WALK WITH US for Black Queer Lives
Come walk with LGBTQ+ organizations and ally partners in support of Black Lives Matter!
Enough is enough. Stand beside your partners, family, friends, and colleagues in a march and rally for justice for Black lives lost.
When: Sunday, June 7, 2020 | Gather at 1:45pm | March at 2pm
Where: March begins at Ivy Hill Park, Newark (Mt. Vernon Place and Seton Hall University Newark, NJ). Walk down South Orange Ave to rally at South Orange Village Center
We will be practicing social distancing. Please wear a mask or face covering. Bring posters (options to download below):
Protect Black Trans Lives | No Justice, No Peace | Black Lives Matter | Enough Is Enough | Stop Killing Us | I Can't Breathe | We Can't Breathe | Walk With Us (Various designs 11x17)
Link to Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/713170479223863
Click here to download PRESS RELEASE | Click here to download FLYER
We in the queer community understand that before we can do anything to dismantle white supremacy around us, we need to dismantle white supremacy within us. For decades, white queer organizations from the local to the international level have centered and amplified the voices of white cisgender queer people, while diminishing or ignoring the voices of Black leaders. Yet, the modern queer liberation movement was forged by Black and Brown transgender people through protest and activism, beginning with the bravery of Marsha P. Johnson and Silvia Rivera, who led the Stonewall Uprising 50 years ago.
Despite this, we acknowledge that racism and transphobia exist within the LGBTQ+community. Far from remembering the origins of our movement as a response to police brutality, many queer organizations have been silent or have gone as far as to partner with police, illustrating a stark lack of awareness of the violent treatment by law enforcement of Black queer people—who are literally dying to be free.
We also acknowledge that to proclaim #blacklivesmatter is to proclaim that the lives of all Black people matter, including the lives of Black transgender people, who have been the targets of violence so disproportionate as to lead the American Medical Association to label the trend “an epidemic” last June. Last year alone, our community lost more than 25 transgender people to violence—the vast majority of were Black women. And the most recent loss of our brother Tony McDade, shot and killed by police in Tallahassee, Florida, painfully highlights the vulnerability of Black trans folks at the hands of both vigilantes and police.
We must turn our mourning into anger and action. At this time, this collaborative group of organizations acknowledges the vital importance of Black voices in queer organizing. Intersectionality in the LGBTQ+ movement must be intentional and it must be an explicit commitment that organizations and individuals make to:
• Address issues of racial justice within our organizations and membership
• Center the lived experiences of Black and Brown leaders and experiences in the LGBTQ+ movement, especially those of Black trans women
• Build structures that support homeless youth of color
• Bring Black and Brown voices to the leadership tables within all LGBTQ+ organizations
• Channel resources to Black queer and trans-focused groups
• Participate in the movement toward demilitarization of police forces
• Create a leadership collective for New Jersey LGBTQ orgs to encourage collaboration and resource sharing.
We march for Tony McDade, Nina Pop, Mya Hall, Dana Martin, Chynal Lindsey, Bee Love Slater, Jazzaline Ware, Ashanti Carmon, Claire Legato, Muhlaysia Booker, Michelle “Tamika” Washington, Paris Cameron, Chanel Scurlock, Zoe Spears, Brooklyn Lindsey, Denali Berries Stuckey, Tracy Single, Bubba Walker, Kiki Fantroy, Pebbles LaDime Doe, Bailey Reeves and the many other Black queer people whose names we may not know. Additionally, we recognize the survivors of violence who have often gone on to participate in the intersectional fights of queer, trans, and racial liberation themselves.
The cisgender, queer white community has been complacent for far too long. Now is the time to stand up and be counted.
Participating Organizations include:
|
African American Office of Gay Concerns (AAOGC) |
North Jersey Pride |
What Can You Do? DONATE. VOLUNTEER at your local Community Centers and Pride organizations. SHOW UP in every way you are able.
Below is a list of local organizations that are actively assisting members of our communities. These organizations are managed by dedicated people who know how to allocate resources and ensure every donation makes the most impact.
African American Office of Gay Concerns (AAOGC)
Essex LGBT RAIN Foundation
Hetrick-Martin Institute: New Jersey (HMI:NJ)
Newark LGBT Community Center
Newark Gay Pride
Unity Fellowship Church NewArk
The Okra Project
Resources:
Anti-Racism Resources
This document is intended to serve as a resource to white people and parents to deepen our anti-racism work. If you haven’t engaged in anti-racism work in the past, start now. Feel free to circulate this document on social media and with your friends, family, and colleagues.
National Resource List
This Google document contains many of the community bail funds, memorial funds, political education resources, the names of organizations to put on your radar, and general advice/tips for people attending protests or using social media as an organizing tool. (Note document contents do not necessarily represent the recommendations of all participating organizations.)
Teaching For Change
Teaching for Change created “Resistance 101” to help young people move from dismay to creative action that can win real change. This innovative lesson plan, launched in January 2017 to coincide with the inauguration, helps students recognize their power to challenge injustice. The lesson introduces them to people throughout history, including many young people, who fought for social justice and civic change using a range of strategies.
The best selection of multicultural and social justice books for children, YA, and educators.
News:
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/ep4xp4/black-trans-protesters-are-marching-for-another-police-killing-cis-people-arent-talking-about-tony-mcdade
https://abcnews.go.com/US/lgbtq-community-calls-justice-black-trans-man-shot/story?id=71022981
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/tony-mcdade-shooting-death-tallahassee-1008433/
https://www.motherjones.com/crime-justice/2020/05/tony-mcdade-tallahassee-florida-police-shooting-death
https://www.democracynow.org/2020/6/1/headlines/black_transgender_man_tony_mcdade_shot_and_killed_by_tallahassee_police
https://www.theroot.com/two-funds-named-for-nina-pop-and-tony-mcdade-will-provi-1843861377
https://medium.com/@brittenwolf/black-lives-matter-so-do-your-actions-2c0008fbd07d
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/white-gay-privilege-exists-all-year-it-particularly-hurtful-during-ncna1024961
https://www.washingtonblade.com/2020/05/29/lgbtq-groups-call-to-bring-anti-racism-end-to-white-supremacy-into-movement/
https://www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-and-75-lgbtq-organizations-release-letter-condemning-racist-violence
https://impakter.com/privilege-power-and-pride-intersectionality-within-the-lgbt-community/
