Pride Month and Racial Inequality: Fighting Discrimination

[Maria Ludovica Bozzo]

<p class=”speakable”>While the all world is still fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, there are further battles taking place worldwide.I am talking about the fight against different kinds of discrimination, which is always a central theme in June, internationally declared “Pride Month”.

Pride Month has just begun, but this year many in the LGBTQ+ people were unsure how to celebrate without overshadowing the protests over racial injustice triggered by the death of George Floyd in Minnesota (US). His death was tragic, and worldwide seen as the symbol of institutionalised racism, which still in 2020 hits people with coulored skins and from ethnic minorities. Many protests ended up in violence, though,  and this is never a good thing.

Truth is that the movement for black civil rights and the LGBTQ+ movement have always showed to be interrelated. One example for all, just remember that Stonewall riots were started by Marsha P. Johnson, a black trans sex worker, and Sylvia Ray Rivera, a Latina trans sex worker.

As sign of solidarity, the LGBTQ+ community chose to expand the rainbow flag to include black and brown stripes, even though the flag wasn’t designed at first to represent the colour of people’s skin.

I feel astonished by the fact that basic human rights are still uncertain in 2020 and I am ashamed that we still need to fight racism and homophobia. I wish for a stronger action by governments to address this issues.
What do you think of the overall situation? What solution do you think would be effective?
I look forward to confront with you.</p>

[Dino Galinovic]

Dear Mary,

I’m so glad that you started this topic at such a crucial time, not only for the United States, but for the entire world to finally grapple with the problem of racism, and any other kind of discrimination based on the race or sexual orientation. But this time – in a more systematic way, because we really need big, structural change that will bring equality, equity, justice, and freedom to every single person.

Just some interesting facts about black members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Economic Insecurity – Although economic conditions in the U.S. are improving, LGBTQ African Americans continue to be economically disadvantaged because of persistent discrimination, housing insecurity, a lack of quality, affordable healthcare and fewer educational opportunities. Some research shows that 32% of children being raised by Black same-sex couples live in poverty, compared to 13% of children being raised by heterosexual Black parents and just 7%  being raised by married heterosexual white parents. Furthermore, Black transgender people face severe rates of poverty, with 34% living in extreme poverty compared to just 9 percent of non-transgender Black people.

Violence & Harassment –Black survivors of hate violence were 1.3 times more likely to experience police violence than their non-Black counterparts. Black survivors were also twice as likely to experience any physical violence, twice as likely to experience discrimination and 1.4 times more likely to experience threats and intimidation during acts of hate violence. Additionally, Black transgender women face the highest levels of fatal violence within the LGBTQ community and are less likely to turn to police for help for fear of revictimization by law enforcement personnel.

HIV & Health Inequity – young, Black gay and bisexual men are among the communities most heavily affected by HIV. In the city of Atlanta for example, a young, Black gay man now has a 60 percent chance of becoming HIV-positive by the age of 30 even though Black gay and bisexual men are more likely to engage in safer sex practices than their white counterparts.

I could go like this for hours, but I think you get the point. This is a conversation that every person should have on daily basis, accepting the fact that we as white people are enjoying so many privileges, and that it’s up to us to make sure that our friends from black communities have the same rights and opportunities.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 11 months ago by Dino Galinovic.

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