Howdy Pride Family,
As we near the end of the Black History/Futures Month and enter Women’s History Month, I hope to give us the opportunity to reflect on the intersection of these two heritage months. The origins of Pride were famously only possible due to the labor of Black women and particular Black trans women.
Two weeks ago I shared a brief history of Sir Lady Java, a trailblazer who predated the Stonewall Riot in combating discriminatory laws seeking to criminalize gender non-conforming people. Even here in San Diego, our pride organization has survived and thrived due to Black women in our community contributing their love, intelligence, and labor.
Whether it be Tracie Jada O’Brien’s brilliance and care in developing the first state-funded Trans healthcare program in the nation through Family Health Center, Vertez Burks co-founding Lesbians and Gays of African Descent (LAGADU) and serving as the co-chair of the Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee in 1991, or even currently, Jen LaBarbera (my lovely supportive boss!) working to develop the Pillars of Justice that guide San Diego Pride’s advocacy efforts in the face of American authoritarianism.
No matter which way you slice it, Black women and femmes have been long overdue for the proper recognition, payment, and support that they deserve. As a non-Black trans femme, it is time to urge our community to open their wallets and calendars to materially support Black women.
So reader, I ask you, how will you support our Black women and femmes? Will you donate your money and time to support organizations that carry the torch of advocating for us and themselves while non-profits across the country face uncertainty in funding?
Here are some calls to action for you to consider to support Black women:
Lastly, but not least, to our Black women and femmes in community, I know y’all are tired of the lack of recognition and solidarity our community has offered you historically and continues to fail in doing so. You are the heartbeat of our community, the light in the dark that guides us, and our most precious deserving of protection.
We love you, we commit ourselves to a movement set on liberating you and us, and we owe you for how far we have come.
Con Orgullo,
With Pride,
Esmeralda Quintero-Cubillan, Outreach & Organizing Coordinator
San Diego Pride raises funds primarily through festival ticket and beverage sales, and through sponsorships, and exhibitor fees. These funds support San Diego Pride’s community philanthropy which has distributed more than $2.5 million in advancement of its mission to foster pride, equality, and respect for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities locally, nationally, and globally.
