If you haven’t seen Moonlight, I would recommend seeing it. It is fantastic and it is very important for everyone to see, especially anyone in the black lgbt+ community. It is a coming-of-age movie that follows Charin, a black boy growing up in Miami, through 3 different times of his life. Charin tries to figure out his identity as well as his sexuality while fighting society expectations and personal surroundings. I will try not to spoil the movie, but I will say spoiler alert anyway just in case.
Moonlight changed me. I know that sounds cliche, but it really did. I’m ashamed to say that I didn’t see it until January even though it didn’t come out until in October, but the fact that it stayed in theaters that long means something. Movies stay in theaters for about 4 weeks yet it is still in theaters now. As a person who is both black and questioning, this movie showed the same struggles I both saw others go through and feared would happen to me if I was anything other than a cis straight girl.
It is difficult to be black and it is difficult to belong to belong to the lgbt+ community. Being apart of both simultaneously is a dangerous mix. I can’t change that I’m black, but I thought I could help who I’m sexually attracted to or at least pretend to be. We live in a heteronormative society, so I felt that I needed to fit the bill. I pretended to be 100% straight. I know now that it is even more difficult to suppress who you are.
On February 10th, the #BlackGaySlay trended on twitter. I never felt so much pride from the black community to be who they are. Black people apart of the lgbt+ community posted selfies using the hashtag as a way to show off their pride to be both. The ones I saw showed no fear and they indeed did slay. I wish I had that level of confidence when I was middle school first figuring out this sexuality crap.
I had my first crush on a girl in middle school and I thought it was normal until I heard a lot of negative comments about the lgbt+ community. That’s when I started the straight act. Now I know that it doesn’t matter what community I’m apart of as long as I’m not hurting anyone else. I can do no wrong being black or being queer. I’m started questioning my sexuality towards the end of my high school career and I’m still questioning until this day. I’m pretty sure I’m biromantic, but perhaps apart of me is still afraid to admit it.
The point of this is just to say watch Moonlight. It’s amazing. Also if you are in a community that is looked down upon (basically anyone who is not a cis, straight, christian, white male), you were born amazing despite what society tells you. Have pride in who you are because you were meant to be you.