The Equality Caucus of Genesee County discussed issues in the LGBTQ+ community and personal experiences as members of the community during the Rainbow in the Rust: Discussion Panel.
The panel discussion on Tuesday, Mar. 3, included five separate caucus members. Caucus Chair Xzavier Simon, At‑Large Chair Izzy Brightstar, Treasurer Giovanni Ireland, Secretary Stefanie Lynn and Co‑Chair Mason Gallo. The caucus’s mission is to bring visibility to LGBTQ+ issues.
Panelists shared their personal experiences as part of the queer community and their struggles. “We just don’t feel protected enough to reveal this aspect of our lives,” Simon said. “A lot of times when we do that, there’s repercussions, we’re fired, we’re discriminated against, or we are targeted for microaggressions.”
Ireland said that there are many double standards existing within the country around identities, “I’m always proud to be black. I’m proud of myself… I’m aware of issues within the black community around misogyny and everything else in between. It’s sad because people are people.”Simon said there is still prejudice even within communities that face it themselves. “You’re blaming gay rights while being transphobic. You’re blaming racism while being homophobic… we can acknowledge pain and hurt and systemic issues, but we also have to acknowledge when we’re participating in someone else’s oppression.”
The council also shared ways they are engaging with the community and highlighted safe spaces in Flint. Simon said the coalition has begun creating a list of queer-friendly spaces around Flint. “The goal of this is to activate spaces in the city… for us to be who we are fully everywhere.”
Simon said how important it is to host panels like these within the community to highlight minority voices, “We need to be present in a part of these conversations and decisions that are affecting our lives on a daily basis. Because if we don’t speak up for ourselves, we can’t expect our allies or our communities to do the work for us.”
