shirt from the 1970s. [13]

In 2017, Segarra was featured in the NBCNews.com Latino 20. [14]

In 2019, Segarra was selected to be part of the YouTube NextUp program. [15]

Personal life

Segarra lives in Miami, Florida. [3] [16] She has a younger sister, Emily, who is autistic. Segarra regards Emily as her best friend. [3]

Notes

  1. Segarra uses she/her and they/them pronouns. This article uses feminine pronouns for consistency.

Related Research Articles

Disability studies is an academic discipline that examines the meaning, nature, and consequences of disability. Initially, the field focused on the division between "impairment" and "disability", where impairment was an impairment of an individual's mind or body, while disability was considered a social construct. This premise gave rise to two distinct models of disability: the social and medical models of disability. In 1999 the social model was universally accepted as the model preferred by the field. However, in recent years, the division between the social and medical models has been challenged. Additionally, there has been an increased focus on interdisciplinary research. For example, recent investigations suggest using "cross-sectional markers of stratification" may help provide new insights on the non-random distribution of risk factors capable of acerbating disablement processes.

Laura Ann Hershey was a poet, journalist, popular speaker, feminist, and a disability rights activist and consultant. Known to have parked her wheelchair in front of buses, Hershey was one of the leaders of a protest against the paternalistic attitudes and images of people with disabilities inherent to Jerry Lewis's MDA Telethon. She was a regular columnist for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, and on her own website, Crip Commentary, and was published in a variety of magazines and websites. She was admired for her wit, her ability to structure strong arguments in the service of justice, and her spirited refusal to let social responses to her spinal muscular atrophy define the parameters of her life as anything less than a full human existence. She was also the mother of an adopted daughter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stella Young</span> Australian comedian, journalist and disability advocate (1982–2014)

Stella Jane Young was an Australian comedian, journalist and disability rights activist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laci Green</span> American YouTuber

Laci Green is an American YouTuber. Her content focuses on sex education; Green also hosted Braless, the first MTV YouTube channel, as part of a 12-week deal with MTV. The first episode aired November 4, 2014. In 2016, Time named her one of the 30 most influential people on the Internet. In 2017, she celebrated her tenth anniversary on YouTube.

Aimee Louw is a disabled activist, writer, and radio host currently living in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She works to fight ableism and her work is informed by queer and feminist theory. She studied Political Science at Concordia University. She has presented at conferences at both McGill University and York University about her research on social movements and disability rhetoric. She works for Cinema Politica, cofounded Accessibilize Montreal, and co-hosts the radio show Native Solidarity News. She has also spoken on the radio show Talking Radically. She is the creator of the zine and tumblr Underwater City Project. She has been published in the Montreal Gazette.

Dom Ławniczak Evans is a Polish-Irish-American filmmaker, streamer, public speaker, and social activist who focuses on LGBT rights and disability rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franchesca Ramsey</span> American comedian, activist, and television and YouTube personality

Franchesca Leigh Ramsey, also known as Chescaleigh, is an American comedian, activist, television and YouTube personality, and actress, who has appeared on MTV and MSNBC. She gained media fame quickly after her YouTube commentary on racial issues went viral, and she built a career as a writer, producer, and performer based on her unintended activism, being thrust into a role as an advisor or coach on social issues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lydia X. Z. Brown</span> Autistic disability rights activist

Lydia X. Z. Brown is an American autistic disability rights activist, writer, attorney, and public speaker who was honored by the White House in 2013. They are the chairperson of the American Bar Association Civil Rights & Social Justice Disability Rights Committee. They are also Policy Counsel for Privacy & Data at the Center for Democracy & Technology, and Director of Policy, Advocacy, & External Affairs at the Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network. In 2022, they unsuccessfully ran for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 7A, losing to state delegate Kathy Szeliga and delegate-elect Ryan Nawrocki.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rikki Poynter</span> German deaf YouTuber and activist

Rikki Poynter is a deaf YouTuber and activist. She began as a beauty vlogger and is now a lifestyle vlogger with a focus on Deaf awareness, accessibility, and the importance of closed captioning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malvika Iyer</span> Indian motivational speaker, social activist and disability rights activist

Malvika Iyer is an Indian national, a bilateral amputee from an accidental blast while picking up a diffused grenade, a social worker, and a National Awardee. She is an international motivational speaker and a disability rights activist, advocating for building an inclusive society. She is also a model for accessible fashion. Iyer obtained her Doctorate in Social Work from Madras School of Social Work in 2017. Her doctoral thesis is on the stigmatization of people with disabilities.

