Juneteenth x Pride - Learning about the Black and Queer experiences

Happy Pride month everyone and a late Happy Juneteenth!

I decided to publish a joint post not only because the occasions coincided, but because I know the struggles of the Black and Queer communities intersect greatly, and that education is an antidote to entrenched problems. Specifically for this post, I want folks to have a sense of the types of questions they should be asking themselves, as well as a sense of how deep the disparities in the livelihoods of these communities in comparison the White and straight/cis majorities in the US.

Sadly, discrimination can even come without our own communities - for example, White Queer people, especially White gay men, still discriminate against and exclude Queer Black people (among other people of color). But we are all in this together - both of these communities suffer from higher rates of poverty, unemployment, job discrimination, food insecurity, homelessness, access to education, affordable housing, and more.

As a proud member of the Queer community (Queer = a more inclusive version of the Queer alphabet - LGBTQIA is still incomplete), it is my commitment to be someone who builds bridges with my Black friends, neighbors, and colleagues. But I have to do the work to be a bridge-builder.

My Learning Journey for Racial Justice

As someone who grew up in a 98ish% white, conservative, and working-class community, I was not exposed much to people who looked different from me. I remember multiple moments when I displayed overt racism. It was a bit of a shock when I got to the University of Maryland, which is about 50% white, I was seeing and interacting with people from all types of backgrounds. But the real education began when I moved to Los Angeles for Teach for America - we were explicitly trained in anti-racism, understanding the Los Angeles historical context of our Black and Latino communities, and my Master's in Urban Education also had multiple courses taking on systemic racism. Being a White teacher in front of all Black or Latino students was a wake-up call, that I was ignorant and unprepared to support students and families who are poor and live in tougher neighborhoods that I couldn't imagine living in (I lived near the beach, not by my school).

Thankfully, with the help of patient and generous colleagues and my school community, I learned quickly. But let me be clear - there is no end to this learning. I am still picking up new historical context, more cultural understanding, and insights into how our society really works. I am also in constant reflection on my mindset, thoughts, and behaviors. I am lucky to have a diverse group of friends in New York and around the world, so I am often exposed to people who are different and have grown a lot of competencies there. That's why I've built enough credibility on the topic of understanding others and their struggles. Below is a picture of me and my kiddos in 2012!

Your Learning Journey Around the Black and Queer Experiences

I hope you see the importance of learning about the experience of people really different from us - not only is it essential to co-exist with an increasingly diverse country, but it is also more interesting! While we can at times feel uncomfortable, these are beautiful learning moments and unforgettable experiences that make us more well-rounded people.

The most important first step is to commit to your own education and re-education. As I wrote this, I realized that the process for education is relatively similar, so consider the set of questions below a starter kit for leveling up your awareness of people different than you. And if you're someone committed to supporting these communities, education is a must. are

Category	Reflection Question	Commentary
Exposure	How many Black and Queer people are in your life? Do you feel like you understand their experiences well? How much of your opinions of certain identities are based on the media portrayal of those identities?	False narratives and stereotypes popularized in the media can either cherry-pick the worst examples, exaggerate the problem, or caricaturize Black or Queer Americans. The “welfare queen” was a Black stereotype, as now are “Groomers” for Queer people. The antidote here is to ask yourself how close you are to the experiences of real Black and Queer people. The trans hysteria going around in the US is a result of people not actually knowing any trans people and understanding their experiences, causing harm to everyone.
Education	​What Black or Queer history have you read and are you aware of? Do you follow any Black or Queer influencers, authors, podcast hosts, journalists, industry experts, etc.? Have you consumed Black and Queer TV, film, books, music, and/or other culture?	Education here is so important - it puts the issues of the day in bigger context. History helps explain the values, motivations, strengths and culture we have, while media gives you concrete examples of the experience of Black and Queer communities. Staying current is challenging, so it’s important to find your suite of resources and a healthy media diet that give you multiple, diverse perspectives.
Judgment	What are the automatic associations you think of when you picture a Black or Queer person? What feelings come up for you? Have you ever really tried to put yourself in the shoes of either? What did you learn from that exercise? If you feel you are at tension with the Black or Queer community, what do you see as the root of it? In what ways does that tension serve you, or your leaders, to maintain these tensions (might I say, oppression)? Do you blame the Black or Queer community for its problems? To what extent, and what could be systemic causes of these problems?	We all have stereotypes in our heads - they allow us to move through the world quicker and protect against threats. But we inevitably fall into the trap of full reliance on these stereotypes, rather than seeing them as a full, unique, complex human being. Beyond stereotypes, think about what it might be like to live their lives. I would often ask my friends, or even visiting a few students' homes, to really get a sense of what it's like for them. At times, I have heard from White people in my life that Black poverty was a result of "their culture" and that systemic factors could not be holding down the Black community (despite much evidence to the contrary). It was the education and experience working in those communities that I came to understand that these issues are systemic, and White people do not appreciate how many obstacles Black Americans face. Rather, convenient explanations blaming the victims and that absolve themselves of any guilt are used - “culture of poverty”, rap and hip hop, disinterest in education, etc. as stereotypes.
Liberation Mindset	Do you truly want people in these communities to be free and prosperous? If so, what are you willing to give to support their liberation and prosperity? Are you willing to sacrifice resources and/or get uncomfortable? Do you believe that their success would be at the expense of yours? Why is that? Who benefits from you thinking that?	​I've seen a lot on media that White people can't say explicitly that black lives matter. Not the organization, just the statement. If you can't say plainly that you want the freedom and prosperity of the Black and Queer communities, check yourself. There must be some reason you benefit from their oppression, and that you ignore their plight. Think hard about this, and ask yourself why you think the success of one community is at the expense of another. Rich and powerful people are hoping you harbor those thoughts, so they can pit you against the "others" - just remember who the real culprits are for stifling the opportunities of everyday people.

