QT Social Movements: a Facilitation Reflection

By Takiyah, outLoud PA During this drop in session, our theme was Activism Within the LGBTQ2+ Community. We discussed activists and movements such as Bayard Rustin, Alicia Garza, #BlackLivesMatter, the Compton Cafeteria Riots and Stonewall Riots. I was a little nervous at first, but at the end of it all, I must say I thoroughly enjoyed facilitating this drop-in session. I was enthused at the fact that the participants were willing to learn new things by asking questions, staying engaged and respecting their peers’ opinions. In particular, participants shared how little they knew about the Compton Cafeteria Riots, but once finding out about the matter, they related it to how similar it was to the Stonewall Riots. Although I was facilitating, I learned a few things from them as well, which made this an even more enriching experience. They further helped strengthen my knowledge about the transgender community and all that they have contributed. For instance, I never who Marsha P. Johnson or Sylvia Rivera was in relation to the Stonewall Riots until these students explained them to me. It was nice to share how the  LGBTQ2+ community contributed to the Civil Rights Movement and how there still is activism within this community today.