Hello, men. Hello, Gay men. Hello, naked Gay men! This post is for men of all colors, but specifically an invitation to men like myself, namely, White Gay men who want to work to eliminate racism. ELIMINATE racism? Pretty tall order, right? It definitely is but every bit of thought and care that you put into that effort makes a difference. It may be uncomfortable to consider gathering together as White men and I understand that. But that discomfort is part of the very reason I am doing this, namely, to examine our role in a system that is built on the oppression of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.)
And I want you to join me for a weekly Zoom gathering where we as GNIers look at racism in our lives, at the systemic nature of racism surrounding and hurting all of us, and create ways to think better about all people (yes, that includes thinking better about ourselves as White men.)
We will meet for four consecutive Saturdays for one hour (longer if the turnout necessitates). After the four weeks we will collectively decide what the next phase looks like. You don’t need to bring anything other than yourself exactly as you are. There won’t be “homework” but we might find ways to keep in better touch with each other as we look at the ways we feel separated from others, whether that be our families of birth, our families of choice, our Gay brothers, or our Brothers of Color. Dave B will be assisting me.
Here is the link to information on the first four gatherings
It would be great if you could join us for all four, but do your best. Know that you’re welcome at all times. Please join at least 15 minutes early to manage any technical issues. By now most of us are getting adept at Zoom, but if you haven’t used it yet, please reach out to me and I’ll be happy to run you through some basics. We’ll take about an hour each time (trust me, it’ll feel like too short a time) and there will be many opportunities to comment, perhaps speak, and spend some time in small groups (Yikes! Lol)
Whether you’ve never thought about this, feel like you really need to “do something about this,” or are already an experienced activist, we want all of you. We’re going to learn how to be better listeners and how to get closer to each other. This is challenging but together we'll pause, reflect, play, and renew our commitments to each other as we work to change ourselves, GNI, and the world.
--Jon P
