13 minute read
Protesters listen to speakers at a protest in Bethesda, Maryland. PHOTO BY ANNA VON PECHMANN THE COLLEGIAN
Intersectional activism: Remembering the roots of Pride
Since May 25, people of all colors have banded together around the Black community. The protests against police brutality and systemic injustice have grown to encompass all 50 states and several other countries across the globe.
June is also LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Though many events around the country are canceled or are fi nding alternative, virtual ways to celebrate, George Floyd’s killing and the subsequent protests have caused many to take a step back and consider how selective activism can contribute to conventions that uphold systemic oppression.
The conclusion that many are coming to is that equality for one group is not true equality; movements coming from a more privileged point in society must refl ect on their history and work for the rights of all people. The Roots of LGBTQ+ Rights
“A lot of movements toward racial justice, LGBTQ+ justice, homelessness, against police brutality are all inherently linked,” said Maggie Hendrickson, the assistant director at Colorado State University’s Pride Resource Center.
The current Black Lives Matter and Pride movements that we see today are intrinsically tied together throughout history, though they used to look di erent. According to Hendrickson, Pride as we know it began with the Stonewall rebellion in 1969.
Throughout American history, laws against cross-dressing and sodomy were used to rationalize violence and brutality against LGBTQ+ people. This caused communities to gather in underground spaces and clubs. Stonewall was one of these places.
“Trans folx couldn’t be their authentic selves,” Hendrickson said. “But in clubs they were able to do that because there’s a little bit more anonymity.”
The police were known to routinely raid gay bars and clubs, but one night at Stonewall, the regulars had enough.
“The police raided the bar and a bunch of drag queens, trans women, people who were frequenting there were getting arrested, and a Black lesbian named Stormé (DeLarverie) yelled at the rest of the group, ‘Are y’all not gonna do anything?’” Hendrickson said.
Thus ensued a series of riots and police brutality that lasted 6 days.
“Basically, (Stonewall) was some folks who were tired of being hassled by the cops,” said Mike Mansfi eld, a history instructor at CSU who taught a class on the history of protest movements around the United States in 2019. “They had simply had enough and fought back.”
DeLarverie, as well as trans people of color Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera are accredited with providing the fi rst sparks of the Pride Movement.
“Their work goes beyond just throwing punches at Stonewall,” Hendrickson said. “They did a lot of community-based work, too. That night is pointed at as the kick-starter of the modern day LGBTQ+ activists movement.”
Though the Stonewall rebellion began an international movement based around gay pride, lost in AIDS and HIV epidemic as well,” they said. “That happened in the late ‘80s and ‘90s, so a lot of that history is lost.”
The early messages of Pride are sometimes lost on the people celebrating it today.
“I think Pride Month now is usually like you go out to clubs, people get drunk, they have glitter on their face, and then it’s always sponsored by these really big corporate organizations,” Hendrickson said. “What it really is ... (is) a celebration. It’s an annual celebration of fi ghting back against things like police brutality, anti-Black racism and homelessness.” Intersectional Activism Today
While both the Black Lives Matter and Pride movements have had major accomplishments in the past decade, it is important to recognize systemic privileges that continue to marginalize people of color. In order to raise up these voices, many resource centers across campus have made commitments to engage in Kimsta .”
In addition to supporting marginalized people, the statement also stressed its commitment to dismantling systems of oppression within the WGAC’s own organization.
“White practitioners have co-opted and colonized these movements, often leveraging relationships with police systems over the needs and safety of survivors,” the statement said. “The impact of white supremacy on Black survivors is immeasurable, as policies and resources have been created to disproportionately benefi t white, straight, cisgender women.”
Additionally, the Pride Resource Center is working to increase their intersectionality in order to proportionately support their students of color.
“The Pride Center has been focusing on a quote this year that says, ‘No pride for some of us without liberation for all of us,’” Hendrickson said. “We try to keep talking about those and creating space for that. … In the spring we did some cultural competency training for our sta and redid our community guidelines for the center just to kind of make sure we’re proactively making a space where everyone feels comfortable, regardless of “No pride for some of us without liberation for all of us.”
MICAH BAZANT
GRAPHIC DESIGNER AND ACTIVIST self-love and LGBTQ rights, the names of DeLarverie, Johnson berlé Williams Crenshaw’s intersectional activism. their other identities.”
and Rivera are not commonly taught in history class.
