The institutional racism and violence that we’ve seen over the last few weeks is not new, but the brazen way it has been exposed has no doubt taken a toll on all of us.
Many of you have participated in demonstrations over the weekend that brought attention to this systemic use of violence by law enforcement against people of color, and in particular African Americans. Others of you have raised your voices to elected leaders, friends, and family members.
And yet, in spite of these efforts, we find ourselves no less troubled today, in part because of these legitimate, peaceful protests have been highjacked by people capitalizing on the unrest for their own ends. We know that some of these individuals, in fact, hope to stoke racist beliefs and actions precisely to undermine the efforts to achieve justice for African Americans and other marginalized people.
In light of all this, we want to underscore how important it is that we take care of each other. And while these are difficult days for all of us, we should all be especially mindful of the pain and stress African Americans are experiencing during this time. In this moment, we need to see beyond our own pain and put ourselves in the shoes of those who are most deeply affected.
Our community has faced brutal repression and injustice in the past, and we have survived, in part, by the kindness and care we have shown to one another. We should all be especially kind and caring to each other in the coming days.
At the same time, the Center calls on all of us in the LGBTQ community and our allies to continue the fight for an end to the systems of oppression and inequality that have such a cruel and dehumanizing impact on every one of us.
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MESSAGE FROM CENTER CEO LORRI L. JEAN: “I don’t ever want to hear another white person say, ‘But all lives matter.’ That is not the point. The point is that black lives are devalued in our nation in a uniquely terrible and tragic way.” Click here to keep reading.
CENTER JOINS LGBTQ ORGANIZATIONS TO UNITE TO COMBAT RACIAL VIOLENCE: “This spring has been a stark and stinging reminder that racism, and its strategic objective, white supremacy, is as defining a characteristic of the American experience as those ideals upon which we claim to hold our democracy—justice, equality, liberty.” Click here to keep reading.
