Love FB memories!!! Last year #ThisIsLuv Campaign shared me and Missy's love journey!!! And I still LIVE!!! #Only51MoreDays until we get married! 🌈💐💍💘💍💐🌈 "This Is Luv is a multimedia campaign that highlight examples of Black LGBT-affirming love already present within Black families and communities"- This Is Luv Campaign!!! We our honored & humbled! Give Thanks for this Campaign!!!! <3 <3 From Kaila Story and her partner Missy Jackson: "Our Love is A SuperPower" We are Black Queer Love at its best!! We thank the universe everyday, All the time, for one another. We love each other with our whole hearts, and both realize that we have never had a love like this before in our lives. We showcase our love, lust, and passion for one another because we are proud of it. We laugh together, travel together, protest together, and are both committed to making our community and this world a better place. Our love is one in a million. Once in a lifetime. We feel like we grow spiritually, emotionally, and physically with one another everyday, and when we are in each other's arms, we both feel immense power. Immense love. We love each other for all that we are, and all that we hope to be. We have found a love that not only sounds like love and feels like love, but looks like love. Our smiles, joy, and laughter is illuminated throughout all of the captured moments below.When your love with your mate is an extraordinary adventure, like ours is, you're happy to share this with the world. We share these loving moments with the #ThisIsLuv campaign to show that black women, loving one another fiercely, unapologetically, and OUTLOUD is not only beautiful, but a revolutionary act. In a world that would rather invent narratives about Black Queer Love, (stepped in stereotype, not illuminating its nuances, truths, and beauty),we share our love with you, to show that not only is Black Queer Love possible, but necessary. #ThisIsLuvProject #BlackLoveMatters
#ThisIsLuv Gone Awry: When Thought Leaders Think Poorly All of Us Suffer
#ThisIsLuv Gone Awry: When Thought Leaders Think Poorly All of Us Suffer http://sacredsexualities.org/2015/02/19/thisisluv-gone-awry-when-thought-leaders-think-poorly
By Dr. Herukhuti
On February 16th, You Belong cofounders, Wade Davis and Darnell Moore, along with, GLAAD staffer, Tiq Milan launched the #ThisIsLuv Project campaign. According to the press release, the campaign is a “multi-media campaign highlighting affirming LGBT love in Black communities and families.” Sounds great, right? That depends. You have to unpack what the trio means by…
Check out this beautiful testimonial from Cherno Biko:
Many of my earliest memories are filled with my grandmother cooking in her kitchen or sewing in her dining room. Always immaculately dressed, she taught me how to struggle in style. She was the cornerstone of our family, and a woman of extraordinary accomplishment, strength, and humility. She was the person who encouraged and allowed us to take chances. The blueprint on my path to womanhood.
One of the hardest things I've had to do was leaving her and following my dreams, but she told me "dont lose your life waiting on me to die". I wondered if her grandmother told her the same thing before she left Talladega, Alabama for a new life in Columbus, Ohio. Since that time I've been blessed to travel the world using the gifts my grandmother nurtured in me. When her health began to decline I was honored to come back home and assist in her care.
In my culture when an elder transitions, they become an ancestral spirit concerned with the prosperity and security of their family. They are able to intercede with God on behalf of the community and offer protection and guidance. I know that our love will never die because our spirits are eternal and I look forward to the day when I'll meet you in heaven with a you-hoo!
Justice is what love looks like in public. - Cornel West
BACKGROUND
Wade Davis, Darnell Moore and Tiq Milan have decided to organize an LGBT anti-stigma campaign in the Black community without Black bisexuals leaders involved. In the latest gay effort marginalizing bisexuals, the trio have launched a #ThisIsLuv campaign (with with GLAAD, National Black Justice Coalition, Politini Media, Feministing.com, HRC Foundation (HRCF) and EBONY.com) to highlight and affirm "LGBT love in Black communities" without involving Black bisexuals (i.e., the B in LGBT).
No Black bisexual leader or organization is involved. What Black LGBT people does this omission suggest we deny Black love?
In their press release, Tiq Milan is clearly quoted ignoring Black bisexuals, “I, along with countless other Black gay and transgender people, have an amazing support system in my family. Their voices are constantly drowned out by the pervading idea that there is no room for Black LGBT people within our own communities.”
It's ironic that Tiq's campaign drowns out the voices of Black bisexuals and the statement demonstrates no room for Black bisexuals in Tiq's understanding of Black community.
What kind of love do they want?
The campaign doesn't even say anything about transphobia in the midst of an epidemic of murders of Black trans women. It shows even with a trans man as a co-organizer the needs of gay cisgender men take precedence. The sole focus of the campaign is homophobia in the Black community. Not transphobia, not biphobia.
