West Hollywood has long been home to many LGBTQ folks in the Los Angeles area, with more than 40 percent of residents identifying as such. It’s only fitting that each year the city has hosted its own Pride Month festivities, and the latest one was its most epic so far! Thousands of folks poured into West Hollywood for WeHo Pride 2024 to enjoy the street fair, concerts, and more. 

The weekend, which spanned from May 31 to June 2, was full of social events, pride parties, and a mega three-day musical festival headlined by none other than Ke$ha, Janelle Monáe, and Kylie Minogue. To capture all the fun, TransLash Media sent actress, activist, producer, and motivational speaker Blossom C. Brown to document all the celebratory love and glamor. Here’s everything that went down at WeHo Pride.

Watch our recap video and read more below!

Day 1 of WeHo Pride: Friday, May 31

WeHo Pride kicked off on Friday night with a free concert in West Hollywood Park. Ke$ha performed as the headliner, while audiences got to enjoy performances from Adam Lambert, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” star Monét X Change, Laganja Estranja & Morphine Love Dion, Niña Dioz, Jessica Betts, Owenn, and Venessa Michaels, according to CBS News. 

The concert also marked Ke$ha’s first show since she became a “free woman,” as Rolling Stone reports, after settling her decade-long lawsuit with Dr. Luke last summer.

Day 2 of WeHo Pride: Saturday, June 1

For those who prefer a more low-key Pride Month activity, there was the WeHo Pride Street Fair on Saturday afternoon. The eight hour family-friendly fair, stretched along Santa Monica Boulevard, featured a handful of community group booths, vendors, exhibitors, and even some performances by Bonnie McKee, Rêve, The Aces, and more.

After that, the Women’s Freedom Festival took place, which was presented by the historically lesbian non-profit, L-Project Los Angeles. The festival, which was in its third year according to CBS News, featured emerging LGBTQ and BIPOC women, non-binary musicians, comedians, poets, and activists.

Jackie Steele hosted the Women’s Freedom Festival, which featured plenty of performances throughout from KingQueen, MariahCounts, Medusa, Theia, Gattison, Cheri Moon, Shiah Luna, Nekeith, DJ SterlingVictorian, DJ Boom Boom, Suri Chan, and Jen Cheng.

Why We Need Queer Women Representation

Being able to attend the Women’s Freedom Festival on Saturday was a key highlight of the weekend for Blossom. “The representation of queer women in West Hollywood is so crucial and important. We have to amplify these types of voices, as they usually go unheard and unseen,” Brown said.

She added how exciting it was to see one of her friends get up on stage and speak her truth. “We must protect Native women. We must protect Black women at all costs. We must amplify all voices that are important in the movement,” Brown’s friend told the crowd.

WeHo Pride’s Dyke March

Later on Saturday afternoon, WeHo Pride’s Dyke March took place. The motorcycle-led march began with a biker gang — because how else could it start? —  followed by a performance by non-binary alt-pop/hip-hop producer and singer Medusa. The rally trailed down Santa Monica Boulevard and included even more live performances from Gattison, Theia and the KingQueen Band, as well as poetry by Yazmin Monet Watkins, Suri Chan and West Hollywood’s Poet Laurette, Jen Cheng.

For those who love to dance, there was also the Queerchata Pride Social on Saturday afternoon. The event included instructors guiding attendees through a lively Bachata class, a style of dance that originated in the Dominican Republic. After learning a few basic moves in the beginner class, attendees got to enjoy some Bachata and Salsa dancing with fellow queers in the Los Angeles sunshine.

Then the real party kicked off: the second night of the OUTLOUD musical festival included a concert with performances by Yaeji, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Noah Cyrus, Keke Palmer, Pegasus and Jack Faulkner, Channel Tres, Doechii, and, of course, headliner and former TransLash Podcast guest Janelle Monáe. What’s a pride party without Monáe anyway?

