L.A. Motler: A Deaf Anarchist

Anarchist Studies - ISSN 2633-8270
Volume 33 Number 1 (2025)

L.A. Motler: A Deaf Anarchist
Dai O’Brien, Steve Emery pages 29‑58
DOI: 10.3898/AS.33.1.02

Abstract

There has been little written about disabled anarchists, or consideration of how disability and anarchism intersect. When there has been attention paid to this, disabled anarchists’ disabilities have tended to be downplayed or ignored. In this paper, we write about the politics of Leonard Augustine Motler, a deaf anarchist who was active in the early part of the twentieth century. We place his anarchism and his deafness in the context of the time, showing how Motler’s deafness and experiences living as a deaf man influenced his politics. Taking a narrative enquiry approach, we offer historical context on his life, and offer a preliminary analysis of his written work, published in a range of left-wing and anarchist publications, including his own magazine, Satire. In writing this article we hope to show that disabled people have, and do, contribute to radical political movements, and that exploring and recognising those contributions is vitally important.

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To cite this article
Dai O’Brien, Steve Emery (2025) L.A. Motler: A Deaf Anarchist, Anarchist Studies, 33(1), 29-58 . https://doi.org/10.3898/AS.33.1.02

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