Where is the love?
Although bisexual women and men have higher rates of suicide attempts and suicidal thoughts than gays and lesbians, higher rates of poverty than gays and lesbians, higher rates of sexual assault, domestic violence, and intimate partner violence than gays or lesbians, Davis, Moore, and Milan have chosen to remain silent about biphobia and bisexuals (see: http://www.binetusa.org/bi-presentations and http://biresource.net/bihealthmonthlinks.shtml for more information).
How is that love?
Davis, Moore and Milan must have missed it when Black bisexual men were being accused of spreading HIV to Black women. They must not know the thousands of Black bisexual women who have been targeted at work or elsewhere for sexual harassment or assault.
How can you highlight the love of Black people you don't even recognize?
It's time for the Jim Crow approach to sexual and gender equality that many Black gay and lesbian leaders use in organizing to end. Black bisexuals will no longer take a seat at the back of the equality bus while they, Black gays and lesbians, ride in the front. We will not be their silent partners who allow them to say the B in LGBT while they maintain our separate and unequal status within it.
Love does not look like abuse and disregard.
UPDATE:
Tuesday, February 17th 2:15pmET:
From Wade Davis on the campaign FB page: "Darnell L. Moore Tiq Milan and I created our #ThisIsLuv campaign to share stories of black LGBT love and acceptance that includes all sexualities and identities. We recognize that some folks under the LGBT umbrella haven't felt rightfully recognized and rightfully so. We understand that our unintentional omission of bisexuals explicitly was triggering for some and we apologize for that. We want all Black LGBT folks to participate in our #ThisIsLuv initiative, particularly those most vulnerable to discrimination and violence." [emphasis added to highlight the attempted minimalization and marginalization]
When people say others felt something rather than something happened, it is a way to act as if you acknowledge and recognize their experience when you really do not. Rather than say, "We recognize that some folks under the LGBT umbrella haven't felt rightfully recognized and rightfully so," the statement could have been "We recognize that members of the LGBT community have marginalized others and the impact that marginalization has had on the lives, health and wellbeing of those affected." See the difference? Rather than say, "We understand that our unintentional omission of bisexuals explicitly was triggering for some and we apologize for that," the statement could have been "We understand that, regardless of our intentions, our omission of bisexuals contributed to their marginalization and we apologize for that." See the difference?
Davis makes no apology for saying, "It's not like bi thought leaders are on every corner." Milan makes no apology for explicitly excluding bisexuals in the statement, "I, along with countless other Black gay and transgender people, have an amazing support system in my family."
BLACK NON-MONOSEXUAL LEADERS STATEMENT
In response to being notified that the #ThisIsLuv campaign is silent on biphobia, marginalizes Black bisexuals and has no bisexual leaders as partners, co-organizer Wade Davis stated, "It's not like bi thought leaders are on every corner." And co-organizer, Darnell Moore said, "Uh? Bi-phobic?" (FYI, bisexuals don't hyphenate the word biphobic or biphobia.)
We, the undersigned, are Black non-monosexual (e.g., bisexual, pansexual, polysexual, fluidly sexual, or queer) leaders, organizers and activists. So that you don't have to go "every corner" looking for Black bisexual leadership the next time you think of an LGBT campaign in Black community, we are letting you know we are here, live and in living color.
We will not be participating in your campaign and will not respond to attempts at damage control, crumb throwing, placating or other such second-thought, 11th-hour tactics.
We encourage all Black bisexuals and our allies to boycott your campaign and instead to use the #ThisIsLuv hashtag to let you know marginalizing, ignoring or demeaning Black bisexuals and our lives is not what love looks like in Black communities.
We encourage all participating campaign partners that are committed to true inclusivity and love in Black communities to discontinue their affiliation with #ThisIsLuv campaign on the basis of its underlying biphobia and monosexism.
Prepared by
Dr. Herukhuti
Founder/CEO, Center for Culture, Sexuality and Spirituality
2015 Thought Leader, Association of Black Sexologists and Clinicians
Member, Bisexual Leadership Roundtable
https://twitter.com/DrHerukhuti
https://www.facebook.com/RevolutionaryScholar
http://revolutionaryscholar.tumblr.com/
To join the following signatories by signing the statement, go to this link:
Black Non-Monosexual Leaders (We're not on every corner, but we're definitely around the world.)
Jacq, UK, Bi's of Colour: "#ThisIsLuv has clearly forgotten about bisexuals. When called out, they have responded with cynicism and rushed patching up. We bisexuals are not an afterthought. The B in LGBT is not silent. #ThisIsntLove"
Juba Kalamka, Oakland, CA USA
Faith Cheltenham, USA, BiNet USA and Bisexual Leadership Roundtable: "Find us on the street corner, find us in church, find us everywhere you look!"
