Meet Our Shero of the Month: Kari Perry

Our March 2020 Shero of the Month is Kari Hartel Perry of Littleton, Colorado. Kari has been a mainstay of HIV advocacy in Colorado for many years, as a founding member and former co-chair of PWN Colorado and a leader in the successful movement to repeal the state’s discriminatory HIV criminalization statutes (accomplished in 2016). “Kari is the ultimate advocate! She organizes people before meetings to ensure they are able to attend, feel involved and have input about the agenda items. She always speaks truth to power and supports other advocates to do the same. She makes it all look so effortless and we know it takes so much work and dedication. She is a triple threat: ruthless mind for policy, a compassionate heart, and an absolute belief in meaningful involvement,” said Barb Cardell, PWN training director.

With over 16 years of fierce advocacy under her belt, Kari has much to be proud of–and a lot of great memories. “I have met some of the most amazing people, especially my PWN sisters across the U.S.,” she said. “We are fierce and are taking our power, taking our seats, and demanding change. That is always so inspiring. The memories I cherish most have always been the times I get to spend building relationships with my sisters, like attending the PWN-USA summits, coordinating the Staying Positive StoryCenter workshops that centered around women living with HIV, and developing lifelong relationships with the members of PWN Colorado. I am also very thankful to have been able to coordinate the largest community group in Colorado for women living with HIV and another for youth living with HIV. I hope that all the people I have met, talked to, and developed relationships with, know that when things get tough and I want to quit…it’s them that make me smile and keep me going! It all of you that fuel me, teach me, feed my soul, and fill my heart! I feel truly blessed to be a part of this community in Colorado and nationwide.”

Read the full interview here

Organizing Spotlight: JD Davids Organizes People with Chronic Conditions to Beat the Coronavirus Pandemic

It is almost impossible to have a conversation these days without COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, creeping in. Before so many people around the world really understood the seriousness of the new disease, JD Davids–the self-described Cranky Queer and veteran of HIV activism, including ACT UP–was busy gathering information to share with community and networks. He also foresaw the need for people with chronic illnesses who could be most severely impacted by the pandemic to organize a network to ensure mutual aid and advocacy in the face of a growing global crisis.

Q. You organized a webinar about what people with chronic illness needed to know about and prepare for the coronavirus epidemic before most people in the U.S. were taking it seriously. What gave you the idea to start organizing early and in that way?

A. I feel it’s important to use the skills and follow the passions I have, so my knowledge of public health info on this and my belief in disability justice drove me forward. Plus I need the info for myself and my family.

Q. You didn’t just stop at a webinar–you are also organizing a network of people with chronic illness. Where is that process now, and what do you envision this looking like? What are the next steps and how can people join the network or get involved in organizing it?

A. We are going to hold a few more webinars, and will see how best we can support this network in doing what it needs to do – and hopefully folding into an existing effort because we don’t want to create a whole new infrastructure if something already exists! People can sign on here.

Read the full interview here!

Webinars You Won’t Want to Miss

Building Partnerships between DV & HIV Organizations

Tues., March 31 at 2:30p EDT/ 1:30p CDT/ 12:30p MDT/ 11:30a PDT

NNEDV’s Positively Safe Team is hosting a webinar on Building Partnerships between DV & HIV Organizations on Tuesday, March 31st at 2:30 PM EST. This webinar is being presented by Ashley Slye, National Network to End Domestic Violence Positively Safe Manager and Sonia Rastogi, Positive Women’s Network – USA Board Member. It will address the need for partnerships between domestic violence and HIV organizations, reaching out to a domestic violence or HIV organization in your community, and the importance of including voices of survivors and individuals living with HIV in developing partnerships.

This webinar is open to all domestic violence and HIV-advocates. Please reach out to [email protected] if you have any questions.

Policy 101: Trans Rights, Safety, and Justice

Tues., April 14 at 5p EDT/ 4p CDT/ 3p MDT/ 2p MDT

March 31 is the International Transgender Day of Visibility. It is a time to celebrate the accomplishments and victories of people of trans experience. It is also an opportunity to acknowledge the work that we need to do to ensure that all transgender and gender non-conforming people can live long, healthy, dignified lives, free from stigma, discrimination, and violence in all forms.

PWN members told us that the rights, safety and justice for people of trans experience must be a top priority. In this webinar, we will talk about 1) what Trans Rights, Safety and Justice is, 2) how cisgender people can be better allies in the fight for Trans Rights, Safety and Justice, and 3) two policy issues that impact transgender people’s ability to live with full bodily autonomy.

TLC Announces Trans Agenda for Liberation

On March 24, Transgender Law Center launched the Trans Agenda for Liberation, a community-led guide towards the world that trans and gender nonconforming people deserve.

At a time where we are facing an unprecedented global health crisis, trans people are reimagining our world in extraordinary and visionary ways. While governments have failed to address the severity of this pandemic, trans leaders all across the country have mobilized to immediately put their collective wisdom, brilliance, and experience into action.

Please check out the launch video: Trans Agenda. The first pillar of the Trans Agenda for Liberation launched on Tuesday, March 24 titled Black Trans Women and Black Trans Femmes Leading and Living Fiercely, which honors the wisdom of Black trans women and Black trans femmes who, in the face of historical and ongoing discrimination and violence, are thriving and leading the solutions for cultural, economic, and political change in our society.

March 30, 2020