Blossom’s WeHo Pride Highlight

Brown didn’t just get to experience this mega concert live in person — she got to bask in all the joyful celebrations from backstage! One of her top five highlights from the weekend was being backstage at Saturday night’s OUTLOUD music festival. “The vibe backstage was so chill, so dope. I saw celebrities like Doechii, Queen Latifah, Gabrielle Union,” Blossom recounted. “I got to witness the moment that Gabrielle Union and Queen Latifah surprised Doechii after her performance. It was such a beautiful, healing moment. I was so inspired,” she added.

Brown’s other top moment from WeHo Pride 2024? Meeting the Queen herself. “She was so kind, so humble, so sweet,” Brown said of Queen Latifah, whom she met backstage. “It’s wonderful to meet A-list celebrities who are down to earth, who are kind. It’s so great to be in that space in WeHo Pride and meeting someone as legendary as Queen Latifah.”

Day 3 of WeHo Pride: Sunday

And finally — the parade! What’s Pride with a Pride Parade, after all? On Sunday afternoon, tens of thousands of people gathered along Santa Monica Boulevard to watch festive floats, colorful marching groups, plenty of dancers, and rainbows and glitter galore, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Celebrating Pride With the Queen Mother

Brown didn’t experience the WeHo Pride Parade from the sidelines, though — she got to be in it. She rode along Santa Monica Boulevard on a float with the organization the Imperial Court of Los Angeles, alongside the Queen Mother of Southern California herself, Mother Karina Samala.

An active member in the LGBTQ+ community for over twenty-five years, Samala is a Filipina trans woman, President of the Board of Directors for the Imperial Court, and current chair of the Los Angeles Transgender Advisory Board.

Additionally, Blossom expressed gratitude for being able to enjoy the parade festivities with some Pride first-timers. She celebrated with a group of Russian and Ukrainian LGBTQ folks who were able to be their fullest selves and attend a Pride event for the very first time.

A Kylie Minogue Finale

The vibrant and joyful Pride weekend came to a bitterweet close on Sunday evening (who wants Pride to ever end?) during the final leg of the OUTLOUD musical festival. Attendees got to dance to music by Ashnikko, Big Freedia, Vincint, a DJ set by Trixie Mattel, and more.

Then the big event everyone had been waiting for finally arrived — a big, queer Kylie Minogue concert. Is there any better way to close out Pride than Padam-ing with a massive dancing crowd? 

The Australian queen of pop performed a handful of her most beloved songs, according to Variety, from “Come Into My World” to “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” to “Love At First Sight,” and of course “Padam Padam.” She even brought Orville Peck on stage to debut a brand new single called “Midnight Ride,” produced by Diplo, who also joined the duo on stage for a fringe-filled performance.

It was a rainbow-infused weekend full of queer love, trans joy, music, dancing, and celebration. 

This isn’t the end of TransLash’s WeHo Pride 2024 coverage! Stay tuned for more exclusive Pride Month photos and videos from Blossom Brown on our socials, including on-the-street interviews from the WeHo Pride weekend with a variety of amazing, inspirational trans and queer folks throughout the Los Angeles area.

Did you find this resource helpful? Consider supporting TransLash today with a tax-deductible donation. Did we miss anything? Let us know!

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America, as I wrote in The Grio, has the highest numbers of killings of trans women on the planet  with the exception of two countries: Brazil and Mexico. Nine out of 10 those killed in the United States are African-American.  In nearly every case where there is a suspect, someone charged or convicted, that person is a Black man. The truth about the reality of Black men’s roles in the deaths of trans women is a deeply disturbing one.

Because TransLash is a growing news source for trans and gender non-conforming people, especially those of color, we simply had to begin with this issue.

From the beginning, my goal was to make this Lives at Stake conversation an authentic one. That’s why I deliberately chose two, cis, heterosexual men, in their 30s, from the working-class neighborhood of East Flatbush rather than well-known voices.  One, Randy Davidson, was trans skeptical while the other, Justin Freeman, trans supportive. Randy and Justin were asked to join me and Nala Simone, a trans activist who participated in the controversial The Breakfast Club trans roundtable with Malik Yoba, in a frank exchange. 

