NEWSLINES Marin Hambley (left) and Alyssa Larson of Stonewall Alliance Center. PHOTO BY ASHIAH SCHARAGA
‘The fight is still happening’ In response to George Floyd protests and local violence, Stonewall shows up for people of color
OmakeChico had an important announcement to and sent out an email blast to drum up n June 26, Stonewall Alliance Center of
support. Motivated to act in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, the LGBTQ advocacy by organization launched Ashiah Scharaga the QT*POC Direct ash i a hs@ Aid Fund dedicated to newsrev i ew.c om assisting queer and trans people of color. Get involved That same night in To learn more about Chico, two gay black or make donations to men were attacked and Stonewall Alliance’s QT*POC Direct Aid Fund, beaten so severely that visit stonewallchico.com. they required hospiFollow the Chico Com- talization. While this munity Assembly at incident is under invesdefundchicopd.org. tigation, much of the community—including Stonewall—reacted with outrage, with many calling it a hate crime and demanding justice for the victims. Since Floyd’s killing, there has been an increased awareness surrounding violence against marginalized communities in America, along with a wave of support and work being done to address racial injustice and inequality. Stonewall’s organizers, like many local advocates, are looking at how they
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can help with solutions to root issues. In addition to its new fund, the alliance also recently created Safer Action Support with Stonewall (S.A.S.S.), a team of volunteers that focuses on providing safety at protests and other local events led by people of color, such the public meetings of the Chico Community Assembly, a newly formed police-reform group. Alyssa Larson, Stonewall’s events and volunteers coordinator, said the organization’s latest efforts are a response to current needs of a community fighting for equal rights. The message: “We want to stand behind you, we want to fit into the puzzle where we can help you.” June also marked the annual Pride month held in honor of the 1969 Stonewall Riots, a demonstration by members of the LGBTQ community—including many people of color—against a violent police raid. That was a watershed moment for LGBTQ liberation, and is the root of the Chico organization’s name. For the 51 years since, LGBTQ people of color have been at the forefront of the fight against police violence, inequity and social injustice, said Marin Hambley, Stonewall’s education and advocacy coordinator. “Queer and trans people of color were just demanding basic human rights, and we see that still happening,” Hambley said. “The fight is still happening, and this feels like the
most genuine form of LGBTQ Pride—this sort of racial justice movement—as well.” The fight is local
Kitana Jade has been crying herself to sleep lately. She can’t stop thinking about Floyd; how he died gasping for breath as Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin pressed a knee into the back of his neck for more than eight agonizing minutes. That could happen to my son, she’s thought. Since Floyd’s death, Jade (who is going by an alias due to fears of being targeted because she is Black, Chinese and Japanese) has noticed more overt racism in her community and toward her family. She’s terrified for their safety and feels powerless. “I’ve broken down every day, thinking, What can I do? I can’t even walk out my door, because all eyes are going to be on me and my child.” So she’s hidden herself in plain sight when she has to go out, covering her curly afro so as not to draw attention or glares. She and her son frequently run through a long list of everything he needs to do in order to to stay safe, including: Don’t wear hoodies, don’t blast your music and don’t argue with police. Jade, also a member of the LGBTQ community, is a volunteer at Stonewall. Her expe-
rience, which she shared with fellow volunteers and organizers recently during a meeting, is not uncommon. Larson and Hambley frequently assist LGBTQ community members who have been targets of racism, homophobia and transphobia, and who are seeking safety and support. Stonewall currently provides direct aid to queer and trans people, including a peer support group for people of color, HIV and hepatitis C testing, and assistance securing resources such as health insurance and gender marker changes on IDs and other documents. The QT*POC Direct Aid Fund is for queer and trans people of color exclusively, the organizers said. This population often experiences greater institutional barriers and increased violence because they can be targets of both homophobia/transphobia and racism. Discrimination in academic and professional settings, family rejection and generational poverty also make them particularly vulnerable to financial emergencies. So far, response to the fund has been great, Larson said. Stonewall has raised enough to grant over $2,000 to those in need, and help an individual secure a vehicle. Applications are available online (see info box). As for the two victims assaulted June 26, Stonewall has been in touch with their families and has offered support, Hambley said. Sources close to the victims say they are not making any public statements at this time. The case is still under investigation by the Chico Police Department. The department announced on Facebook on June 29 that it had received multiple calls and social media complaints regarding the investigation. “We want to assure our community we take these investigations very serious and are completing a thorough investigation into this matter,” the post states. In a recent email response, police Commander Greg Keeney said that search warrants have been served in the case and witChico activist Rae Flores-Owen. PHOTO BY ASHIAH SCHARAGA