Amy Andre, USA: "Studies show that people of color who are not straight are more likely (than white people who are not straight) to use to the term "bisexual" to identify themselves, compared to using terms like "gay" or "lesbian". Bisexual people, compared to gays and lesbians, are more likely to be black; gays and lesbians are more likely to be white. Research also shows that there are at least as many out bisexuals as there are out gays and lesbians _combined_. That means we're the biggest segment of the LGBT community. Ignore us and you're literally ignoring _most_ of who you say you're talking to and about -- which makes no logical sense. It's not a question of: why should you include us? (Which is what the statement about "no bi leaders on the corner" implies, by the way.) It's a question of: why wouldn't you include us? If you don't, you're missing out. And that's not love. That's loss. Your loss."
eric reece, Dallas, TX USA
LaMonda Stokes, Detroit, MI USA: "As a black bisexual woman, this makes me sick. Most of the black women I know who are in this supposed "LGBT community" do not identify as gay. Thank you for just bitch slapping us all in the face. This is not LUV, this is blind ignorance. It is time to start our own community, a real community. Everyone is invited, not just the people who happen to be available on any given street corner."
Dennis Slade Jr, San Diego, CA USA, BiForum San Diego, 2014 Bi Pride Planning Committee, Bi Bar San Diego: "It is highly disappointing that no African-American leaders in the bi activist community were contacted/consulted in the creation of this campaign. It is clear that there is one degree or less separation between Wade, Darnell and Tiq and our "thought leaders" Faith Cheltenham, Dr. Herukhuti and Amy Andre as well as Stacey Long at the Task Force. And there are many more. We will no longer accept, "We couldn't find any of y'all" as an excuse. I hope we can all move forward *TOGETHER* to make #ThisIsLuv truly inclusive to the entire LGBT+ community. If we want to achieve full rights for ALL, we must all be fighting as one."
Donne Redd, Brooklyn, NY USA, S.i.S.T.A.H.,Bisexual Women of All Colors, New York Area Bisexual Network, BiNet USA: "Bisexual Lives Matter! If you are going to represent... REPRESENT EVERYONE! Speak to Bi-Leaders, Hear their voices, RESPECT THEM! IF YOU DO NOT GIVE RESPECT, YOU CAN'T RECEIVE IT! #AHOUSEDIVIDEDWILLNOTSTAND!"
Latisha McDaniel, Iowa City, IA USA, University of Iowa LGBT Staff and Faculty Association, Black Lives Matter Iowa City, Community Policing Initiative (CPI): "And I can be found on any street corner with either a sign or a bullhorn."
Bisexual Women of Color (BIWOC), Boston, MA USA: "Although the Facebook call for submission did use inclusive language, we are concerned regarding:
The Ebony magazine quote "“I, along with countless other Black gay and transgender people, have an amazing support system in my family. Their voices are constantly drowned out by the pervading idea that there is no room for Black LGBT people within our own communities,” says Tiq Milan. This February as we celebrate love and Black History Month, this campaign is a much needed recognition and examination of where love and Black LGBT identity intersect.” That quote does not include bisexuals; we are not gay and also many of us who are trans are being assassinated. It would have been healing to add a sentence about bi and trans folks something like "We recognize that Bi and Trans folks may not be able to participate and those who can we encourage them to tag their photos with #Bi and #Trans to build visibility". Using the abbreviation LGBT does not make it clear that you are referring to OUR communities; many bisexuals do not identify with the "LGBT" community. The majority of out black bisexuals ARE not embraced by our families of origin and can not take a photo with them (including the founder of BIWOC).
We are also concerned that the organizers of this social media campaign did not think to invite a Black Bisexual Activist to help plan. It appears that it "just didn't occur to you." The neglect to not do adequate research and extend an invitation to a Black Bisexual Activist adds to us being erased from the Queer community. We hope that future Black Queer campaigns includes Black Bisexual Activist. We would be happy to be active in healing and celebrating ALL of our sexual orientations. - GFH"
Denarii Grace Monroe, Brooklyn, NY USA, freelance writer, BiNet USA: "When bisexuals make up the majority of the LGBQA community, and when Black bisexuals make up the majority of all bi/non-monosexual identified people, it is more than a travesty that we are being erased by the very people who claim to want to lift up "LGbt" as a whole."
