Originally I had intended to write about anything other than what’s going on right now to take a break from all the tragedy, but I believe doing so would be unfair to so many readers who need to see our active support in the Black Lives Matter movement right now. Prior to hearing about the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, my biggest concern was about pride month coming up and how to celebrate during COVID-19. Now I see that fighting for Black lives is actually the perfect way to celebrate pride month! After all, pride month started because of Black women in the LGBT community fighting against police brutality.
Recently people have finally come to know the name of activist and drag queen Marsha P. Johnson, a transgender Black woman who was a leader in intersectional gay rights activism in the late 1960s. She was one of the first drag queens to perform in Stonewall after the bar started allowing women and drag queens, and even helped protect fellow protesters in 1969 by “vanguarding” the police from arresting people at the scene. According to ABC news, public cross-dressing and homosexuality were illegal in New York at the time, so police would target gay bars and arrest patrons by checking their sex in the bathroom first. Overall, Marsha P. Johnson fought for not only gay rights but also Black, transgender, and women’s rights by leading the Stonewall riots.
What can white LGBT allies take from this?
First, we LGBT white allies need to understand that our basis of discrimination is less visible at this time than our Black members of the community. Because of this, Black LGBT individuals are even more at risk of excessive police force. Here’s a few ways we can help:
- Be a barrier for Black protesters to stay safe from police brutality, if you can do so safely.
- Donate towards families of victims of police brutality, if you can. If not, use your social media accounts to spread fundraisers to others who can donate!
https://www.distractify.com/p/best-places-to-donate-for-blm
- Sign, Sign, Sign Petitions!!!
https://www.bleumag.com/2020/06/03/30-blm-petitions-you-should-sign-right-now/
- Post and repost useful resources and media on your social media accounts! But don’t let this be the only thing you do to support the cause!
Decades from now our nieces, nephews, and/or grandkids will ask what we did to help. Do something that they would be proud of.