Guest column by Irene Monroe: "Womanist" and saying who we are
by: Pam Spaulding
Wed Feb 02, 2011 at 11:00:00 AM EST
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/18568/guest-column-by-irene-monroe-womanist-and-saying-who-we-are By Rev. Irene Monroe
Black History Month is that time of year when the achievements and courage of people of African descent are acknowledged and celebrated. However, for decades now, Black History Month has not once acknowledged or celebrated the contributions of its lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities.
Our omission from the annals of black history would lead you to believe that the only shakers and movers in the history of people of African descent in the U.S. were and still are heterosexuals. And because of this heterosexist bias, the sheroes and heroes of LGBTQ people of African decent like Pat Parker, Audre Lorde, Essex Hemphill, Joseph Beam, and Bayard Rustin, to name a few, are most known and lauded within a subculture of black life.
