During Pride Month and always, Acknowledge Alliance joins the LGBTQIA+ community—lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, agender, asexual, and others—in celebrating and affirming all identities. This year, when Pride is coinciding with the increased visibility of police violence against people of color, as well as a pandemic that most profoundly affects poor communities of color, we would like to specifically acknowledge some of the most marginalized and often forgotten of the queer community—transgender people of color. Although our agency does not focus our services specifically on this community, this year we want to speak out to say that we believe not only that Black Lives Matter, but that Black Trans Lives Matter too.
On June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, an establishment known to cater to the queer community, including those most likely to be arrested and attacked by police for existing—transgender women of color. It was common for gay bars and other establishments to be raided and their patrons to be arrested; but that night, they fought back with the biggest support behind them yet. On the 51st anniversary of this uprising, we honor those women and all the other queer individuals who catalyzed what we came to know as the Gay Rights Movement.
We acknowledge that the progress made in this country towards queer liberation is thanks in large part to Black, Brown, and Indigenous transgender women who were on the forefront of the uprising. They paved the way for queer people to be able to live authentic lives, and taught us that when we elevate the most marginalized voices, the safety of all will follow. Pride means we consciously remember that our work is not done until Black trans lives matter. We must not forget Tony McDade, a Black trans man who was killed by police two days after George Floyd.
Acknowledge Alliance has always focused on helping youth build resilience and strength in the face of adversity. When LGBTQIA+ students and educators need our support in the toughest times, we provide a safe place to listen and empower them without judgment. While not everyone in the LGBTQIA+ community has the same experiences with mental health, common experiences that create and/or exacerbate mental health issues include harassment, family rejection, denial of rights, violence, and discrimination. Due to these negative impacts, queer youth are particularly vulnerable to struggling with mental health. Research shows that queer people are more likely than their heterosexual peers to experience anxiety, depression, lowered self-esteem, and suicidal thoughts. When someone is both queer and a person of color, they experience an even higher rate of discrimination and adversity.
As mental health professionals, we know the importance of intersectionality; people are multidimensional and we must understand how their different identities—their race, gender, sexuality, class, and so many others—form their lived experience. We strive to do our clinical work with this knowledge in mind and to view the students and educators we serve holistically. As an agency, we are committed to our own progress in providing more effective treatment for our most oppressed communities. We will:
Implement trainings to ensure all our clinicians gain competence in working with LGBTQIA+ folks and can approach treatment from an anti-racist lens.
Examine our own biases and the ways in which we may be upholding white supremacy, and work tirelessly and consciously against them.
Remain open to criticism and suggestions as to how we can better serve our most vulnerable clients.
We work towards a safer, more accepting, and more equal world, specifically within the school communities we serve. Additionally, we support the creation of many departments of true public safety, and envision a world where more is invested in programs to provide mental health services, to house people who are homeless, to reduce substance use problems, to improve education, and to meet community emergencies with nonviolent experts in these areas. It is our hope that these creations and changes will help our queer students and educators of color, as well as everyone we serve, create lasting resilience and sustainable improvements in mental health.