Juneteenth + Pride = Black Queer Power

A raised Black Power fist stands against a blended Progress Pride and Pan-African flag, symbolizing the strength, resilience, and liberation of Black Queer communities. The image unites Black pride and LGBTQ+ pride through bold colors and a shared vision of collective power. Image generated by ChatGPT.

Juneteenth is June 19th. Every year, The Blackyard Collective gathers together for a family reunion, of sorts … to celebrate together, to be Black together, to be Queer together, to love together.

June is also Pride Month. Every year, at my house, we mount the Pride flag near the front door of our house … to show the neighbors who we are. It also reminds us of who we are. We are exceptional. We are Queer. We are safe.

In a few years, Pride will be 60. Juneteenth is 160. I do not like to compare being Black to being Queer and vice versa. There is no comparison. The two are not the same. But taken together, being Black and Queer is a whole other thing entirely.

Being Black is about power. Owning it. Feeling it. Embracing it as a resource of strength, of heritage, of inheritance, of spirituality. Subverting it in a world that despises it. This is what Juneteenth is for. Why it matters. Juneteenth IS because we are.

Being Queer is also about collective power. Owning it. Feeling it. Embracing it as a resource of strength, of heritage, of inheritance, of spirituality. Subverting it in a world that despises it. This is what Pride is for. Why it matters. Pride IS because we are.

Being Black and Queer is a whole other thing altogether. Celebrating Juneteenth during Pride Month, or Pride during Juneteenth Month, connects the two in ways that only a Black and Queer person can truly appreciate. It’s super power! And now, more than ever, we need it, as the superpower in which we live seeks to destroy all that is Queer and all that is Black.

Now more than ever…We must celebrate! We must clack! We must cackle! We must keke. We must love. We must make love. We must remember.

This June—and every day—in, around, and in between, we must honor all that is Black and all that is Queer, because together we are powerful and beautiful.

Happy Pride.

Happy Juneteenth.

Happy Black and Queer YOU!