Continuing the Challenge: BIPOC LGBTQ+ Liberation
LGBTQ+ organizing has existed for centuries in many different forms, both formally and informally. However, Pride Month has been celebrated annually in late June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Uprising. Started by the “shot glass heard ‘round the world,” thrown after police raided the Stonewall Inn (a gay bar) in New York City, the Stonewall Uprising lasted for six days with BIPOC LGBTQ+ activists like Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson at the forefront. Stonewall's legacy is carried on today through Pride marches, parades, and other events all around the world.
We challenge you to learn more about the many BIPOC LGBTQ+ leaders that have greatly shifted the course of our history. Despite being leaders in the fight for LBGTQ+ rights, Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson had to fight just as hard for BIPOC and transgender representation and inclusion within the movement itself. Now, more than ever, it is up to all of us to uplift the voices and stories of those who have been overlooked. We will continue to work towards a future where inclusion truly means everyone.
Whether you’re brand new to Pride or well-versed in working towards liberation for LGBTQ+ folks, the fight for equality doesn't end with the end of Pride month. This can be a great time to learn about the history and legacy of Stonewall and the modern Pride movement.
We challenge you to:
Watch the Stonewall Forever documentary (21:48)
Read about three of the heroes of Stonewall and the movement it inspired, BIPOC LGBTQ+ activists Sylvia Rivera, Marsha P. Johnson, and Storme DeLarverie
Consider the intersections of race, gender and sexuality in this 2021 article from the Brookings Institution
Tune in to Marsha's Plate, a podcast hosted by three Houston-based Black trans activists that "explore[s] topics of . . . systems of oppression from a black trans feminist lens"
Watch a feature-length film or documentary about the Black trans experience curated by the Oregon State University library system
Take Action by joining with the Campaign for Southern Equality and Equality NC and the Marsha P. Johnson Institute (MPJI):Campaign for Southern Equality and Equality NC: NC is Ready to defeat anti-LGBTQ legislation in 2023
MPJI: End Anti-Transgender Legislative Violence Now
Learn about what's happening at the YWCA of AshevilleS
ign up for a Racial Justice Workshop
.