In the following, we document a statement that was put out by last year’s organizing group (“Stonewall Remember & Act”), responding to accusations of racism brought up to the group by BIPoC folks.

We want to acknowledge and take responsibility for our ways of organizing this year’s Stonewall protest and events during which we reproduced white supremacy. First of all, we want to thank you for making us aware of this and at the same time apologize to you that your had to.

We feel sorry for reproducing racist power structures in our ways of organizing by centering our white privileged perspective and not giving space to marginalized groups. As long as we don’t (explicitly) invite BIPoC individuals and groups and as long as we spread our events exclusively on our white dominated channels, white normativity prevails. This impacts who feels invited and which people and voices want to participate. As a result, white spaces remain white.

Especially considering that we refer to the historical events of the Stonewall Riots and that these were (and continue to be) struggles led by Trans Women of Color, we should have decentralized our presence and perspectives in order not to coopt these struggles.

If we want to offer a so-called alternative (non-corporate, not entrenching prevailing power structures and forms of exclusion and discrimination) inside of a homogenically racist (ableist, transphobic, homophobic, anti-semitic, sexist, …) society, how can we do this as an almost homogenouslyy white (brought up as Christian, so-called able-bodied) group?

Sure, we can do our best to take as many perspectives as possible into account, but what we aim for is not inclusion into a broken society/group, but rather centering experiences and struggles of LGBTQIA BIPoC (as well as queers affected by ableism, anti-semitism and other forms of oppression). This can only work as long as our struggles are led by marginalized groups rather than our white dominance invisiblizing these groups.

Also, reusing last year’s call-out was an ignorant step. If we don’t let actions follow to words like intersectional or alternative and if we pass on incorrect facts about the lives of Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Riviera, and thus exploit Black knowledge and knowledge of Color and don’t truly face up to these issues, then this means that we actively contribute to racism and white surpremacy.

We want to change our behavior and face up to forms of racism and work on our own white privilege and be more conscious about (LGBTQIA+) BIPoC issues.

We are thankful for your courage to make us aware of our deeply internalized racism. Thank you for constructively punching us in the face, which unfortunately was necessary.

The basic ideas of Black Feminism have always been based on intersectionality – long before this word existed. It has been about recognizing and deconstructing power structures rather than making demands. The Black Knowledge about demands only serving individuals and not everyone and to always focus on the entire structure has to be the base for our future organizing and struggles. Because racism is real. Questioning and working on one’s own privileges is a challenge that we have to and will face.