This desire for a forthright conversation was why I was so disappointed in Randy’s decision to exit the program just one hour before we were set to begin.

Throughout the Black community, we must engage those with different thoughts and perspectives if we are going to save the lives of Black trans women.  We can’t only be talking to those who feel the exact same way we do, because those who agree with us are not the ones causing the harm. 

However Randy’s absence from Friday night’s dialogue is a metaphor for the absence of Black heterosexual men from this discussion overall.  And it is why I chose to leave his chair empty on the set as a visual representation of this gap. 

Randy’s decision points out a larger dynamic at work cited by Justin on Friday. “For men checking your boys on transphobia,” he said, “could put a target on your back.” This means that men themselves are afraid to police each other on this issue, leaving very little cultural accountability for their actions against trans women. It also underscores the larger cultural backdrop for the crisis of masculinity at this moment.  

As long as manhood is grounded in patriarchy—with its essential emphasis on a hierarchy and the domination of others at its core—then Black trans women will continue to lose their lives at a staggering rate.   

Yet patriarchy doesn’t work along in this matter. It is twinned with racism. Our turn to the ways in which patriarchy and racism work together during Lives at Stake led Justin to emphasize the Hegelian, “master-slave” philosophical framework into the conversation.  Justin’s core point is that many people only feel whole when they control the life and death others. This leaves us in a dark place.

The good news though is that healing is possible.  It must begin with Black, cis, heterosexual men acknowledging the harm that they have caused.  As Nala put it, “Black cis men need to know that there’s hurt. My life must matter enough for you to say to me, ‘I see you , what is it that you need?’ Black cis men must step up.”

Nala is right which is why we are committed to continuing to have this conversation through Lives at Stake and throughout our channels.  Within the first hour, our conversation had garnered thousands of views which underscores that there is a hunger for more of these types of explorations. 

Our next Lives at Stake conversation will be a one-on-one interview with ACLU lawyer, Chase Strangio, to unpack the issues in three, October 8, cases before the Supreme Court.  Zarda v. Altitude Express, Bostock v. Clayton County and Harris Funeral Homes v. EEOC will determine whether discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity are unconstitutional. 

I hope that you can join us and spread the word.  

TransLash Episode 3 premiered April 12, 2019, at 12:30 PM ET on the TransLash Facebook page. Join the conversation; everyone is welcome to participate.

For the latest on TransLash, please subscribe to our newsletter and follow us Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

Trans storytelling saves Trans lives. Help us make TransLash Episode 4: The Future of Trans with your monthly or on-time donation today. 

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In celebration of Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV) 2024, Equalpride has partnered with TransLash Media for the release of short film series “Artistic Legacies” on Advocate Channel and Fire TV. Watch on-demand today!

Uplifting Black trans lives on TDOV is essential; according to HRC, over 60% of transgender people killed in 2023 were Black transgender women.

Additionally, Black trans women & Black trans femmes experience disproportionately higher rates of housing insecurity, police violence, and under/unemployment due to discrimination based in their perceived gender and race. 

TDOV is a time to demand more safety and resources for Black trans women and femmes while celebrating Black trans brilliance, creativity, and leadership.

About ‘Artistic Legacies’

“Artistic Legacies” is an unforgettable three-part series offers an intimate look into the lives of Black Trans Femmes in the Arts (BTFA) leaders and visionaries Iman Hill, Jordyn Jay, and Kimiyah Prescott, exploring their personal journeys of self-discovery, resilience, and artistic growth.

“[Our series] is a testament to the resilience and creativity of Black trans femmes, who are using art as a tool for self-expression and social change,” said Imara Jones, CEO and founder of TransLash Media. “Through storytelling, we aim to uplift and celebrate the voices of Black trans femmes, ensuring that their contributions are recognized and valued.”

Read Imara’s Voices article on Advocate.com.

The Advocate Channel is the first streaming network devoted to covering the trending news stories of the day and inspiring the LGBTQ+ community and its allies through a lens of equality.

