Black lesbian feminist poet Audre Lorde once wrote, “There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.” Those words continue to speak deeply to me and to my multiple identities as a Black lesbian feminist.
As I reflect on Pride Month and on the many victories won through the work of LGBTQIA+ comrades and organizers, I am also struck by the reality that many movements are still led by white men, often from privileged backgrounds. Too often, the voices and experiences of LGBTQIA+ people of color are sidelined, even in spaces that claim liberation and inclusion.
I think about how often I have been frustrated by the lack of true intersectional analysis in the many spaces I have occupied, always forced to negotiate which part of myself or which struggle will be given primacy. Repeatedly, I have been called upon to support single issue movements, yet rarely heard when speaking about the necessity of a genuine intersectional framework that recognizes race, gender, sexuality, and class as inseparable.
There is often a lack of intentionality in creating space for LGBTQIA+ people of color when passing the mic and sharing opportunities. I remember someone once saying they did not know any LGBTQIA+ people of color, only to then acknowledge, “Well, I know you.” That moment has stayed with me because it reflects a larger truth: the inability to fully see people of color as integral parts of the LGBTQIA+ community. The aforementioned remains deeply embedded in how representation and belonging are understood.
What Kimberlé Crenshaw meant when she coined the term “intersectionality” was the recognition that systems of oppression overlap and shape one another, particularly for those living at the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, class, and other identities. Too often, the term has been appropriated or diluted, even within marginalized communities, to refer to only a single identity or isolated experience, rather than acknowledging the layered and interconnected realities people navigate every day.
At times, ageism also plays a role in who is included, heard, and valued. Learning from elders remains deeply important, and intergenerational connection is essential to sustaining community, knowledge, and growth.
As we reflect during this Pride Month, I hope we challenge ourselves to do better. I hope we create spaces where intersectionality is not treated as an afterthought, but as essential to justice itself. I hope we honor the labor, leadership, and lived experiences of Black and Brown LGBTQIA+ people not only during Pride, but every day. And I hope we build movements where all of us can be seen, heard, and valued.
This June, I will be celebrating both Pride and Juneteenth, separately and together, because both remind us that liberation is collective, interconnected, and unfinished.
Deborah Hall
CEO, YWCA Central Massachusetts