Keep Reading for A Peak into the State of the Black and Queer Communities

What you will read below is a bit depressing and upsetting. But I don't think we really understand the

depths of inequality between Black and White people in the US. I listed a smattering of statistics in different areas of society, which are just the tip of the iceberg of the shameful disparities in outcomes for Black Americans. I don't know about you, but I am embarrassed to see these statistics in the wealthiest country in the world.

• Hate and Justice:

  • The NAACP says that “a Black person is 5x more likely to be stopped without just cause than a White person, and a Black man is 2x as likely to be stopped without just cause than a Black woman. 65% of Black adults have felt targeted because of their race”

  • One out of every three Black boys born today can expect to be sentenced to prison, compared to 1 out of 6 Latino boys; one out of 17 white boys.

  • According to the Urban League’s State of Black America report, “more than 1,500 hate crimes against Black Americans have been reported every year since 1991, but this number likely highly underreported, as the FBI total for hate crimes is only 3% of what is reported by households”

• Economics:

  • 1 in 3 Black children live in poverty, says a University of Michigan policy brief. According to Columbia University’s Poverty Center, “in 1970, Black children were more than three times as likely to live in poverty than White children and the gap is nearly as large today.”

  • From a RAND report: “The median Black household in America has around $24,000 in savings, investments, home equity, and other elements of wealth. The median White household: around $189,000, a disparity that has worsened in recent decades.”

  • The Economic Policy Institute shares that Black unemployment is typically double that of White Americans

  • In 2019, the typical (median) black worker earned 24.4% less per hour than the typical white worker. This is an even larger wage gap than in 1979 when it was 16.4%.

• Education:

  • According to the Lumina Foundation, “34% percent of Black adults have associate degrees or higher, compared with 50% of White adults”, and while both the White and Black college-going population has decreased in the past few years, the gap has widened.

  • 86% of Black Americans have to borrow toward a bachelor’s degree, and owe nearly 50% more than White graduates, according to the Brookings Institution.

    • They also go on to earn less than white graduates, which makes that obligation harder to repay.

  • Since September 2020, a total of 183 local, state, and federal government entities across the US have introduced 521 anti-critical race theory bills, resolutions, executive orders, opinion letters, statements, and other measures.

    • Other measures, like that of the Florida rejection of the AP African American studies program, are having a chilling effect on erasing Black history

• Healthcare:

• The Kaiser Foundation reports that the infant mortality for Black infants is 10.6, which is almost 2.5x higher than for White infants and the highest of all racial groups. Maternal mortality, while increasing for White, Hispanic, and Black mothers, is over 2x higher for Black mothers than White or Hispanic mothers.

  • Disparities exist for insurance rates, cancer deaths, and firearm-related deaths for children and adolescents

The Queer Community experiences different hardships in the U.S. than Black Americans, but

hardship and oppression nevertheless. These are especially pronounced in overt policy discrimination and result in real harm to Queer people in the US and worldwide.

• Hate and Discrimination:

  • Hate crimes increased for the Queer community by 70% from 2021 to 2022

    • But only 20 states have laws that include gender identity, covering 45% of the U.S. population.

