About

Dancefloor to Lifeline is a panel discussion and audiovisual presentation exploring queer nightlife as a vital site of care, survival, and resource-sharing in transgender communities. Bringing together queer nightlife scholars, transgender healthcare professionals, and community organizers, the program traces a history of grassroots fundraising, from mutual aid parties during the AIDS crisis to today’s GoFundMe campaigns and “fundrager” events supporting gender-affirming care. The program expands on Tara Blossom’s 2025 Los Angeles Reporting Collective Reporting Fellowship project, including excerpts from their LAist-aired story, “Fundraging for Trans Healthcare,” which follows Long Beach resident Eliaz Chavez as he raises money for top surgery through a series of fundraising parties. Through archival imagery, audio, interviews, and conversation, Dancefloor to Lifeline asks: How have trans and queer communities created pathways to healthcare when institutions have failed them? What happens when fundraising moves from physical community spaces to digital platforms? And what can the history of mutual aid teach us about building networks of care today? Featuring trans director and organizer Silas Howard (By Hook or By Crook, Transparent), Eliaz Chavez, and queer nightlife organizers, the program connects personal stories with a broader history of grassroots care and community resilience. Join us for an evening of storytelling, history, and conversation about the communities that continue to make care possible.

Event Organizer