yesterday was thanksgiving and it would have been completely unbearable if it hadn't been for my matron saints: lesbians. i was sitting at the front desk of the hotel working a double shift and looking pretty miserable when a beautiful Black woman walked by and spoke: "i like your bracelet. that's wassup!" she was referring to the rainbow bracelet that i almost never take off. i smiled back warmly.
later that night i was sinking into moody-ness again when this same woman walked in with three other gorgeous ladies. they were all laughing and carrying plates and bags full of leftovers. before i could even say hello i was invited to have dinner and it was decided that it would be had in the lobby so i could keep an eye on the front desk. i was asked where i was from, how i was doing, whether i was seeing anyone. it felt like family. in fact, it was family. Foressa, another matron saint of mine whose kept me sane here in ncarolina, talks about queer folks as 'family'.
since coming to ncarolina black lesbians have taken an active role in my life. once they realize i'm queer they take a fierce interest and concern for me. this experience is so different from my experience of the gay (male) scene in nyc which feels more like a meat market then a family/community. i hadn't realized it until yesterday, but i have never had other queer people support and encourage me so directly. it provides a model for the role that i would like to play in the lives of other queer youth of color.
today i got another supportive boost from a 'stranger in solidarity' while taking a taxi to work. i live in the student housing area and the African man named Immanuel who picked me up made it a point to ask me whether i was in school. when i told him i wasn't he asked why and proceeded to advise me on learning a trade. for 25 minutes he talked about the fluctuating labor market in the area, the Triangle area's exploding population and urban development, and the nature of immigration policy. he talked about how he often picked up Black students and asked them what they were studying. most folks, he said, were studying business admin and he told me (as he told them) that this was only training to work for the white man. that what we really needed to learn as a people were trades that we could use to run our own businesses and develop our own communities. we debated a bit back and forth about whether studying Black history in school was valuable (his argument was that we should study those things independently and should learn concerte skills in schools). his philosophy seemes like a Booker T kinda thing, but i could see the value in what he was saying.
most of all, however, what i appreciated was that he took concern for me because we shared a certain social condition. he kept calling me brother (i haven't been honestly called that by Black folks round here) and he kept emphasizing how our people had to think about trades. it was refreshing to talk to someone truly concerned about our people.
Angel says the world conspires to help you. i agree.
later that night i was sinking into moody-ness again when this same woman walked in with three other gorgeous ladies. they were all laughing and carrying plates and bags full of leftovers. before i could even say hello i was invited to have dinner and it was decided that it would be had in the lobby so i could keep an eye on the front desk. i was asked where i was from, how i was doing, whether i was seeing anyone. it felt like family. in fact, it was family. Foressa, another matron saint of mine whose kept me sane here in ncarolina, talks about queer folks as 'family'.
since coming to ncarolina black lesbians have taken an active role in my life. once they realize i'm queer they take a fierce interest and concern for me. this experience is so different from my experience of the gay (male) scene in nyc which feels more like a meat market then a family/community. i hadn't realized it until yesterday, but i have never had other queer people support and encourage me so directly. it provides a model for the role that i would like to play in the lives of other queer youth of color.
today i got another supportive boost from a 'stranger in solidarity' while taking a taxi to work. i live in the student housing area and the African man named Immanuel who picked me up made it a point to ask me whether i was in school. when i told him i wasn't he asked why and proceeded to advise me on learning a trade. for 25 minutes he talked about the fluctuating labor market in the area, the Triangle area's exploding population and urban development, and the nature of immigration policy. he talked about how he often picked up Black students and asked them what they were studying. most folks, he said, were studying business admin and he told me (as he told them) that this was only training to work for the white man. that what we really needed to learn as a people were trades that we could use to run our own businesses and develop our own communities. we debated a bit back and forth about whether studying Black history in school was valuable (his argument was that we should study those things independently and should learn concerte skills in schools). his philosophy seemes like a Booker T kinda thing, but i could see the value in what he was saying.
most of all, however, what i appreciated was that he took concern for me because we shared a certain social condition. he kept calling me brother (i haven't been honestly called that by Black folks round here) and he kept emphasizing how our people had to think about trades. it was refreshing to talk to someone truly concerned about our people.
Angel says the world conspires to help you. i agree.
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