Watch “Artistic Legacies” on Advocate Channel and join the conversation on social media using #ArtisticLegacies. Be sure to tag us @translashmedia, TransLash Family! We’ll reshare on our socials.

Did you find this resource helpful? Consider supporting TransLash today with a tax-deductible donation.

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In the third of three Artistic Legacies films, Ballroom legend Kimiyah Prescott opens up about how she grew from the rigid and repressive rules of an extremely religious household to find freedom through expression in the ballroom community. As Kimiyah prepares for an upcoming performance, she tells us what liberation feels like. And how once she experienced it, she never looked back.

Credits: Creator And Executive Producer: Imara Jones | Producer: Tiler Wilson | Producer: Ruby Rose Collins | Producer: Sophia Kiapos | Editor: Gracie Simonett | Director Of Photography: Nicholas Lattimore | Assistant Camera: Etienne Pelissier | Sound Mixer: Zach Salem-Mackall | Colorist: Michael Schatz  | Digital Strategist: Daniela “Dani” Capistrano | Special Thanks To: Jordyn Jay, Btfa, And Kimiyah

About Artistic Legacies

Artistic Legacies explores the power of the Black Trans Femmes in the Arts (BTFA) collective through the stories of Founder Jordyn Jay, artist and musician/songwriter Iman Hill, and ballroom legend Kimiyah Prescott. This three-part docuseries shows how these members use artistic expression to change themselves and the world around them, bringing hope to the most of the marginalized at a time of unprecedented violence and political attack. Artistic Legacies points to how we can create brighter futures by using what’s already inside each of us. The 200-strong BTFA demonstrates how to manifest these possibilities.

Kimiyah’s Story: Transcript

I got into the hint of ballroom when I got into high school. People tell me like you’re a star, but I don’t think you know it yet, and I used to be like I know I’m a star but what could I do to take it to the next level?

*Washing hair* Washing… Yes, It’s jet black.

My parents is Caribbean. And, you know, my father is a pastor. So, you know, I was very sheltered. I wasn’t able to like be outside and socialize with a lot of people.

I was battling living a double life and hiding myself from the world.

My parents would usually drop me off halfway to school, so they dropped by the train station. But my best friend at the time lived like down the block.

So I would go to her house and I would change my clothes into whatever I wanted to wear, whether it was a skirt or some cute sandals or just like even just do little things like do my makeup a little bit.

And when I got home, I used to stop around the corner from my house and I would like take it off and then go in the house like nothing happened.

*Kimiyah on the phone* I’m running on 20 minutes of sleep, but yeah, I have to get ready for this ball girl. And my dress isn’t even here yet. I got my ticket.

I wasn’t going to back down. I wasn’t going to change who I was for anybody. When I got to ballroom, just seeing people that are unapologetic and just living in their truth and being happy, I wanted that. 

When I got into high school and I saw my friend, her name is Tati, voguing. She just went spin in the air into a dip, and I was like, what is that? Whatever that is, I need to learn it.

We ended up going to HMI and I saw all these gay people and I’m like, wait, there’s more of me.

From there, I just kept practicing and perfecting my craft. Brought me to my first ball, and even then I was like, Wow, it’s underground. It’s lights the big speaker. It was just crazy. It was like, I need to I want to be a part of this. I want to be a part of this, so badly. 

*Kimiyah walking up to venue* Hi, i’m so sorry. Thank you. Thank you for coming. You okay. Oh, shit. Damn. She got somebody in the chair. Come on. I’m about to tell her right now. 

My ballroom career took off. Then I joined the Iconic House of Juicy Couture, which is like my second family. I love them so dearly.

I’m confident in who I am. I’m confident in what I do. I’m confident in anything that I put my mind to do.

Being able to vogue and showcase like my talent and me being the only one on stage, I feel like I’m on another level.

I just always try to think like what is the next best thing I could do?

People say “wow, watching you just inspired me to go out there and do my thing.” That’s what makes you legendary. 

