In the Wake of Tragedy, Again
This was going to be a very different column. Then 19 children and two adults were shot and killed by a gunman at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
Violence and Tragedy
Again. Enough.
Nineteen children and two adults dead. I have written about far too many mass shootings in the United States since I started this blog 17 years ago, and far, far too many that have taken place in schools. Here are some resources for talking about the tragedy with children, taking action to help the victims’ families and community, and furthering gun control.
Queer Mom and Partner Killed Defending Daughter During Mass Shooting
(Content warning for extreme violence.) A woman and her partner were killed in Norfolk, Virginia, last week, as they sought to defend one woman’s 19-year-old daughter from her boyfriend. One other woman was killed and two others, including the pregnant daughter, were injured.
Facing Our Fears as Queer Parents
Halloween is almost here, a celebration of all things scary. That means, of course, that we should be celebrating queer parenting, too, which brings with it no end of scary moments. Here are some I have had, along with a few thoughts on facing our fears.
Remembering 9/11, 20 Years Later
It is not coincidental that shortly after September 11, 2001, my spouse and I began to talk seriously about having a child, after more than eight years together. Many of us have a 9/11 story. Here’s mine.
In Memoriam: Daunte Wright
Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, was shot by a White police officer during a traffic stop in Minnesota this past Sunday. Regardless of whether this was an intentional or accidental shooting, Wright’s is another Black life lost in a country where Black people are three times more likely than White people to be killed by police. My fellow White people—this is yet another tragic reminder that racism remains for us to fix.
Anti-Asian Violence: Readings and Resources
A man shot eight people in Georgia this week, six of them Asian Americans and seven of them women. This is yet another tragic reminder of the devastating effects of gun violence—but those who think this is an isolated incident against Asian Americans haven’t been paying attention.
In Memoriam: Monica Roberts, Transgender Activist and Mentor
The LGBTQ community has lost a light this week. Monica Roberts, a groundbreaking transgender journalist and blogger, died in Houston at age 58. She started her blog, TransGriot, shortly after I began this one. I had the honor of meeting her at several conferences, and was always struck by her strength, knowledge, and commitment to lifting up trans youth.
Breonna Taylor: Say Her Name, Fight for Justice
Yesterday, a grand jury indicted only one of the three police officers involved in the shooting death last March of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman in Kentucky—and the charge was “wanton endangerment,” not the more serious ones of manslaughter or reckless homicide. I hope that other White people like myself make it a priority to learn more about this case and about the ongoing need for racial justice in the U.S. Here are a few places to start.
Watch: LGBTQ #BlackLivesMatter Town Hall
Five Black LGBTQ leaders held a LGBTQ #BlackLivesMatter Town Hall yesterday, and it’s well worth watching. View it here if you missed the livestream.