Yemisi Ilesanmi, London, UK: "If excluding Bisexuals of Colour and dismissing our valid concerns is your idea of #ThisisLove, i shudder to think of what #Thisishate looks like. The B in LGBT is not just a space filler; we are people too and we are bonafide members of the LGBT community. We deserve all the rights and recognition we fought for under the LGBT acronyms. We refuse to be your acronym filler. We refuse to be silenced. We refuse to be dismissed. We refuse to be an afterthought. Get educated on Bisexual of colour issues. Stop this hate. This is not love! "
Dr. Herukhuti, New York, NY USA, Center for Culture, Sexuality and Spirituality: "I have been so moved by the messages from men who have read Recognize: The Voices of Bisexual Men-An Anthology telling us how transformative and life-saving it is to have their bisexuality recognized and recognize that other bisexuals exist. To know bisexuality is real and their experience of biphobia is not all in their heads. Bisexual women have been sharing their lives and struggles as well. These stories are why I could not remain silent at the exclusion of bisexual leaders in organizing the #ThisIsLuv and#ThisIsLuvProject."
ABilly S. Jones-Hennin, Washington, DC USA and Chetumal, Q. Roo, MX: "This is an educational opportunity to hear the many voices of Black Bisexuals across the nation and beyond."
Allies or Did Not Articulate Identity with Signature (Update: You can identify identity by revising your response to the form)
Andrea Roberts, Austin, TX USA
Tracy Holton, Los Angeles, CA USA
B Davis, Oakland, CA USA
Gloria Jackson-Nefertiti, USA
Dawn Williams, USA
Lynnette McFadzen, Portland, OR USA, The BiCast Podcast for the bisexual community, BiNetUSA Official Volunteer http://www.thebicast.org/ and http://www.binetusa.org/: "This is unacceptable."
Laurie Roberts, Jackson, MS USA
Nat Radband, UK
Janine deManda, Oakland, CA USA
Alisa Swindell, Chicago, IL USA, Bisexual Queer Alliance Chicago - Board Member: "To ignore Black bisexuals, shame some into a monosexual queer closet, to usurp our numbers and traumas into your statistics while refusing to fight for us is not showing love. To do these things is to endanger our lives. All Black lives matter!"
Natalya Dell, Birmingham, UK, UK Bi Communities: "I am increasingly aware of how bi people of colour are marginalised and actively oppressed in LGBT spaces by erasure of bisexuality and bisexuals and racism for the colour of their skin or their ethnicity. Please don't forget to include bi people of colour, it is really important to be inclusive. Exclusion, biphobia and racism kills and harms real people."
Jacob Short, Washington DC USA
Gabriele Rosado, New York, NY USA, New York Area Bisexual Network: "This is gaywashing at its ultimate. It's even sad to see Tiq Milan, a black transman, play sidekick to the whims of the cisgender gay issues and not even notice it. That's the extent of gay washing - the issues of cisgender gay people is every queer's issue. It is not. The Black LGBT community should know more than anyone else the epidemic of Black trans lives being taken at an astounding rate. But all is silent. Why? One word - transphobia. How ironic of Tiq Milan to introduce the support of only gay & transgender people, but to include a four-part acronym when no mention has been made of bisexuals? This "oversight" of the B in LGBT is tiring and frustrating. If gay organizers want the bisexual support for their agendas, make it INCLUSIVE. Inclusivity does not mean adding a letter to an annoyingly long acronym. It means educating oneself about issues pertaining to the bisexual community. Yes! There IS a bisexual community! Gay issues are NOT everyone's issues. The world is NOT gay or straight. BISEXUALS...WE EXIST!"
Joan Sherwood, Atlanta, GA USA: "It's too late to fix this campaign. The damage is done. But learn from this and do it right next time."
Melody Dingus, USA
Janice Rael, Clayton, NJ USA, BiUnity Philadelphia (member)
Tuan N'Gai, TX USA, Operation: REBIRTH
Steven G Fullwood, New York, NY USA: "All of us, or none of us. That's all. "
Tangela Roberts, Brighton, MA USA
Sincecombahee, USA
Jen Deerinwater, Somerville, MA USA, Bi Women of Color, Bi People of Color, NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts, Boston Dyke March Committee, Emerge Massachusetts, Knapsack Boston: "The behavior of the organizers is utterly unacceptable and hypocritical. The erasure and hatred that you have shown towards bisexuals is no different than the erasure and hatred that the heterosexual world has and continues to show toward gay men, lesbians, and transgender people. "
Margaret Robinson, Toronto, CA
Daniel Williams, Bronx NY USA, Fellowship of Affirming Ministries
April Anderson, Ames, IA USA: "As a white, genderqueer, bisexual individual I find it appalling to leave out, erase, diminish, or otherwise oppress ANY bisexual. Bisexuals of color are equally important and equally deserving of love, recognition, and respect. Bisexuals of color voices need to be heard, their lives matter, they deserve to be included and respected. How can someone create an org that is supposed to "highlight and affirm “LGBT love in Black communities” without involving Black bisexuals"? What insanity is that? As the saying goes "Nothing About Us Without Us!" Include Black bisexual voices and leaders!"