Why Translash Honors Black Trans Women

Black trans femmes have historically been the first to stand up for LGBTQ+ and women’s rights, while also disproportionately facing the most anti-LGBT+ and anti-Black violence. We at TransLash want to give our Black trans femme siblings their flowers 24-7. Our #BlackTransArtisticLegacies campaign is part of our mission of telling trans stories to save trans lives.

Did you find this resource helpful? Consider supporting TransLash today with a tax-deductible donation.

The post Kimiyah’s Story: ‘Artistic Legacies’ Feat. Black Trans Femmes In The Arts appeared first on TransLash Media.

REWIND: HISTORY ON REPEAT spotlights Black LGBTQ+ experiences from the late 1970s to mid-1990s, and in particular, pays tribute to now-passed members of McCall’s chosen family. The exhibit is a snapshot of life during the era McCall remembers as a time of disco, the AIDS crisis, the LGBTQ+ rights movement, and anti-trans violence. Layering McCall’s personal photos, button embellishments, and archival materials, the exhibition is an invitation for all generations to feel empowered as they reflect on the past, present, and future of Black LGBTQ+ communities. 

TransLash spoke with McCall and Souleo about the exhibit, their shared artistic vision, and how we can draw strength from queer lineages. 

TransLash: Can you tell us a little bit about yourselves?

McCall: I am Beau McCall from Down South, Philadelphia. I am a self-taught button artist. My journey started many moons ago, over forty years to be precise, with a jar of clothing buttons in my mother’s basement. I saw the buttons just sitting there and talking to me. Eventually, I began to create wearable and visual art using buttons. That’s why they also call me The Button Man.

Souleo: I am a creative, curator, impresario, consultant, and muse. It sounds like a lot to digest but it’s really all about using creativity to tell stories (mainly underrepresented narratives) whether that is through exhibitions or public programs or writing. Oh, and I’m one of those rare New York-born and-raised individuals, you know, like the disco song. 

TransLash: Beau, can you talk about how you came to work on REWIND: MEMORIES ON REPEAT as a book? What was the artistic process like for you? How did the book evolve into an exhibit at the Stonewall Archives?

McCall: Nick Kline at Rutgers University’s SHINE Portrait Studio Press offered Souleo the opportunity to do an artists’ book. At the time, Souleo didn’t want to do a book about his experiences so he asked if I was interested and if he could edit the book. I thought about it for a minute and started reflecting on my core group of friends, or as I call them, my chosen family. They are all deceased. But mentally and spiritually I am still holding onto the memories of our time together. So I wanted to honor them in the book.

The day before I began to work on the book my closest friend, Tracy, passed away. So it made it very difficult to begin because I had to mourn that loss. But in many ways working on the book while mourning was also cathartic. I was able to reminisce and reflect on how important these friendships are to me. 

In terms of the artistic process, I created the collages by hand using my historical photographs (mostly shot by me), archives, and detailed images from my actual wearable and visual artwork. Before social media and camera phones, I always had a disposable camera at hand in my pocket or bag. I would document all the things me and my friends were doing whether we were just hanging out at a club or putting on makeup. My friend in the book, Antoine aka DeeDee Somemore called me “picture crazy.” But at some point, I knew I was gonna utilize all the information I collected. I just didn’t know how I would use it. 

The photographs I selected are heartfelt, joyous, and fun. For example, the image of me and Saifuddin Muhammad at the Patti LaBelle concert is one of my favorites. I remember us being in the lobby at the Forrest Theatre in Philly. This photographer came up to me and saw I had a photo of Patti in the breast pocket of my blazer. He asked to photograph us and we said yes, not knowing where the image would end up. The next day we were in the Philadelphia Daily News and we got 15 minutes of fame off of that photograph. 

The book and the exhibition are full of such special moments. The exhibition was a vision me and Souleo had from the beginning when we first started working on the book. We both agreed that Stonewall National Museum, Library, & Archives (SNMLA) was the perfect place to launch the exhibition. 

