when i stop to think i am amazed at how much has changed since stonewall
the gay liberation front emerged from the rebellion
naming itself in solidarity with the vietnamese national liberation movement
fast forward to today
we have pride parades across the country that have become festivals through which the predominantly white and cis-gendered gay elite suck up to corporate sponsors eager to hide their greed and profiteering behind the rainbow flag
transgender women of color are always last in line
struggling with mental health challenges
struggling to find employment and housing
our society has demeaned and marginalized those who resist conformity to bourgeois gender norms
but times are changing–and in this era of insurgent resistance trans and queer folk are building power to challenge the status quo
transphobia and transmysoginy are toxic beasts that all too often find safe harbor in the heads of people who view themselves as stading firmly on the left wing of the political spectrum
it is time to let trans women of color lead the way in a struggle to uproot the hegemony of oppressive institutions
we must celebrate our bodies and our identities however self-defined
resistance is sexy and fly
and our collective power is greater than what our rulers can defy
–BYPO PHOENIX c)2017
