Nathan’s message
At this time we’re using our voice to amplify those of our Black members, and to share messages of solidarity and support from PoC and allies in London Gaymers.
I am writing to you all as an individual who is part of something larger. I know that being in the UK, it is very easy to overlook issues that are going on in the US because we are constantly in the mindset of “It isn’t happening here”. There was a period of time where I thought like that, but as I continued to see my people gunned down and treated like sub humans for the level of melanin in their skin, I realised, it isn’t a them and us. I was very much part of it. To this day, I don’t know why people want me dead due to the colour of my skin. I can only feel for them as we simply want to be treated as equals. I can only say the following as an incentive to educate yourselves.
#AllLivesMatter does not mean #BlackLives Matter — BLM doesn’t detract from the validity of someone else’s life but using ALM whilst people are being gunned down left right and centre doesn’t make sense. If you think the BLM movement detracts from your life of not being shot, not being seen as a lesser being or not being profiled by authorities, you are siding with the oppressor, even if you do not see yourself as a racist. It is not enough to just not be a racist — at this current point in time, it is more important than ever to be vocal and make a stand and a point to be Anti Racist. If you have even an ounce of respect for any black PoC that you know, you should be taking action. Be loud. There is no excuse to be silent anymore.
#AllLivesMatter does not mean #BlackLivesMatter
It is not enough to just not be a racist — at this current point in time, it is more important than ever to be vocal and make a stand and a point to be Anti Racist. If you have even an ounce of respect for any black PoC that you know, you should be taking action. Be loud. There is no excuse to be silent anymore.
When people talk about white privilege, it isn’t limited to class privilege nor are we saying that you specifically did anything to give you a leg up, but systemically and historically, being a white person meant that you were in a better position than a PoC. Once again, this isn’t necessarily about class and there are so many different kinds of privilege. You can be white and be born poorer than a PoC but as a white person, you were born into a space that already had these racist characteristics in place by no fault of your own. It isn’t that you have done something wrong but it’s how to undo the thought process and relearn that as a white person, you have something that you likely didn’t have to consider or think about because of your race. A simple example is no fear of being murdered by a white hate group or not being judged by an employer because of your surname or heritage.
Just because we are fighting for one issue we say the rest don’t exist. It isn’t a competition of who can be oppressed the most! This is more than Black People, it’s about institutionalised and system racism as a whole but Black People are being used as the examples with bullet holes. If you want your people to be shot instead of us by all means be our guest and trade places, but if you think we are just fighting for black people because the tag is BlackLivesMatter, you are narrow minded. We are the ones being murdered. If we are the example with bullets, we will be the example with words. That doesn’t take anything away from you.