Stacey Langley, New York, NY USA, BiNet USA, MAsT: Metro NY, POOR Magazine
Amber Lamar, USA
William Soergel, College Park, MD, Bisexuals at Maryland of the Pride Alliance at the University of Maryland: "I stand with my Black Bi/Pan/Queer friends and colleagues in calling for "a counter-narrative to the prevalent idea that the African-American community is generally homophobic" and biphobic, as well. It is important to all LGBTQ+ people to see that none of us are stigmatised and that all are included in an effort of racial uplift — and that includes the "B" in the acronym. "
Sam Fillenworth, USA
Jacob Short, Washington DC USA
Stephen Brown, London, UK, antidote WestlondonGMP
Michael Girard, USA
Patricia, New York, NY USA, Larker Magazine
Jesse Parker, USA, Fluid Bi Design
Thomas Leavitt, Santa Cruz, CA, USA, BiNet USA: "As a person of almost exclusively European decent, aka white, I sign as an ally in support of the many friends and fellow activists in this community, for whom I have the greatest possible love and respect."
We are Black Queer Love at its best!! We thank the universe everyday, All the time, for one another. We love each other with our whole hearts, and both realize that we have never had a love like this before in our lives. We showcase our love, lust, and passion for one another because we are proud of it. We laugh together, travel together, protest together, and are both committed to making our community and this world a better place. Our love is one in a million. Once in a lifetime.
We feel like we grow spiritually, emotionally, and physically with one another everyday, and when we are in each other's arms, we both feel immense power. Immense love. We love each other for all that we are, and all that we hope to be. We have found a love that not only sounds like love and feels like love, but looks like love. Our smiles, joy, and laughter is illuminated throughout all of the captured moments below.When your love with your mate is an extraordinary adventure, like ours is, you're happy to share this with the world.
We share these loving moments with the #ThisIsLuv campaign to show that black women, loving one another fiercely, unapologetically, and OUTLOUD is not only beautiful, but a revolutionary act. In a world that would rather invent narratives about Black Queer Love, (stepped in stereotype, not illuminating its nuances, truths, and beauty),we share our love with you, to show that not only is Black Queer Love possible, but necessary.
When I think about love, I think about these three beautiful women pictured with me: my grandma (right), my aunt (middle, left), and my mom (farthest left). Each woman -- flaws and all -- has taught me valuable lessons and things that they might not even know that they have, and I am truly grateful for their love, support and presence in my life.
When I invited them and my family into who I was -- queer, femme and gender non-conforming – I did so boldly and unapologetically never once giving them the chance or time to process what that would mean for the bright, jubilant, talented child they raised and grew to love as grandson, nephew, and son. Now, miles away, tears in my eyes, heart tender and warm, I am truly grateful that after years of arguments, misunderstandings, and distance which I've created between us for my own safety, I know and deeply feel their love for me; I know and feel that loving is possible; I know and feel the transformative power of healing; I know and feel that life -- whole and liberated -- is possible, with them; and I know that the black feminist nurturing spirit that live and breathe in me is because of them and their imprint on my life. I have survived and continue to because of everything I've learned from them -- complicated and beautiful all the same. Before I knew of and inherited the fruits of the labor and genius of black feminist scholarship, I learned black feminisms through these women -- Angel, Roslyn and Penny. They have shaped all that I am. And the fierce femme that you know, love, snap fingers for, and compliment today is a reflection of their love and inspiration.
This is a photo of us post dinner and drinks while I was back home in Atlanta during December of last year. #Thisisluv indeed.
My mom (left) accepts and supports me for the Black queer person I was born to be. I am blessed to have her in my life. I know I am loved. — Jeff Perkins (right)
Wade Davis, Darnell Moore and Tiq Milan have decided to organize an LGBT anti-stigma campaign in the Black community without Black bisexuals leaders involved. In the latest gay effort marginalizing bisexuals, the trio have launched a #ThisIsLuv campaign (with with GLAAD, National Black Justice Coalition, Politini Media, Feministing.com, HRC Foundation (HRCF) and EBONY.com) to highlight and affirm "LGBT love in Black communities" without involving Black bisexuals (i.e., the B in LGBT).
No Black bisexual leader or organization is involved. What Black LGBT people does this omission suggest we deny Black love?
