Bridging Critical Disability Studies and Cute Studies: Insights Into the Intersections of Intellectual Disability and Sexuality

Abstract

Ableist beliefs and attitudes remain pervasive in society, often manifesting through everyday language and microaggressions directed at disabled people. One significant dimension of this prejudice is the attribution of cuteness to disabled individuals in disempowering ways, which frequently results in infantilizing and desexualizing portrayals. This chapter integrates critical disability studies and cute studies to examine how individuals with intellectual disabilities navigate the label of cuteness and their sexualities. By bridging cute studies’ focus on affect, esthetics, and culture with critical disability studies’ insights on power dynamics, social construction, and embodied experiences, the authors critically explore the entanglement of cuteness and disability. This chapter illuminates the complex, power-laden nature of cuteness—one that is both embraced and rejected by disabled individuals. This interdisciplinary engagement offers new insights into the intersections of disability and sexuality and advocates for more inclusive and empowering representations of people with intellectual disabilities.