With both Pride Month and the recent protests demanding justice for George Floyd, Ahumaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and more happening this year, it's easy to think of the two as separate causes.
But, the two aren't mutually exclusive. The first Pride and 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York were led by Black and brown transgender women like Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson. Without this, the fight for LBGTQ+ liberation may have never started.
The Cut recently wrote an article that that lists the intersectional organizations and Pride events focused on Black Americans struggles as it relates to the queer community. (For those who don't know, the term "intersectionality" describes, "when people experience oppression on multiple, 'intersecting' fronts.")
Here are ways, thanks to the Cut, to both observe Pride month and help the Black LGBTQ+ community.
And, since normal programming for Pride month has been canceled due ti COVID-19, it's a great opportunity to redirect money and resources you would otherwise spend to support these Black-led LGBTQ+ organizations.
Organizations to Support
• Black Visions Collective located in Minneapolis-St. Pail, this is a trans- and queer-led social-justice organization and legal fund.
• Transgender Law Center has legal resources to help the rights of transgender and gender-nonconforming people.
• The Atlanta-based Solutions Not Punishment Collaborative, SNaPCo, is a group that provides community and financial support for Black queer and trans people in need and helps to dismantle the prison industrial complex.
• The mission of Marsha P. Johnson Institute’s is to protect and defend the human rights of Black transgender people.
• The National Center for Black Equity connects Black LGBTQ+ community members with information and resources to empower their fight for equity and access.
• LGBTQ+ Freedom Fund posts bail to secure the safety and liberty of people in jail and immigration detention.
• Emergency Release Fund is a member of the National Bail Fund Network and posts bail for pretrial medically vulnerable individuals and anyone who identifies as LGBTQ+.
• Incite! is a trans and gender-nonconforming people of color working national activist organization working to end violence against individuals and communities through direct action, dialogue, and grassroots organizing.
• Black AIDS Institute works to end the Black HIV epidemic through policy, advocacy, and high-quality direct HIV services.
• For the Gworls helps to raise money to assist with Black trans people’s rent & affirmative surgeries.
• Black Transmen is a nonprofit organization that works on social advocacy and empowering trans men with resources to help with a healthy transition.
• Black Trans Femmes in the Arts connects the Black trans women and non-binary femmes in the arts community to build power.
• The Okra Project addresses the global crisis faced by Black trans people by bringing them home-cooked meals and resources.
• The National Black Justice Coalition is a civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black LGBTQ+ people.
• Trans Women of Color Collective is a grass-roots funded global initiative that uplifts the narratives and experiences of trans people of color and offers them opportunities.
• House of GG helps to create a safe and transformative space where members of the community can heal from generational trauma, primarily focusing on trans women of color in the South.
• Trans Justice Funding Project is a community-led funding initiative that supports grassroots trans justice groups run by-and-for trans people.
• Black Queer & Intersectional Collective is a grassroots community organization that work toward liberation through direct action, community organizing, education, and creating spaces to uplift voices.
• The Transgender District aims to stabilize and economically empower the transgender community through ownership of homes, businesses, historic and cultural sites, and safe community spaces in San Francisco.
• Brave Space Alliance is a trans-led center dedicated to creating and providing resources, programming, and services for Chicago LGBTQ+ individuals.
• BreakOUT! seeks to end the criminalization of LGBTQ+ youth to build a safer and more just New Orleans.
• Lavender Rights Project provides low-cost civil legal services and community programming for trans and queer low-income people in Washington state.
Attend and Participate in a Virtual Event
Just because we're social distancing doesn't mean we can't attend events! There are Pride-specific virtual events being held to raise awareness and funds with Black Lives Matter such as:
Bushwig, a Brooklyn-based festival of queer and drag performance, is organizing a global virtual festival June 27th and 28th to aid several Black Lives Matter groups.
NYC Pride & GLAAD are changing their Drag Fest to a Black Queer Town Hall to center Black queer voices. It's a three-day virtual event led by drag performers. You can learn more here.
The Rally is continuing their tradition of the first Pride Rally that happened one month after the Stonewall Riots. The Pride Rally is where the community gathered in Washington Square Park for a demonstration followed by a candlelight vigil in Sheridan Square. Learn more and register here. The event will be held on Friday, June 26th from 5pm - 8pm ET on Facebook and YouTube.
Human Rights Conference, held by NYC Pride, will address the community's needs in 2020 with panel discussions and workshops. Learn more here.
AIDS Walk New York is streaming a live interactive broadcast in lieu of a physical event to help raise money for the prevention and care of HIV/AIDS. Learn more here.
Help Your Community
Even with social distancing, you can still show up for your community thanks to social media! Social media is a great way to stay updated on protests if you plan on attending one. @JusticeForGeorgeNYC is a great way for New Yorkers to find protests and vigils. For non-New Yorkers, you can use this great user-based map and Rally List.
Educate Yourself
If there's anything we learned during the last couple of weeks, it's that we do not know a lot about the oppression against Black Americans - let alone intersectionality! Rather than leaning on BIPOC (Black, indigenous people of color), you can easily do a search on Google to learn more about intersectionality. To go deeper, you can try these scholarly journals and books.
If you’re white, consider this guide to navigating this kind of conversation with white family members, friends, and co-workers.
And since children are the literal future, check out this guide on how to talk to them about racism and police brutality. If you still need more guidance, this resource is super helpful, and it doesn’t stop there.
(Resources inspired by the Cut's article)