Emmy and Tony Award-winner Billy Porter has a message for America amid the protests against police brutality and racism: ‘Finally listen to us.’
The Broadway star took to Instagram and called out a number of communities for past events and transgressions that have led the country to what he called ‘the tipping point’, in a nearly 17 minute video.
And Porter, who is openly gay, didn’t hold back in giving his account on American history, its affect on the current state of affairs and race relations, all while asking for change from both his White allies and Black Americans.
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Heartfelt and honest: Billy Porter, 50, spoke out for the Black LGBTQ+ community in a passionate Instagram video
‘This country was built on thievery, violence, genocide and slavery, period,’ Porter, 50, said.
‘So I find it disingenuous when my well-meaning White liberal allies, news outlets, politicians, faith leaders and all of my Caucasian compatriots act as if the s*** is news.’
The Pennsylvania native then implored White Americans to ‘keep your white, I didn’t do it fragility to yourselves and simply listen. Finally listen to us.’
After summarizing the Black experience of the past, the Pose star gave some first-hand, and sometimes frightful, experiences of what it has been like for him as a black American.
First-hand experience: Porter, who is openly gay, didn’t hold back in giving his account on American history and its affect on the current state of affairs and race relations
Porter then urged for ‘Black people to hear me, because y’all ain’t gonna like this one,’ and proceeded to call out the Black community for the lack of support for Black LGBTQ lives.
‘As a Black queer man in America, my basic human rights have been up for legislation every single day that I have had breath in my body from all sides—and by that I mean that the Black community’s relationship with the LGBTQ+ community is appalling at best and eerily similar to that of white supremacists versus Black folk,” he said with obvious heartfelt emotion.
‘Hear me, Black people, and hear me well. I’m calling you out right here and right now. You cannot expect our demands of equality to be met with any real legislative policy and change when y’all turn around and inflict the same kind of hate and oppression on us.’
He added, ‘The tragic reality here is that Black trans, as well as gender non-conforming, women and men are being killed in the United States by cis Black men to such a degree that it is nearly the worst emergency for trans women on the planet.’
Passionate: : The Broadway star called on White America to ‘finally listen to us’ in the wake of the protests against police brutality and racism
His take: The Pose star called out the Black community for the lack of support for Black LGBTQ lives; ‘You cannot expect our demands of equality to be met with any real legislative policy and change when y’all turn around and inflict the same kind of hate and oppression on us’
Porter highlighted the attack on Iyanna Dior, a Black trans woman in Minneapolis, who the actor said was ‘brutally beaten by a gang of Black men while trying to peacefully protest for our rights.’
‘LGBTQ+ black folks are black people, too!’ the Pose star emphatically declared.
‘Our lives matter, too! So this is my response to those of y’all who don’t understand that: F*** you! And, yes, I am cussing. It’s time for cussing.
His emotions and voice raised to another level in yet another message: ‘To my homophobic and transphobic brothers and sisters, get your f***ing houses in order.’
Porter also maintained that Black people risk their lives every time they leave their homes, but that risk is double for queer people of color.
‘We move about our days sucking it up, hiding our pain and terror from the world, trying to make ourselves small, so white people and straight people feel comfortable.’
Change! LGBTQ+ black folks are black people, too! the actor-singer emphatically declared
‘Our parents try to prepare us for the realities of this world: the fact that the playing field is not leveled, the laws that protect white people do not do the same for us, and that we have to be at least 10 times better at anything we choose to do in life to simply get in the rooms where things happen.’
He eventually turned is attention to the upcoming election in November by describing it as ‘the most important that we’ve ever seen in our lifetime.’ Porter listed a slew of rights that are on line for a number of groups and organizations in this election.
‘And I ask you America, will we be better than this? I guess we’ll know the answer come November. It’s time for change and this time change for good.’
He ended by urging everyone to: ‘Vote, vote, vote, vote.’
Porter was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and won the 2019 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Pose, becoming the first openly gay black man to be nominated and win in any lead acting category at the Primetime Emmys.
Know your rights: Porter implored people to ‘vote, vote, vote, vote,’ in the November election that he called ‘the most important that we’ve ever seen in our lifetime’