black woman reports being assaulted by homophobic movement straight black pride supporter

Shannon Shird is a woman from New York City who was allegedly accosted by a “Straight Black Pride” supporter yesterday while boarding the train. In the Facebook post below, she recounts her story: a man complimenting on her Black pride, apparent by the Afrocentric hat she was wearing, and asked her to friend “Straight Black Pride” on Facebook. After declining because she doesn’t support that movement, he physically and verbally threatened her person, by taking her hat, using homophobic slurs, and telling her that she was lucky that she was a female – presumably because although his bigotry extended to queer folks, the fairer gender didn’t deserve his outright violence. This is beyond disappointing in light of the strides we’re making with the Black Lives Matter movement. Black Lives Matter is a movement started by three queer women whose perspective on Blackness informed the inclusivity of their message. There are no caveats, no disclaimers, and no requirements to be included in this freedom movement. Black Lives Matter means all Black lives: straight lives, queer lives, trans lives, undocumented lives, incarcerated lives, felon lives, mentally unstable lives; if you’re Black, BLM wants to make your life matter in tangible changes in society, culture, and policy. I’m sincerely hoping that people speak out against groups like Straight Black Pride, because beyond the fact that their affiliates are threatening, their rhetoric is harmful and unnecessary. All Black lives matter, y’all. And that’s that.

Photo from Shannon Shird’s Facebook

Image from Straight Black Pride’s Facebook