in addition to raping, pillaging, burning down homes, and mass genocide of indigenous people, he probably would have also hated gays as much as he hated the value and worth and dignity of all brown and black people. needless to say, today is a complicated day. it is at once a day of memorial, a day of resisting the racist ideology of the celebration of “columbus day” and simultaneously, a day of resisting heteronormative views of happy, healthy relationships, by coming out as GLBTQ.

i think that both of these “celebrations” and resistances speak to struggles for visibility, struggles for recognition, making peace, creating equity, and reparations for a struggle. this is in no way comparing a day sponsored by HRC (really, what have they done for me lately?) to the mass genocide of millions of indigenous people throughout the america’s sparked by columbus’ hap hazard, and accidental landing in “america.” but i think these two days, falling together this year, is an incredible teaching moment. a reminder of the interconnectedness of oppressions, and our struggles to fight back—even from the margins of society.

columbus is not a man i choose to celebrate. and i also recognize that coming out, for some of us, may not just be uncomfortable, but also unsafe. and in the wake of many heartbreaking suicides by our young LGBTQ family, and the recent torture of three young men in NY we have to remember, that it’s homophobia, justified fear, and discrimination that keeps people closeted. a catchy campaign slogan will not keep us safe. being “single-issue” movements will not keep us safe. only dismantling all forms of oppression will save us now. so, today, i memorialize the indigenous lives that were lost as a result of columbus’ landing on their shores. but indigenous folks are still here, still surviving, living. so, i stand in solidarity with urbanized, and reservation dwelling modern native americans (from all parts of the americas) whose families and lives are ripped apart by poverty, systematic racism, and marginalization, and false eurocentric “borders.” and i stand with queer folks. if you are coming out today- you are so brave and millions of native americans, and queers folks today are standing together in solidarity and righteous anger, saying “down with celebrations of columbus, and down with homphobia.”