<
https://www.them.us/story/drag-artists-organizers-vodi-safety-lgbtq-spaces>
"After becoming disabled by a COVID-19 infection they caught on tour in 2022,
Themme Fatale went from being a high-flying trapeze artist to being homebound.
Before developing Long COVID, much of the popular circus performer’s career had
involved risk — setting themself on fire, flipping through the air, lying on
beds of nails — but the danger of these stunts began to shrink in their mind
compared to the risk of the airborne virus.
From home in Melbourne, Australia, Fatale began to closely follow Long COVID
research, connecting the concerning findings about the disease, which affects
every organ system, to their numerous symptoms. What they didn’t understand
was why their local queer community — and society at large — continued to put
themselves at risk of COVID-19, especially because Long COVID is more
prevalent in queer and trans people.
It led Fatale to take action. In February 2024, Fatale launched Clean Air Narm,
one of over 30 volunteer-led initiatives around the world modeled after
Chicago’s Clean Air Club. These organizations lend out high-quality air
purifiers to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by reducing virus in the air
at indoor venues.
“I started [Clean Air Narm] because I don't want to see all my friends disabled
in the same way that I have been,” they say. “If you lead with a solution,
people are sometimes more open to hearing about what the problem is in the
first place.”"
Via Violet Blue’s
Pandemic Roundup: August 22, 2024
https://www.patreon.com/posts/pandemic-roundup-110556275
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
