
How My Roots and HIV Diagnosis Shaped Me Into a Voice Against Stigma
Accepting my diagnosis and choosing to be visible—living without the fear of judgment and using my story to change the narrative surrounding HIV—is a milestone I am proud of.
Accepting my diagnosis and choosing to be visible—living without the fear of judgment and using my story to change the narrative surrounding HIV—is a milestone I am proud of.
Shortly after losing all of my vision, I was forced to navigate my new life as a blind trans woman with very little support, at least to begin with.
The one thing I have learned from all of this is that access is the game-changer... We will change it, investor or not.
Working at major publishing houses, I was often the only Black woman in the room... Rather than allow these experiences to discourage me, they became my fuel.
When I finally left an abusive relationship, I realized how little support there was for survivors of abuse. The world tells us to “just leave,” but no one prepares you for the emotional unravelling that comes after.
I am a Disruptor because I have an attitude problem! What was meant to be an insult by men has become the thing women like most about me. So, I am 100% going to trust women’s judgement on that!
My first significant break came with Ryan Murphy's, The Politician on Netflix. Booking the role of Principal Karen Vaughn was a whirlwind experience. I was notified of the audition just a day before it was scheduled, and despite it being my first speaking role, I gave it my all.
I grew up not having to be afraid of being Muslim or hiding my religion in any way. If anything, I was taught to embrace it.
To reflect the society we live in when creating theatre, we should proactively seek diversity in all areas: age, race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, social status etc, not just to tick a box, but to improve the quality of the work and reach wider audiences.