The following statement is from Brianna Brown, Texas Organizing Project (TOP) Co-Executive Director, in observance of Pride month this year:
“As we mark the start of Pride Month, may we always remember its origin as an uprising against police violence, and honor the invaluable role that LGBTQIA+ people of color have played — and will continue to play — in the fight for justice and our collective liberation.
“Acclaimed Black writer and civil rights activist Audre Lorde famously stated, “There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives,” highlighting how for Black and Latino Americans, the pursuit of LGBTQIA+ liberation is inherently linked to racial justice.
“While notable progress has been made in the fight for LGBTQIA+ rights, so many institutional barriers across our country remain. This is especially true in Texas, where our state’s right-wing officials continue to shamelessly attack and further stigmatize those who identify as LGBTQIA+ through hateful rhetoric and dehumanizing policies. We see this happening in real time through Texas Republicans’ latest efforts targeting transgender Texans and their families, despicable acts that TOP joins our LGBTQIA+ allies in fully condemning.
“As hard as far-right politicians may try, they will never defeat us or deter us from living the rich, fulfilling lives we deserve to live. The spirit of our communities is indomitable.
“Each and every day, TOP is proud to reaffirm our commitment to standing in solidarity with all who identify as LGBTQIA+, and to reiterate that LGBTQIA+ rights are human rights.”
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Texas Organizing Project organizes Black and Latino communities in Dallas, Harris, Bexar, and Fort Bend counties with the goal of transforming Texas into a state where working people of color have the power and representation they deserve. For more information, visit organizetexas.org.
This statement was sent out June 1, 2022.