  • From the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project: “Nearly 200 anti-LGBT+ incidents have been reported in 2022, marking an increase of three times compared to 2021 and 12 times compared to 2021

    • Acts of political violence targeting the LGBT+ community have more than tripled compared to 2021

    • Anti-LGBT+ demonstrations have more than doubled relative to 2021”

  • For the first time, the Human Rights Council, the largest national LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, announced a State of Emergency for LGBTQ+ people: “The 2023 state legislative session has been the worst year on record for anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the US:

    • More than 525 bills were introduced in 41 states, of which 220 explicitly targeted transgender people

    • Over 76 bills have been signed into law as of June 5, 2023 — more than any year on record, and more than double over last year.”

• Homelessness:

  • UCLA Williams Institute estimates that 8% of transgender adults across all sexual orientation identities; 3% of cisgender and genderqueer sexual minority adults, whereas 1% of cisgender straight adults reported indicators of recent homelessness. Note: The rate is up to 2x higher for Black Queer adults.

  • 22% of youth experiencing homelessness across 22 U.S. counties are LGB

• Education, Mental Health, and Suicide:

  • Our fight for human rights starts in school. According to the Congressional LGBTQ+ Caucus:

    • 76% who attended school in-person in 2021-22 year reporting experiencing verbal in-person harassment

    • 74% of trans students felt unsafe in school because of their gender

    • 54% at some point were sexually harassed

    • 30% of trans youth, 4x the rate of cis youth, reported being threatened or injured with a weapon

    • 82% of trans youth, and 48% of LGB youth, have contemplated suicide

  • From the Journal of Economics in Education:

    • “LGBT students have poorer educational outcomes: even if they do not perform worse than their peers in several tests such as the SAT, they are less likely to graduate from high school, have lower GPA, and accumulate fewer credits while in school. Furthermore, these students are less likely to apply and attend college.

    • “In line with these results, this study shows that LGBT students have lower educational expectations, lower motivation, school engagement, and sense of belonging.”

• Economics:

  • According to the St. Louis Federal Reserve: Using HPS data, in 2022, 22% of LGBTQ+ adults had household incomes of less than $25,000 versus 14% of non-LGBTQ+ adults. LGBTQ+ adults were also less likely than non-LGBTQ+ adults to have household incomes of $100,000 or more (23% versus 31%).

  • Female same-sex couples had $82,000 in median household wealth, while mixed-sex couples had $185,000 in median household wealth.

  • These surveys cannot even capture gender minorities because the gender is only identified as man or woman, missing any gender minorities (including people who are trans)

• Other Issues

  • Equality and Rights: Queer people might have their healthcare rejected for religious beliefs or just discrimination. They can also be denied from adopting a child.

  • Conversion Therapy: Some states and many countries still offer conversion therapy, a disproven and harmful set of methodologies to remove the preference for the same gender and restore the preference for the opposite gender

  • Drug abuse: Drugs are common in the Queer community as a means of coping with the daily stresses of being a marginalized part of society, and it is no secret that this has a great impact on the livelihoods of Queer Americans. For example, gay men are 12.2 times more likely than men who do not have sex with men to use amphetamines, and 9.5 times more likely than men who do not have sex with men to use heroin.

Lastly, around the world, Queer people are also under attack:

• Uganda passed an Anti-Homosexuality Act that imposes a life sentence for engaging in "same-sex sexual acts," and the death penalty for gay sex in certain circumstances

  • The death penalty exists for homosexuality in Brunei, Iran, Mauritania, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uganda, Yemen

• Right-wing authoritarians have been using Queer people as political pawns, portraying us as threats to “traditional family values”, women and children. Examples include:

  • U.S. - Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, and other Presidential contenders

  • Turkey - Recep Tayyip Erdogan

  • Russia - Vladimir Putin

  • China - Xi Xinping

  • Poland - Andrzej Duda

  • Nicaragua - Daniel Ortega

• Marriage equality exists in only 34 countries worldwide;

• The World Health Organization removed being transgender as a mental disorder only in 2019; and as of 2021, only 25 UN member states allow a gender identification change

This is a sad state of affairs for the Black and Queer communities, and unfortunately, we need to understand that our society is, in large part, causing the above tragedies to happen. If you are someone who wants to learn more and be a better advocate, I'm happy to help you begin that journey by scheduling a consultation. Also, happy to refer you to anti-racist coaches or social justice influencers on LinkedIn.

For Learning and with Love,

Chris