Blaque/OUT Magazine Nov. 2020 Issue 002

Letter From the Editor…

Dear Reader,

I love you. It sounds like an odd way to start a letter to whichever anonymous individual is flicking through these pages. But I do. You are most likely Black and Queer if you landed here and thats enough for me. Lightskinned, dark skinned, lesbian, bi, poly, trans, blue, purple, green, orange. I love you for being you and being here. In this world, in these times we don’t feel it enough, we don’t say it enough and we damn sure don’t hear it enough. So if you don’t hear it anywhere else this week. Know that LOVE LIVES HERE. I had a lovely ally tell me yesterday and I freaking quote, “Forever I will hold space and love and appreciation for you.” And it was the most phenomenal and well timed statement I had heard I think. That’s what BlaqueOUT is. Whether in my consulting or our community on these pages. WE will hold space for you and that is a promise.

This issue will come out November 1st. Precariously close to election day, in possibly the most important election we have ever had. Being Black and being Queer under this administration is like wearing a scarlet letter, if not a target, and this election could very well mean more Brown babies in cages and the end of LGBTQ+ Marriages forever. Trans rights aren’t just threatened, Trans lives are. It is a scary time to be alive. I know that many of the people I have stood side by side with to fight for BLM and against police brutality have lost faith in the electoral process. Who can blame you? Truth is Biden can win by a landslide and still might not make it to office for any number of reasons. And lets be real, Biden nor Kamala are many people’s 1st choice. I whole heartedly agree that the only way Black folks will see real justice or real freedom is if we burn this thang to the ground and start over. And when that day comes I will meet you at the gate with a match. But right now this is the system we got and those shoulders we stand upon gave their lives to give us these rights and I will damn sure use mine regardless of the impact. I personally feel like we owe them that. This is a fight for our lives. And to win, we must fight from the street, the courthouse, the media, the pulpit, the political arena, the board room, the voting booth, the basketball court, and the school house. All hands on deck. When I spoke with my amazing creative team, I told them the November cover theme was, “Purge: The Election Year”. Caryn did the damn thing with the cover to reflect that. November 3rd and all the early voting days before that we have the opportunity to clean housefrom the White House to the Courthouse. Crucial races in Georgia and Texas, Michigan and South Carolina could really change the game both locally and in Washington. There are over 500 LGBTQ+ candidates on the ballot this year. There are more Women. There are more Black folks. There are more Trans candidates. Representation matters. It all matters. Pretty soon we’ll know what at least the next four years of life will probably look like. I know that I will forever be in these streets fighting for my people. All Black Lives Matter. But I really hope ya’ll meet me at these voting booths as well. Win or lose, we know we didn’t lose because we didn’t show up.

Ase’Tamara Sanaa Leigh,