- Ashley S.
- Thursday, January 20, 2022
"It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences." - Audre Lorde
Over the past two years, conversations related to racial justice have grown exponentially. Businesses, schools, and communities are working to make EDI practices a part of their day-to-day operations. There are trainings, webinars, reading lists, and more that highlight steps individuals can make to become anti-racists. In 2020, we saw thousands of people all across the US take to the streets to protest the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, two Black trans women Dominique Fells and Riah Milton, as well as a Black trans man Tony McDade.
Surprisingly, participants and viewers alike were seeing the merging of two movements. Slowly, conversations began to shift into asking about the importance of not only racial justice, but also justice as it related to the LGBTQI2SA+ community. As these conversations have grown, many members of the LGBTQI2SA+ community and their allies continue to assist individuals in understanding the importance of recognizing the intersection of race, sexuality, and gender identity. Highlighting this intersection reaffirms the idea that these two marginalized identities interact in a complex way that leads to multiple forms of discrimination.
Quite often it is assumed that the LGBTQI2SA+ community is exempt from the discussion of systemic racism. Unfortunately, these assumptions could not be further from the truth. Racism and discrimination as it applies to LGBTQI2SA+ community is evident in access to health care, housing, and even social media platforms like dating websites. By acknowledging the existence of these racial barriers, we can better work towards understanding the ties that exist between racial justice and LGBTQI2SA+ liberation. One cannot exist without the other. For decades, many BIPOC individuals have committed themselves to the necessary work related to racial justice and LGBTQI2SA+ community. Below you'll find a slideshow highlighting several of those individuals.
Richland County has proclaimed January 17-21, 2022 in Richland County as Racial Justice Week. We are excited to join them in encouraging our community to recommit ourselves to achieving Dr. King’s dream that all men and women would not be judged by the color of their skin but the content of their character.