Black Lives Matter

Published by jverchot01201 on June 3, 2020June 3, 2020

Berkshire Stonewall Community Coalition stands today and always with Black and Brown communities in deploring the ongoing murder of Black people by police, law enforcement and self-appointed vigilantes, and we stand against systemic racism in all its forms.

LGBTQ+ Pride Month and LGBTQ+ liberation only exist because of the activism and uprising of trans and queer people of color, at the Stonewall Riots and beyond. Despite this, the LGBTQ+ movement has struggled for decades with white supremacy and exclusion. We call on our white LGBTQ+ members to confront that past and change it. For ourselves, Berkshire Stonewall is in the process of creating short and long-term goals to better serve and support Berkshire LGBTQ+ communities of color, including making changes to our programming, partnerships, and board membership. We welcome all thoughts and suggestions at info@berkshirestonewall.org.

We mourn the hundreds of murdered trans and other LGBTQ+ people of color. We support our local Black and Brown LGBTQ+ leaders and we call for systemic change in our society. Liberation is a central value of the LGBTQ+ movement, and we will continue to be in the streets defending the rights of all people, especially LGBTQ+ folks in the Berkshires.