Today, MSPA wishes to acknowledge the pain and heaviness of this moment and our community’s place in it. The 5 days of protesting known as the Stonewall riots were started by Black trans women in June 1969 and are regarded as the beginning of the LGBTQIA+ rights movement, and the reason we celebrate Pride month every June. As Pride month approaches, it seems like an opportune moment to remember our history and speak out, condemning the epidemic of violence against and police brutality that continues to face Black people to this day.

As a group of medical students, we recognize the impact that these acts of violence have on the health and safety of Black communities. As an LGBTQIA+ group we embrace intersectionality and the various identities we each carry. From our inception as an organization to now, we have been committed to centering the voices of our QTBIPOC members, and continuously working toward dismantling white supremacy. To our BIPOC siblings, a generation ago you stood up and fought for our collective queer liberation when no one else would, now the LGBTQIA+ community needs to fight for you. We are here ready to stand by your side and fight for a better tomorrow.

As we find ways to support our BIPOC siblings, we have included a list of important resources on ways for all of us to get involved. We encourage our non Black members especially to engage with them, ranging from educating yourself on anti-racism and how to be a better ally to places to donate. 

This page allows you to split a donation to all groups listed below, or allocate specific amounts to individual groups, such as:

• Black Lives Matter Global Network

• ACLU

• Reclaim the Block

• National Bail Out

• Black Visions Collective

• NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund

• Minnesota Freedom Fund

• The National Police Accountability Project

• Color of Change Education Fund

• Unicorn Riot

• Louisville Community Bail Fund

Additional places to donate include the official GoFundMe for George Floyd.

Part of being a better ally is learning that it is not enough to simply be not racist, we must actively become anti-racist. In this GoogleDoc, you will find a list of resources to educate yourself on how to be anti-racist.

Additional resources can be found on the MSPA LINKTR.EE webpage.

In solidarity,
MSPA National Leadership Team