Events

Upcoming events

HIV Complexities: A community conversation

THURS OCT 16, 6:30-8pm ET on Zoom

A call for all People Living with HIV and allies: it’s time to reignite our movement to fight for our lives and improve our quality of life.

Join us for a conversation that spans generations and settings, both urban and rural. We’ll talk about living with HIV and dealing with complex chronic conditions, which often share symptoms like chronic fatigue, pain, cognitive dysfunction, brain fog, and memory issues. And we’ll explore questions of daily life and health, along with big questions about the future of our movements and communities. Plus, get introduced to our practical toolkit for PLHIV and other chronic health conditions.

Let’s talk about it!

• Living with the dual stigma of HIV and disability
• Dealing with symptoms that change from day to day — and how this affects our lives, the services we need, and our job opportunities
• How can we build a political movement that advocates effectively? What do we need for collective survival in a time when support systems and funding are being dismantled?
• Can we create mutual aid networks that break isolation and strengthen our movements?

Featured presenters

• Tori Cooper, Director of Strategic Outreach and Training at the Human Rights Campaign and Member of PACHA, the President’s Advisory Council on HIV and AIDS
• Sylvester Askins, Jr., Former Training Director at The National Working Positive Coalition, Founder of Moving Forward Consulting
• Gabriel San Emeterio, Senior Fellow at Long COVID Justice and member of the HIV Caucus
• Broderick Disroe, Former Community Navigator and Harm Reduction Specialist at Western North Carolina AIDS Project (WNCAP)
• John Chaffin, Community Health Worker Program Coordinator with Western North Carolina AIDS Project (WNCAP)

We are excited to have speakers representing a Southern (U.S.) perspective which is so often missing from the narrative about HIV. “The HIV epidemic is far from over — especially in the South. In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated 32,100 new HIV infections across the country. More than half of those infections (52%) occurred in the South.” Source: Asheville Watchdog

Open to all — with a special invitation to People Living with HIV (PLHIV), healthcare and service providers, advocates, funders, policy makers, and anyone committed to disability justice. This event is part of a broader effort to center the voices and experiences of people aging with HIV and living with complex chronic conditions.

Presented by Strategies for High Impact and Long COVID Justice, with generous support from ViiV Healthcare and Broadway Cares/Equity Fight AIDS.

Speaker bios

Tori Cooper

Ms. Tori Cooper, BA, MPH, SGE (she, her, hers) is Director of Strategic Outreach and Training at the Human Rights Campaign and a Health and Equity Consultant. Since 2021, she has been among the highest-ranking transgender women in the US government as a member of PACHA, the President’s Advisory Council on HIV and AIDS. She is also a Steering Committee Member of the HIV Caucus (aka U.S. People Living with HIV Caucus).

Tori brings a long history of fighting for greater health and financial equity for those whom traditional systems have failed. She is founder of Advocates for Better Care Atlanta, and is a nationally recognized speaker, facilitator, CDC subject matter expert and public health advisor.

Over the last thirty years, Tori has built a reputation for by increasing visibility, access and opportunities for BIPOC communities, people living with HIV and transgender communities. As a proud, Black transgender woman who aims to inspire through excellence, she is dedicated to improving health outcomes and advancing policies that bring greater equity for marginalized communities.

Sylvester Askins, Jr.

Sylvester has lived with HIV for 35 years and recently retired as Training Director at The National Working Positive Coalition, where he also served on the Board. He founded Moving Forward Consulting to help people living with HIV access resources for employment and economic stability.

Sylvester previously worked in Virginia, directing health programs at the Urban League and coordinating a project to help disabled people find meaningful work.

Sylvester has expertise in work incentive policies that support informed financial decisions for those living with HIV. He is a certified trainer and has experience as an advocate and labor organizer, working to improve conditions for union members.

Sylvester began his HIV/AIDS work in 1998 as a Health Educator in Miami and later became the Coordinator of HIV Services for the Greater Miami & the Keys Chapter of the American Red Cross, fostering partnerships in the African American, Haitian, and Latino HIV communities.

Gabriel San Emeterio

Gabriel (they/elle/she/he) is a Senior Fellow with LongCOVID Justice / S4HI. They are a queer and disabled activist from Mexico City who migrated to New York City in the late 90’s. Gabriel holds a Masters degree in Social Work with Community Organizing as a method of practice and a certificate in Social Policy from the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, where she is now part time faculty.

They are also honored to be a member of the HIV Caucus (aka U.S. People Living with HIV Caucus).

Gabriel’s life experience as a person living with HIV, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS), and other complex chronic conditions, fuels their passion for disability justice and liberatory community work.

Broderick Disroe

Hi, my name is Broderick Disroe. Having a servant’s heart energizes me to motivate, inspire, and educate others, this passion has encouraged me to become the very best I can.

As a licensed Esthetician and educator I’ve been fortunate to have 20+ years in the beauty, health and wellness industry. Philanthropy is very important to me, it’s one of the ways “I pay my rent on earth.”

