FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 25, 2019 Contact: Jamila Reddy, jamilar@fcsj.org
The NC NAACP celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising and acknowledges the still-urgent struggle to make the promise of protections for LGBTQ+ people a reality As we recognize and celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the NC NAACP would like to publicly acknowledge our support of LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Two-Spirit, Gender-nonconforming, Queer, Intersex, and/or Asexual) people. We recognize the intersectionality of both racial and LGBTQ justice struggles. LGBTQ people face discrimination in employment, education, housing, healthcare, public accommodations, government services, and other areas of life. Black transgender women experience disproportional marginalization and fatal violence that plays out on an interpersonal and systemic level. “The mission of the NC NAACP has always been to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of all people,” states President Rev. Dr. T. Anthony Spearman. He went on to state that, “all NC residents should be able to receive equal protection under the law.” People who are LGBTQ and their families deserve to have equal opportunities and to be safe and secure. We are working to ensure that the lives of LGBTQ people — especially those who are most marginalized within the community — are not just honored after death but protected while they are still alive. André St. Clair, Transgender interdisciplinary artist, speaker and advocate writes, “Since black people do not make up a monolithic community, it makes sense that we must apply an intersectional approach to dismantling social and systemic oppression. When a segment of our community is being victimized based on identity, it should affect us all to the core.” “We pledge today to stand with our LGBTQ+ community as we continue to fight against stigma and the exclusionary practices of the past,” states Bishop Tonyia Rawls, the Inaugural Chair of the Executive Board’s LGBTQ Committee. The NAACP will not rest until each person is treated equally under the law, regardless of race, land of native birth, gender identity, or sexual orientation. That is our charge, and we are committed to the fight. Click here for a collection of resources to help you support LGBTQ folks in your community.