Somewhere Over the Rainbow

July 5, 2023July 12, 2023 R.L. Witter

The State of Gay Pride for People of Color in the Age of Trumpism/21st Century

In 1980, I graduated from a mixed-race high school in Forest Hills, New York. This mainly white/Jewish school had approximately 2,500 students, 300 of whom were African American. A small number of those 300 clandestinely identified as homosexual during a time when homosexuality was still considered a mental illness and the Black Church banished us to Hell.

We had four clubs (Keller, Two Potato, The Hangar, and The Nickel Bar) in New York and a six-block radius where we could date and be safe in the village. There were no cell phones, internet, organizations to lobby for our rights and safety, or health initiatives to save and protect our lives, lifestyles, and individual journeys.

Then… BOOM! Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome(AIDS) exploded globally like a nuclear weapon. As we learned to be proud of our heritage and accept the different hues of people of color (Black, Latino, Asian), AIDS forced us to hide and disappear into our fears once again. To be gay or lesbian was taboo and in some cases a death sentence. A tremendous number of talents, educators, and contributions to universal culture and humanity were lost and we will never know how bias and disregard contributed to those losses.

As we celebrate Gay Pride Month and Gay Pride in June 2023, I encourage everyone—not only this new generation—to celebrate their individual LGBTQ journey and all that it encompasses. Remember the unsung heroes and sheroes who paved the way for people of color to have a presence in the rainbow.

Universal unity is key and cultural inclusion is a must! So, as we navigate ourselves through this period of open disregard to a constitution in question, a democracy under fire, and the unleashing of subliminal and overt bias and racism, let us not forget where we were, where we are, what we’ve accomplished, and that GAY PRIDE 2023 represents “One for all and all for WON!”