In their press release, Tiq Milan is clearly quoted ignoring Black bisexuals, “I, along with countless other Black gay and transgender people, have an amazing support system in my family. Their voices are constantly drowned out by the pervading idea that there is no room for Black LGBT people within our own communities.”
It's ironic that Tiq's campaign drowns out the voices of Black bisexuals and the statement demonstrates no room for Black bisexuals in Tiq's understanding of Black community.
What kind of love do they want?
The campaign doesn't even say anything about transphobia in the midst of an epidemic of murders of Black trans women. It shows even with a trans man as a co-organizer the needs of gay cisgender men take precedence. The sole focus of the campaign is homophobia in the Black community. Not transphobia, not biphobia.
Where is the love?
Although bisexual women and men have higher rates of suicide attempts and suicidal thoughts than gays and lesbians, higher rates of poverty than gays and lesbians, higher rates of sexual assault, domestic violence, and intimate partner violence than gays or lesbians, Davis, Moore, and Milan have chosen to remain silent about biphobia and bisexuals (see: http://www.binetusa.org/bi-presentations and http://biresource.net/bihealthmonthlinks.shtml for more information).
How is that love?
Davis, Moore and Milan must have missed it when Black bisexual men were being accused of spreading HIV to Black women. They must not know the thousands of Black bisexual women who have been targeted at work or elsewhere for sexual harassment or assault.
How can you highlight the love of Black people you don't even recognize?
It's time for the Jim Crow approach to sexual and gender equality that many Black gay and lesbian leaders use in organizing to end. Black bisexuals will no longer take a seat at the back of the equality bus while they, Black gays and lesbians, ride in the front. We will not be their silent partners who allow them to say the B in LGBT while they maintain our separate and unequal status within it.
Love does not look like abuse and disregard.
UPDATE:
Tuesday, February 17th 2:15pmET:
From Wade Davis on the campaign FB page: Darnell L. Moore Tiq Milan and I created our #ThisIsLuv campaign to share stories of black LGBT love and acceptance that includes all sexualities and identities. We recognize that some folks under the LGBT umbrella haven't felt rightfully recognized and rightfully so. We understand that our unintentional omission of bisexuals explicitly was triggering for some and we apologize for that. We want all Black LGBT folks to participate in our #ThisIsLuv initiative, particularly those most vulnerable to discrimination and violence. [emphasis added to highlight the attempted minimalization and marginalization]
When people say others felt something rather than something happened, it is a way to act as if you acknowledge and recognize their experience when you really do not. Rather than say, "We recognize that some folks under the LGBT umbrella haven't felt rightfully recognized and rightfully so," the statement could have been "We recognize that members of the LGBT community have marginalized others and the impact that marginalization has had on the lives, health and wellbeing of those affected." See the difference? Rather than say, "We understand that our unintentional omission of bisexuals explicitly was triggering for some and we apologize for that," the statement could have been "We understand that, regardless of our intentions, our omission of bisexuals contributed to their marginalization and we apologize for that." See the difference?
Davis makes no apology for saying, "It's not like bi thought leaders are on every corner." Milan makes no apology for explicitly excluding bisexuals in the statement, "I, along with countless other Black gay and transgender people, have an amazing support system in my family."
BLACK NON-MONOSEXUAL LEADERS STATEMENT
In response to being notified that the #ThisIsLuv campaign is silent on biphobia, marginalizes Black bisexuals and has no bisexual leaders as partners, co-organizer Wade Davis stated, "It's not like bi thought leaders are on every corner." And co-organizer, Darnell Moore said, "Uh? Bi-phobic?" (FYI, bisexuals don't hyphenate the word biphobic or biphobia.)
We, the undersigned, are Black non-monosexual (e.g., bisexual, pansexual, polysexual, fluidly sexual, or queer) leaders, organizers and activists. So that you don't have to go "every corner" looking for Black bisexual leadership the next time you think of an LGBT campaign in Black community, we are letting you know we are here, live and in living color.
We will not be participating in your campaign and will not respond to attempts at damage control, crumb throwing, placating or other such second-thought, 11th-hour tactics.
We encourage all Black bisexuals and our allies to boycott your campaign and instead to use the #ThisIsLuv hashtag to let you know marginalizing, ignoring or demeaning Black bisexuals and our lives is not what love looks like in Black communities.
We encourage all participating campaign partners that are committed to true inclusivity and love in Black communities to discontinue their affiliation with #ThisIsLuv campaign on the basis of its underlying biphobia and monosexism.
