NEWS
Happy Pride
Marches and parades across Turtle Island yesterday marked another fraught Pride weekend. For many disabled people, it’s a time of ecstatic communion with other queers, a time to reckon with the hurt of younger years and the entanglements of our gender, sexuality, and disability. We ask, after Heather Small’s classic, “What have you done today to make you feel proud?”
But it’s difficult to find the headspace to answer that question when the murders of Black trans women do not stop, when hateful politicians are using denials of care to attack trans kids and those on Medicaid, when large-scale celebrations remain inaccessible.
This week, we begin Disability Pride Month in the U.S., recognizing the anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. More to come on the expansion of pride as an organizing framework in next week’s issue!
Roe Has Fallen
The long-awaited news of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the Roe precedent protecting access to abortion has prompted new and existing coalitions of disability activists to condemn the decision. In a letter to Congress, the Disabled and Pro-Choice Coalition writes, “Overturning Roe v. Wade would disproportionately harm disabled people, especially Black and brown, indigenous, LGBTQIA, and immigrant people with disabilities. All people, including disabled people, should be able to access comprehensive reproductive health care that is medically accurate, respects our autonomy, and provides the option for safe abortions.”
Could disability legislation that protects the right to medical self-determination become a route to restoring access to abortion? It’s unclear. But this report by the National Partnership for Women & Families and the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network charts several pathways to making sure abortion is accessible to disabled people.
And if you are disabled and/or mad, the Fireweed Collective is seeking your input as they develop a Disability Abortion Plan template.
COVID Long Haulers & Disability
In The Washington Post, Frances Stead Sellers writes about the tensions and possibilities of disability organizing during the major swell of those experiencing long COVID coming to disability community. It’s a good example of journalist Fiona Lowenstein’s comprehensive guide to covering long COVID, which they spoke about on NPR’s On the Media several weeks back.
Art!
On July 2nd, 31 d/Deaf, Disabled, and Neurodivergent artists will stage Dada inspired interventions in 30 museums and galleries across Britain and Northern Ireland for We are Invisible We are Visible, presented by DASH.
On June 30th, PURE JOY: 14 Disabled Visual and Performance Artists curated by Chella Man opens at 1969 Gallery in NYC, featuring Panteha Abareshi, Jezz Chung, Robert Andy Coombs, Shannon Finnegan, Emilie Louise Gossiaux, Jerron Herman, Gudrun Hasle, Rebecca Watson Horn, Christine Sun Kim, Chella Man, Kate Meissner, Marlon Mullen, Puppies Puppies (Jade Guanaro Kuriki-Olivo), and Tourmaline. Opening 6-8pm ET. Up through August 13th.
British disabled-led theatre company Extant is marking its 25th anniversary by launching a new three-year focus on addressing the lack of visually-impaired leaders in the industry.
The Other Women, a film about women with disabilities in Nigerian mining communities, recently premiered in Abuja.
Maine ADA Violations
The U.S. Dept. of Justice has determined Maine unnecessarily institutionalizes youths with mental health and developmental disabilities because of a lack of sufficient community-based services that would allow them to stay in their homes. The finding comes after an investigation prompted by the advocacy of Disability Rights Maine. Gov. Janet Mills’s administration agrees with the findings of the report, suggesting that apathy is driving a contrived sense of urgency.
CALLS
An Instagram post from @Wysing.Arts.Centre: Over a picture of people sharing a meal in Wysing's Window Room is yellow text reading 'Job Opportunity: Access Support Worker' with Wysing's logo in the bottom right of the image. Wysing Art Centre in Cambridge, UK is seeking a part time freelance Access Support Worker, to work with their Assistant Curator who is deaf.
EVENTS
Kinetic Light/Disability Dance Works is hosting two LAB events this week:
LAB Hangout: Today, Monday June 27th, 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm ET on Zoom.
Access: CART and communal AD will be present
Please email morgaine to request ASL
LAB Workshare with Alexis Eleanor Fagan: This Thursday, June 30th, 5-7pm ET on Zoom.
Access: CART, ASL, and communal AD will be present
No cost. Come and go at anytime. Spread the word to other disabled folks! To RSVP and for more information, access coordination, or to be added to LAB’s mailing list contact associate producer, morgaine de leonardis at morgaine@kineticlight.org
LAB is a monthly series of virtual creative and social gatherings for disabled artists hosted by Kinetic Light/Disability Dance Works. These spaces are for disabled artists to hangout, share ideas, share work, meet, and to be in loosely structured spaces together. We often share our time around creative work and social conversation to discuss disability, art making, culture, and often personal experiences.