Tuesday, July 2, 2019


Your Celebratory Quote
FEATURED
Leading with Pride - Sylvia Ray Rivera
What are we celebrating?
Today we celebrate the LGBTQ+ community as we reflect on Pride Month 2019. The LGBTQ+ community resists oppression in the face of danger from both white supremacy and sexual discrimination. The ancestors of the LGBTQ+ movement in the United States created a culture, spaces of reprieve from oppression, and friend-families that take care of each other even when blood relatives refuse. In these times of celebration and progress, we remember that LGBTQ+ people of color face multiple axes of discrimination and that the fight for equity continues.
To reflect on queer history, we centered a leader of color and pillar of the community -- Sylvia Ray Rivera.
What was discrimination like in the 1960s?
Society was violent toward LGBTQ+ people both physically and mentally. Police raids in clubs. Public designations of homosexuality as a mental health disorder. Fear, anxiety, and hiding were a must for survival.
On June 28, 1969 The Stonewall rioters awakened the consciousness of the nation. They took to the streets to protest abuse at the hands of a system that deemed them less than human and second-class citizens. And while Stonewall was a monumental feat, other protests had not led to the change that Stonewall did.
Why you ask?
Well, we at Perspectives Media would argue that leaders like Sylvia Ray Rivera, who led the riot that day, were the reason the fight continued and we draw a direct line from their work to the positive changes the community enjoys today.
Who was Sylvia Ray Rivera?
She described herself as a queer, latin, transvestite drag queen. Because of these intersecting identities, Rivera faced discrimination within the LGBTQ+ movement in addition to the daily injustices all LGBTQ+ people face. She was even physically assaulted by a white lesbian as she was about to give a speech. White activists argued, the movement should present a white, gay male image if it were to make the progress it sought to achieve.
Sylvia fought on anyway. She strengthened her alliance with her friend, Marsha P. Johnson and co-founded STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries).
In the article, “History is a Weapon,” the writer cites that “Sylvia, for example, was frequently called upon by the GAA to front dangerous protests, only to be pushed aside by more “respectable” movement leaders when the media appeared.” The irony was not lost on Sylvia that her body was fine to put on the line for protests, but not good enough to give a speech on a national platform. In a speech she said, “You all tell me, go and hide my tail between my legs. I will no longer put up with this shit.” She ended up taking a reprieve from the movement to be with her lover and draw strength from her friends.
Sylvia came back to the movement and persisted in spite of all of the unfair abuse. She found herself at the center of the argument for rights time after time.
She led after Matthew Shepard’s death.
She led in the fight for marriage equality.
She led the fight against the “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” policy.
Sylvia physically put her body on the line time and time again.
In 1998 while protesting the death of Matthew Shepard, Syliva overheard police say, "When the order goes down, get that bitch right there, get her off the street and into the paddy wagon." Her place in the movement and her identity dehumanized her all the more and made her a target for police abuse. Her white LGBTQ+ colleagues continued to underestimate and undervalue her, but she persisted until her death in 2002.
She died without accolades (monetary and superficial) for her monumental and exemplary leadership.
Why isn’t she in the American history books? / What can I do?
In order to celebrate the overwhelming achievements of Sylvia Ray Rivera, we must stare into the eyes of racism and transphobia within and external to the LGBTQ+ movement. Here are practical things we can do:
- We can advocate for Syliva Ray Rivera by telling her story to our friends and neighbors,
- We can push for her story and the story of other LGBTQ+ leaders to be taught to our children in their American History classes
- We can give to organizations and conversations that protect the rights and bodies of trans women of color to ensure they are celebrated, protected, and allowed to live free
Sylvia is a leader fit for the history books and whose leadership we would put up against any white male president or otherwise. We will continue to fight for her to receive her recognition and we will center her in the discussion of LGBTQ+ people and history.
ARTICLES
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Keep your hands off my voting rights!
Voting rights are up for grabs around the nation. The Republican Party has spearheaded initiatives across the country to keep people of color from voting by using gerrymandered redistricting, opposing re-enfranchisement of those that have served time in prison, and gutting the voting rights act. One latinx young woman decided to use her quinceanera to celebrate herself and voting rights. We would love to see more of this!
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Changing from Within - The Power of Art
The argument for creating new institutions, systems and structures and reforming old institutions as a framework for change is an argument as old as humanity. One young artist who attends Catholic school noticed that they could not name one black saint even though they had to attend classes on catholic religiosity. They took it upon themselves to fight racism within the Catholic institution with art. Check out this beautiful mural celebrating black saints.
SHOUT OUTS
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Celebrating LGBTQ+ Immigrants
Here at Perspectives Media we love to talk about the movement but we also love to take action! There are so many grassroots organizations we want to lift up this month but the news on immigration is heavy on our hearts and minds. One grassroots organization taking on immigration is Immigration Equality.They protect the rights of LGBTQ+ immigrants. Check them out, follow them, and volunteer/donate if you can!

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