Iven Graham
Iven is a 30-year-old atheist who has hemiplegia (paralysis on one side of his body) from being hit by a truck when he was 7. He lives by himself in an apartment in a large city. His parents are currently his guardians, but he is in the process of trying to become his own guardian. Iven completed a Bachelor’s degree, and is self-employed doing various advocacy projects and helping an integrated dance company. Iven went to school in a segregated program for 1½ years following the accident, and was one of few students to be reintegrated into regular classrooms. He learned about both sex from his peers as well as in formal sexual education classes from grades 7 to 9. The classes he took did not cover disabilities or the steps leading up to sex. Iven felt his sexuality was constrained while living with his parents, because of their surveillance and infringement on his privacy. He says they did not talk with him about sex because they assumed he was asexual, and they did not encourage him to date because they did not want to take care of any children that he might have. The parenting information group they were a part of held similar opinions. Because of this discouraging atmosphere, Iven never brought a girlfriend to his house, and kept all his relationships low-key. Iven felt much freer to date after he moved out, and he dated a number of girls without feeling as constrained.