TransLash: REWIND: History on repeat functions like a personal tribute and memorial, as well as evidence of life in the 70s-90s. What do you want people to understand about the friends who inspired this art? About this period in time?

McCall: I want people to understand that true friendship never dies. At some point, we all reflect on the past because your past has a lot to do with the current state of who you are. Because of my experience with my friends, I am who I am today. I’m grateful for them being in my life. This time period, despite its struggles, was also joyous. I had the time of my life with them. It made my life easier with these particular folks that I welcomed in as my chosen family. They were all unique, talented, and we all had something to offer each other and the world. So I really want people to know how special these individuals were and to reflect on the friends in their lives and to be thankful for those bonds.

TransLash: Souleo, can you describe a little bit about your process working as both an editor and curator for this collection? How did you and Beau begin working together?

Souleo: We started working together really from the beginning of our romantic relationship about thirteen years ago. But it was during the COVID-19 pandemic when I officially became a consultant and started representing him. In terms of working on this project, I had to balance my role as his lover with my professional duties. There were times he would break down in tears of pain or joy reflecting on his friendships. So I had to lend an ear and comfort him during those times as a romantic partner. At the same time, I had to keep us on track to make sure we hit our deadlines, I had to ask him a lot of questions to fact-check his memories as much as possible, and be objective enough to edit and curate the work even if it meant challenging him on certain aspects. 

TransLash: The exhibit description notes: “…select collages are paired with an archival item from SNMLA that relates to the theme of McCall’s artwork. This pairing draws a parallel between the personal experiences of McCall and his friends and the larger historical moments that impacted their lives.” 

Can you tell me about the historical and social contexts the exhibit speaks to? 

McCall: One of the biggest historical moments that shaped our lives and the collection is disco. We were friends during the height of disco in the 1970s. I remember going out every Friday listening to incredible music and watching people do the Hustle dance. When we went to the club we were free and didn’t have the pressure of society with a magnifying glass looking down on us for being part of the LGBTQ+ community. Disco allowed us a space that was welcoming and open to people of all backgrounds and identities because the music connected us. 

In terms of trans identity and expressions of gender, you have to remember that at that time we didn’t have the language we do today. There wasn’t a trans label for those who identified as such. You were just called a drag queen. In these disco clubs, I met individuals who were trans men and women. So that was fascinating to me because I was young and had never met a trans person. Seeing the confidence with which they carried themselves was inspiring to me. So the disco clubs created an environment where me and my friends felt safe enough to express ourselves in ways that were authentic to who we were and that challenged sexuality and gender norms.

TransLash: Beau, you’ve said that “Since the 1970s we have lost so many individuals to AIDS, drugs, and anti-trans violence. So I wanted to tell some of these lost stories through images of my own friends who experienced these issues. It is my way of honoring my friendship with them and bringing greater visibility and representation to the unsung everyday people of the Black LGBTQ+ community.”

Can you talk to me about how the three forces you name — AIDS, drugs, and anti-trans violence — have shaped queer and trans lives broadly, the lives of your friends, and the exhibit? 

McCall: AIDS was something that had a profound impact on my group of friends. Some of the images in the exhibition are from the height of the AIDS epidemic. I remember us all being on pins and needles as to who would be next to get AIDS and die. I’ve always been very particular about who I am intimate with so the fear of AIDS made me even more selective, which probably ended up saving my life. I remember each time when we would meet we’d hear of another person who died from the disease. In my circle, the disease kept getting closer and closer until it claimed the lives of some of my friends featured in the exhibition such as Antoine aka DeeDee Somemore, Joey aka Ericka World, and Saifuddin Muhammad. Mentally, it led me into a depression and I took about a ten-year hiatus from pursuing a professional creative career. I withdrew and became very guarded. After I started losing my friends I didn’t develop any new friendships in the LGBTQ+ community. 

