the war against lgbtqia people-which side are you on?
(TW: Orlando, dissection of LGBTQIA antagonism, mentioning of sexual assault and murder with no specific details)
“I hate every sector of the straight establishment in this country – the worst of whom actively want all queers dead, the best of whom never stick their necks out to keep us alive.”
Omar Mateen taking a selfie with a scowl on his face wearing an NYPD shirt
STRAIGHT PEOPLE
If you believe that straight relationships and cisgender identities are superior to LGBQ relationships and transgender identities, now is a good time to take a good hard look at what role such ideologies have in hurting, firing, disowning, evicting, raping, assaulting, incarcerating, and murdering queer and trans people, particularly queer and trans people of color.
Tweets from Stephanie Jean (@thugilly): “Don’t get me wrong, racist and homophobic Christians have always been gross, but this weekend they’ve reached a new high. All this agenda pushing and fake sincerity is so transparent. You don’t give a fuck about #Pulse or the victims. We all see through you. These ‘Christians’ are just happy there’s other people to blame. Other people to make their hatred look miniscule. ‘Yes, we’re against laws that’ll help LGBT+ folk and we contribute to their oppression…BUT AT LEAST WE’RE NOT KILLING THEM AMIRITE?!'”
Facebook post by Shon Bew: “Let’s be clear, Omar Marteen is a terrorist. Let’s be clearer, many of you are terrorists too. Terrorism isn’t limited to physical violence. Every time you call a Gay man a faggot, you have committed an act of terrorism. Every time you call a Trans Woman a tr*nny or a man, you have committed an act of terrorism. Every time you tell an LGBT person that they are sinful and need to repent, you have committed an act of terrorism. Every time you call a man Gay in an effort to correct some kind of undesirable behavior, you have committed an act of terrorism. Every time you share pictures of little boys with makeup on and ask ‘WYD if this was your son?’ , you have committed an act of terrorism. The point is, a lot of what we all face DAILY in our offline lives AND online is terrorism. To us, many of you are Omar Marteen. No better.”
Because sure, Omar Mateen is obviously a homophobic little shit, BUT SO IS:
Hand holding crucifix in front of sign that reads “Marriage: 1 Man 1 Woman”
Every Christian who tells us we’re going to hell
The red and blue republican elephant logo
Every republican who wants us locked up for going pee and who fights against legal equality and protection
The logo for the World Congress of Families
The World Congress of Families who actively advocates for capital punishment against LGBTQI people worldwide
One LDS Temple in Salt Lake City
Every bully
Every parent who disowns their LGBTQIA child or tells them how disappointed they are in them for not pretending to be straight or who sends them to deadly reparative therapy or to a church that teaches there is something wrong with them
Two cops with gas masks in front of a capital building holding what I think are batons
Every cop who arrests a trans woman of color walking down the street because they think she’s a sex worker
Every judge and ICE officer who throws trans women in male prisons or detention centers knowing that they’ll be sexually assaulted again and again
NYT Opinion tweets: “This isn’t a time for identity politics that could muddle the significance of the carnage.” There’s a picture of people hugging in front of a Do Not Cross line and police car. Roxane Gay responds to the tweet with, “What the holy hell does this mean? Identity is inextricable from this atrocity in Orlando.”
And so is everybody who doesn’t take this struggle seriously
Who when we say, “Stop murdering us!”
Respond with, “Why are you looking for attention?”
Who think our lives, our identities, and our oppression is a joke
Cherno Biko tweets: “They don’t want y’all to know who was really being targeted in Orlando but this is the flyer. #BlackTransLivesMatter.”Flyer has pictures of Puerto Rican drag icon and trans woman Kenya Michaels as well as Jasmine International and says in big letters, “LATIN NIGHT. REGGAETON. BACHATA. MERENGUE. SALSA
“What did nice conservative gay white men do? They sell a community that liberated them down the river…”
And if you think you’re A.O.K. with LGBTQIA people, but you still want to fuck over the homeless, the working class, the disabled, sex workers, immigrants, or black and brown people here or overseas, you are not off the hook either, because it’s not like all those folks are cisgender and straight.
There is No Color in The Rainbow posts on facebook: “WHAT HAPPENED IN ORLANDO WAS AN ATTACK ON BLACK AND BROWN QUEERS. WHAT HAPPENED IN ORLANDO WAS AN ATTACK ON BLACK AND BROWN TRANS PEOPLE. WHAT HAPPENED IN ORLANDO WAS AN ATTACK ON BLACK AND BROWN TWO SPIRIT FOLKS. WHAT HAPPENED IN ORLANDO WAS AN ATTACK ON BLACK AND BROWN GENDER NON CONFORMING PEOPLE. WHAT HAPPENED IN ORLANDO WAS AN ATTACK ON BLACK AND BROWN BODIES. DO NOT WHITE WASH THE ATTACK ON OUR COMMUNITY BY AN ACTIVE SUPPORTER OF THE NYPD. AND DO NOT DISMISS THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS UNDER ATTACK THROUGH THE VERY POLITICIANS THAT ARE NOW SWEARING TO PROTECT US.”
Let’s remember that most of Omar Mateen’s victims were people of color, and that most victims of hate crimes against LGBTQIA people are against people of color.
Let’s remember that the U.S. Military has killed more LGBTQIA people of color than Omar Mateen could’ve ever dreamed of killing.
May the murder of these people of color in Orlando not be used to justify assaulting and murdering more people of color here and abroad in the name of public safety.
The names, some of them probably incorrect, of the victims of the Orlando Massacre with #SayTheirNames at the bottom and a clip art of a rainbow flag at half-mast.
There is a fucking war against LGBTQIA people, especially LGBTQIA people of color, and Omar was but one solider in that war.
I want every straight person and white LGBTQIA person, myself included, to ask ourselves, “What role do I play in this war?”
Suggested Reading:
The names and stories of those who were murdered in the Orlando Massacre
An analysis on how the way the media talks about Orlando is a tool for imperialism
Samra Habib talks about mourning the Orlando Massacre as a queer Muslim
Amanullah De Sondy calls out straight Muslim leaders to be more accepting of LGBTQI Muslims
Young Mormon Feminists 
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