On the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, speakers called attention to a nationwide backlash against LGBTQ+ rights. But some Black LGBTQ+ participants felt that their early speaking slots minimized their contributions and reflected historical erasure of Black queer people in the Civil Rights Movement.
FILE - Bayard Rustin, leader of the March on Washington, poses for a photo Aug. 1, 1963, in New York. Black LGBTQ+ political representation has grown by 186% since 2019, according to a 2023 report by the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute. These leaders stand on the shoulders of civil rights leaders such as Rustin. FILE - Vice President Kamala Harris, right, swears in Laphonza Butler, D-Calif., left, to the Senate to succeed the late Sen.
Rectifying the erasure of Black queer civil rights giants requires a full-throated acknowledgment of their legacies, and an increase of Black LGBTQ+ representation in advocacy and politics, several activists and lawmakers told The Associated Press. In an interview with the AP, Butler said she hopes that her appointment points toward progress in the larger cause of representation.
But the fact that he was gay is often reduced to a footnote rather than treated as a key part of his involvement, Johns said. “I didn’t even learn about those same leaders, Black leaders, Black queer leaders until I got to college,” she said.Some believe the erasure of Black LGBTQ+ leaders stems from respectability politics, a strategy in some marginalized communities of ostracizing or punishing members who don’t assimilate into the dominant culture.
Not all queer advocacy communities have been welcoming to Black LGBTQ+ voices. Minneapolis City Council President Andrea Jenkins said she is just as intentional in amplifying queer visibility in Black spaces as she is amplifying Blackness in majority white, queer spaces.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
After years of erasure, Black queer leaders rise to prominence in Congress and activismOn the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, speakers called attention to a nationwide backlash against LGBTQ+ rights.
Read more »
After years of erasure, Black queer leaders rise to prominence in Congress and activismOn the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, speakers called attention to a nationwide backlash against LGBTQ+ rights
Read more »
Orphan Black: Echoes Trailer Released by AMCWatch the first trailer for AMC's Orphan Black spinoff, Orphan Black: Echoes!
Read more »
25 years after Matthew Shepard's death, LGBTQ+ activists say equal-rights progress is at riskTwenty-five years have passed since gay 21-year-old college student Matthew Shepard died after being beaten and tied to a remote fence
Read more »
25 years after Matthew Shepard's death, LGBTQ+ activists say equal-rights progress is at riskTwenty-five years have passed since gay 21-year-old college student Matthew Shepard died after being beaten and tied to a remote fence
Read more »
LGBTQ+ renters’ struggle to afford to buy | Real Estate NewsletterThe LGBTQ+ population is fast-growing, younger than the overall population, and entering prime home buying years. Plus, Philadelphia cracks down on unlicensed short-term rentals.
Read more »