I am Black, bisexual, and non-binary femme deeply rooted in the excellence of Black womanhood. My identity is considered abnormal and even non-existent by a majority of the supporters of the 20th anniversary of the Million Man March, #JusticeOrElse. Despite this, I still stood in solidarity with my global Black family even if they oppress me on the axes of gender identity and sexual orientation.

Here are 5 of my thoughts on Farrakhan’s message during the #JusticeorElse Rally

Black men rarely show up for anyone but themselves.
I attended a rally for #TransLiberationTuesday in DC a few weeks ago and the majority of the crowd was women–trans and cis. Today, thousands of Black men showed up in all types of beautiful Blackness and yet when there was a simple call for a memorial-like rally for Black trans lives, less than 10 show up. Why?
Minister Farrakhan quite literally hates women.
He stated that “Queens know how to keep their King alive”. In other words, the woman’s primary role is to allow herself to be dominated by her husband. He also engaged in misogynoir, stating that Black women should keep themselves covered unless they’re married–regardless as to if they belong to the Nation of Islam or not.
Farrakhan spoke briefly on solidarity between Black people and Native Americans.
It was a brilliant testimony on inter-PoC solidarity until he forgot the name of the honored indigenous chief he supposedly respected. And then it the whole topic became a tragedy–he reduced thousands of years of indigenous culture to teepees and “sacred places”. Since when do all Native Americans have the same spiritual practices? Last time I checked, there are 562 federally recognized tribal groups and that’s only what the government acknowledges. I didn’t know that teepees and “sacred places” were shared by every single one of these.
“If you don’t have a husband women, keep it covered.” –Minister Farrakhan
During the speech Farrakhan brought women out to show the audience how not to be objectified but then ultimately objectified the women he used for his example… Confusing, right? Farrakhan fails to understand that Black women are so much more than the Black male gaze and always have been. They exist for themselves. Their lives matter simply because they are alive.
It just didn’t feel right.
Being at the March as a Black, gender non-conforming femme made me feel pretty disgusting. Similar to many other #YouOKSis stories, I found myself being leered at and harassed by the Black men I came there to stand with in solidarity. The worst part? The only person who noticed and defended me was a guy friend who I came there with. When will cisgender Black men be there for the rest of us?

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