After moving to Western North Carolina, I worked as a Ryan White Community Navigator and Harm Reduction Specialist with Western North Carolina AIDS Project (WNCAP).

I currently serve on the Board of Directors for Western North Carolina Community Health Services.

My community comes first, and it’s always a pleasure to be of service.

John Chaffin

John serves as the Community Health Worker Program Coordinator at the Western North Carolina AIDS Project (WNCAP), where he leads a team of Peer Navigators and Community Health Workers dedicated to supporting individuals living with HIV.

John is committed to advancing health equity and improving outcomes for underserved populations, particularly those living with HIV and those at risk of HIV.

Living with HIV himself, John understands the importance of advocacy and engaging the voices of people living with HIV. He brings expertise in navigating complex healthcare systems and building partnerships to address public health challenges in the rural region of Western North Carolina.

Questions?

Contact [email protected]

Listening for the Long Haul – launch event

NEW DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON!

Join us for the launch of Listening for the Long Haul, our new website featuring stories from our Long COVID oral history project.

New date for the launch event will be shared soon. To receive the announcement for the new date and registration link, join our list:

“Listening for the Long Haul is a truly collaborative project, in which chronically ill and disabled people work together to tell our stories, with full control over our narratives and how they’re presented. It’s in the truest spirit of disability justice: ‘Nothing about us without us!’ ”

— S4HI Senior Fellow Gabriel San Emeterio

To learn about upcoming events, join us on socials or our email list:

• Instagram
• Bluesky
• Facebook
• YouTube

Past events

For recordings and resources for past events, visit our Webinars page.

Breathing for Justice: Exploring the intersections of Long COVID and Disability Justice

WEDS APRIL 23, 2025, 10am-3:30pm CT

Save the date for a special event co-hosted by Jacqueline E. Luciano, who is a Narrative Architect with Long COVID Justice’s Listening for the Long Haul project as well as a BIPOC Fellow! The event features Long COVID Justice staff, program participants, and collaborators along with other amazing presenters.

Webinar overview

You’re invited to a two-part webinar on Wednesday, April 23rd, from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM CT and 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM CT as we explore the intersections of Long COVID and disability justice. Presented by Jacqueline E. Luciano and Sarah Kim-Williams, in collaboration with Jennifer Brier, PhD from the University of Illinois Chicago/History Moves and Strategies for High Impact/Long COVID Justice. This event will provide a day of thought-provoking presentations, panel discussions, and community-driven conversations.

Check event time for your time zone.

Schedule & presenters *

Part I – 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM CT

• Celebrate the launch of the Listening for the Long Haul website with Emi Kane and Moderator, Kaimara Herron-July, MA. This project highlights the lived experiences of people with Long COVID and associated conditions, the importance of amplifying diverse voices in healthcare and research, and inspires narrative change. 
• Part I features Gabriel San Emeterio, LMSW, Lygia Navarro, Chimére L. Sweeney, Tracey J. Thompson, and Maynard Sasis, RN. Join and participate in a Q&A and community discussion.

Part II – 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM CT

• Hear from featured speakers, Jennifer Brier, PhD and Iliana Pagán Teitelbaum, PhD, about the intersections of disability, chronic conditions, and academia.
• Join us as we examine the impact of Long COVID on communities of color, disability justice, and discuss how education and oral history can inform better policies for pandemics and mass-disabling events.
• Participate in a Q&A and community discussion.

* Schedule subject to change – visit event info page for detailed schedules and updates!

Sponsors
This program is made possible in part by grants from Illinois Humanities and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD).

What now, What next?

DEC 5 2024, 6:30pm ET

What now, what next? How can we understand this moment with an intersectional & cross-movement lens around COVID, Long COVID, health, healing, and disability justice?

Join Long COVID Justice & Trans Equity for a community conversation featuring

Dr. Oni Blackstock, Dean Spade, and Gabriel San Emeterio, with a performance by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha. Moderated by Emi Kane.

ACCESS NOTES

• Languages: Presentations in English with CART, ASL, and Spanish interpretation.
• Camera optional. No breakout groups.
• Panel and Q&A will be recorded. Recording & resources will be shared with everyone who registered, & posted on our YouTube channels and websites.

PRESENTER BIOS

Oni Blackstock, MD, MHS is a nationally recognized thought leader in health equity and HIV. A primary care and HIV physician and researcher, Dr. Blackstock is the founder and Executive Director of Health Justice, a social impact consulting firm dedicated to helping healthcare and public health organizations center anti-racism and equity while they work to reduce health inequities. She also led the NYC Health Department’s HIV epidemic response and conducted research on HIV prevention and treatment for disproportionately impacted communities at Montefiore/Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Blackstock is passionate about ensuring marginalized and minoritized communities have access to the resources and support needed to achieve optimal health and well-being.

Dean Spade has been working to build queer and trans liberation based in racial and economic justice for the past two decades. He’s the author of Normal Life: Administrative Violence, Critical Trans Politics, and the Limits of Law, and Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next) and the director of the documentary “Pinkwashing Exposed: Seattle Fights Back!” His next book, Love in a Fucked Up World: How to Build Relationships, Hook Up and Raise Hell Together, is forthcoming from Algonquin Press in January, 2025.

Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha (they/she) is an older cousin, regular person, memory worker, disability and transformative justice old bytch, and the author or co-editor of ten books, including The Future Is Disabled (co-edited with Ejeris Dixon), Beyond Survival: Strategies and Stories from the Transformative Justice Movement, Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice, Tonguebreaker and Dirty River. A Disability Futures Fellow, Lambda and Jeanne Córdova Award winner, five-time Publishing Triangle shortlister and longtime disabled QTBIPOC space maker, they are currently building Living Altars, a cultural space by and for disabled QTBIPOC writers. They are a new Philly resident after being a longtime visiting cousin.

Gabriel San Emeterio, LMSW  (they/elle/she/he) is a Senior Fellow with Long COVID Justice / S4HI. They  are a queer and disabled activist from Mexico City who migrated to New York City in the late 90’s. Gabriel holds a Masters degree in Social Work with Community Organizing as a method of practice and a certificate in Social Policy from the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, where she is now part time faculty. They are also honored to be a member of the HIV Caucus (aka U.S. People Living with HIV Caucus). Gabriel’s life experience as a person living with HIV, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS), and other complex chronic conditions, fuels their passion for disability justice and liberatory community work.

Emi Kane is a co-director at Long COVID Justice / Strategies for High Impact. She is a disabled and chronically ill educator, researcher and organizer. Emi spent many years working for a large university and a small foundation on health and migration, reparations and redistributive justice, and how people think and learn. She is also a former National Collective member for INCITE, a feminist of color anti-violence network, a co-founder of Survived and Punished, and a former but forever proud member of the Allied Media Projects board of directors. Above all, she thinks that relationships of trust are the most important political tools we have, and tries to live and work in ways that reflect that belief.

Long COVID in the Trans Community – Q&A

DEC 19 2023, 4pm ET

Last month we had such great response to our “Long COVID is a Trans Issue” event that we ran out of ~virtual~ space on Zoom for all the questions and attendees. So, we’re bringing back an informal session before the holidays, to collectively share resources, and identify the Qs being asked the most by our trans community.

We won’t have all the answers, and we certainly are no medical professionals, but we can organize around our concerns and continue to push for trans funding & programming at the forefront of Long COVID research.

➡️ Step 1: Check out the recording of the webinar on YouTube. You can also view the resource list and slides from JD’s presentation.

➡️ Step 2: Still have Qs that weren’t answered in the webinar? Submit them via this anonymous form, and we’ll try to address them in the Q&A!

➡️ Step 3: Register for the Q&A session, and then join us on Tuesday December 19 from 4-5pm ET.

Stay tuned for a Spanish & ASL version of the original webinar, we’re working to make these available.

More access notes:
• Auto captions
• Cameras optional
• Chat replies
• No flashing lights
• Resources will be emailed after the session
• Other access needs? Email [email protected]

Long COVID is a Trans Issue

NOV 15 2023, 5:30-7:00 PM ET

Join us for an important conversation about Long COVID and disparities for the trans community hosted by Trans Equity with Long COVID Justice.

Let’s talk about Long COVID, how we can take care of ourselves & each other, and why disability justice is essential to trans liberation.

Featuring:

• Moderated by Cecilia Gentili @ceciliagentili72
• Performance by Kay Ulanday Barrett, @brownroundboi
• Research by Sari L Reisner, SCD
• Resources from JD Davids,  @thecrankyqueer
  

Access Notes

• Auto captions
• Spanish interpretation
• Webinar format / attendees are off camera
• Bio break
• Chat replies
• No flashing lights
• Resources will be emailed after the session
• Recording will be available for 90 days for those who registered for the workshop
• Other access needs? Email [email protected]

View & share this promo video on Instagram!

Resisting COVID Denialism: Strategy clinics for organizers

NOV 16 + 30, DEC 14 2023, 6:00-7:30 PM ET

Looking forward to another special event with PeoplesHub – the first event in the series features LongCOVIDJustice co-founder JD Davids & other amazing organizers!

Event info from PeoplesHub:

😷Join us for “Resisting COVID Denialism: Strategy Clinics for Organizers,” a series of 3 online clinics designed to connect organizers actively working against COVID denialism.

👉 We recognize that people have been resisting COVID denialism, often in relative isolation. These clinics are designed for collective strategizing and troubleshooting of common issues we face in doing this. We’ll work directly off of scenarios from participants’ own experiences with COVID denialism.

*️⃣ Participants are encouraged to attend the full series, as each session will build upon the next. The strategy clinic format will be a facilitated popular education space, relying upon the group’s knowledge.

Featuring:
@birch_sky @thecrankyqueer @longcovidjustice @notthreefifths

Access Notes

• Auto captions
• Interpreters + captioners available by request (via registration form)
• Camera optional
• This session will not be recorded, to protect participants’ privacy with whatever may be shared in the space!

View & share this promo post on Instagram!