“Nobody is free until everybody is free.”
- Fanny Lou Hamer
ché vázquez (elle/they)
Death Doula and Grief Worker
M.S. Psychology
i am a trans non-binary, neurodivergent,
Caribeñe from Borikén (commonly known as Puerto Rico- a U.S. colony), proud of my indigenous Taíno and African heritage.
Decolonial and liberatory practices are at the core of my work. i deeply believe that none of us are free until we are all free. For this i strive to create mutual aid and care webs to sustain each other and our movements. i want every children and youth to live fully, especially queer and trans kids who continue to be harmed by the cistem.
I believe in grief work as essential to our liberation.
Ya-Rou Tiffany Tsai 蔡亞柔
(she/they/她)
i am a cis, queer, Mad, disabled, second generation Han-Taiwanese immigrant settler on turtle island (so-called Canada), forever straddling multiple worlds.
As a psychiatric and SA survivor, I am grounded in the knowing that my healing and liberation is intrinsically connected with the collective liberation of my communities. I believe in dismantling oppressive systems and the building of liberatory practices as a means to transform harm and violence into accountability and justice.
I believe in grief work as essential to our liberation.
WHAT ARE RHIZOMES?
In botany, rhizomes are horizontal underground plant stems that produce shoots and root systems of a new plant, both underneath and on soil surfaces. They function as organs for asexual reproduction and food and energy storage, especially in winter. They are also a type of protective mechanism, as they help perennial plants survive in adverse environmetnal conditions all the while supporting the propagation of these plants. Through these designs, rhizomes are resilient and able to reproduce fast, often in a multi-layered structure. For example, many of the worst weeds and invasive species, such as Bermudagrass, often have rhizomes (Hassani, 2022; Britannica, 2024).
Some examples of rhizomes:
Ginger
Bamboo
Ferns
Irises
WHY RHIZOMES?
Our work is grounded in the interconnectedness of communities and structures for collective liberation and social transformation. We are firmly rooted in centering on relationships and our communities, creating interwoven roots to support our collective growth and wellbeing.
Just like the rhizomes, we are intentional about creating interconnecting horizontal networks and connections for support and sustainability.
Witnessing and valuing our identities and lived experiences are the roots for the propagation and expansion of our collective care web.
OUR VALUES & POLITICAL PRAXES
decolonization
transformative & restorative justice
abolition
anti-oppresive/anti-racist
intersectionality
disability justice
queer and trans centered
joy
mutual aid & community care (care web)
accountability
horizontal collective responsibility
BIPOC led
economic justice
collective liberation
liberatory harm reduction
rest