I am a chronically ill person living with Fibromyalgia and CPTSD. Often I push through to conform to the overculture’s ableist expectations. Now more than ever, it feels important to keep dismantling my internalized ableism. As a mental health provider, if I had joined the march in person, I might have been out of commission for a long time afterwards due to pain and fatigue and potentially getting sick (this often happens if I push myself too hard physically or emotionally). This would not have been of service to the marginalized folks in my community I work with. They need my support more than ever! My hearth and child also need me to be as present as I can right now, during this challenging time. Survival and visibility are acts of resistance right now and I am so grateful for this opportunity to join the march in a visible way that also respects my physical and emotional boundaries. 

I am a trans masculine, non-binary, trans, bi, queer, Italian immigrant living in the US for the past 8 years. I live in white skin and benefit from white privilege, while also being connected to my own Indigenous roots and ancestors, and I actively strive to dismantle white supremacy in my own body and within the communities I live in. I am a parent, spouse, therapist, writer and scholar, and I have been living with a range of invisible disabilities for three decades. More at www.alexiantaffi.com.