Sexuality and Intellectual Disability in American Film, 1939–2022

Abstract

This study examined 49 films featuring characters with intellectual disability to explore how romance and sexuality are portrayed, particularly in relation to gender. Media representations strongly shape popular understandings of disability, yet they often rely on tropes and dramatic symbolism rather than reflecting lived experiences. As such, we viewed and coded 49 films produced in America and released in theaters between 1939 and 2022 that included major and minor characters with intellectual disability. Our analysis focused on four questions: Do these characters express romantic and/or sexual feelings? What are the trajectories and outcomes of relationships? How do romance and sexuality inform the plot? How do depictions vary by gender? We found that depictions of romance and sexuality varied significantly by gender. Female characters with intellectual disability were less common and typically valued through heteronormative romantic potential, reinforcing stereotypes of femininity and dependence. Male characters were depicted more frequently, but their portrayals often emphasized failed masculinity or desexualization. Representation of racialized characters with intellectual disability was rare; in the few films featuring black men, fear of their sexuality was central to the narrative. Collectively, these films reveal more about cultural stereotypes surrounding disability and gender than about the authentic intimate lives of people with intellectual disability. While portraying sexual or romantic agency may challenge some assumptions, pervasive ableist and sexist tropes ultimately reinforce barriers to self-determination and sexual citizenship.