ONYX has been formed and will be operated for educational and other purposes consistent with its non-profit nature and structure as well as charitable activities.
The ONYX National Council (ONC) provides value-added oversight that enables the entire ONYX organization and its chapters to make consistent progress toward our mission. For more information about the ONC, go to: ONYX National Council
The objectives of the ONC are listed below:
1. Guard the ONYX Vision, Mission and ONYX Code
2. Foster Strategic Planning, Initiatives and Policy
3. Provide guidance and recommendations on best practices
4. Enhance ONYX’s public standing
5. Manage intellectual property and branding
6. Approve and guide new chapter formation / ratification
7. Oversee chapter dissolution
8. Collect / maintain chapter information
9. Maintain external partnerships and sponsorships
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Notices from the ONC
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#1 Stop Asian Hate
A Statement from the ONYX National Council on behalf of the Men of ONYX.
On March 16, eight people were killed at three different spas in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Six of the people killed were Asian American and all but one were women. This comes at a time when the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community are already grappling with the trauma of increasing violence nationwide. According to recent studies, hate crimes against Asian-Americans have increased by over 150% across our nation’s major cities. Likewise, we are all painfully aware of the on-going epidemic of state-supported violence against our brothers, sisters, Trans siblings and arguably every minority group comprising people of color or members of marginalized communities.
Sadly, we share the experience of hatred and bigotry all too well. We add the names Daoyou Feng, Delaina Ashley Yaun Gonzalez, Hyun Grant, Paul Andre Michels, Soon Chung Park, Suncha Kim, Xiaojie Tan and Yong Ae Yue to the long and ever-growing list of those whose names we must not forget. The United States’ long history of white supremacy and systemic racism is deeply rooted in our social fabric. The Men of ONYX stand united against the misogyny, white supremacy and systemic racism we constantly endure within our wonderfully diverse communities.
The marked rise in acts of anti-Asian hatred and violence that is occurring against the entire Asian community and specifically Asian women is unacceptable. We condemn these deplorable acts of racialized and gender-based violence and stand with the Asian and Asian-American community and their loved ones. Xenophobia and racism have no place in ONYX. We are committed to being a community of acceptance and true belonging for all people. We call upon the Men of ONYX and our allies to continue to reject hatred and violence and strive instead for empathy, understanding, and compassion for all people.
The tragic events in Atlanta also require us to reassess the manner in which we support and demonstrate solidarity for our brothers and friends in the Asian-American community. Yes, it’s exhausting as People of Color to live in this space when harm and injustice are ever increasing without limits. Yes, we have work to do across our many marginalized communities to ensure we build better bridges in our own levels of mutual understanding and support. To this end we recall the words of Dr. King: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” Our communities are interconnected. Standing united for one group does not devalue the rights or needs of others within of our community – but rather it strengthens those rights.
We play an important role in supporting both our Asian-American members and the AAPI community as a whole:
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- Listen first.
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- Act with compassion, understanding and empathy.
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- Reach out to our impacted friends and allies. Continue to check-in and demonstrate solidarity.
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- Speak out against anti-Asian hate speech when it occurs.
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- Educate ourselves. Anti-Asian racism and xenophobia are not new phenomena.
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- Examine our own practices and culture within ONYX chapters toward the development of a standard Code of Conduct that holds members responsible for their words and actions.
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- Make our voices heard when we make decisions regarding Federal, State and Local elections.
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- Engage in productive discourse with the Asian-American community to expand understanding.
As People of Color, we the community must stand united for all our members and allies. We call upon our siblings in Leather and Kink, our LGBTQIA+ family, and all people of conscience to take a stand against anti-Asian racism.
Silence is complicity. Demonstrate solidarity! Speak up! Take Action!
The Men of ONYX
www.ONYXMen.com
#StopAsianHate #StandUnited #StrongerTogether
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#2 BLACK LIVES MATTER
June 8, 2020
A Statement from the ONYX National Council on behalf of the Men of ONYX.
