In the weeks following George Floyd’s unjust killing at the hands of law enforcement, we at The altView Foundation began having internal conversations about where our organization stands. Since its birth, our organization has stood on the side of justice, and the fight for racial equality is no different. We wanted to deliver a public declaration of our support, and we wanted to do so in a way that reaffirms our commitment to justice in all its forms. This took more time than intended, though we believe it’s important to make a statement with purpose.
Please find our full statement below.
RE: The altView Foundation’s support for #BlackLivesMatter
August 28, 2020
The altView Foundation unequivocally supports the work of Black Lives Matter and the many groups working every day to dismantle the racist systems that plague our society. We believe silence on this represents a betrayal to the QTBIPOC community, people impacted by racism, as well as our own values. Our organization has always valued anti-racist ideals, and we must be more purposeful and more transparent in how we demonstrate those values.
The renewed fight for racial equality persisted throughout Pride Month, a recognition of a civil rights movement ignited in response to police brutality and systemic oppression. A movement mirrored by the push against injustice, police brutality and oppression of people marginalized by systemic racism. It cannot be forgotten that the roots of Pride began with the uprising of QTBIPOC people like Marsha, Sylvia, and Stormé, nor that QTBIPOC have always been vibrant and critical members of our community. We know that they are not seen as they should be, heard as they should be, or valued as they should be.
We also know that words of solidarity are empty without the actions to back them up. Being aware of intersectionality and challenging privileges and injustices are core values that guide our organization, and we commit to not just improving ourselves but as well advocating for real change in the communities we work within. We have engaged our staff and board to open a dialogue to determine how altView can best support the work and goals of the Black Lives Matter movement. Through that dialogue, we have identified key commitments we will be making going forward.
Our commitments:
- Internal reflection to include review of policies for staff and volunteers to be specific and purposeful with incorporating anti-racism values into our organizational framework,
- Increased focus on ensuring our board reflects the communities we serve, with an assessment of barriers QTBIPOC community members may face when considering joining our board,
- Incorporating additional anti-racism elements in our programs and services, in particular our educational programs where topics such as intersectionality and minority stress will be expanded to further highlight how the 2SLGBTQ+ community is not a monolith and the fight for queer and trans equality by necessity must involve the fight for racial equality,
- Using our platform to promote the work and services of QTBIPOC-serving groups and support those groups in connecting with communities across rural Alberta, and
- Engaging youth and families in our communities to be allies to QTBIPOC communities and facilitating opportunities for community members to learn and to get involved.
Black Lives Matter,
Michael Green
Executive Director The altView Foundation for Gender Variant and Sexual Minorities