This Black History Month, Stonewall is sharing the stories of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) LGBT colleagues and friends, to inform others about intersectional lived experiences. Stonewall leadership alumni, Adil Qureshi, a 21-year-old mental health worker, talks about his experiences.

October marks Black History Month, where we as a society look at and celebrate the achievements of BAME individuals, from people such as Bayard Rustin and Sylvia Rivera – who were at the forefront of the Civil Rights and LGBT liberation movements in America – to the achievements of BAME people in Britain today and the impact their have had on the LGBT movement, such as Phyll Opoku and Lord Waheed Alli. 

But black history is more than just a month; it’s more than just slavery, it’s more than just highlighting white supremacy and more than just black history through an African-American perspective. It’s a chance to explore the achievements and impact that BAME people have had on the world.

As the late great Audre Lorde once said: “There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.”

This quote for me sums up what it means to be both BAME and LGBT in Britain today, where on one hand there is racism within the LGBT community and on the other, there is homophobia, biphobia and transphobia, both in mainstream society and the various BAME communities.

I have lived in Yorkshire for the past three years, so my experience of being BAME and LGBT will likely differ from those living in a big city, or any other region. But what my experiences do demonstrate is the variety of issues facing people who identify as both BAME and LGBT. Bouncers might not believe you’re gay if you’re BAME on one hand, and on the other being ‘out’ whilst in clubs could result in being shunned by your community and family.

“There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.”

Also with the rise of social media, the ways in which racism has infected the LGBT community has changed, with apps like Grindr where White men will openly write on their profile ‘No Black, No Asian’. On some occasions, as has happened to me, people reply back to your messages with ‘No Pakis’. This has led to many white men proclaiming that having a ‘preference’ isn’t racist. I personally don’t believe having a preference is racist, but saying that you would not date or have sexual intercourse with people in a particular race is. You may not find the average BAME man attractive but to isolate yourself from dating the entirety of one race makes you a racist.

Predominantly white media narratives have not helped this – often the white LGBT experience in storylines is portrayed as more positive on a daily basis compared to that of BAME LGBT people, which focuses on marginalisation, isolation and rejection. What this has meant is that the BAME LGBT community is more reliant on itself in creating venues, support groups and anything else designed to support BAME LGBT people in a society that has often shunned us from both sides of the fence.

Attending the Stonewall Leadership programme has helped me to realise the importance of me stepping up as an LGBT role model for younger people. When I was growing up there was no one like me to look up to. I would want to role model for these younger generations so that they can know that being LGBT isn’t exclusively a white identity but one that transcends different racial groups. Something that is a part of you no matter what your identity.

Ultimately, the conversation around how the LGBT community can support BAME LGBT people has started. Groups like UK Black Pride, The Rainbow Intersection and Blackout London have led this; already they are doing great work in this area. Hopefully they’ll help create an LGBT community that challenges and tackles racism to create a more accepting space for us to share together.