On Juneteenth, Think About Black Americans
Views expressed in The Advocate’s opinion articles are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the views of The Advocate or our parent company.I am a Tulsa native and grew up on the west side of Tulsa.
I spent some time away in Fort Smith, Ark., to take a break from my busy life back in 2017. When I returned to Tulsa in 2019, I realized there was not a Black queer organization to support our community, so I got busy with creating that space.
My goal is to make Black Queer Tulsa not just accessible to Tulsa but to the whole state of Oklahoma. When I was young, I didn't have the correct environment to grow in, and there wasn’t anything out there where I could try to enjoy my experience as a Black gay man.
As a result, I have spent a lot of my life running from myself to meet the social standards of a heteronormative and white society.