Prepared by
Dr. Herukhuti
Founder/CEO, Center for Culture, Sexuality and Spirituality
2015 Thought Leader, Association of Black Sexologists and Clinicians
Member, Bisexual Leadership Roundtable
https://twitter.com/DrHerukhuti
https://www.facebook.com/RevolutionaryScholar
http://revolutionaryscholar.tumblr.com/
To join the following signatories by signing the statement, go to this link:
Andrea Roberts, Austin, TX USA
Jacq, UK, Bi's of Colour: "#ThisIsLuv has clearly forgotten about bisexuals. When called out, they have responded with cynicism and rushed patching up. We bisexuals are not an afterthought. The B in LGBT is not silent. #ThisIsntLove"
Juba Kalamka, Oakland, CA USA
Faith Cheltenham, USA, BiNet USA and Bisexual Leadership Roundtable: "Find us on the street corner, find us in church, find us everywhere you look!"
Amy Andre, USA: "Studies show that people of color who are not straight are more likely (than white people who are not straight) to use to the term "bisexual" to identify themselves, compared to using terms like "gay" or "lesbian". Bisexual people, compared to gays and lesbians, are more likely to be black; gays and lesbians are more likely to be white. Research also shows that there are at least as many out bisexuals as there are out gays and lesbians _combined_. That means we're the biggest segment of the LGBT community. Ignore us and you're literally ignoring _most_ of who you say you're talking to and about -- which makes no logical sense. It's not a question of: why should you include us? (Which is what the statement about "no bi leaders on the corner" implies, by the way.) It's a question of: why wouldn't you include us? If you don't, you're missing out. And that's not love. That's loss. Your loss."
eric reece, Dallas, TX USA
LaMonda Stokes, Detroit, MI USA: "As a black bisexual woman, this makes me sick. Most of the black women I know who are in this supposed "LGBT community" do not identify as gay. Thank you for just bitch slapping us all in the face. This is not LUV, this is blind ignorance. It is time to start our own community, a real community. Everyone is invited, not just the people who happen to be available on any given street corner."
Dennis Slade Jr, San Diego, CA USA, BiForum San Diego, 2014 Bi Pride Planning Committee, Bi Bar San Diego: "It is highly disappointing that no African-American leaders in the bi activist community were contacted/consulted in the creation of this campaign. It is clear that there is one degree or less separation between Wade, Darnell and Tiq and our "thought leaders" Faith Cheltenham, Dr. Herukhuti and Amy Andre as well as Stacey Long at the Task Force. And there are many more. We will no longer accept, "We couldn't find any of y'all" as an excuse. I hope we can all move forward *TOGETHER* to make #ThisIsLuv truly inclusive to the entire LGBT+ community. If we want to achieve full rights for ALL, we must all be fighting as one."
Donne Redd, Brooklyn, NY USA, S.i.S.T.A.H.,Bisexual Women of All Colors, New York Area Bisexual Network, BiNet USA: "Bisexual Lives Matter! If you are going to represent... REPRESENT EVERYONE! Speak to Bi-Leaders, Hear their voices, RESPECT THEM! IF YOU DO NOT GIVE RESPECT, YOU CAN'T RECEIVE IT! #AHOUSEDIVIDEDWILLNOTSTAND!"
Latisha McDaniel, Iowa City, IA USA, University of Iowa LGBT Staff and Faculty Association, Black Lives Matter Iowa City, Community Policing Initiative (CPI): "And I can be found on any street corner with either a sign or a bullhorn."
Bisexual Women of Color (BIWOC), Boston, MA USA: "Although the Facebook call for submission did use inclusive language, we are concerned regarding:
The Ebony magazine quote "“I, along with countless other Black gay and transgender people, have an amazing support system in my family. Their voices are constantly drowned out by the pervading idea that there is no room for Black LGBT people within our own communities,” says Tiq Milan. This February as we celebrate love and Black History Month, this campaign is a much needed recognition and examination of where love and Black LGBT identity intersect.” That quote does not include bisexuals; we are not gay and also many of us who are trans are being assassinated. It would have been healing to add a sentence about bi and trans folks something like "We recognize that Bi and Trans folks may not be able to participate and those who can we encourage them to tag their photos with #Bi and #Trans to build visibility". Using the abbreviation LGBT does not make it clear that you are referring to OUR communities; many bisexuals do not identify with the "LGBT" community. The majority of out black bisexuals ARE not embraced by our families of origin and can not take a photo with them (including the founder of BIWOC).
We are also concerned that the organizers of this social media campaign did not think to invite a Black Bisexual Activist to help plan. It appears that it "just didn't occur to you." The neglect to not do adequate research and extend an invitation to a Black Bisexual Activist adds to us being erased from the Queer community. We hope that future Black Queer campaigns includes Black Bisexual Activist. We would be happy to be active in healing and celebrating ALL of our sexual orientations. - GFH"
Denarii Grace Monroe, Brooklyn, NY USA, freelance writer, BiNet USA: "When bisexuals make up the majority of the LGBQA community, and when Black bisexuals make up the majority of all bi/non-monosexual identified people, it is more than a travesty that we are being erased by the very people who claim to want to lift up "LGbt" as a whole."
