In light of ongoing events in the United States, we at The Eulenspiegel Society (TES) wish to offer the following statement of solidarity:
Amid the many hardships brought on by the outbreak of COVID-19, it breaks our hearts to see that our country continues to suffer from that most stubborn and chronic social virus, systemic racism. While the recent murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, along with the intentional attempted weaponization of the police against Christian Cooper in our own backyard, have all been flashpoints for recent protests against violent policing and the widespread mistreatment of people of color, we are sadly all too aware that such events are nothing new. It remains a troubling fact that even as so many activities have been curtailed by the Coronavirus outbreak, the number of police killings remains unabated, even as COVID-19 disproportionately impacts communities of color.
We at TES acknowledge that these issues are inseparable from our own mission of sexual liberation for all. It is a tragedy that kinky people of color, members of our community, incur greater risks traveling with their toy bags, that their consensual activities are more likely to be labelled as criminal, and that they and those in our allied communities, particular trans people and sex workers of color, are more likely to be victims of violence. As a coalition of sexual minorities`, we owe the rights we have now to the black and brown activists who came before us and fought for those rights. If we do not use our platform to fight alongside them now we are failing them.
To our members of color, we are here to hold space for you. To those in our community who are out protesting, please stay safe. To those who are unable to protest but wish to help, please consider other ways you can assist, such as donations to civil rights organizations and community bail funds, supporting minority and female-owned businesses, providing emotional support for those protesting, and of course, voting.
We remain committed to offering a diverse array of presenters and classes, and creating spaces that are welcoming to all, and that unequivocally includes kinksters of color.
As part of our commitment to the diversity of our community, we wish to acknowledge that there are always ways we as an organization can improve. If you see any ways in which TES can better support and hold space for people of color in our community, please let us know by emailing secretary@tes.org. As always, members are invited to call in to our monthly Board of Directors meeting as well.