Vilissa Thompson

2 weeks ago | yesmagazine.org | Vilissa Thompson

Since 2015, when the Supreme Court decided in Obergefell v. Hodges that LGBTQ people could legally wed, the United States has been touting its commitment to marriage equality. When conservative legislators hinted at undoing marriage equality in 2022, the U.S. House and Senate even approved the Respect for Marriage Act, which then President Joe Biden signed into law. Though the bill fell short of codifying Obergefell v.

1 month ago | yesmagazine.org | Vilissa Thompson

When I went to see Wicked, which is up for 10 Academy Awards on Sunday, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Of course, the film’s inescapable buzz piqued my interest, but I was mostly driven to the theater by my curiosity about how sisters Elphaba and Nessarose Thropp would be portrayed. I was specifically interested in Nessarose (Marissa Bode), a disabled character, because she’s being played by an actual wheelchair user—a rarity in casting.

Nov 4, 2024 | yesmagazine.org | Vilissa Thompson

Today, as the United States votes on the next president and other elected officials, I am reflecting on what civic engagement meant to me when I was 18 and how that meaning has evolved in my 30s. When I turned 18, one of my proudest moments was completing my voter registration application. I grew up in a politically aware household. My grandma, who was raised with Jim Crow laws, discussed the importance of voting and being politically informed with me from a young age.

Jul 29, 2024 | prismreports.org | Vilissa Thompson

I made the decision in 2022 to seek out a therapist who looked like me. It was a landing spot I’d long yearned for—someone who could show up for me intentionally, a therapist who could relate to me as a multiply-marginalized Black person. I eventually found a therapist who could play this role in my life, and over the last year she has been one of my saving graces.

Jul 9, 2024 | prismreports.org | Vilissa Thompson

After listening to a podcast about how we come to understand ourselves, I reflected on how, as a disabled person, I have lived beyond all expectations for my life. In fact, since I turned 38, I have lived exactly 30 years past the life expectancy handed down to me by an orthopedist. The doctor told my grandmother that I would not make it beyond 8 years old. I can only imagine her reaction to hearing such news.