Tracy Holton, Los Angeles, CA USA
B Davis, Oakland, CA USA
Gloria Jackson-Nefertiti, USA
Dawn Williams, USA
Lynnette McFadzen, Portland, OR USA, The BiCast Podcast for the bisexual community, BiNetUSA Official Volunteer http://www.thebicast.org/ and http://www.binetusa.org/: "This is unacceptable."
Laurie Roberts, Jackson, MS USA
Nat Radband, UK
Janine deManda, Oakland, CA USA
Alisa Swindell, Chicago, IL USA, Bisexual Queer Alliance Chicago - Board Member: "To ignore Black bisexuals, shame some into a monosexual queer closet, to usurp our numbers and traumas into your statistics while refusing to fight for us is not showing love. To do these things is to endanger our lives. All Black lives matter!"
Natalya Dell, Birmingham, UK, UK Bi Communities: "I am increasingly aware of how bi people of colour are marginalised and actively oppressed in LGBT spaces by erasure of bisexuality and bisexuals and racism for the colour of their skin or their ethnicity. Please don't forget to include bi people of colour, it is really important to be inclusive. Exclusion, biphobia and racism kills and harms real people."
Jacob Short, Washington DC USA
Gabriele Rosado, New York, NY USA, New York Area Bisexual Network: "This is gaywashing at its ultimate. It's even sad to see Tiq Milan, a black transman, play sidekick to the whims of the cisgender gay issues and not even notice it. That's the extent of gay washing - the issues of cisgender gay people is every queer's issue. It is not. The Black LGBT community should know more than anyone else the epidemic of Black trans lives being taken at an astounding rate. But all is silent. Why? One word - transphobia. How ironic of Tiq Milan to introduce the support of only gay & transgender people, but to include a four-part acronym when no mention has been made of bisexuals? This "oversight" of the B in LGBT is tiring and frustrating. If gay organizers want the bisexual support for their agendas, make it INCLUSIVE. Inclusivity does not mean adding a letter to an annoyingly long acronym. It means educating oneself about issues pertaining to the bisexual community. Yes! There IS a bisexual community! Gay issues are NOT everyone's issues. The world is NOT gay or straight. BISEXUALS...WE EXIST!"
Joan Sherwood, Atlanta, GA USA: "It's too late to fix this campaign. The damage is done. But learn from this and do it right next time."
Melody Dingus, USA
Janice Rael, Clayton, NJ USA, BiUnity Philadelphia (member)
Tuan N'Gai, TX USA, Operation: REBIRTH
Steven G Fullwood, New York, NY USA: "All of us, or none of us. That's all. "
Tangela Roberts, Brighton, MA USA
Sincecombahee, USA
Jen Deerinwater, Somerville, MA USA, Bi Women of Color, Bi People of Color, NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts, Boston Dyke March Committee, Emerge Massachusetts, Knapsack Boston: "The behavior of the organizers is utterly unacceptable and hypocritical. The erasure and hatred that you have shown towards bisexuals is no different than the erasure and hatred that the heterosexual world has and continues to show toward gay men, lesbians, and transgender people. "
Margaret Robinson, Toronto, CA
Daniel Williams, Bronx NY USA, Fellowship of Affirming Ministries
April Anderson, Ames, IA USA: "As a white, genderqueer, bisexual individual I find it appalling to leave out, erase, diminish, or otherwise oppress ANY bisexual. Bisexuals of color are equally important and equally deserving of love, recognition, and respect. Bisexuals of color voices need to be heard, their lives matter, they deserve to be included and respected. How can someone create an org that is supposed to "highlight and affirm “LGBT love in Black communities” without involving Black bisexuals"? What insanity is that? As the saying goes "Nothing About Us Without Us!" Include Black bisexual voices and leaders!"
Stacey Langley, New York, NY USA, BiNet USA, MAsT: Metro NY, POOR Magazine
Amber Lamar, USA
William Soergel, College Park, MD, Bisexuals at Maryland of the Pride Alliance at the University of Maryland: "I stand with my Black Bi/Pan/Queer friends and colleagues in calling for "a counter-narrative to the prevalent idea that the African-American community is generally homophobic" and biphobic, as well. It is important to all LGBTQ+ people to see that none of us are stigmatised and that all are included in an effort of racial uplift — and that includes the "B" in the acronym. "
