October 2024 Update
ID: “October Monthly Update www.freedomoklahoma.org/news” with our logo and a background collage including images from a TDOV event, Dyke March, an ACT UP protest, a Palestine protest, the Freedom Oklahoma staff wearing masks, Rep. Mauree Turner wearing a mask, and signs that read "There's dykes in Oklahoma too" and "No more murdered Indigenous relatives" with a photo of Nex
Happy 2SLGBTQ+ History Month
Every year, as October begins, we celebrate 2SLGBTQ+ history month. An exercise that has become grounding for all of our team, in expanding our knowledge of the 2SLGBTQ+ folks who came before us, who fought and loved before us, who paved the way for us, as our work now will become history for future generations. Marsha Pay-It-No-Mind Johnson said, “History isn’t something you look back at and say it was inevitable. It happens because people make decisions that are sometimes very impulsive and of the moment, but those moments are cumulative realities.” We each have a responsibility, not just a role, in our community history. And so we’re kicking off this month, focusing on what a commitment to keep one another safe means, what it means to build a future where every 2SLGBTQ+ person has the safety to thrive. So, we’ll ground our history in our commitment to the future.
At Freedom Oklahoma, we know that 2SLGBTQ+ people have been under attack on this land since colonizers first arrived. We believe a critical step in creating collective, community-based safety is building power and engaging in advocacy for protections at every level of governance. We fight harmful policy attempts while also looking for the opportunities to build and move forward. It is tough and intentional work, and we do it imperfectly, always striving to do better, to grow our table, to make sure everyone in the community has space in the movement. As an organization, we will forsake popularity and funding to avoid compromising on behalf of members of our community. Two-Spirit, Queer, and Transgender liberation is the long-game. The 2SLGBTQ+ community is not a monolith, and therefore we as a single organization cannot claim to do this work on behalf of anyone, but rather we seek to do work with and among our community members, with a growing coalition of allies, and until the community safety we seek is realized.
That vision statement is something I refer back to often, as I do our values, thinking about where we spend our time and energy, how we show up in this work. How we’re digging into the contexts of words, reminding folks that safety is not about comfort, but rather about creating the material, environmental, and psychological conditions so that even the most marginalized and historically excluded community members can exist as our whole selves, in pursuit of our joy, without experiencing violence, harm, or marginalization, in any and every place we call home.
This month as we explore the history that made us, the history we’re making, and the history future generations will learn, we ground ourselves in truths of this work. That our safety is bound together. And that means that the future where we have the safety to thrive is one that sees the fall of imperialism. One in which there is a free Palestine. One in which the people of Sudan and Congo have freedom from war, from military and paramilitary violence, and free from resource extraction. One in which sovereignty is not only recognized but celebrated, in which bodily autonomy reigns supreme, and in which our commitment to community is placed above individualism. That our safety requires learning our history. Especially the history of 2SLGBTQ+ folks whose stories are less easily accessible and/or purposefully hidden. That our youngest community members, too often the targets of current attacks, don’t need protection, but rather community and autonomy and safety so they can thrive on their own terms, free from bullying, free from tyranny, and free from the expectations and decision making of folks whose intentions, whether good or not, have harmful impacts. And, that we keep us safe. Not limited to, but included by utilizing all of the tools we’re given to mitigate the ongoing spread of COVID-19, fight to modernize laws so that stigma-based HIV criminalization is a thing of the past, and work to ensure our most vulnerable disabled, mad, and sick comrades have safe and meaningful access to spaces we cultivate, as a practice and commitment, not an afterthought.
And maybe as we work together, we decide safety is inadequate as a concept. Maybe we continue to expand our future vision in community together. But ultimately, may we continue to learn together, from one another, as we build this future in which we can all thrive, in and beyond Oklahoma.
Happy 2SLGBTQ+ History Month. Let’s continue to make history, together.
Warmly,
Nicole McAfee (they/she) - Executive Director
Important Links and updates:
c3 Update
We continue to make progress in the process towards c3 status reinstatement. We have worked with legal counsel and are in the final stages of preparing compiled documents to be filed.
In the interim, we are grateful to The Third Space Foundation for fiscal sponsorship, to ensure we can continue to apply for and accept grants that support our critical work. You can give to our work via The Third Space Foundation, here.
We have also signed a contract with Oklahoma Nonprofit Partners for accounting services, and are excited to work with Jennifer on building systems that best serve the longevity of our work.
For more information on the situation surrounding our c3 status, you can find our initial letter to the community, here.
Walk with us at AIDS Walk!
Join Freedom Oklahoma this Sunday at the 26th Annual AIDS Walk and Festival in OKC! Come experience live music, local entertainment, the mile walk, and more on Devon Law at the Myriad Gardens. Consider walking with us or donating to support our Walk Team! Proceeds will support ongoing HIV/AIDS support and prevention efforts in Oklahoma City.
October Community Groups
Oklahoma Pride Season 2.0 is here! Come chat about what's happening around OK, and let us know how to support you.
This month is Queer History Month, and we will be discussing how to use history as a way to enact change now during the Student Group. Come here about 2SLGBTQ+ Oklahomans who have made history! Participants are welcome to join when/as they are able.
Full Schedule:
Educators, Teachers, + School Staff: Tue, Oct 8th 4-5 pm
Parents, Guardians, + Caregivers: Wed, Oct 9th 4:30-5:30 pm
Students + Youth: Thurs, Oct 10th 4:30-5:30 pm
Volunteer with Freedom Oklahoma
Join us virtually on Thursday, October 3rd at 6 pm for a volunteer training session! We'll go over our mission, programming, FAQs, and how you can represent Freedom Oklahoma at events (pride festivals, people's hearings, resource fairs, etc) throughout the state.
We know that having local community members collaborate with us is the best pathway forward to ensure we are meeting the needs of each community throughout Oklahoma. We will have a list of upcoming events that you can sign up for right away! This training is specifically for individuals interested in doing in-person volunteering. If you are in-person with us for an event as a volunteer, we do strongly encourage masking and social distancing protocols to ensure we keep us safe.
Help us create a Youth Newsletter Highlight!
Are you a young person in Oklahoma? Freedom Oklahoma want to hear from YOU!
Let us know what you would like to see in our monthly newsletters. Submit ideas for youth-focused resources, events, and more here. We look forward to hearing from you!