Before it was a parade, Pride was a fight for justice! Countless pieces of legislation have passed and are pending to revoke LGBTQ+ rights. Allies, let’s respond!
Let’s BuyBlack® at LGBTQ+ Black-owned businesses this Pride month!
The Current Challenge
The Human Rights Campaign reports, “So far this year, we’ve seen more than 400 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in states across the country”, a disturbing wave of efforts to strip the community of various, basic rights.
In the past 5 years, “Over 100 anti-LGBTQ+ laws passed – half of them this year” as per FiveThirtyEight.
Many companies have backtracked on their Pride campaigns and commitments to support the LGBTQ+ community after intimidation from anti-woke advocates this year.
Additionally, corporations historically known to fund Pride initiatives that fuel LGBTQ+ employment and income during the critical month of June have withdrawn their financial support, focusing elsewhere.
LGBTQ+ culture, especially Black queer culture, has reached peak exposure in today’s music trends, on social media timelines, and across cultural references. This avid reception, however, often dismisses history, overlooks current threats, and tokenizes the community.
The Origin and Legacy of Pride
Pride is celebrated in June as a form of celebration, recognizing its origins in the 1969 Stonewall riots. Marsha P. Johnson, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, and the Black trans community led these protests, sparking the contemporary LGBTQ+ rights movement.
The legacy of Bayard Rustin teaches us that at the center of LGBTQ+ activism lies economic justice! Helping spearhead the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom more than 50 years ago, Bayard led the conversation on full societal integration through economic inclusion.
The list goes on and on; Lucy Hicks Anderson’s pioneering for marriage equality, Pauli Murray building legal foundations for the civil rights and women’s rights movements, and Khan-Cullers, Opal Tometi, and Alicia Garza founding the Black Lives Matter Movement.
Several American freedoms exist because of Black LGBTQ+ activists. The same community that has fought for our rights is now under attack and requires our support!
Your Dollar in Action
Calling on allies to BuyBlack and counter injustice with our dollars! We can make sure LGBTQ+ Black-owned businesses are supported this Pride month.
- Marginalized voices championed! Shop diverse stories from Loyalty Bookstores.
- Dress to impress and live joyfully with ethical and sustainable goods from Show and Tell Oakland’s platform.
- We love the unique products with bold communication from Brownie Points For You, especially the “Pay Black Women” variety.
- This one is for vintage fanatics! Blk Mkt Vintage has a unique collection of one-of-a-kind items, rich in Black history.
- These roots are deep! Coco and Breezy is a twin founded sunglass brand where the style is always giving.
- Check out the Official Black Wall Street’s 2022 list for more LGBTQ+ Black-owned businesses to support.
Donate to help extend the fight for right!
- For The Gworls – A Black trans-led collective that raises funds to directly support the community in the U.S. and around the world.
- National Black Justice Coalition – A civil rights group committed to the empowerment of Black LGBTQ and same-gender loving (SGL) individuals.
- My Sistah’s House – While the organization focuses mainly on providing safe, reliable housing and resources for LGBTQ+ people, they also help with bail assistance, license reinstatement, resume coaching, and more.
- For additional organizations supporting the intersections of Blackness and queerness, check out The Center’s list of organizations.
Dr. Martin Luther King’s words of wisdom, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”, remind us that our fights for rights are intertwined. Just as other rights can be revoked, so can ours. Let’s show solidarity with the Black LGBTQ+ community and BuyBlack!
Power to Pride!
