M Adams, Freedom Inc. and Young, Gifted and Black Coalition organizer, provided insight to an audience of students through her “lived experience” of having a father who was incarcerated for more than 20 years and her life as a person who is both black and genderqueer.
The event, titled “How Police Killing Unarmed Black People is a Queer Issue,” saw Adams argue that police brutality toward blacks coexists with the battle for rights the LGBTQ community faces.
She argued the LGBTQ community fits within the human rights framework, which advocates equal rights for all humans.
“Human rights are for humans,” Adams said to a round of applause.
Adams said police brutality should be a concern for the white LGBTQ community because there are many facets to a person besides their sexuality, all of which must be taken into account when advocating for certain rights and equal treatment by police.
“My queer is black,” Adams said. “So, if I’m going to be free as a queer black person my black must also be free.”
Kiah Price, a student who attended the lecture, said Adams spoke out about issues that are typically not discussed and believes her argument was valuable.
“Black lives matter and black trans* matter,” Price said. “If we are going to call ourselves a real society and have humanity, then we have to embrace humanity.”
Adams also touched base on the “urban rebellion” in Baltimore, which she said is a black queer issue. She believes the white LGBTQ community needs to support the “rebellion” because there are queer black people involved, both now and in past events.
When the audience was given the opportunity to ask questions, Adams had articulate responses for all but one. The last question asked Adams how to get the white LGBTQ community to remember and love the black queer community, to which Adams had to answer.
“I’m afraid I can’t answer your question,” Adams said. “I guess all I have to say to you is that some of us remember, we always remember, and we have to hold each other.”
