A March To Remember
photo by Amani Wanzala
As we enter Pride month, we must reflect. Going into June, it was already clear that Pride 2020 was going to be celebrated differently than any other year; only now it’s not just because of the Coronavirus pandemic. This year, instead of going to the streets to dance jubilantly, we must go to the streets to stand with our black brothers and sisters and it may make this Pride one of the most important we’ve ever celebrated.
The murder of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer has set in motion a movement that is showing no signs of stopping. People are fed up with police brutality against black men and women and will not stand for it. Protests have popped up in cities across the country and neither COVID nor a curfew can stop New Yorkers from showing up.
Now that these protests have started it is up to us to keep the momentum going until real change is enacted. The police have gone unchecked and unquestioned for too long and if anyone should understand the protests and rioting going on it’s my fellow members of the LGBTQ+ community. After all, the only reason we can openly celebrate Pride is because of the black trans women who fought for our rights and for a safer future.
The LGBTQ+ community has had a tumultuous history with police and the legal system. For years, we were criminalized and persecuted for who we love, with police violently raiding bars and newspapers publishing the names of the closeted queer people arrested. It was black queer and trans women that stood up to the police and the injustices our community was facing. The first Pride was a riot.
The police raid on the Stonewall Inn on June 28th was the final straw for Marsha P. Johnson. A drag queen from New Jersey who frequented the bar, she decided that night that enough was enough. The police brutality, the sexual harassment was too much for her, like how it was too much for protesters after Floyd’s death. Johnson threw a shot glass, shattering a mirror in the bar. Her act of bravery helped spark days of rioting and led to the creation of multiple organizations that fought for LGBTQ+ rights. Johnson spent the remainder of her life fighting for our rights and, with fellow activist Sylvia Rivera, founded STAR, an organization for trans youth. Her life was cut short but it is in her honor that we march on Pride.
It’s safe to say that Marsha P. Johnson was instrumental in uniting the gay rights movement. When I go to dance at Stonewall with my friends, I think of her. When I dress up in my rainbow chic every June, I think of her. When I see black men and women risking their lives in the middle of a global pandemic, amongst violent cops, I think of her.
LGBTQ+ history has been intertwined with African American history for decades. My heart breaks for the men and women being brutalized by police as they peacefully protest against cops. As I see them fight I remember I have a responsibility to fight with them, alongside them just like they have fought alongside me. We all do. To my fellow members of the LGBTQ+ community, it is our responsibility.
Now is not the time for celebration, now is the time for solidarity. This movement will last much longer than a few days of protest. We have to do more than post-black squares on social media for one day. Now it’s our turn to be allies.
First things first we have to educate ourselves. We can start by reading more black literature and watching documentaries to understand the history of black oppression in America. Audre Lorde was an American poet, essayist, and civil rights activist who wrote extensively on black feminism. 13th is an excellent documentary by critically acclaimed director Ava DuVernay about the history of racial inequality in the United States. We must continue educating ourselves and elevating black voices.
We also have to support black men and women with our money. Support black-owned businesses and restaurants when you can. If you have the ability, donate to organizations like For The Girls who use donations to help black trans people pay for their rent or gender affirmative surgery. NourishNYC is accepting donations to pay for supplies being distributed to protestors. If you can’t go out to protest, help spread information, and keep the movement alive.
We wouldn’t be where we are if it weren’t for black trans women. Now more than ever we must support people of color protesting for their rights. Without people of color, there wouldn’t be pride.