Pandemic Solidarity for the Long Future aka PS4LF
A Virtual Convening for Black, Brown, Indigenous,
Asian, and Pacific Islander Kin Who Give a F#ck

Calling Up Justice and One Free Community attended and presented at the virtual COVID Cautious Convening March 8-10 2024 re-centering the public narrative regarding COVID within a Racial, Trans/Queer, Disability, & Gender Justice lens. The beautifully designed digital space was inside GatherTown with 600 registered participants. Claudia and Jesenia led a session on digital producing joined by Maiamama and other OFC members. One Free Community had a booth in the vendor area and were joined by Skully and other OFC members.

A Black-led multiracial group of Trans, Queer and Gender Nonconforming folks of various ages, experiences and abilities came together to create this virtual COVID Cautious convening. The idea for this convening came from months of holding space together with community members who have lost access to public space as a result of disappearing COVID mitigations. Within the context of eugenics, ableism, and white supremacy, this COVID Cautious event led by racialized TGNC folks, women, disabled folks, and youth allowed us to lead conversations that truly centered our dreams of a world of community care. We have a right to have access to clean air and protection from deadly diseases, and we achieved that goal together.

A unique aspect of PS4LF, this virtual convening for Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian, and Pacific Islander Kin Who Give a F#ck was that it was affinity space. All convening attendees, art gallery participants, facilitators, performers, and vendors had to fall under a Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian, and Pacific Islander (BBIAPI) umbrella. Folks who were white and recognize themselves as “white-passing,” “white-presenting,” or “white-assumed” were not welcome at this convening. This container built a space that felt truly equitable for everyone within it.

We live in a world that says it is unrealistic, unnecessary, or “too difficult” to take any COVID precautions. This framing tells those of us most directly affected by COVID that neither our health nor our lives matter. The Pandemic Solidarity for Life Gathering rejects this fatalistic narrative. Calling Up Justice has been producing this type of accessibility since before the pandemic because we understand that disability justice demands it.