Audre Lorde said, “caring for myself is not self indulgence, it’s self-preservation”. Following the shooting at Pulse Nightclub, Brandon quickly learned the power – and necessity – of self care. This presentation explores the real life application of self care; the challenges of caring for one’s self in a world that prioritizes productivity; and the incalculable need for community when healing. The truth is, you don’t have to save the world to earn your place in it. This talk will empower the audience to demand the ultimate form of resistance: self care.
Co-Sponsors: UCSB MCC and RCSGD
Brandon Wolf is a nationally recognized LGBTQ civil rights advocate, leader in the movement to end gun violence in America, and survivor of the 2016 shooting at Pulse Nightclub. After narrowly escaping that night, during what was the deadliest mass shooting in US history at the time, Brandon channeled his life into fighting for a safer world for future generations and honoring victims of injustice with action.He is a frequent face on MSNBC, CNN, Black News Channel, and is a featured voice in CNN digital, Newsweek, USA Today, and others. Brandon has graced the cover of Dazed Magazine and LGBTQ publications nationwide, recently being named one of the Logo TV 30.He has been recognized as one of Huffington Post’s 30 LGBTQ Influencers under 30 and Business Equality Magazine’s 40 LGBTQ Leaders Under 40. Brandon was a national surrogate for Senator Elizabeth Warren’s Presidential Campaign and an advisory committee member for President Biden’s General Election bid. He is a co-founder and current Vice President of The Dru Project, a nonprofit organization that empowers safe spaces in schools for LGBTQ youth, and an Advisory Board Member for the National Organization for Victim Assistance, the oldest advocacy organization for victims of crime in the country.Brandon’s work is done through the same lens of intersectionality through which he experiences the world, centering those living at the crossroads of identity and acknowledging that the simple act of caring for oneself is radical in society today.Learn more about Brandon by visiting brandonwolf.us and on social media @bjoewolf.
