These Disabled Fems Took the Stage for Health Justice and Liberation
On March 28, FEMINIST hosted Disabled Fems Mad About Health Inequity: A Hysterical Variety Show, featuring performances and powerful talks that highlighted the healthcare inequities faced by disabled fems, especially with threats to Medicaid access. Moderated by Sophie Szew, the show featured powerful performances including poetry, speeches, and comedy from disabled fem artists and activists.
MEET THE PERFORMERS
Corrie Ferguson (she/her)
is a 21-year-old poet, artist, and aspiring therapist from Texas with 6 years of experience in poetry and journalism. As a disabled queer woman, she aims to intertwine art and activism for mental health advocacy, disability rights and LGBTQ+ rights. Her goal is to shift the conversation around marginalized communities, highlighting their humanity over their disparity.
Jillian Curwin (she/her)
a little person from New York City, combines her lived experiences with expertise in sports/talent management and PR to advocate for dwarfism and disability inclusion. She is a writer, content creator, consultant, advocate for dwarfism and disability awareness and inclusion, and host of the Always Looking Up podcast, amplifying diverse voices in fashion, sports, and politics.
Sophie Szew (she/they)
is a queer disabled youth mental health advocate, writer, performer, and student at Stanford University. She is one of the youngest appointees to the U.S. federal government, where she serves on the National Advisory Council for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and is a founder of the Youth Latinx Leadership Conference. Sophie combines advocacy with poetic storytelling as the inaugural poet for LA Mayor Karen Bass.
Yare Túa (she/her)
is an advocate, content creator, speaker, and model dedicated to promoting inclusivity, accessibility, and equality. As a cancer survivor and disability advocate, she uses her platform to amplify underrepresented voices, partnering with brands like Anthropologie and Aerie to drive meaningful change. She made history walking for New York Fashion Week, proving that disability is not a limitation but a force for transformation.
Fay Kanevsky (they/she)
is a lifestyle creator who does it all — they're a content creator, actor, stand-up comedian, disability advocate, small business owner, model, and soon-to-be filmmaker. They bring their identity as an autistic, first-generation, gay, Jewish, disabled, and gender-queer person into everything they do, sharing their life experiences through their own unique and relatable personal lens.
Keely Cat-Wells (she/her)
a disability rights advocate, is the CEO of Making Space, a talent and learning platform that equips Disabled professionals with resources and opportunities to build meaningful careers and partnered with NBCUniversal for the first-ever disabled hosts on NBC Sports’ Paralympics broadcast. She is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, the youngest-ever Presidential Leadership Scholar, and one of two Gloria Steinem fellows.
Wren Brooks (she/they)
is a queer disabled writer, poet, and photographer based in Long Beach. Her work focuses on intersectional justice, body grief, existence with disability, and life around her as it happens. Her words and photos are featured in Cripple Media, Kingfisher literary magazine, LookDeeper Zine, ForTheLBC, Brut America and more.