black lgbtq
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20 Years After the Murder of Matthew Shepard, Samira Wiley Speaks on the State of LGBTQ+ Rights
Samira Wiley is many things: black woman, American, actress, activist, wife and breakout star of bona fide hits Orange Is the New Black (OITNB) and The Handmaid’s Tale. She is also an out and proud gay woman—now. While OINTB is where Wiley met her wife, screenwriter Lauren Morelli, it is also where she was forced…
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Unapologetic: Activist and Author Charlene Carruthers Says Radical Movements Require Radical Honesty
If you ask activist and author Charlene Carruthers whom she hopes will read her new book, she’ll mention teenagers and veteran activists—but first on her list is black women and girls. “My greatest hope is that black women and girls love this book, and appreciate this book. Because if black women and girls like it…
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'I Really Stepped Into Myself': Lena Waithe Says Cutting Her Hair Liberated Her from Gender Norms
Lena Waithe doesn’t owe anyone an explanation for who she is, how she loves or why she cut her famous locs last month; but the writer, actress and producer graciously gave one to Vanity Fair’s cameras while on the red carpet for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Grants Banquet on Thursday night. After joking that…
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Chicago Mom Calls Brutal Attack on Gay Daughter a Hate Crime, Demands to Know Why No One Has Been Arrested
The mother of a Chicago teen is demanding answers after no one was apprehended following the brutal beating of her gay daughter, an act which she insists is a hate crime. Amari Graves was walking to the store on Tuesday when she was attacked near her home. The 15-year-old said that her attackers included a…
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Black Trans Woman Shot in Dispute at Detroit Gas Station; Police Exploring if Incident Is a Hate Crime
Detroit police are looking for the man who shot a transgender woman at a Mobil gas station on Monday night. According to surveillance footage, an argument that started in the gas station parking lot spilled over inside the station, where it escalated when the man drew a gun on the woman. As ClickonDetroit.com reports, it’s…
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Love Is the Message: Janet Mock Makes Her Directorial Debut—and Television History—With Pose
(Editor’s note: spoilers of the Sunday, July 8 episode to follow.) If you’re not watching Pose yet, you’re missing out on one of the most groundbreaking moments in television, as the largest cast and crew of LGBTQIA+ talent, especially trans women of color—both on screen and behind the cameras—have been assembled to revisit the ballroom…
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‘Why Aren’t People Speaking Up for Us?’ Activist and Model Munroe Bergdorf Pleads for Trans Lives
Last September, transgender activist and model Munroe Bergdorf made headlines when her straight talk about racism cost her a coveted campaign with L’Oreal. But Bergdorf hasn’t let the experience silence her; in fact, she’s allowed it to further fuel her openness about the myriad issues affecting black people, women, and the queer and transgender communities.…
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Trust Black Women: On Celebrating Pride Amid Racism in the LGBTQ+ Community
Editor’s note: For Pride Month, The Root and Jezebel are teaming up once again for JezeRoot, with content by writers of color around everyday life for LGBTQ individuals. You remember, back in the day, when your mama would tell you some crucial information in order for you to live your best life, but you thought…
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#ThriveOver35: We Can No Longer Accept the Brief Life Expectancy of Trans Women of Color
As Ashlee Marie Preston approached her 34th birthday in early June, it was less a celebration than a sobering milestone. Preston is a successful media personality, producer, writer, speaker, civil rights activist, recent political candidate and The Root 100 honoree for 2017. She is also a black transgender woman, fully aware that the average life…