Why We Celebrate Black Lives Matter In The Queer Community.

Updated: Jun 19, 2020

In a time where the black individuals of our community need more love than ever, I thought today would be a good day to celebrate some of the black pioneers of the LGBTQ+ movement. Their contributions are often overlooked or aren't as recognised yet continue to still inspire our position within society. The fight for equality in all aspects of difference is forever ongoing but here are some of the amazing historic figures that try to make this equality happen.

First, the one and only, Marsha P. Johnson. Marsha was a strong activist for LGBTQ+ and played a crucial part in the Stonewall riots, specifically the raid on the Stonewall Inn in 1969. She was a transgender activist who used her hardship from oppression and hate from others to change the way her community was seen. She was said to have channeled her suffering into 'political action, and did it with a kind of fierceness, grace and whimsy'. From her determination, and other's, for peace during Stonewall, the first pride parades commenced in the 1970s which is also when Marsha co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), to help and fight for young transgender people, that being also safety in housing, clothing and food. She didn't just stop there. She also fought against oppressive police behaviour, homelessness of youths and treatment of individuals with HIV/AIDS.

Her goal?

“to see gay people liberated and free and to have equal rights that other people have in America”.

Next, Alphonso David. In 2019, Alphonso became the first black man to become president of the Human Civil Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ+ civil rights organisation. before this he fought for justice for Lambda Legal, an American civil rights organisation that focuses on LGBT communities. In doing so he also trailblazed as the first openly gay man to counsel under New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Through his roles in society he has changed a lot. He greatly helped in securing marriage equality in New York in 2011 and also making it illegal to perform conversion therapy on minors. He also established protections for transgender individuals in New York and made it easier to change gender labels on birth certificates. He is someone we need and someone who is still making history.

We also have Stormé DeLarverie. Stormé was a civil rights activist and entertainer, often even performing at the Apollo Theatre. She was labelled as 'Guardian of the Lesbians' due to her voluntary patrol work and security guard for many LGBTQ+ sites in order to protect her community. Astonishingly, many eye witnesses have reported to seeing Stormé being the ignition for the Stonewall Riots, making the first move against the police when she was wrongly arrested for her identity and inspiring everyone else to fight for their freedom. Stormé however rejected the term 'riots' stating "It was a rebellion, it was an uprising, it was a civil rights disobedience, it wasn't no damn riot." Her passion and refusal to give in to oppression rightfully gave her the title of 'The Rosa Parks Of The Gay Community.'

Additionally there is Andrea Jenkins. Andrea identifies as a bisexual, transgender woman and was made the first ever black, openly transgender person to be elected into public office in the United States, serving on the Minneapolis City Council in 2017. She worked there for 12 years proudly until she changed profession ad began educating and advocating for Transgender Oral History Project at the University of Minnesota. As well as this, she was the grand marshal of the Twin Cities Pride Parade in 2015 and visibly in the Trans Lives Matter movement. Also being a poet some of her published works educating against racism and transphobia are, Tributaries: Poems Exploring Black History and The T is Not Silent: new and selected poems.

CeCe McDonald. In 2012 CeCe gained popularity world wide after an attack left her wrongly imprisoned. Outside a nightclub, CeCe and her friends were confronted by two men who expressed their transphobia and racism. After being struck in the fair by a glass bottle, CeCe resorted to stabbing one man. The man died and CeCe accepted a plea-bargain of 41 months in prison. Even though her conviction sparked outrage due to it being selfdefense, CeCe stayed in two male prisons despite identifying as a female. In 2014 she was released and her injustice developed into a documentary of her experience Free CeCe. That same year she received the Bayard Rustin Civil Rights Award and currently advocates for LGBTQ+ rights discussing her experience.

Speaking of Bayard Rustin, he was a leader in the movements of nonviolence, gay rights, civil rights and socialism. Working alongside Martin Luther King, Bayard taught King about non violence and they partnered up in the fight for racial equality. Rustin identified as gay and was arrested due to this before becoming an LGBTQ+ advocate in the 1980s, resulting in him organising and speaking on this subject. Through his career he faced a lot of criticism because of his sexual orientation. In 2013, 10 years after his death, Bayard received the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama and his criminal convictions were redacted.

There are so many more people I could mention here. Audre Lorde, Ernestine Eckstein, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, Barbara Jordan, Steven Hanton, Everette Lynn Harris.

I hope this highlights the importance of black history and the obvious statement that BLACK LIVES MATTER. They've always mattered. They've made our community what it is and they deserve acceptance.

To all of the black members of our community, it might seem right now that you aren't accepted, appreciated or loved but I am here to tell you there are people that do accept you, appreciate you and love you. I am sorry that this is something you have to go through but if we stand together and use our voices things will change. They should have already. There are people that see you and support you. Your life matters.

Thank you for making a difference.

Black Lives Matter.