(For more information about this particular time period, the book Indecent Advances by James Polchin examines the consistent violence against LGBTQ persons that took place in the years before Stonewall. Plus, you’ll get their informative, creative, and inspiring content the other 11 months of the year, too.Īs the origins of Pride Month prove, people in the LGBTQ+ communities historically faced incredible discrimination for simply existing, even within their own spaces. And these LGBTQ+ Instagram accounts to follow are a great starting place, because you get access to a whole variety of voices and experiences by simply clicking the “Follow” button. Although we all share the same oppressors, white queer folks must come to terms with the fact that they play a role in the harm experienced by Black and Brown queer folks - a problem they could stop if they acknowledge the privilege they have, this month and every month.June is Pride Month, a perfect time to amplify the voices of people in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities. This is not to say that marriage equality isn’t important, but it is certainly not the only fight.
While Black queer people are still fighting for survival, white queer people were fighting for marriage equality.
We watch violence occurring at alarming rates in the Black queer community while rainbow capitalism continues to dominate an “inclusion” conversation that never seems to include us. We have seen a white gay man named Ed Buck escape accountability for the deaths of two Black gay men found in his home - a jarring reality that shows us just how much power white queers wield over queers of color. We have long been burdened with the work of removing homophobia from Black communal spaces while also taking up the fight against racism in all spaces. Sadly, Pride month has never really been about having pride for Black queer people. Opinion What Nigel Shelby's death reveals about being Black and queer in America
This action was met with anger from white gay men who felt the flag represented unity despite skin color - a particularly tone-deaf defense given that Philadelphia's gay bars had recently become a hotbed for racism. Want more articles like this? Sign up for the THINK newsletter to get updates on the week's most important cultural analysisĪlthough white queer people share in our queer oppression, they are still beneficiaries of white supremacy - and are not above wielding that power in our “safe spaces.” In 2017 during Philly Pride, for example, the attempt was made to add a black and brown stripe to the rainbow flag. Unfortunately, when HIV stopped being known as a primarily white gay epidemic, it began to feel more and more like an afterthought. AfricanAmericans make up more than 40 percent of all people living with HIV in the United States, despite African Americans comprising only 12 percent of the U.S. The intersection of race creates additional barriers like access to healthcare, medication and a proximity to higher infection rates.
Look no further than the HIV epidemic, which remains a major problem for Black and Brown men who have sex with men.
White queers often benefit from the work of Black queers, only to distance themselves once their particular needs are met. Such revisionism is not just a feature of movies, however.