06/02/2020
On the first day of Pride Month, Pride in Business does not fail to recognize the prominent intersectionality and unity between the black community and the q***r community. Marsha P. Johnson, a drag queen and an American gay rights activist, was the first to throw bricks at stonewall so many years ago. Stormé DeLarverie was the first to fight back at Stonewall. Miss Major Griffin-Gracy is a trans woman who spent her life as a community leader and transgender activist, particularly for people of color.
As we go into this month celebrating the progress we’ve made in the LGBTQ+ spaces, we continue to mourn and fight for the rights of our brothers and sisters, who still are fighting alienation and systematic racism to this day, in cities all over the world.
It is easy to sit behind a computer or a phone and repost “racism is bad, we should all love each other”. Being not racist is not the same as being anti-racist. Whether that means throwing bricks, donating to relief organizations, or contributing to bail funds for those arrested in the riots, we as a community have an obligation to stand behind Black Lives Matter, not just because they have stood behind us, but because it is right and just. Being anti-racist means making active strides in your individual lives to condemn, silence, and isolate hatred, bigotry, and racism. Being anti-racist means utilizing your privilege to advance the rights of those who have been deprived. De jure or de facto, racism is alive and well within our world, and we as a community have an obligation to be more than just ‘not racist’.
In our previous post is a list of organizations you can contribute to to actively assist our brothers and sisters on the front lines, fighting as they have been for over 400 years. Pride in Business also encourages you to donate to our fundraiser in collaboration with Boston University Student Government and UMOJA The Black Student Union through the link in our bio on Instagram.