Page 6 - BEQ Magazine Iss 20 Fall 2021 WebRev09272021

BEQ Pride Pays Homage to Queer

& Trans Historical Figures

O ur mission is to “engage, empower, accelerate” economic GLORIA EVANGELINA

ANZALDÚA
equality in the LGBTQ community. Because the commu-
Gloria Evangelina Anzaldúa was
nity is intrinsically intersectional — LGBTQ folks come
a scholar of Chicana cultural theory,
in all gender expressions, ethnicities, religions and abilities — our
feminist theory and queer theory .
mission is also intersectional. Every issue we publish, every piece of Born in South Texas with Spanish and
content we produce is judged against that mission. Does it engage? indigenous heritage, Anzaldúa believed
that the very act of writing is liberating
Does it empower? Does it accelerate economic equality?
and transformative . She edited several
volumes of essays by women of color,
October is LGBT History Month. Like other heritage months, the purpose wrote children’s books and many other
is to teach and highlight the contributions of a community often overlooked or works of fiction and poetry. In her 1987
erased from our nation’s history. Of course, at BEQ Pride we draw inspiration and essay “Borderlands/La Frontera: The
understanding from both current and historical figures to better understand the New Mestiza”, she wrote, “The ability of
importance of inclusion and belonging in business. In honor of all Queer and Trans story (prose and poetry) to transform
individuals that shape our thinking about the possibilities for full equality, we have the storyteller and the listener into
selected eight individuals whose lives, an aspect of their work or their accomplish- something or someone else is shaman-
ments align with the work we seek to do at BEQ Pride. This will be istic. The writer, as shape-changer, is a
nahual, a shaman .” Anzaldua’s head-
an ongoing dialog we wish to engage in with our readers and the
stone memorializes her words: “May we
larger LGBTQ community.
seize the arrogance to create outra-
But first, we begin with the courage and vision of Rodney geously, soñar [dream] wildly — for the
Wilson. He is the only individual on our list who is alive as of the world becomes as we dream it .” Here at
publication of this article. As a gay teacher in Mellville, Missouri, BEQ Pride, we are arrogant enough to
who decided to come out to his students in 1994 and subse- believe full equality is inextricably tied
quently introduce the idea of LGBT History Month, we want to to economic prosperity and the pursuit
honor his authenticity. Wilson modeled his idea for LGBT His- of happiness for all .
tory Month after Carter G. Woodson who founded Black History
Week which later became Black History Month. Wilson spoke at
RODNEY his alma mater, Southeast Missouri State University, in October JOHN E. FRYER
WILSON, 2019, at the 25th anniversary of the founding of LGBT History John E. Fryer, also known as “Dr. H.
teacher and Month. When talking about the value of months celebrating dif- Anonymous”, persuaded the American
founder of Psychiatric Association to remove
LGBT History ferent histories, he said, “All of these are designed to highlight homosexuality from the Diagnostic and
Month and publicize long-neglected stories. They are about saving part Statistical Manual of Mental Illness
of the past. They are also a political act because to assert that while wearing a disguise . He was the
one’s group has a history, is a political act. To assert that every first gay psychiatrist to speak publicly
group has a right to see its people in what Carter Woodson called about his sexuality . As an American
‘the great theatre of events’ is a political act.” Wilson understood psychiatrist and gay rights activist, his
the power of shared history — both in the sense of a group’s com- 1972 speech before the APA began: “I
munal experiences and in the sense of publicizing and honoring am a homosexual . I am a psychiatrist” .
WATCH Homosexuality was removed from the
BEQTV those experiences. We believe that in sharing stories from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual in
Taboo Teaching: A LGBTQ+ community, in elevating in amplifying those voices we
Profile of Missouri Teacher are engaging, empowering and accelerating the true benefit of 1973, a year after Fryer’s speech. Dr.
Rodney Wilson Fryer’s example reminds us to use our
our shared American history—belonging.
voices to bring about change .
6 FALL 2021 BUSINESSEQUALITYMAGAZINE.COM