Black and brown trans and queer activists are the reason we have LGBTQ+ rights today.
June is Pride Month. The only way we can properly celebrate it is if we take into consideration the Black lives that have fought and paved the way for the LGBTQ+ community.
As Angela Davis said, “Certainly the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender movement would not have been conceptualized in the same way had it had not happened against the backdrop of the civil rights movement.” Inspired by the Civil Rights Movement, Black members of the LGBTQ community led the fight against the injustices in the systems that oppressed them—for both their race and sexuality.
The inspiration from the Civil Rights movement can be seen with the Mattachine Society’s “Sip-in” campaign. In 1960, four black students from North Carolina sat at a lunch counter in Greensboro, NC, a space reserved for white customers. When asked to leave, they politely refused but were not arrested. This sit-in campaign continued day after day until by the end of the month, sit-ins had taken place at more than 30 locations in 7 states. Inspired by this campaign, the Mattachine Society, one of the first gay rights groups in America, decided to stage a “sip-in.” In 1966, three men made approached the bartender at the bar Julius in Greenwich Village, revealed that they were homosexual, and then asked for a drink. They were denied service. The “Sip-in” had started.
Through the “sip-ins,” Mattachine Society wanted to demonstrate that bars in the city were discriminating against homosexuals—a common practice at the time. At the time, bars were at risk of having their liquor license revoked if they served homosexuals because of regulations implemented by Mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr, who also had undercover police officers working at bars to entrap as many homosexual men as possible. Because the men of the Mattachine Society knew they would be rejected during these “sip-ins,” they wanted to use these responses to take action against the State Liquor Authority with the support of the American Civil Liberty Union. The State Liquor Authority denied the discrimination claim saying that the decision on who to serve was up to the bartenders; however, the Commission on Human Rights overruled it—prompting the policy by the State Liquor Authority to be changed. According to historian John D’Emilio, the landmark 1969 Stonewall Riots that led to today’s celebration of Pride may not have happened if the gay community hadn’t reaped the benefits of the “Sip-in” years prior.
However, despite being able to now be served alcohol in bars, gay behavior in public, such as holding hands, kissing, dancing with someone of the same sex, was illegal and police continued to crack down on gay bars. On June 27th, 1969, police burst through the doors of the Stonewall Inn—an unannounced raid of the bar that caught the staff off guard. The patrons were told to line up against the wall and be ready to produce their identification to verify their gender. Drag queens were unwilling to accompany officers into the back room to have their sex checked. Other patrons refused to show identification and it was decided that everyone would be taken in. The police violently handled their culprits, beating and hurting them. The crowd began to taunt the police officers. Gay rights activist and drag performer Stormé DeLarverie brought the tensions to breaking point as she fought with police officers. As she was thrown into a patrol wagon, she shouted “Why don’t you guys do something?”
It is reported that Marsha P. Johnson, a Black transgender woman, proclaimed her rights by throwing a shot glass into a mirror. Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, a Latina-American drag queen, were the first ones to take action and lead the resistance against the police. The gathering crowd outnumbered the police officers and they began to throw beer bottles, cans, cobblestones, and pennies at them. Thus, the Stonewall riots began. Parking meters were pulled from the pavement and tires were slashed. The police retreated to the bar which the patrons then set on fire. This night was only a catalyst, sparking surrounding neighborhoods to join and continue rioting for several nights. Black and POC Trans women, drag queens, homeless queer people, sex workers, gay, lesbian, bi and pansexual people were at the centre of these riots.
Months later, a commemorative march took place in New York and in other cities across the US. On the first anniversary of the riots, thousands of people marched from Christopher Park to Central Park as the first LGBTQ+ Pride parade in the US. Alongside the parades, groups organised and held meetings to develop a more focused push for LGBTQ+ rights. The Stonewall Riots were a pivotal and instrumental event: a brave stand against police brutality and oppression.
George M. Johnson tweeted, “A reminder to any queer person not understanding the riots and looting. The Stonewall uprising was 5 days of rioting, looting and VIOLENT protests against the police. These RIOTS, led by Black & brown trans & queer folx were the catalyst for the reason we have LGBTQ rights today.”
Not only this Pride month but also as we move forward, let’s make sure to highlight Black LGBTQ+ people and show up for them. Donate, amplify, sign, speak up, and share their stories! #blacklivesmatter
Black LGBTQ+ Films
The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson (2017)
Moonlight (2016)
I Am Not Your Negro (2016) – free to watch starting June 7
Bessie (2015)
Books
Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Zami: The Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde
The Summer We Got Free by Mia McKenzie
and more:
Being African American & LGBTQ: An Introduction
Supporting Black LGBTQ Youth Mental Health
If you have the means to donate, here are some places to do that:
The Audre Lorde Project is a lesbian, gay, bisexual, two-spirit, trans, gender non-conforming people of colour centre for community organizing, focusing on the New York City area. Through mobilization, education, and capacity-building, they work for community wellness and progressive social and economic justice.
The Okra Project is a collective that seeks to address the global crisis faced by Black Trans people by bringing home-cooked, healthy, and culturally specific meals and resources to Black Trans People wherever they can reach them.
The Marsha P. Johnson Institute protects and defends the human rights of Black Transgender people through organizing, advocating, creating an international community to heal, developing transformative leadership, and promoting collective power.
Exist Loudly Fund has been set up to support Queer Black young people and will allow for talks, workshops and pay Queer Black people to facility said workshops and enable one to one long term mentoring.
