From Protesting in the Morning at the DC Council for Funds for the Underserved… To Meetings with National Advocacy Leaders… To Hosting Drag Bingo at Night as a Nun
Working at Whitman-Walker means I get to bring my entire self to this work. Each day is a different opportunity to show up for our patients wherever needed. One recent day truly captured the breadth of this experience:
8:00AM: Before starting my workday, I joined a group of 50 or so local organizers in my volunteer role as President of GLAA, the nation’s longest running LGBTQ+ rights organization. We gathered to interrupt the business-as-usual approach of the DC Council’s budget negotiations. Standing outside of the Wilson Building on Pennsylvania Ave for an hour, we demanded that the Council find money to pay for food and healthcare for DC’s most vulnerable communities. Our efforts were met with honks from passing commuters, stares from tourist groups, and waves and calls of “good morning” from supportive council staffers getting to their jobs.
10:00AM: I rush back to my desk to join a weekly call with my supervisor. The agenda varies, but this is always a good chance to connect and align. This week we reflect on a report showing LGBTQ+ focused grants are in decline. This has made our work harder, so we discuss how we can organize with other LGBTQ+ community organizations across the US to urge philanthropy to step into the gap and invest in advocacy and research. We are focused on growing the pie and cultivating a culture of abundance.
12:00PM-4:00PM: I have an afternoon full of meetings, each more interesting than the last.
First, I meet with the HIV BASIC coalition: This is a monthly call with a group of HIV advocates fighting the criminalization and stigmatization of HIV. Our work focuses on supporting the bodily autonomy and human rights of all people. During this meeting we put together a workshop proposal for a conference and discussed the plans for a national launch of a powerful new consensus statement we can use to hold people accountable to these shared ideals.
Next, we have a call with a group of expert DC advocates for an off-the-record conversation about the issues before the DC Council. This meeting helps keep me informed about what legislation and budget issues might impact Whitman-Walker’s patients and staff. The budget vote is next week, so we are deep in the details and gossip of the latest negotiations.
Third, I have convened a group of national advocacy leaders to discuss how the LGBTQI+ community wants to respond to the third and latest nomination for Surgeon General. In this call, we strategize to make sure that our allies in the Senate have the right talking points to counter the rampant dis and misinformation. We want to protect LGBTQ+ people, and in this instance that means activating allied networks to hold the nominee accountable for their anti-science stances on abortion, LGBTQ+ people, and vaccines.
6:00PM: Finally, my last meeting ends, and I start to clear my desk of laptops and legal pads and pull out my make up brushes and sponges. It is time to get ready for Drag Bingo with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence! It is my 5th year as a drag nun and the power of drag still surprises me. We raise money for organizations in the DMV that serve LGBTQ+ youths and PLWH and we show up to make fun happen! From 7:00pm-9:00pm we crack jokes as we pull balls, call numbers, and encourage everyone as bingo sheets slowly fill with glittery ink from colorful dobbers.
10:00PM: I am finally done performing, but my day is not done yet. After taking off the colorful face of makeup and changing into comfortable shoes, I head out to meet friends for a little bit of dancing. Grooving and moving under a disco ball is medicinal after this long day. These moments of unbounded queer joy give me the infusion I need to keep coming back to my desk each day.
Am I tired? Yes. It has been a long and meaningful day of working alongside dedicated friends and advocates to make sure our community has what it needs to survive and thrive. Am I ready to do it again? Yes!
If you see me out there, say hello! I hope to see you out in the streets, the halls of the council, or on the dance floor.
(Benjamin Brooks is the Interim Director of Policy at the Institute for Health Research and Policy at Whitman-Walker.)
