Silence is not Golden
by Tyrell Rae (Miss Zarah)
In an effort to help share and amplify queer Black voices right now, we would like to offer a speech made by Denver drag queen Miss Zarah at this past weekend’s LGBTQ+ / BLM solidarity march.
Black is strength, Black is courage, Black is love, Black is kindness, hope and understanding. Black is fierce, Black is inspirational, innovative and creative. Black is intelligence, Black patience. Black is Kings, Dukes, Duchesses, Princes, Princesses, and Queens. Black is beautiful.
No, I’m not talking about the color. I’m talking about the People, the Culture, the music, the food the dance but my beautiful Black people, we are under attack. A community that has given their hearts and souls and lives to help build this country. A community that has given this country hope and change, a community that only wants to be seen as equal is under attack. And it must stop! Enough is enough! The time has come to stop being silent and speak up!
We live in a society where we have been conditioned to be quiet. To not speak up when we see wrong, to not speak up when people are hurting. We have been conditioned to not ask questions, to not find answers. I often wonder where we would be if Dr. Martin Luther King chose to stay silent; where would we be if Marsha P. Johnson chose to stay silent? It is time for us to recondition ourselves to Speak Out! Silence is not golden!
Silence is not golden when our black men and black women are being murdered in the street for no reason.
Silence is not golden when our trans brothers and sisters are being brutally murdered.
Silence is not golden when a relative makes a racist, sexist or homophobic remark.
Silence is not golden when Latinos and Latinas have to run from walls.
Silence is not golden when women aren’t getting equal pay for equal work.
Silence is not golden when our little black girls and little black boys are trying to find their voices and looking to us for guidance.
Our girls and boys of color see what’s happening in the world and need us more than ever! We must speak out and teach them that are valued but most importantly that they bring value. We must fight this fight so our children of color know how important they are, and know that they capable of doing the most amazing things, and above all this, they need to know they are safe.
As we charge forward to make change my mission is to teach future generations that their voices are their true power and silence in not golden.
Miss Zarah is a Denver drag queen, who volunteers her time and talents for many local nonprofits, including the Matthew Shepard Foundation. You can catch her performing on the “main stage” during Denver PrideFest in Felony Misdemeanor’s Black Diamonds show.
