By Adannay and Charity Atukunda
Being queer, lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans in our British society has been – and still is – a challenge. Reported homophobic hate crimes are up by 210% and transphobic hate crimes 332% over the last 6 years. This, along with anti-trans rhetoric, also tells us that existing as part of the LGBTQI+ community in the UK is in fact becoming even more difficult.
Our government has leaned into the so called ‘ culture war’ and queer people continue to be the target. From our equalities minister defending beliefs that same-sex marriage is wrong, to Westminster’s use of Section 35 to block Scotland’s Gender Recognition Reform Bill, even policy in the UK is becoming anti LGBT.
And as if navigating Western society wasn’t hard enough, for many BIPOC people, navigating queerness within the bounds of their cultures and traditions poses even greater complications.
I’ve found that finding love, acceptance, and belonging across the intersections of our identities can be one of the biggest challenges of our lives. So much so that often people find themselves in secret relationships, or dating people who can’t commit due to complex cultural or familial dynamics, traditions, and rules.
I was 19 when I came out to an old friend, who’s of West African origin. When I told her about my girlfriend at the time, she laughed and said, “wow, you Black Brits really are just brown for colour.” We don’t speak anymore.
By Adannay and Charity Atukunda