It is June again. A month of growth, change, awareness, pride, and freedom. I’d like to discuss two directions that freedom and awareness can take.
First up, Justice in June. In 2014 with the murders of Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and Tamir Rice, I began to believe my general “color blindness” and “I’m an ally” attitude weren’t enough, When Philando Castile was shot, I was physically sickened by the state of police prejudice and when Breonna Taylor was murdered in her own home during the execution of a “no knock” warrant Well, it broke something in me. I have never been racist and I’ve never felt the need to explore it further before these events.
In 2020, George Floyd was murdered by Derek Chauvin and, like many Americans, I felt some kind of way about it. Regardless of criminality, no human deserves to be placed on the ground and knelt on by four dudes while begging for his life for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. I forced myself to watch the video from all of the body cameras. Once subdued in the first minute of the altercation, there is a clear duty to service. Cops are not there to dispense “justice” they’re there to serve even those who they would arrest. I came to realize that, if I didn’t want to witness what was happening, I could turn it off. I could stop watching the news. I could ignore social media posts. I could simply turn mu very white back to the whole thing and not let it have any kind of impact at all. Meanwhile, Daniel Prude was killed in a similar manner to Floyd and then Rayshard Brooks was shot dead in a Wendy’s parking lot and all I could hear in my tiny part of the world was “…wonder what he did to deserve it.” Short answer, nothing! None of these people deserved to die! Child molesters and rapists deserve to die. Not a dude with a counterfeit 20 or a drunk dude in a Wendy’s parking lot and certainly not an innocent EMT in her own living room. So I found myself staring down the barrel of ignorance and unable to look away. That’s when I found the Justice in June project. It’s just a list of articles, Ted Talks, presentations, and books that give an insight into what being a person of color in America is. Up to this point, I’d just been one of those “I don’t even see color” people. Not racist, but not helpful either. Not an ally that I thought I was. Even now, I could use some work. The point is, I do the Justice in June project every year to remind myself my privilege is in my ability to look away and ignore the problems of my fellow humans and it’s not one I should exercise. I encourage everyone to talk a short walk in someone elses’ shoes from time to time.
Next – Pride! I hear people say, “Why do the gays get a whole month when our armed servicemen only get one day” and to that I say Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Armed Forces Day, Perl Harbor Reembrace Day, Gold Star Mothers and Families day, Military Appreciation Month, and Military Family Month. LGBTQ people have existed for all of recorded history, but it’s only been in the last several centuries of western culture with the rise of Christianity that these kinds of relationships became taboo. It’s not in all cultures, just in those that fear what’s different and that try to create an “other” to blame problems on. In the late 20th century, we’ve become more accepting and realized that there are gay bonobos, dolphins, Japanese Macaques, and Penguins. Gay penguins even raise chicks together and make better parents than male / female couples.
My first draft of the second paragraph here was written before I learned the news about Jonathan Joss, a voice actor who was shot and killed on his own property while mourning the death of his dogs who had been killed in the house fire they had earlier this year. They were at the property in San Antonio, Texas collecting mail when they found one of their dog’s collars and broke down. The neighbor, Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, approached the two as Joss and his partner were grieving after finding the collar. Alvarez shouted homophobic slurs according to a report given by Joss’ partner to the police. They had reported harassments several times in the past according to the New York Times article. It’s OK to disagree with someone’s personal choices, but it’s not ok to voice those opinions because how someone lives their life has no impact on you in yours. Do you know why the symbol for gay pride is a rainbow? Every color has a meaning; Red for life, Orange for healing, Yellow for sunlight, Green for nature, Blue for serenity, Purple for spirit, then later added Black for marginalized communities, Brown for people of color, and Cyan, Pink, and White for transgender. The red was denied to Jonathan Joss as it’s been denied to so many others, killed for being who they are, loving someone, wanting to belong to a community, wanting to exist. I genuinely fear for my family and friends who are LGBTQ+.
I know… tonally, this was an rough one. I am kind of all over the place, feeling the oppressions of my brothers and sisters of color and the shes, hes, theys, and gays. I honestly can never fully relate to any of them. Moreover, I am a walking, talking, breathing symbol of a society that has kept them oppressed… the only class that “matters” in this country; A property owning, straight, white man. All I can do is try not to be part of that particular problem and acknowledge that there is one instead of hiding behind platitudes like “I don’t even see color” or “I’m an ally.” All I can do is be present and defend when I can or support if it’s needed.
Happy Pride Month everyone and a Happy Juneteenth (on the 21st) to you all.
“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” —Audre Lorde