Police States and Police Brutality

I’m watching the closing arguments of the Derek Chauvin trial right now, every shred of my soul screaming for justice, screaming for Chauvin to be convicted and spend the rest of his life in prison for the brutal racist murder of George Floyd. As I watch, I’m thinking about all the racist police brutality that has filled my newsfeeds in the last days.

Not only are cops in the U.S. often brutal racists, but they seem intent on enforcing police-state reality on the nation. Nowhere is this more obvious than in how cops humiliated and violently bullied journalists covering protests near Minneapolis Friday night.

P&P’s new two-week prompt starts today

We LGBTQ people, in the United States and all over the world, are often too familiar with police brutality and police-state tactics. I experienced some of it directly during my years of street activism, though others have been harmed more than I.

This week’s prompt is Police States and Police Brutality.

Prism & Pen prompts are usually a little more artsy and general than this one. But police states, police brutality, and racism impact LGBTQ people everywhere. We in the U.S. have a lot to write about as our nation grapples with white nationalism and brutal racist cops who prop it up. The UK is embroiled with police-state controversy as well, and LGBTQ people are among those shouting outrage on the front lines of protest.

LGBTQ people in developing nations and hard-core homophobic nations like Russia are even more vulnerable to police brutality.

So let’s tell some stories about Police States and Police Brutality!

New to Prism and Pen?

Here are our submissions guidelines.

Alert! We now accept artist interviews and reviews (book, film, music, etc) of queer-focused art, and stories about art and artists.

Stories so far:

Esther Spurrill-Jones, BFoundAPen, Kathy Lee Tolleth, Brian Pelletier, Fred Shirley, Ikedi Oghenetega, neil chapman, David Wade Chambers, Artemis Shishir, alto, Sean Stephane Martin, Gabriela Penelope Carolus, Lois Shearing, b.henriques, Carl Rebeiro 🏳️‍🌈, Rodney Frazier, Simon, Carl Rebeiro, Brian Fehler, Deneishia Jacobpito, Chris Hedges, Ronald C. Flores-Gunkle, Kathy Lee Tolleth, Brian Pelletier, Alex David Bevan, Ikedi Oghenetega, David Wade Chambers, Sean Stephane Martin, Gabriela Penelope Carolus, Lois Shearing, Valentine Wiggin, b.henriques, Carl Rebeiro, Rodney Frazier, Simon Z. Brian Fehler, Cassie Brighter, Deneishia Jacobpito, Ronald C. Flores-Gunkle, James Patrick Nelson, Brigid Maloney, Gabriela, Presley Thomas, Evan McCoy, Loren Olson, Ken Wilson, Chandler Myer, NaNa’sworld, Arabelle J., Liam Heitmann-Ryce, Edis Rune, Prickly Pam, Dawn McGrath, Jonathan | sex & theology, Tabitha Lowndes, Emma Nwosisi, Melissa Speed, Dr. Thomas J. West, Till Kaeslin, Dave Smurthwaite, Ellie Rebecca, Zoey Milford, Edris Quinn C., Dennett, Michael Constable, Jim Martens, Stephen Foster, Kravitz M. Kristen Nadel, William Kuhn, Denisa Bogdan, MSci, Rafaela Mempin, Tre L. Loadholt, theoaknotes, Rachel Brindell, Elle Fredine, Jess Darnell, Emma Holiday, Gabe Evaristo, Joshua Mackey, Steve Alexander, Stevie Wilkinson, Andy Killoran, Nick Bundarin, ElMehdi El Azhary, Bradley Wester, Stella Luna (they/she?), Chuy G. Gonzalez, MS, Aaron W. Marrs, Tima Loku, Cam, The Transgender Therapist, Sean Bennett, Ty Bo Yule, Alessia Autumn, Allen R. Marquez, Spencer James, Mary-Ellen Maynard, Gaby Spadaro, Elena Joy Thurston, Mina Krane, Jason Masters, Jeff Harvey, Laurence Best, Don Stouder, J. S. Richards, Fiona Feng, Yvonne Borgquist, Sarah McManus MSc, Annabelle Rose, Laura Silverstein, LCSW, Kyla Sawyer, Ellen Caminiti, rowen maeve, Rafaela Mempin, Punch Drunk Cola, Jeff Poole, Mrs. Capricious, Justine L, Patsy Fergusson, John Westphalen, Curtis Harding, Phoenix Huber, Val Servino, Jadon-Maurice Forbes, Molly Martin, Henry Lee Butler, Grey Alexander Crawford, Les Campbell, Casira Copes,