Hills Gay-Straight Alliance ‘stands in support of the Black Lives Matter movement’
Letter to the Editor: Even last year, at least 18 transgender women, mostly women of color, were murdered solely for existing.
Jacob Levin
The Pascack Hills GSA stands in support of the Black Lives Matter Movement. With more attention being called to Black Lives Matter and other related causes, it’s important to be aware of the facts: This isn’t a new issue.
[Editor’s note: The following is a statement from the Gay-Straight Alliance, a club at Hills, on the killing of George Floyd and the protests sparked by his death. The Trailblazer has decided to publish the statement to foster communication between the GSA and their audience.]
Dear Hills Community,
June is Pride Month, a special time of celebration and remembrance within the LGBTQ community. The Pascack Hills Gay-Straight Alliance stands in support of the Black Lives Matter Movement. With more attention being called to Black Lives Matter and other related causes, it’s important to be aware of the facts: This isn’t a new issue.
Just because it was on our collective radar less doesn’t detract from the fact that that’s due to a lack of documentation, not lack of activity. Even last year, at least 18 transgender women, mostly women of color, were murdered solely for existing. Bailey Reeves, a Black transgender teenager of only 17 years old, was killed. These facts aren’t meant to scare you, but we need to be aware. A less-talked-about shooting was that of Tony McDade, which occurred two days after George Floyd’s tragic murder. Tony McDade was a Black transgender man who was a suspect in a criminal case. A witness said that McDade was given no warning; the police just started shooting.
In Montvale and Woodcliff Lake, we are somewhat sheltered from the rest of the country. This doesn’t mean we get a pass on activism. I urge you, Hills, to be audacious. Don’t stop at reposting kind messages on your Instagram stories. Sign petitions. Read books. Watch documentaries. The only way we can begin to help the world is to learn about it and push for change. An important message is that of Desmond Tutu –– “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor” –– but also that of Marsha P. Johnson, a leader of the Stonewall Riots: “History isn’t something you look back at and say it was inevitable, it happens because people make decisions that are sometimes very impulsive and of the moment, but those moments are cumulative realities.”
I have attached links below of informative films and literature as well as ways to make efforts to contribute to Black Lives Matter. Mark Marsha’s words and make them a reality, Hills.
Jacob Levin, GSA Member
