Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when news of emancipation finally reached the last enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. It is a day of mourning and memory, of survival and celebration. And within that story of liberation are Black queer and trans people, who were always part of it. Not as footnotes, but as part of the fabric of Black resistance and joy.

Too often, narratives of Black freedom minimize the presence and contributions of queer and trans people. But they were there- enslaved, resisting, surviving, and imagining something better. And they are here now, leading movements, building communities, speaking truth to power, and enduring disproportionate harm. Juneteenth is not just a day to remember what was won. It is a day to tell the truth about who made that struggle possible, and who is still fighting for freedom that has yet to be fully realized.

Pride and Juneteenth are not separate struggles. Black liberation and queer liberation are inseparable, not only because the systems that oppress are intertwined, but because so are our people. Today we honour Black queer and trans ancestors and elders. We uplift Black queer and trans joy, resistance, and care. And we recommit to a vision of freedom that is full, truthful, and shared.