[eBook] [PDF] For If We Were Kin Race, Identification, and Intimate Political Appeals 1st Edition By Lisa Beard

[eBook] [PDF] For If We Were Kin Race, Identification, and Intimate Political Appeals 1st Edition By Lisa Beard

In June 1973, people gathered in New York City’s Washington Square Park to remember the fourth anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, a key event in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. Sylvia Rivera, one of the founders of the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), made her way to the stage during the rally. The crowd was mostly made up of white, middle-class lesbians and gays, and they didn’t seem happy to see her. As they booed her, Rivera stood strong and spoke out. She told the crowd they were ignoring their “gay brothers and sisters” who were in jail, and reminded them of all the work she had done for the movement. She challenged them, saying they were too focused on fitting into a “white middle-class club” and needed to support all people, not just a few.

Rivera’s speech was a powerful call for change. She wanted the crowd to see that the fight for equal rights should include everyone, not just those who were privileged. She encouraged them to join a bigger movement for freedom and fairness for all people.