Diversity Initiatives event to cover criminalization of LGBTQ+ people of color
To continue the theme of LGBTQ+ History for October, an event on the disproportionate incarceration and criminalization of queer people of color will be presented on campus.
The event takes place on Wednesday Oct. 16 from noon until 1:00 p.m in Penland 110.
The presenter, Dr. Melencia Johnson, will be hosting the ICE event.
For students unable to attend the event, a brief write-up on the “mass incarceration” of the LGBTQ+ community, especially LGBTQ+ people of color, is included in the National Center for Transgender Equality’s publication: “LGBTQ People Behind Bars.”
Within the publication, they discuss the reason why incarceration is a topic non-separable from the LGBTQ+ community.
Some of these issues explain in-depth the trauma LGBTQ+ individuals face while in the prison system compared to heterosexual and heteronormative individuals within the system.
NCTE wrote that “LGBTQ people, particularly LGBTQ people of color and low-income LGBTQ people, are disproportionately likely to come into contact with the criminal justice system.” They also delve into how this occurred:
“A history of bias, abuse, and profiling toward LGBTQ people by law enforcement, along with high rates of poverty, homelessness, and discrimination in schools and the workplace, has contributed to disproportionate contacts with the justice system, leading to higher levels of incarceration.”
Along with information on this subject, Diversity Initiatives will also be providing free donuts in the event.
Image courtesy of Daniel Quasar
