THE RAINBOW PROJECT

PROMOTING GOOD RELATIONS //

AN UNFINISHED STORY

“PICTURE IT” AS SOFIA FROM GOLDEN GIRLS MIGHT BEGIN, THE TIME AND DATE IN THE CORNER OF MY LAP TOP SCREEN READS 07.36 ON 14/09/2020 AND HAS JUST TURNED 07.38 AS I FINISH TYPING THIS SENTENCE. I’M LYING IN A LUXURIOUS MAHOGANY FRAMED BED IN THE BEAUTIFULLY CURATED MASTER SUITE OF THE RIVER MILL WRITERS RETREAT IN DOWNPATRICK. OUTSIDE AWAITS THE PICTURESQUE GARDEN WITH ITS SATISFYING SOFT GRAVEL PATH CRUNCH UNDERFOOT LEADING TO RIVERSIDE WOODEN BENCH SEATING WHICH IS COSSETED BY A WIND RUSTLING BAMBOO CURVE. IT’S AN IDEAL BIRTHDAY TREAT BOOKING FOR SOME OVERDUE CREATIVE CONTEMPLATION. ALAS ALL I CAN CONTEMPLATE IS THIS MORNING’S GNI DEADLINE TO SUBMIT AN LGBT+ COMMUNITY FOCUSED ARTICLE I PROMISED A RAINBOW PROJECT COLLEAGUE!

DEAN LEE THE RAINBOW PROJECT

APART FROM MY MAIN WORK as a Counsellor for the Rainbow Project I’ve also been co-ordinating an LGBT Creative Writing Group, Outwrite and addressing anti-racism initiatives through my work with the Gay Ethnic Group along with anti-sectarianism initiatives. Exactly a year ago this week in partnership with the whole LGBT sector and Community Dialogue I organised a Peace by Peace conference to create a space to explore how LGBTQ+ identities here intersect with other minority identities in a bid to more collaboratively and creatively address all social inequalities.

A year on punctuated by the Covid 19 crisis and #BlackLivesMatter protests the message is as pertinent as ever. We should be working more collaboratively on understanding the roots, intersecting paths and possible ways forward for all forms of discrimination, inequality and oppression in our society both locally and globally. I’m encouraged that post George Floyd the message finally seems to be getting through as I’ve seen grassroots Facebook campaigns emerging such as Tackle Hate Crime Together and new event-based programme initiatives such as Pride in Solidarity.

Of course we are also met with the inevitable backlash to any minority issue that is ever raised. Campaign is often met with counter campaign as we have also seen this summer around the reform of the Gender Recognition Act.

As I sit here now at an elegant writing desk in this comfortable writer’s retreat, I am reminded of much more uncomfortable times in my life. I wrote a poem based on my experiences of racism in February 2020 and I returned to it after the murder of George Floyd to add a companion piece which is a less literary rant. One of my intentions here was to revise it, tidy it up and structure it better. I have decided to leave it in all its defiant raw messy form as a metaphor for just how much oppression is felt and how much work still needs to be done. If you would like to find out more about any of the Rainbow Project work I’ve referenced please don’t hesitate to email me dean@rainbow-project.org George Floyd Post Scripts (Works In Progress) Consider the first a Legible Prescription Note for those finding it hard to breathe without vaccination from the coronavirus racism Fear, pain and persecutor denial NO LONGER blots the memory. Pen to paper is an answer.

Whether IN YOUR FACE, behind your back, to someone else, in ignorance, institutionally bred, culturally flavoured, on camera or covered up.

When these and other stories happen to you they happen to me and everybody So find your blank page, Fill it with what really happens As there are silent armies stationed inside and outside yourself Right here, everywhere waiting, listening. To heal To halt

Secondly For the seemingly asymptomatic super spreader Whiter than white six counties Northern Irish fellow human beings who don’t yet realise Defensiveness does not help you or me heal from racism I know you’ve probably experienced discrimination too but it’s different no better no worse And I’m all ears if it’s really damaged you If you’d find the strength to confront your own pain constructively Instead of you using it to deconstruct mine Focus also on the story of racism here Not racism in a place you’ve barely been Yes its global And comes in many forms And we need to talk about them all But there are histories of slavery, colonialism, holocaust, oppressions all based on the false notion of white supremacy and evidenced by the fact of white privilege and there are majorities and minorities contextually, statistically and as you happen to be ethnic majorities here right now yes that means people of white Protestant and Catholic backgrounds you’re in this together now Post plantation you’re virtual equals finally, terrifyingly sharing power. Set aside how you treat each other Check how you treat the ethnic minorities who have come to share these shores

The migrant workers of old and new From Italians who brought you pizza and ice cream The Indians who have cultivated Belfast’s best multicultural festival The Chinese hot food carry outers The tireless NHS and food factory workers The asylum seekers and refugees The Irish Travellers who were probably here before you If you treat them well, as some do then we’re good to go, all grand But as soon as you make it a competition between orange and green Or who can be most seen To show solidarity online or at the rally Check what you reveal

A simple are you ok will do for starters And if you catch a glimpse in the mirror of something you don’t like Try and look a bit longer It won’t kill you It might kill

And for the bananas and coconuts of this world White on the inside, brown on the outside Don’t be a yellow belly Be the bridge you were born to be between The wrong and the right Black and white Freedom and slavery Singularly proud of everything you are Get your foot in every closed door Stick one finger in the air and another in your share of the pie Before someone else dies of oppression And all our breaths tighten.