On a positive note, these forces have led to the creation of more organizations and activism surrounding the LGBTQ+ community. There are more spaces where people can share their stories and find support. We didn’t have as much of that back then. All we had was each other. I think we’ve made a lot of progress in terms of visibility and in public policy. Of course, there is still a long way to go and the struggle continues as we see by current political efforts targeting the LGBTQ+ community. 

TransLash: When reading the exhibit description, I thought about what other generations of LGBTQ+ people might take from the exhibit, given our current political moment (and especially in Florida, where the Stonewall Archives are). Souleo, what do you hope people will take from the exhibit?

Souleo: I hope people walk away inspired on several fronts. In the queer community, some are rejected by members of their own families. So to be able to choose your family and have that support is very important. And we need to uplift those bonds as much as possible to add an alternative to the dominant traditional family narrative. 

I hope people walk away inspired with an appreciation for Black LGBTQ+ experiences. Within our own queer community, the Black experience and those of other similarly oppressed groups have been underrepresented. And when there is a spotlight it focuses on the same set of names. But with this project, we are sharing the everyday Black queer perspective from individuals who were surviving and living and trying to figure out life together. Along the way, some of them made important cultural contributions that deserve greater amplification and placement in the canon such as Moi Renee’s music and Beau’s artworks. 

I hope people are inspired to do as Beau did and start their own personal archives and eventually have them acquired or donated to institutions such as SNMLA. It is collections like these that add that emotional and human perspective to our collective history. In particular, this is also how we can expand archives to be more representative of Black LGBTQ+ experiences.

And finally, I hope people are inspired to take political action in one way or another by voting, signing petitions, donating to causes, or whatever it may be. The exhibition arrives during a time when LGBTQ+ rights are under assault in Florida and across the country with numerous bills introduced to restrict access to LGBTQ+ books and lessons in educational settings. That’s why I’m honored to curate this exhibition at SNMLA, because it is spaces like this where we are able to share important stories such as that of Beau’s chosen family.  

All Photos Courtesy of the Artist.

Sara Youngblood Gregory (she/they) is a non-binary lesbian journalist and writer. She is the author of THE POLYAMORY WORKBOOK and a former staff writer for POPSUGAR. She covers sex, queerness, disability, culture, and wellness. Her work has been featured in Vice, Teen Vogue, HuffPost, Bustle, DAME, Cosmo, Jezebel, and many others.

Sara serves on the board of the lesbian literary and arts journal Sinister Wisdom. As a poet, Sara has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, and Best New Voices. She’s also attended the Kenyon Review Workshop in 2019 and 2022, as well as a Winter Tangerine poetry workshop. Her chapbook RUN. is out now.

To learn more and support Beau McCall’s work, visit his website.

To learn more and support Souleo’s work, visit his website.

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By Imara Jones, originally published on thegrio.com

The lives of both cisgender and transgender Black women have come under serious danger and a grand coalition should be formed by both gender expressions to guarantee our survival. The unfortunate truth is that the violence perpetrated typically comes from the hands of Black men who are, according to the numbers, our most looming threat.

The tragic fact here is that Black trans, as well as gender non-conforming, women are being killed in the United States by cis Black men to such a degree that it is nearly the worst emergency for trans women on the planet. America has the highest number of trans murders in the world with the exception of just two countries: Brazil and Mexico.

The murders of Black trans women by Black men since 2016 have helped drive the most violent period for LGBT+ people on record.

To be clear, the argument here is not that all or most Black men or killers. There are untold numbers of men who are amazing fathers, friends, partners, spouses, brothers and sons to countless Black women. Also, the harsh realities that Black men face in America are undeniable.

Netflix’s, When They See Us is but the latest example of Black men’s challenges, but the other harsh reality is that far too many Black trans and cis women are dying because Black men are killing us. These murders are happening with such stunning regularity that the time has come when women of all backgrounds can no longer be silent about this fact under the guise of racial solidarity.

