Trans Lives Matters and Black Lives Matters Join Forces for Justice

http://www.advocate.com/2015/9/10/trans-lives-matters-and-black-lives-matters-join-forces-justice

The Advocate/By Cleis Abeni September 10 2015 4:10 PM EDT

"At the same time that the conservative backlash against the Black Lives Matter movement unfolds, new voices within BLM are attempting to rebut critics by showing that BLM is a thoughtful, peaceful protest movement that empowers transgender people, women, and all marginalized Americans.

Fox News Channel commentator Bill O'Reily campaigned throughout the summer against the movement, charging it with "Gestapo tactics," as he alleged in a July 29 broadcast, and insisting that BLM is antipolice. O'Reilly was joined in his attacks by Republican presidential candidates like Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who allege that BLM enables crime, as Jamelle Bouie observed in Slate magazine."

I don't know that I see this as all that much of a good thing. I'm not sure the BLM campaign is really the one we'd want representing us, for any number of reasons. The entire thing should probably just be changed to "Lives Matter" as it does seem to have some very racial overtones at the moment, given that it was sparked by a racial outcry of police injustice.

People just need to be better educated on gender dysphoria in general.

Considering that violence against trans people of color, especially women, is such a pervasive issue, it seems to me that this is a pretty natural alliance. Black lives do matter, even when they're also trans lives.

And yes, it is about race, and it needs to be.  Any one who doesn't understand this is part of the problem.

I confess not to have liked the "black lives matter" slogan - it seems to inspire defensiveness, especially among law enforcement. I'll admit my first reaction was "when did I say black lives didn't matter?"

But it's an important movement. There is far too much marginalization of black people among law enforcement, and it's demoralizing for the mostly young black males who are targeted and makes police looks bad. It's time all that was fixed.

I'm not sure I'm thrilled about mixing that with the murder of trans women of color, which has has only a small tie to profiling and discrimination by police, but I have great respect for the activists who are carrying this out, so I'll leave them to it.

 

Guy's let's remember to be respectful of each other and all communities

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