How to celebrate Pride this year
“The focus of intersectional activism is to keep folx with mul
According to Mansfi eld, a lot of queer people of color are left tiple marginalized experiences at the center because it’ll have a ripthere are many ways to interact with the community, connect out of history “simply because they don’t fi t the narrative.” ple e ect to making things better for everybody,” Hendrickson said. with resources and work toward intersectional change in our soci
“It wasn’t too long ago that (being gay) was literally a crime
Pride, for a number of reasons, will look di erent this year. But
According to Hendrickson, these stories are often forgotten because of their connections to other systemic problems in the United States.
“A lot of folx who were involved (in Stonewall) were also includes “supporting systemic change to end all forms of oppression.”
In a statement after Floyd’s killing, CSU’s Women and Genety. With the help of Hendrickson, we’ve put together this list of ways in many places,” Mansfi eld said. Even under (Bill) Clinton’s polider Advocacy Center rea rmed their mission statement, which you can stay involved this June: Remembering your roots cy of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ people were still being forced out of the military and government service because of their sexuality.”
“The work of all anti-violence organizations is inextricably linked to decades of Black leadership,” the statement said. “WGAC simply would not exist without the labor and activism of Black folx, including the current labor and activism of Black WGAC
A good way to connect with Pride without attending an event is to do some research on how the movement came about and the early activists that opened the doors for acceptance and legality of gay rights now.
“We’re posting an activist of the day on Instagram, so folx can learn about their “Trans-cestors,” Hendrickson said.
Now is a good time to take a step back and refl ect on the Stonewall riots, and the major impact that they have had on how we view Pride and police brutality today.
“For us to detach pride or LGBTQ+ activism from things like police brutality from racism would be fi rst like an injustice to the folx who have been doing this work for so long,” Hendrickson said. “It’s also just an incomplete picture.” Being active in protests and petitioning
The killing of George Floyd was a major tipping point for people all over the country, and even the world, to protest and stand by people of color in their neighborhoods and communities.
In addition to the focus on stopping police brutality, there is a major health disparity for LGBTQ+ people of color. People with these overlapping marginalized identities are likely to face higher rates of violence and are less likely to have health care. The Cut listed resources for helping people in these communities.
If you are able, protesting, donating and petitioning are ways to voice criticism and have the possibility of making real change in our society. Taking care of your mental health
“Some of the data that we have about our students at CSU shows that they experience higher rates of depression and anxiety than non-LGBTQ+ people,” Hendrickson said. “One in four of our LGBTQ+ students at CSU has seriously considered suicide in the last year, which is 25%. That’s a lot. That’s a really high statistic that is really scary.”
In order to support students during this di cult time, the Pride Resource Center o ers help to gay and transgender students.
“We have a few counseling center liaisons that we can specifically refer students to if they’re LGBTQ or have other types of intersecting identities,” Hendrickson said. “We want to normalize seeking help for mental health and seeking out community and taking care of ourselves.”
Lauryn Bolz can be reached at editor@collegian.com.
By Paige Moorhead
@MoorheadPaige
Editor’s Note: Paige Moorhead is also the Social Media Editor for The Collegian.
As we take to the streets to protest and post to social media to denounce racism and police brutality, we must also remember as consumers, where we spend our money matters. One of the ways to join the movement for equity is supporting local Black-owned businesses in our community.
DEZEL SHALLENBERG
OWNER, BLACK LOTUS HEALING ARTS
Dezel Shallenberg is a local reiki teacher, massage therapist and also teaches self-defense classes. She is the owner of Black Lotus Healing Arts.
“Loving an individual Black person, it gives you a chance to have more empathy,” Shallenberg said. “If you don’t have Black friends in your circle, doing business with Black people is another way to expand your circle and learn about us.”
Shallenberg said one of the most valuable parts about supporting Black-owned businesses is simply the human side of it. “All of my work is interacting with humans,” Shallenberg said. “I feel like, because I can interact with so many di erent people on a business level, … I can send more compassionate humans out into the world.”
Gina Michelle is a local licensed massage therapist and owner of Malama Massage & Bodywork. Michelle said it is important for community support but it must be for the right reasons, and you must discover the reasoning behind your desire to support.
