A call for the light of love

CONCORD, CA — Despite recent brazen acts of violence fueled by hate and fear, there is tremendous opportunity for continued learning and education of each of our loveliness, identities, histories, lived experiences, cultures and circumstances.

I recently sat with a young Black trans woman and listened to her lifelong story of trauma. Stories like hers of rape, rejection, harm, imprisonment and invalidation plague our communities. I thought, “How can I ever do enough to help make this world a safer place?”

This young person has light despite the insurmountable injustice they have endured. They have hope for a future, specific aspirations and a desire to share their love and gifts with the world.

There are times when you realize you can’t do it by yourself. That you alone are simply not able to reflect enough light to see and be seen. We need mirrors. We need representation and visibility.

This young woman was a mirror for me. They inspired me to reflect light back to them. I left feeling motivated. But when I encountered another story of hate in our community the next day, it was like the air deflated and the light dimmed. Fear crept back in.

Do we name the confederate flag flown in the face of gay neighbors these past few months in Clayton, accompanied with “White Power!” paired with a Nazi salute? Do we acknowledge the damning postcards and letters sent to our staff members because they simply work for Rainbow? Do we hide the Facebook messages diligently so as to not perpetuate the harm that we are “teaching filth” and “the harmful LGBTQ+ ideology”?

Do we continue to advocate for our neurodiverse adult community members who are forbidden to continue to be connected to the queer community they have been a part of for years? Do we make known unspeakable verbal and physical abuse that goes unaddressed in Bay Area jails and prisons when LGBTQI+ community members are arrested for DWB (Driving While Black) and not read their Miranda Rights? Who speaks for them? Who is acknowledging them?

How do you pick your battles when the battle is so constant, clever and unrelenting? Can we lead with love when we are targeted and fearful?

We are persistent and we are tired. We are light and we need to see it reflected back to us, so we do not fall victim to fear.

Tell someone in the LGBTQI+ community how much they matter and that they are valued. Show up in solidarity with your neighbors to support the targeted. Write a letter to your city or send a love note of appreciation to LGBTQI+ advocates. Sit with a child and remind them that they are loved no matter whom they love or what their gender is or may become.

Flood social media with your joy and appreciation for our beautiful and diverse intersections. Do not wait. We need you now.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

Kiku Johnson is Rainbow Community Center’s executive director. As a man of color and trans experience, Kiku has invested his life engaging and elevating youth and adult voices of marginalized intersectional identities. Send ­questions and comments to kiku@rainbowcc.org.