Hi all –

Our team at the Campaign for Southern Equality is sending you love and solidarity during this time of injustice and pain for so many people in the country. As a social justice organization in the South, we see and feel the harmful reality of racism and the deep violence of white supremacy every day, and we’re speaking out in support of Black communities across the South and throughout the country. We join so many in grief and action as we declare that #BlackLivesMatter.

In Asheville, NC, where the Campaign for Southern Equality is based, protests against police brutality and vigils honoring Black lives have been happening all week, just as they have in many other communities nationwide. Staff members from CSE are showing up to support and center Black leadership in the movement to promote racial justice and dismantle white supremacy. 

During this period of righteous anger and deepened national conversation about racial justice our team at CSE has also been reflecting on how these discussions intersect with June’s LGBTQ Pride Month. In its roots, Pride began as an uprising against police brutality led by queer and trans people of color. We carry that legacy with us as we work to secure lived and legal equality for all LGBTQ Southerners.

We urge every single person to commit to the work of anti-racism, to take action to ensure we achieve actual systemic changes, and to donate to Black-led organizations working toward justice. Every step of the way, center the voices and leadership of Black people.

In solidarity and love,
The Campaign for Southern Equality Team