LGBT Rights and Communities of Color in the South [VIDEO]

Send in your own questions to organizers working at the intersection of racial justice and sexual freedom. Chime in at #CLchat on Twitter.

By Jamilah King Jun 11, 2013

We held a live chat with Colorlines readers and southern LGBT organizers as part of our ongoing LGBT Pride 2013 coverage. You can watch the recorded discussion in the video above.

As the Supreme Court mulls over two historic marriage equality cases, we’re turning our eye toward the ways in which activists in the South are wedding that high-stakes fight with the ongoing struggle for racial justice.

Culturally, the country has become much more friendly toward LGBT folks. We see them openly on TV, in government, on our sports teams. But that heightened visibility hasn’t gotten rid of the structural inequalities that still plague many queer folks. Jobs are scarce, especially for LGBT would-be workers of color. State and community violence still threaten the lives and safety of queer people in general, and transgender folks of color in particular.

Fresh off of the release of a new research report from our publisher at the Applied Research Center, I’m talking with one hardworking activist who’s working at the intersection of sexuality and race in the South. Bishop Tonyia Rawls is the founder and executive director at The Freedom Center for Social Justice, which is in the middle of launching the region’s first Transgender Employment Program.

The live chat is now over — watch the half-hour video recording at the top of this page!