We envision a world where Black LGBTQIA+ people from all background can thrive. We believe that the following changes will move us towards this world.

1. Abolition of Harmful Systems of Oppression

We recognize that state-sanctioned violence functions beyond borders, and we reject capitalism and imperialism in all forms. We demand that the institutions of policing, prisons, and detention centers, be disarmed, defunded, and disbanded and their funding reallocated to support marginalized people’s livelihood (housing, healthcare, etc.). We demand that these institutions are replaced with practices and networks that focus on transformation and community care instead of punishment. No one is disposable.

Police

We believe the only way to truly end the violence of policing is to abolish law enforcement. Policing is an inherently racist institution used as a tool to enforce the demands of capitalism; in the US, police were initially created to capture enslaved people and protect the wealth of the owning class. Since the 13th amendment was enacted, local, county, state and federal police departments have disproportionately arrested, charged, and sentenced Black LGBTQIA+ individuals as a tactic to continue exploiting our free and/or severely underpaid labor. 

Prison abolition/abolition of carceral punishment

We believe that policing and prisons do not make our communities safer. They only target the most vulnerable of our communities, particularly Black queer and trans people, and at alarming rates. The prison system is a system of slavery that financially benefits from the labor of incarcerated individuals who often face dangerous working conditions, get paid on average $0.17 to $0.59 per hour, and do not qualify for jobs after they are released from prison that they train for and work while in prison.

Detention Centers

We reject the notion that any person is “illegal” and therefore reject all systems operating on the guise of the criminalization of citizenship status. Detention centers are notorious for human rights violations such as sexual assault, slavery, kidnapping, and human trafficking. Presently, US detention centers have caged, abused, and disappeared thousands of immigrants and refugees,

ICE

We demand the immediate abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE was created in 2003 in response to fear-mongering tactics regarding 9/11. Since then, ICE has disproportionately attacked vulnerable migrant and immigrant communities, separating families, and abusing all family members caged in detention centers. We acknowledge sanctuary as a temporary safe space for emergency protection for undocumented individuals but seek the complete abolition of ICE. ICE currently has an annual budget of 7.6 million dollars — once it is abolished, those funds should be reallocated to creating services that could improve (and often save) the lives of immigrants.

2. Social and economic equity

We demand that equitable opportunities are offered to Black LGBTQIA+ people in order to ensure that our personal, financial, and economic well-being are stable.

Access to free and affordable housing

Black LGBTQIA+ people deserve access to free and affordable housing. Shelter is an essential need for survival and is the foundation for building your quality of life. We are unable to have control of our own life and future without a home, therefore we are not free without shelter.

Education

We demand access to free education from Pre-K to higher education for all ages. With that, we demand protections for Black LGBTQIA+ students to ensure a safe space to thrive in their educational careers. We demand all necessities to ensure our Black youth can focus on school, such as but not limited to laundry facilities, free food programs, free school supplies, and free clothes.

We demand education of our true history and people. We demand true Black history be required at all schools, with the inclusion of Black LGBTQIA+ history.

Employment

We demand equal job opportunities for Black LGBTQIA+ people. Without job security, we are unable to provide housing, necessities for education, and survival needs to ourselves and our families. We can’t be self sustaining as a community without securing our financial needs. We are unable to build financial wealth, knowledge, literacy and security without employment. We also demand all employment opportunities provide a safe and affirming environment for Black LGBTQIA+ people.

3. Access to free and affirming healthcare

We demand that Black LGBTQIA+ people receive free healthcare that affirms our identities, bodies and experiences. We will no longer be subjected to violent and traumatic medical services due to a lack of cultural competency. We want all healthcare services to be culturally competent on the unique healthcare needs of Black queer, trans, and intersex people and demand the reallocation of funding to focus on this need.

4. Access to Food

We demand equal access to food no matter our zip code. We reject the creation of food deserts and demand reallocation of funding to focus on providing free/affordable healthy food options in low income areas. We demand funding focus on self sustaining food projects such as community gardens, food education programs, and cooking demonstrations.

We demand environmental justice as it relates to food harvesting and production. We acknowledge the significant negative impact of animal farms in rural low income areas and demand environmental justice, from the locations of said farms, to healthier working conditions for the workers, to better treatment of animals.