In the early 2000s, I was part of a global queer youth movement of trans and genderqueer-led People of the Global Majority that, among many fights, was trying to get people to understand that “marriage equality” did not equal liberation.
For us, the white, cis, specific-kind-of-gay only, wealthy-backed “marriage equality” was not the priority struggle.
Instead, we were fighting for housing for unhoused queer and trans youth of Color, for gender-affirming universal healthcare access, and against adoptee/abduction imperialism. We were combating transphobia against trans Women of the Global Majority. We were fighting against borders and anti-immigrant sentiment, for abolition. Demanding disability justice, economic justice, and racial justice. For everyone.
We were fighting for a world where every being could be liberated regardless of whether they were married.
However, the wealthy white cis gay organizations were fighting for assimilation and to be a part of dominant white culture. They spent and raised millions to make a few comfortable at the expense of many. And they were still as racist, classist, transphobic, and ableist as ever.
“Marriage equality” eventually began. But these rights are available to only a specific sliver of people because of it.
Those same rights could have been won for everyone through fighting for Black and Indigenous lives, disability justice, housing, healthcare, trans dignity, and basic human rights.
So here we are still fighting for all of those. Still.
So now today, I am not surprised at all that those “gay” organizations that focused only on the rights for some at the expense of everyone else back then, are the very same ones that have been complicit in the genocide in Palestine.
When you only focus on the narrow concept of equality, you will only reinforce oppression.
So here I am, older and still fighting against cis white het colonial dominant culture.
Remember that there is no such thing as partial liberation. Liberation is meant not for some, but for all. Liberation is only liberation when it is for everyone.
Let’s go. Our liberation means LIBERATION FOR ALL.
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