John, let's hear it for the beauty of Pride and all of our LGBTQ+ Fam!
Pride month rolls around every June – and we always LOVE to celebrate the colorful and Black beauty of our LGBTQ+ community.
But we must not forget to also recognize the discrimination, hate, and violence our family continues to face today at the intersection of their identities --
and how the fight for Black LGBTQ+ equality goes in hand-in-hand with #DefundThePolice.
Pride began as an uprising against police in the early hours of June 28, 1969. Police in New York City violently raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club that was a place of refuge for many queer Black and Brown folks. Police raids of gay spaces were common. But this time, fed up with the constant police violence against them, the patrons of Stonewall fought back in what came to be known as the historic Stonewall Uprising.
The language may have been different then, but the sentiment remains the same: #DefundThePolice.
Now more than ever, LGBTQ+ rights are at stake. This year alone, lawmakers in 46 states have introduced more than 650 anti-LGBTQ+ bills. More than 650! And yes, a handful of them are being passed.
45 anti-LGBTQ+ laws have been enacted so far this year, including:
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Laws banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth (13)
- Laws requiring or allowing misgendering of transgender students (3)
- Laws targeting drag performances (2)
- Laws creating a license to discriminate (3)
- Laws censoring school curriculum, including book (2)
Like we see *every day* thanks to white supremacy, these laws will hit Black LGBTQ+ folks the hardest.
As we celebrate the beauty of Pride this month and beyond, we must not forget the history of the fight and all the work we've still got to do.
In love and solidarity,
Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation
