Protesters take to streets of Tacoma for ‘Black LGBTQ+ Lives Matter’ march
Behind a banner that read “Black Queer Lives Matter,” a large group marched through the streets of downtown Tacoma on Saturday afternoon, seeking to bring together the Black LGBTQ community and speak out against inequality.
Led by members of The New Generation 2.0, which organized the event, more than 100 people assembled in Wright Park before marching toward the University of Washington Tacoma campus.
“When it comes down to it, the Black LGBTQ community is the most marginalized community in American right now, and it’s time for them to have a voice,” said Tacoma resident Eliza Kirkpatrick, 24, one of the event’s organizers.
“This is Global Pride day, and we really couldn’t have thought of a better day to have this.”
As the protesters walked through the streets, they began chanting in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and George Floyd, who was killed in police custody last month in Minneapolis.
They continued on, speaking out against police brutality and pausing at the intersection of South 11th Street and Pacific Avenue for a moment of silence to pay respect to the Black and LGBTQ lives lost to police brutality.
“I still see police harassment as a problem in the queer community as well as the Black community,” said SeaTac resident Su Docekal, 64, noting a hope to see fundamental change moving forward.
“I think the entire system needs to be turned upside down,” Docekal continued. “It’s mostly younger people leading this, and I’m glad, but I want them to know, too, that older people, we want fundamental, revolutionary change.”
When the march reached the UWT campus, many gathered on the steps leading up to Jefferson Avenue, and several speakers addressed the crowd.
Tinashea Monet, 21, who is originally from Tacoma, but now lives in Seattle, spoke to the group about experiences as a trans woman, including a past encounter with police.
Monet noted how Saturday’s march reflects the importance of standing up for equality.
“We are making changes, we are making progress, we are gaining visibility,” Monet said.
Jasmyne Sims, 20, of Tacoma, one of the event’s organizers, spoke of the importance of thinking about “intersectionality and the struggles that Black LGBTQ people face.”
Wes Mickens, 23, of Lakewood, had seen signs of support made by LGBTQ community members at past Black Lives Matter protests, and wanted them to have another space of involvement and inclusion to speak out Saturday.
“I’m just hoping that this march specifically is able to start conversations that normally wouldn’t have been started, just because of how hard it is,” said Ashlyn Thomas, 24, of Tacoma, another of the event’s organizers.
“I hope that it has people more apt to to accept everybody, and accept them for who they are.”
Patrick Miles, 43, of Tacoma, who joined the march to support the broader cause as well as his son, believes if more voices are heard, important change will follow.
“If we continue doing these things — these marches, these protests, these gatherings, these rallies — then those voices continue to be heard, and we continue to have these conversations,” Miles said.
“It creates a snowball effect where eventually there’s a lot more conversation happening, and we can start to see the change that we really need to see.”
