Trayvon Martin and Me

Hello All,

I have seen a lot of injustice, but I have to say that this latest story out of FL really makes my blood boil. James Byrd of MS, along with a gay black man also out of MS hit and dragged behind a truck years later, all because of their race.

Now innocent blood cries out for justice, that or Trayvon Martin, a young man who went to the store for some Iced Tea and Skittles, harassed by a man with the last name Zimmerman who looks to be Hispanic, but is described as white. That very fact makes racism an ugly reality all around this nation. I have to say that even if this were a black man who killed a white man, even then I would still decry the killing, however it is of no doubt that his killer would’ve been brought to justice. Let’s face it, as a black man I look at white gay men and think to myself: What the fuck do they know about prejudice? The only thing they know about discrimination is being gay, not black.

I have seen people react to me in ways I didn’t understand at times, and then when explained to me it made me realize, that because I am black, I can’t be a good lawyer, I have to be an exemplary lawyer. I remember in Soul Man James Earl Jones said: if that means you have to work twice as hard as these white shits, then damnit you will work TWICE AS HARD! It is a reality that because of society, I feel like I have to live up to.

I remember also being in Pat Gallavan’s office when we were lobbying him for marriage equality. He believed that because he saw a black face that I wasn’t knowledgeable about the issue, and to be honest, some of the people in the room hadn’t known the extent of my knowledge and research of it.

Next, at a rally for Amy Hope Witryol a white man looked at me uneasily as Grandma Kitty basically went off on him about his opposition to civil marriage for gay and lesbian people, and I thought he just felt it awkward as I was actually next to her inadvertently boxing him in. It was explained to me that he was looking at me the way he was simply because of the color of my skin.

When I went to petition for marriage letters, I made sure that the people I asked signatures of were of enough distance away so that they would not be afraid of me and be alarmed.

Which brings me to Trayvon Martin, because I realize that it could’ve easily been me that was shot and killed. All that needs to happen is a vigilante with a gun to follow me for “fitting the description” and picking a fight with me so that he could have justification for my murder. It is jarring that not only do I have a judicial, political and social system that pushes tougher laws so they could put more black men in jail and as I’ve learned from Trayvon’s story, one that won’t prosecute my murderer. Which also makes me think about this too, as a gay man that would happen to, as a cisgender (a person whose gender identity is consistent with their birth sex) ally for trans rights, many murders of trans individuals are not prosecuted and justice is not served for them.

This arouses nothing but rage in my mind, because justice seems to be blind until you’re black, poor, a woman, a transman, a transwoman, and if any of this overlaps, you’re for lack of a better word…fucked.

This I believe can’t be shown in any case better than the case of CeCe McDonald in the state of Minnesota. The story goes as such:

CeCe and her friends were going out for a late night stop at a grocery store and as they were on the way, a white male and two white females started verbally taunted the group, and after a verbal exchange a fight broke out. What happened in the ensuing scuffle would change CeCe’s life: The white male was killed on a broken bottle that CeCe used to defend herself with. CeCe was charged, the white women involved in the attack weren’t charged and neither were her friends. Only CeCe was charged by an overzealous prosecutor and has missed many of her classes due to this and her court date has been delayed constantly…why? Because she’s black…and trans.

The Prosecutor has gone on record as raising opposition to keeping people out of school when charged, but he’s apparently breaking his own rule. Why? Because she’s one of ‘them’, the other, the boogeyman that you want to put away because her existence and success as an individual is so inconvenient for you. The fact that she exists is so disturbing to you that you would deny her medical care and would rather put her in jail than say that you are wrong and overzealous. With a system that is run by people like this, I would say that unfortunately people will turn to vigilantism to deal with corrupt officials because they feel no other choice.

I would rather see this peaceably dealt with, but as in the case of South Africa, dealing with a government who deals out oppression when they want only peaceful change the only solution WAS violence. I feel that this was the case in CeCe McDonald’s situation. There is a petition for her and Trayvon on change.org, and if we need to I want to get Governor Dayton of MN involved because he has proven himself to be progressive and to care about what happens to the people of MN, if this can happen to CeCe can you imagine what would happen to someone else? Next time, it could be you. That dawned on me as I began writing this blog post

I know that gay men know discrimination, but until you have walked in my skin constantly being judged by the color of your skin, you don’t know shit. I will oppose all kinds of discrimination no matter who it is against if it is unfair but it’s terrible to know that I have to prove to some asshole bigot because of my skin color. Then again, it could be a teachable moment, it could be used to blow the doors off prejudice and they can see that I am eloquent, and see past my skin and realize that I am smart, funny, love life, love to laugh, love people and that at my core I am a person who is full of love in an unloving world, one who is willing to call out the black community on its homophobia and the gay community on its racism and transphobia. I am willing to be trashed, but I will not trash others—at least falsely.

I am willing to fight against prejudice with my life and call out people like Zimmerman and the prosecutor of CeCe McDonald. I wish I had my law degree because I would slap a lawsuit on the prosecutor so big he and his grandkids would curse the day he prosecuted CeCe. We need to raise awareness of her and Trayvon, because innocent blood will be atoned for, because it demands an answer.

Love You All

Terry