Jason Howard Green

Jason Howard Green

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

Celebrate Black Queer Voices: Feb 23 - Black LGBTQ Millennials

 


This black history month, everyday I have been sharing documentaries and biopics that celebrate black queer voices.  Today, the voices I elevate are a collective group of young, queer folks talking about their experiences of intersectionality.

God, I wish there were more places and more spaces having conversations like the one in this video.  Popular YouTube channel, The Grapevine, sat down with a group of folks to have "A Conversation with Black LGBTQ Millennials."  The discussion goes deep and these individuals are very open and honest about their experiences.  Every individual in this circle is so articulate in explaining their stories, their fears, and their traumas.

It's so interesting hearing these stories around coming out, and hearing stories contrasting homophobia and racism, and delving into the very difficult topic of acceptance within the black community as a queer person.  I think it's profound to hear several individuals share similar stories of their biggest fears growing up did not come from white folks, but it came from black folks and it was specifically related to homophobia and anti-queer violence.

I loved hearing these young people talk about Stonewall and talk about the "blackness" of it.  These kids know their history and they are acutely aware of racism in the LGBTQ community and the erasure of black accomplishments within queer history.  I love hearing these people talk about bi-invisiblity.  I loved hearing these people call out the black church for its bias and violence against queer folks.

I keep hearing so many negative things about youth and about queer youth, but these kids are smart.  They are very aware of self.  And they are very aware of what they want, and what they don't want. Now I need to figure out what I need to do to create a space for voices like this to show up.  Get into the video below:


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