In Patty Berne’s Light: Disability Pride + Power
Patty Berne, a Japanese-Haitian person with light brown skin, smiles playfully with love and light shining from their brown eyes. They wear an off the shoulder opalescent blue dress and an amethyst pendant. Their brown hair is pulled back into their signature two buns. Behind Patty is a pink background with radiant red and yellow flowers. At the top of the image, iridescent capital letters spell out “Patty Lives Through Us.” On the bottom right corner is Sins Invalid’s logo, a black rectangular box with white letters that read “Sins Invalid.” Image Courtesy of Sins Invalid.
As Disability Pride Month starts, our hearts are heavy with the recent news of Patty Berne’s passing. Berne, co-founder of Sins Invalid, was a dreamer and creator of Disability Justice as well as a maker and champion of disabled queer, trans, and BIPOC-led arts spaces. We grieve while knowing that her wisdom will continue to guide us, even as she joins the company of our other treasured ancestors.
In the wake of Berne’s passage, Sins Invalid invites the community to carry on her legacy: “As we grieve, please care for each other in the ways Patty taught us: check in on a friend, cook a meal, support some one at the edge, practice Disability Justice in real time.”
We’re a little early this week, but we couldn’t wait to share some ways you can practice DJ, in addition to some moments of light and joy on the horizon. (Plus, we’re taking a few days off for some much needed radical rest!) It’s worth noting that film and disability seem to be having a moment, and we are excited about these visual mediums for nonfiction storytelling and consciousness building. In addition, find pieces on keeping our communities safe from COVID-19, frameworks for thinking about today’s political moment, and a call to participate in a signature Disability Culture Lab hybrid event.
What We’re Reading This Week
The Plan to Vaccinate All Americans, Despite RFK Jr.
by Lena H. Sun and Rachel Roubein
In the wake of RFK Jr.’s drastic changes to several federal health organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, concerned physicians and local politicians are developing strategies to keep sharing guidance and accurate information about vaccines. “Their efforts to create a nongovernmental vaccine system mark a significant escalation in strategy, reflecting the high degree of alarm within the mainstream medical and public health community about continued access to immunizations….” (H/T Washington Post)
The 4chan-Coded Ideology Behind Elon Musk’s War on Normies
by Julia Métraux
This deep-dive into Elon Musk’s identity and perception investigates how public opinions of autism have shifted and the deep ties between hustle culture and the obsession with Musk’s specific brand: “The Silicon Valley self-proclaimed Aspie is super intelligent and super rational—but not too weird to invite to parties.” (H/T Mother Jones)
The Top 5 Ways the Congressional Republicans’ Budget Reconciliation Bill Will Harm Disabled Students
by Mia Ives-Rublee and Weadé James
The new proposals for spending cuts at the federal level promise to devastate existing supports for disabled students. This article breaks down five essential programs that would be affected by the new House and Senate Republicans’ bill, from school vouchers to AI regulation. (H/T The Center for American Progress)
“I Pretty Much Haven’t Worked Since 2020”: How the Effects of Long COVID Have Harmed Professional Musicians and DJs
by Adam Douglas
Investigating the experiences of the “around 72 million people living with Long COVID,” this piece uses testimonials from two musicians who have had to shift their routines since their first COVID-19 infections. Cellist Joshua Roman shares that although his multiple new symptoms make work accommodations necessary, “When I'm advocating for people with Long COVID, I'm actually advocating for everybody because there aren’t really specific things for Long COVID that aren’t good for everybody yet.” (H/T Music Radar)
Find Some Joy And Community
Sinners x BASL
Runaway hit Sinners will soon become the first film to be interpreted into Black American Sign Language (BASL) on a streaming service. Premiering on Max on July 4 2025, with interpretation by Nakia Smith, this will mark a major step in culturally-informed media accessibility and storytelling. Learn more about BASL in the video below, featuring Natasha “Courage” Bacchus.
Screenings of The Ride Ahead
Documentary The Ride Ahead has the following description: “Samuel Habib is a typical 21-year-old, itching to move out, start a career, and find love. But no one tells you how to be an adult, let alone an adult with a disability. Can a community of disability activists help him follow his dreams?”
Directed by Samuel and Dan Habib, the film has new screenings scheduled for this summer. It will show at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C., on July 3, 2025, with an accompanying panel featuring Samuel, Dan, and Ly Xīnzhèn M. Zhǎng Brown. And starting on July 21 at 10 p.m. ET, you can catch it on your local PBS station.
Thursday, July 3, 2025
1 p.m. ET | ASL | CART | Audio Descriptions | Tickets | Free
Screenings of Life After
Roxie, a nonprofit cinema in San Francisco, will host a panel with Alice Wong and Julia Métraux in conversation with director Reid Davenport following a screening of his film, Life After. Get your tickets in advance!
Sunday, August 10, 2025
12:30 p.m. PT | Audio Description | In Person | Tickets ($0 to $16.62)
Tuesday, August 12, 2025
7 p.m. PT | Virtual | Tickets | $9.99
Wednesday, August 13, 2025
7 p.m. PT | Virtual | Tickets | $9.99
Shop the DCL Store!
Our store has been updated with new designs for both Queer and Disability Pride Months! Shop our newest collection of t-shirts, tank tops, bags, and more, all created by a team of incredible disabled artists: Jen D. Rafanan, Jen White-Johnson, and Bob Bland. As always, all of our products are sensory friendly and made in the USA-by union workers.
Text reads: Disability Culture Lab presents: Disability Culture Cabaret: Pride Edition. July 30, 2025 at MetroBar. Are you a disabled and queer performance artist in the DMV? Apply by July 11 to help us celebrate disabled and queer joy and brilliance! Image description: Background is a gradient in the colors of the Disability Pride Flag (red, yellow, blue, green and gray). There are also three dancing figures in various combinations of brown, pink, orange, and black.
Disability Culture Cabaret: Pride Edition
Disability Culture Lab is teaming up with New Disabled South, Orion Ridgely, and BOINEXTDOOR to host a joyful, unapologetically queer and disabled cabaret—and we’re looking for local performers! Whether you’re a mad magician, a burlesque artist who uses mobility aids, a drag performer with invisible disabilities, a deaf singer, a hot-tistic ready to show off your special interest, or a disabled community member with something to celebrate, we want to see you shine on stage this month. Apply to perform by July 11. Ticket information coming soon!
Not in the DMV area? We’ll let you know about future events in other cities, and you should reach out if you want to help us plan a Disability Culture Cabaret in your community!
Plug In and Take Action
“The President Told America #GoFundYourself! So Here We Are.”
This GoFundMe benefitting the Undue Medical Debt’s fund to cancel people’s medical debt is still going. The org provides support to community members who are losing access to Medicaid benefits based on recent budget cuts by the federal government. Its current goal is $7,230, which aligns with the budget cuts of $723 billion. Even if you can’t donate, organizers encourage supporters to share using the #GoFundYourself hashtag on social media.
Ave Astra is seeking submissions for its inaugural issue, which will launch in August. This new magazine seeks to bring together research and personal storytelling and seeks “submissions from artists, writers, and creators who bring depth, nuance, and authenticity to conversations about disability and neurodivergence.” Submissions are due by July 25, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Have news, tips, joy, or actions to share? Drop us a line at Hello@DisabilityCultureLab.org. We’d love to hear from you!
Want to support DCL’s work to shift the narrative on disability from fear and pity to solidarity and liberation? Donate here!