Just under two weeks ago Kendrell Lyles, 34, was arrested in Dallas for the May 18 shooting death of Muhlaysia Booker, 23, a Black trans woman whose unrelated beating in April at the hands of an angry mob—after another Black man, Edward Thomas, was allegedly paid $200 to publicly attack her—made national headlines. Lyles is also a suspect in the death of Chynal Lindsay, another trans woman.Since May 2019, seven trans women have met a violent or unexplained death, including Layleen Polanco, an Afro-Latina, in New York’s Rikers Island Correctional facility and Zoe Spears, who died when she was attacked in suburban Washington D.C. These individuals are all suspected to be victims of transgender bias, or were at risk in other ways because of their identities, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

Yet, in the wake of these undeniable tragedies, no national Black woman’s organization has spoken out. Where is Alpha Kappa Alpha? Where are the Delta Sigma Thetas? Both organizations admit trans women, but have yet to say anything about these instances of abuse. Where is the National Coalition of 100 Black Women or the National Council of Negro Women? Not to even mention Black men’s organizations. Black women are being killed and yet, pro-Black institutions are deafeningly silent.

Holding On To The Past

Speaking out about the violence against Black trans women is crucial because it fits into a larger pattern of violence against Black women.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women have the highest rate of intimate-partner violence in the country. Only Native American women come close. The problem is so severe that half of all Black women killed in the United States are murdered by men that they know and nine times out of ten, those men are Black.

Unconsciously Black women, like everyone in the United States, have absorbed white supremacy, patriarchy and the essential devaluing of Black womanhood which accompany them. Racist oppression has meant that for most of this country’s history, Black women have not even had basic body autonomy.

In speaking with Dr. Carolyn West, editor of “Violence in the Lives of Black Women” and Professor of Psychology at the University of Washington Tacoma points out, she pointed out that “even the notion of Black women’s bodies as a legal entity, not to mention a protected space, did not exist in the law until relatively recently.”

Post-enslavement and during Emancipation this lack of autonomy took on new forms. Black women’s fundamental personhood was directly associated with Black manhood. That’s because Black men achieved legal standing, however tenuous, in ways that our women did not. These same dynamics are still at work today.

“Many cis Black women perceive that one of the few privileges they have is their heterosexuality and they are reluctant to give that up,” said West. “Embracing trans women as women, against this historic backdrop, means that cis Black women believe that they are are narrowing or possibly giving up that privilege. Moreover, Black women have this notion that if we stay in our place, Black men will take care of us the way that we idealize white women are taken care of by white men.”Therefore cis Black women continue to set their basic humanity within the traditional limits established by Black men. This is problematic because of the deeply anti-trans sentiments found among many of them.

I also recently sat down with Aishah Shahidah Simmons, creator of #LoveWithAccountability and producer of NO! The Rape Documentary, who said, in addition to White supremacy, she believes that there is yet another layer which must be dealt with: misogyny.

“Confronting misogyny, hatred of the feminine, as an issue within our community and within ourselves will enable us to embrace the idea that violence against women is unacceptable. End of story. Only then will be able to include all women,” explained Simmons.

What We Can Any Of Us Do

All of this requires cis Black women to first find their own fundamental worth before valuing and allying with trans women. It would also require insisting that Black men end their harmful behavior and decenter their needs. Black women, out of service and deference to Black men, ask very little of Black masculinity, while Black masculinity demands everything from Black women, literally including our lives.

According to Simmons, driving this imbalance “is the association of Black masculinity with the idea of the Blackness.” Somehow Black women believe that “challenging Black men means that we are challenging our community,” she adds.

Echoing the point Dr. West declares, “even when Black women are hated by the men who should love us, we stand with them.” Within the paradigm of these antiquated systems, Black womanhood is extremely fragile. Until cis Black women center themselves within the idea of Black liberation, they will continue to be prisoners of their second-rate place within it.

The bottom line is that once cis Black women have done the work to ally with their trans sisters in a broader vision of commonality, interests and goals, only then will Black women cease to die in a cruel epidemic fueled by what appears to be a fundamental weakness in our culture.

The post Confronting Black Men’s Roles In The Murders Of Black Transgender Women May Be The Only Way To Save Our Lives appeared first on TransLash Media.