Solidarity with Stonewall: Come to the Black Trans & Queer Liberation Protests
Last night, I had the honor to experience The Stonewall Protests and celebrate their one-year anniversary. It was by far one of the most remarkable protests I’ve ever participated in. Both celebratory and tragic, it was a truly immersive experience. One cannot begin to celebrate the lives of Black Trans Women without understanding their pain and calls for liberation. Although the fight for liberation began over 52 years ago, how far have we really come?
The Stonewall Protests, organized by Black Trans Women & Non-Binary siblings, is a weekly series of protests outside the Stonewall Inn that both celebrate and mourn Black Trans & Queer Lives. This happened every Thursday night for the past 52 weeks (though some noted last night marked 54 weeks). I must give credit to the phenomenal organizers, Joela Rivera and Qween Jean, who are creating magic every week in their fight for liberation. They’ve been putting their blood, sweat, and tears into their work for years. The amount of suffering they’ve endured goes beyond what most can fathom. We must thank them for putting their lives on the line so the next generation can live with dignity and respect.
I didn’t have to travel back in time to understand how little we’ve progressed. The location speaks for itself. The protests are held outside between the two iconic sides of Christopher Street. One side is the Stonewall Inn, the birthplace of the Queer Liberation Movement. The other side is Stonewall Park, the national landmark made official by the Obama administration. When the Stonewall Riots first began in the summer of 1969, nobody knew the President of the United States would one day recognize that adjacent park as a national landmark. While its cultural significance will stand the test of time, there are still homeless Black Trans Women and Queer Youth who use that park to sleep at night. The contrast between “support” and addressing the needs of the community could not be more stark!
The beginning of the protest was a street party. As I turned the corner of Seventh Avenue South onto Christopher Street, I was in awe of the hundreds of people who showed up. People dressed in the most fabulous or even unconventional outfits you could imagine. It set the tone that anyone could be their true selves, which was very refreshing from the cookie cutter Pride advertisements some of you may have seen splashed across your social media feeds. I walked around and admired the photographs and artwork displayed on the park fence. There were balloons that spelled “ABOLITION.” The chatter and laughter filled the space and reverberated off the brick walls of Stonewall. It was a delightful scene.
Shortly after I walked around, the music began. They played a number of gay anthems, dance hits, and hip hop beats that transcended the span of the Queer Liberation Movement. From disco hits, to Crystal Waters, Khia, Cardi B’s WAP, and more, there was a variety of queer hits to get down, boogie, twerk, or have fun. At one point, folks gathered in a circle to let the real kweens of voguing and ballroom celebrate their pride. The dancing and voguing was comparable to what some might see on Ryan Murphy’s POSE. Nonetheless, it was nothing less than fabulous!
Over the next few hours, I stood near the front of the crowd to watch and listen to several notable speakers. They each shared a powerful message stemming from the pain and suffering they’ve or others have endured as Black Trans Women or Non-Binary siblings. Joela spoke about her transformation over the past year and finding the courage to live more freely. She found love in herself and in someone else through doing these protests. One of the Brooklyn Liberation Organizers spoke about the legacy of this movement. Last year, they were at the helm of organizing over 15,000 people to march the streets of Brooklyn in support of Black Trans Lives. Their message focused on impact we can have on the next generation of young queer leaders and trans youth. One of the more powerful speeches was when someone simply recited over 100 names of Blacks Trans Women and Non-Binary people who have been murdered in the United States since January 2020. Let me repeat that.
Over 100 Black Trans Women and Non-Binary people have been murdered in the United States since January 2020. And it’s only June of 2021.
Hearing the names, ages, and short bios about each person was heart-wrenching. Many of them were under the age of 30. Just to think that if you’re over 30 and reading this, you may never have lived to see your 30th birthday as a Black Trans Women or Non-Binary individual. Some of the people recited in the speech only had first names and last names. That’s because they’re often misgendered by the media and their deaths were so heinous that no information could be found. It’s as if their lives never existed.
After wiping away tears and clapping at the end, I had an absolutely newfound respect for Black Trans Women. I identify as a gay man, but I want to be a better ally for my trans and gender non-conforming siblings. It’s not something I can truly capture in a blog post, but the sentiment remains.
Toward the end of the night, at around 9:45pm, we took to the streets to not only march but to demand justice for Black Trans Lives. Cyclists lined up perpendicular to Seventh Avenue to block traffic and protect us. Many of them were white, gay, or women. It’s an admirable way for them to show solidarity to this struggle. We marched straight down Christopher Street to the Pier. We chanted loudly and proudly about Black Lives Matter, Queer Liberation, Justice for Black Trans Lives lost, Free Palestine, Stop Gentrification, No Good Cops in a Racist System, No Bad Protestors in a Revolution, and more. The experience was electrifying, especially considering so many transcestors (trans ancestors) and gay men have marched down those same streets for half a century to demand justice. To think that we all participated in this slice of history was not only revolutionary but necessary. We are not free until we are all free.
At the end of the march, the organizers gave one more round of speeches. The reaffirmed that their calls for justice are not about destruction. Their protests are about a revolution and a rebirth. They also addressed the inadequate housing and security for Black Trans Women and Non-Binary folks. It’s in the state constitution, as Qween noted, but there’s no fair and adequate for this marginalized group. With that said, they unveiled the plan to someday build housing for Black Trans and Queer youth as well as a Center in either Brooklyn, Washington Heights, or the Bronx. I am hopeful that this will happen.
I left the protest and went back to Astoria. I am privileged to have a job that affords me basic necessities like food and shelter. There are so many Black Trans Women and Queer Youth who may never have all of these. While there is plenty of work to be done, I encourage everyone to join the movement in support of Liberation for Black Trans & Queer Lives. The protests happen every Thursday at 5pm in front of the Stonewall Inn. Can’t make it at 5pm? Come around 6pm. Can’t make it on time? Come after 7pm and listen to speeches. Can’t make it for that? Join us in the streets after 8pm.
In one of the speeches, a trans activist recalled an exchange she had. She simply asked the question: for there to be change, what needs to happen? The person responded, there needs to be a big event, something horrible. The trans activist shared that a mother killed her two children because one was trans and one was non-binary. A Black Trans Woman was burned alive inside her own car. A Black Trans Woman was even dismembered — limb by limb, for simply being herself. What will it take for people to realize that Black Trans Lives Matter? Black Trans Women are done waiting. The time to support them is now.
