Chapter 5: From Scratch: A Journey to Self

The Gay Rights movement of the last few years has been compared to the Civil Rights movement on many occasions. Often lauded for how quickly public opinion has changed on gay issues, it is sometimes implied that the Gay Rights movement has been more successful in reaching its goals than the Civil Rights movement at achieving racial equality. However, there are those of us who are still waiting for the systemic change that encompasses the fullness of who we are. The Gay Rights movement has been successful because it prioritizes issues that are often in line with White, cis, hetero-normative gay ideals. Marriage equality and adoption rights mean little to Black and Brown people facing homelessness, job insecurity, turning to survival sex work, and simply dealing with life at the intersection of homophobia and racism. When I take assessment of how life has changed for Black queer people in the last decade, I see strides made in media representation, but I also see continued exclusion from gay spaces and Black spaces. There has been a rise in anti-LGBTQIAA violence, specifically targeting Black and Brown queer and trans people. Through all of this, I remain optimistic. My life experience has shown me that community is a powerful tool against oppression. After years of discovering, and rediscovering, myself, I have happened upon a Black queer politic that seeks to celebrate and support Black queer community.