Queers, trans folks, and all who deeply love us,
Now is the time to create a visible, united front speaking out against the racist forces of police and vigilante violence against Black and Brown people, many of whom are queer or trans.
Following the call from the #Blackout collective to turn it up and keep the movement strong during the holidays, we are asking our community of diverse and committed queer people to come together on Christmas Eve morning to make it clear--Queers say BLACK LIVES...
Queers, trans folks, and all who deeply love us,
Now is the time to create a visible, united front speaking out against the racist forces of police and vigilante violence against Black and Brown people, many of whom are queer or trans.
Following the call from the #Blackout collective to turn it up and keep the movement strong during the holidays, we are asking our community of diverse and committed queer people to come together on Christmas Eve morning to make it clear--Queers say BLACK LIVES MATTER!
At 8:30 am on December 24th, we will gather in front of the LGBT Center for a rally to collectively show our solidarity. There will be a short march afterward. We are planning and hoping for a safe and peaceful event.
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING REQUESTS IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND:
- We want this rally to be a safe, peaceful event. While we cannot make guarantees re: police behavior, we are aiming to maintain a calm, peaceful tone. Please refrain from property destruction during this event, as we want to maintain as safe an environment as possible for those most vulnerable to police.
- For white people and other non-Black POC allies, please read these requested protocols: https://baysolidarity.wordpress.com/2014/12/19/protocolandprinciples/
- Please take a moment to read over the #Ferguson demands here: http://www.thedemands.org/
- In particular, PLEASE, if you are white, refrain from the use of symbolic gestures such as "I can't breathe," "hands up, don't shoot" and "die ins," as this is not actually something most white people generally have to worry about for themselves. You can stand in solidarity without co-opting Black peoples' experiences of police repression.
- We'd like to keep the messaging in line with what has been approved by the leadership of the Blackout collective and #BlackBrunch; we want to keep Black lives at the center of this action. This means banners, chants, etc. should ideally be unified in terms of the following messaging: #BlackLivesMatter #Silence=Violence / #SilenceIsViolence This is no time to celebrate.
- Come dressed in your beautiful queer glory. That said, please again be mindful of tone - this rally aims to be uplifting and inspiring, but it is not a party.
- We aim to center the voices and experiences of QTPOC in our community at this event.
SPREAD THE WORD! We want ALL of our community out in force to show the world what San Francisco queers stand for: unity, justice, and LIBERATION!
<3 <3 <3 See you in the streets! <3 <3 <3