Anti-Blackness doesn't disappear because we're queer. Experiencing one form of oppression does not automatically prevent us from participating in another. Silence is not neutral. Neither is continued collaboration with people whose anti-Blackness is obvious and unaddressed. A question worth sitting with: What do I believe I'll lose if I speak up? Community? Friendship? Access? Status? Comfort? Because Black queer and trans people are already losing safety, belonging, opportunity, and support in spaces that claim to be inclusive. Deconstruction isn't just about what we say we believe. It's about what we're willing to risk to live those values.

Everybody, let’s talk about it: 🧵 Hi Chamieka, I want to start by saying that my heart is really in the right place here and I genuinely am here to listen, learn, and grow. I’ve been following your work for a few months now and I actually donate because I believe in what you’re doing. The way you break things down has honestly changed how I move through the world and I’m so grateful for the community you’ve built. I go to school in Alabama and I’m a junior. I’m coming to you because I don’t know how to handle something involving one of my roommates in a way that isn’t harmful. I’ve been sitting with this for a while and I know I have blind spots. I know my perspective is limited. I just really need you and your followers to help me see what I can’t see on my own, because I care deeply about getting this right. There are three of us. Two of us are white and we have both been really lucky to have college funds that cover our expenses. Neither of us has had to work and we fully acknowledge that is a privilege we didn’t earn. Our third roommate is Black and has been on financial aid since we all became friends freshman year. Her road has been so much harder than ours and I have so much respect for how she has kept pushing through. She is honestly one of the most resilient people I have ever met. She has struggled a lot to keep up. When her financial aid got revoked because her grades didn’t meet the requirements, our parents stepped in to cover her portion of the bills because we love her and we weren’t going to let her end up without a place to live. We were clear with her that it was a temporary arrangement until she found a job. She got back on her feet by braiding hair. She enrolled back into our school part time so she can clear academic probation. First it started with her going to clients. Then clients started coming to our house. All different kinds of people. Black women, brown women, Black men, mothers getting their hair done with their kids in tow. Every time I come home, someone different is here. It’s gotten out of hand.

Check your Privilege wheel: Privilege is not about whether your life has been hard. Privilege is about which parts of your identity give you more access, safety, belief, protection, or power in society. https://everydayfeminism.com/2015/07/what-checking-privilege-means/

How would you answer?

Consider how these different elements might impact your daily life and interactions with others. Acknowledge the areas where you hold power and think about how you can use that power to support and uplift those who face systemic barriers. As you move through each section of the wheel, challenge yourself to recognize the privileges you may have overlooked. Source: https://ydrf.org.uk/2021/09/19/privilege-wheel/