9/20/2023 0 Comments Folx transphobicA world that allows such bigoted actions is no longer an option, each of us holds responsibility in creating an inclusive, and affirming, world. This future, however, requires our active participation, the necessity to show solidarity to Queer and Trans people becomes more apparent by the day. A world that allows Trans kids to prosper, for Queer love to be celebrated, and for self-determination to be unconditional is a possibility. Homophobia and transphobia are forms of violence that can in fact one day be eliminated, and cease to exist. A majority of this rhetoric, which is often aimed at Trans women and children in particular, ends up impacting poor Queer and Trans people the most. The rising bigoted rhetoric towards BIPOC, Queer, Trans, and other gender-oppressed people has exasperated the threat of violence these communities have to live under. We stand witness to the shooting in Colorado only six years following the one in Pulse nightclub, and during the same year that individual and state violence against Trans people has reached an all-time high. To hear that yet another mass shooting, one that took far too many of our community members from us, has yet again taken place in one of these very spaces of hope is horrific, yet unfortunately not surprising. Queer spaces have served as an escape from a world often polluted with homophobic and transphobic violence, and have had a long legacy of Queer resistance. The Queer and Trans Liberation struggle’s formation is rooted in Queer spaces, with the 1969 Stonewall Riots, and the 1966 Compton Cafeteria Riots. Historically, Queer, Transgender, Black, Indigenous People of Color (QTBIPOC) have been at the forefront of racial and LGBTQIA+ movements. These are spaces where gay couples are able to hold hands for the first time, where non-binary folx, Trans women and men are able to embody their gender identity and be their authentic selves, and a place that signified a respite from violence. Historically, Queer spaces have been an environment where Queer and Trans communities have been able to dance, laugh, express, organize, and feel joy. The hurt we at YWCA Utah feel after the hate crimes committed against the queer community in our neighboring state of Colorado this weekend is heartbreaking.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |