(Author: D’ron Anderson)
#BlackLivesMatter has been an ongoing term for positive messages, slander, controversy and hope. Every person and every race has something different to say about it, good and bad. As an African American male, I can proudly shout out #BlackLivesMatter, because they do.
Now, when we say #BlackLivesMatter, we don’t mean that Black Lives are the only ones that matter. What we mean is that #BlackLivesMatterTOO.
The “too” shouldn’t even have to be referred to because it’s been pretty clear from our history that black lives have never been seen as equal in America. If all lives truly mattered, then black people would not have felt the need to point it out.
We’ve been called slaves, savages, unintelligent, Neanderthals, thugs and just about any other derogatory term that you can think up. Not once have we been seen as equal, and that’s something that needs to change!
Recently I posted a gif of #BlackLivesMatter on my social media profile. A “friend” of mine decided to comment, “#AllLivesMatter not just black lives. That’s racist”. When I saw this, I immediately got angry. How dare he claim I was racist for standing up for my people?
Both black and white people came to the defense of the BLM movement, but the commenter persisted in his beliefs. Aren’t black lives a part of all lives? Don’t the cops kill whites and blacks, right?
I have to admit I was furious with the “friend” for continuously trying to make his point against the BLM movement when so many people were bombarding him with information and facts that refuted his claims.
Then I started thinking, why am I fighting him so hard? Yes, I am a black man, but I am also a gay black man.
Not too long ago, the majority of people who shouted out #BlackLivesMatter were also saying gay men and women at #PulseOrlando got what they deserved. These people said God hates the gays, and they’re abominations so it’s fine for them to die.
Being a black gay Christian, I was even more outraged! How could a group of people who’ve been oppressed and hated by the majority of America be so hateful towards a group of people, a culture in black lives, as well as other races?
When creating a movement such as this, we have to include everyone. It can’t just be #blacklivesmatterBUT.
When the riots in Baton Rouge occurred, several people stood in support of DeRay Mckeeson when he was arrested, but some of them took issue because he was a gay man.
“I wish DeRay wasn’t a homosexual male…he would have had more support from blackmen…its hard for us to take instructions from a gay male,” said one tweeter.
What does his sexual orientation have to do with him standing up for our rights as human beings?
Nothing ,that’s what.
From my viewpoint, all lives should matter, but they don’t! That’s why so many people say things like #BlackLivesMatter, #LGBTLivesMatter, #BlueLivesMatter, and so on.
No one can deny the most dominate race in history has been white lives, but it’s time for a change.
Once I heard someone ask, “If black people were even with everyone else, wouldn’t they just try to do to us what our ancestors did to them?”
The vast majority would probably say no. We just want to live without the danger of getting murdered every five minutes or discriminated against just by the color of our skin.
LGBT people feel the same. No one wants to be looked down on, hated, judged or discriminated against. Until everyone is seen as equal, we never will make any progress.
It doesn’t matter if you’re black, white, Hispanic, Asian, gay, straight, bi-curious or an animal, at the end of the day we’re all going to end up in the ground.
It’s up to us to make this life worth living. Unfortunately, I don’t think we’ll see this Utopia in our lifetimes or even at all.
As forward thinking people, we can only hope for the best and do our best to make things better. It all starts at home, so do your best to end discrimination within your own mind and then educate others who aren’t as enlightened.
To read the article that counters this, please visit: https://www.ulmhawkeyeonline.com/?p=18885
