Lawrence Miller
He/Him
I am a gay cyborg and I am a computer scientist and information technology consultant.//
It took me eight years to finish my bachelor’s degree due to my disabilities. I worried it would be hard to find a job as a disabled adult, but after a lot of hard work, I’m now the lead designer of customer support and IT workflows at a cybersecurity company. I build systems that help my team members deliver technical support to our customers who buy our software to test their computer security against ransomware and other nasty computer viruses.
I knew I was gay when I was thirteen years old. I felt I had to hide it to be safe from judgement and harassment. I started coming out after I graduated high school, first to a few select friends who I trusted the most. Eventually I came out to all my family and friends. I no longer have to worry about being outed and I feel free to live an authentic life.
I think more freedom in personal expression and presentation results in more just communities and creates new ideas that benefit everyone. In 2015, I began to incorporate technology into my body to build myself a body that I’m proud to occupy. I have taken personal responsibility for my needs by adapting my body with technology to change its structure and function. By doing this, I have found opportunity to construct my identity on my own terms without being limited by other people’s preconceptions about what it means to be disabled. There aren’t very many Cyborgs in the world, but I’m glad to be one.