Progressive Pupil

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That is all. 🔥

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Liberation is coming to Zoom and Thursday November 4 3:30-4:30 ET/12:30-1:30 PT. I'm very proud to be recognized as a first generation college student. This debut in-person book talk should be real. Miss 'Rona has officially dismantled all my filters. 😀 Links to the zoom and the book are in bio.⁠
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📸 of Kathleen Neal Cleaver and Eldridge Cleaver by Gordon Parks, Jr. in Algiers⁠
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“I can walk around and be me. That’s all I want to be.” - Prince

The heartfelt instant classic of MASTER OF NONE's "Thanksgiving" episode took me back to the days when my mom and I were on our own journey of understanding about my sexuality. Although she was a roller disco queen who had her own bisexual adventures, she drank the Kool-Aid of homophobia that streams for mainstream Black culture and struggled to accept me for years. However, we didn't give in to bigotry or resentment. It's true. Love usually wins.⁠⁠
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Now on ⁠⁠
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Today is Spirit Day, a holiday founded by an LGBTQ teenager to raise awareness about the "bullying" young members of my rainbow community face. "Bullying" is a misleading euphemism for the forms of assault, psychological abuse, sexual abuse, harassment and hate crimes that target vulnerable youth from historically marginalized groups.

LGBTQ youth are particularly vulnerable to this kind of behavior because, oftentimes, school administrators and teachers tacitly endorse their being pushed out of educational environments. Some faculty and administrators directly participate in homophobic and transphobic discrimination.

The prevalence of homophobia and transphobia in schools, families, mainstream media, and religious institutions is part of the reason SU***DE IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH OF LGBTQ+ TEENS.

For my young LGBTQ siblings, pride is not a marketing tool or comedic fodder. It's an issue of life or death. Make no mistake. We deserve life.

Happy Spirit Day!

The forever iconic POSE restored my hope in chosen families and the necessity of late '80's couture.

l. to r. Indya Moore, Dominique Jackson, Haile Sahar and Emmy nominated Michaela Jae Rodriguez
📸: Eric Liebowitz/FX

Now on Netflix

Happy Spirit Day!

The heartfelt instant classic of Master of None's "Thanksgiving" episode took me back to the days when my mom and I were on our own journey of understanding about my sexuality. Although she was a roller disco queen who had her own bisexual adventures, she drank the Kool-Aid of homophobia that streams for mainstream Black culture and struggled to accept me for years. However, we didn't give in to bigotry or resentment. It's true. Love usually wins.

Now on Netflix.

Happy Spirit Day!

Crystal LaBeija (right), founder of the LGBTQ ballroom scene celebrated in PARIS IS BURNING and HBO MAX's LEGENDARY, makes her cinematic debut in the fascinating documentary THE QUEEN. She is renowned for her monologue at the end of the film...where she seems to invent reading and shade.

Now on Netflix

Happy Spirit Day!

This classic comedy with legends Wanda Sykes and Kim Fields gave me all the laughs and feels. For us, by us with side of raisin-free potato salad and LGBTQ inclusion.

James Baldwin.

That's the entire film. 🔥

Now on Netflix.

Happy Spirit Day!

All the ladies in THEY READY comedy special by Tiffany Haddish are hilarious. Buy my siblings Flame Monroe and Chaunté Wayans (of the Wayans comedy dynasty) had my sides splitting all through quarantine.

Now on Netflix

Happy Spirit Day!

Disclosure is a compassionate optimistic survey of just how far media representations of trans folk have come...as well as an unflinching look at the progress we still need to make.

Produced by the genius trans woman actor/human rights advocate Laverne Cox

Directed by the talented Sam Feder

Check their IG links for fact-filled toolkits about trans issues

Now on Netflix

Happy Spirit Day!