The death of George Floyd is a seminal event and a rallying cry being heard around the world. At this pivotal moment, The Men of ONYX number ourselves among those demanding change. We believe #BlackLivesMatter, but know we must do more than change our social media pages to black or post hashtags. Our activism must be broader, deeper, and specific to be sustained as a lasting change.
While
there is an epidemic of state-supported violence against our brothers and
sisters, there is also an epidemic of violence even more deadly for our Trans
siblings, who also fight bigotry, hatred, and violence in their own
communities. The Men of ONYX believe that support for #BlackLivesMatter
REQUIRES support for our Trans family. For Black Lives to Matter, ALL Black
Lives must Matter! When you say the names of George Floyd, Breonna
Taylor, Travon Martin, and Tamir Rice, you MUST say the names
of Nina Pop, Tony McDade, Monika Diamond, and Iyonna Dior.
We
will hold our elected officials accountable by showing up at the ballot box,
especially on the local level. The election of Ella Jones as the first Black
and first female mayor of Ferguson, MO (a city with a 70% Black population)
shows the potential power of local elected officials. MUCH MORE IMPORTANTLY, we
will hold our officials accountable by showing up in the community. The Men of
ONYX will continue to be a visible presence in every aspect of our community, not
just the bars and at contests and runs. We will speak out in community forums.
We will volunteer our time for the causes near to our heart. We will take
leadership positions and be a force for change in our community through our
words and actions. In our own communities, we will challenge bias and bigotry.
We will stand in the gap for those who need our support.
We
will advocate for change through legislative action. We demand a new approach
to policing based on an obligation to preserve life and prevent injury. We
support the Uniform Reporting Law Enforcement Improvement Act (URLEIA), which
will end unconstitutional policing by requiring accountability for all
jurisdictions and ensuring that the patterns and practices of law enforcement
agencies and agents nationwide are transparent. We support the NAACP’s Police
Reform Agenda, especially its calls for systemic changes in the way
officer-involved shootings are investigated and prosecuted, and the
disqualification from police work of those found guilty of misconduct.
Our
actions will be political, social, AND economic. We support the Black and
Brown, LGBTQ+, and women-owned businesses that support us. Equally, we vocally
oppose those antithetical to our cause, because every dollar spent there
supports agendas opposed to ours. We must be vocal and consistent in both our
support and opposition.
We
must dismantle the systems of oppression that devalue Black and Brown lives. We
support the de-militarization of the police and demand real accountability of
the justice system as a whole. We demand an end to the school-to-prison
pipeline and the prison industrial complex that profits from the pain and
disenfranchisement of People of Color.
In
the coming months and years, we will stand firm in our call for systemic change,
which includes:
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- Full implementation of the URLEIA.
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- The elimination of qualified immunity for police and sheriff departments nationwide.
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- A ban on the sale of military weaponry and equipment to police departments.
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- The institution of body cameras in all jurisdictions with penalties for failure to wear or activate.
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- The institution of Use of Force Continuums at the local, state, and federal levels.
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- Public availability of police misconduct records in all cases and used as recertification criteria.
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- The implementation of Citizen’s Review Boards in every jurisdiction.
#BlackLivesMatter sits at the intersection of many communities, as do
the Men of ONYX. We are Men of Color, Cis, Trans, and so much more. If Black
Lives truly matter, we the community must take up common cause with all Black
People and allies. We call upon our siblings in Leather and Kink, our LGBTQIA+
family, and all people of conscience to support the critical work ahead. Share
these thoughts, join us on the line, defend us as you would have us defend you!
In Community,
The Men of ONYX
www.ONYXMen.com
#AllBlackLivesMatter #BlackLivesMatter
Links:
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- NAACP’s Police
Reform Agenda – https://www.naacp.org/campaigns/pathways-police-reform-community-mobilization-toolkit/
- NAACP’s Police
