Statement of Solidarity
We mourn the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless black people who have been unjustly murdered by police and white supremacist violence. We condemn the murder of Nina Pop who was a victim of transphobic violence. We stand in solidarity with everyone who is demanding justice for their wrongful deaths.
We also grieve for those lost in the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disproportionately impacted Black communities. From state sanctioned violence to COVID-19, the world is once again bearing witness to how Black people are fighting to survive biased systems in health care, justice, education, and media.
Lambda Literary commits to expanding our Board of Directors by at least four board members who are queer / Trans people of color, at least two of whom are Black.
We commit to enacting anti-racist principles in our hiring practices, including mandating that at least half of our Retreat faculty, other paid teaching artists, and performers involved in our programs are people of color.
We commit to work with POC-led organizations to create paid publishing and performance opportunities for Black queer and Trans writers, staging one event a season to that end.
We commit to using our platforms to amplify Black LGBTQ voices and decenter cis and white narratives.
We recognize that while social justice has always been core to Lambda Literary’s programs, we must do more to build and share a space of true care, advocacy, and equity.
We recognize the role silence plays in upholding systems of oppression, and the power of language in advancing justice. As an LGBTQ literary arts organization, Lambda Literary has a responsibility to speak out against the violence that is continuously being enacted upon Black communities, especially our Black queer and Trans siblings.
