Supporting the Black Trans Lives Matter Movement
Over the past year, we have seen the Black Lives Matter movement take big steps forward in calling attention to their communities to make changes to broken systems.
However, that movement has not necessarily included and focused on all black lives. Since then, the Black Trans Lives Matter Movement, a sub-movement within the greater whole, has emerged to help everyone remember that many black lives are still at risk.
The History of The Black Lives Matter Movement
Although the name might be new, the movement for equal treatment under American law for black people is nothing new. For centuries, black Americans have been fighting for their civil rights. People within the LGBTQ+ may not have gone through the same struggles or faced the same kind of discrimination, but we have been fighting a similar fight.
We all want the same thing: equality.
One prominent figure in the fight for equality was Martin Luther King Jr. Although he focused solely on equal treatment for black people, his speechwriter and friend was a closeted gay black man who supported both causes because he saw that only by treating all people equally can we begin to see how separate marginalized groups are treated. He saw that the intersection between being black and being LGBTQ+ was an even worse position to be in, and those people formed an at-risk community who needed even more support to be lifted up and represented. Although he could not do so during his lifetime, times have changed, and plenty of organizers in both movements work together now.
The Black Lives Matter Movement has been protesting police brutality for a while now, but while many black transgender people have also been affected by these same institutions, they are not as well known. These institutions' publicized victims are often not transgender people, even though trans people suffer the same problems.
Because of that discrepancy, a grassroots organization has formed the Black Trans Lives Matter movement within the overall movement.
Black Trans Lives Matter
Despite the dream outlined by Martin Luther King Jr., black transgender people have not always felt adequately represented in the Black Lives Matter movement. The intersection between being transgender and being black seems to have left some of those people behind, and black trans people want to remind the community that support must be intersectional.
If at-risk communities within a larger, marginalized community are not included in the activism, it can’t be true equality. Keyonna Kamry and Tony McDade, two transgender black people, will live on in our hearts, but we can really celebrate their lives by supporting the other black trans lives who are still with us.
The LGBTQ+ community is a bright and beautiful group made up of all sorts of people, from every race and walk of life, but we are marginalized as well. That is why we stand together with the black community and walk arm in arm with them as they protest their treatment.
The world would be a wonderful place if everyone supported each other, but as it is, marginalized groups must come together if we have any hope of making a real difference. Black transgender people want to celebrate their culture, gender, and sexuality, and we here at Pride Palace are behind them every step of the way.
The Civil Rights Movement started long before it was called Black Lives Matter, and the LGBTQ+ community is here to have their backs.
Considering that Pride Parades are actually held in celebration and remembrance of the Stonewall Riots after police raided a gay club, the LGBTQ+ community is no stranger to protests or passionate chaos. That's why we can join forces and celebrate the things about ourselves that we can take pride in.
By standing up for the Black Trans Lives Matter movement, LGBTQ+ people can also be sure that we are working to protect the “T” in our acronym.
Organizers in both movements have worked together during 2020 to create events that stand for both Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ+ people. In addition, other major LGBTQ+ events have pledged to start excluding police officers from the events they will hold in the future.
For some time, LGBTQ+ organizations have wanted to have more people of color in leading roles to show that we are all on the same side. Together, our voices will be loud enough that no one will be able to silence this amazing community of unique individuals anymore.
How You Can Show Your Support
We can do great things together!
Marching in a protest is not the only way that you can show your support for the Black Trans Lives Matter movement, but it certainly is a powerful one if you safely can. Across America, tens of thousands of people marched to show their support and to say that enough is enough.
If marching is not safe or available for you, you can also help by collecting and donating supplies to people who are marching. Things like food, water, ice packs, and small backpacks are all a fantastic way to help people when they are planning to spend the day outside.
There are plenty of websites that allow you to donate money to important Black Trans Lives Matter causes, as well, although you should always do your research before opening your wallet to ensure that the money is going to the right place.
Some people who have been individually impacted have set up GoFundMe pages, and other charitable organizations have started raising money to support black transgender children. These children should be able to grow up in a world that will accept and love them for who they are, both because of their skin color and their gender.
With your help and support, we can work to make the world a better place in time for them to look in the mirror and love what they see.
Over the past year, certain organizations and corporations have withdrawn their funding for businesses and communities that have supported the Black Lives Matter movement. Still, you can make your voice heard and speak out, calling for those companies to support this monumental cause. You may even choose to boycott the products or services of large companies who refuse to support the movement.
There are also petitions you can sign online, posts you can share, and other ways to alert your elected local congresspeople or officials about the mistreatment of black transgender people in your community.
By reminding people about the marginalized affected groups, we can help surviving families seek justice for their loved ones and pass laws to stop any more injustices from occurring.
Ideally, with change, we can all stand together in a world that treats everyone equally and gives us the opportunity to enjoy and celebrate our similarities and differences.
In Conclusion
Together, we can make a difference! No matter who you are or how you choose to live your life, the Black Trans Lives Matter movement needs your support.
As part of the LGBTQ+ community, we must fight to support our trans brothers and sisters because we want to find a world where everyone can receive the acceptance and love they deserve, regardless of skin color, gender, or sexuality.
Supporting each other makes us stronger, so let’s embrace change, and let love conquer all!
Sources:
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/politics/a32867836/black-trans-lives-matter-how-to-help-protest-donate/
https://abcnews.go.com/US/black-trans-lives-matter-activists-call-inclusion-racial/story?id=73571954
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