“Is it because what Blackowned businesses have to offer you believe is essential and valuable to your community?” Michelle said. “Is it because you’ve had a deeper awakening that people behind Blackowned businesses go through societal pressures, microaggressions and inequities yet still persist to put themselves out there as business owners? … Is it because you’ve become curious about what someone who has a di erent life-experience has to o er in the community? Is it because you see our humanity and have compassion for recognizing that we too have similar goals for living and working and prospering where we live?”
Michelle said she believes shopping at Black-owned businesses shows allyship because when we treat all business owners with genuine support, we lift the entirety of our community out of inequity.
“When we support the community, the community supports us,” Michelle said. “Every business owner wants to have a sense of pride and belonging to the towns they’ve rooted their business in. Patronage builds that with a sense of belonging and warmth and this gets passed back and forth like an energy loop that has the potential to never end. It has the potential to become stronger and bigger within its community.”
Joe Buckner is the owner of Beautifully Savage, a local boxing and physical fi tness center. He said the conversation of wanting to help Black businesses is occurring as more people see violence through cameras and social media screens. Buckner said it’s necessary to promote businesses that are in alignment with who you are as an individual.
“Less for me right now is ‘let me intentionally fi nd Black businesses to support,’” Buckner said. “I’m paying attention to who’s being silent (and) who’s not taking a stand and making the conscious decision to never support them again.”
Buckner said the African American population in Fort Collins is not even 1% which leaves few Black businesses to care about. Buckner said that’s not a knock against Black businesses that exist, but exposes the di culty in Fort Collins to fi nd a Black real estate agent, a Black mortgage broker or a Black banker.
“The conversation I want to start leading is how do we get to that point — where there are more Black business owners because we are one of the races that have zero economic basis in this country,” Buckner said.
JOE BUCKNER
OWNER, BEAUTIFULLY SAVAGE
Buckner said that one thing we can all do right now is to be the best person we can be within our space without worrying too much about being like Martin Luther King Jr. or Malcolm X. He said we have to get outside of thinking that everything we do has to be massive.
There are actions the community can take to create a more inclusive, diverse environment. Shallenberg said she feels like people show up during times of crisis, but they don’t show up every day.
“What that looks like is saying to your friends when something racial comes up, ‘That’s racist. I don’t want to hear that,’” Shallenberg said. “It goes a long way. You may reach some people who will then hold other people accountable. It will no longer be a racist echo chamber.”
Michelle said another gesture our community can take is urge local police to take down the blue lives matter fl ag decals on vehicles. She said, though the meaning has evolved to support families and communities of o cers killed in the line of duty, it is a direct countermovement to Black Lives Matter.
“I’m not sure many people know that,” Michelle said. “In my opinion, it is another example of o ensive appropriation. Police lives historically predominate Black lives. We all know blue lives matter. Of course, their lives matter as they risk themselves every day during duty. But I think we can communicate the support of safety for our police o cers in a di erent way.”
Michelle said when she witnesses that fl ag on a vehicle, it feels like a threat and makes her wonder whether her life would matter if she was in need or if she got stopped.
“My son continually asks me, ‘What happens when I become a man?’” Michelle said. “How many times does a white community member contemplate the fate of their lives in a day? My skin is not like a uniform that I can take o and walk about in the world unharassed. Now is the time to create … change.”
Michelle said the deepest and most long-term action we can all take to combat racial inequality is to look within ourselves and ask what has come up for us. She said if you feel at a loss of words, keep feeling your feelings. Michelle said that no matter what stage of awakening you might be in, to keep going and heal these feelings and strive to uncover
GINA MICHELLE
OWNER, MALAMA MASSAGE & BODYWORK
compassion.
“This is our chance for growth and maturity as a collective consciousness,” Michelle said. “If you believe in fate or a higher source consciousness, then perhaps you also believe that this experience is no accident, and we are meant to consciously evolve through these present moments and heal all the way back to familial and ancestral histories. We are meant to grow out of human disparities through our lifetimes. Experiences will repeat until we wake up, learn and change. I sincerely hope you will answer the call to dedicate yourself to a more peaceful and equitable community.”
Paige Moorhead can be reached at entertainment@ collegian.com.
NOPE
Arguing with ignorant people.
Not following words with actions.
