on behalf of the Men of ONYX…
Over the past several months, we have born witness to moments of intolerance and misogyny in our shared Community. Although these moments were the work of a few misguided individuals, our silence in the face of it will be seen as consent, and we cannot allow that. The Men of ONYX stand, unequivocally, with ALL members of the LGBTQ+ community in our shared fight against bigotry and intolerance. We will not stand idly by while you are abused and we will stand beside you in every way possible.
We stand with all the People of Color in our lives. We will fight against racial and ethnic discrimination in our LGBTQ+ spaces, our workplaces, our houses of worship, and everywhere it rears its ugly head. We will fight systems and policies that devalue the lives of People of Color and silence their voices. When you are pushed down, we will pick you up. We will stand together so that all are clear that injury to one of us is injury to all of us.
We stand with the Women in our lives. In our gay male spaces, we will fight against casual and overt misogyny in our language and our actions. In our shared LGBTQ+ spaces, we will defend the right of Women to be there and to feel welcome and wanted. We will fight the insidious violence that so many women feel in their lives. They will come to know that the Men of ONYX will always be there, not as their protector, but as their trusted friend and ally.
We stand with the Transmen and Transwomen in our lives. We will fight for your inclusion in our shared narrative. We will stand against Transphobia and violence against Trans people, especially Transwomen of Color. We support the right of Trans People, Women, and People of Color to have safe and exclusive spaces of their own choosing, even as we work to build a closer, more inclusive community.
We stand with those who seek an alternative vision for Pride. We oppose those voices in our communities who call for violence and seek to silence the voices of Pride protesters. We welcome a dialogue about corporate sponsorship and the role of the state in Pride activities. Pride started as a protest and we acknowledge that there is more work to be done.
The Men of ONYX stand with Trans People, and Women, and People of Color, not because they are titleholders, or because of their gender, or because of the color of their skin, but because they are part of our family. We invite you to do the same.
