Stay Informed: Be critical in the face of ambiguity

During public comment during various past San Francisco Branch NAACP general meetings this year, non-members* have testified with transphobic and homophobic remarks and campaigning. Though unclear, individuals who led these comments took advantage of buzzwords and educational issues and used them to their advantage to push anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric at our community meetings.

As a reminder, the national NAACP organization resolved to fight discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community in 2017. Here is a more complete statement from the resolution:

The NAACP is committed to supporting the LGBTQ+ community, in part due to the prejudice and hate crimes that are still occurring in large quantities against LGBTQ+ folks. Whether due to colonialism or politics, there is still a true force out against the community — 64 countries legally discriminate against LGBTQ+ people in the world. (see chart beside)

Additionally, many more countries consider homosexuals or transgender people to be mentally ill, while US states like Florida have censored and blocked LGBTQ+ history and classes from being taught. In the US, there are even countless states where conversion therapy is legal. Even San Francisco, a city that is regarded as supportive and even pivotal to the LGBTQ+ community, has transphobic community leaders who constantly get away with hateful language and fear-mongering.

According to the Pew Research Center, Black adults in the US are split on whether society is too accepting of or too willing to accept transgender and non-binary people.

“More than 1 in 5 of any type of hate crime is now motivated by anti-LGBTQ+ bias,” according to the Human Rights Campaign. The consistent discrimination of LGBTQ+ people is similar to the struggle faced by racial minorities, and the resolution made by President Derrick Johnson that was approved continues to be relevant and essential.

Rev. Dr. Amos C. Brown, San Francisco Branch NAACP President, opens with an anti-discrimination statement at each meeting and he has taken good care to counter and follow-up on hateful comments vigilantly. 

Even so, this discourse has become an issue because members of the branch have signed discriminatory petitions and spent energy supporting or advocating for causes — not knowing their hateful nature due to unclear, ambiguous, and buzzword-wielding language.

This report serves as a call to action for members of the San Francisco NAACP branch: stay alert and critical, even at general meetings, stand up and speak out against harmful rhetoric, and don’t just sign any petition!

*This editorial was written by Rachel Alcazar, SF NAACP Youth Council President. The Youth Council executive board voted unanimously in agreement.

*Specific names are kept anonymous to prevent criticized individuals from gaining popularity or recognition from this statement