Mission

Black Queer & Intersectional Collective is a grassroots community organization that works towards the liberation of Black queer, trans, and intersex people from all walks of life through direct action, community organizing, education on our issues, and creating spaces to uplift our voices.

We focus on uplifting the needs, narratives, and passions of Black LGBTQIA+ people within and outside of our collective to achieve a world where all Black LGBTQIA+ folks are free from oppression.

We dream of a world where police, prisons, and detention centers do not exist, where Black LGBTQIA+ people have equitable access to free/affordable and affirming healthcare and housing, and where we can get the support we need from within our own communities.

Principles

Centering Black LGBTQIA+ liberation

Black Queer & Intersectional Collective works for the liberation of Black queer, trans, and intersex people from all walks of life. Anti-blackness, transphobia, and homophobia threaten the lives of all Black queer and trans people; we recognize that capitalism drives these forces and exploits us all.

Awareness of Intersectionality; None of us are free until all of us are free

Ultimately, we believe that the liberation of Black LGBTQIA+ people will lead to liberation for all people. Working for the most marginalized will serve to benefit everyone. However, the freedom of Black queer and trans people cannot exist if another group is oppressed; our liberations are intertwined. We thus work for the liberation of all oppressed people, including but not limited to those in oppressed positions based on their gender, sexuality, race, socioeconomic status, employment, housing, citizenship, disability, religion, etc.

Grassroots community building

We believe that the systems that oppress us will not save us. Those in power will not give us the means to free ourselves. Instead of investing in institutions such as policing, prisons, electoral politics, and capitalistic greed, we do grassroots work to uplift our communities from the ground up. We believe in the power of communities working together to define their needs and make positive change.  

Supreme self-determination

We believe that each person can fight for their own freedom. Black queer and trans people should be at the forefront of actions taken towards creating a world in which our people can thrive. We believe in your power to decide for yourself what makes a space accessible to you, what visibility and representation look like for you, and what makes you feel safe.

Accessibility

We believe in intentionally putting in effort to make all of our work accessible. We understand that in order to make work and events accessible, we must address barriers of participation for all people. We continue to educate ourselves on visible and invisible disabilities that make it more difficult for people to engage socially and politically. We strive to continue providing and improving services to make our work and events more inclusive, such as but not limited to wheelchair accessibility, ASL interpretation, and sensory grounding tactics.

Who’s missing?

We recognize that people at multiple intersections of oppression often have their stories co-opted or erased. We acknowledge the right of all people to document their own history and fight for their own liberation. As such, we center the voices of the most marginalized, always question who is missing from the conversation, and make explicit efforts to bring in their voices.

Speaking from experience

As individuals and as a group, we don’t aim to represent the experience of all Black LGBTQIA+ people. We recognize that we each speak from our own experience, and each person experiences the world differently. As such, we value all experiences and find the diversity of said experiences strengthens our fight for liberation. As said by Chicago BTGNC, “We contribute to our liberation; We don’t own it.”

Learn about our vision for a world that centers and uplifts Black LGBTQIA+ people in our systemic demands page.