To be transparent, I have not always been a Covid safety advocate. I didn't arrive at this point effortlessly or without making mistakes. But it's never too late. Humans are not static beings. Every breath is a new beginning. Although I never completely ditched the mask, there have been instances where I caved to pressure and social norms. • A multi-day conference where we masked, but still had meals together. • Going to cohort mates' houses but not discussing testing or masking beforehand. • Business school orientation where I was the only one masking, but still needed a lunch break and didn't want to sit alone. • Family members or roommates dining out, so I figured if they were exposed, I would be too. In 2020, I sank into the teachings of disability justice. I truly believed we should let the experiences of those who are most marginalized inform community care. Honestly, my actions felt hypocritical, and I couldn't take the cognitive dissonance. Silence began to feel like a moral injury, especially since I have the privilege of being a student at the "top" school of public health. This solidified when I got the sickest I ever had with ME/CFS, and learned about the #MillionsMissing movement consisting of people who had a post-viral illness like mine. While mostly bedbound for a month with limbs of lead, I knew that if I could regain enough energy, I wanted to... (1) prevent others from experiencing this and joining the #MillionsMore pipeline via Covid, (2) intervene in ME's long, ongoing history of medical harm, neglect, and gaslighting, (3) participate in community with other disabled and chronically ill people. This is why I continue to do what I do: social media advocacy, Long Covid research, mutual aid (@CovidSafeCampus), and abolitionist peer support (@Hold.Coalition). To those who have been harmed by my not wearing a mask because of my complicity in an ableist society, I sincerely apologize and do not demand forgiveness. To those who have stopped wearing a mask, it is not too late to start. Your life and the lives of your community are worthy of protection. (Caption/image description will be continued in comments) (at COVID Safety) https://www.instagram.com/p/CqQ3rqmOx5f/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=