Black History Month exists to highlight the contributions of African Americans to the United States across various periods of U.S. history. And celebration of Black History Month is incomplete without celebrating black queer community. Be it, trans activist Marsha P. Johnson, Chicago’s first lesbian mayor, Lori Lightfoot, lesbian drag king Stormé DeLarverie, or civil rights leader Bayard Rustin, the Black LGBTQ+ community has contributed hugely to politics, art, medicine and other fields. However, the black LGBTQ+ community still faces challenges due to homophobia in the black community and black churches. The Trevor Project’s national survey of LGBTQ+ youths conducted in 2020 revealed that 44% of Black LGBTQ+ youths, including 59% of Black transgender and nonbinary youth considered suicide in the 12 months during which the organization conducted its study. Black queer youth who reported high family support had lower rates of attempted suicide. According to the Williams Institute, at least 1 million Black adults in the U.S. are LGBTQ+, making up 12% of the nation’s LGBTQ+ population. Still, the majority of Black LGBTQ+ people say they have experienced verbal insults or abuse (79%) or have been threatened with violence (60%). Hence, it is important to extend the vision behind the celebration of Black History Month and give the due acknowledgement to black LGBTQ+ community to make them feel seen, included, loved, and accepted.
