Shanna Katz Kattari, PhD 🍉🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈♿️

Also it’s so fucking sad that it feels all my posts this month are about such death and loss. First Mimi Madrid, and then Alice Wong, and now Loraine.

I am worried it is going to keep getting worse .

Screenshot of a supportive email from Loraine to Shanna

Screenshot of a supportive Facebook message from Loraine to Shanna

Picture of a white bisexual fat woman, Loraine Hutchins

Heartbroken over the loss of another queer (Bi+!) crip ancestor in the passing of Loraine Hutchins. She was always so kind and supportive of me from the day we met at an intersectionality workshop I taught. Her bi pride and inclusivity activism has had such impact. Her memory is already a blessing.

Cool cool cool

You know, I want to read more utopian fiction. Something has changed in me. What are some of your favourite reads imagining a future where we all survive this, and build something together?

ID: Yellow background with black text "This is Alice's friend Sandy Ho, posting. Per Alice's wishes, this message is being shared at the time of her passing. Hi everyone, it looks like I ran out of time. I have so many dreams that I wanted to fulfill and plans to create new stories for you. There are a few in progress that might come to fruition in a few years if things work out. I did not ever imagine I would live to this age and end up a writer, editor, activist, and more. As a kid riddled with insecurity and internalized ableism, I could not see a path forward. It was thanks to friendships and some great teachers who believed in me that I was able to fight my way out of miserable situations into a place where I finally felt comfortable in my skin. We need more stories about us and our culture. You all, we all, deserve the everything and more in such a hostile, ableist environment. Our wisdom is incisive and unflinching. I'm honored to be your ancestor and believe disabled oracles like us will light the way to the future. Don't let the bastards grind you down. I love you all."

From her account on FB (text in alt tag).

This. I work up to 60 hours a week and have, I kid you not, over 800 starred emails I need to respond to. I am exhausted!

Heartbroken to hear of @sfdirewolf.bsky.social ‘s transition to be a crip anscestor AND feeling so honored to have been alive in the time as this brilliant human, and gotten to learn from her.

May her memory continue to always be a blessing.

I had no idea that happened Rebekah (though am not surprised). I am so incredibly sorry and hope @aft.org would not endorse him after SO many different things he has done to harm educators the UM system

Following injury and illness, hundreds of U-M employees relied on the University to facilitate their return to work. They say it failed them. On Dec. 20, 2024, Marcellous Demps, a former patient-care provider at Michigan Medicine, was working the night shift when he slipped and fell in a dimly lit, wet hallway while carrying a 150-pound por...

outstanding reporting from our students

www.michigandaily.com/news/focal-p...

If you aren't yet thinking "AI must be destroyed" there is something wrong with you

Whatever happens, the government does not decide love. It doesn’t regulate connection or community. We have survived worse and we will survive this. We protect us.

Annnnd. A reminder that even as we speak, marriage is NOT equitable in the U.S.; disabled people cannot marry for fear of losing benefits, immigrants marrying citizens are so heavily scrutinized, etc. And many states still allow for anti LGBTQ+ discrimination, which marriage does nothing to protect.

Today the Supreme Court will decide on LGBQ+ marriage equity, including whether so many people I love get to continue to have these benefits. It is so scary for so many.

Photo of two white queers in victorian inspired wedding garb by a stream

Two white queers in forest druid vibes smiling on a bridge in the forest

I’ve been in two legal marriages with two different wonderful people over the years, as well as have meaningful relationships with my other partners. To me, legal marriage has always been about rights, especially as a disabled person. Ensuring my loves are insured, and can visit me in the hospital.

And trans folks, racialized folks, survivors. So so many reasons to change this.

YouTube video by Council on Social Work Education CSWE Annual Conference 2025: Opening Plenary Panel Discussion on Disability Justice and Joy

If anyone would like to watch the Social Work Disability Justice League's opening plenary at the Council on Social Work Education's Annual Conference with me, Laura Wernick, and Vandana Chaudry on Disability Justice & Disability Joy, we start at about 20:00 : www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vxt...

Kattari noted. Many of these groups already have less access to providers due to systemic barriers like transportation, language access or insurance limitations.

The intersectionality of marginalized identities compounds these barriers. "Racialized people, disabled people, lower income people, fat people, non-native English speakers are all already less likely to be believed by healthcare providers, more likely to be accused of faking it and/or drug seeking”

refusing to touch patients because they're queer/trans, or, touching them more aggressively and painfully. Blaming all health issues on someone's gender/sexuality. Not believing their reported pain levels. Using queerphobic and transphobic language, laughing at/about patient, denying care.

And the experiences that cause that fear? Kattari didn't mince words. While smaller interactions like misgendering and using dead names can stack up, there are far more egregious experiences that are too common:

Navigating Trauma Caused by Healthcare — and Why LGBTQ+ Folks Are Impacted More Often I was a nurse with more than 20 years of clinical experience when I developed a raging infection after a knee replacement. Let's just say the words "20 cc

thankful to Kelli for this:

“By the time something is beyond urgent, they are rolling into the emergency department with multiple chronic and acute issues," Kattari said. "They then feel let down and betrayed once again by the system that harmed them previously."

pridesource.com/article/navi...

1) Anyone have a source for disability prevalence in trans (or general queer and trans) populations?
2) Anyone at @transequality.bsky.social want to connect about creating a disability specific report? Or peer review articles?
3) a reminder to all y’all of how little disability is recognized, STILL!

Literally none of the reports from the @transequality.bsky.social 2022 USTS have the world disability in them, which is wild, as at last count, 42% of trans Michiganders reported a disability, and 39% of trans people in the 2015 USTS did the same.

Appreciate you 💜

Two of my favorite colleagues Christina Dadswell from the UM SSW Field Office and Dr. Haylie Miller from Kinesiology both also got honorable mention, while Dr. Feranmi Okanlami SO deservedly won the award this year. I am so lucky to be in such great company, and forever onwards in solidarity we go!

Photo of screens in a room naming Shanna Katz Kattari in getting the James T Neubacher award honorable mentions

Honored by the James T Neubacher Award honorable mention for my 2nd time at UM. This award specifically calls out university members who have improved the lives of people with disabilities, and as many of you know, this is a foundation piece of my advocacy professionally and personally.

Two of us on stage wearing masks! And our whole panel on action steps to reduce ableism in social work education did.

But yes, incredibly disappointing. CSWE bought 2,000 masks to hand out but I’m not seeing anyone wearing them.

Am always disappointed by other “progressives” who don’t mask.

Four white queer and trans academics wearing masks present in a panel format

From our action steps to reduce ableism in social work education panel. 💜

It’s pretty frustrating. Some other people seem to put on masks to talk to me…which is nice I guess, but also shouldn’t you care about everyone and yourself, and not just me?

There are maybe 10 other regular maskers here, another dozen occasional ones. Not shocking but still disappointing.

We are all so pissed about this and have been bringing it up at every presentation including the plenary. So much solidarity 💜