Thoughts on Pride, Intersectionality and Solidarity
The events of the past two weeks have caused some to question the appropriateness of any type of observance of LGBTQ+ Pride this month. Yet, it is actually those questions that have given all of us an opportunity to remember the role that LGBTQ+ individuals of color have played throughout the history of the movement and recognize the intersectionality between race, sexuality & gender identity.
Within the past month, transgender woman Nina Pop was stabbed to death in Missouri. Tony McDade, a Black transgender man, was killed by a police officer in Florida. Their lives and deaths, and those of countless others, remind us that there can be no Pride if it is not intersectional.
Like most buzz words, intersectionality is often overused and misunderstood. The dictionary defines intersectionality as “the complex, cumulative way in which the effects of multiple forms of discrimination (such as racism, sexism, and classism) combine, overlap, or intersect especially in the experiences of marginalized individuals or groups.” At OutFront Kalamazoo, intersectionality motivates us to have conversations about the differences in experience among people with different overlapping identities. We understand what it means to rise up and push back against a culture that tells us that our lives don't matter.
That is why OutFront Kalamazoo stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and all the peaceful protesters who continue to fight for justice and equality. But solidarity is no longer enough. If we are to live up to the legacy of Pride, we must take responsibility to speak out publicly against racism, systemic injustice, and police brutality, and to elevate voices of people of color, especially within our community. Together, we are #StillProud.
In Solidarity –
Amy Hunter
Executive Director, OutFront Kalamazoo
