As Pride Month culminates, the intersection of race, sexuality, and gender will be acknowledged and celebrated this Sunday at the Queer Liberation March for Trans and BIPOC Freedom, Reproductive Justice, and Bodily Autonomy (QLM). First organized three years ago by the Reclaim Pride Coalition, QLM serves to take back Pride which has over the years been hijacked by corporate and police interests. QLM expresses true visions of queer liberation and gives a voice to those who have been silenced.
For those who are queer, BIPOC, and/or not cis-male, the intersection of racism, homophobia, transphobia, and misogyny leads to exponential levels of discrimination and abuse in housing, employment, the workplace, healthcare, the justice system, families, and the streets. This leads to vastly disproportionate rates of unemployment, homelessness, sexual abuse, violence, police brutality, imprisonment, poor health, substance abuse, and mental health crises. The recent criminalization of trans healthcare in Alabama and the current aggressive attempt at such in Texas — along with other so-called culture wars that attack gender, sexuality, and race — are sure to exacerbate these racial and gender-based issues.
In a study by the National LGBTQ Task Force, nearly half of the Black transgender sample had attempted suicide. 34% of Black transgender respondents have experienced poverty, twice that of transgender population, four times the general Black population, and eight times that of the general population. What’s more, 20% of Black transgender folk reported living with HIV, nearly eight times that of all transgender respondents, eight times the general Black population, and 34 times the general population. This vastly disproportionate rate of HIV, along with that of other health issues, is especially problematic given the lack of access to healthcare services and the ill treatment of those who do have access.
Those of us who live with the privilege of being white, cis-gendered, or heterosexual need to advocate for LGBT BIPOC by not only showing up for events such as the Queer Liberation March, but also with year-round support of projects and organizations that work toward access to community, safe spaces, services, and resources.
Listed below are details for QLM as well as multiple, mostly local, options to educate ourselves and provide financial support.
The Audre Lorde Project: LGBTQ POC community organizing for social and economic justice in NYC
Black and Gay: Community support for liberation of and economic justice for BIPOC 2SLGBTQIA
Black and Pink: Network of LGBTQ prisoners and allies working toward abolitionism
Black Trans Travel Fund: Safe travel alternatives for Black trans women in New York and New Jersey
FIERCENYC: Leadership and empowerment of LGBTQ youth
National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network: Increasing access to healing justice resources for QTPOC
New York City Anti-Violence Project: Prevention education and survivor support
Reclaim Pride Coalition: Alliance of LGBT activists and grassroots community groups organizing the Queer Liberation March for Trans and BIPOC Freedom, Reproductive Justice, and Body Autonomy
Sylvia Rivera Law Project: Visibility and access to social and legal services for gender non-conforming low-income folk and POC
In solidarity,
SURJ NYC