On early Tuesday, January 29, 2019, actor, and all around amazing entertainer, Jussie Smollett was the target of a racist, homophobic attack in Chicago. The actor, apparently by himself at the time, was attacked by two assailants. During the attack Smollett was reportedly hit repeatedly, had a noose thrown around his neck, doused in some unknown chemical substance, and was subjected to the slurs “f*ggot” and “n*gger”. The attack was a modern day lynching.
The Black queer communities around the world are shaken, but not shocked. In fact, according to the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs attacks on LGBTQ folks are still very prevalent, with many attacks being targeted towards queer and trans people of color, especially Black trans women. While overall statistics on attacks are down (this may be due to decreased reports and data collection from agencies rather than an actual downturn in violence), it seems that more severe attacks and homicides are on the rise.
What does this tell us about allyship?
The queer community is hurting. More specifically, the Black queer community is hurting. The attack on Smollett is a reminder of one’s difference, isolation, and vulnerability that so many Black queer folks carry on a day to day basis. And for some, Smollett’s attack is a trigger of the violence that many LGBTQ folks have experienced at the hands of not only strangers but also partners and family members. It’s devastating.
As the news rolled across social media about the attack on Jussie, I could almost hear that collective cry of Black queer folks online. The community was reeling, trying to cope with the idea that a member of the community, someone so privileged as Smollett, was not safe from such an attack. It’s a reminder that in a lot of ways, for Black LGBTQ folks safety is an illusion.
There have been noticeably fewer tweets and comments from allies than those in the Black queer community themselves. My hope is that as word spreads more allies will express their feelings and condolences not only for Jussie but for the community at large.
Make no mistake, if you are a white person, or a cisgender heterosexual person, if you do not speak up or check on your Black queer loved ones in the coming days you will be sending the message that you’re not a safe person to trust either.
Allyship not only means showing up when asked to, but it also means making it a point to educate yourself about issues affecting the communities that you don’t belong to. It means checking in with your loved ones when a Black queer person is almost killed just for existing. If that seems out of reach for you, then you shouldn’t consider yourself worthy of the ally badge.
When a comic suggests that he’d beat his son if he were gay, show up and SPEAK OUT. When a politician dehumanizes a people to advance his racist policies, SPEAK OUT. It’s incumbent on all of us to do the work to support the ability for our brothers and sisters to thrive in this world. Without action (whatever is accessible for you) we are complicit in our collective downfall.
I believe that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said it best:
He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.
Jor-El Caraballo, LMHC is a NYC based therapist, blogger and mental health advocate. He is Co-founder of Viva Wellness, a health center that offers holistic health services to clients which includes counseling, relationship coaching, health coaching, and nutritional counseling. To learn more about Jor-El and Viva Wellness you can visit www.vivawellnessnyc.com. You can also chat with Jor-El on Twitter @jorelcaraballo.
