2025 has been a tumultuous year politically, to say the least. The rollback and deterioration of programs that celebrate and protect diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workforce and classroom means that Black people in America are even more vulnerable to prejudice and racism. The alarming rise of anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation threatens the safety and protection of millions of queer people across the country.
Despite these attacks on the rights and liberties of minorities, the Black queer community—arguably the most vulnerable among us—stands strong and united. We’ve been here before. Essence Girls United spoke to six queer Black creatives about their Pride plans and how they’re staying resilient.
Anania Williams (she/her)
Singer, Actor, Host of Gaydar
@anania00
How she’s celebrating Pride:
“Besides the amazing opportunities I have to sing, dance, and do some drag performances, I’m planning on taking time to slow down and reconnect with friends. Rosemary in a bonfire, spend time at the beach and go from a Maybelline 370 to a 380, or just catching up on Drag Race. I have to spend this time resting and reload.”
Her strongest weapon:
“One of the strongest weapons in my arsenal is my ability to laugh. I do my best to find the humor in everything—even if it’s just the irony and ignorance of conservative fascists and their supporters. Every joke has a little bit of truth to it though. And the truth is, what queer people are going through and what we are expecting to go through is far from acceptable.”
Essence Thomas (she/her)
Content Creator
@sayessence
How she’s celebrating Pride:
“By being loud. It means something as a Black trans woman to be loud and unapologetic. It’s important for me to be the loudest Black transsexual that there is. But it’s also for others to be loud—especially with harmful rhetoric being used to divide communities right now. It’s important for everyone to be loud.”
On finding and building community:
“To protect ourselves, it’s all about community. I think right now we see queer people—especially in places like New York City—be so accepted since the 1980s in straight places where you don’t really need to go to a gay bar. But lesbian bars have been vanishing quickly. I think protection is finding those communities, finding that chosen family, and building from there.”
Stixx Matthews (he/him)
Beauty Writer
@stixxinthecity
How he’s celebrating Pride:
“For the Black LGBTQ community, we have a different roster of Pride celebrations which starts in April with Philly’s Pride and wraps up in September with Atlanta’s Pride during Labor Day Weekend. I have plans to attend my hometown’s Pride in Memphis, TN, Dallas, Texas the weekend of Juneteenth, and a few other cities where I have a host of friends and family. I’m a former J-Sette dancer, so at a few parties/events, I’ll break out a few of the old moves with a few former team members.”
On resilience:
“I don’t know how to do anything else besides staying strong. A welcoming and affirming community of friends and family has always been at the root of my existence. So even if I had a moment where I felt weak or needed to be lifted, there has always been a myriad of blood-related and friends-turned-family that I could always count on to remind me of who I am and from whom I come from. From this, innate resilience resides.”
Cleo Reed (they/them)
Musician, Multi-Disciplinary Artist
@cleoforshort
How they’re celebrating Pride:
“I believe that celebration lies in the work that we all do as queer folks to have our basic needs met—and then some. So, I’ll be at lots of cookouts and public gatherings. I plan on resting and going to attend my friends’ shows as well.”
How they try to live in the moment:
“Living in this reality is really hard. I try my best to stay focused, calm, and intentional with my time.”
Abiola Agoro (she/her)
Activist, Content Creator, Founder of Disturbing Inequality
@ahbeeolah
How she’s celebrating Pride:
“I have spent a lot of time debating how I would celebrate Pride. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the idea that as queer people we need to be in these big places and see the parades, but after spending so much time rebuilding my health and identity the last couple years, I realized that my Pride this year will be finding love everywhere I can. Every nod of recognition from other queer people recognizes someone they see as a home, every laugh I share with Black people, every moment that I see a person unravel to rebuild—I feel joy. Celebrating Pride is internalizing those moments and cultivating spaces where we can work together to be free.”
On our gift to resist:
“We all have a gift, and we thrive when we do right by it. I always say that I didn’t have the choice to be an educator, because as a little loud Black girl born and raised in rural Texas, the world around me needed me to teach—and now is no different. Learning the history of resistance gives me a sense of pride, but being able to bring that information to others and teach them the value it holds gives me purpose.”
Brian Walker (he/him)
Musician, A Day Without Love
@adaywithoutlove
How he’s celebrating Pride:
“By playing Pride and Pride-adjacent events to uplift my fellow queer friends.”
How music helps:
“As a musician, I sing about my identity and help others feel uplifted by doing the same. To be seen is to be heard and understood.”