Stonewall
1969:
Greenwich Village, New York
Police pound against a swelling ocean of angry protesters.
Hundreds upon thousands stand tall and proud.
They were the real Stonewall that would never come down.
Last night I dreamt I was flying.
I don’t know where I was going but I’d imagine it was a better place than here—
a place where I’m not confined to closets of shame and secrecy
a place where I can love who I want to love without hating myself
a place where I can love.
Love—
It’s not that hard of a concept to grasp.
In 1969, they fought for something that has yet to become mine—community.
But a key part to community is unity,
something that you
-straight queerphobes
-straight striving allies
-straight cisgender men and women
have yet to grasp.
I see your ignorance in all the judgmental side glances,
I hear your ignorance in the daggers that escape your lips,
I feel your ignorance when you touch me like I’ll give you a disease.
There’s this bittersweet feeling that I get inside
when I close my eyes and all I see is her and all I hear is hate.
It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth like over steeped tea,
it churns my stomach like homemade butter.
And you?
You tell me that I’m the problem?
Oh, straight people,
I think that you’re the problem.
You who tell me that I have to have a label—
Labels are for cans of soup, not people.
You who tell me to refer to the woman I like as “him”
because “her” is just a little too controversial.
You who have carved “wrong” into my gut
all because her lips are a little too enticing.
They look like Skittles and all I want to do is taste the rainbow.
You dig your fingers into the stone of our wall;
try to tear it down one brick at a time
and sometimes I hear it crumbling.
Sometimes I’m crumbling.
But the rest of the time,
I’ve got a volcanic anger that’s bubbling over.
You used to be my worst nightmare, but now my strength is gonna haunt you in your sleep
because you now know just how much I love me.
And to other Queer people out there:
Your mere existence is resistance
Your survival is beautiful.
You’ve got a fire within you that they’re gonna try to tame:
Don’t let them.
Let your flames roar with laughter as you tear down their structures
and build new ones.
And know that you are not alone.
And to those who try to stop me:
Close your eyes
and say your prayers
Because you will lose.