Colin Robertson, known as Millennial Woes or simply Woes, is a Scottish former YouTuber, white supremacist, and antisemitic conspiracy theorist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jules LeBlanc</span> American YouTuber, actress and singer (born 2004)

Julianna Grace LeBlanc, known professionally as both Annie LeBlanc and Jules LeBlanc, is an American YouTuber, actress, singer, and former gymnast. In December 2018, Business Insider called her one of the "most famous teens in the world." She appeared on the YouTube channel Bratayley from the age of six and has since gained an extensive online following of her own.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blaire White</span> American YouTuber and political commentator

Blaire White is an American YouTuber and political commentator. Describing her politics as center-right, many of White's videos have been centered around social issues such as transgender people, feminism, and Black Lives Matter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chella Man</span> American actor, artist, model

Chella Man is an American actor, model, artist, YouTuber, and LGBTQ activist. He is known for sharing his experiences as a transgender, deaf, Asian, and Jewish person of color. Man rose to wider prominence in 2019 for portraying mute superhero Jericho in the second season of the DC Universe series Titans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Molly Burke</span> Canadian YouTube personality

Molly Jane Lucy Burke is a Canadian YouTube personality and motivational speaker whose eponymous channel has nearly 2 million subscribers. Burke was diagnosed at age four with retinitis pigmentosa, a condition which causes loss of vision. She lost most of her sight at age 14. Previously, she was a spokesperson for Foundation Fighting Blindness Canada.

Jessica Kellgren-Fozard is a British YouTuber and television personality. She is known for her videos on disability awareness, LGBT history, and vintage fashion. She began making YouTube videos in 2011 and has since gained over a million subscribers.

Mia Mulder is a Swedish politician and YouTuber. Mulder’s YouTube channel focuses on general historical, social and political topics and on trans rights. By April 2022, Mulder's YouTube channel had passed 100,000 subscribers, earning the silver play button. Since September 2022, she has served on the city council in Sollentuna, representing the Left Party.

Disability and LGBT identity both can play significant roles in the life of an individual. Disability and sexuality can intersect in compounding ways, and, for many people, being both disabled and LGBT can result in double marginizalization. The two identities, either by themselves or in tandem, can complicate questions of discrimination and access to resources like accommodations, support groups, and elder care.

References

  1. 1 2 "About YouTube channel". YouTube.
  2. Segarra, Annie. "About". Annie Segarra. Retrieved September 24, 2017 via Facebook.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Carrie (December 26, 2016). "Queer Crip Love Fest: Talking with Queer Disabled Latinx Activist Annie Segarra about Family and Connection". Autostraddle . Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  4. Leary, Alaina (August 30, 2017). "Activist Spotlight: Annie Segarra – YouTuber, Artist, Activist". Rooted in Rights. Disability Rights Washington. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  5. 1 2 Kienapple, Bronwyn (September 1, 2017). "Here's What YouTuber Annie Elainey Wants You to Know About Being Disabled". Brit + Co . Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  6. 1 2 Reichard, Raquel (August 24, 2016). "Woman Crush(ing the Patriarchy) Wednesday: Annie Elainey Segarra". Latina . Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  7. Green, Nadege (21 February 2019). "Annie Segarra On Being A Millennial With A Disability And Accessibility In Miami". www.wlrn.org. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  8. Jio, Sarah (April 29, 2011). "Stop Hating Your Body! That's The Message of This New Web Site". Glamour . Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  9. 1 2 Salek, Christine (May 14, 2013). "Stop Hating Your Body Tumblr: Creator Annie Segarra Discusses Popular Blog". Mic.com . Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  10. 1 2 Baker, Katie J.M. (June 30, 2011). "Body-Positive Blogs: Helpful Or Hurtful?". Refinery29 . Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  11. Dupere, Katie (29 October 2016). "These 11 YouTubers with disabilities will make you laugh, think and learn". Mashable. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  12. "The Future is Accessible T-Shirt | Bonfire". Bonfire. Retrieved 2019-02-26.
  13. "Interview: Annie Segarra, The Future is Accessible". Bonfire. May 30, 2017. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  14. Sesin, Carmen (October 2, 2017). "#NBCLatino20: Advocate for Inclusion, Annie Segarra". NBCNews.com . Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  15. "YouTube's Latest NextUp Program To Spotlight Latino, Black, And Female Creators". www.tubefilter.com. 6 September 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-09-06. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  16. Zinn, Dori (March 30, 2017). "OUT50 Miami: Annie Segarra – The Disabilities Advocate". South Florida Gay News . Retrieved September 22, 2017.