Welcome to the 312th of the COVIDCalls, a daily discussion of the COVID-19 pandemic with a diverse collection of disaster experts. My name is Eleanor Mayes, my pronouns are she/her. you may remember me from previously co-hosting episode 301. I currently serve as a production assistant and transcription director for COVIDCalls.  As always, host Scott Gabriel Knowles is here,
Shor Salkas (they/them) is one of the two LGBTQIA Community Liaisons to the COVID-19 Response at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic Shor has been working with their colleagues to get as much timely and accurate information into LGBTQIA communities as possible through connecting with community members, organizations, and hosting community gatherings. Their other work at MDH is to provide coaching, training, and technical assistance to Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) partners across the state of Minnesota to dig deeper and enact health equity and community engagement as core principles of their work. Shor is deeply committed to health equity and health justice as ways to create more healed and thriving communities. Beyond their work at MDH Shor has been working to support LGBTQIA communities through many projects and organizations like the Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition, Out in the Backyard, SHIFT Minnesota, the City of Minneapolis Transgender Equity Council, and through public health and health equity coalition building across Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Mattie Laidlaw (she/they) is an LGBTQ Community Liaison for the COVID-19 Response at the Minnesota Department of Health. In this role, she elevates the concerns and needs of the LGBTQ community, shares up-to-date information, and resources about all things COVID-19 with the community, and advocates for internal change at the Minnesota Department of Health to better serve LGBTQ Minnesotans.