Can I be real for a sec? So tomorrow is the POC LGBT+ tag and I wanna talk about something serious with you guys. I was absolutely blown away at a reading about the problems with our mainstream gay community that I had to read for an assignment. (Thread).

A question I saw: “Why do we prioritize marriage when many of us still work the streets for a place to stay at night?" It was just a very powerful question because it deserves an answer. These critiques of the LGBT movement that I've read in this article and from my own friends—

—such as bullying, gatekeeping, biphobia, transphobia, and racism in the community get ignored. I think many people are either too scared to call it out or are too tired to deal with it. The harsh reality, however, is that we can't sweep these problems under the rug and expect—

—them to go away on their own. We can't forget what our queer elders started. Not just from Stonewall, but everything before and after. We can't forget the roots and the fruits of their labor. We can't forget that a large chunk of our LGBT culture started from Black gays, not—

—White drag kings on Rupauls Drag Race. Watch Paris is Burning! Pride is NOT a party, and many of us forget that. We still need representation in the community for people of color, disabled, trans and gender nonconforming (especially POC in these communities), we still need help-

-providing shelter for homeless LGBT youth, we still need to protect ourselves from police, and we definitely still need to look out for each other. I do think every year when Pride Month comes around, it's seen as this giant gay rainbow party with White gays as the majority—

—where we all scream "YAS QUEEN!" and that's the end. I think our community forgets how we started, what we need to do still, and what pride really means. One last thing I will say is: I know I'm tired. I'm tired of leaving our LGBT youth (especially of color) behind to fall-

-through the cracks. If we don't start catching them soon, I'm afraid of the damage that will continue to grow. And I’m afraid of continued division. So in conclusion, these POC LGBT+ tags are more than just “HERES SOME SELFIES!” unlike the Sunday ones. They are in itself—

—critiquing the overrepresentation of Whiteness in our community, the lack of diversity of trans & gender nonconforming individuals ESPECIALLY POC and mending the lack of solidarity the community has with each other. My tags aren’t a fix, but they damn sure make an effort.