What’s good family, Anna DeShawn here with your Annas Got a Word: Sunday Snack. Sunday snacks feature my big takeaways from the past week that highlight all things Black, Queer & Beautiful. And what I noticed this week more than ever before is that rainbows are everywhere.

Everywhere I turn, look, & blink I see rainbows. It’s really crazy how far this movement has come in the last 50 years since Stonewall. On Tuesday I went to an event at Affinity that celebrated our elders. We can them our trailblazers. They talked about where they were during Stonewall and how it affected them.

They talked about living in fear. How the masculine presenting women always had to wear at least two “female” garments at all times to keep from getting booked by the police. A woman could have a full suit and ruffly undergarments. One person talked about their family committing them to a mental institution. They talked about how living in Chicago that Stonewall didn’t impact them the same way as being Black in 1968-69. How Dr. Kings assassination was more impactful there lives.

I hear that & that’s why spaces like E3 Radio & Affinity are important. That’s why hearing the stories of our elders are important. Being Black isn’t celebrated nearly as much and that’s why this is a Black+Queer+Beautiful podcast because I can’t separate my realities. I refuse. Both are me & both deserve to be celebrated.

Speaking of celebrating. If you haven’t seen Billy Porters homage to gypsy during the intermission of the Tonys just do yourself a favor and YouTube it.

Family, pride season is upon us. You’ll be hearing a lot about Stonewall. A lot about the pride parade. Just remember it started in a small bar that served black & brown Queer folks who were rejected by the white gay bars & society. That one day they decided they had enough and rose up together. As always I leave you with a challenge. What are you willing to fight for. What are you willing to die for. Till next time. Peace.